Quick Sewing Fix

Well, I decided that I'd better get with it on the SWAP contest, and get something done already, so I cut out 3 Jalie Tees this afternoon (cream textured, clay tiny-rib, and taupe/white/black dot) and one FFF skirt (taupe/white/black dot.) I didn't get any actual sewing done, but I'm ready to go, and it should be quick, although I have a few detail ideas that may need a little tweaking. I have enough of the dot left to try an attached scarf at the neckline, and the cream textured knit has a lovely, interesting selvedge that looks like a delicate ruffle. I must do something with it. It would be a crime to waste it. I may have made a big mistake in cutting out the skirt. I definitely like them with 4 seams, but this fabric has a pronounced shadow stripe, so perhaps I should have just gone with no CF or CB seam, as the vertical line would be there anyway, and maybe now it will look weird if the stripes do not match, which they probably will not. Oh well, it's only fabric! It was very inexpensive, but it's nice, and I hate to ruin it with a silly mistake.

While I was cutting out Tees, I decided to prewash some fabric for a test of the drafted blouse pattern. I put a brown rayon blend from Pendleton in with the dark brown doubleknit for the SWAP, and added a Color Catcher. Did it ever catch color! I looked a few minutes into the wash cycle, and the water was brown. So, I added another Color Catcher. They were both dyed completely when it was all over. So, I did another rinse and added another CC, and it had some splotches on it too. Amazing. The rayon must have had some wool in it as it shrank from 4yds+ and 60" wide to 3 1/2 yds and 54". It also lost the shine on one side, which is a good thing. I hadn't liked that and planned to have it be the wrong side. Now I can use either side, or both, as they coordinate nicely. One side is more gold, the other is more brown. I like the feel of it now too, it's a little beefier, but still lovely and drapy.