V8834 WIP

Once upon a time, I sewed without reading the directions. 

Gasp.

In those days of focusing energy on raising a family and growing a career, my mind just wasn't all that inquisitive at 2 AM when I finally found a few minutes to sew. Luckily I did select the easy-to-sew patterns as much as possible. 

Then one day, I read the directions. Mind-blowing. Shocking, almost. Sewing sequences that often led to successful results. Ways to sew I had never considered. Tips. Oh, my.

I'm like a reformed smoker. Evangelical. Know-it-all. Borderline nag.

Now I love reading a good set of sewing instructions. Vogue 8834 is a good example - interesting design, good instructions, clear illustrations. I love it.

My version is a work-in-process (WIP) right now. I am using a light weight cotton shirting, yarn-dyed mini-check. It is a great piece of fabric to sew. Because it is yarn-dyed, both sides are identical. The collar folds so that the *wrong* side shows.

All the pieces fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. And there are some surprises. The sleeves look like plain straight sleeves. Actually I think they are going to be quite graceful and the perfect finish to the otherwise very unique styling - asymmetrical front, no shoulder seams, a collar that can take many forms.

The shirt calls for french seams throughout the process. I love french seams.

There was one slight omission in the directions:

In order to correctly sew the front yoke pieces to the fronts, it's important to clip the zigzag part of the seam that was previously reinforced. It also helps if you make a french seam only on the straight portion of the seam. 

For the zigzag portion, use a standard RST 5/8 inch seam, sewing the zig and zag separately. Trim and press.

partial french seam

clips