It Feels Like Spring

The clocks have sprung forward an hour.  It's light longer and here on the East Coast it's been a relatively mild winter.  I, for one, haven't missed the snow piles or the bitterly cold days. So it's with a happy heart that I'm emerging from the darkness of winter and thinking of Spring.

My company has updated it's work from home policy and we're now required to be in the office 4 days a month. Since I absolutely HATE carting my laptop back and forth, I'm going to be in the office 2 days a week from now until at least October/November...which has made me want to sew some new garments.

I've been looking at the spring/summer offerings online, saving pics of items that caught my eyes.  These two interpretations of the same dress sparked an interest.

Probably because I've made it before and this dress is still hanging in my closet. 

It's from an out of print, Simplicity 2894 pattern. When I made it in 2017, I had planned to make more.  That never happened but I really want to make a few this year because it was an easy to wear, very comfortable dress.  I have several printed linens that would look amazing in this silhouette.  Of course I will maximize it since my ankles don't look as good as they did in 2017. 

I've been thinking about what I want to sew for spring.  Again it won't be a garment a week because I don't have the need even with going back to my office.  However, I'd like to add some different dress silhouettes to work with the dresses I made last year.  I'd also like to add some tops/blouses and toppers to wear over jeans. Realistically it doesn't get dress warm until late May/early June so a couple of those would be nice to add to my wardrobe too. 

Those are my thoughts as we roll further into March with Spring on the horizon...

...as always more later!

Outfit Two - A Denim Jacket and Midi Skirt

Outfit Two of my Chico's Chic spring wardrobe plan consists of this denim jacket and a midi skirt from a bold floral print.  We all know that florals are hot for spring and I love them. So making garments with some of the bold florals from the fabric collection is definitely happening this spring/summer.

This is one of those outfits that's great for early spring because I can layer for more warmth. The jacket is loose enough that bulky or thin sweaters/tops/tanks can go under it.

The Supplies ~
2 yards of a polyester twill floral print given to me from Smuggler's Daughter.
1 yard of non-roll elastic

Construction Details ~
Details of the jacket construction can be found in this post. The skirt is made from a pattern that's been in my pattern collection forever ~ McCalls 2795 ~ circa 2000.  Dayum this pattern is 16 years old and I've been using some version of it for the last 16 years. Interestingly enough, the pattern pieces I used for this skirt, are the original pieces, which thankfully I kept.

That is one good thing about the weight loss, my original TNT pattern pieces now work. This was a quick and easy sew. I only had two yards of fabric, so the pattern piece was cut on the fold for the front and back. I folded the fabric matching selvedges, then folded in it half. The pattern piece was laid on both folds and cut. This allowed me to take advantage of the length of the fabric and get the skirt as long as possible.

After that, side seams were sewn. A casing was made.  The elastic inserted. The casing closed and a 1/2" hem was put in the skirt. I wanted the fabric to do all the talking and I believe it does.

A few photos ~

I'm thrilled with this outfit because it's casual yet on-trend and it's me. Well the new Chico's Chic me! *LOL*

...as always more later!

A Reversible Vest - Outfit One

When I cut out the Tamarack Jacket, I knew I had just enough of the Kanthra Quilt left to make a vest. In my mind, it was always a vest because the fabric was too thick to use as anything else.  As an aside, my Tamarack Jacket was one of my most worn garments this winter!

However, I got the idea to make this vest reversible from Secondo Piano's blog. She made this amazing jacket and I loved how she handled the pocket situation so I incorporated her pocket idea into my vest. See I really wanted those inset pockets in my vest but I wanted the vest to be reversible so that I could use both sides of the last of that amazing quilt.

The challenge was to figure out how to make my idea work. I once again turned to my topper pattern pieces. I believe this will be my final evolution of Vogue 1247.

The Supply List ~
Last of the Kanthra Quilt
Gray Bemberg Rayon for pocket lining
Yards of Linen Bias Binding - made by me

Some Construction Information ~
Since this is a vest, I cut the armholes a little deeper in the front and back pieces. I didn't put the darts in the vest front and worried about the lack of them until I tried the vest on half way through and it seems to work. The edges of the vest front are the finished edge of the quilt. I used it so that I didn't have to worry about how to make the front edges reversible.

All seams are french seamed so that the vest is reversible. Making the french seams was a little challenging due to the width of the fabric.  However, this technique hid the seaming since the fabric is so busy.

Otherwise the construction was pretty easy. After determining that I wanted the lighter side (the Tamarack Jacket side) as the side to have the invisible pockets, I cut extra large pockets from the darker fabric.

These pockets were finished with a dark blue linen bias binding and stitched to the jacket front. 

Again the good thing about this fabric is that the stitching fades into the busy pattern of the quilt on the opposite side.

The linen bias binding was added to the armholes and the neckline - folded in half and sewn down on both sides so that it works with the reversibility of the vest.

Those are the construction highlights. So here are a few pictures of the vest:

First the darker side of the vest ~

Then the lighter side ~

Since the temperatures are still up and down, 70's one day and high 50's another, I think I will be able to get at least one wear out of this before I put it away for the fall. I was uncertain about this when I finished it but looking at the photographs I'm thrilled with it now.  Even my daughter was complimentary about this one. 

BTW, I think I've evolved V1247 as far as I can take it! Skirt to dress to topper to vest is quite a journey! Now that the temperatures are going up, I'm moving on.  This pattern and it's editions are going back into the file folder and maybe I'll look at it again next fall or maybe not!

...as always more later!

A Couple of Dresses

I've been at this job for 10 months now.  I have a better handle on how I want to dress for the job I really love. So after the last few months of wearing jeans, denim leggings and ponte jeans with a variety of sweaters, tops, blouses and toppers, I'm so ready to wear a dress.

Last year I made a lot of maxi dresses. Dresses that I'm thrilled to have in my wardrobe for this spring/summer. However, I really love to wear dresses and skirts and I've finally worked out how to make those garments function in my job environment. I've also realized that I'm going to stand out a bit but it's okay because I'm a member of the team now. I've worked hard to be respected so they will see that instead of just seeing what I wear.

So dresses! I'm sooooooo excited! I even wore two to work last week with stockings. I think the key is not to wear and accessorize them the same way that I use to. The last 10 months has provided me with the opportunity to change the way I looked at my clothing and how I wear it.  

I wore this one and this one last week.  Yes, those are just links because how they're styled on the blog is not how I wore them. However, it made me realize that in the short term, I should make a couple more just like them in different fabric types, cause I gotta lot of fabric! *smile*

The first two are shown above. They are simple sews. Made using my new TNT dress pattern. What makes them different is the ponte fabric I used. I even used some of the same techniques I've used in past dresses ~ dresses that no longer live in my wardrobe.

First the Dark Floral Ponte Dress 

Don't you love these shoes?! I've worn them under my jeans

and thought they would work with this dress.

The Supplies ~
2 yards of a floral ponte purchased from EmmaOneSock
22" black invisible zipper
Design Plus fusible stay tape

There are no new construction techniques. As I stated above it was a simple sew. I added short sleeves with a band. I will wear it with a black cardi at work because the office is always slightly chilly.

A few photos ~

The second is a Striped Ponte Dress

The Supplies ~
2.5 yards of a striped ponte from Fabric Mart
22" white invisible zipper
2 yards black foldover braid

Construction ~
This was the most challenging of the two dresses because I decided to cut the stripes both horizontally and vertically to add interest to the dress. Honestly working this out made my head hurt but I got them cut out. I used old pattern pieces from my now out-of-date TNT dress pattern so I wouldn't have to reinvent the wheel.  Though I don't know how much time I actually saved since I still had to refigure everything to work for this body.

The pieces were cut out singly. I then laid the pieces on the cutting table in the order I wanted them to flow around my body. I did this to make sure that everything worked. I constructed the dress this way also. So the back pieces were put together first, including the invisible zipper, then the side seams were sewn. Matching the stripes on the one side was also important to making this dress work.

The final embellishment to make the dress work was adding the black foldover braid to the neckline and armholes. I'm wearing the dress with a bright yellow RTW sweater because I wanted to add some color to the outfit and I will be wearing it this way IRL.

Some pictures of the dress ~

Highlighting the side seam stripe match

These were the last makes but I'm blogging them first because...well dresses! So these are actually Outfit 3 and 4 in my "Chicos Chic Spring Wardrobe Plan." 

My daughter and I shot these dresses pretty glammed up. I won't be wearing them to work this way. I just wanted to dress up for a change and wear some high heels! *smile*

However, I have a stack of patterns ready to use to make more spring/summer dresses so I won't be using my TNT pattern much this summer. I just started here and am branching out because hey it's spring and I can wear dresses again!

...as always more later!

The Concord T-Shirt

First things first...
I was a tester for this pattern for Jenny.  I've also tested another pattern for Jenny. Why? Because I really believe in the pattern line that Jenny is developing for what I know is an under served market.  

Next, I haven't sewn a t-shirt since I was a teenager back when things fit me right out of the envelope. Mostly because I could purchase one or two since they weren't mainstays in my work wardrobe and I wore anything at hand on the weekends. Hey I was a mother with 3 small children, I was doing good getting dressed!

For my version, I used the length of View B, the neckline and sleeve length of View A and a C/D cup size. I deliberately made mine close fitting because I wanted to see if I could sew a decent looking tee that fit close to my body and didn't give away too much.

I was honestly thrilled with this tee. In some of the side shots that I sent to Jenny, she made some suggestions for future versions which I will incorporate. However, I love that the tee is close fitting in the bust area but still has ease over my abdomen and backside.

Here are a few detail shots, showing the collar, the cuffs and the top on the hanger...cause y'all know how much I love hanger shots!

I used some cotton/lycra knit from the collection for this "trial" tee that I proceeded to wear to death. I wore it under every type of sweater and jacket this winter! Here is a picture of it under the Tamarack Jacket...

So you would have thought that I would have made more right? Nope, I was waiting for the pattern release! I have a horrible time not sharing what I sew here on the blog...add that as another reason that I dislike pattern testing! I want to shout from the rooftops when something new and cool is happening. *LOL*

I have several lengths of cotton/lycra knits waiting to be made up into short sleeve versions of this tee. I've already thought of ways to incorporate it into my spring/summer wardrobe so more of them are coming to the blog!

I hope if you're a curvy or a plus-size or a thick sewist (whatever word you choose to describe yourself) that you will give the Concord t-shirt and Cashmerette patterns a try. 

If you're interested in a few others who've made up the pattern check out Gaylen's version for her daughter, Gillian's version and Jenny's round up on her blog!

...as always more later!

Another Wardrobe Post...

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about my spring/summer sewing. How to make ideas work in my Chico's Chic theme. How to make it casual enough for my work environment but still me? I have a plan and a list but it just seems like it needs to be refined a little more.

I was going to post this picture to Instagram and then realized that I had a lot more to say than I wanted to type under an Instagram photo. I bought these patterns 14 years ago. I remember where I was living and what stage of my life I was in when they were purchased.

I also worked at a job with a much more casual work environment and these were the types of garments I was sewing to wear to work. I found these patterns rambling through my pattern drawers.  See along with not buying a lot of fabric this year and using what's in the fabric collection, I also want to use what's in my pattern collection.

If I was to describe my style I would say it's classic with a dash of funky. That's why 14 years later I can still use all of these patterns. If you've been sewing for awhile you will remember these Adri designer patterns. If you haven't, I'm sorry you missed out on these because they are wonderful patterns that are chock full of different garments conveniently available in one envelope. Yes, I've been collecting patterns for a long time.

An aside, as I was rambling through my Vogue Designer Patterns, I found Calvin Klein patterns ~ does anyone else remember when the Calvin Klein Jeans pattern was carried by Vogue Patterns?  Other designers like Givenchy, Tamotsu, Geoffrey Beene, Anne Klein, Oscar de la Renta and Ungaro to name a few. Let's not talk about the drawers full of plus size 60s patterns with Jackie Kennedy like looks and the mod look.

I digress. I will be adding some of these looks to my Chicos Chic collection with the original fabric I purchased to make them with...yes, hanging head in shame, some of those fabrics are still in the collection. Okay, not hanging head in shame...there are some pretty wonderful moments associated with those fabric purchases!

Anyway all of this rambling is to ask, Do you still have loads of patterns, designer or otherwise in your fabric collection from 10, 15, 20 years ago? And were they originally purchased then? Do you still purchase loads of the newer released patterns too? Do you think you will ever sew them or are they just for inspiration?

Honestly, my love of the TNT pattern and my need to make something 3, 4, 5 times before I put the pattern away, definitely means that I won't be sewing all of the patterns in my collection. But after fabric, patterns are the things that fuel my creativity. 

All of this to say that I've been digging in the pattern stash to add items/garments to my spring/summer sewing list.

BTW, I did do some sewing this weekend.  A reversible vest and a midi skirt are done. I just need to get some modeled shots and hopefully this weekend will be okay weather wise to do so. They will be part of two different outfits for the wardrobe theme. 

...as always more later!

Pivot and Turn

One of the things I realized during my trip out west is that I can sew dresses again, just very casually. I need to turn from the look I use to wear - dresses that were structured and made with tailored type fabrics using pearl accessories and pivot towards a looser more casual and funkier look.

Gaylen was wearing this Lola dress that she had modified and sewn in ponte. I loved it!

Of course it made me want one especially after checking out the princess seamed bodice, empire waist and seaming in the skirt of the dress. Gaylen omitted the bands, the pockets the little v at the neckline and she lengthened it. She wears it with a cardigan and/or scarves. It was perfect for the spring-like days in Seattle and it will work for me for spring in NYC.

She let me trace her pattern, cause y'all know I hate PDF's, and I omitted some of her adjustments to make it fit me better. Although I had to make 3 renditions to get short sleeves that would fit my bodacious biceps. It's a really skinny sleeve pattern! I did this Sunday evening while Gaylen and I watched the Red Carpet for the Academy Awards. 

There were two other dress patterns that really inspired me during the weekend.  One was this SEWN dress pattern.

It's called the Go Anywhere Dress and I found it at Pacific Fabrics SODO. I like the seaming on the pattern front and back and the pockets, though I have an idea about them that I'm going to try. I will use one of the linens I bought from Marcy for this and I will probably also make the tunic top in a ponte. Once I've finished the unselfish sewing for the granddaughter, I'm moving into spring sewing for me.

Then at the Marcy Tilton fashion show, I saw this dress by Katherine Tilton made up. I'd overlooked this Butterick pattern before but in the soft linen they showed, I knew I wanted it! Interestingly enough Niema had the pattern and no longer wanted it, so she gifted it to me.

So these are on my list for spring sewing! I'm actually quite excited now because I have a few more toppers I want to make, a vest and now these dresses. I think I've finally pivoted and turned and am finding my way!  Thank goodness!

...as always more later!

Remaking my TNT Dress Pattern - The Woven Version

After making a ponte version of my TNT dress pattern, I pulled a lightweight silk/wool twill border print from the collection for my next version.  This is another one of those Fabric Mart purchases made during the frenzy of a 40% off sale. It was purchased in August 2014 which means it had a pretty short stint in the fabric collection.

I chose this fabric for the next version because I'm trying to make better fitting dresses that will stand out.  I own plenty of solid colored cardigans that can be worn with them since this is my go to outfit for work.

The challenge for this dress ~ making sure the border print works all the way around the hem of the dress. The fabric is only 44" wide - probably why I purchased 3 yards instead of my normal 2 - and the pattern pieces hang over an inch at the hemline. 

To handle this challenge, I used a single pattern piece layout on the fabric. This meant that I had to make additional pattern pieces for the center back and side back pieces.

Making second copies of the back pieces

Laying the pieces out side by side on the fabric

So the front was cut on the fold and the back pieces were cut singly to insure that the border print worked all the way around the dress.

Construction ~
The only thing I did differently with this dress vs. the ponte version is to use 3/8" seams from the waistline down. The dress fit with the 5/8" seam allowances but I hate when a dress cups the bottom of my abdomen. By using 3/8" seam allowances on every seam instead of the 5/8" I gave the dress just enough space to skim over my body.

I added a red piping at the neckline because you know that I like to end/contain a print in a dress and it always adds a finishing.

The dress is lined with a bemberg lining and closed with a regular center back zipper insertion. I was going to do an exposed zipper then decided that there was too much going on. I didn't want the zipper to overwhelm the dress.

I believe that the upper back fits better here than it did on the ponte dress.

So I'm going to keep using this type of back going forward because I will make more of these dresses. It's a silhouette that I'm comfortable wearing and it works for my lifestyle. It's also a great jumping off place to make interpretations and to use as a basis for fitting new dress patterns.

My plan is to try some new dress silhouettes this year. Primarily because my sewing was so lazy last year and also because I own a lot of patterns. I should take some of them out of their envelopes and pair them with my vast fabric collection, dontcha think?!

Photos ~

Next up I'm remaking my TNT straight skirt. I use to wear a lot of skirts. Once I got a little heavier, I would wear them occasionally but I lost the love for them. After making the brocade skirt I decided that I would like a few more in the wardrobe. Especially since almost every skirt without an elastic waist is too big for me now. I'm packing them up to be donated so a huge portion of my wardrobe is missing.

Two items are off my spring sewing list - the skirt is the third thing and then I think I'm deviating from the list!  Yes, I know...but it's for a dress and some fabric that's making me catch my breathe.  Then I'm going back to the list for the next item.

Finally a parting shot ~
I bought these shoes in 2012 and wore them for one season again because everything just bloated up on me. Now I don't seem to own a pair of shoes that doesn't fit again.  So these are back in rotation.  They are Jones NY Shoes with a 3 inch heel and a foot pad that makes them so comfortable and easy to wear.

...as always more later!