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What to do with border print.

2011-12-29T17:43:00.000-05:00

An impulse buy, this border print fabric. When I put my hand on it I could see the midi length skirt with a waistband and small waistline gathers, part of a Talbot's ensemble offered up around the holidays sometime back in 1985. I thought then I'd no doubt do the same thing just because those kind of outfits are serviceable. Then I forgot about needing a holiday outfit and the fabric marinated for a year. I pulled it out this fall and was playing with it when this solution fell out and I went with it.
The fabric has lycra and stretches, it's velvet-like but the other side is a smooth knit.
This is the first thing I made with my new Sure Fit designs kit. The fit is great but I should have made the waist smaller because it stretches a tad too much.
I pieced the border to one side front. I like it.

From the back.

New Sewing

2011-11-30T14:09:00.001-05:00

Back before school started, we went shopping for clothes for the 7th grader. The feet are now man-sized and those skinny jeans purchased in December could not even be pulled up all the way. On the way out we spied a nice jacket, perfect for the soon to be cooler mornings. It had a superabundance of pockets, a zippered front. Nice; but $50. bucks___ and made of some pedestrian broadcloth. I piped up with the words that have undone dressmakers since the flood: 'I can make that!' (for you newbies).

I knew I had a piece of a fairly sturdy denim-like dobby weave in a inky navy that had been aging in the larder since the days of Natural Fiber Fabric Club. I showed it to him. "That's nice." he said. I sketched all the pockets it could have. Pockets on the shoulders? "OK!", he said. One shoulder or both shoulders? "Both". I was off. I knew not to show him the Lutterloh schematic I was using for a kid's jacket, those drawings are from the 1980's and would have probably been scorned by 12 year olds of the time.

Sewing was very straightforward. I didn't need to make any adjustments to the pattern except for the desired length, the child is basically a pole with shoulders. I may have made the sleeves a mite longer to anticipate growth. There was however, putting in six pockets, two bound buttonhole pockets, two chest pockets with flaps and two shoulder pockets with flaps. There was the trip to find a separating zipper and the specific care to be sure the flap opened up on the … which is it? right or left side?… the other side anyway.

All the while the weather did get cooler and I ~~wanted~~ needed to get on to a similar duty jacket for myself. I'd looked at the one I'd had, a copy of a barn jacket in a mustardy color with plum velveteen collar, and sent it off to Goodwill. I may have had it 20 years. While I sewed on those pockets, and tried to work out some topstitching scheme, I wanted to figure out what to wear that wasn't a heavy sweater or overcoat.

I finished the little jacket in time for Maker Faire, a bright, crisp morning. We were all excited to go, but when the moment came, the 7th grader refused to put the jacket on. Not only was it unsatisfactory to wear to Maker Faire, it didn't pass muster for 7th grade either. I was---- what's the word? oh yeah-- crushed.

After awhile, my head cleared and I just decided this was the inevitable moment. While he appears oblivious to "fashion" and we have been spared any yearning for expensive sneakers and label heavy vines, he does not care to be seen about in something his Mama made. The Dad was privy to the reason for the rejection however. Apparently, the color was "too dark", and the jacket had a quality… too… neat? Whatever, it seemed like something a g--l might wear. Kiss o' death. And why weren't these opinions expressed early when the Mama asked for them? He said he didn't want to break my heart. awwwwww.
Well, that's about right for a 7th grader as far as judging foreseeable outcomes goes, no?

So it's months later and we're actually in the store on the Black Friday after a movie. It was calm in the store we were at and we were on a mission for necessary unmentionables, which can't be put off. While waiting on line I sent the child over to check out a 50% off rack for anything he might fancy. He came back with another little jacket, pocketed to a fare-thee-well, zipper down the front, of possibly less substantial fabric than the first one, now marked down to $25. Let me say__ had it been marked at that price from the beginning I'd have bought it, because it wasn't worth a cent more than that, even allowing for a reasonable markup. I looked at it in his hand while the boy read my mind out loud. I told him to get it if he wanted it, whereupon he put it back, came home and put on the jacket I made for him.

Summer Dress-a-thon Continues

2011-08-04T09:42:00.003-04:00

1. Housedressy

This is a test of a shoulder princess line draft from my sloper. I'm hoping to squeeze a denim, sleeveless, shirtdress out of it, if I have enough fabric. It's constructed entirely on the machine, the seam allowances and hem are pinked and stitched down. Sewn on placket for the buttonholes, narrow collar band. It is comfy, fulfilling it's housedress mandate admirably.

2. McCall's 4769

This pattern and the cherry sprigged cotton pique have been languishing in the larder at least a decade. Long enough for me to learn how to adapt a commercial pattern to fit me; with 'fitting me' being a moving target, steadily creeping toward the baroque. At first this was put aside so I could find the perfect, red and cream colored print to make the facing, collar, sleeve bands and tie belt contrast with the dress fabric. Every spring I remembered I wanted to make it, even after I found a contrast print I liked. But as time marched on, the idea of a retro tribute soured. What would be cute on a younger person, made me half afraid someone might ask me to bring them clean towels when I had a chance and I'd end up in jail. I decided a little red rick-rack was as far as I ought to go.

I like it, still accessory challenged, witness my shame at having only that black web belt with the army-navy store buckle to model it in. The cotton pique is soft but kind of thick and heavy. I'm doubtful this will be so comfortable in a heat wave. No additional expenditures were made. Even the buttons were in the stash, a gift from my friend Madeline who does not fear the flea market.

Summer Dress (es?)

2011-07-10T15:39:00.010-04:00

This linen was destined for a long sleeved shirt.

So much of sewing intention is shaped around the climate. New York summers have been such that they can be recalled with dread in January. It didn't take much to can that long sleeved plan and go for a simple sheath. I had 2 yards, the fabric was about 50" wide, lets go.

I didn't have success with the simple sheath pattern I fell for last summer. Butterick4386 showed me all sorts of ideas and promised to turn into my very own TNT pattern. But I did not like the way that puppy looked made up and on me, even after I added an iron on monarch butterfly to it.

I learned something though. The boat neck isn't my best friend. I need to shorten the upper chest area and maybe between underarm and waist as well because the dress didn't hit where the remains of my waistline is… or isn't. That's progress though.

This time around I used my sloper to draft the pattern. I raised the armhole for the grater coverage needed for a sleeveless dress. I also dug out a THREADS article "Curved Darts Flatter Every Figure" (issue# 107). I re-shaped the bodice darts, making them s- curved. I didn't even shape them as much as I could have and still got better results. This technique is a keeper. I kept the big pockets they're hard to see with the print, though.

The construction was eccentric because I relied on my experience putting things together. I also approached the dress like a drawing, without knowing where it would end up, I made decisions as I went along. Read: I didn't figure out how to put this together beforehand and some procedures cancelled out procedures I might have used later, if I thought about it. I drafted facings for it, then thought I'd like to bind the neckline with some contrasts. That worked out well, I like that kind of fiddly work sometimes but then I had to stay stitch the armholes, clip and press the seam allowances to the inside and slip stitch the dress and facing armholes together, then sew up the side seams. A slit neck opening on a dress I saw somewhere caught my eye and I altered my facings to suit. Then I thought I might not be able to get into the dress after altering for the more close fitting darts. Back to THREADS magazine to check whether I could use a side zip closing. That would have required more forethought though, and I hadn't planned for deeper side seams. I read that 23" was the minimum neck opening length for pulling something over your head. I had more than enough. I turned out the button tin and found the green flower shaped button, started to make a spaghetti tube to use as a loop fastener, then remembered the "Cool Corder" tool I fell for at a long ago "Knit-Out" in Union Square. It took less than ten minutes to get the thing working and spit out a short length of i-cord for the loop. At the last minute, I added the purple button over the green button so the flower could have a center.

I want to keep going and make more summer dresses.

Another Vintage Try

2011-06-30T21:46:00.002-04:00

I chose this pattern to enter in the Vintage 2011 contest because it calls for twelve bound buttonholes and part of the challenge asked for tackling some "vintage" technique. As with the previous vintage pattern, I was doubtful I'd be able to end up with a dress in which I could echo the smart, carefree vibrance of the girls on the envelope. But I'm watching my comrades on Pattern Review successfully make garments of all kinds so I forged ahead. I have a huge beef with fashion illustration.

As before I used my sloper to adjust the pattern. I could see on the envelope that lady was about 5'10", I folded out length in the bodice and skirt. No muslin this time, I pinned my Frankenpattern to Looshilala, my dress form and everything seemed OK, but Looshi has no arms. Apparently Miss Lady on the pattern envelope has really skinny, 2D arms because I found the cut on sleeves too small. I added a gusset: I cut it on the bias, adding about 2", now it's comfortable.

This Butterick dress didn't call for the skirt lining and waist stay as the Vogue dress did so I added a lining and made a self fabric belt to keep it at the waistline. Found the belting material at Steinlauf & Stoller (thank goodness they're still in business) and a tiny buckle that went with buttons already in stash was sitting right in B&J Trimming, waiting for me.

I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out, I liked making the buttonholes, using the Bunka "Fundamentals of Fashin Design" instructions. They all came out well except I made every last one of them on the "wrong" side. I also made the bow, as seen on the envelope, from this nice cotton fabric. I forgot to pin it on though since I had to move quickly while my little photographer was sanguine about the project.

Vintage Pattern 2011

2011-06-30T19:05:00.007-04:00

OK, I'm done. I think it is as I suspected, I do not have enough imagination to pull off these vintage patterns. This is the Vogue pattern from the last post. It turned into a comfortable dress after I adjusted it along the lines of my sloper.

I made a muslin first:

That came out OK. Then I decided to use this fabric I've had in the larder since Hector was a pup…( you'll date yourself if you know that expression).

And it was this choice that allowed me to so completely channel my Nana. Let's hear it now,__ a big, resounding, MEH!!!! And that is just fine with me. There needs be occasions where fading into the background is just what you want. I am so ready now.

I have faced the fact that I am accessory challenged. This dress needs a belt. I finished it a month ago and started another contest entry for which I made a belt, but I didn't have enough scraps left to make one for this dress and I couldn't bring myself to shop for no belt; in fact, I'm wearing a belt I bought in March when I broke down and bought 2 pairs of jeans. Since my brain loses the signal in a department store, I bought this "reversible" belt, thinking I'd be getting two belts in one__no. I got a plastic belt that sits still only when folded one way; I should have chosen which color (black or brown) I wanted and stuck with it. Someone who understands "accessorization" would not have made this clown-town mistake.

Accessory deprivation extends to the "foundations" department as well, if you catch my drift. I'd have to be demented to climb into a girdle to wear this dress, but maybe a dressier fabric might provide the motivation. This pattern has some mildly interesting details : the bust darts are routed around to a center front seam. I elected to make the more visible plaid match rather than get the seams dead on so there is a tiny jog there. The skirt darts are positioned like an upside-down V; probably more noticeable in a solid color.

All in all it was an easy pattern to make. Since I was using my sloper to fit the pattern I was grateful for its simplicity.The skirt part is lined, it has a side zip and waist stay. The instructions have you stitch that to the bodice seam allowance but the waistline seam was larger so I just tacked the stay to the seam allowance. The stay keeps the dress sitting at the waistline.

I guess this is an everyday dress for the time.

Contest Drop Out Tries Again

2011-05-06T16:53:00.006-04:00

So I crashed and burned on the Mini wardrobe SWAP. I finished 3 out of 4 items but not in time. But why let that stop me from entering the Vintage Pattern contest on Pattern Review?

I found this pattern on Lanetz Living, it wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be. Prices for these old patterns are all over the map it seems.

Now let me say up front, even though I'm an illustrator, these pattern illustrations give me pause. I know it's a "fashion" illustration but I look at it and can only see how not like the drawing I am. Is that skirt going to be as narrow as it appears? Will I have trouble walking or sitting down? These girls must mince along on those skinny legs, taking teeny tiny steps and going nowhere fast. In my mind, I bound along like one of R. Crumb's women… at least in my mind and in comparison to these ladies. So there's that.

What encouraged me to enter the contest though, was the certain necessity of having to alter the pattern to fit. We're supposed to follow techniques outlined in the pattern instructions. This pattern doesn't have any really baroque construction details beyond sew in interfacing. Another requirement is to use a pattern with the "old sizing", whatever that is. Generally, I think that means smaller.

I used Linda Maynard's "De-Mystifying Fit" CD to help with alterations. I adjusted the pattern to fit my personal sloper. The old patterns have the advantage of being printed in one size, with the seam line marked.

I was relieved to see, when it arrived, the pattern I picked was pretty basic. It has a side zip, I haven't done that before, and the bust dart has been rotated to the center front.

For the first time, I made a muslin, using an old sheet. I also sketched the design on my croquis. I was not reassured by the pattern envelope that this would work for me. I compared and adjusted first the length measurements and then the circumferences of the pattern to my sloper. I changed the shoulder slope, mine are more square (this girl never carried anything heavier than her purse). I reshaped the hip curve and took length out of the skirt.

The muslin made up, since I used a white sheet, it looked a lot like my croquis drawing. I compared the fit with the apparent fit in the drawing and saw I could add some length to the bodice to achieve the blouson effect and remove some of the ease from the sleeve cap. I shortened the skirt considerably, after that there wasn't too much to do. Could it be female physiology is much the same as it was in 1961?

I wonder.

More, later.

Impulse Sewing

2011-05-06T15:13:00.008-04:00

I caught a vapor and made this skirt. The fabric is some wild stuff that probably went for drapes at a museum or hotel. It is just that outsized, crewel wool embroidery on what seems to be a loosely woven cotton. It has been in the stash sediment for perhaps 12 years. I never knew what to do with it, didn't have that much to work with, yet I couldn't throw it out. The story of the fabric addict. Anyway, when the vapor hit, I knew. Skirt. Have been thinking of outré skirts lately and hope to explore more along this vein. This is my first go at it.

I used my skirt sloper, overlapping the side seams of front and back pattern. There's only a back seam and I lined that up with the selvage. I put in an invisible zip. Because the embroidered parts are so very dense in places, I made all the fitting darts wherever I could. They are not centered, some are squeezed together, of all different sizes, I flew fast in the face of whatever the books tell you to do. It took me back to my sewing for Barbie days, when we wrapped the cloth around our Barbies, cut away what we didn't want, took it off and sewed it up. Such a liberating experience!

There's a name for that… what IS it?

Why'd I go there?

Because I knew that if anyone looks at this skirt at all, they are only going to see these gargantuan flowers.

The fabric has to be some home dec stuff because the crewel embroidery is quite scratchy. Drapes don't get a lot of rubbing I guess. I lined this, putting the lining together in the usual way, side seams balances darts. I used another, plaid home dec scrap to make the narrow waistband (thank you Margaret!). It's green.

If I made this again I'd take it up more to fit the waist. I tried it on Looshilala, bless her, because I hate trying on anything, but this didn't take account of the squeeze effect of pantyhose.

Cost: $0.ºº, the fabric was practically a dumpster dive, another reason to be totally cavalier with the project. ¡Bwahaha-haha!

Mini Wardrobe

2011-03-19T18:33:00.018-04:00

So I started with this blouse from Ottobre Woman 5/2007. I like this issue a lot.

Having made Ottobre tops before, I've come up hard against the truth: they are drafted for a taller woman than I am. It says so right in the magazine: she is 5ft. 6in give or take. I'm 5ft.4in. I used my recently re-done sloper to figure out where the differences were with a simple pattern.

The personal sloper lines are shown in black. The two places I lined up the patterns are the neck/shoulder point and the waistline. The distance between the shoulder and underarms are far apart. It was the same with the back pattern piece. I began to see what made the previous garments so uncomfortable once they were made up… after I'd checked the circumferences and matched them up. As drafted, this extra length in the upper chest made the blouses restrict arm movement. The collar bands and collars were also strangely too long! It was frustrating.

You can see the difference in the Ottobre sleeve outline (Orange) and the sleeve cap I drafted from the front and back sloper armholes as is done in the Mrs. Stylebook pattern magazines. After this step, I slashed the sleeve up the middle and spread it to give me 2in. more room in the bicep.

You can see the blouse on me at Pattern Review Back to the sewing machine.

Mini Wardrobe

2011-03-19T18:18:00.003-04:00

I've been vicariously sewing through the blogs because too busy with work (a good thing!)

Another blogger's plan to coordinate with an orange jacket reminded me of this jacket, the top part of a suit that came with black pants. I wore the pants out so I'll be replacing them and making a skirt both black.

I'll make two blouses and be done with it, three pieces of fabric used and now I can use this jacket. All fabrics from the stash but don't think I didn't get online and …almost…click…that…button!

Sweater Spin 2011

2011-01-23T14:59:00.007-05:00

Don't know what possessed me but I joined a new Ravelry group, well that's probably not true, I do know what possessed me. Because while I've been working, dog-like, there is very little time to indulge any of my fiberly pursuits, I signed up for Sweater-Spin 2011. This gave me something to think about. In no time, my mind was turning it over like all of the other assignments I have going. I had some Blue Faced Leicester languishing in here, plain white, un-dyed. It took a few weeks to settle on a color scheme, and I spent awhile pouring over pattern possibilities. For this sweater, I'd considered some dark jewel toned colors at first but noting that a few group members were challenging themselves to produce two sweaters, I got the idea that the first sweater should feature SPRING colors since it ought to be done by then and no winter month is colder than April in my opinion. I'm not even sure whether two sweaters are not a requirement of the challenge but if they are, the second sweater in the dark palette ought to debut at the end of the year.

So I dyed my fiber: lime green, blue, orange and red-violet. According to Deb Menz (Color Works: the Crafter's Guide to Color) this is a square tetrad, another way of saying two sets of complementary colors: lime & red-violet, blue & orange. Now when it comes to spinning, I am not so smart I can do any more than spin this up randomly but I did divide the 16 oz. of top into roughly four chunks and then dyed each chunk so that about half a given piece was left a pale shade or white. I got exactly what I expected and figured the yarn would have to spin up in the mid to light range, what I was looking for.

For the design of the sweater itself, my first thought is a simple v-neck with bracelet length sleeves so I can wash my hands without getting my sleeves wet. I'm trying to spin a sport weight yarn because I haven't much use for a big heavy sweater and can't get one under my winter coat. There are plans for a less effective winter coat that will require a sweater underneath--- (which seems nutty even to me) but the winter coat I have now is too warm to put more than one layer underneath it. I am grateful for that puppy this winter, I hear tomorrow it will be 18°F here in New York.

Here's how the yarn is coming out so far. It's awfully like the last yarn I dyed and spun but I'm not bothered. That sweater didn't look so hot on me so I gave it to my son. My latest notion is to use short rows in this simple v-neck silhouette to get some interesting stripe action out of this yarn. We'll see.

2011-01-10T17:32:00.005-05:00

Dead of winter feels like time for a funny hat. I went for "Vortex" with extreme an point. The boy took one look at it, laughed and was eager when I suggested this pattern instead. I finished it, he put it on and wore it the entire day and then to bed at night. I learned today though that he has no intention of wearing it to school unless I devise the kind of buckled strap for it used to cinch cargo onto a semi's flat bed. That's grade school jargon for "never." He has not forgotten the Pre-K incident, where a little ruffian snatched the hat his mama made off his head and played keep-away with it.

It was fun to knit and very easy, essentially being a straight sided sack. the fins are added at the end. I didn't like the instructions for knitting the tail. Following them, it didn't seem the tail was coming out like the tails shown with the instructions. I'm helped when I think of knitting as drawing so I made up my own (double thick) tail from what I though the tail in the pictures was doing. The fins are k1p1 rib. By the time you get to this point in the pattern you realize stitch counts and what all don't mean a thing. I made the dorsal fin longer and used short rows to make it taller toward the front. The eyes are made from that fake chamois stuff for mopping up spills. I offered eyes dead or eyes alive, he chose dead. Great, four minutes at the sewing machine. I used bits of Brown Sheep lambs pride worsted as well as my own hand-spun wool.

A small thing but…

2010-12-28T12:44:00.007-05:00

I got to sit on the couch and finish this little shawl on Christmas day. I've wanted to be able to just relax like that for a long time. It turned out to be the best gift of all. I started out going in another direction with this yarn, it's from Knit Picks, "bare" sock yarn. I dyed it in these autumn colors then forgot about it; must have been before I decided I wasn't knitting socks anymore (they wear out too fast). After I rediscovered it I thought about working up a straight rectangle stole in an openwork squares, modular knit pattern by Iris Schreier.

The fabric is more dense than what I did finally and I knit a piece about 15" long and just as wide before I realized I didn't have enough yarn for a stole. So I frogged it. I like the openwork pattern and will maybe incorporate it as an edging for a sweater; something with bigger yarn. Something like the Sweater Spin 2011 group on Ravelry maybe?? I think I have enough fiber in here to dye and spin, and have been mulling over my requirements since I joined the group.
So far I know:
Must have an open or V-neck.
Must have three quarter length sleeves.
Yarn should be no more than sport weight if I intend to wear it at all.
Soft, no scratchy- scratchy.
Other aspects like color and design haven't come into focus yet, also whether to dye the fiber first or after it has been spun. More, later.

Into the Vortex… nice!

2010-12-28T00:12:00.005-05:00

This is my version of "Vortex", a Knitty pattern. I am down with the silly hat, though this hat is stepping all over full bore crazy. I pulled some leftover hand spun wool from the stash for this one. Looking forward to making one for my dear boy, whose dignity will not brook the over the top "poink!" Sweet child has no idea what becomes of dignity after awhile.

2010-12-22T10:59:00.000-05:00

Got tired of looking at that wadder green blouse below. I can't believe I haven't updated this in over a year. I have been busy though, doing some of the stuff I started this blog to highlight, and working like a dog. There's a lot I'd like to show & tell but for now, because I simply could not look at that blouse one minute longer, I'll post some Christmas cheer. We can't be called materially wealthy in most categories you could name but we can hold our own when it comes to Christmas ornaments. The accumulated treasures of at least 3 families means we have some very old stuff. Stuff with that tarnished patina the lifestyle stores are selling at a premium. These elves were part of my husbands dowry. The green elf's costume got terribly faded though, so a few years ago I knit him another one. This is a nice sort of treasure to manage, we can pretty much, do whatever we want with it, the ornaments only have sentimental value in our minds so we don't have to get all precious with them. My husband regularly GLUES old favorites back together, and that becomes part of their charm.

The old glass balls are known to crumble in your hands. We like to express alarm when it happens but even the eleven year old is onto it now, he delivers the shattered ornament to his Dad and they assess its condition and how it could be repaired, then he fetches the appropriate glue. It's part of our Christmas Ritual.

Slow SWAP

2009-10-05T18:38:00.005-04:00

Here's the first piece for the 2009 wardrobe SWAP.

hmmmmmm____.

I suppose it's OK but I think that collar is trying to back out of the picture. It might not be missed if I open that seam and let it run off into the woods.

I'll consider.

I must press on however, 31 days or no, October will be over before I know it. Back to the grindstone.

Stash SWAP 2009

2009-09-08T20:52:00.021-04:00

The President reminded me today that success is necessarily built on failure. Therefore, I am not going to let my past failure to complete either of the two SWAPs I entered deter me from having another go at it. If I finish in time that will be a good thing. In the past, all I've needed to do is announce my intention to join a SWAP, then the pixies get indignant at my hubris and usually find me some illustration work to do. All of a sudden, there's no time to sew. That would be a good thing too, considering. So, forward––– march!

I have no right on earth to go fabric shopping of course so went into the stash for project materials.

The Pattern Review SWAP requires ten garments. Five tops, four bottoms and one topper, a jacket or coat, a cape, I suppose for the really dramatic, would be alright. I have ever been averse to the very idea of capes myself. I always imagine a cape would be a dangerous liability if you had to escape from a subway car or a stuck elevator. For this same reason, I am equally opposed to flip-flops in town. Nothing seems more foolhardy–– but I digress.

I began with the topper fabric, a wool broadcloth I have had for about twenty years. It is a salmony terra cotta color (absolutely the choice of someone 20 years younger than I am). I spent some time pulling yardage out and trying to make connections. Of course none of the stash was acquired with even a faint notion of compatibility. I got some things going but the next day, realized it wasn't right. Then I remembered the

Color Schemer program. I'd played with it once on line and went back again to find coordinates for the salmon/terra cotta. The program is aimed at web designers, allowing them to test out page design color schemes. Above you can see some of what I came up with. And once I started, I realized this is also the same information in a number of the painting books in my library as well as an excellent book by Deb Menz: "Color Works". I decided that I didn't have to restrict myself to either a complementary, split complementary or analogous palette since I wasn't likely to wear all the items at once. All I have to do is make choices that coordinate with the topper color; oh, ----- and make garments that can be worn with that topper. By this I'm referring to fabric to garment compatibility. That dark green velveteen can't be made into a shirt because that would be uncomfortable to wear under the jacket, for me anyway.

I just realize one fabric is left out of my storyboard up there.

This is a wool jersey from my mother's stash. It will turn into one of the tops.

I did have some consternation about my penchant brightness and color contrast. I'd checked out a Hot Patterns interview where the nice lady forecast the monochromatic palette for the upcoming season. Then I saw this photo on my favorite fashion site: Advanced Style. Well alrighty then! This is where I'm headed.

2009-09-02T22:20:00.010-04:00

I've been looking to replace the go-to black nylon purse I was not clever enough to buy two of when I had the chance. I bought it at the 99¢ store; that's just how devoted to fashion I am. It's main attraction is that it is not too big. I don't want a purse that wears me or that I have to fumble around in to find things. I thought I'd found in Walmart (sorry to drop names) a cute replacement with rainbow polka dots but it would not accommodate a wallet, keys, sketchbook and pens, cell phone and lip balm. That's when I discovered yet another thing that has vaulted onto the list of things up with I can no longer put: Purses with Black Linings. I can't see into a black purse that's deeper than six inches.

Butterick 4147 has the selling point that I could see myself using each of the bags included. I made view E, a design I've been curious about. I think it is made to stay on the shoulder better than just a straight strap. Constantly hitching something into place (like a shoulder strap) is another thing on the aforementioned list.

I used a home dec suede cloth. Found it on line, on sale, I no longer remember where. I liked that there was a pocket to hold cell phone or iPod on the strap. It can also be worn across the body.

For a good portion of the sewing, I marched my sewing machine along turning the wheel by hand. The fabric is thick to begin with and sewing through three or four layers of it, interfaced, was not going to happen quickly. My machine has a device that makes it stop dead in it's tracks when it encounters to too much to sew through. I was using a size 110 needle, thinking that's what upholstery fabric called for. It was a little easier with a smaller, size 90 needle but sewing slowly is the answer here. This fabric is dense and not easily punched through. I made the stitch length longer and when topstitching was called for, longer still. I used gold, top stitching thread used for blue jeans on top, regular gold colored thread in the bobbin.

For the lining, you're asked to use the same pattern pieces as for the front, back and sides. What I used was more home dec, a yellow and white striped remnant.

Here you can see the extra pocket I added. I knew there would be a problem using another sturdy fabric for the lining, how could it fit inside the bag if the pieces were the same size? That was an issue, and unless the bag is turned inside out, the lining bunches up to fit. Another thing to consider is there are some tightly curved corners in this pattern, too tight to press flat. I trimmed them and mashed them a bit with the iron but the fit between lining and bag wouldn't be satisfactory if this were a jacket. When I first put some items in the bag then pulled them out, the lining came along with so I did some back stitching down one long seam opposite the zipper, feeling for the suede cloth seam allowance underneath the lining. I continued this stitching along the bottom seam line as well. Now it stays inside.
Here's an example of one tight corner, this is the main part of the shoulder strap, it has to be smooth here. With the difficulty of sewing on the interfaced suede cloth and the narrow radius of this turn, I stopped and marked the stitching line. This was also the place to go slowly. Another method would have been to baste along the seam and then sew.

Two 12" zippers and two 1" D-rings are all the hardware necessary. For you purse mavens out there I stumbled on a new trimming store in the garment district. Botani Trimming inc. I do mean new, it looked like they were busy filling hundreds of little drawers when I showed up. They have a large selection of much nicer D-rings than I was interested in as well as all kinds of zippers and buttons.

The pocket flap closes with Velcro but maybe I'll add this Sculpey button. I'll try the messenger bag next.

It's a Housedress!

2009-08-31T12:10:00.008-04:00

Thanks to my dear Madeline for this wacky fabric, of indeterminate vintage (1970's?) I used to test New Look 6863.

It worked for me. It has become easier for me to think through making new patterns from my sloper than to take a pattern out of the envelope and pin it down, wrestling with it to correspond to the sloper, figuring out, with the multiple sizes where seam lines are, etc. This is a pattern it would have been simple to just copy but I want to have the skill to alter a pattern as an option. I referred to Nancy Zieman's "Pattern Fitting with Confidence", which re-states material from "The Sew/ Fit Manual, A guide to making patterns fit by pivoting and sliding".

I started by comparing my sloper to the pattern. I lined them up from first the shoulder then the waistline. I decided to use the center front waistline to start my adjustments. I'm 5'4" and that 1 1/2" to 2" difference between me and the pattern companies' models isn't all in the legs. Some of it is in the shoulder area, from nape of neck to under arm. It could also be from under arm to back waist. I think it makes a difference. Things hang from the shoulders but the armholes are anchor points, garment length must be accurate there. It wouldn't do to use that lengthen/shorten tuck positioned in the bodice under the armhole if the discrepancy isn't there. Can you picture the dress with too deep armholes, keeping you from raising your arms, that has you always tugging the waistline into place because you compared your back waist length to the pattern's and shortened it? I think I made that dress___ more than once. This problem would be more pronounced in something with a waistline seam, not this dress.

Looking at the pattern, I cut a size 14 at the shoulders, extending to size 16 directly under the arms tapering out to add about 1 1/2"at each side seam for a total of 3" more width at the hemline. I also added 1/2" to the front waist length alone after I compared my front neck to waist length to the pattern's, making allowance for a C cup.

I traced another sleeve, making it elbow length. In the sleeve cap area between the notches, I followed the size 14 line, extending at the underarm to size 16. If you don't do this, the armhole of the bodice will be larger than the sleeve cap. When I sew this again I'll shorten the sleeves, the length was awkward (you notice I'd already started folding them up) and giving myself a little more ease in the sleeve width. My fabric wasn't particularly stretchy. When it's hot enough to wear this light weight knit, I don't want to feel anything on my arms.

I added the pockets without the drawstring and added 3" length at the hem. I've lived through miniskirts__twice, which is as much as any sane woman ought countenance in my not at all humble opinion. I can't say what men should be permitted when it comes to miniskirts.

On Pattern Review, Sheila457 inspired me to make this dress. Do check out her review here. She uses a beautiful border print that shows this dress doesn't have to be a housedress at all. She also has notes on the neckline construction related to the stretchiness of your fabric choice.

I put this little bit of turquoise rick-rack at the neck here for no good reason other than it matched. I also included the little ties in back which nailed the it into the housedress category. That house dresses are marked by cuteness confuses me because there is nothing cute about housewifery that I've encountered, nothing.

Where was I?

2009-08-17T12:34:00.003-04:00

OK!

I'm going to pretend like not posting since um… March? is no big deal. I have run up quite a string of wadders since, quite a string.

I am not going to go on about the folly that was the "ugly fabric" contest entry over at Pattern Review, that I didn't finish partly because before I dove into elaborate alterations to make the thing fit, I re-read the contest rules and realized the contest was not to make something ugly from ugly fabric, but to make something attractive and wearable! I can only say is that I was granted the wisdom to know the difference.

Also, what wasn't a flat out wadder was something way too pedestrian to go on about, such as a work apron from this site. I think this is a fabric store in Japan. They have lots of free patterns for clothing and house wares. All are in Japanese of course, and I don't read Japanese, but they're also technical drawings for drafting the patterns and sewing them. I enjoy reading technical drawings, they're my kind of fun. My apron came out well but is already covered in paint so I'm showing the original above. Here is another clever idea I'd like to try:

Monkey see…

2009-03-20T13:51:00.010-04:00

Monkey Do.

I am guilty of one of the most common failings: Love of The World, manifest in this instance by my attachment to the iPod. This one replaces my old Mini which still works. I did not imagine four years ago that I even knew more than a thousand songs. Well after you've rationalized buying an iPod, you may be chagrined to encounter yet another petty need screaming for your attention when you're holding that slippery jewel in your clammy hands, getting fingerprints all over it. It needs a case. It needs one because by bringing that iPod home, you have opened yourself up to the possibility, nay, inevitability of sharp anguish and remorse should its perfect shininess become marred. But now (that you have the little thing that makes you so happy) you can see a bit more clearly into the abyss of "Want!" And when Apple sends emails to show all the ways you can pimp your iPod, and you peek into that abyss and see there is even more spending required, spending that is not as much fun as it used to be… well that is when the worm starts to turn.

This was an easy project, finished in one evening with the TV on. That said, all props are due to the people overseas who actually sew these things together. I am convinced they have more than one specialty sewing machine to accomplish the task but that needn't stop anyone from making their own. Just having the iPod satisfied all my superficial status urges. I didn't need a status case for it, I needed one that it wouldn't slip out of and that wouldn't slip out of my hand.
I've had this soft red leather for ages, a gift from my friend Caroline. I have a whole skin but the amount I used for this was negligible. I decided the suede side of it was perfect for clinging to the iPod. I traced the front and back profiles and cut each out twice. I cut out a single strip for the side gusset piece to fit the depth of the iPod. I used a piece of an old polyester mattress cover to add padding between the leather pieces, making sure the suede side was on the inside, I sandwiched the polyester between each front and back piece.. I used a size 100 needle and regular thread, sewing very slowly, especially around the opening for the earbud jack. For the front flap, I cut a piece of plastic from a fast food container, cutting a slit on the inside to slide it between the leather flap pieces and zig-zagging over the slit to close up the opening.
When it was done, it fit poorly, and the openings for the screen and click wheel didn't line up too well. I just pinched up the excess, eyeballed how much I needed to take in the seams and sewed them over again; a fitting, like a slipcover. Using a straight stitch and then zig-zagging the edges together. Somewhere in this house there is always some styrofoam, clinging to something where it shouldn't be. I put a small piece of that, the width of the iPod, in the bottom of the case to be a cushion and also to further prop up the pod so I could see the window clearly.
Baffled as to how to attach this to the loops I've sewn over the back pockets of some pants to hold the iPod clip, I sewed a strap on the back with a buttonhole. The buttonhole is simply small stitches around a slit. If I did this again, I wouldn't make those stitches so short, it probably weakens the leather rather than strengthens it. Then I got fancy, wanting this strap to be strong, I doubled it an cut it from the irregular edge of the skin, using one of my machine's decorative stitches in yellow to hold those pieces together.

It's a little lopsided, which suits. And it was completely free, which delights.

Materials: Soft red leather
Batting, not too thick.
Plastic fast food container
Thread
Sewing machine ( this could be just as easily done by hand).
Button
iPod ( a good model, it holds still for fitting purposes).

Ottobre Woman wrap top

2008-12-09T21:39:00.008-05:00

This blouse was easy to assemble and went together quickly. I've worn it once and it was comfortable to wear. Now I'll go back to the machine and add strategically placed velcro bits so it won't shift around, the ribbon ties are the only thing holding it all together. Looshilala doesn't have to worry about wardrobe malfunctions. I used safety pins.

The fabric is a cotton/raw silk blend and very loosely woven. I erred on the side of caution and didn't attempt buttonholes. There were only 2 needed on the cuffs anyway. I just used velcro, 1/2" wide, it had been hanging around the plant at least as long as the fabric itself and is a perfect match. Can you even see it?

The buttons are special only in that they were on hand.

Next up: a frock from some printed slinky. I've adapted an Ottobre Woman tunic top, lengthening it and altering the sleeve. All I have for guidance is Gale Grigg Hazen's article in THREAD'S "Slinky Knit, You Flatterer, You" (issue #70) for guidance. She says I need to add 4" of ease at the bust. If I remember the first thing I made with slinky, it seized up on me because I didn't have that little tip.

Me and Mrs. Stylebook

2008-11-29T20:06:00.006-05:00

I spent more than a week staring at the technical drawings in Mrs. Stylebook summer/2008 issue. Understanding dawned slowly, epiphanies occurred while washing dishes. This was my kind of puzzle! In the time it took me to look and look again at the book, along with the time I planted myself at Kinokuniya (thank you Bear called Owl!) trying to absorb information from Japanese sewing books and magazines, I formed some conclusions for myself about sewing from these sources:
1. It became obvious after a while that much of what I was attracted to had more to do with the photography and design of the magazine. I am convinced there isn't a whole lot to a shirt or a jacket when you get past the front, back and sleeves. These models are shown well lit and are not folded over on themselves. The garment details are clearly visible. The technical drawings are excellent. You can see in a pants pattern drafted from the pants sloper that they will sit below the waist or have wider legs and you'll know by how much. This is really useful information.
2. Some garments may not translate to more baroque proportions but that's an ever present challenge when evaluating garment designs.

The thing that intrigued me with the Mrs.Stylebook designs is that you draft a pattern from a sloper in your size. I found the Stylebook sloper on the intertubes, but having drafted a sloper from my personal measurements, I wasn't interested the least in duplicating that work. I wanted to see whether I could use the diagram instructions, modifying my sloper to come up with a pattern that would fit me. The answer was a resounding YES! With some caveats.

First of all, I selected a pattern that posed no challenges. I made a muslin. For the heck of it, I added pockets (and placed them poorly too) following the draft instructions from a dress pattern in the same issue. On the left side is my sloper or moulage. I made it using Kenneth King's excellent CD-book instructions. The innermost line is the actual sloper. The next and outermost lines have the ease added for dresses/blouses, jackets/coats respectively.
Next to the sloper is the pattern from the Stylebook diagrams with the red line to show where I started with my sloper, no ease added.

The sleeve is drafted using front and back armhole measurements after the front and back bodice draft are done. In this issue, there is a tiny diagram (page 202) that demonstrates how to do this. I can add that I spent some hours also looking up translations for kanji and katakana but__it's too late for that, they're too tiny and complicated for me to see the differences between them. Fortunately, Roman letters are included in these technical drawings as well as graphic symbols that tell you where different pieces are to meet up, what are notches and dots on paper patterns.

The caveat is this: I added the amounts indicated for hems. I'm 5' 4 1/2", it was not enough. Next time I'll add length by comparing where the sleeve ends on the model's arm and measuring on my sloper. I finished the hem and sleeve edges with the serger. I only put three buttons on the thing but the collar and neck band actually fit. It's good enough for studio duty.
Oh, and I got confused with what I added for the back hem and didn't add anything at all, so had to cut a strip to add to the back and made it fit the width by putting some little pleats in the middle (beats measuring). This wasn't part of the pattern design.

Ready for work!

O Hai!

2008-11-26T21:20:00.001-05:00

Somehow I spun off the bloggerly merry go round there for awhile. It gave me a chance to re-think a thing or two or three or four. One thing I re-thunk was separating the Home Entertainment blog from the Anna Rich Illustration site. We shall see how it goes. Not knitting much, waiting to start a knit-along with my sister, working on another pair of incredibly tedious green socks for DH. What is it with green socks? Here is where I'll expand to some good purpose on the sewing and knitting and fiber foolishness I that constitutes my___well, home entertainment.