a little sewing

catch-up time: THREE knit tops!

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

OK, now I have six items sewn for my SWAP. Since I need eleven, I am more than half way there. Have you noticed I am not planning? I think it still counts as a SWAP, though because I am thinking about making each piece work with the others. Thinking counts, right? I am keeping track on my SWAP page here.

My SWAP has emerged as a colorful one - and it will be entirely wearable as spring arrives.
I sewed three tops from the same pattern this weekend, the cowl neck top from My Image Magazine Winter 2011/2012.

This black top above started off as a long-sleeved top and careless serging turned it into a short-sleeved top.

The second version, above, which is cranberry with blue undertones, also started out as a long-sleeved top.
The sleeves were so tight (an absent-minded cutting error) I had to cut them really short and add a band to make the sleeve long enough to look OK. yeah, I was on top of my game all right!

I waited until I had the pattern perfected and appropriate attention span in place before cutting into this amazing green silk jersey. It is a great color with blue undertones, and brighter than what this photo suggests. This has been in my stash since I scored several beautiful pieces from Jane of Lucky Sew-and Sew. She has great taste in fabric- nothing but the best quality! I have enjoyed sewing many of the pieces I acquired from her.

This gives a little better idea of the color.
I am really pleased to be sewing with colorful fabrics.
Won't I be the bees knees on St. Patrick's Day?

It was really fun to sew this easy pattern. The alterations were not difficult and the tops are comfortable and flattering. Boy, it sure is nice to have a few fast easy things come together, isn't it? I may try a dress from the same issue of My Image Magazine.

Also, I have ordered a few patterns from the Australian pattern-maker Style Arc:

It will probably be another week before these arrive, but I am checking the mail every day!

Happy Sewing!

Vogue Patterns - Spring 2012

2012-01-27T12:46:00.003-05:00

Here are my picks. If the magic time machine is invented, I'd like 36 hours a day, please, so I can sew all these lovely patterns!

First up is this perfect-for-me jacket by Anne Klein. Those princess shaping seams provide a beautiful cut to suit my narrow back torso and mature front side. I love that collar, too. That little angle at the bottom of the center front pleases me.

This pattern is rated difficult, and I am not surprised. It would be worth the effort.

Next, here is an easy-going dress by Donna Karan New York. The cap sleeves give visual width to the shoulder line and the shoulder seams look easy to alter. The high and tight back neckline wards off chilled air conditioning. All that draping at the shoulder and skirt give a little Grecian flair, and the wrap-around pockets add interest to the back.

I especially like this next pattern because it includes three interesting pieces, or four, if you consider the dress can be shortened into a top. [The pants are just garden variety pants].

The jacket's fit-friendly princess seams integrate with the collar in an interesting way. I like the casual effect of the ruched sleeves contrasted with a bodice that might otherwise be formal. The jacket looks cute styled with the narrow belt, too.
The skirt is right up my alley with those vertical seams in the front (slimming) and back. The little kick pleat in the back is sexy.
And the dress! That shaping would be great for my back, especially under the shoulder blades where I am narrow. For me, this pattern is a winner.

And what is this?

cute handbags!

This is the first time I can recall seeing handbag patterns that I like! I just don't usually find them to look as good as what's available in the stores, but then I have not been liking handbag styles very much for the last few years. They have gotten too big for my taste. It's a weight thing. I just don't want to carry around a duffle bag, because it will fill up with things that don't need to be dragged everywhere.

These bags are sized just right: not too big and not too small. And both are styles I would carry.

There's more! I found a lot to like in the Spring 2012 Vogue patterns. This is a perfect cool top for a hot day. I'd sew this in seersucker, linen or cotton. I always like the cap sleeve silhouette.

And finally, the most gorgeous dress I've seen in a while. It is modest enough for me, because I could work out that armpit area for the right coverage. The beautiful wide straps even provide space for subtle shoulder pads (every little bit helps when it comes to enlarging the shoulder line). The V neckline in the back is a nice surprise and the asymmetrical draping into the center back seam is so pretty. I like gentle folds of fabric in the front to skim the body. Maybe I *will* sew this one up. My sister is getting married in June and that will give me a nice occasion to dress up. I love it, can you tell?

OK, back to planning my sewing. I am a little behind in my production of garments for the SWAP 2012, but if I bang out some knit tops or other easy patterns, I can stay in the game.

OK- Friday is here!
That is a good thing here,
Happy Sewing!

Black Flippy Skirt

2012-01-22T19:23:00.002-05:00

I struck while the iron was hot and sewed another 8-gored skirt right away. This time I used a wool crepe knit and it is very Eileen Fisher-esque. This version only took a couple hours from start to finish.

I tinkered with the photos, but it is hard to see the design in this stretchy black knit wool crepe. There is enough fabric left over to make a cardigan - wouldn't a matching cardigan add up to a nice low-key suit for the rare occasion I need one? Yes, I think so, too!

The skirt is lined with black tricot.

Each panel of the skirt was hemmed before stitching the panels together. This way the flare is a little more subtle than the tan skirt. I loved the way the flares draped on the tan skirt before hemming. That was a learning experience! Once hemmed, the flares became very pronounced, and less graceful, so I made a mental note to try hemming before seaming on my next version. As you know, black is so hard to photograph, so please take my word for it- the draping of the panels is very subtle & feminine.

And so- here we have a little home-made line drawing!

I added it to my new page for the 2012 SWAP, where I plan to keep track of my sewing as I go along, with little notes and tips in one handy place for later reference. The purpose of this year's SWAP is to develop a wardrobe of patterns and I am excited to make it happen and cover all my bases.

Happy Sewing!

GPOYW

2012-01-18T09:56:00.001-05:00

Gratuitous Post of Yourself Wednesday:

thanks, Holly, for your mastery of iphone fashion photography :)

Is it just me, or did it seem like this jacket would never be finished and worn? I started in November!
The skirt took longer than I expected, too, but lots of other non-sewing things were accomplished in my household, so it was worth it.

Next up? the excitement builds as I ponder....

Leisurely Sewing

2012-01-16T10:04:00.000-05:00

There are times for speed-sewing and that's not what I am doing right now. Lately, my sewing time is a more like spa time. I linger, I fuss and I fondle. I try on the garment after every little alteration.

The sparkly jacket is probably finished by the time you read this.
I used four-ply silk for the lining and it is oh-so-deluxe.
I accidentally cut the jacket too short, forcing use wide bias tape for the hem. Oops! That's why the lining is attached so close to the edge of the hem.

At this rate, who knows if I can complete 11 garments for the SWAP, but I will try. The tan skirt is finished, so only 9 more to go.

This has been on my inspiration board for a while:

And this is what I am thinking:

I'll be back later to post shots of the finished skirt and jacket. Whether I sew this dress next or not, I sure am glad I have so many fabrics that work well with this jacket. I look forward to sewing them up as the ideas roll in.

So! Today is my 7th wedding anniversary! Yay to me and Howie. We are giving ourselves a good report card. No seven-year-itch for us, if anything, we will renew our vows over a nice steak dinner tonight.

And there is more...

Today is Martin Luther King Day in the United States of America.

Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

More later!!

GPOYW (Gratuitous Picture of Yourself Wednesday)

2012-01-11T13:00:00.003-05:00

I just got back from the dentist where a big fuss was made over my skirt. How pleasing, because I made it!

self portrait with an iphone

I sewed this in December 2007 and I re-constructed it with better underlining techniques in February 2010. The top was also sewn in February 2010 during a snowstorm.

This skirt has become a real wardrobe staple for me. Isn't it funny how unpredictable it is? Which garment will become that special favorite? And I was quite bashful about the attention in the dentist's office. They specifically complimented my fashion sense. I guess that is what might happen if make an effort to develop personal style.
You might get noticed.

I felt a little funny about it.

Oh well, I feel a little funny about a lot of things. I will add this to the pile.

Happy Wednesday!

Sewing With A Plan 2012- I need a catchy name

2012-01-08T20:42:00.000-05:00

What should I call my SWAP? It has been four years since I sewed Downtown Date and I am ready to SWAP again. In 2008, I was a new convert to Bernina My Label pattern-making software, which had produced many well-fitting patterns for me, including a gored skirt. I sewed a long version and a short version that year.

Because the 2012 SWAP focuses on tried-and-true patterns, I am off to a good start by using that gored skirt pattern for my first garment:

I deliberately cut this with a close fit, because this lightweight wool suiting fabric contains lycra and it will stretch.
(It is not pressed yet, so please imagine it looking much smoother, thank you!)

I modified the pattern by narrowing the gores almost to the point of being a narrow pencil skirt, but with a slight flare at the hem. I also drafted a yoke to minimize any bulk around the waist area.

The back wasn't quite smooth enough, so I made a 2-piece yoke to deal with a slight sway-back alteration:

It's time to install the zipper in the center back seam.

Life has kept me hopping busy for more than a month now. It's becoming obvious that I must adapt to sewing in thirty-minute-chunks.

Sewing in thirty-minute-chunks is better than nothing, right?

I'm just putting it out there: Universe, feel free to lighten up, OK?

I miss my sewing machine. I would love more quality time in the sewing room!!

I do like how the skirt is shaping up, so patience, m'dear, patience!

The color is very warm in the photos above. In real life, I think it's a cooler shade of tan.

Below is a photo taken a few weeks back, in different lighting:

* boot love *

As far as a name for my 2012 SWAP goes, it seems like "Downtown Date" is still the theme. My lifestyle hasn't changed since then. The goal is a variety of garments designed for leisurely museum visits, concerts, restaurants and all those good things. Of course, I wear the same clothes to work, but you have seen my cubicle. That is not the most glamorous place, is it? ha!
Let's just stick with a more romantic version of my wardrobe requirements.

Hey, have I thanked you lately? Well, I should. Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.

I really enjoy your comments, opinions and feedback!!

By the way, if you sew with vintage patterns, head over to The Blue Gardenia and check out the sale:

Buy 3 or more patterns, get 35% off your total sale!

Sale prices good now through

11:59 p.m. PST Sunday, January 15, 2012

Payment must be received by Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Shop Early for Best Selection!

Happy New Year!

couture vs. Ready-To-Wear and other brain teasers

2012-01-02T08:19:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I read lots of things online about industry methods versus couture methods (or vice versa) and I have gone through phases of enchantment with many approaches. Nowadays, I feel reconciled to all of the options available.

I could wear this if I wanted to, because I can sew it for myself:

Source: cutterandtailor.com via Robin on Pinterest

You might enjoy this article on tailoring vs. dressmaking. It gives a nice definition of those terms, as well as explanation of made-to-measure garments and where they fall in the spectrum between bespoke and RTW. The information is presented objectively and provides background and context for how these terms are most often used. [I am not including the recent phenomenon of the gross overuse of the word "couture". Here is one of many examples: CoutureCandy]

We DIY clothiers are creating a whole new way to enjoy high quality, unique style and the creative satisfaction of designing our own clothing.

Remarkable, isn't it?

While some moan of all that has been lost, we are at the cutting edge of what is new. We are part of a movement. Not only can we enjoy wearing clothes we like, we are dressing ourselves in an ethical way, given the state of global economic turmoil. Don't get me wrong, I am SORRY that so manufacturing jobs are gone from the US. I am SORRY that the art of tailoring seems to be declining, and I am SORRY that the great couture houses are slowly declining. In the face of that, what can one person do? I can take matters into my own hands and enjoy learning and doing for myself.

I am excited to be a part of something new. This whole DIY thing is exciting. No one has to follow any one approach, rather we can quietly lead the way.

Are you noticing some of these conversations around the blogosphere and in the newspapers?

What do you think?

get ready to rumble!

2011-12-30T12:44:00.004-05:00

It is not often that I lack the will to finish a project, but this is where I am. I still haven't put the lining into the blue sparkly jacket (even though it will not take long at all). I shifted gears to a quick skirt that I'll wear with the blue sparkly jacket, and I traced off this pattern from 12-2008 Burda magazine.

There are some very cute versions on patternreview.com

I tissue-fitted on my dress form. The alterations are shown in blue pencil:

I traced a size 46, changed the placement & depth of the darts, and re-drew the side seam to fit me.

When I sat back and looked at it on the dress form, I had to accept the facts: it flared out at the widest point of my hips; it was going to look dumpy on me because I am tall and long in the torso. The design would work by changing the proportions; by lengthening the upper part and shortening the flared bottom piece.

As I contemplated, my head started to reject any form of logical thinking. It was like a computer getting hung-up. I knew the truth: I lack the experience to perform the adjustment. I read through Adele P. Margolis' book Make Your Own Dress Patterns (I cannot recommend this book highly enough) but I could not see a clear path to success.

So! I pulled out my TNT gored skirt pattern. It needs just a little tweaking to get that mermaid-esque shape I am going for. I should have a new tan-colored skirt very soon.

This is my TNT gored skirt from Bernina My Label software

Enough already with the dozing mojo. Being sick earlier this month, and then celebrating the holidays has completely disrupted my normal sewing routine. Right now I need to Just Do It, as the Nike advertisements suggest. This blog post is my commitment to Just Do It and get back into sewing already!

Happy Holidays everyone and tell me how inspired you are and ready to sew up a storm, OK?
I am participating in the Sewing With A Plan SWAP 2012, so these garments count.
Are we ready to rumble?!
Yes!!

Draping - Made Easy & Fun

2011-12-28T00:13:00.002-05:00

You can read about the Great Drapo in this LIFE magazine article, and watch him here:

Isn't he amazing? Watching him drape fabric into dresses within minutes was refreshing after fiddling with flat pattern adjustments this afternoon. I traced off a very cute skirt from a Burda magazine and tissue-fitted it on my dress form. I wasn't happy with it, so I didn't proceed any further.
I don't think an A-line silhouette suits me, so maybe I will just sew another version of my self-drafted versatile skirt. It is, after all, pretty versatile.
Then again, why don't I just wrap the fabric around me and secure with rubber bands? I am tempted!

GPOYS

2011-12-25T08:48:00.000-05:00

It's a Gratuitous-Post-Of-Yourself-Sunday, of me saying Merry Christmas to You!

Wish I could hand over a cookie to you!

I appreciate what Santa brought me this year: recovery from the flu. Howie and I both came down with the flu on December 3rd, and we are just now feeling well again.

easiest Christmas tree ever

Do you think it has anything to do with sewing, that I enjoy wrapping presents? I feel like I am draping each package for the best fit. Or do I simply have sewing on the brain, all the time! Ha - that is possible!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.
(Just to be ornery, I have decided NOT to say "Happy Holidays" this year.)

I love you all and thanks for reading my blog.
Hugs & Kisses

Color Story

2011-12-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

Source: tig-fashion.blogspot.com via Olivia on Pinterest

I feel like a cat with nine lives. Now well into my sixth decade, I remember vintage styles when they weren't vintage. I wore hip-hugger bell-bottoms and peasant blouses in the 70's, power suits in the 80's-90's, leggings (first time around) and color-blocking (first time around) and I did the all-black thing for a while. I've watched us go extremely casual, wearing ~~pajamas~~ yoga pants in public and I happily embrace a move towards the structure of vintage-inspired clothing. Oh my, I am happy to be sewing with wovens more than knits, but I digress.

It seems that every decade or so, I find myself puzzled with new trends and I need to figure it out. Do I like it? Will my eyes come to see this as fresh and new and interesting? Maybe! It is good to keep an open mind.

Have you read the Colette Sewing Handbook? It is a lovely book - I bought it, as I always do, to support the work of contemporary stitching authors. [I've also bought Amy Butler, Heather Ross, etc over the years]. It is my habit to buy books throughout the year, read them gently and then give them as gifts to my nieces at Christmas. But this book is so good I am keeping it for myself. Again, I digress.

Here is that color story again!

salmon, mint & yellow

So here is the thing. This is very deliberate. These designers are choosing these colors on purpose, so I want to understand why, and see how this plays out for me. It was only in my teens and twenties that current styles felt completely organic to me. Since then, I confess that it's always a learning experience when unfamiliar aesthetics introduce themselves.

Here the colors are more saturated:

Source: vogue.com via Marie on Pinterest

and this:

Source: vogue.com via Marie on Pinterest

Of course, now I start to ask myself "what the ...? Seriously, Robin, are you going to walk into work; to your cubicle wearing that?!" Answer: Perhaps not! But I kinda like it.

Back to browsing and mulling this over. It's not new, strictly speaking:

Source: arts-wallpapers.com via Robin on Pinterest

Does the skin tone make a difference? I think this Marc Jacobs dress looks beautiful on the darker compexion:

Nothing would persuade me to wear colors that feel unflattering, but I would bring these into my life in a more subtle way, like this:

Source: wah-nails.com via Robin on Pinterest

or this:

Source: fashionologie.com via Robin on Pinterest

I don't want to know the price of that purse. It would only put me in a mood.

How about you? Although I figured out "my colors", in 1987, there is no harm in re-visiting the topic, right? Yes, I am being just a little facetious. Just in case you couldn't tell. Even if don't wear any of the colors in this palette, I still enjoy the challenges presented by ever younger designers.

Hey, wanna win a free dress? ENTER HERE.

I wish I had a rack like that

2011-12-18T17:24:00.000-05:00

Source: vogue.it via Marie-Noëlle on Pinterest

If I had my druthers, I'd like to be a real clothes rack; an amazon with broad shoulders. You knew that's what I meant, right? If I had broad shoulders, I'd wear designs that take advantage of them. While I am fantasizing, I am believing I'd have events requiring a silk organza dress from Dolce and Gabbana.

If I had a rack like that, I'd ~~carry~~ wear shoulder bags. This would leave my hands free and it would be convenient.

Source: vogue.com via Edgar on Pinterest

I'd show off those shoulders in peek-a-boo outfits, as opposed to wearing falsies (i.e. shoulder pads).

Source: vogue.com via P Gaye Tapp on Pinterest

I'd wear more belts because my wide shoulders would make my waist look smaller.

Source: style.com via Brannon on Pinterest

No? Not going to happen? No. No matter how much time I spend with barbells, it will never happen.

That's OK! Really. I embrace my odd little shoulders. I do, I really do.

And it's not like I am entering the Miss Universe Contest. No one is judging me, at least not in the I-am-in-a-beauty-pageant kind of way.

via Vintagraph blog

Wishful thinking!!

I am not complaining, just goofing off. My mom & dad were generous in passing on their genes, so I'd be a jerk to complain. And - I didn't even know I had small shoulders until I got into hard-core sewing over the last few years. It took a lot of trial and error to realize that we are not all built the same above the armpits. I truly assumed that a shoulder-is-a-shoulder-is-a-shoulder.

What would you wish for? I remember hearing a very beautiful woman tell me she had always thought her feet were too big. I was shocked! I could not see a single thing wrong with her feet and how they affected her overall appearance. Do you have any little pet peeves about what God gave you?
Do tell!

And if you want a free dress, enter to win here!

How about a dress giveaway? Yes, a dress for you!

2011-12-17T06:20:00.000-05:00

***************** GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! The winner is Kelli ************************

*****************************************************************

Here’s how this is going to work: I am going to sew a dress for myself and you(well, one of you) will win a free dress from Shabby Apple!

I’ve wanted a dress that looks like a blouse on top anda skirt on the bottom, but every time I start down that path, I wonder how itwill launder. I found an idea that willtotally work:

The Traveler: I love the length of the slim sleeves and the empire waist.

I will use a shirting on the top and, like theinspiration dress, I’ll use something with a little lycra on the skirt and Iwill use colors that can be laundered together.

Now, a black and white dress like this is still on mywishlist, like this:

Frida K. - just a little dressier than The Traveler and I think I'd need those shoes, too!

And notice the lack of a collar- I suppose that is whathas always hung me up. If I used a shirtpattern for the top, I expected to have a collar, too. But it looks really nice with the tie and then you can have a zipper in theback:

I am not sure if I’d do the exposed zipper – I may justinsert an invisible zipper. Then again, I like it, so we'll see.

Whether or not this dress will fit you, I say enter to win! Personally, I would order thesize that fits my shoulders because I think that is the hardest part to fit.

Use the dress as your "storebought muslin", like I didwhen I sewed these exercise shorts.

Put the dress on, figure out where it doesn’t fit andmake it work. Have you seen ConnieCrawford’s fitting DVD? It looks superuseful.

Slash & spread to your heart’s content to adjust thefit, then use it as a pattern to sew a perfectly fitted dress for yourself. What do you think? I have used worn-out shirts and pants tocreate new patterns. I have also bought something brand new, just to use it as a pattern. It felt a little weird, but I do get alot of use from those shorts.

Would you do it? Would you actually cut into a perfectly healthy dress, in order to makea pattern for yourself? I'd want to make plenty of dresses to justify thesacrifice. I guess I am really justtalking to those of you who are like me, who have a really hard time with fitting, so, you know, you will do almost anything to dress well.

Interested?

Go to Facebook and like ShabbyApple here.

Leave me a comment (tell me what you think!) and be sure to include your email address if it's not in your profile.

The drawing closes Wednesday night, December 21 at 7pm EST. I'll randomly select the winner & send you an email to get your address. If you have questions about what size to get, the fitting process or sewing, let's chat!

The good folks at Shabby Apple will send you The Traveler dress. This is available for mailing addresses in the US only.

If you need this dress right this minute, get 10% off - use coupon code ALS10OFF when you check out.

Thank you to Shabby Apple for spreading the love!

about collars and collar stands

2011-12-16T21:23:00.000-05:00

This is a random post about collars and collar stands, as participation in cyber-conversation about shirt construction. This is also why I sew - so I can get the fit and function that is important to me.

My pattern is a TNT originally copied from an Eddie Bauer store-bought shirt, but now altered almost beyond recognition. The collar has two pieces:

1. the stand- the front of the stand is curved, for a better fit at my neck.

2. the collar- the edge that attaches to the stand is also curved. [Also, the edge that touches the shoulders is curved, but I am not discussing that aspect of the shaping in this post.]

The collar stand is curved, the collar is curved, and furthermore, the curves go in opposite directions. Yes, it is tricky to sew, but that's how flat fabric is shaped into 3 dimensional clothing. I learned about these collars by reading Pam Erny's blog, but the same information is presented in books like David Page Coffin's shirtmaking book, Threads magazine articles and other online tutorials.

In contrast, it is possible to sew a collar and a collar stand that are attached already, which makes for very speedy construction.

Click here to watch Peggy Sagers show how to sew a shirt in an hour. She uses a pattern piece that combines the stand and the collar. The edge attached to the shirt neckline is straight, which makes it a breeze to sew.

For my body shape, and for the sensual pleasure wearing well-fitted clothing, I will take the extra time to sew the curved collar stand and curved collar.

Peggy is fun, entertaining and knowledgeable. I have taken classes from her at Sewing Expos. Some shortcuts are brilliant, but some will result in that RTW fit needing improvement, depending on one's particular body.

Personally, I get a better fit with the separate curved pieces.

Here is how I attach the collar band and the collar to a shirt:

Clip seams, iron well, use good quality interfacings and fabrics and the reward is a long lasting shirt. My shirts last longer than any other item I sew, so a little extra time is time well spent.

How about you? Preferences?

Happy Sewing!

GPOYW - December 14, 2011

2011-12-14T16:45:00.000-05:00

Gratuitous Post of Yourself Wednesday

I am wearing nothing sewn by me except my gray coat.

turtleneck - purchased from a small shop going out of business

cardigan - "perfect cardigan" in ruby by J.Jill

skirt - Royal Robbins Discovery Skirt from REI

heather gray leggings - with wool socks (nice and warm)

boots - Jane Tall Cuff by Frye in Taupe soft pebbled grain

Amusingly, the skirt fits me very well but that is because I am not wearing it as the designer intended:

The Royal Robbin Discovery Skirt is designed to ride low on the waist and hit below the knee.

Between my age-appropriate waistline and extra height, it sits at my waist and hits me at knee length. The fabric has a little lycra, resists wrinkles and features lots of pockets. REI had an end-of-season sale I was killing time while DH shopped. What a happy surprise - this is a great skirt!

Everyone feeling OK? I've been knocked back with a nasty cold and operating only at bare minimum levels. You know - it freaked me out at first because "I have so much to prepare for Christmas!" But when the cold lingered, so I started coming up with work-around plans. My goodness, I love this!

I am not sewing any Christmas presents; all gifts have been purchased online directly from the online wishlists of the recipients; a 2-foot tree is on top of a table, and a wreath is on the front door. That's it! I am even looking into having a cleaning crew come in to clean the house. We usually do all of our own cleaning, but DH is a little under the weather, too. And Christmas day celebrations have been scaled back to simple get-togethers with immediate family.

I daresay this could become a tradition. I know it is harder when your children are small, but simplifying is my gift to myself this year.

Hope you are well, and hope I am back in the sewing room soon.
cheers!

For Independent Fashion Designers

2011-12-09T12:21:00.000-05:00

Via Fashion Incubator Blog:

NEW! Wholesale fabric show, low minimums NY

are we almost there yet?

2011-12-08T20:18:00.001-05:00

*{Sorry kids, mom has been driving around in circles}

In sewing news, I have been stitching away on my hoodie jacket. The sleeves are on and the lining is sewn. I just need to install the lining and it's finished, yay! This will be the 7th jacket of 2011, and I hereby proclaim that to be a sufficient number of jackets within a twelve month span.

Here is the latest progress. First, this doctored-up photo illustrates what I did not like about the sleeves:

And the fix:

*{back to blogger}

In non-sewing news, I recently set up a whole new website using Squarespace. There is a lot to love about that platform - they provide hosting and website design resources in an extremely secure and reliable environment. I was drawn by robust content management features (you get get fancy there!) but there are drawbacks.

The main problem for me was the user interface for posting to the blog. You could only load one picture at a time and there is no way to preview the post before clicking "submit".
Yikes.
There are ways to prepare posts offline, and then upload them, but it was not easy enough to justify the extra effort. I kept my blogger account alive just in case I wanted to return and I am glad I did. Now I know, the grass isn't greener. It's just different grass.

Thanks for your patience while I've bounced around, and please let me know if things don't seem to be working - I do still need to wrap up a few loose ends.

Happy Sewing!

December tidbits

2011-12-08T17:23:00.001-05:00

Modern Wear

2011-12-04T17:45:00.001-05:00

wow! check it out.

GPOYW

2011-11-30T14:51:00.001-05:00

hoodie jacket with brass zipper

2011-11-29T22:07:00.001-05:00

jacket progress

sparkly jacket progress

2011-11-22T22:14:00.001-05:00

check out my new blog at www.alittlesewing.com

it's moving day!

2011-11-21T12:30:00.000-05:00

One thing led to another and I tinkered my way onto my own domain:

www.alittlesewing.com

I am moving! I hope you will come along - update your links and RSS feeds. There will be pizza and beer for everyone who helps unpack. Just kidding! You know I wouldn't ask you to help.

Come on over!

GPOYW

2011-11-16T11:51:00.001-05:00

thanks to my best-cube-mate-ever Holly for taking pics of me :)

I made this scarf (and wear it so often I should be embarrassed), the knit top and the jacket. The skirt was an unflattering mid-calf length that I corrected by chopping off the old waistband by several inches and making a new one. The boots are my "I don't smell anything, do you?" in my car.
In fact, I do smell the sickly sweet smell from the steam wash & auto detailing, along with the curdled milk.
But when you are wearing great boots, it's not so bad.

Happy Gratuitous Pic of Yourself Wednesday!

a blue sparkly jacket

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for the warm feedback on my "about me" page and my ideas for Sewing With A Plan. I love hearing about your thoughts and I am delighted that many of us will sew along together for SWAP 2012. Heck, even if we don't finish all eleven pieces, it is brilliant.

I started a jacket over the weekend using the sparkly blue fabric that came my way via Claudine of Adventures in Couture. On a quick errand to get elastic for the mulching yoga pants (which came clean after 3 washings) I spied the perfect blue zipper with brassy metal teeth. That zipper told me the time had come to sew up fabric that has twinkled at me for months.

I decided to sew a hoodie and remembered my cosy jacket pattern. I used the hood pattern from the Jalie City Coat pattern and now the jacket is cut and ready to sew.

All I need is lining - and it was pretty exciting to find so many options in my stash:

Each of these fabrics looks wonderful with the blue sparkle (which resembles a quilted denim) and it makes me want to sew all of these prints into blouses or dresses to wear with my adorable hoodie jacket.

Wouldn't all these imaginery outfits look great with my new *Frye boots? If only I could clone myself and sew them all at once.

Ultimately, I want the jacket to be versatile. I love the fabric and I know I will wear it a lot, so that might mean a blue lining (same thing Claudine did!) that matches closely.

Does anyone you know where I can find well-matched lining? I know folks used to send swatches up to stores in NYC and ask them to find matches, do people still do that in this day of the internet?

*The Frye boots

Here is the story on the boots. When I was 14, I saved babysitting money to buy a pair of Frye boots. I didn't realize that my feet had not stopped growing.

image via Etsy

A year later, they were too tight and those much-loved boots never got the wear they deserved. That memory came to me when I was window-shopping on my lunch hour last week. I had just picked up my car from the auto detailer and it still smelled like sour milk. Yes, I dumped a pint of milk in my car and boy am I sorry now. I think people should cry over spilled milk because it really stinks!

HOWEVER, my impulse boot purchase made up for the ill-fated purchase in my teens AND gave me strength to live with the smell in my car-with-only-12,000-miles-on-it.

Seriously, those boots made everything alright again. Now I smile when I get in the car - I just think about my boots.

So! Do you have a preference on any of those fabrics as linings? I am partial to the first one, and my husband likes the second one. Or am I right, and I should get a matching blue for the lining?

Decisions, decisions!

Opinions?

Sewing With A Plan - patterns

2011-11-11T20:40:00.001-05:00

Given the nature of SWAP 2012, my starting point is to identify patterns that have been fitted to me and need to be sewn again. I have some good ones!

I've sewn a sweater coat and a jacket using Jalie 2680

I've sewn a blouse-type top and
an unlined jacket from V8044

I have a good start on a coat using BWOF 11-2006-108

We are to select seven a la carte items from this menu:

Button-down shirt - TNT shirt pattern
Blouse
T-Shirt - TNT t-shirt pattern
Vest
Overshirt - Jalie 2780
Dress - make a shirt-waist dress using my TNT shirt pattern
Jeans
Trousers
Shorts or Capri Pants
Skirt - my Versatile Skirt pattern
Jacket - Vogue 8044 with added design details
Coat - BWOF 11-2006-108
Overcoat or Raincoat
Bathing Suit & Coverup

That seems like a good start. I came up with seven patterns! That is pretty amazing. When I sewed a SWAP in 2008, I don't think any of my patterns were fitted yet. When I look back, I got an enormous
sewing boost from participating in SWAP 2008. I still wear some of those garments regularly, too.

I wonder what it would be like to sew for a few months without tackling ANY new patterns. That seems like a novel idea - what do you think?

It seems like having 7 TNT patterns is not very many when I read blogs of people who might sew 30 different patterns in a year (and they all fit beautifully). But for me, this is pretty special. Yep, this is some gooood sheet, man.

Happy Sewing!

GPOYW

2011-11-09T12:22:00.002-05:00

This is a Gratuitous Photo Of Yourself Wednesday.

I am wearing McCalls 5974, blogged here.

I have changed the way I wrap the belt, so that the knot is in the back. It feels a little better this way.

Happy Wednesday!

About Me

2011-11-08T20:11:00.000-05:00

All good blogs have an "About Me" page (I have been told) but I dragged my feet writing one. Well, I finally did it, and added it to my side-bar. it's all about me, me, me! Now I want to create a cute button. That is a boring little link, if you ask me.

OK, enough about me.
...
What do you think about me?

ha ha

Sewing Mojo!! It is back!
I am going to participate in the 2012 SWAP (Sewing With a Plan) held on the Stitchers Guild sewing discussion forum.

The rules (taken directly from the website):
This year, our SWAP will focus on fitting, and making tried-and-true patterns: testing and fitting paper patterns, muslins, and fashion garments that will help lower the overall sewing failure rates, result in fabulous clothing to be proud of, and (hopefully) give every contestant a pattern or two that works every time it is used.

Choose any seven garments from this list:

Button-up Shirt w/Collar
Blouse
T-Shirt
Vest
Overshirt
Dress
Jeans
Trousers
Shorts or Capri Pants
Skirt
Jacket
Coat
Overcoat or Raincoat
Bathing Suit & Coverup

From those seven, choose four to make twice for a total of 11 garments that will work together.

I am all over this! Can't wait to start planning. The hardest part of sensible sewing is the boredom factor. I will need to keep things interesting enough to beat the boredom.

Anyone else thinking about sewing some coordinating items? Or does that just kill the buzz for you? Sometimes, I really need to sew something frivolous, so I understand!

mulching yoga pants? yes

2011-11-07T07:35:00.001-05:00

I would not know this term if not for Claudine who posted about it when she bought her sparkly blue fabric.

After sewing these pants, I washed my hands and the water turned gray. That seemed a little weird. Then I wore the pants. Oh how soft is this fabric! Oh how comfortable are these pants (made from a lengthened version of my pattern for exercise shorts)

This is before adding the waistband and hem.
You can see the gusset. The fabric is a little lightweight for pants,
they are more like lounging pants to wear at home.

My goodness, I could not exclaim often enough how easy and comfy these pants were. I couldn't wait to sew more. And then I saw the effects of the mulching. My whole lower body was gray - like a zombie or a vampire.

Oh my! This was conversation-worthy with the husband. Yes, I had pre-washed it. Then I remembered Claudine's post and her experience with mulching. I will wash the fabric and these pants several more times, with a white cloth in the load, until the water runs clear. I have been thinking about that sparkly blue fabric, too (I won her giveaway!) and I want to sew a jacket just like Claudine's creation. She won't mind blatant copying, will she? I need to hunt down a separating zipper.

Happy November!

Vote for Miss Celie's Pants!

2011-11-02T08:36:00.001-04:00

Baltimore blogger Renee (aka Cidell on patternreview) writes Miss Celie's Pants. She is a world citizen who has travelled extensively. Baltimore has been her home and her passion for a while now and she really knows the city and shows a fun side through her blog. And she is a total sweetheart.

I am a part-time Baltimorean and I love this town. My roots go back to the seventies when I studied violin at the Peabody Institute. As soon as I got my driver's license, I was allowed to drive myself to lessons. My mom gave me parking money, which I used to buy greasy tacos at the Jack-in-the-Box on Orleans street, and I learned how to parallel park in Mt. Vernon. Greasy tacos were an exotic novelty in the 1970's.

Click here to log on via Facebook and vote for our pal Renee.

*or*

Click here to vote for Cidell in @baltimoresun's #mobbies awards!

Vote early, vote often!!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN MARYLAND TO VOTE - in fact maybe that is a plus! If Baltimore looks like a fun city via Miss Celie's Pants, that is all the more reason for a vote.

thread. scissors. fabric. ahhhhh.

2011-10-27T15:34:00.001-04:00

Updated on November 1, 2011 to add my own odd little girl:

It's not much, but I did touch base with my sewing machine this week.

With Halloween fast approaching, I buckled down and sewed the costume requested by my daughter. She is planning to dress up as Wednesday Addams. Per wikkipedia, The Addamses are a satirical inversion of the ideal American family; an eccentric, wealthy clan who delight in the macabre and are unaware that people find them bizarre or frightening.


Lisa Loring played Wednesday in the television series, and Christina Ricci played her in the movie.

The dress is a simple black knit dress from Target and I appliqued the collar and cuffs using fabric scraps left over from white t-shirts sewn in 2009. Those t-shirts are still going strong, too, I am happy to report.
I sewed on five shirt buttons that have a silver edge around the mother of pearl. I imagine this will be a somewhat tarted-up version of a prim strange little girl.

Mini dress with a low neckline. Not all that prim, after all.

At work, we are having a Halloween party on Friday and costumes are encouraged, but I will just wear orange and black. Tonight I am making a sandwich platter for the party. Go me!

How about you? Are you dressing up for any parties or answering the door for trick-or-treaters on October 31st?

Or will you turn off the lights and pretend you aren't home, a la Martha Stewart? That is per Martha's daughter, anyway. I do not think my daughter would ever say such nasty things about me. Maybe Martha didn't sew enough costumes for her daughter. Hmmm.

simple teal shirt

2011-10-16T17:32:00.001-04:00

I did some comfort sewing this weekend and ended up with a classic teal cotton shirt.

And just what is comfort sewing?

It is something I can sew without consulting instructions, using easy-to-handle fabric and satisfying to press. {I love to iron!} I cut this shirt back in February, so it was nice to jump in and start stitching.

There was a time when it was unthinkable for me to leave a project unfinished for eight months. Whether I was too excited to let it rest, or, determined to conquer the challenge, I had to finish what I started. Nowadays, I can let things marinate. My sewing is a reliable endeavor that produces wardrobe staples when I am not up to big challenges, as well as relaxation when I am not up to big challenges. This would be very similar to pulling frozen tomatoes out of the freezer to make a hearty stew.

There was a little bump in the road when I accidentally serged a slice into the armscye:

oops

I didn't fret, though, because "these things happen." All it takes is another piece of fabric on top of the mistake and now we have a design detail. I refused to let it that little accident ruin my shirt because I was so close to finishing, I love the color and I will usually wear another layer over it anyway. I maintain you can barely even notice it.

My oops turns into a "design detail"

Boy, just looking at those curved & narrow shoulder seams makes me glad I sew. I shopped around a department store yesterday where I could hold things up, look and see that they just weren't going to fit my shoulders, so why bother trying them on. That can be a little depressing, so I just scooted on out of there. I will just keep sewing up UFO's until I am struck with inspiration. I want some new skirts, too, so maybe I will sew up a couple versions of my versatile skirt.

Tights and lace-up shoes sound good. I like these by J.Jill:

Then maybe a tweed blazer? Yes, that sounds nice! We'll see. One thing at a time.

Happy Sewing!

Before & After Shots of My Big Fat Home Improvement

2011-10-13T21:50:00.000-04:00

Wanna see what I did last summer? The house needed some work, so I took advantage of the opportunity to lighten things up.

Living room: painted walls light gray, replaced bamboo shades with mini-blinds,
added an area rug and installed an updated light fixture.
I tried to work with what we already had and found a few bargains to polish it up.
The rug was only $199 at HomeGoods!
And the cats can barf on it all they want - the color hides it.

The cats like the new arrangement just as much as they liked the old one,
although the need for change puzzled them. That orange poster found its way to the kitchen.
We donated the entertainment cabinet to Habitat for Humanity.

The red dining room didn't look good after everything else was painted gray,
so it went gray, too. I had loved my red dining room, but now,
I don't miss it at all. The new light colors are refreshing.

The new purplish gray in the entry (on the left) is a big success - I love it!
Want to know why the ceramic tile looks new? We painted all the
grout with a product designed to cover up stains and now it's all the same nice color.

The spindles were painted white to lighten things up a bit more.

The color in the upstairs hallway (on the right) is actually the same color in the kitchen. It flows really well.

Got that cute mirror (top photo) at HomeGoods.

This is a happy kitchen (top photo). It feels so bright and cheerful now.

Just for the record, HGTV is a bad influence on me. Once we decided to update kitchen appliances, there was a domino effect with this project. I had a vision that was put in my head by too many episodes of "How to Update This House!" type of shows. BUT, I am so glad I went big, because the house is so much more welcoming and enjoyable now.

Meanwhile, back in the sewing room, I sewed plackets on a shirt sleeve last weekend. That made me feel very good. Life is so unpredictable, isn't it? Someone close to me is going through scary health issues, but we are just hanging tough together and that's really what it's all about, isn't it? Being there for our loved ones.

May this find you well...
And Happy Sewing

True Confessions

2011-10-01T10:37:00.003-04:00

I do my best to create certain illusions about Robin Denning, and blogging is a great way to create an idealized persona. In case you haven't see through to the real me, I have a few confessions on these illusions:

Robin is computer savvy.
Robin a good mother.
Robin is good at sewing, dating back to childhood.
Robin has millions of ideas that flow like Niagara Falls, and energy to see them through.

October 1, 2011: emptyness

Let's start with #4-Niagara Falls so I can confess the truth. My last blog post was at least a week ago. I looked inside my little brain for ideas and, people, I found nothing!

It is easy to explain the empty brain I am experiencing - Laura came home. Getting to know the 2011 version of her seems to be crowding out my obsession with sewing.

She is great, and we have a great relationship, but I can't say it's because I am #2-A Good Mother. I made all the mistakes people moan about "parents these days". From 1990-2004, I was a divorcee raising a child while ambitiously pursuing a career. I confess, I wanted her to like me and, I set very few boundaries. I confess, I treated her more like a friend than a child. Yep, I confess that we were more like Thelma and Louise than parent & child. It was OK with me that she went to the other side of the world after college and it was fine that she hasn't been home for Christmas or Thanksgiving or her birthday for most of the last 5 years. After all, adventure is awesome. I was all for it. Other parents seemed to feel sorry for me, that I must miss her terribly, but I saw it as a chance to visit Europe and Asia with the her to be my tour guide. We had Skype and we never grew apart.

This geographical distance between myself and Laura brings me to #1-Computer savvy. I confess I set up my blog by accident. Laura was in Germany in 2008 and she created a blog to share her adventures. The first time I commented on her blog, I followed the prompts to create my own account. Oops - look at that - I had just set up a blog. I quickly realized that I could post my own photos and narratives of life at home without my ~~little accomplice~~ daughter. It may have looked like a sewing blog, but that was just a cover-up for my ~~desperate~~ desire to post about life at home for a certain family member to read. I won't bore you with how she banned me from commenting on her blog at one point (apparently it is not cool for mom use that avenue to proclaim pride in daughter's every little activity) or how shocked I was the first time someone commented on my blog about my sewing. That was, um, a little weird.

This brings me around to how and why I got so focused on sewing, #3 Good at Sewing. I really wasn't that good at sewing. I had sewn since childhood, and enjoyed it a great deal, but sewing certainly wasn't so central to my life back then. Oh yeah I thought I was pretty good, but once I saw the work of others in the online sewing community, I had some catching up to do. I practiced A LOT and the rest is chronicled in the 419 posts prior to this one.

In conclusion, I hope this doesn't shock you too much.

Just kidding, you probably already knew my dark secrets.

I have every confidence that ideas will return and sewing will continue, but posting may be light for a while. She has found a job and new digs are soon to follow. But for the first time in many years, Thelma can spend the holidays with Louise and a new normal is unfolding for our family.

Thank you for reading and thank you for following. You all have become an important part of my life. You helped me through a challenging time. Final confession: it was a wee little bit hard to live on opposite sides of the globe from my child for 4 out of the last 5 years.

But, I think everything is going to be [more than] OK.

Happy Sewing, cyber friends!

from delusions to illusions

2011-09-25T20:57:00.005-04:00

It looks rather like a slipcover. That's the intent anyway - the illusion of a slipcover.

This is about 95% finished

I didn't have the nerve to tell you (in yesterday's post) that I only had 6.75 yards of fabric. This is sooooo not enough. A small sofa like this requires more than double that, but this was the fabric I wanted and I stubbornly plowed ahead. I wound up piecing quite a few panels and using leftover blackout lining to stretch my yardage.

My back-up plan is /was to consider this a wearable muslin. I have the same Sunset book recommended by Bunny who is currently sewing spectacular cushions. Between the book, Bunny's posts, other online resources and my own high expectations, I knew a full-on slipcover job was just a little beyond my skill level (as of last Friday, anyway!) But, as of this evening, I know I can sew slipcovers, and my next attempt will be successful. I am the type who needs to try things out first, and THEN read the directions. I learn a lot easier this way.

Here is how it works:
There are three basic pieces: the back, the arms and the cushion cover with attached skirt.

The back attaches with long strips of sticky-back velcro and it works surprisingly well.
If it stops working well, I will add a piece of fabric, but it won't match, so
the sofa has to stay against the wall.

I thought about buying come coordinating fabric and doing a mix & match sort of look, but it wasn't what I really want in the long run, so I nixed that idea.

Getting the back done gave me the courage to forge ahead. It was pretty easy and it looked good. The white fabric on the lower edge is leftover blackout curtain lining. I used it everywhere it wouldn't show, and there is a pretty long piece tucked down into the sofa. What you see laying on the sofa is the arm cover.

The arm covers are attached independently of the back and the cushion cover.

Now the third piece, the cushion cover with attached skirt, is on and tucked in between the back of the cushions and the back of the sofa. The white fabric is strategically pieced so it doesn't show when the back cushions are added next.

After tucking, fold the cushion cover forward and place back cushions on sofa.

Flip the cushion cover up and over the back cushions.

From the back, before tucking the fabric behind the back cushions.

Cushion cover is now tucked in behind the back cushions.

Rather than sewing all three pieces together (four if you count each arm separately) I will sew velcro strips to the only places where it matters. A slipcover is like a gown - awfully big and hard to handle.

Leftovers. Seriously.

By the time I got to this curve, I was warmed up and used to working with the chalk to mark stitching lines. At this point it was actually fun, because I knew I had squeaked through with my skimpy 6.75 yards and I knew I had a slipcover of sorts. Time will tell whether it's OK, or whether I see every little imperfection and try again.

I never realized it would be so hard to find sufficient yardage. First of all, it takes a lot of looking and taking home samples to see what looks good in the room. When I found the right fabric it was very disappointing that the store did not have enough, nor would they be getting any more in stock. The only good news was getting it on sale and it cost less than $70 to make this slipcover.

Since then, I found a better source for home decorating fabric from Emily Henderson's blog Secrets from a Stylist. In this post, she hung very long linen draperies and she got the fabric for only $7/yard from Grey Line Linen in New York. I really would like washable linen slipcovers someday, so it's good to know where to get a decent price.

So, how was your weekend? Get any exercise? I did. How about getting outdoors? Nope, not me, but I got a great workout making this slipcover; crawling around and hoisting this monster repeatedly as I dressed and undressed the sofa.

Next up, I am a pattern tester for someone and I can't remember whether I am allowed to talk about it or not, so I'll just say I am looking forward to some secret sewing this week.

Tomorrow is Monday - I hope you got your creative juices stoked this weekend, whether by doing, by surfing the internet or by dreaming up ideas.

More later, friends!

delusional sewing - the telltale signs

2011-09-24T21:28:00.003-04:00

How hard can it be?
It will be a blanket-type thing.
See, it already looks good.

It won't take long.
This time, I'll keep it simple.

It won't be disruptive.

I think a few pillows would be nice - I am sure I will have time.

True or False: Does this fabric match the cat?
Yes, it's true, I am decorating around our cat Pepper.
She came from a shelter, but I think she looks just like a Maine Coon cat.

So anyway, I had THE BEST TIME EVER today because I got to work on my big sofa project. Maybe I can finish tomorrow? I may be delusional.

Happy Sewing, fellow fanatics-

African waxed cotton fabric & Dr. Seuss

2011-09-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

I took a little sewing detour and went crafty on you. The main body of this apron is African waxed cotton and the trim (ADE-10791-203) is from the Celebrate Seuss collection designed by Robert Kaufman.

It's a good thing this was the only remaining stock where I shopped.
I fear I'd have gone wild if the rest of the prints had been available.

The pattern is view B from More Retro Aprons by Cindy Taylor Oates, a book I picked up while vacation last week.

The instructions would have you line the apron, but I didn't have enough of the African fabric and it would have made it too bulky anyway. I hope my DSD is busy with the start of the new school year, so she doesn't see this post and spoil the surprise. A friend of hers brought the fabric back from a trip to Africa and Kelly had no idea what to do with it. It is a lot of look, I have to agree. The fabric has a pretty stiff hand, so it could have been made into a jacket, but she couldn't see herself wearing it. Home decor? It didn't work in her home, either. The fabric came from a very good friend, though, so my bet is that she will be delighted with an apron.

First I sewed the straps and attached them to the body, which has shaping darts. That's a nice touch - everyone wants to look shapely in their apron, right?

Then I added the ruffle:

And finally, I added bias tape to finish all the edges. By this time, I had completely departed from the pattern instructions, but I think they were pretty good if you want to make cute aprons. Now would be a good time to do some holiday sewing, if you are so inclined.
(I don't think I am. It's time to sew for me next!)

There are more apron patterns in this book, so I imagine it will come in handy in the future:

The best part about this pattern is the way it ties in the back - I believe the crossed straps make it a little more comfortable to wear:

Do you think 4 hours is too long to spend on a project like this? It surprises me that it wasn't faster, but maybe it's because I had to cut all that bias binding without the benefit of my cutting table. Now that my daughter is back home, I have relinquished a bookcase I'd been using in my cutting area, and all of my interfacings & linings got dumped onto the cutting table. Lordie, it is a never-ending chore to just get organized!

On a non-related sewing note, the painting is finished and new blinds were installed. There is nothing hung on the walls yet, but the entire main floor of our house is now freshly painted and I am calling the renovations complete. Flooring, blinds, countertop, backsplash, light fixture and new appliances are all installed. As soon as a few finishing touches are added, I can have my free time back for serious sewing.
It is time for ME now for a little while.
Me, me, me - it's all about me!

By the way, don't you think this would be cute in an apron?

Yes, I think so.

Happy sewing to me (and to you, too!)

So much for taking a break ...

2011-09-16T14:02:00.000-04:00

And why should a person take a break from something fun? I love to blog and it was really relaxed this week at the beach. Today it is chilly, but utterly gorgeous.

sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean

Different weather every day - how entertaining!

I did not finish my pink swimsuit until yesterday because I had run out of thread. While enjoying the lovely town of Lewes, I spotted a quilting shop called Mare's Bears. Of course, quilters use cotton thread so that's what I bought and it is just fine. In fact, I bet my homemade suit will last a long time. The store-bought one needed mending after only 2 days. The cup came detached from the bodice! Major wardrobe malfunction, but we survived.

Most of the time I wore a tank top (leftover fabric from this dress) and athletic shorts.

When I am posing for pictures I exaggerate straight posture. Memo to self: exaggerate good posture all the time.

The report card on this swimming costume is A+++. It was so comfortable and I prefer less nakedness compared to a regular swimsuit. Both of these garments are very fast and easy to sew, too.

This is how the underpinning works. This get-up was fast-drying and comfortable.

Another new-to-me garment was the skirted swimsuit bottom that I bought the first day we were here. I like how the skirt hides that the bottoms don't exactly fit right. It does flap around when playing in the waves and that felt weird, but overall, the modesty benefit outweighed the negatives. And it matched nicely with my home-made top.

This tank top is lined with swimsuit lining I found at Spandex World in the NYC garment district. I just cut 2 of each piece, machine basted around the edges, then handled each piece as one. Couldn't be easier.

There you have it! A middle-aged woman who likes to play pin-up girl now and then, while tossing around the word "modest" fairly often. I did wear very skimpy bikinis when I was young but I can barely remember that long ago. Kids, we didn't have the internet or mobile phones or GPS navigators or anything! We had to go to the library to look up facts.

In my very earliest memories, when people complimented my dress, I proudly told them my mother made it and that elicited even more examination and compliments. Then came a phase when the clothes we made were somehow not as good are store-bought clothes. Now it has come around as something to celebrate. Craftiness and hand-made things are appreciated now. Sewing is really my art. I feel like an artist on the inside and if I didn't sew, I would paint or sing or ...something! But sewing is somehow the best one for me.

What a lovely vacation I have had. We will drive home today and see what has happened there. A few months ago, I bought a Groupon for painting services and I left my daughter in charge a couple of Russians who didn't really want to take orders from a 24-year-old at first. I hear they all worked it out and a lot of painting got done. YAY. I cannot tell you how happy I am that we are really finished with this update-the-home thing. It was a major freshening and I hope it lasts a long time.

Happy Friday - I hope you have nice things planned for the weekend!

and Happy Sewing

a little sewing at the beach

2011-09-12T10:48:00.001-04:00

You are not surprised, are you? I am sewing at the beach.

Until my husband reversed his dislike of beaches last year, I had not vacationed at a beach for over a decade. He's funny that way, he will hate something for a while and change his mind and now he freely admits he pulled a bait 'n' switch on me. If you haven't guessed, I don't much care for the beach. Also, if you hadn't guessed, I was a middle-aged bride and I am still learning how to do marriage. Oh, it's hard work, alright! Falling in love, getting married and participating in the wide world of being-part-of-a-couple is a lot of fun, but also a lot of adjustment for someone like me. Because my dad died while I was fairly young, I grew up with a very strong mother role model. I wonder if I will ever not try to take charge of everything? He is a take charge kind of person, too. I'll leave you to fill in the blanks on that one.
Fortunately, Howie is very agreeable in many ways, hence we brought my sewing machine, a bag of elastics & swimsuit materials, an unfinished tank top and fabric for pajamas. There is no chance I will get bored, which is always my worst nightmare.

So, yeah, the vacation thing is working out really well! We do all the same stuff at the beach that we do at home. I sew, he cooks, and we both read a lot. Instead of going to work, we go to the beach. Who knew? Oh right, all the people who go to the beach every summer - they know about this. And Suzie, who posted a comment to my last post. Suzie, you are a person of great fortitude to to work in Funland for a whole summer! Almost all of the people working here are European (and young and beautiful) which is quite pleasant.

We have seen some interesting things. These are all iPhone pictures because I didn't want to risk getting sand on my good camera.

a rainbow during a light rain

a wedding on the beach

The great things about vacationing after Labor Day are smaller crowds and lower prices. It did not occur to me that all the summer clothing would be on sale and I could stock up on sorely needed casual wear, including a swimsuit. I always alter store-bought clothing and fortunately I have bobbins with similar thread colors.

And what is the alteration, you wonder? I have to pick out the waistband along the front so I can add extra elastic. How can people stand to wear tight elastic around the waist? I don't understand it. Perhaps my waist is really that much bigger than the manufacturer thinks it should be? whatever! This is why I hate to shop, but I am so glad I can sew.

I am really glad I got pushed out of my comfort zone. No, I don't think I will ever really like being hot and sticky and all that stuff, but I can make the most of it and conform a little bit. I guess that is what I am doing, I am conforming a little bit. And it's OK.

The tank top just needed fold-over elastic and now it's finished.
The pajama fabrics are wonderful shirtings from a sale at Michaels.
Claudine made a really cool shirt of this same fabric.

Talk To You Later, sewing friends.

A little break in the action

2011-09-08T17:38:00.000-04:00

This week:

The Jones Falls is usually a little stream, not a river!
We were advised to evacuate yesterday afternoon
or risk spending the night at work. I opted to leave.

Next week:

I hope the dolphins are ready to play!

Regardless of the weather next week, it will be nice to slow down. Heck, I don't care if it rains, I'll just read books and contemplate what's for dinner. And yes, I am taking my sewing machine. Just in case.

I'll see you back here in 10 days or so. While I am gone,

*Happy Sewing*

color therapy

2011-09-05T14:47:00.002-04:00

Thinking about the the power of the color wheel...

You may recall, I am in the midst of redecorating the main floor in our home. The kitchen is finished and now we are painting the walls and the woodwork. Brace yourself - being "in progress" is not for the faint of heart. But - there is some fun to be had in developing a color scheme.

I am open to painting the bookcase and the round cafe table & most of the little tables won't be part of the new room.

I took the paint swatches with me to G Street Fabrics and visited the Home Decorating department. Having the paint swatches was critical to shopping fun, because it helped quickly eliminate fabrics that didn't work with the color palette. On the chair (below) is a lovely silk that ties together the new paint colors with the existing upholstery and rug.

At the start of this project I said, "oh I can make my own slipcovers if necessary". But now - at this point - I really can't. You know what I mean. I am capable of it, but that doesn't mean I want to sew slipcovers. I cannot go another month without sewing clothing. I am reaching my breaking point and this room just needs to get finished!

This is the only existing carpet to incorporate - the rest of our floors are bare because of pet issues.
That is fine with me, I'd rather have pets than carpets anyway.

Now here is where the fun comes in - without regard for fabric type (e.g. silk, linen, chenille, etc) pattern (e.g. floral, stripes, paisley, etc.) or purpose, I zoomed in on colors and whether they were pleasing with the paint samples. Also, I ignored price tags because I just need inspiration. The only piece I bought was the half yard of the large silk plaid because a sample could not capture all of the colors.

The goal is to identify colors that can come in through accessories and artwork. My fear is that the rooms will be bland because accessorizing is not my strong point. Using fabric as inspiration, I will identify contrasting colors. If the inspiration fabric is too dressy or flowery (or whatever) it might not even get made into throw pillows - but it will provide a broader color palette than I have now.
I'd like to paint the little round cafe table in an unexpected color - but what? Fabric designers are pretty brilliant, thank goodness!

In addition to any existing artwork that fits in, we will hang our own family & artsy photos. Yes, I thought it would be convenient to become a good photographer. Howie & I are planning a downtown date - we will have a meal, have some fun, take a photography tour with PhotoTour DC and come out of it as brilliant photographers. Great plan, eh? He's going to use an old 35mm film camera of unknown origin (he thinks I brought it into the marriage and I think he brought it into the marriage) and I am going to use our Nikon digital SLR.

And I am sewing! Yep, we are going on vacation next week so I am finally getting around to a swimsuit. I got swimsuit lining when I was in NYC recently, and bought the pink earlier this summer.

Last year's swimsuit was a last minute deal and it was a disappointment in the drying department. I made sure to buy fast-drying fabric this year. And my pattern this year is even simpler. I am using the same basic pattern idea. We are headed to the beach - for the first week after high season ends and bargains abound. I'll probably post again before then, though.

Happy sewing all y'all....

September - National Sewing Month

2011-09-02T15:32:00.000-04:00

Shop for sewing machines
For more infographics visit the O.co Community

Pretty cool article, eh? Over the last couple of years, I have bought 3 sewing machines from Overstock.com, all Janomes, as gifts for family members. Stock varies, but I've paid about $100 each time. Sometimes they were refurbished, other times they were discontinued Sears models with a Janome badge. It's hard to get a better machine at that price. I was not paid or perked to post this, but I like O.com and I do love all the trivia in this post.

What else is new? My mailbox is sadly empty of the Vogue Patterns magazine :( poor me, I just keep waiting! And there is lots of DIY home decorating happening here. I am wrapping up the painting, window treatments and finishing touches. I love to read home decor ("shelter") blogs but I don't like doing it nearly as much as I like to sew clothing. I look forward to just living in our home and enjoying it. You know, I think it's good timing anyway. My mojo is stalled because we are between summer and autumn, so I may as well focus and finish.
I'll post a few before and after pics towards the end of September.

Hope you are doing OK - Happy Sewing Month, too!

A Flattering Dress for the Robust Booty

2011-08-31T20:09:00.004-04:00

Don't call me an unselfish seamstress, because that is not strictly true. I am sewing a dress for someone else, and I am not unpleased knowing it will please the recipient, but primarily, I remain fascinated with the process of creating clothes that fit and flatter. Thus I find myself once again the dressmaker, sewing in exchange for the satisfaction of making the world a more beautiful place - one woman at a time.

When I searched Google images for a robust booty, I came across this work of art. In response to Gimp's comment, I have updated this post with a more "aspirational" asset. After all, no one reads sewing blogs to see tired women. We want to see something we can aspire to, right? Who am I to let you down?

Now that's a robust booty.

For my next sewing project, the subject is a little taller than, and has circumferences just a little different from, standard sizes. I have plotted her measurements against the Vogue sizing chart.

I will start with Vogue 8632. This pattern is multi-sized so I'll cut a size 12 at the shoulders, a 14 with a D cup for bust, taper to a 16 at the waist and an 18 at the hips.

Because of the forgiving style in this dress and my familiarity with the recipient’s figure, I will measure and mark the pattern per her measurements, leave wide seam allowances and cut into the fashion fabric. It’s likely we’ll get together once midway through construction so I can fine-tune the fit and record those adjustments back to the paper pattern. As always, I will trace off a copy of the pattern first, so as to preserve the original.

The dress is for DSD Kelly, using this Anthropologie-esque cotton lawn from Elliott Berman.

the background is more blue than this picture suggests

This project represents advance planning for those unexpected fashion emergencies that seem to arise now and then. A person needs a dress for a wedding or whatever, and it’s nice when you can send out an SOS to your DSM, who has more fabric than she knows what to do with, and who is willing to sew up a Very Easy Vogue Dress for her DSD. Did you catch all that? Kelly and I are hoping to establish a good TNT (tried and true) dress pattern for her.

Next up – measuring circumferences and lengths, and comparing them to the pattern.

Til then, Happy Sewing!

Oh - my goodness, how could I forget? Have you gotten your issue of the October Vogue Patterns magazine? I'm told they ran a photo of my version of Vogue 7764, which is now out of print. I submitted the photo long ago and forgot all about it. Now it's in print and I cannot wait to get my issue in the mail.

Electricity & Vogue Patterns = Happiness
(Hurricane Irene deprived me of electricity for several days, but I am back in action now)

Daydreaming - new Vogue patterns

2011-08-25T12:30:00.061-04:00

I am browsing Vogue's new offerings. Here are a few that caught my eye:

This is like The Sewing Workshop e-shrug I made in April, but I like the back shaping better and I am curious about the piecing in the collar. Might be worth further investigation.

The back shaping seams are interesting and provide fitting opportunities, the collar is shaped nicely and I am intrigued by the fabrication. The sleeves call for a knit fabric and I like the slim look that provides for the arms. I could always keep an eye out for a piece of leather, right? If it coordinates with wool double-knit sitting on the shelves, it's a stash-busting project, too! I can justify almost anything if I just think for a minute.

I feel pretty just looking at the picture. This says autumn, tights and a search for cute shoes.

These full skirts are doing it for me! One last summer dress? I have some gray cotton jersey and a beach vacation coming up. Speaking of which, I should be sewing a swimsuit. I can't seem to locate that swimsuit-sewing-mojo, mostly because the swimsuit fabric I have is boring. I'll gather a sense of urgency as the vacation gets closer.

Are you gearing up for the change in seasons? Last year I couldn't wait to start sewing wool by this time in August. The sewing mojo is a mystery.

What are you hankering to sew? Any opinions of what I should sew next?
Questions, so many questions!
Opinions? Please share!

Thank you all for your wonderfully supportive comments about the dress I just finished. You really push me to be my best and I am grateful for the creative energy in the blogosphere.

Lonsdale Dress modeled

2011-08-23T12:28:00.012-04:00

WIN - WIN

Sharon is pleased *WIN* and that pleases the dressmaker *WIN*

And she said she didn't like being photographed! Honey, if you've got it - flaunt it!

Good for spinning.

Deets on how I made the dress:
I wanted to know if I could take measurements and make flat pattern alterations, then sew a dress without sewing a muslin first. One of my sewing idols, Ann Rowley works this way. She doesn't blog, but she is active on Stitchers Guild sewing discussion forum. If you search around there, you can find her Flickr album. Ann is a classically trained dressmaker who learned as a young woman, before women wore trousers, as she puts it. She will be the first to tell you there are multiple ways to approach fitting and garment construction; this is just how she does it. We all find what works best for ourselves as we gain experience.

Factors contributing to the success of the project:

No shoulder fitting required for this dress style, only these torso measurements:

upper chest
full bust
waist
hips

Easy fit model

Sharon buys lots of clothes off-the-rack, so she is not a challenge to fit
I see her at work and at the gym every day, so I have some instinctive knowledge of her figure. This is more important that it may seem. I had to rely on my gut while making decisions along the way.

Love the pattern - motivated me
Love the fabric - motivated me

Here is the sequence of steps to create this fitted dress:

Record Sharon's girth and length measurements necessary for this style
Compare her measurements to the actual pattern and adjust as necessary. I did a petite adjustment.
Cut dress and baste it together, including a zipper, using a long basting stitch.
One meeting with Sharon for a fitting of the basted dress provided this feedback:

Size 10 was too big! Even though I had compared the measurements, and assumed no wearing ease in the bodice, I still had to take it in about 5/8" (1.5 cm) on both sides.
The waist needed to be levelled - it was fine in center front and center back, but it dipped on the sides
The skirt also had to be taken in about 5/8" (1.5 cm) on both sides, and tapered to the hips.
It was way too long and I foolishly neglected to take a measurement for what the finished length should be. This is where I went on my gut and cut off "a goodly amount", as my mother would say. It worked. Oh! All except for the part where I messed up! Yeah, there was that, ha!
There was gaping at the upper edge of the bodice, so I devised an elastic treatment to keep the edge snug.

Adjust pattern for the alterations. (I am not sure if Ann does this part, but I wanted to record the changes back to the paper pattern)
Remove basting stitches in dress
Use altered pattern pieces to recut dress.
Sew

This has been a very fun sew-along with Tasia at Sewaholic and ~~it was rather impulsive on my part~~ something my Sewing Mojo needed. There is always a little stress when sewing for someone else. The MAIN PROBLEM being you can't try it on to check fit. And I am really not sure I have the patience to schedule extra fittings, you know? On the other hand, sewing goes fast if you aren't stopping at each step to try it on. I do that a lot, do you?

Hats off to home sewists because we indulge and appreciate ourselves, don't we?
Happy Sewing!

Finished Lonsdale Dress and Fabric Winner

2011-08-21T17:18:00.001-04:00

The lovely Lonsdale dress is finished - but it is hard to show on a hanger, so I draped it on the holly bush.

The Sewaholic Lonsdale dress is adorable. Because it is a halter dress, there are no shoulder fitting challenges and the front neckline twist is a nice detail, especially on a smaller-busted figure where the emphasis is welcome. Also, it's easy to wear braless because the bodice is lined and one could easily add cups, although it wasn't necessary for my version.

For my version of this dress, I was concerned with attractive placement of the floral motifs, so I cut each piece individually. I like using opague pattern paper to allow the print to show through. This way, I can trace the motifs and match as I cut fabric. You can see my pencil marks in the picture below. And because the fabric is so lightweight, I underlined the bodice with cotton batiste and the skirt with rayon lining. The elastic casing is made from charmeuse silk bias binding leftover from another project. It adds zero bulk.

Rather than altering the pattern for bust darts, I added casing for elastic on the underlining.

I like this wide elastic that can be cut to any width. In this case I wanted the narrowest elastic possible.

This wide elastic can be found in several stores in the NYC garment district and online at Pamela's Patterns.

Both elastic casings finished - they are attached right along the stitching line.

View of finished bodice from the inside, with elastic inserted into the underlining. When worn, the elastic should stretch enough to lie flat and prevent gapping at the upper edge.

This silk/cotton blend woven can be washed although it loses just a little bit of the sheen. I'd recommend washing by hand as opposed to using the gentle cycle in the washing machine. I bought mine in the garment district, but it is also available online at Gorgeous Fabrics. I loved it so much, I bought it in both colorways - the teal & gold is warm and I love it on on tawny blondes, redheads, Latina and African-American skin tones. The black & red is cool and better for my coloring, which is more Irish pale-burns-easily-pinkish skin.

Le sigh. I would love to go right into another summer dress project in one of the gorgeous cottons I picked up at Elliott Berman last month. Either that or a bathing suit. Can't decide - I LOVE daydreaming about my next project, don't you? I hope my friend likes this dress!

Hmmm, Redrockcity, I wonder how you will use this fabric?

I will send you what I've got!

Contact me at alittlesewing at gmail dot com and

let me know where to mail it!

dress resurrection and * FABRIC GIVEAWAY *

2011-08-18T12:26:00.004-04:00

**The Fabric GiveAway Has Ended** [August 21, 2011]

Greetings from Whirlwind Land! Welcome to new readers, too - did you see my guest post on Gertie's blog yesterday? I enjoyed sharing how I play at sewing in my own little corner of the world.

I am so happy you are here!

Recent days involved a backpack, but more on that in a minute. I want to show you the best sewing news - I got more fabric so I can cut another skirt (oops) and finish my version of the Lonsdale dress. Because I used so much of the yellow border for the straps, there is a lot of the teal print left over.

I'd like one of you to have it. Interested?

Colette Sencha Blouse? Perfect for that type of blouse.

The fabric on the left shows the front side and it has not been washed yet. On the right, you can see the wrong side of the fabric. The front does have a little less sheen after washing. I washed the fabric in gentle shampoo, but since then I bought some Eucalan, which is so well-regarded by all the great sewing bloggers (thank you Carolyn!).

Leave a comment if you'd like to be included in the drawing. What you would sew with it? I am happy to ship internationally. I will post the name of the winner on Sunday night, August 21.

Back to the backpack. I put on my own backpack to fetch my backpacking daughter from the airport in NYC. On Monday, I witnessed a sunshower in Manhattan. I got drenched, but it was worth every cold squishy step.

Pouring rain and sunshine - it was spectacular.
I was wet.

We stayed in a hostel and I travelled light, packing only knit dresses. Reporting from the field, these dresses are fantastic for travel. They are light, take up very little space, don't wrinkle and dry fast. I even got an unsolicitation in the train station! Some blue-collar-type-dude surprised me, saying "great dress" as he walked by. I almost spit out the mouthful of food I was chewing.

yay for knit dresses!

Backpacks: heavy
She seems a little obsessed now with hanging her clothes up.
It's funny to see someone so thrilled with a simple closet pole.

That's it for now. Hmm, should I go to my stepson's performances this weekend, or stay home and sew? That is a tough call! I love him, but considering the kind of music I like (broadway show tunes, for example) I may express my love in other ways.

His dad /my husband likes loud poppy-punk, so he'll have plenty of appreciative family in the audience.
Loving life these days...
Hope you are enjoying the sunshine or enduring cold wet feet, as the case may be. Next I will share what I bought in the garment district and making TNT dress patterns for my DD and DSD. Would you say they have drunk the Kool-Aid? They both want TNT dress patterns now, that are designed specifically to their needs.

Fun, I get to play fashion designer next. One can't stay in the sewing factory forever. Too many other sewing fantasies to work through.
Be well & Happy Sewing!

miss smarty-pants and I did not see purple walls coming

2011-08-12T23:22:00.002-04:00

I was cruising along, stitching up the Lonsdale dress, all full of myself, thinking

oh what a cute dress I am sewing for my chic friend. I picked the fabric and the pattern and isn't it just perfect for her and really, I am nailing it, I really am ...

... uh oh ...

I shortened the back piece of the skirt at the hem, not at the top where I intended. The yellow border, the best part of the dress, is gone.

yes, this happened.

I cannot enlarge the photo, as per my usual preference because it mocks me so.
wop-wop-wahhhhhhp.

SO! Other things are going well, correct? Yes! Remember this kitchen? No need to enlarge this photo, either.

perhaps the house should be magenta!

The kitchen is completely different now:

hee hee

Yes, topic change!
I enjoyed learning about color and design from a professional who helped me select the countertops and tile backsplash. This was a big investment for us, so I did not want to risk living with buyer's remorse. It worked because I have no remorse at all. I love how the lighter, cooler colors & materials balance the warm cabinets. The kitchen has no windows, so the reflective glass lightens things up. The stainless appliances do not look as dark and hulking as I had feared. The new exhaust fan works.

the new color palette

Today was color consultation day and we came up with new colors for most of the main floor. I pretty much asked for gray walls and white woodwork, but the smoked oyster has a lot of purple undertones.

That makes me pause. Hmmm. Really? Me with purple walls? Did the interior designer cast a spell on me? That could be the plot in the book I am reading. I am hooked on campy supernatural fiction now (love the Sookie Stackhouse series) and my imagination has run wild.

I did not see the purple walls coming.

May you sew without cutting off the important parts this weekend, my friends.
I think I better be careful. Things can happen.

Happy Sewing

Borders, Bias and tattoos

2011-08-11T08:48:00.004-04:00

Sewing the Lonsdale dress reminded me a few things, for example, bias is my friend and a skirt pattern with multiple panels works a border print better than a simple A-line skirt.
Email question:
"Can I use an A-line skirt pattern with a border print? I have a silk border print and an Indian Sari with a beautiful woven border. I haven't tried border prints and I am terrified to mess them up!"

This illustrates why I would not use a simple A-line skirt pattern on border print fabrics.
The border will be cut off by the curved hem in an unappealing way.

Instead, use a skirt pattern with more panels. One simple solution is to simply add a seam at the center front:

The difference is that the grain line marking has been moved FROM the center of the skirt, to the CENTER OF EACH NEW PATTERN PIECE. This will make the skirt a little drapier, too, now that the seams are more on the bias. This is often more flattering, depending on your figure and your preferences.

And I wanted to get back to anon, who asked "why aren't you underlining the skirt? Is it because it will affect the drapey-ness of the fabric?"
Answer: Yes, underlining will change the hand (the drapey-ness) of the fabric, but no, that isn't why I chose not to underline. I was more concerned about the hemlines of the lining and the skirt and I want them to hang freely. It's possible that the fabric will continue to settle over time, much like a building settles into the ground. If the underlining fabric settles a little differently than the outer fabric, I don't want any droopiness between the fabric and underlining happening to pull anything out of alignment. Maybe this fear is irrational (this isn't the leaning Tower of Pisa, after all) and it would have been fine, but - that was my call on this one. Plus I thought it would feel pretty and fluttery to have the dress and the lining swishing around separately.

The dress is almost finished now. This progress shot is already outdated, as I continue to sew:

In this photo, the dress is basted together for a fitting.

In other news, my girl is coming home!! She has lived, worked and travelled Asia for the last three years and I am looking forward to having her stateside again.

in Kuala Lampur, where it's hot and humid :)

in London where it is not hot and humid :D

the zebra is a souvenir from Bangkok

Unrelated note: When we were at Couture Boot Camp, we went out for dinner one night. I told Gertie, "Thank you for getting me comfortable with tattoos". Her reply, "You did that yourself!"

skirt - hanging pretty

2011-08-08T08:12:00.000-04:00

One of the things I like about the Sewaholic Lonsdale dress is the way the skirt pieces are designed. When an A-line skirt has a one-piece front, with center front cut on the fold, it just sticks out and I don't like the look on me.

But the Lonsdale is different -

The grainline is marked on the pattern piece. This makes the seams on center front, sides and center back on the bias.
Fabric fabric drapes differently - more gracefully - on the bias

Anon asked these questions on my last post:

Have you found any difference in the way the fabric drapes
when you use the cross grain?

No - when I played with a sample piece, it seemed to work just the same whether I tugged on the grain or the cross-grain. As soon as you start handling the fabric, pre-washing, folding, laying it out, etc, be alert for the behavior of the fabric. I learned early on that I can't memorize a lot of facts and understand fabric. I have to touch it and handle it and, well, abuse it a little bit. To me, this is where you use your sense of touch to learn directly from the fabric. If a little voice inside your head says, "no this sturdy waxed African cotton is not going to drape well in the dress I'm considering" - listen!! That little voice knows something.

Are you lining instead of underlining the skirt because the latter would affect the drape of the skirt?

Hmm, I am running out of time this morning, so I will post again tomorrow when I can fully explain this one.

Have a great day, more to come ...

Lonsdale dress - border print goodness

2011-08-06T15:32:00.000-04:00

The Lonsdale dress is now underway. I have been looking forward to this because I love the fabric and the pattern so much.

A quick layout to see how the border placement looks.

I cut the skirt on the cross-grain of the fabric to get the yellow border on the hem. The bodice piece is cut on grain, and the pattern pieces fit easily along the border. You can see how sheer this fabric is, so the bodice will be underlined and the skirt lined.

Today is kitchen countertop installation and plumbing day. Our kitchen update will soon be complete. The glass mosaic tile will be installed on Monday, then on to painting.

The pretty glass mosaic tile for the backsplash sparkles.

For now, I think a cheeseburger is in order. With each step of the renovation, I get a little better at handling the chaos & stress, but I will be so glad when it is finished. May we enjoy this space for a long time to come!

~Happy Sewing~

Knit dress #4 of 4, done!

2011-08-04T08:09:00.000-04:00

My wardrobing goals are pretty modest. I need to get dressed quickly and easily so I can get to all the other things that interest me. This comment validated my desire to slap together some wardrobe basics:

Michael Kors: I wear the same thing every day. I always pack two black jackets, loads of black T-shirts, loads of white jeans. I feel a little fresh and glamorous and graphic.

For me, the summer requires knit dresses and I sewed 4 of them.

Now I have time to pursue the fun stuff. I love helping other people. I love getting your emails, especially when you have questions and pictures. Back when I was super busy, I got some very supportive emails and I did not have time to respond. Thank you so much for your support - it makes blogging a very rewarding endeavor.

Fun stuff:

Sewing for other people - I love it when I pick the pattern, I pick the fabric. My sewing mojo gets bored with me. I get to sew different colors and styles and I get odd pleasure from dressing someone the way I want to see them. This is not unlike playing with Barbie dolls.

Tailoring - I think I will work on a coat project before August ends. I want to finish the coat I started at the NYC Sit & Sew, and I want to sew the vintage Butterick coat pattern I altered earlier this year. Handling wool in August is kooky, but it puts me in a good mood knowing cooler weather will come. It really will.

Have a great day, I gotta run -

Happy Sewing!

Summer Garden Dress - in teal & mustard floral

2011-08-03T07:33:00.001-04:00

Here is a look at the fabric I found at Metro Textiles for a Lonsdale dress:

This is a silk/cotton blend. It's light as a feather and a little sheer.

After taking measurements of bust, waist & hips, we placed elastic on her body to identify location of the top of the bodice, the waist and hips. That provides the measurements necessary for the first pass of pattern alterations.

Based on her circumferences, we went with a size 10 at bust and waist and size 8 at hips. [what?? who has smaller hips than bust? can I still like this person? pfffsss] Based on the measurements between [but seriously! the next time she says anything at all about me being tall, I am hitting back, and hitting hard! just maybe I would like small hips, did you ever think of that? oops...]

As I was saying, I used the measurements between the elastic bands (that we had placed around her hips, waist and upper chest) to come up with a petite adjustment and a teeny sway-back adjustment.

Oh look at that, ha! I use Snag-it to capture screenshots and I forgot to close the "blemish removal" tool. I was smoothing out the appearance of the table top. Well, now you know my secrets! I use iPhoto editing tools and Snagit.

Optimism is the way I roll. I thought I'd have time to trace this pattern, make flat pattern adjustments AND sew a muslin last night. Ha! I am not planning to become a pessimist, but those expectations were unrealistic.

What next? I will take this with me to work today and tissue-fit my ~~guinea pig~~ friend. What have I got to lose, right? I have read Fit For Real People (by Palmer and Pletsch) and watched the video many times. I tend to read Fit for Real People for fitting solutions. As you probably know, FFRP champions tissue fitting as the fastest way to achieve a great fitting garment. In my experience, it hasn't worked so well- I accidentally ripped the tissue, ruined the pattern, and cried about "why is my body so weird and hard to fit". I don't cry about my body anymore, because now I know we all feel that way.

But I am going to be careful and see if I can do it. I can always sew a muslin tonight if necessary.

I will let you know how it goes!

knit dress - sewn without a serger AND Lonsdale fabric choices

2011-07-30T12:58:00.001-04:00

I have a few things to share with you but only a minute to post, so here comes a real quickie.

Fabrics suitable for a summer Lonsdale and another knit dress for me

Fo this particular knit dress, I sewed it with a sewing machine - not a serger. I snapped photos as I went along so that I'd have a nice little tutorial on sewing knits without a serger. Then I noticed the memory card was not in the camera. Yes, hangs head in mock shame, I am that clueless! Oh that camera warned me, and I did not even pay attention. If ignorance is bliss, you are looking at a pretty blissful person.

It took, oh - thirty minutes? to sew the last seam.
The next 2 knits dresses will go fast, to finish my little Four-Fast-Knit-Dresses project.

OH NO YOU DIDN'T!
OK, I just wanted to share my amazing revelation. Bike shorts!! I made these to wear to the gym and they are perfect under a knit dress. These shorts are like a slip, but better because of ... how do I say this... the old chub-rub thing. I am going to start making matching shorts out of the leftover fabric from dresses. IS that not the most brilliant idea ever?

Don't even think I have the kind of sleek toned body that appears in the picture above. Read Tina Fey's book and concentrate on the chapter in which she argues, "who needs cosmetic surgery when you can just Photoshop it?" I mean, really! My friends and family love me just the way I am, and for vanity's sake, I smooth it out just a little in photos. On the other hand, if that body doesn't look sleek and toned, you can just blame my photo-altering skills.

OK, husband is saying to me, "Step away from the keyboard!"
So off I go- and have a great weekend to you, too!

Summer Dress - Sewaholic 1102 The Lonsdale Dress

2011-07-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

Isn't this a pretty dress? It is the Lonsdale, recently released by Sewaholic. I would like to sew this dress - or help a newbie sew it. I am looking for a ~~guinea pig~~ partner.

You might live in Maryland. Or perhaps you are a member of my family and you read my blog [you know who you are].

If you are willing to appear in my blog, I will sew it for you - or I will help you sew it for yourself. Whatever works.

Post a comment or shoot me an email. Sound like fun?

A new knit dress to welcome a new oven

2011-07-24T20:17:00.000-04:00

Cutting and sewing assembly-line-style is like filling the freezer with extra meals. It only takes a little while to defrost, warm up and serve.

Here is Dress Numero Uno of my Four-Fast-n-Easy summer dresses:

The bodice is self-lined, which simplifies edge treatment of neckline & armholes.

The neckline provides just enough room for a necklace. I love a modest neckline - so easy to wear.

I really like the extra width of the cut-on sleeves at the shoulder line.

A very satisfying result, yes it is. I will admit I was ready for some satisfying sewing, after my last project, the plain dress. I feel so much prettier in this dress and it was a lot easier to sew. It is a good thing I am mass-producing dresses from this self-drafted pattern.

In other news, we have moved ahead on fixing up our home. I can't remember if I told you, but we were planning to sell our house in the spring of 2012 and settle into a smaller home in Baltimore. Based on current sales in the neighborhood, we developed a plan to make our home competitive on the market. As we got into selecting new appliances and finishes, we realized we aren't ready to leave this home. It feels REALLY good to be making these updates for us to keep and enjoy. We have worked our butts off, clearing out excess stuff, and tackling various cosmetic projects. For example, we removed all the brass hardware on doors and replaced them with oil rubbed bronze hardware. We are coming into the home stretch now and the big changes are sweeping in.

Next up - flooring, then painting. And the chef of the house will be breaking in the new oven as soon as possible!

And how was your weekend? Heat wave? I am off to read the Kiwis' and Aussies' blogs. I need relief!

Happy Sewing!

a weee little bit of sewing

2011-07-21T05:48:00.000-04:00

So, what about those four dresses, anyway? I have made a wee little bit of progress.

Before going all assembly-line on my Four-Fast-Dresses project, I cut one bodice for practice, basted it together and I was totally underwhelmed. The pattern looked like this:

I slashed and spread the pattern to create pleats at the shoulder.

Basted together, the bodice looked like this:

Fortunately, I suppose, I didn't have much time for sewing, so I just mulled it over for a few days, while I did other things. When I finally had a little time, I changed the pattern back to a simple design. Now it's just a dart-less bodice with a cut-on sleeve. I like it much better.

I just need to take it off the dress form and finish sewing it.

I am sewing sans serger at the moment, thus requiring some inventive edge finishes. For this bodice, I lined it with tricot knit and used a zig-zag stitch for the seams. Before I show pics on how I did it, I think I want to make sure this method works! If it falls apart while I am wearing it, I will be sure to let you know.

It was a good thing I had enough fabric to make another bodice!
How about you, muddling your way through anything? It is awfully hot and humid in these parts, so I imagine it is just too hot to sew for some.
If it's hot, keep cool!
Heck, if it's not hot, keep cool!

*Happy Sewing*

a disconnect

2011-07-18T20:25:00.000-04:00

I see a major disconnect here, do you?

Well, duh! I am wearing a cool color and my house is a warm color.

This does not work for me!

There I am, in my little magenta cardigan, in this warrrrrrrm-colored kitchen.

That is about to change!

We are updating the kitchen and the vinyl sheet flooring will be replaced with a different vinyl sheet flooring:

And, believe me, another vinyl floor was not my first choice, no-sir-eee.

I would have much preferred hardwood floors installed, to match the living room floor:

The living room floor is straight ahead - it is hardwood stained in a walnut color.

But alas, there is the budget to consider. And the ceramic tile in the entry way. It's in perfectly good condition, so .... it will stay.

To make the whole thing work. we will put in a new vinyl floor (going to the left in the photo above), and new carpeting (going to the right) for the basement.

This is a big project for us. Shopping and decision-making cut into sewing time. One must make sacrifices from time to time.

Agony, I know.

Are you sewing? Please, tell me yes.

The wild, wild world of sewing

2011-07-18T06:11:00.000-04:00

Hanging around with other sewing fanatics keeps you in the safe lane of life. I like to read murder mysteries and fiction featuring vampires, but I'll take my real life nice and safe, thankyouverymuch.

I ran into Renee recently (Cidell of Miss Celie's Pants) at one of our neighborhood fabric stores. A place where you can write a check and they won't check your ID - because sewing ladies don't bounce checks.

We whooped it up.

maybe next time I'll open my eyes.

mock violence - she is so scared of me, too.

Anyway, you know what she said to me? "I read your post about accessorizing and I have trouble with that, too".

Huh? Look at her! Look at me! Who has trouble accessorizing? I rest my case. Oh, and notice her hand - she wore her Princess Diana Ring. So cute!

Winner of Fabric Give-Away: Rosalia

2011-07-14T19:50:00.000-04:00

Hi Rosalia,
Please send me an email: alittlesewing at gmail dot com and let me know where to send the lavender fabric.
Thanks to all for participating!!

Four Fast Dresses

2011-07-14T08:35:00.000-04:00

When I want new clothes, making my own pattern is the fastest path from point A to point B. This is for purely one reason - fitting a new pattern is time-consuming for my particular measurements. Adding design details to a basic pattern (also called a block) is so much faster.

This dress design is shown in the upper left hand corner on the sketch from this post.

Trace a copy of the block and make design changes. I like to use
Make Your Own Dress Patterns by Adele P. Margolis
for guidance.

Darts rotated, shoulder tucks added and fullness added.

Four dress skirts, ready to go!

When sewing a new-to-me commercial pattern, these basic blocks serve as templates for flat pattern alterations. This reduces the need for sewing muslins (aka a toile). Every new muslin becomes an addition to my stable of blocks, to be used in the future as a basis for new designs.

I don't have different blocks for wovens and knits. The same blocks get used for all types of fabric. I sew mockups using muslin, and muslin only. The purpose of the muslin is to work out construction intricacies, and to fine-tune fitting. Making a mock-up out of a (hopefully similar) knit hasn't worked well for me because the knit fabric stretches and I can't get a sense of the true fit.

It seems more productive in the long run to use each new mock-up as an opportunity to build knowledge of fabric properties.

To my mind, the journey from muslin to finished garment includes travel through the forest of fabric knowledge. Every fabric is a little different and falls somewhere on the continuum from a very stretchy knit (needs negative ease) to a tight twill (would require much more ease). The properties of fabric, the hand, the turn of cloth - these vary a great deal (and the continuum is not a straight line).

Understanding fabrics is an education unto itself and worth the time invested.

But then again, this is just how I do it.

About a year ago, I bought David Page Coffin's book on shirt-making and I expected to learn better methods and make better shirts. It is a great book and he gets fabulous results.

After trying it his way, I had an epiphany:

My way works for me - in fact, it works BETTER than his way!

And my ways might not work for you.

As they say, your mileage may vary!

Hey, I will do the drawing tonight for the lavender fabric. I can't wait to see where it's going! If you haven't done so yet, leave a comment here to be included.

Happy Sewing!

inspiration

2011-07-12T21:04:00.001-04:00

This blog makes my jaw drop and my heart go pitter-patter.

Is this the cutest blog banner, ever? I have been reading Geninne's Art blog for months and I have yet to see anything sewn. But her photographs, and her art give me such joy. What a creative soul.

How to Sew Real Classy

2011-07-12T07:35:00.000-04:00

The little magenta knit cardigan has some ridiculousness to it. For starters, I constructed it with the red thread that was already on the serger. Because who has time to change thread? That would be the same person who took time to catch-stitch the neckline and hems by hand. That is how I watch television - with needle, thread and whatever needs sewing.

And doesn't the magenta look nice with this knit from Korea? I am excited to sew that soon, too.

The last time I sewed this, I doubled up the bodice for warmth and to hide the back side of the print fabric. That provided a very nice finish for the neckline but the knot is just a little bulky. This time the knot is just right. I did not catch-stitch all around the edges of the tie - I just left them unfinished. This fabric does not ravel. But still, I'd prefer a little nicer finish on the edges.

Now is when I should mention that yes, I do have a coverhem machine and I could have used that. I would have wound several bobbins of matching magenta thread and that would have been fine. I guess I felt it would be awfully bulky for this fluid knit.

That leads me to the next chain of events. First of all, let's just get this out of the way, I bought a bunch of fabric when I picked up that magenta knit.

The sewing mojo demanded to be fed.

Next thing you know, I was excited about sewing again. I sketched some sleeveless dresses and thought about binding versus self-lining:

For the sake of speed sewing, I decided that all four dresses will have the same skirt as the dress in the upper left hand corner. It's the same skirt I used on a few Jalie knit dresses last summer. I cut them a little fuller, though. Gosh - out of nowhere came all sorts of creative energy. All of the skirts are cut and the assembly line is in production. I still need to work out the bodice design and cut them.

Full disclosure: I am using black thread on the serger for all of these dresses. I don't think I will ever be a seamstress whose every garment looks just as good on the inside as it does on the outside. Frankly, my sewing mojo is in charge. I am just trying to keep up!

Jacket #6 - A Quickie! and a FABRIC GIVEAWAY

2011-07-11T07:07:00.005-04:00

***** The GIVE-AWAY has ended - thanks for playing!*******

In my last blog post, I talked myself into buying more fabric to sew another version of New Look 6559. As a result of the previous post, I decided I was OK with a magenta accessory for my simple little summer dress. This whole blogging thing is working for me, ha! That's how I came to sew this little cardigan, and I am calling it my Jacket #6 for 2011:

Once upon a time, I had different plans for the cotton in my simple little summer dress; I thought I'd pair it with this lavender knit, but I never bonded with the color. I am so glad I listened to my gut and just bought some magenta instead. I like the magenta and it will go with other things in my wardrobe.

But hey, maybe you like lavender! Leave a comment if you would like this fabric. I'll select a commenter randomly on Thursday evening, July 14, so I can put it in the mail to you on Friday. I am happy to ship internationally. Those flat rate boxes are not too expensive at all.

from Christine Jonson - nice stuff! color is closest to Pantone 15-3508.

I was so pleased to read a recent comment from Nancy Nix-Rice. Have you heard of her? Word gets around that her classes & workshops are a blast. Check out her website- and her newsletter about wardrobe topics.

I totally enjoyed buying new fabric and sewing up this fast & easy project. I am going to sew more easy stuff for a while. I am tired of hard!

Happy Sewing, all y'all.

By George, I think I've got it!

2011-07-08T22:59:00.002-04:00

Pattern alterations - I can finally say I have confidence in making fit alterations for my shoulders. When I organized my patterns today, it occurred to me that I might have the smallest pattern stash in the blogosphere. They are mostly a sad bunch of orphans, to tell you the truth. Nevertheless, I have some, and I have opinions.

Here is where my mind wandered before I put them all back into the drawer:

Bought this for $1 when A Fabric Place sold out their remaining pattern inventory. I could make a purse that's just right for me, but it would surely be very plain (then again, I do like Kate Spade). Not sure if I would enjoy sewing a purse, though.

Hats! Another $1 pattern that I never thought I'd sew for myself, but since I became a loyal reader of The Style Crone, I would definitely wear a hat. I don't really need a warm one in July, though, do I?

Wish I had some magenta knit fabric. Hmmmm, should I go shopping for fabric?

what a cute sleeveless top for summer! I didn't notice View A until today.

Before I learned how to fit my shoulders, I sewed a lot of halter tops, not surprisingly. I like the ruffly version.

Now that's what I'm talkin' about. I could totally make this fit me and I love the interesting details.

This was a copy-cat purchase. Elizabeth bought one, so I did, too. I do like all of the tops, especially the ones with ties.

Ah, ha ha, now you can tell I am playing around and goofing off. I got carried away doctoring up the picture, but I do like this dress and I would make it knee length. And I would make it fit me. Because I can. Yep.

This is a pattern company from Germany that has gone out of business. It's got great shaping lines in the back and I think it would be an excellent style for me. Love it.

This is special because Sigrid gave it to me last summer and it was weird that I really needed a swimsuit pattern, so it seemed like she had read my mind. I want to sew a swimsuit before we go to the beach later this summer. Lordie, is that back view showing a thong? That's not happening.

I saved the best pic for last. I was moving stuff around- saw this fabric next to these shoes- went "awwww!" So pretty! It came from Mood, and I bought it the same day I met Peter. I shocked him by telling him how much I paid for it, which was fun. (I don't think he even liked it all that much, hee hee)

I wonder what color I'd put behind that lace? It is cotton and it has a very soft supple hand. Not sure, but this is going to be pretty when I do get around to sewing it. I wore my blue lace jacket while I worked, just for the fun of it. Oh it is soooo comfortable!

Can I tell you a secret? I took the day off from work today to organize some things in preparation for some minor renovation work in the house. I would love to jump into a major DIY project - like put up crown molding or remove wall-to-wall carpeting from the staircase. That is how I have fun. But, that would totally ruin my husband's weekend. It's funny how different we human beings are. Ripping up the house, getting frustrated and making a mess is not fun for some people.
Poor me, I am forced to relax this weekend. Yes, I know you feel so sorry for me.

Happy Sewing, my friends.

Let them eat cake.

2011-07-07T07:16:00.033-04:00

The cake is baked; it's time for the frosting.

The color in the scarf appears in the print of the dress.

How about a purse?

I LOVED THIS, I BOUGHT THIS AND THANK GOODNESS I KEPT THE RECEIPT BECAUSE IT IS GOING BACK!

That cross-the-body style purse might be lightweight and convenient, but seeing it in the photograph tells me it's not my best look. The strap wrinkles the dress, the purse emphasizes my widest circumference and the color is not flattering. Oops.

Very lightweight, I like the size but maybe not my best color?

This purse is a cute color, lightweight and comfortable to carry, but seemed small.

Hypothesis: If I am sewing the clothing I like, and adding accessories I like, it should all work together.

I am testing this theory (with a camera, I might add).

If I select the accessories with the colors & proportions I like, to go with this dress, then by default, these choices should work with other pieces in my wardrobe. Right? I am building the whole package based on my preferences. After all, we don't find ourselves, as much as we create ourselves. (I tend to think Kierkegaard was on to something.)

What do you think? Do you find accessorizing difficult? Honestly, I do.

If it's easy for you, how do you do it - do you just buy what you like, and it all works out?

Do you have hidden piles of purchases you now regret? I don't like to own too many things; my wardrobe should fit into a small closet and all of the pieces must play well together.

Happy Sewing!!

Gosh, what will I make next? Don't you love it when it's time to choose the next project!

the boring little summer dress

2011-07-05T05:29:00.040-04:00

Thanks for all the feedback about the dress when I posted how dumpy it looked. You had good ideas and I am glad you urged me forward. You were right. It is lined (although not underlined) and that is good enough. I loved suggestions to apply a contrasting piping or trim, so I searched a bit and came up empty-handed. In the end, I kept it simple with a bateau neckline. The colors are cornflower blue, pale blue, magenta and straw yellow.

This will be a fantastic dress on a really hot & humid day, It is light as a feather!

I put on the dress and went to Nordstrom Rack in search of bargains. I bought large silver hoop earrings, a necklace and a purse. But, now I have doubts. When I looked at pictures, things looked a little different than they did in the mirror. I left the tags on and kept the receipt ... I'll post more pics and ask your thoughts.

Isn't it something how revealing a photograph can be?

More later,

it is so good to be back!

Happy Sewing!!

Status Update

2011-07-04T21:55:00.001-04:00

Onward Ho!

Job done: check
Sleep: check
Food: check
Fun: check

Sewing: check!

see you on the other side!

2011-06-25T18:46:00.006-04:00

I am a little busy these days ...

I am taking a break from sewing & blogging for just a little while.

Say goodbye to the countertop, green walls and almond appliances.
(Archie, "Have you thought of a black and white kitchen? A classic color combo!")

By the way, THANK YOU ALL for all the great suggestions to help my simple little dress.
I removed fabric from the neckline and it looks so much better!
I inserted a lining and it just needs a hem. yay.

Fiscal-year-end means I work all through the night on June 30, and straight through into early July. This year I am managing the whole she-bang, too. I love my job. And I love my hobbies, friends, family & home. But something's gotta give!

So ... I'll see you back here in a couple weeks.
In the meantime, Happy Sewing!

oh, what a plain dress.

2011-06-21T08:38:00.001-04:00

Oh, I feel stuck. I love this very lightweight cotton lawn fabric and felt it was was interesting enough to carry a very simple sleeveless dress. But, when I tried it on last night, it just seemed very, very plain and boring. I barely have any fabric left, so I can't cut a big ruffle or collar. (I could make a small ruffle or placket, though). My first thought is to cut a different neckline. Make it lower? A V-neck? Here is the thing, I need a bolt of inspiration because it also needs an underlining. I will have to pick apart all these seams, cut and attach a firmer underlining and then finish up. Why go to all that trouble if I am not excited about this dress? Ideas? Honestly, I need a quick win right now. I am in Baltimore, and I don't have a lot of fabric or patterns with me. Don't tell me I should just watch TV when I get home from work at night. sigh. That would be even more boring than finishing this dress.

Fitting Resources: Palmer/Pletsch FFRP in McCall's Patterns

2011-06-19T08:26:00.000-04:00

As a consumer, I have studied many approaches to fitting. I learned where my body measurements deviate from the standard measurements of RTW clothing. If it were possible to alter RTW to fit me, I may have stopped there. I might now be a shopaholic who alters my own clothes. I love clothes, I love dressing well and I love saving money. Alas, one cannot add fabric where none exists. If the top of a dress fits, the hips are too tight. Because there is insufficient height in the upper back, tops feel like they are choking me. And then there are the shoulders. A store-bought tailored jacket can't be altered for a forward shoulder.

One of my favorite resources is Palmer /Pletsch Fit For Real People (FFRP). The book contains a wealth of information and I could read it once a year and learn something new every time. (I read fitting books the way one might read every Jane Austen novel once a year). The DVD demonstrates the methods in a clear manner. I highly recommend both.

Before plunking down any cash for the book or the DVD, you can get a taste of the Palmer /Pletsch approach by using a McCall's pattern from the Palmer /Pletsch series. These patterns include extra instructions on common fitting adjustments. Even better, you can easily make the fitting adjustments, because crucial information is printed on the pattern.

In this example, the pattern pieces display markings for a full bust adjustment or rounded back.

This is the sleeveless rouched dress with a cowl neckline (M6282) that I sewed recently.

On this overview, adjustments are identified and alteration lines are clearly marked.

There are instructions on how to make the adjustment.

Personally, I need a forward shoulder adjustment, so this is helpful.

There are also tips on working with knit fabrics.

Even just having the location of the waist marked on the pattern is a big help. That type of landmark helps with alterations that may not be among those included. This system, like all others, addresses the most common alterations.

Feel very lucky if your alterations are common!

The information is right here for you!

I have a couple warnings about FFRP:

Tissue fitting- you don't have to buy into the whole tissue-fitting-thing in order to benefit from this book. You may prefer to sew muslins while you are learning how to make pattern alterations.

A picture is worth a thousand words.
Just looking at the pre-altered pattern on a body "before" and the altered pattern on the body "after" shows the concept. For example the grainlines must hang straight.
Seeing a cut pattern with extra tissue inserted into the enlarged area helps to reinforce that idea that, yes I must change the pattern to fit me. I don't need to to fit into my clothes, my clothes need to change to fit me.

Aesthetics- using this book will not throw you back to 1990. Nor will it impact your aesthetic. Great fit + your style = chic.

That picture might be telling a thousand words worth of scary-story. Ignore, ignore, ignore.
You can use a 2011 style pattern, make it current and trendy, using the concepts in FFRP.
Age, shape, size & individual challenges are simply where you are. Embrace it.

There is more in the book - much more. For example, there is whole chapter devoted to body proportions (Chapter 9 Make a Body Map) and a whole chapter devoted to ease (Chapter 7).

I will continue to learn more about fitting for as long as I sew. I know now that there is not just one method of fitting that meets every need. There are many ways to approach the creation of a garment, and I need them all! It took me longer than I expected to learn about fitting and that's why I write about it here.

If fitting is easy for you, lovely! Sew on!

If fitting is difficult for you, you are not alone.

Finally, now my wardrobe is filling up with clothing that delights me. I love wearing my clothes and I love saying "I made it!". People are more interested in it than I would have expected. I keep telling them, sewing is not like a foreign language - you don't have to be young to learn. You can start any time.

You can sew for yourself, too.

Fabric for a new summer dress is calling to me from the cutting table-

*Happy Sewing*

Summer Dress - McCalls 6282

2011-06-11T09:02:00.000-04:00

I thought about calling this post "A Little Sexy on the Side" because I like the shirred seams on the side of the dress. Hee, hee. I finished this dress last week and I even wrote a pattern review for it.

I am loving this dress! I have the same fabric in brown, sitting on the cutting table in case I get smart and sew another one while I remember how to do it. Tasia, Sewholic blogger and pattern-maker, posted about making multiples from the same dress pattern. I agree 100%!

Speaking of pattern-making bloggers, you probably already read this blog, but I am just discovering SewLisette. I love the styles of her pattern line for women. I especially like her aesthetic, which I would describe as current and classic.

I have some serious de-cluttering to do. I mean serious! I have let some cupboards go wild, so I am taking a break from sewing this weekend. I hate to skip sewing, but it will feel good to get things pared down.

Happy Sewing!

Archie's button choice for Jacket #5

2011-06-10T08:23:00.000-04:00

During construction of Jacket #5, Archie discovered the puck-like quality of the buttons and enjoyed a few nocturnal hockey games. She mentioned the buttons were a little too heavy for that jacket anyway.
I found something a little lighter. I chose gray attempting to make the jacket versatile. Red probably looked better, but that's how I rolled on that one.

This post probably should be entitled "Design Changes I made to the Jalie 2680 City Coat pattern". (by the way, she did not eat the buttons. She saved them in an undisclosed location for future hockey games)

Here you can see the buttons along with the other design changes made to the Jalie City Coat pattern.

Opinions? I am not sure the larger buttons look any better than a smaller button would look, maybe it's even too busy? Or too many buttons? Archie didn't weigh in on that, so let me know your thoughts. Another thing I am on the fence about is the princess seam crossing over the bust apex. I think it's a great solution for anyone difficult to fit in the bust area, and my fit was definitely better after making the change. Also this made it easy to just cut an extra piece of the center front panel and use that as a facing. I also used the yoke as a neckline facing, which made construction a breeze.

But, maybe I could move the seams back out and add wee little darts for bust shaping? Opinions?

On to the collar.

I am 100% sold on this type of collar. It gives me the height I need and it's quick and easy to sew. I learned about this collar when I sewed Kelly's coat in January - I used her RTW coat to make the pattern.

So that's it! Off to work I trot!

*Happy Sewing, all*