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.

Gray All Day

Pattern: Butterick 6182

Fabric: light gray Theory stretch cotton sateen

Notions: invisible zip, tricot interfacing for waistband

I honestly have no idea what we're doing here, but hey, look at my skirt!

70's inspo safari pockets?

Liesl has stated somewhere that she feels that part of her job as a designer is to encourage people to try new styles.  Or different styles.  Or something.

Check!

The 70's are usually not my first choice when it comes to inspiration, but I'm game.

This is not a fantastic innards shot, but just showing that I used turquoise bias tape to finish the edge of the waistband rather than folding and slip-stitching.

Also, check out how well it goes with my other wardrobe fabrics!

Size-wise, I made a size 14 ('cause that's what I had) and sewed 3/8" side seams for a little extra wiggle room.  I also added an extra 1" to the waist band, but in all honesty, probably could've gotten by with less.  My fabric is slightly stretchy.  I may yet decide to take it in at the zipper, but I'll wait until it goes through the dryer to see how it turns out.  I do prewash fabrics, but sometimes that extra wash and dry brings things in a bit.  

Mmm, we'll see. 

In any case, I'm a fan of this skirt. 

Carry on, Cats.

Lisette Top

Pattern: Lisette Butterick 6183

Fabric: some sort of cotton/poly blend (that may or may not be home dec?),

 plus cotton voile to underline

Notions: metal zipper

When I first saw that the Lisette line had switched to Butterick, I'll admit, I groaned a little inwardly.  I hadn't had much luck previously with Butterick patterns, and I was sad to see Lisette go the dark side that way.  However, I really like Liesl's esthetic, and I've never known her to make a stinker pattern. So when they went on sale, I went and snapped them all up.  This is the first one I've made, but I'm almost finished with the pants, and I'm going to be honest.  This is some good stuff.

The top has a boxy fit, but if you can picture a fitted boxy top, this is that.  The princess seams across the bust allow for shaping, but it's still a pull over your head top.  Also, the pattern includes separate pieces for different cup sizes, but hey, that doesn't really affect me.

For fitting adjustments, I did two things:

1.  I enlarged the sleeve by an inch overall.

2.  I barely turned a hem, and used bias tape instead.

Um, this is a cropped fitted boxy top.

A.  Clearly, I should stand straight.

B. This fabric collects every stray string, hair, fuzz ball, and small child with sticky fingers.

C.  I had just worn this shirt rollerskating before pictures.  Those are roller skating wrinkles.

The pattern calls for a metal zipper, and to be honest, metal zippers aren't that easy to come by here unless you order and wait for them to arrive.  This is a vintage metal zipper that I shortened with pliers (the pattern includes instructions on doing that), and since my zipper had painted teeth, a quick swipe with nail polish remover on a Q-tip took care of that.

I think this will look best with some higher-waisted bottoms, but overall, 

I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.  

The Birds and the Bees Dress

Okay, so I just like how this picture looked with a filter.  It reminds me of heat, grittiness, snapping peas, and life before air conditioning. 

All of the above is true, except I have air conditioning.  Sweet, sweet air conditioning.

So my first move in giving up was to make something completely random.  

I chose a random pattern from the stash, and some material I had purchased with good intentions that had long since lost their way.

Pay no attention to the unfortunate flower placement here.

 Details:

Pattern: Simplicity 2059 Lisette Contintental dress (view A) (OOP)
ETA: still availabe for purchase here

Fabric: 2 yardsTula Pink Birds and Bees cotton voile

Notions: thread

Time to complete: a couple hours here and there

Back view in action/inaction/deep discussion

Notes:

This is a pretty simple dress with a gathered neckline at the front, and 3/8" bound neckline and armscyes. I originally ordered this fabric because I loved the colors, but when it arrived, I wasn't as excited by the print. Desperate for something fun to sew, I grabbed it and decided it would make a great summer sundress. Unfortunately, I needed an additional 1/4 yard to make the dress full length, so I had to fudge a bit.  

I ended up having to cut the dress about 3" short, then added the length back on with a doubled band cut on the lengthwise grain.  It ended up working well, though, because the extra weight helps hold down the skirt from random wind gusts and exuberant floor vents. You can just barely see the seam line there at the bottom.

I used French seams on the sides and shoulder seams, if only because I like to make it difficult to figure out whether I have it on inside out or not.  Please tell me I'm not the only one who struggles with this at times.  

I am particularly proud of how the binding turned out.  After attaching the front, I hand basted the binding closed, which made all the difference.  The last time I made this I cut it off into blouse length, and while no one else ever noticed, I never liked how sloppy the inside of the binding was.  Warning, excess binding pictures ahead: 

Also, (gasp) I did not line this dress.  Yes, it's voile, but the print is busy enough that you can't see my polkadot underwear through it.  Also, who wants a lining when it's 92 degrees out with 70% humidity? One layer of voile is the next best thing to nakedness.  (See what I mean about not wanting to get dressed?)

The belt is just a self-fabric tie, and I still plan on adding thread chains for belt carriers, but that will be a perfect sitting-on-the-porch-outside-while-the-boys-ride-bikes activity.

Without the belt, it's kind of a swingy a-line dress.  I'll be honest, it reminds me of a teacher I used to work with who wore muumuus.  Not sure I can rock that look, but here's what it looks like:

And just in case you were wondering...

 Birds...


and bees

So, how is your summer going?  How do you handle not wanting to sew what you actually wear?

 Do you find places to wear what you want to sew, or do you just go ahead and wear it, even if you're the only mom at soccer camp in a dress?

April Showers bring Blue Flowers

I had originally intended this dress for the Project Sewn Floral challenge, but life got busy, we went on vacation, and ultimately, I'd decided I'd rather have a nice dress than a fast dress.  

And, let's face it, I'm not very fast with sewing.  

And I'm totally okay with that.  : )

The Details:

Fabric: floral cotton voile from Mood, ivory lawn for underlining

Pattern: Simplicity 1419, Lisette's Round Trip Dress

Notions: 22" invisible zip, 1 super special button, interfacing for collar

+ knit interfacing for zipper support, cotton twill tape to stabilize waistband, vintage flexi-lace for hem

Notes

First off, the pattern went together fairly easily, it just took me a while.   

In this one, I made a straight size 14.  I went up a size, because I'm kind of ashamed to admit it, but I think I've been measuring myself incorrectly.  I think the trouble I've had with uncomfortable shoulders and sleeves are related to sewing too small a size.   I would have previously grade from a 12 at the bust to a 14 at the waist.  That means for Sewaholic patterns, I actually need a 10 on top and an 8 everywhere else.  

(Mind blown)  

I don't know why I am totally okay with grading up a size to accommodate waist or hips, but never once considered grading down a size from bust to waist.  

This dress is not designed to be very closely fitted, which is actually perfect for a cotton summer dress. 

Who wants to be all sweaty in a dress? Well, in this kind of dress? 

I didn't think so.

Second, I added a bunch of extras here. 

 I underlined it, because the fabric was pretty sheer.  That meant I could invisibly slip-stitch the facing down to the underlining, as well as the bias finish at the armscye, and the hem. Jeezum Pete, though, they stuck together, and that was a trial in itself.  I also added twill tape to the waist seam allowance before serging the seam to keep the thin fabric from stretching out when I slump in my chair.  Third, I used zipper interfacing to supported the thin fabric for the weight of the zipper and make it go in easier.

The only think I had problems with was that button loop.  

I'll be honest, I gave up trying to turn a 1" by 1.5" bias loop (incl. seam allowance) right side out. 

I just cut another piece, folded it in half, then pressed the edges to center fold and topstitched it. 

Life's too short to spend that much time cussing an inanimate object.

Changes for Next Time 

For next time, though, I think I'll lower the neckline a smidge.  It's wearable, but still a hair high.  

Or maybe I just have a low neck, who knows.  

In any case,  I'll amend that on the pattern before putting it away for while. 

Also, I would consider using a scrap of interfacing behind the button, so it doesn't flap when open.

And, in the interest of photogenic honesty, my husband was out of town the day I first wore this, so my 7 year old kindly agreed to take a picture for me.

He did a good job, but I will admit that for every picture of me, there were three of the dog.

I can't complain, though; he is a pretty great dog. 

The Dress that Broke Me

So a couple of months ago, I was sewing along with the Project Sewn themes, and rocked my Twiggy dress.  And by "rocked it", I'm really saying, "I finished it."  Then came the pink project, and I faltered.

Pink and I, well, don't get along.

It's not pink, it's me. 

Don't get me wrong, pink's a lovely color.  On someone else.  Anyone else.

In anycase, I decided to TRY it, in the spirit of a challenge.
This is actually my second attempt.  I had one piece of pinkish/orchid-y fabric, and turned it into quite a brilliant pink wadder.

In a moment of interpretation, I decided that pink didn't mean 'all pink', and dug this out.  I had originally purchased this fabric with this dress in mind.

Amazingly, I had matching bias tape in my stash!

(Warning: notion porn ahead)

100% cotton!

Does your child sew?  How cute is that!

What is that?  If my bias tape fails, they'll reimburse me the cost of my materials AND labor?

*sigh*

I miss old notions.

And just in case you weren't tickled by the thread count information, they sneak in a free pattern for a bridge table cover on the back of the label.  You know, for when you play bridge.  As you do.

(Notion porn complete.  Remaining contents are notion-free)

When I could tell I wasn't getting it done for pink, I thought I'd just post it for shoes.  But when I realized I had no shoes for it, I was sunk.  

And then, the kicker:

I realized that I had added room at the waist, but moronically had added too much room at the waist.  

The thought of having to take out an absolutely perfectly installed lapped side zipper pissed me off.  

And so it sat, unhemmed, in time out, for about two months.

Until about 20 minutes before leaving for Easter lunch at my mom's, when I decided that was what I wanted to wear.

And hemmed it in my bra and underwear while everyone else waited.

Take that, stupid pink dress.

(That needs a belt.  And a different bra.)

The Details:

Pattern: Simplicity 2209--Lisette Passport Dress, with a gathered skirt

Fabric: Anna Maria Horner Mixed Signals voile, navy voile to underline bodice

Notions: bias trim, navy zipper

Time to complete: long enough

Exit Signs Shirt

My youngest son has already christened this the "Exit Signs Shirt".  He was playing in the button box while I was sewing this morning, and asked whose exit sign shirt I was making.  I guess the design looks like exit signs.  I'm down with that; I like exit signs.

I've been overthinking this shirt all week, and on Thursday, I got tired of thinking about it, and just jumped in. The body is from Simplicity 2060, but the sleeves are stolen straight from 2211, minus the sleeve band.  I've made a couple of shirts from the Itinerary dress pattern, and I don't like those sleeves.  For some reason, they just bug me--either I've set them in wrong each time, or they needed some alteration--they're fine when my arms are hanging loose, but any sort of movement and the whole yoke slides up.  And this was even after sewing the seam with a narrow allowance for a little more ease. ( I'm open to suggestions here if you've got 'em.)  Rather than dinking with bicep alteration, I just pirated the sleeves from the Market blouse, again minus the sleeve bands because they are ridiculously narrow.  My biceps lift children and cast-iron cookware; I don't know whose arms these are drafted for.  I would like to be able to say I took careful consideration to compare the cap heights and seam lines, but no, I just gathered the top as needed to fit the hole.  And we have functional arm-movement!  Hooray!

The armscye still may need to be dropped a smidge, but this works for now.

The buttons are from my inherited stash--they are Sears brand, and there were only 3 of the 4 remaining on the card.  They're 5/8" vs the 1/2" listed on the pattern, but really, what's an 1/8 of an inch between friends? Also, I would've sworn these buttons were red on the card, but they look like a pretty dead-on match for the fuschia/magenta/dark pinky-purple of the blouse.

Let's all just agree to not notice the first button hole is stitched twice, and the other two, not so much.

The fabic is Tina Givens voile, and it is soft and light.  I also bought this in a pale turquoise colorway, so I could actually have this exact shirt in two different colors...although that may be too much, even for me.

Anyway, easy sewing, easy shirt, short weekend, and I'm already plotting out the next 4 projects. : )