Inspired by...

This dress is totally inspired by a dress I saw on an Avenue ad in my Instagram feed. Because honestly, at this stage of my life I'm not walking away from a flowy dress especially since COMFORT and then style are the driving forces of what I'm wearing.

...and my version of the dress

Now the dress is regularly priced $80 and since the summer season is coming to an end it's $44 so I could have bought it.  But I already own a similar fabric and patterns to make this dress. All I needed was time and the materials I on hand instead of spending money.

Materials:

4.5 yards of a lightweight crinkle rayon linen purchased last year in Chicago from Rainbow Fabrics

3 - 5/8" buttons purchased from Pacific Trimmings via the button collection

1/4 yard of lightweight interfacing from Steinlauf & Stoeller

1/4 yard black bias tape from the stash

Patterns:

Top is made in a size 20 using the Deer & Doe Myosotis bodice

Tiered skirt made from the Style Arc Nova tiers - size 20

Construction:

• I deliberately chose a size 20 to make this dress.  I wanted a flowy dress for late summer but I don't need all of the space of my previous makes. I'm back to using the size 20 myosotis bodice so I matched the same size skirt tiers.
• My change to the design is to add straight sleeves.  Wasn't really thrilled with the tabbed sleeves, not a look I like and this allowed a cleaner look where the print did all the talking.
• Also, I added 4" to the bottom tier in my original Nova (that no longer fits btw) but with the weight loss I don't need to add the additional 2" I talked about in my original post.  This length works now. 
• The other change to the dress is I didn't add the collar. So to enclose the back neckline seam, I cut out a fuller back facing. 
• My first thought was too bias bind the back neckline but after I thought about it a fuller back interfaced facing would give the dress some structure...and leave me a place to add my tag along with a size tag. After doing that I realized the neckline front wasn't covered.  I needed to figure out a way to enclose it.

That led to some bad patching...I mean it works but it's not the clean finish I usually have in a garment. Also, that back facing was flopping around so it needed to be stitched flat.  Because of the print you can't see this detail but that's okay.

Otherwise, this was a straight forward sew.  Just lots and lots of gathering!

A few photos of the finished dress:

Wearability Report ~

This was the most comfortable easiest dress to wear.  Because yes, I've worn it twice already.  However, the fabric has started to pill slightly under the arms and on the dress sides from the rubbing of my purse. It's interesting because when I purchased this fabric nothing about it said that it would pill...yet here we are. I'm monitoring it but I've put this away for next spring/summer. 

Y'all I wanted to say thank you for going back and reading past posts.  I've been blogging here for 19 years (can you believe it?!) and to know that my words aren't just laying here dormant is such an honor for me. So, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

*I know Blogger has made it more challenging to sign in but would you kindly sign your name if you use anonymous.  It makes it easier to talk back to you.  Thanks so much!

...as always more later!

Rewind it Back - New Look 6340

I've seriously been walking down memory lane of my previous makes.  Part of it is because I don't wanna fit a new pattern.  Part of it is because these garments worked for me and I need that in this updated body. So, today I'm revisiting New Look 6340 which is still in Simplicity's catalog. This is my newest version.

Between 2017 and 2020 - I made seven garments from this pattern - 2 sleeveless maxi dresses, 1 tunic, and 4 different dress versions.  My favorite was this denim version:

I wore this one and the linen versions the most.  And only one still lives in my closet - this maxi version.

Supplies ~

3 yards of a midweight linen print from Mood Fabrics online purchased several years ago

22" light blue zipper from the zipper stash

2 7/8" black buttons from deep in the button stash

2 yards of black piping from Daytona Trimming via the trim stash

Construction ~

Thankfully, when I pulled the pattern out of the folder, all of the alterations had been done to the main pattern pieces. There was even the maxi version in pattern form.  So, happy about old me now.

The only change I made was to add a 1/2" to each sleeve side seam. I remember these sleeves as snug fitting and wanted to make sure that they didn't look tight on my even more bodacious biceps.

I added piping to the neckline, sleeve hems and pockets.

The pockets were getting lost in the busy print.  So added piping along with 

the black buttons to make the pockets stand out.

Added a facing to the sleeve hems to encase the piping.

Otherwise, it was a simple sew.

Wearability ~

I wore this dress to work this week and took pictures in my office.  This dress was comfortable to wear, however, because of the fabric's weight, it's not as drapey as I would like.  The thing that bothered me was that it tended to bunch at my knees when the wind was blowing. Otherwise, it was a good wear.

A few more photos ~

I'm glad I reused this pattern.  Since I own loads of linen for future makes, I will definitely sew this again next spring/summer.

*I know Blogger has made it more challenging to sign in but would you kindly sign your name if you use anonymous.  It makes it easier to talk back to you.  Thanks so much!*

...as always more later!

Do I?

I'm in a quandary.  Do I continue to add to my wardrobe by making new?  Because we all know I own the raw materials to do so.  Or do I deconstruct and remake?  I've made some beautiful dresses over the years using some amazing fabrics.  During my weight gain, I gave a lot away because I could make new. But now that the weight is gone and will probably stay gone...do I give away again?  Or do I remake?

Y'all I've never been a remake sewing woman. The alterations always annoyed me so I made new.  BUT some of these summer dresses are just gorgeous and I don't want to say goodbye...

Dresses like this:

I loved this Hope Dress.  It and every iteration I've made is now being packed away.  I can honestly say I'm not dealing with those tiers!

Every McCalls 7969

You get the drift. I did reclaim a few dresses and skirts:

Made this skirt in 2019.  Re-wore it last week.  Wearing the denim version next weekend.

A rayon crepe version of my TNT flare skirt made in 2017 went on vacation with me and has been worn to work this summer. I've pulled the pattern to make more.

A couple of Myosotis dresses have also been reclaimed:

From 2020

From 2019

From 2018

While I have reclaimed some older pieces that I thankfully didn't give away, there are so many more that will go in the donate pile.  So do I reclaim or do I donate. I will keep you updated.

...as always more later!

Let's Do It Again - Vogue 2947 - Part 2

In the previous post, I shared the first two garments made from Vogue 2947.  Originally I thought both would be dresses, and I would be done with this pattern. It didn't turn out that way because I had fit issues with the pattern.  I made assumptions.  I didn't check before I cut. I made mistakes.

You would have thought I would have given up. I probably should have, but I was being stubborn, because that dress if it fit would be perfect in my new summer wardrobe.  So I pulled a rayon/linen blend from the collection and started over.

I thought if I did a pivot and slide for the front and back pieces like in the original dress I would be okay. 

I forgot that I wrote this in the original blog post, "Cause I made a whole list of alterations and then I took out all of the space I added in."  The same thing happened with this one. I added 1.5 inches to the waistline of both the front and back piece. When the dress was sewn together it was very loose. Now in the last post I didn't list what I did to fix the dress but IF I ever get the idea to make this again, the steps are now posted.

1. I removed 2" from each side seam.  
2. Then I split the front down the center and added a 3/4" seam to the front.
3. Finally I added armhole darts to the front to make the armholes stop gapping.

This removed most of the excess fabric.  The dress is still loose fitting but it works for now.  Because I need clothes. See, quite a few of the garments that I thought would work with the weight loss are too big/loose.  Something I didn't count on. So, every additional garment I can add to my wardrobe is a plus and I'm going with that.

A few photos ~

Finally, I realize why this dress was made only once.  I've also realized that even though my measurements are about the same, and my weight is also about the same, my 66 year old body isn't. I can't take my TNT patterns from 10 years ago and just sew them.  I will need to check fit with each of them if I choose to use them again.  Right now, I'm thinking I'm better starting with a new pattern.

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...as always more later!

Let's Do It Again - Vogue 2947

As I mentioned in a previous post, I haven't sewn much because I've been discovering all the items I can wear again in my closet. But I do get the urge to create.  Since my weight is the same now as it was a decade ago, I've been rereading some of my posts from then.  Back when I sewed EVERY weekend and documented everything I did here on the blog.

I made Vogue 2647, an OOP Adri Designer Original pattern adding the neck tie.  I'm loving old me because I even included the instructions on how to make and add the tie to the dress.

This is the exact kind of dress I'm looking for. Something that's comfortable, stylish with a slimmer silhouette. I mean I've made enough long, loosely gathered dresses (most of which no longer fit btw) for awhile. I'm looking for something different than I've been wearing.  Also something that I don't have to do pattern alterations too.  Honestly I just can't muster up enough sewjo for that! 

So, I pulled a linen and a cotton blend out of the collection, the linen has been in the collection for the last decade. They were pretreated and I preceded to cut them out. But as I mentioned in a previous post, my weight may be the same but my measurements have shifted slightly and I did not take that into account when I cut the dresses out. After I finished the blue/white version, I decided to do something different for the beige/brown version.

Brown/Beige Version:

I decided to make this a tunic to wear over my white jeans.  To do this I cut 12" inches off the bottom of the front and back piece.

I used 3/8" seams when I sewed the garment together, leaving a 6" side slit on each side.  

Attached the tie like my previous instructions mentioned.

Then made bias binding from a brown linen bias binding roll I had in my collection.  BTW, I bought these bias binding rolls from Fabric Mart 20+ years ago and it's the purchase that keeps on giving.

May I speak on my Ozempic arms for a minute. I've had larger biceps/arms for years.  For the last couple of years I've sewn dresses and tops with sleeves because of that fact.  I've preferred covering them...it also meant I didn't have to carry a sweater with me for public transportation and buildings that were too cold. But after 8 months on Ozempic, the tone of every part of my body is different.  So with age, losing weight quickly, a lack of surgery and no exercise, I've got Ozempic arms.

Interesting enough so does Oprah...

Oprah at the Bezos wedding

It's like the muscle is on top and the fat hangs to the bottom.  I won't be wearing the tunic or the dress without a cardigan over it.  Again the air conditioning in my office and on public transportation makes me freeze if I don't have a cardigan. However, I wanted to be honest about what's occurring on my body, even though I did purposely choose the pictures that didn't show it as much!

Blue/White Version

A few photos of me wearing the dress that while it fits is a little too close fitting for me. I used a poly/cotton blend that I bought from LA Finch Fabrics a couple of years ago for the dress.  A gingham bias binding purchased from Cedar Grove Dry Goods in Lancaster, PA was used to bind the armholes. As an aside, I bought every color they had so I'm swimming in gingham bias binding.

Now between the time I completed this dress and my daughter took photos it's looking a little better to me.  Still close-fitting but I will probably wear it before the summer is over along with a white cardigan. This one was made as the pattern suggests you make it.  So there is a front and back seam.  After I cut it out I realized that I did not use those seams on the original dress.  I used a pivot & slide method to add space for my abdomen and butt.

This was tight and a new look for my eyes.  To give it a little more space, I went in and made all of the seams 3/8" wide instead of the original 5/8".  It gave the dress a little more space and made it wearable. 

Inserting gingham bias binding on the armholes

Stitching the hem down

A few pics of the finished dress...

I think this photo best represents the color of the dress

While I've added both of these garments to the closet, I'm still not sure about this dress. I need to get use to wearing close fitting garments because I'm much more comfortable in a looser fit.  

I've already worn the tunic with the RTW white jeans.  They were my ride home from vacation clothes and worn with a white cardigan was perfect for the Amtrak ride.

Next up is my final attempt at making this dress work. But I'm realizing why I made this dress only once originally.

*I know Blogger has made it more challenging to sign in but would you kindly sign your name if you use anonymous.  It makes it easier to talk back to you.  Thanks so much!

...as always more later!

A Floral Vogue 9299

I love the painted fabrics that Julia Allison Costs sells. I've purchased a few pieces because they speak to my creative heart. This is my third garment using her fabrics. The Sunshine Katie and The Mountain Range jacket that is still under construction.

Supplies ~

3 panels of a large floral print from Julia Allison Cost

12 5/8" buttons purchased in Lancaster, PA

A scrap of interfacing

2" twill tape

This was the "Inspiration" for my shirt. I've been seeing this big, bold print on shirts everywhere lately.

Layout ~

This is always the challenging and exhilarating part of a make. How to use the fabric to it's best advantage. How to make the design and silhouette sing. This is also the part that's anxiety inducing because one wrong cut and everything goes south.  As an aside why I generally buy one more panel than I need to make a garment...making sure I have more if disaster does actually occur.

A few photos of the tunic during the construction phase...

Putting the label in the back yoke

Cutting table layout making sure the fronts match

Back without sleeves

Front without sleeves

Construction ~

There are no new construction techniques. However, since I hadn't made the garment in over a year, I did reread the instructions and didn't wing it. Was definitely interesting to see the steps I'd skipped when I remade the tunic as a TNT pattern.

This pattern has several sleeve variations. I've never used them. For this one, I added the sleeve I previously used but I added a cuff to it instead of the elastic in the hemline. I wanted a more classic sleeve and look for this bold printed tunic.

A Few Photos ~

This fits in with my new aesthetic..."Art Teacher Chic" It checks all the boxes for me.  Functional, comfortable, and a bold floral. Everything I like in a tunic and was the perfect garment for a long train ride to Boston this summer.

...as always more later!