August Wardrobe Plan

It's way past my bedtime so I'll save all the details until tomorrow - for now here's a peek at my super-secret planning board. :)

Vogue 7748, part 2

DONE!

Ok, half done...

The inside still needs a good amount of work. And I'd like to line it with a nice red. And add a hook and eye to keep that front neck detail closed. And make the belt. And add a button and loop to replace the safety pins at the sides.

But besides that it's done. :) It hit the point where either the inside or the outside was going to be presentable so I chose the outside. It seemed to make the most sense.

I edged it with some red piping I had in my stash. Good to know - it takes EXACTLY one package of piping to do this. To the millimeter. Talk about cutting it close. Um, literally.

And you'll notice the collar looks a bit different than the pattern picture. Not my fault, that's totally the pattern right there. It's working on this dress but if I make it again (and the linen-look fabic at Joann's is calling to me) then I'll reduce the collar by a good inch. Maybe more. I don't particualarly like my clothing assulting my neck. But, like I said, it seems to work on this dress.

It was fun to make something like this - something a little wild and not something I can wear everyday. Or most days. Next on the list is some more practical sewing which is always easier after some impractical sewing. Today I'm rummaging through my stash to get together an entry for the mini wardrobe contest - stay tuned for that!

Vogue 7748, part 1

The cute guy and I are celebrating our one year anniversary this weekend and I figured I needed to take the excuse to make something for myself. So a couple nights ago we sat down with my boxes of patterns and he went through and picked his five favorites. I picked this one out of those five. Usually I pick out my own clothes but with 500+ patterns I was facing paralysis so we made it a joint activity. 'Sides, he's pretty good at picking out clothes for me. :) Yeah, he's a keeper.

This is actually a pattern I had tried to make years ago just before going on a cruise and I was so tired I cut out three left bodices. No right bodices, just left. I tried to salvage it but simply couldn't and had to repurpose the fabric as a skirt and part of a top. I'm fairly proud of what I did but still, it meant this pattern got stuffed back in the envelope for the time being.

So now that I returned to the pattern I had to find fabric worthy of it. The suggested fabrics were pretty limited: crepe and linen. Great if I had planned a few weeks ahead. Not so great when my fabric sources are limited to my stash and my Joann's. Now don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with our local Joann's, but largely because I keep my expectations low. Which means not expecting any decent crepe or linen. And I was right. They had "linen look" which is half linen, half poly and all rough and not the best dyes. It's fantastic for medieval clothing because it really captures the hand-woven, hand-dyed from plants look. But that wasn't what I was going for here. Crepe? A small selection of pure poly formalwear, some of which is crepe. Again, not the look I'm going for.

So I head over to the quilting cotton, a section that's getting more of my attention each time I go there. Look what I found!



It's an Alexander Henry print and so vibrant and asian. And just $8.99, making for a $26 dress! I don't sew JUST to save money, but I love it when it works out!

I did have a dilemma, though. Should I stick with the wide skirt or should I frankenpattern this with a narrow skirt? I went to PR for the answers. Posted, checked back to see the answer ... and I got a resounding chorus of "wrong fabric!!!" Ok, so maybe I did choose a DIFFERENT fabric from the original authorial intent ... but last I checked, it's not a fabric decision that will truly make it unwearable like, say, chiffon replaced for denim in jeans. And even so, I've seen a fantastic trench coat made out of georgette so really, it's less about the pattern's requirement than understanding why and how a different choice affects it. I guess I got a little hurt that there was less praise and outright admiration of the utter brilliance of my pattern and fabric and more realistic critiques. Maybe I need to get out more. :) I did have one person wisely note that it would probably work best to sew "as-is" and then pin up the sides to see if I like the narrower look better. After all, you can always subtract fabric.

I got it all cut out tonight (and cut it all correctly!) and started sewing it up. Forgot just how much I love sewing on my old Viking! I've been using my new Bernedette and it's just not the same. Lovely, but not the same. Anyway, the skirt is fully assembled and I've got it hanging on my dress form to get all it's stretch and warp issues out before hemming it. And you know what?

I LOVE it.

The skirt definitely has volume but it works. It really works. It makes this a statement dress like boring ol' linen wouldn't. Or maybe I'm just biased. :) But it is lovely and fun, perfect for the occasion. I'll take pics tomorrow and hopefully get one of me all dressed up in it for dinner out!

New(-ish) McCalls

So I'm a month late noticing these. A MONTH! Used to be I'd notice new patterns within a couple of hours of their release! Sad, sad, sad. I'm loosing my touch.

And there were some nice patterns in this as well - nothing that hit my MUST HAVE YESTERDAY button but some nice ones nonetheless.

Mc5700

I really like the faux top and high waist skirt look - no fussing with a top that wants to come untucked. Plus you know that, yes, that top does go with that bottom. I have such trouble with tops and skirts not quite working together. Am I the only one? I would like this pattern better if the top had sleeves and so was a bit more work appropriate (and by work, I mean "teaching adult classes and doing research in a freezing library" so I might be unique in my needs) and I really don't get why they want you to use knits. Yes, I know it means no darts in that skirt but it also means some bulges at the hip and thigh area. And it's got a zipper. In a knit dress. The main reason I make a knit dress is to avoid zippers. Oh, well. Good idea thought I'll probably pass due to those issues. However I can still admire the thought.

Mc5705

That massive cowl is calling to me. It's so fun and crazy and overdone that I just have to like it. The dress under it is less of a like - far too 80s sack with unflattering elastic waist for my taste. But the cowl...

Mc5717

Forget the pattern, I want the green plaid fabric! Seriously, though, that's a fantastic marriage of pattern and fabric. Love the bias cut of the ruffle, it adds a great girly kick to a beautiful, classic shape.

Mc5686

Beautiful, but one question: What's the difference between this Stitch and Save pattern...


and this full-priced one?
Same necklines. Same skirts. Same sleeves. Same pockets, even. As far as I can tell the only difference is that the full-priced one has a pattern for a belt (who makes those anyway?) and the SnS one doesn't. And the full priced one came out a year earlier which probably counts for something but still... this confuses me.

Second class report

Our second class (with two students! yay!) went really well. I need to figure out a better way to do demonstrations in my cramped little living room but overall it was mostly practicing anyway. We learned how to stitch a straight seam using papers with lines on them either 1/4", 1/2", or 5/8" in. By putting the line side down you can sew up the paper and then turn it over to check how you did. It helped me discover that my little Bernedette doesn't actually have a 5/8" line on it's little metric plate. So not exactly sure what size seams I've been sewing on it. Oops! I need to put down some masking tape and make my own lines. Once I get around to getting masking tape. It's the little things that hold me up.

After working for a while on just sewing up those strips (the time flies!) I showed them the three most basic ways to start and stop seams (tying off, backstitching, and securing with tiny stitches) and was moderately gratified that both gravitated towards the tiny stitches method. It's my personal favorite, brought about from years of sewing with a machine that hates going backwards, so I felt extra good passing on that bit. After all, most places tell you to backstitch. This is like secret sewing wisdom and I get to bestow it upon my apprentices. Or something like that. Anyway, I enjoyed it. In the last bit of class we put our new knowledge to use making cute little bags and I showed them a few variants. One of my students is a total perfectionist while the others' a bit more of a DIYer and I think both really learned from making those silly, easy little bags. My perfectionist (or Debbie, named after a friend who's a perfectionist) was thrilled to finish something and liked realizing that whatever she did and whatever seam width or stitch she used, it would still be a great little bag and my DIYer liked the guidance and the fun of having one project she knows she can churn out again with confidence. Success!

It was funny that at 40 minutes into the 90 minute lesson I was getting antsy and wanted to move on, do more, teach more, cram in all the stuff I'd had planned and instead we were still working with sewing seams. And then one of the students said "you know, we've been sewing for just 40 minutes and it's amazing - I already feel so much more confident with my machine!" It really helped me to hear that - to remind myself that the goal isn't to give them a fly-over of sewing techniques (though the basics are highly helpful) but instead to get them to love and be comfortable with their machines so that when they learn the techniques they can do them without being intimidated by that scary needle or the noises or sudden movement. It's the same process I used to teach my brother to drive and, you know, he's still driving regularly and has a perfect record, despite the crazy area he lives in. So I guess my teaching method works, at least for some learners!

Both students were asking about our next class so I haven't scared them off! Highly encouraging. :) I had to get my eyes tested today and the dilation lead to a migraine so I'm sitting in a dark corner nursing it before crawling to bed. That's my excuse for not uploading pictures of the bags we made. I promise to do it soon, they really turned out nice!

Side addition

Look over to the side ------>

I've added links to the videos so they're always accessible. :) Enjoy!

I'm also on YouTube (I feel so dirty) under the name of Simply Sewing - I've only uploaded two videos for now but, hey, it's a start.

Tomorrow:
- Cut out fabric for bags, pincushions
- Find lost funnel
- Make, upload, and post videos for threading and sewing a hem

Vogue's fall stuff and a 50c alteration

A couple of them are catching my interest - a bit novel since Vogues and I have never really been best of friends. Nothing personal, we just don't have all that much in common, I guess. This season at least gives us a little bit to talk about, though. :)


V1053 - Just yesterday I was looking for a cardigan just like this. Ok, nearly like this. The front band is too high for me; I just want a cardigan with one-piece fronts that comes together in the front and is held together with a little broach. But it's an easy modification. And an easy pattern!


V8512 - TOTALLY bad for my body but I can almost feel the dress in a buttery cream wool. So soft and warm and chic.


V8512 - I'm so in love with this dress, I want a couple in each of the variations.


V8518 - I'm not a fan of the front asymmetrical pleat (not a good look on me) but that back high-waist detail intrigues me.

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And yesterday, after spending too long looking through the vogues, I got paid 50c for an alteration job. That and another 10c will buy a whole soda! Actually it's no where near as bad as it sounds. I've got ads up around the place for my sewing classes and so wasn't overly surprised when someone here in the building emailed me about possibly altering her bridesmaid's dress. I emailed back that I generally don't do alterations but would be willing to look at it. Yes, I know, I should have a nice little fee set up for such an occasion but I told her I'd look over it gratis for several reasons, the top most being that I'm bored of cottons and just wanted a chance to play with some nice fabric without having to buy it and do anything with it. :) So yesterday I went to her apartment and ... oh my. The dress ... was a nice color. Her sister had picked out fabric and a pattern and another relative sewed it up and ... the seams were nice. But someone definitely has never heard about things like "measuring" and "fitting." Oh, oh, oh my. The bridesmaid to be wasn't someone who could fit in a pattern straight out of the envelope but neither was she a difficult fit. And the dress was doing her no favors. Some patterns are just bad patterns. This was one of them. I can't identify the culprit but it had tiny little bust, high empire waist, and a tight skirt. It was managing to look both droopy and stripperific at the same time. And the bust area was gaping horribly while the fabric barely fit around her hips. It was bad and, sadly, she knew it. Poor thing!

I have a soft spot for abused fabric and the bridesmaids having to wear said fabric. Don't ask why, it's a painful memory involving butt flowers. Barbie pink butt flowers.

I pulled out my pins and we went to work getting the bust area to fit, the empire waist to fall at the right place, and the sides to work. A slip took care of a lot of the worst drag lines around the hips and after enough pinning it wasn't toooo bad. The bridesmaid to be was fantastic - no qualms about me treating her like a dress form, no modesty concerns (I did apologize after accidentally grabbing a boob - did I mention I don't do this alteration stuff very often?), and just a plea to make it wearable. After a lot of pinning and repinning we had something that was presentable and she's going to send it back to her mother to do the actual alterations since I'd rather not be any more responsible for the dress. In the end she insisted on paying for my pins since I did use a lot of them and I jokingly told her that I'd used all of 50c worth. So she grabbed two quarters and gave them to me. We had a great time together trading wedding stories and forming a good acquaintanceship that could turn to friendship with time so it was totally worth it to me. :)

Sewing 101 - Lesson 1: Sewing along lines

Lesson 1 - Sewing straight lines


Lesson 1 - Pivoting while sewing


Lesson 1 - Sewing along curves

Sewing 101 - Machine Basics 1

Machine Basics 1 - Identifying some key parts of the machine


Machine Basics 1, extended edition - Identifying some key parts on other machines

Sewing 101 - Introduction Video

Introduction to our first lesson
Unfortunately my little camera's been having trouble with it's shutter - specifically, it only opens a crack without some encouragement. I filmed and refilmed this intro section four or five times and FINALLY got it right - only to realize that I'd forgotten to give the little shutters the nudge they need to open. So for all intents and purposes this intro is all audio, no video. That's not as bad as it sounds since, really, it's just me talking. Imagine me sitting somewhere (I vote for a nice tropical island or perhaps a luxury home in the mountains of California) and that'll take care of the visuals until I get over my disappointment enough to refilm this.

More videos!

Another couple videos - these were filmed yesterday but took FOREVER to format and upload. Well, ok, 24 hours isn't forever. But it feels like it when dealing with computers. :)

Machine Basics 1 - Identifying some key parts of the machine


Machine Basics 1, extended edition - Identifying some key parts on other machines

Beginning sewing video tutorials

I made up these videos in part because I could. I recently discovered the movie function on my little camera and, well, wanted to see what I could do with it. Anyway, since I'm proud of the videos I'm posting them here for others to marvel at - or at least watch if interested. :)

The three lesson videos cover the very very basics of sewing - straight lines, pivoting, and sewing along curves. In class these lessons came after a basic intro to the machine and I'd like to film that as well but then my memory card filled up and ever since I've been working on getting these videos converted, edited, and posted. To film I got both of my machines involved. My new Bernedette 55 got the spotlight (this time!) while I found that my old Viking worked fantastic as the tripod. It has two spool pegs on the back that help hold the camera at just the right angle to film. So file that under 101 alternative uses of the machine - as a tripod for a sewing show. :)

By the way, it's not easy to sew when there's a whole extra machine between you and your work. It's working for these intro sections but I might need to get a real and less obtrusive tripod and better camera before trying to sew zippers on film!

Back to the intro videos, here they are!

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Introduction to our first lesson
Unfortunately my little camera's been having trouble with it's shutter - specifically, it only opens a crack without some encouragement. I filmed and refilmed this intro section four or five times and FINALLY got it right - only to realize that I'd forgotten to give the little shutters the nudge they need to open. So for all intents and purposes this intro is all audio, no video. That's not as bad as it sounds since, really, it's just me talking. Imagine me sitting somewhere (I vote for a nice tropical island or perhaps a luxury home in the mountains of California) and that'll take care of the visuals until I get over my disappointment enough to refilm this.


Lesson 1 - Sewing straight lines


Lesson 1 - Pivoting while sewing


Lesson 1 - Sewing along curves

First class report

First class went well! We were scheduled to have a grand total of two students (with a third joining in a few weeks) but before the class got started one called and, I think, told me she'd have to skip due to a sick baby and no sleep the past four days. It was hard to tell over the very angry, very hurt screaming of the poor little kid. I feel for both of them - it stinks to be sick and it stinks even more to be the one caring for the sick person, especially when they're so little. So we had a very personal class for my one student. :)

On the good side, I found that I'd erred on the side of preparing too much rather than too little. We spent a lot of time just sewing on lines on paper, getting used to controlling the paper, the different stitch lengths, speed control, and all that. My student's the total opposite of me insofar as sewing goes - she wanted to make sure she had each step down pat before moving on. Me? I skipped any sort of training and went straight for the fabric. Nice fabric. Nice, slippery, shiny, polyester fabric. So it was a great learning experience to teach someone so different. She seemed to enjoy it and said she felt like she learned a little more about her machine and is gaining confidence. Since we only had 90 minutes, that's pretty good! Plus she's coming back next week so that's encouraging. :) Looks like I'll be learning how to catch up one student while teaching the other. Ideally I'd just tell student #2 to sign up for the next beginner class but, ideally, she wouldn't be 33% of my class. So we're dealing with reality.

To help her catch up and as a great excuse to do something I've wanted to do for a while, I made a series of instructional sewing videos just covering the sewing-on-paper bit of the lesson. That filled up my memory card but now that I've dumped it all onto the computer I want to move on to the basics of threading the machine and sewing up the neato felt coasters. Once my molasses-speed internet connection uploads the videos to YouTube I'll put up links here so you can watch and relive your earliest sewing days. :)

Thanks for the encouragement, it's helped so much!

Looking ahead to Sunday

Vacation was wonderful but it's equally wonderful being home again. I feel like such a picky person but I really was growing to hate public restrooms. I'm not sure what the problem is - after all, I used squatty potties in China so I should be ok with single-ply tissue in a slightly smelly restroom that's never heard of complimentary seat liners, right? But I'm not. Oh, well.

On brighter topics, my first sewing class starts this Sunday with two students. A third will be joining a week later. Not quite the start I was hoping for but, thinking about it, I think it's just right. Since I've never taught this sort of class before this should help me get familiar with it all. Still, I'm nervous and excited all in one bundle. Eek!

Yesterday I went to Joann's to pick up the last of the materials along with extra seam rippers. When checking out the sales associate asked what I was making and my husband started to tell her about the classes. She got really excited and began asking what levels I teach, where, would I be willing to teach others ... turns out they have a good number of people coming in asking about classes and, at the moment, NO ONE teaching any. Or at least no one they know. Unfortunately they don't have any room in the store for me to teach but, for now, my apartment should work. This was highly encouraging because I need a part-time job to pay for classes next semester but, since I'll already be taking 12 hours and working another 20 as a TA, it has to be a low-hour, higher-pay job. IF teaching sewing classes works out, that should fit the bill nicely. With 4 people per class (and my apartment can hold 8) my "salary" is right at $20 an hour (including prep time) and I'll only have to teach two classes at a time to break even. Thank heavens for scholarships, otherwise I'd still be in debt even with 8 sewing classes a week.

That's it, just thought I'd share about the developments!

Vacation and sewing fun

I'll be vacationing far away from the internet (and cable, and, just possibly, cell phone towers) for the next week so this blog will go into silence mode for that time.

To tide you over, here's some pics of what's I've been up to!


Some bags I've made. The far left one, the yellow and red one, is a padded laptop bag. The rest are green grocery bags. Lots of fun and very easy to make!


The two most green grocery bags ready for transport. The green flower one folds up into it's handy pouch while the solid green one rolls and gets tied up. I prefer the pouch personally but I wanted to experiment a bit.



More coasters, this time in fuzzy mode! The lighting's bad right now so I'll have to make it up with better pictures later. The blue one is showing that the blue felt isn't inheritantly tacky, it's just tacky when I try to pair it with red and white, like the previous coasters. I wound up googling wedding colors and got a truck load of ideas of what colors actually look good with others. This blue with lime green coaster was a result. And the green lime thread is serious stash - it's on a wooden spool and cost 30c when new. I assume that was whenever this color was last in vogue. But it's still strong and it's not like any important seams are depending on it! The brown coasters were me FINALLY trying to sew on a beginner's level (I never was any good at that, even as a beginner. Which is why I have so many ... interesting ... things ... as relics of that time) and just doing straight lines across the felt. I really like how they look. They're best when the straight lines are done with a slight zig-zag stitch for definition but even at their most basic they're nice. Good to know!

And, in other news, I finally have a sewing class ready to start up! It'll begin a week after we get back. So much to do!

More felt coaster fun

I had fun today.  :)

The brown coasters with blue curves are based on these coasters. I drew the lines on tissue paper, using various round things in my kitchen as the templates and then stitched the design on a sandwich of tissue paper-felt-felt. Thread width set to 2, length at 1. The double layer of felt gives it a great quilted, puffy effect and the tissue paper kept the felt from getting stretched out - a problem I had with prior coasters.

Anyway, fun evening. Also started to teach DH how to sew ... but that's a story for another time. :)

Playing with my machine

After years of avoiding any sort of embroidery on my machine, I decided to give it a go. I've been making up samples of projects for the sewing class I'm teaching (staring in just a few weeks!) and our first project will be simple little drink coasters made from felt. Theirs won't look like these - at least I don't expect them to.  We'll start with straight lines.  I made up a handful of samples with just the straight lines and I like them - but these are the ones that caught my camera's attention.  :)

These were made with two pieces of felt, one red, one brown.  I put brown thread in the bobbin, red in the needle, and then followed the pictures I'd sketched in the felt.  More or less - the marking pen didn't show up very well so a good amount of it was freehand.  The tapering lines you can see in each coaster were formed by sewing along as I narrowed the stitch width.  Somehow the combination of guiding the fabric with the left hand while turning a dial with my right made me feel so very coordinated.  It's a rare feeling for me so I enjoyed it!

I did the border last, though maybe I should have done it first.  Will try next time.  Anyway, the cheap felt tended to stretch and skew due to all the dense stitches so I finished off by sewing the borders then trimming off a good 1/4" from the edges.  Anyway, this was a fun little project that whipped up quickly.  Hm.  Wonder if I could make coasters for my aunt's birthday present?  Wonder what she'd like ... 

A Tale of Two Robes

I thought I'd show off two of the robes I've made from the same pattern. It's amazing how much the fabric changes the look. The pattern is, by this point, practically self-drafted. I think I started with McCall's 2940 but hated how massive it was. There's roomy and comfortable and then there's being consumed by fabric. Even the small was too large to move in. So I began changing it. I narrowed it about 4" at each shoulder, redrafted the armcyc to fit a little more closely, redrafted the sleeve cap to fit, flared a bit at the waist, and shortened it to hip length. And that was the first round of changes. I think I made more after that but before the blue robe was made. So, yeah, I consider it "my" pattern by this point. I figure I've earned it!

Blue Robe

I love this robe. It was originally inteded to be a bridal shower gift for a friend but I finished a little late and we haven't gotten together since. I got married a few months after she did and she bought me some stuff as well and, since we haven't been in the same place at the same time, we both decided to just keep the gifts we would have given to each other. Odd, but it works. :) And I've been wearing this robe to bits! It's fantastic for throwing over a pair of pants and a cami. It's nice enough that I could wear it out but super, super comfortable. I let my DH cut out the tie and it turned out far shorter than it's supposed to be. This is why he plays with computer code rather than wood working or sewing or anything else that requires measurements. :) Still, it works well enough that I haven't felt the need to recut it. Lazy, me? But anyway, LOVE this robe. Need to make more. Many more. And it sewed up in less than an hour thanks to serging all the seams. Gotta love that.

M's Robe

This robe was fun to make because I really got to let the fabric influence the design. Because it had a directional cross-grain weave and decorated borders I tried to make the most of it. The main pieces were cut with the bottom edge on the selvedge. Technically this affected the curve of the hem, making it straight, but the pattern's curve was already so slight that you can't tell. Due to a cutting error the long sleeves became elbow-length. I could have recut them but decided the shorter sleeve looks so good that I wanted to keep it. The sleeve cuffs are cut from the border and give a good weight to the sleeve. The neck band shows off the "wrong" side of the fabric. The belt is similarly made with the "wrong" side out but the border weave makes it hard to see in the picture. Ah, well. It was stunning in real life, if I may say so!

It took something along the order of 18 HOURS to sew this because I (a) had the bright idea to flat fell the seams which took forever and looked so bad I had to seam rip and redo them and (b) because SO MUCH of it was hand-sewn. I wanted it to be so beautiful on the inside that you could wear it inside out if you wanted. Part of doing that meant hand-sewing the band to the inside, stitch by TINY stitch. After seam-ripping my first (machine) attempt. I also blind-hemmed the hem. On the good side, I'm a far better hemmer now! By the end I was really enjoying the process. There's something very peaceful about hand-sewing and now I might be a little addicted. We'll see how long that lasts. :)



I really enjoyed making both gowns and have plans for yet another one in the works. I'll be sure to show it off when I get it made up!

Simplicity Fall Patterns!

I love new patterns. No, seriously, it's a little sad how much a small batch of new patterns can totally make my day. I've even got my little routine down. I'll open up the page and then very carefully just look at the first pattern. I'll click on it, study it, look at the line drawing, sizes offered, fabric, etc, and dream a bit. Then I'll go back and very carefully look at the second, not looking ahead at all, and repeat for each pattern until I've seen them all. And then I'll go back through again.

This probably tells you more about me than I really want you to know. Hm.

Anyway, some new patterns to enjoy. As a whole this wasn't a thrilling release but neither was it horrendous. A good half of the patterns are ones I'd consider making but don't HAVE to have. The rest were ones I won't, for whatever, do anything with but could see others wearing them. So overall a B level collection. Good, not great.

So let's look at this stuff...

2860

While the picture doesn't look all that fantastic, the concept is a good one. The pattern comes sized for three body types, slim, medium, and curvy. There's also "custom fitting directions" included. Hm. I don't make pants but largely because I can only handle so many failures before deciding I like skirts better anyway. So if I DO try pants again, this would be a great pattern to start with. Provided it lives up to the hype!

2848

Every so often I think to myself, "Self, you need a jumper." Then self remembers that self doesn't own any shirts to go under the jumper. So self passes. But at some point self really needs to just get over it and make up a little mini wardrobe that has a shirt, jumper, and skirt. Two outfits from three patterns - not bad. And the jumper is great for wearing when the shirt decides to ditch that very important bust button and I'm already running late. This happens to people besides me, right?

2862

I love vests. I have no idea how to really wear one (hence my utter lack of vests in the wardrobe) but still love them. Maybe adding one to the little wardrobe the I want to make for this coming fall. Assuming, of course, I actually do it. I am a little concerned, however, about chanelling the sexy teacher look. This is my first time teaching an adult class and I want them to be awed by my l33t teaching skillz, not by my, um, other assets. Ahem. So, well, we'll see. On the good side, a vest is an addition, not a necessity, and it only takes a little bit of fabric so it's a great last-minute addition to a wardrobe. And, if it does send the wrong message then I'm sure DH and I can find another use for it. :) As a, um, cleaning rag. Yeah. That's what I meant. What did YOU think I meant? :)

2866

First off, see the picture on the far left? Brown vest and pants with colorful top? Just make the top high necked and you've got my grandmother's wardrobe. Exactly. Now my grandmother is seriously chic but I'm not certain I want to copy her style. At least not at this point in my life. But with that said, I really like the dress and top. Great little jumper and the top's sleeves can be added to the dress to make an nice fall dress. Cute. It's kind of an easy version of Vogue 8411. An easy version with more shaping. Hm. This could be very good.

2867

Too stinkin' cute for words. This almost makes me wish there were small children in my life that I could make cute little embroidered booties for. Of course reality points out that small child will probably have a few younger siblings by the time I'd get around to actually making this. But still. Hm. I wonder how small these go? Because my American Girl dolls could use some nice shoes and they're not going to outgrow my creations before I can get around to making them.

2851

I need an occasion that calls for "old west bordello" dress. I'm tired of white tie, black tie, and casual dress events. Let's see some creativity. Though a Steam Punk art gallery just opened nearby (with Studio Foglio artwork on display!) and they ARE having a closing party later this month ... nah. At least not this time around. Maybe next time. But DH and I DO need to get up there, perhaps this Friday.

2859

Divert your eyes from the sequins and look at the little ukalele - er, guitar - that the guy's holding. See it? That's actually a bag. A bag that you can make. With this pattern. I must have it.

Random Monday Thoughts

- Wedding report - M&C's wedding went really well. They kept it low-key and fun and that, in my book, ALWAYS beats lavish and stuffy. The flower girl missed the note that the flower pedals get thrown on the ground, not the people on either side of the aisle. I liked her way better. M looked fantastic, C was so happy he floated. Great food, dancing, and people at the reception. C's mother was incredibly chic in her trim little chipao; unfortunately I didn't get a picture. While I hope that they're having a great time on their honeymoon, I also miss them and look forwards to having them back. It's dull around here without them!

- Sewing machine repairs continue. I reassembled it, which wasn't as easy as you'd think. It's got a drop-in bobbin assembly that will NOT go back in quite right. And, of course, to get to it I need to pull out all the rest of the guts. Sigh. Since I don't cuss in American (never started and figure that, at this point, there's no reason to) DH was suggesting other possible things to say. I DO cuss in Australian and British so that's helped. I have found any word that's short with plosives (b, p, t, k, etc) is highly satisfying to mutter at the machine. Hopefully the next reassembly will be the charm and I can move on to other creative endevors.

- Catching up - After google-stalking a few old college friends I've lost touch with, I discovered that my college boyfriend is going to Guana in a few days. He's a full-timer with HCJB radio, a Christian radio missions agency that's working with people in the most remote areas. From what I gather they do everything from teaching and training locals to healthcare and community development. I'm both proud of him and a little jealous. Here he is traveling the world helping people while I'm "stuck" in TX. :) Oh, well. Still, I am proud - this is the guy who got overwhelmed visiting DC and who (when we were dating) had never flown and really didn't want to. And now he's living in Africa and traveling all over. Good for him! And it's always good to find out I've got good taste in guys, even if it didn't work out. :)

- New sewing friend. A woman in my apt. complex found out I sew and mentioned she wanted to learn but was afraid she'd messed up her machine the first time she tried it. So I dropped by and we had a great time. Her machine runs fine after pulling a bit of thread out from the bobbin area and she's got a great attitude about it all. She wants to do t-shirt quilts, something I've also wanted to do but never got around to trying. I'm looking forwards to seeing her creation and learning stuff from her. It's nice having others who sew nearby.

- Do I WANT people to know I sew? Making M the robe and giving it to her at her bachelorette party meant that I effectively announced my hobby to all the females there. I TRIED to give it to her privately ... didn't work. At the wedding I discovered I've got a reputation now as people were asking me about what I've made, what I can make, and were generally awed by it. Which I maintain is like being awed about riding a bicycle but anyway. I was wearing a dress I'd made and that only exacerbated it. Eep. I kinda liked people not noticing but now that it's out ... we'll see what happens. Sigh.

- Yourself!Fitness is fantastic. Just sayin'. :)

That's it. :) Nothing exciting, just life!

More robe-ery

I gave the robe to M on Friday during her bachelorette party. She is, as it turns out, every seamstresses' dream recipient. She opened it, gasped, picked it up like it was some priceless artifact, tried to talk, gasped some more, and just turned it around asking, "wait, you MADE this? You made THIS? THIS? This is beautiful, I can't believe... I love ... so perfect ... Color ... beautiful.. YOU MADE THIS???" She tried it on and it looks fantastic, if I may say so. :)

I won't be showing her the pics of it on Elanor (dress form) since it turns out that M's larger than Elanor. It's my fault - since M and I are built proportionally the same, I thought that what fits me would fit her. Forgot about my Napolean complex. She's several inches taller than me but I always think I'm her height. I'm not. Common mistake on my part. So I should have thought about that with M's robe. However, while it didn't fit her the way it fits Elanor, it actually looks better. The front panels don't overlap as much and somehow it really improves the look. So it's good.

In other news, bought another robe pattern from Joann's at their sale to use in the pattern class I'm teaching and am nearly finished fixing the old machine I bought for $35. Also made two bundt cakes for M's reception. So keeping busy.

And now to get ready for M's wedding!

Finished! Finally!

After roughly 18 hours of work, the robe for one of my friends is finally done! I'll talk about it more tomorrow (or Friday, or...) but here's a preview. I'm proud of it. :)

It made me smile

I so want to make a pair of boxers out of this fabric. Because it's just so wrong ...

Progress update

Well, my pledge to sew a little every day has worked out well. So far I've made sexy elf garb for the ren faire (and wore it) and I'm nearly done with a beautiful though fiddly robe for a friend. I'm also getting ready to make the prototype I-Spy bag for our church and have the stuff for half a dozen more once I get the dimensions and methods right. And buy better fabric than I had in my stash. Unfortunately I can't share my creations at the moment because DH has the camera with him 800 miles away at a friend's wedding. Drat.

Oh, well, we'll have a big photo shoot next week when the camera's here again. Until then I've got stuff to keep me busy. Including a nightgown to go with the robe, the sloper for my skirt for the Your Own Pattern contest on Pattern Review and, on the not-at-all-fun side, a full out war against fruit flies. Right now the kitchen stuff is half in the kitchen, half in the living room and I'm meticulously scrubbing every surface in there. And even with that it looks like we'll have to call in the exterminator. Stupid flies. I've put out apple cider traps and taken the chance to run a scientific experiment to determine which trap works best. It turns out that a wide mouth jar with 1/4" apple cider vinegar with just a drop of detergent in it to break surface tension is, in fact, the best. They get in to take a sip and wind up drowning. I can't say I feel sorry for them.

A wet paper towel and a quick hand is second best.

All the rest of the traps seem to serve more as single bars than anything else. Not what I'm going for ... the idea is to decrease the population, not increase it.

Oh well. Hopefully I can carve out a little space in the living room to sew (or, novel idea, actually clean off my little sewing table in the office and sew there) and get some more work done. Sure beats squashing fruit flies.

A Prayer for China

A few people know that I spent one summer in China six years ago. It seems like less. I was in the Sichan provence teaching middle school in the school buildings, living in a hotel surrounded by apartments, and shopping in their malls and little store fronts. It was amazing and wonderful and overwhelming.

And now I'm not certain if any of those buildings are standing. The city I was in was fairly far from the epicenter but still close enough to be in danger. And I have no idea what kind of building codes those buildings were built under.

On May 12th a huge earthquake hit Sichan. More than ten thousand people have likely died. I can't even imagine ten thousand people. That's a huge number. In some cities most of the buildings are destroyed or in imminant danger of collapsing. Roads, water lines, gas lines, train tracks ... it's all damaged. In 1989 I was in San Francisco when the Loma Prieta quake hit. The quake was surreal - nothing was solid any more. The after affects are unworldly and terrifying. And it was only a 6.9 quake. The Sichan one was a 7.8.

My prayers go out to all affected by this quake. And I also pray that we here in the US will take the time to notice and to help.

Tempting New Looks

With the semester over I'm looking forwards to finally getting back to my machine.  I desprately need some clothes for my new job as a teacher and research assistant.  Starting next Monday I'm going to try sewing for 20 minutes a day and see how much I can get done - hopefully I'll be surprised how the time adds up.  We'll see.

Anyway, just in time for this resolution, New Look released some great patterns.  Granted, they're mostly casual wear but I need some of that as well.  Besides, if I only sew stuffy teacher stuff I'll get bored and we can't have that.  

New Look 6801

 
Isn't this a great summer dress?  I love the neckline and the sleeve options.  Cut mid-thigh lenght it'd be a great tunic to wear over pants (NOT leggings, thank you very much) while that long sleeve version would be so fantastic with black boots come fall. 

New Look 6802

Here's another great knit dress.  I probably wont' get this because neither option is flattering to my figure but I can still appreciate it, right?  I like this interpretation of the twist front and the modesty panel underneath that keeps this from being as, well, showy  as many of the other twist tops and dresses are.  I'm not overly excited about the other dress option and can't say I'd really want to sew  darts in knits but, well, that's me.  Still, the twist dress is great.

New Look 6815

This is my hands-down favorite of the bunch. If this had only been out when I was planning my SWAP for Timmel this year ... not that I participated but I did dream and my biggest frustration was finding a wardrobe pattern that had three pieces I'd want to make in it (per the special twist in the rules this year). I've wanted to make a shirt dress for a while now and those button-up shirts would be great for my wardrobe. Bonus points since once I've gotten the fit right in the dress, the shirt would be super easy. I even like those pants and I NEVER like wardrobe pants. The button flaps on the side really make them chic.  This is one pattern I totally plan on getting and making up for my coming professional wardrobe.  And speaking of SWAPs and wardrobes, I should get a plan together.  Hm.

New Look 6807

Another great casual piece, though made up in the right fabrics I can see this with a nice skirt and jacket.  I love curved, gathered necklines on knit shirts and they love me so obviously, this pattern should be mine.  I like the raglan sleeve look as well, especially with those cute little cap sleeves.  I don't have any knit shirts with 3/4 bishop sleeves but maybe it's time for a change.

Ok, time to get to work to plan the mothers day stuff we're doing and then to clean up my sewing area so the 20-minute sessions can get started!  

Best of the Summer from Butterick, Simplicity, and McCall's

After the horrors of tents on straps (thanks keely for the mental image!) and horrendous jumpers, here's something far more soothing.  The top five patterns (in my book) from Butterick, Simplicity, and McCall's.  Enjoy!

#5 - McCall's 5658

The more I look at this, the more I like it as a great summer party dress set. The inverse pleats at the waist give it shape while being very now, and the different necklines give you the option to make it perfect for a summer wedding (A) or a more formal affair (B).  And C is just right for a casual and cool day dress.  Also, with the sea of sacks this season, it's great to see something that shows a waist!

Plus I just love that shade of blue, especially with gold.  So that might affect my judgment.  Still, neat little dress, neat options, neat job McCall's!

#4 - McCall's 5651

It really doesn't get more basic than this - undies, bras, and slips in simple, easy-to-sew styles.  But what really makes it special is that attitude.  Look at that, it's a DIY Style pattern targeting those in their teens and 20s.  I love that and want to nurture and encourage it as much as I can.  Really, just looking at that pattern makes me think of my two sad slips and want to replace them with knit silk versions.  Maybe with some contrast lace and ... see what it's doing?  It's INSPIRING, just from the envelope.  Now that's something special.  And this is one pattern that won't be out of style in a year or two.  No, we've been quietly wearing all these for a while and they're here to stay.  

Besides, just a few weeks ago someone on PatternReview was complaining about the lack of slip patterns available.  Well, here you go, one new one to add to the drawer!  Thanks, McCall's, and great job showing how a pattern picture (even if it's just line drawings) can be truly inspiring!  And even more for helping the new generation catch the sewing bug.  Great job!

#3 - Butterick 5218

The Big Shirt is back and this is a neat variation on that simple theme.  I really like the placket, the front pleat, the different collars (specifically A), and the sleeves.  The only thing I'm not liking is the length of C but, fortunately, there's three other lengths to choose from.  This style looks great over skinny jeans on those fortunate rectangles who can wear both styles and tucked into a high waisted skirt for us hour glasses.  Made up in a rough cotton it's got the safari look that's in, while made up in something nicer, like silk or a nice cotton, it's perfect for the office and church.  

Similar to this, and a close runner up, is McCall's 
5664.  Again we see the elegant placket that I love.  Does it tell you anything about my button-hole sewing skills that I'd rather do a placket than a row of buttons?  I thought so.

The sleeves are different on this, and different in a good way.  I really like the shorter sleeves and the 3/4 bishop sleeves can be really great, especially as fall creeps up.  The reason I went with the Butterick over this one, though, is the twin problem of the volume and the under bust tie.  On the model it's not bad, though the bow's a little odd.  However I'm not certain how it'll look on others, especially me.  That tie keeps it from being tucked in as a random high-tie plus tuck equals two waist lines.  One is plenty for me, thank you.  And those two style details are so 2008 that they're going to date this pattern long before the Butterick goes out of style.  I might still get the McCall one because I think it has potential but if either become TNTs, I'm pretty certain it'll be the Butterick.  Still, can't go wrong with one more pattern in the drawer!

#2 - Simplicity 2899


Remember on the "Worst Of" list how McCall's completely bombed with their plus sized shirt? Remember me telling them to check out Simplicity's stuff to see how it SHOULD be done? Well, this what I was talking about.   This is a FANTASTIC jacket with more options than you could exaust in a wardrobe of jackets.  Those lines are incredibly flattering, giving waist definition and showing off the legs.  And it's only available in Women's sizes.  That's right, one of this year's hottest jacket patterns and women less than size 18W are missing out.  How's that for a change?  

I love that Simplicity has embraced their Women's line enough to give them great, modern styles made for THEM (not a 16-year-old size 6) rather than throwing them the normal assortment of sacks and sized-up misses stuff that never fits right.  Good for you Simplicity!  

#1 - Butterick 5206
What a fantastic basic wrap dress.  I love it.  Great V-neck (and work-safe with the addition of a camisole), great sleeve options, fantastic obi-belt for showing off the waist, and nice, flattering skirt.  What's not to love?

Sure, it's no show-stopper but that's what makes me think this'll be this year's best little knit dress.  You can make it up in different fabrics with different twists and each one will be fantastic.  I can imagine this in a solid black with a red belt and contrasts, a cute floral with solid contrasts for summer, and a rich olive with black accents for fall.  I need to get this pattern and then get back to sewing knits.  It's been too long and this is just the pattern I need to get started again!

Good job Butterick, you win Best Pattern for Summer 2008!  At least in this competition.  I guess it's even since you also lost ... but we're putting all memories of jumpsuits out of mind and focusing on this lovely dress.  Good job!

Summer Patterns

irst McCall released their summer line. And I yawned. Then Simplicity and I wasn't sure what to say. Now Butterick has shown their line and once again I'm underwhelmed by far. It'd be one thing if, like the Vogue line, they were all so crazy, so out there that I could find some enjoyment commenting on them. Or if they were horrendously terrible. After all, I'm not above laughing at travesties, provided no blood is involved. Or, best, if each pattern were inspiring, beautiful, and new jewels for the pattern boxes.

Unfortunately the 3 lines managed to miss all possible targets. There were one or two crazy items, but no theme like Vogue had. Just the odd crazy, like Uncle Ben at a funeral. Yeah, there were a few bad calls - but very little that was so mind-shatteringly wretched that I HAD to drop everything and comment. And there were the occasional nice items, but again, nothing worth writing about. However once the total count has reached three lines and 99 total patterns I figure I have to say SOMETHING. So I present the best and worst from the three lines.

The Worst

#5 - McCall's 5652

 Let's start at the top, shall we?  Spaghetti straps forbearing any bra wearage?  Check.  Tiny little bodice designed to best minimize and pull down the most endowed woman?  Check.  Gathered empire waist to completely obsure any hint of a figure?  Check.

So in basic we've got a 4-year-old's dress in misses' sizing.  Gack.  And the fabrics and colors picked for the sample couldn't be worse.  Seriously, who decided this was a good idea?  Maybe done in lace and frills with a cute undershirt covering up all that skin for a western take on sweet lolita ... no, not even that would work.   Maybe just adverting the eyes until McCall quietly discontinues this odd pattern.

#4 - McCall's 5666

This shirt really rather deserves the triple six in the pattern number.  Really, what team of evil comes up with something like this?  It's like some twisted designer, saturated with images of anorexic teens, decided that any woman with a healthy or slightly more than healthy BMI must be horrendously ashamed of herself and unwilling to go out the door in anything less than a full on duvet cover.  Really.  And then, when someone complained about the lack of shaping, the designer said "FINE!" and cinched it in at one of the worst possible places.  Look at that poor model.  She's either drugged into staying there as the camera snaps or dreaming up various ways to torture the designer.  Preferably the latter.  Good grief, pay a ten minute visit to Simplicity and LOOK at their Woman's stuff!  There's a number of designs that help women rock their bodies of all sizes.  This - this is not rock.  This is karaoke.  Karaoke at a country western bar in Portland at 3 am during a beer shortage.  Except worse.

#3 - Butterick 5227

This is one of GFY's scroll down disasters.  That is, it starts out innocently enough.  Yes, that white top's too wide and unfitted and the fabric looks like it came from a long picked over dollar bin but it could be nice.  And the brown version is rather cute on top with that scoop neck and nice little cap sleeves.  And then you scroll down.  No waist definition, flare at hips and then - wow.  Extra volume right at the thighs.  Every woman's worst nightmare and you went there, Butterick, you went there.  Really, a little shorter and it might work.  Longer (as shown in the yellow dress) and it's quite nice.  But right there?  Oh no.  Oh no no no no no.  And it's just made all the worse by the fabric and fitting.  I get it, this is a fast and easy (and super-tacky) pattern.  But if it doesn't look good in a fast and easy fabric then why by all that's good are you selling it???  Ick.

#2 - McCall's 5656

I actually debated on this one.  After all, the two line drawings aren't bad at all.  A lot more volume than any woman I've met likes in her jumper but beyond that they're inoffensive.  But that white one.  Oh my.  We see here that someone clearly failed their proportions class.  Badly.  Those sleeves are just too big, those shoulders too small, the neckline too oddly smallish big, and the dress too wide for any of it to work.  It really makes you wonder - why did no one step back and LOOK at the dress and say, "hey, the sleeves are really messing it all up - how long would it take to rip 'em out and make this baby sleeveless?"  It's not like they don't have other garments to shoot.  Then just sketch sleeves on the yellow drawing and, while it's probably still not great, there's at least a chance someone will buy the pattern.  Maybe. 

#5 - 5229

I'll admit, Butterick's Fast and Easy line has never been exactly cutting edge.  Actually it's almost exactly what my favorite thrift store back in Virginia regularly has in their pattern rack.  For 10c a piece.  Half off on some days.

But for all my low expectations ... this one still stunned me.  Stop for a moment and look, really look, at E and D.  That's right.  You're not hallucinating.  Those are, in face, drop-waist, wide necked, dowdy-sleeved jumpsuits.  

If this isn't a sign of the end times I don't know what is.

I'm looking and a sadistic side of me is trying to imagine how they could look worse.  Maybe if you turned them into high waders, those pants that make a model look stubby - oh wait, D is already doing just that.  I know, pockets at the thighs so that the woman looks even wider ... oh, they beat me to it.  Ok, I'm stumped.  Apparently these can't get any worse.  And my eyes are watering.  This is, without a doubt, the WORST pattern released this year.  Yay butterick, you lose!

And this post is getting long ... ok, then, top five tomorrow!