Back to School Outfit (for me!)

The shirt is Vogue 8558 and the pants are McCalls 5941.
I first thought that the lines around the neck of the top were pleats, but it's actually just topstitching, so it went together much faster than I expected. I'll be making more of this pattern, since it will work all year round (the pattern includes sleeveless, short and 3/4 length sleeves) and the wide neck border can be embellished in different ways (embroidery, beads, etc.). The fabric is a light knit from Joann's that was on sale a while back. My only two issues with this top are:

1. I'd really, really like a coverstitch machine for hemming. I absolutely hate the look of my regular machine stitches (short, bumpy, crooked) and am not crazy about hand-stitching. I should probably use the blind stitch, huh? I should've topstitched twice, you can't see the lines at all... sorry.2. These sleeves are much longer than I anticipated (practically full length), but it might be I have short arms. I can't remember the last time I made something with long sleeves...

The pants are a Palmer/Pletsch "Perfect Pantsuit" pattern, and are the first pair that fit really well without alterations. I've already got another pair cut out and ready to go. The pants pattern includes 1" seam allowances and has many markings and instructions for alterations. There are two pant widths included (wide and fitted), along with a loosely fitted short-sleeve jacket in three lengths. I'll be making view A of the jackets to go with these pants.

The fabric is a stretch twill with a tonal stripe that I got from Dawn. Last winter, I had an extra yard of wool that I didn't need, so we swapped and I got this awesome twill. I love it, so thanks Dawn!!! If anyone ever finds themself in the same situation and wants to trade, let me know!

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In other news...

A new season of Project Runway starts tonight on Lifetime. I'm very excited to see Heidi and Tim again, after the sad substitute of "The Fashion Show" that Bravo came up with. I'm not concerned with Lifetime hosting it, and think it will be fabulous, as usual!

DH is also the most fantastic husband in the world! He surprised me with this handy little Sony video camera for my upcoming NYC trip, which also takes still photos. I'm very, very lucky to have such a thoughtful husband!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work on making muslins for NY. I can't decide what to work on, so I'm preparing a little bit of everything. The Chanel Jacket muslin is ready to be basted together, and I have some pants that I need to trace off. There are so many little things that I also want to learn while I'm there: cuff plackets for DH shirts, narrow hemming silky fabrics, welted pockets, FBA's...

Non-Sewing Comment of the Day: Spyware Sucks! We got a screen prompt that we had been infected by a malicious worm, only to end up with "Personal Antivirus" software that is actually a huge scam and the initial warning is the bait! We spent all day today trying to get rid of it, and luckily it was a free fix, but what a pain!!!