Surviving September

Apparently, the only way out of September is through.

Pattern: Sewaholic Fraser Sweatshirt

Fabric: Fuschia rayon/nylon/spandex ponte from Mood (here)

Notions: none

You know how it goes, when you're super busy, and you want to sew, but everything is so fiddly.  You start a dress, but it grinds to a halt when you realize it needs tinkering.  So you set it aside, and start an elastic waist skirt.  Then you realize it needs a lining, and you just can't bring yourself to cut the pieces, so you set it aside, too.  Then you just go for broke and cut out a sweatshirt, just because you need something you can finish.

Right?  

Please tell me I'm not the only one who loses momentum on a project, and just starts another.

This explains not only the state of my sewing room, but also my desk, the laundry room, and, well, my boys' rooms, too.

Anyway, this is view B, with the contrast collar.

Except I didn't have any coordinting ponte, decided it might be too limiting if I did make the collar contrast, and decided to just go with it -- for interesting seaming. 

And to just finish something.

It's really bright pink. 

This is a pretty easy sweatshirt, and it really didn't take very long. 

I made my normal size 10, and it's perfectly slightly-loose-and-yet-still-fitted.

I will admit I used the wrong cuff piece; I didn't realize there were different pattern pieces until I'd already attached these--they're the short sleeve ones--but decided it was okay anyway.  

This probably explains how my other projects ran aground, but couldn't risk losing momentum again!  I mean, I didn't even change out my serger thread to match.

And yet, I'm deliriously happy. 

 I am definitely making more of these.  It was quick, it went together easily, and fits without drama.  I'm not even going to think about how many I can have without my students starting to ask if I actually have anything else to wear.

It's September, and this is how it goes.

Anne Adams 4776

I originally started drafting this post over a year ago, got around to the hemming stage of this dress, and set it aside for some reason.  Maybe because I'd originally intended this to be a first day of school dress for last year, and didn't get it finished?  Maybe I'd worked on it, decided I wasn't happy with the fit, and meant to come back to it later? And then didn't really have a need for a fancy-ish dress?

In any case, on Monday, a call went out to wear school colors for the first day, and I remembered I had this mostly finished.    So of course, after sitting folded off in a corner for more than a year, I went to work on it at 11 pm, the night before I wanted to to wear it.

Pattern: Anne Adams 4776

Fabric: Rag and Bone textured cotton (here), muslin for underlining

Notions: 22" zipper

I fell in love with this pattern illustration when it popped up in my pinterest feed, saw it was my size, and pounced.  And all I could picture it in was red.  Bright red.  And okay, I kind of wanted her hair, too.

When it came in the mail, I couldn't wait to trace it and muslin it, pretty sure it might be a disaster after all my excitement.  And honestly? Not so bad!  The gathers are designed to hit right at the natural waist, which fell a little low, so I shortened the bodice all the way around with a 1/2 inch tuck, and that's it. Well, and I shortened it.  Like by 4-6 inches.  I honestly don't remember at this point.  Which leads me to beleive this pattern was drafted for an Amazonian.  The illustration shows the skirt ending mid-knee?  Much closer to tea-length as drafted.

As far as the pattern goes, I need to add here two great things:

1.  This pattern has options for short and 3/4 length sleeves, and the side bodice pieces have different markings for whether you're sewing the sleeveless vs. sleeved version.  So I love that there are built-in higher armholes for the sleeveless version.

2.  The directions included in this pattern were 9 steps, confined to the bottom half of one side of a sheet of paper.  The remaining space was devoted to cutting layouts and technical drawings on the front, and general sewing tips on the back.  The directions made sense, but they pretty much assume you know what you're doing.

Unfortunately, this pattern does not recommend any specific type of fabric, so I figured something medium weight with body would work.

It's not perfect, by any stretch, but it was pretty comfy, and I may yet come back to fix it. 

I need to decide if I'm okay with it as is, or if I want to come back and tinker more.

My son took these for me after the first day was over, so I have a lot of wear wrinkles, but there are still quite a few fitting wrinkles, too.  

And in full disclosure, that one on the bottom front is a hem wrinkle from the catch-stitching the hem to the muslin underlining too high up.  It's an easy fix; I blame the olympics and the late hour there.

Here's a wrinkly back shot.  The collar is supposed to attach in the back with a hook and eye, but I liked it this way when I first worked on this dress.  The collar lays a little softer in the front without the hook.  I can see a little extra ease in the lower back, and some pulling at the back armhole.  They are very closely cut armscyes, and I may need to scoop them out a little.  They have facings which are tacked down, but a bias finish would lay smoother since the fabric is pretty thick.

I'm standing awkwardly on a sloping driveway; the hem is actually even across the back.

Here's a weird picture of the front, that looks relatively smooth, but you can still see a wrinkle there in the front armscye where it might lay smoother if I scooped out the armscye a bit.

Here's a better view of the same issue: 

So, what should I do: live with it as is, or pick out the armhole facings and do some adjusting?

My Favorite Things Coat

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen jackets...
Fabrics that press with a nice shot of steam,
These are a few of my favorite things!

Well, there is nothing like not blogging in a really long time, only to come back with a wool coat in July.  In full disclosure, I have been sewing a lot of pink things lately, and am keeping my hypocrisy and shame to myself.

But THIS coat, I am in love with.

I love it.  LOVE it.

This is my second go-around with this pattern.  The last version was a couple/6 years ago, not blogged, but worn a lot.  It's a good length for errand running--I don't sit on it in the car, it doesn't choke me, and the sleeves are short enough I can keep it on in stores without overheating or knocking crap off shelves.  (This is beginning to sound like I have a terrible life; not true!)  It's kind of cape-y, but not!




Pattern: Simplicity 5415 (copyright 1964)
Fabric: green/gray wool coating, gray bemberg for lining
Notions: interfacing from fashion sewing supply, two different weights
buttons salvaged from retired coat

In anycase, the old version was getting pill-y, and the wool blend was never really great to feel along my neck, and well, it was Catholic school uniform plaid.  Or at least, my Catholic school uniform plaid. So it's literally a step up when I say this new version reminds me of my high school coat.

The green/gray wool is something I purchased at Fabric Recycles, along with the gray bemberg lining, but not together.  I had originnally planned to reuse the navy lining from my old coat, but that was a bitch to take out, and I realized I had enough of this, so that was that.




I did a couple of things differently this time:

1.  I added single welt pockets at the front.  A jacket without pockets is not a good time.  Last time I added patch pockets smaller than illustrated, and they were very useful.
2.  I used bound button holes, using the spacing from the longer version.
3.  I added a hanging loop.  Which is really cool, but very underwhelming when typed out like that.

Cool change #1

Cool change #2

Cool change #3

And might I add, I've figured out how to do the bound button holes with a lining without teaching my children eight new inappropriate words.  Ignore the next part if you don't care, this is a note me for next time.

Dear future Joanne: 
Cut and press the windows on the lapel facing, but don't slip stitch  the sandwich closed.  Bag the lining.  THEN finish slip stitching the button holes. It's okay to have flappy windows in the facing till you get back to them.  Also, you actually did the top button hole all the way, and it was okay.  : )

PS.  Interfacing the window hole didn't work--it was too bulky.  
PPS..Whack the crap out of finished button holes to make them lay flat.  Like really.  People should come running to see what the noise is.  And steam.  Lots.

Pockets are lined with leftover polka dot scraps. (Secret polka dots)

And two more pictures just because:

Hands in pockets...

...and blurry back.

My oldest son took pictures for me, and you have to hand it to a kid who doesn't ask why Mom's wearing a coat and long-sleeved shirt with shorts when it's 110 degrees outside.

Mandarin Red is Orange!

Mandarin Red is Orange!

Soylent Green is people!

Okay, yeah, that's all I've got there.

I ordered this fabric labeled "Mandarin Red" expecting red, with a bit of orange.

What arrived was orange, with a bit of red.

This may be why people order swatches instead of going all willy-nilly with yardage.

I THINK I'm brave enough for this fabric. 

 I THINK I'm brave, I THINK I'm brave, I THINK I'm brave...

Aside from color shock, this fabric is amazing.  It's soft, and drapey, and soft, and light-weight, and soft.  I hope you get there that it's soft. Really soft.

Which comes to why I'm so on the fence about this dress.

The fabric is great, the color is well, bold, but the fit just isn't there yet.

Pattern: Sewaholic Davie Dress, the short view

Fabric: "Mandarin Red" rayon ponte from Mood

Notions: single fold bias tape for neckline and sleeves, 

knit interfacing for shoulder seams

I've had this finished for a couple of weeks, and today is the second time I've worn it, and I'm still on the fence.  First off, the fabric seems to grow with wear, as though the weight of it stretches it out.  I *think* that's what's going on with the bodice--it seems too long through the upper chest and back, then ends up hanging on my waist and hips where the seam shaping comes in.

I actually did mess around with those seams.  I cut a size 10 as usual, and constructed the front and back and neckline before basting the side seams, which ended up coming in an extra 3/4" on each side.  I also created a dart in the center back seam to bring in excess at the small of my back.  The center back seam, as drafted, is pretty straight.

I didn't raise the shoulder seams, even though it was suggested in the directions, because the neck would've ended up too small.  I may yet pick things out and redo that, though, because I'm just not sold. I mean, it's comfortable...I just don't know that it's really flattering.

Loose up top, and snug down low?  Um, that's a middle school nightmare.

See?  Even on the dress form it seems to hang funny from the bodice.
The skirt looks weird here, too, but that's because my dress form may have a dislocated hip.
(She has shoulder problems, too; it happens to all of us with age.)

The back does look a lot better here, but she has less butt than I do.

And I still see extra length through the shoulders.

All in all, I really think the pattern is good, although I honestly would've expected more shaping from the center back seam.  I think my fabric worked against me here.  And I might've been better off cutting a smaller size (like pretty much every pattern reviewer says). And waiting to finish the neck until after the shoulders were good.

So, I have a little more tinkering to do.

Because if I'm going to wear a bright orange dress, it's got to be a great orange dress.

Alice In Wonderland at Sea

First, it was the legs.

Then the arms wanted to come out, too.

 Pattern: Simplicy 1801

Fabric: seafoam green cotton batiste, underlined with ivory cotton

Notions: invisible zip, light interfacing

Notes:

Well, I really didn't derivate from the last time I made this pattern.  This time I chose a crisper fabric, and both seem to work well. This time I also left off the sleeves.  I kept the raised neckline and altered waist pieces, so it was a pretty straight forward project.  It's nice sewing with well-behaved fabric.  

Especially when it's so fun to look at!

I purchased this from Mood on a whim, and while it was really out of what I'd normally wear, I really liked all the random bright colors together.  They described it as an Alice-in-Wonderland print, which I didn't really get, but it is wild and crazy and fun, and kept me constantly amused.  Maybe if Alice went through the looking glass and under the sea?  Maybe more Little Mermaid-y? I don't know.

Don't those look like ocean-y blooms?  And tentacles?

Said the woman who lives about as far away from an ocean as you can get...

 Anyway, I was careful with the print placement so I wouldn't end up with one of those explosive coral things anywhere titillating, but that was about as stressful as it got.

(Which is to say not at all.)

And the back view.

The photo above is probably the closest to true colors.  Crazy and bright, and just what I need after a long, gray winter.  You can tell these were taken pretty late in the day!

Just like last time, I underlined the bodice for a bit more stability.  This time, though, I lined the skirt portion, too.  Mostly because I try to avoid students seeing my underwear.

Both are lined with cotton lawn remants--not quite a yard left of the skirt fabric, and only large scraps for the bodice.

All in all, yay for warmer weather, yay for summer colors, yay for sandals, and yay for lighter-later evenings.

Bitter Buttons

This dress has the worst-tasting buttons known to man.

Just thought you should know.

Dress: Simplicity 2246, Lisette Traveler (OOP)

Fabric: Kaufman chambray, I think

Notions: 12 buttons, light interfacing

So, I made this dress in January and have worn it with tights a couple of times since, but finally decided to grab a picture.  The last time I made this, circa 2012?, I made a smaller size that ended up feeling too short to leave the house in.  And it needed something.  

Something to break up all the light blue.

This time I added sleeve tabs and contrast facing on the button plackets.  The sleeve tabs were a design choice; I liked them so much on the Pauline Alice shirt that I may have gone through a phase of thinking every garment needed sleeve tabs.  The constrast facing was just because I ran out of fabric.  But it looks great, so we're calling it a design feature.

Did someone already take a bite out of this one?

I honestly don't know what the deal was with the buttons.  
They were from Grandma's stash, on a card from the Ben Franklin store, 
and may have cost her all of 15 cents.

 I know I can't be the only person who uses her mouth as a third hand, so when I got frustrated with how little and slippery and tricky these were to pick up and place under the button foot, I threw a couple in my mouth for efficiency's sake, and OMG. I almost lost it right then and there.

I don't know if it was a finish, or if they're made of something bitter, but blech. It was like some horrible combination of dandelion greens and black walnuts.

I immediately ran up and asked my husband for a second opinion, who, if you know him, immediately and vehemently responded with,  "I'm NOT licking your buttons." Then he went right back to watching tv or checking email, or whatever he was doing, closing it down for good.

Disappointed, but undeterred, I may have tasted more to see if they all tasted bad.  

They did. I also hypothesized a run through the washing machine might help.

And for the sake of science, I tasted one after sending the dress through the wash.

Still bad.

And here's where this gets weird. (Weirder?) I'm afraid that's the first thing I thought of  when I got dressed in the morning, and throughout the day, it randomly came to mind.   And I wondered.

I'm seriously afraid someday, someone's going to come into my room during plan time, and discover me. Secretly licking a button. 

 You know, for science.

First Signs of Spring

Today I bared my legs for the first time this year.

And no one died.  Or shrieked in pain. Or claimed blindness.

Okay, one person may have cried, but I really don't think that was because of my vampire legs.

Pattern: Sewaholic Harwood

Fabric: navy/white geometric cotton voile

Notions: 1/4" elastic, light interfacing, and buttons.  A lot of buttons

So, this dress may be proof of my busyness.  Or laziness.  Or both.

I've had this in the works for over a month.

It waited a while for buttons.

It waited a while for hemming.

It waited a while for me to iron away markings.

And it waited a while for me to move that bottom button an eighth of an inch down.

Guess who finally just wore it today, with the bottom button unbuttoned?

And guess who noticed pink frixion pen during pictures?

(Maybe that happened at work?)

Notes:

Mmm.  I cut a straight size 10.  

I would normally grade down for the hips on a Sewaholic pattern, but it's a flared skirt, and grading felt like too much work.  It's fine.

This is the longer length version, which is a little longer than I usually go for, but a good transition length for shy limbs.  No special construction issues; Tasia writes clear, concise directions, and everything went together neatly.

I was originally worried the neckline might be too high, but it sits comfortably, and I don't feel choked.  I could probably tighten the waistline elastic a little more--it sits comfortably loose--and the belt helps it feel a little more secure. You can see it slipping a bit in the above picture, but that may have been due to yanking the skirt down after a particularly wild gust and a slight overreaction to the idea of my underwear and my husband with a camera. 

 

My house is a mess, and these are crazy bad pictures, but at least you can see the shape.

The only other thing to mention is these buttons from Grandma's stash.  They were the only ones I could find that I had enough of. I tried scouting different buttons, but there's not a whole lot of pizzazz when it comes to white 1/2" buttons.  These are thick and chunky, slightly frosted, and stand out from the print. 

Now if only I can make myself move that bottom one, I'll be good to go.

Gallery Tunic

Pattern: Liesl + Co Gallery Tunic

Fabric: Robert Kaufman London Calling--Periwinkle cotton

Notions: light interfacing for collar and cuffs, 4 1/2" buttons for cuffs

Time to complete: a couple evenings

So, I recently saw that there was a sewalong offered for this pattern, and since I already had it, and hadn't yet taped it up, I thought "why not?" and this jumped to the front of my to-sew pile.

I had originally purchased this fabric to make a sundress out of, but thought that might be too girly, and instead used it here.  I flat-out swapped the fabric I'd planned for a shirt with this, and now that's set aside for a sun dress. 

A not-too-girly sundress, but that's another story.

I made the long-sleeve verson with the collar in the shirt length in a size 8, and my only adjustment was to shorten the tunic by 2 inches.  Everything went together easily, and the sleeves are a great length.  Here I have them flipped up over my sweater sleeves, but they look nice buttoned, too.

Yep.  It's got green (check), and blue (check).

On the other hand, I think I need to stop saying I don't wear floral prints.

I purchased this fabric at KC Modern Makers in the fall, and it is nice.

It's from the Robert Kaufman London Calling line, and mental note to self--it's a good light-weight cotton for shirts. 

On a completely unrelated note, I was trying to get pictures done before the link up on the Oliver + S blog closed.  I missed it, but I still owe a big thank you to my sons for taking pictures for me.  We were able to negotiate a fair trade involving going out for pizza, which I think counts as appropriate compensation.

In addition, they snapped many a great gem, including, but not limited to:

"Let Me Tell You a Secret..."

"

"I Want to Be in the Picture, Too  (But Not Really)"

"You Can't Make Me Be in the Picture"

And my two personal favorites: 

"Exhibit A" ...

...and "Exhibit B".

Hope your February weather is as nice as ours right now!

The One in Which I Realize I Am not a Petite French Woman

Details:

Pattern: Pauline Alice Carme

Fabric: gray cotton voile

Notions: 5 3/8" buttons, 4 5/8" buttons, extra light interfacing for collar only

I have lusted over this pattern forever.  

Is the pintucks?  Is it the placket at the neck?  Is it the sleeve tabs which make it not so girly?  

Is it...the girlyness?

linked to source

I don't honestly know, but I remember loving it when it came out, pinning it to pinterest, and coming back again and again to sigh about.  Maybe I just secretly want to be Pauline Alice.

In any case, I did it.  I bought it, I downloaded it, and I jumped in with both feet.

And then I realized I am not a petite French woman.  (Spanish woman?)

I'm Midwestern.  And you'd think at 38, I'd know that by now.

But, hey, a girl can dream, right?

First off, the pattern went together perfectly.  Everything matches up well.  Directions make sense, pdf went together easily, etc.  I, however, am not perfect.  But I have decided I'm worth perfect fit.

So, me and Carme: we're close.  Tinker-y close.

An extensive list of personal alterations:

• lowered front neckine 1".  Adjusted collar and placket accordingly.
• 1/2" forward shoulder adjustment at shoulder line only.
• 1/2" broad shoulder adjustment.
• extra 1/8" ease added at fold line when cutting out the back piece
• 1/2" dart taken out of side front strap on muslin to pinch out extra fabric at top bust. (Ends up rotated out of seam where front placket meets shirt front...)
• Lowered armscye 1/2" to add back in ease.

That said, I'm so glad I got this pattern.  I LOVE the way it finally turned out.  The length is perfect, the sleeve length is perfect, and it is just loose enough to be comfortable while still being fitted.

I actually love all of Pauline Alice's patterns--they're a good mix of modern with vintage details, slightly feminine, and peppered with interesting details--and would love to try more.

Pauline Alice has a sew-along and youtube videos to help with construction here, although to be honest, I didn't really use them.  Her instructions are pretty and concise, and I may have imagined myself drinking coffee while sitting in a street-side bistro in the golden sunshine while making this. 

Which is weird, because I don't drink coffee.  

But still, a girl can dream, right?