Next Up is Butterick 5446

Lately I've been feening for jackets.  I mean really wanting new and different styles to put together with pants, skirts and dresses to wear to work.  As you know I work in a very professional workplace which requires a lot of suit outfits.  Now I have no problems coming up with outfits from late March to early December when the temperatures aren't in the single digits or there isn't so much snow on the ground.  However, from late December through the beginning of March I tend to live in pants.

I know there are many women who are fans of pants...and I believe they have their purpose in my wardrobe, but they are not my most favorite article of clothing to wear.  So now that I'm deep into the coldest part of the year there is just no escaping the fact that I wear pants more than skirts or dresses.  Of course to me, this is the area of my wardrobe with the biggest holes because I need quite a few jackets to balance out the pants and have a "proper" suit type look.

However, I HATE notched collar jackets...am quite uncomfortable in them...and just don't wear them.  It has taken me a minute to acquire enough patterns and inspiration looks to come up with some different jacket types...so now I'm feening for new jackets.

Butterick 5446 is one of the new spring pattern offerings from Butterick.  The description on the back of the pattern envelope is:

"Misses' Jacket:  Loose-fitting, unlined jackets, slightly below waist length have collar, double breasted front button closures and stitched hems.  View A has short sleeves with button and button loop closures.  View B has elbow length sleeves."

Butterick 5446

photo courtesy of http://www.butterick.com/

I like this pattern because it reminds me of the yellow version of the Michael Kors suit that Michelle Obama has worn:

You know just to continue my ongoing fascination with her wardrobe! *LOL*

As usual I'm using the bones of the pattern with some slight alterations.  After reading through the instruction sheet, I realize that the only closures on this jacket are at the top neckline and I'm wondering if wearing it through the day will cause it to flap open unattractively.  So I'm going to add a side tie at the waistline to help with keeping it closed.  If that doesn't work I will try some snaps but the tie will be my first choice. 

My second change will be to the sleeves.  Okay, those large bell shaped sleeves are quite trendy...just a little too trendy for me.  I will shave a little of the width off below the elbow and add elastic to a casing at the sleeve hem.  Still trendy but a little more office appropriate, to me.

My fabric is in the dryer...its some of that blue/black polyester brocade from the Vera Lavendar collection from fabric.com.  It was one of the few $1.95 per yard purchases I made...I mean I've bought so much of it during the previous sales that there was very little left that I wanted when the last few pieces were reduced to $1.95 a yard. 

I don't have many pattern alterations to make and I'm also planning on making a pair of black lined pants to go with the jacket.  The black pants will be one of the bottoms in my SWAP collection so even though I am making something new...I am pairing it with something from the SWAP and killing two birds with one stone!

Well I'm off to sew and I'm sure that I will have more to share later!

The first day of the new decade

It's been a slow start for me today...haven't done any sewing yet at all.  And last night was spent ushering the New Year in with family and it lasted quite late or early in the morning, which ever way you want to look at it *LOL*  However, I spent most of last night with a crochet hook in my hand and several skeins of yarn surrounding me...which prompted my Mom to tell me that she hadn't seen me like this in quite some time...and it's all Sheila's fault!

See I saw this garment on her site and I had to have one.  So Tuesday night I went to Michael's with a friend of mine and bought about six skeins of yarn, determined to make one for myself. 

This:

Became this:

and then the significant other started to complain his neck was cold so I spent last night amongst relatives working on a scarf for him...no pictures yet, I'm still working on it.  But I've caught the bug and I've been rummaging in the closet looking for the stash of yarn I stored away.  It's been cold as the dickens here lately and it will be nice to have some more crocheted scarves/shawls to keep the cold away...so Sheila see what you've started! *LOL*

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One of my favorite blogs, is Mrs. O.  On Wednesday, the post was about the vintage pins that Mrs. O wears from the Carol Tanenbaum collection and I laughed out loud!  I've been wearing pins like this for over a decade...ever since I went on an outing with my friend, Colleen Jones, in New Hampshire and found this little shop (well barn actually) that sold all of this vintage Monet jewelry.  I bought quite a bit of her pieces, including earrings and some vintagey rhinestone pieces spending $29.  I remember the sum so well because it was alot considering the pieces purchased averaged about 50 cents.  Anyway, here is a pic of a few of my favorites:

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I started a new dress (simple sheath dress from my TNT dress pattern) to go with a cardigan already in my wardrobe last weekend.  It's the last dress in my "Cardigan Series" so I will finish that up before working on my next SWAP garments.  I don't go back to work until Tuesday, Jan 5th so I want to knock out a few more SWAP pieces while I have this time off...there will definitely be more about this later.

As well as a new book review so look forward to both!

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Finally no new year is complete without some kind of sewing purchase!  *smile* I bought the following patterns from the latest Club BMV $3.99/$3.59 pattern sale which ends tonight at 12 midnight CST so you still have time to find something...which is across all three pattern companies, Butterick, McCalls and Vogue...because the new Vogue Pattern Magazine is already in mailboxes...

Here's what I got:

Vogue 1141 - this jacket has been haunting me! *LOL*

Vogue 8559 - this Marcy Tilton cardigan might make it's way into my SWAP also.

Vogue 8597 - will become one of the six tops for my SWAP.

Lastly, a special thank you to Gretchen who also wrote a post about Denise and the Blue Gardenia and to all of you who've purchased a pattern from her site.  It is wonderful of you to do something so kind for someone else and I'm sure Denise appreciates it, but I am in your debt for caring enough for someone in our sewing community to open your purses and help out!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

...and as always more later!

I'm a copycat!

The October issues of the fashion magazines have been on the newsstands in NYC all week.  I know because they've been taunting me as I've walked by them daily.  And every evening I've come home and opened my mail box with much anticipation expecting them and they haven't been there.  Some days there's barely been anything inside and for a girl that loves mail...its devastating!

Last night, however, there were quite a few of the October issues waiting for me!  I won't bore you with how many magazines I subscribe to (Let's just be thankful that the mailman drives a truck!  BTW, do mailmen walk around and delivery mail anymore?) it's cheaper and easier tho' to subscribe than to truck magazines home on the bus with me.

So back to the magazines that arrived...InStyle - one of my personal favorites - showed up last night!  And it is a wonderful issue...especially because they had two sections that are near and dear to my heart.  One - an entire piece with photos on Michelle Obama's style.  I love how she dresses.  It is a clean, concise style using a lot of color to accent her personality but without frou-frou.  It works so well in corporate environments - I'm sure because she came from one - and her wardrobe showcases her figure.  Now while I don't have a Michelle Obama figure...I will never have those arms without surgery and leaving my day job to work on them...I can copy it!

Here are the pics from the article, "Power Dressing" InStyle Magazine (October 2009):

Dresses and coats

Bold Cardigans

Bright Sheaths

Textured Skirts

Key Accessories

The other article was about home sewing.  First Vogue Magazine and now InStyle!  You can tell the economy is in a recession because when was the last time you picked up a fashion magazine and they had a two page spread on home sewing!  Yeah...I know!  The article is called "Project Disaster" with the tag, "Are Home Ec sewing skills and a 10-year-old machine equal to the task of creating a three-piece designer outfit?  Columnist Faye Penn puts her fearless foot to the pedal"  It is a very funny article about someone diving back into sewing after a hiatus...a must read for anyone returning to sewing.  You will find you are not alone!

Anyway...pick up a copy of this month's InStyle...it is full of wonderful yet useful fashion advice...a homage to the sewist contingency...and just a very fun issue.  I do have two ideas as a starting point for this weekend's sewing adventure.  Neither one of them are instant gratification sewing...boy, I'm missing last week more than you know!  But both of them are pounding at my brain and insisting that they be released!  So  updates later!!!

It's Tuesday Morning

...and I'm slow rolling this morning. Pieces 2 and 3 are completed which are a skirt and a top. Piece 4 - the jacket from Simplicity 2570 has been cut out, basted together for fit and taken apart. Today I will begin the process of actually constructing the garment. But this has been a lazy morning. I think I'm going to relax a bit this morning before diving back into sewing since I'm right on schedule!

Just wanted to give you a brief update because both of my photographers are out of the house...no one will be back until very late this evening so there probably won't be any pretty pictures of these pieces until tomorrow!

But in the meantime can I share something else with you...I love pins! I've loved pins since before they came back on the fashion scene this time with Michelle Obama...and I've loved them since the time before that when they were declared "in style" yet again. I've probably loved them since I was a little girl because my grandmother had 2 or 3 very special ones that she rotated along with her good "costume jewelry" necklaces for Sunday Church Services. They always seemed to complete her outfits.

Does anyone remember Sarah Coventry jewelry and the jewelry parties? When I was growing up I think my mother had every type of home party there was...Tupperware...Princess House...Avon...and Sarah Coventry Jewelry. At one point almost all costume jewelry earrings were clip ons, everyone didn't have pierced ears when I was growing up...and I still don't have pierced ears. Though it is getting harder and harder to find stylish and fashionable clip on earrings, I will not be piercing my ears. At first when I was younger it was because I was scared...in my 30's it was because I had an entire wardrobe of earrings that I didn't have the resources to replace...starting my 50's, I just don't care anymore...I wear clip earrings.

Lately though some of my favorite jewelers have caught on to the "clip on minority" and have started providing earrings for us. I have a couple of pairs of Honora single pearl clip on earrings now in fashion colors that I just love! But I digress...I need to bring this back to sewing! *LOL* On eBay I noticed that there was a Sarah Coventry section - 35 pages worth! - and as I started to look through the offerings, I realized that quite a few of the current jewelry designers were using design ideas from the 60's in their pieces today. I also realized that quite a bit of the "vintage" jewelry was very wearable now...and I started bidding...and bidding...and bidding.

*Sigh* Y'know eBay is a very dangerous place...before you know it you are bidding on like 10 or 12 auctions and getting caught up in bidding fever... However, I quickly found my balance and purchased just a few pin/earring sets which I would like to share with you because they influenced what I am creating this sewing vacay...

This silver one started the slide:

This one quickly followed:

I think I ended up purchasing 4 or 5 sets and they are as beautiful in person as they are in the photos. These pieces will work wonderfully with the new sheath dress jacket combinations that I'm working on for fall. I'm also giving in and purchasing some leggings to go under my dresses for winter. Hopefully it won't be so cold this winter that I won't be able to go through with my plan. So after this episode of "The View" ends, I'm having some lunch and then heading back to my sewing table. Pretty pictures soon...I promise!

Inspired by Michael Kors

I was so inspired by Michael Kors pre-fall line yesterday that I immediately sat down at my sewing machine and made my own version of one.

The designer original:

My version ~ headless pic of me:

On Lulu:

(Okay I really need to stop writing about getting my dressform some legs and just do it!)

Some Stats:

Pattern

TNT dress pattern ~ v-neck version

Fabric

1 yard white cotton/linen blend

1 yard black silk/rayon/linen blend

1/8 yard red linen

(all from the collection!)

Notions

22" white invisible zipper

1 yard white lining

1 yard black lining

1 yard white hem tape

1 yard black hem tape

Construction:

I think the hardest part of making this dress was all of the times I changed the thread. I tried to sew it in an orderly fashion, but ultimately I ended up changing the thread quite often!

The other part that took some thinking about was the cutting layout. I wanted to have a white back and front and a black back and front...not something else. I ultimately ended up laying the white fabric on top of the black fabric with the right sides on the outside and facing the pattern pieces a certain way. I cut this out holding my breathe and gave a huge sigh of relief when it worked.

The dress is lined and I cut the lining out using the same cutting method as I used for the fashion fabric. I did end up sewing rayon hem tape to the bottom of the dress so I ended using a little black and a little white to insure that none of the tape showed through to the other side.

For the red band I cut a five inch piece on the crosswise grain of the fabric. Then I folded over an inch on each side and pressed flat. After the front pieces were assembled, I sewed the band down onto the front of the dress.

This is probably the best invisible zipper I've inserted. I've finally stopped feeling as if I am in an alien land during the insertion process...but I still get a lump in my chest when thinking about putting one in...I know it will get better...I just have to keep doing it especially because I know y'all must be sick of hearing about this now! *LOL*

Conclusion

This will be a great work dress. I look fantastic in it ~ much better than Lulu actually! The dress is slimming and comfortable and I love it! Finally on the third try I make one that I love! *LOL*

I cut out another one this afternoon and was a little annoyed that I didn't get to sew it! But isn't that a little unrealistic...I made a completely lined dress today and I'm mad at myself that I didn't get another one done...

Well it's back to work tomorrow...I'm compiling my list of supplies that I need for my sewing vacation...10 work days left! *sigh* I'm starting to get excited...

...more later!

Dueling Patterns - Part II

The comments left on the last post about the dueling patterns from Simplicity and Butterick have been very interesting...

So Friday evening after work, since I was meeting a friend and needed to waste some time, I headed to the Borders Bookstore in the Time Warner Center hoping they would have a copy of the newly published book, "Isabel Toledo: Fashion From The Inside Out." Of course, they didn't so I've ordered a copy from Amazon. But I did stumble across this cute and inexpensive book, "Michelle Obama - First Lady of Fashion and Style" by Susan Swimmer.

The book is now in my possession because it has such great pics of Michelle's outfits. Now I know almost all of the pictures in the book can be found on the internet, printed out and stored, but why go to all of that trouble when this handy little book does it for me. There are some interesting candid shots of the Inauguration dress without the long coat...and from what I can see...the dress DOES have princess seams. So in that regard the Butterick pattern is truer to the original dress than the Simplicity pattern.

Then Debbie Cook posted a link to a picture of both the front and back of the outfit...

Photo from Stylefrizz.com

This proves that both patterns did not capture the essence of the back of the jacket...and Ann I wonder if the seams are so detailed on the jacket back because of the width of the fabric as you suggested.

Updated to include photo from Phyllis which outlines the actual seam lines in the back of the jacket!

Now I know that very few of us have access to the same type of fabric used in the original outfit...but whatever fabric we choose to use...it will give us a little more freedom and creative licensing when making our own version. However, it has been extremely interesting...at least to me...to examine the two patterns design so closely and to imagine how I will make my own version of this momentous outfit!

Next time I will cry less and examine the details more! *LOL* One final note...we all noticed the Inauguration Outfit (maybe because it soooooo resembled the original styling!) but none of us mentioned that Butterick also did a riff on the Jacket/Skirt outfit that Michelle Obama wore to the Concert on the Mall the Sunday before Inauguration Day...

Butterick's Version:

Michelle Obama's Actual Outfit



Finally I succumbed...I did purchase the Butterick pattern mainly because of the lowered seamline on the jacket front and the Club BMV price of $4.27! *LOL* Patterns are still on sale through midnight tonight CST. I also bought the wardrobe pattern pictured above...so now between the four patterns I can come up with my own version of Michelle Obama's wardrobe.

Well I'm off to sew...my Vogue dress is calling my name! I have no plans for the weekend except a brunch tomorrow...and if I use my time wisely, I may have not one dress but two dresses to show! Hope springs eternal! *LOL*

As always...more later!