It's almost the weekend...

It's a funny thing, when I have time to sew and concentrate on sewing, it's all I think about...but when I have to go back to "the real world" lately sewing thoughts have seriously taken a back seat...see I had so much that I wanted to share with you...thinking that I would write a post here and there during the week...but as usual my dayjob is so overwhelming that after arriving home late a few nights...there went those sewing posts!

However I have started to work on my 60's mod dress:

And here is a sneak peek at it so far:

Okay it wasn't much of a peek but I'm loving it and I'm loving working with the pattern. I will definitely make this again in the fall in a lovely bold colored wool crepe. I can tell that this pattern will probably move into TNT land with a quickness.

I do have to tell you that a "one size" pattern is fantastic when you flat measure...the seam lines are defined so it is easy to overlap and get a correct measurement. I'm loving that about the pattern too.

The instruction sheet wasn't as chock full of information as some have been in the past but I think its because the pattern companies had already started to move towards the "fast, faster, fastest" sewing method.

I will definitely finish this dress this weekend especially since I'm not adding a lining...it has gotten sticky hot here lately and the fabric has enough heft to it that I don't think it needs a lining. I do, however, want a little white jacket to go with it and the Vintage Pleated Dress...so after diving back into the fabric closet I've found a white jacquard that I think will work up well in Butterick 5147...

And Marji - don't yell at me, but I bought 6 yards of a black cotton pique from Fabric Mart

I would love to make the dress from this pattern from the black pique to also wear with the white jacket! Wow, that's a lot of dresses under that one jacket! *LOL* I still haven't made the dress yet since I've been sewing by the whatever moves me method...

Last but not least some more vintage patterns showed up in the mailbox - all of these are plus sizes...so I'm thinking I'm gonna use them right out of the envelope!

My weekend plans are to sew, sew, and sew some more! I have to squeeze as much sewing as I can in this month because next month will be really busy at work and I have quite a few weekend plans, too...so sewing time will be limited! Then it will be September and my mind will be turning to fall sewing...but right now...I'm still thinking and dreaming, hoping and wishing about summer dresses and skirts!

What's Next

Last week Lanetz Living had a bunch of 60's mod patterns in plus sizes...so you know a few of them followed me home! *smile* I have got to put in a plug here for Lanetz Living...as you know I've been trolling a lot of sites on Ebay and websites looking at vintage 60's patterns and I have to say that I have had the best experience with them! I am so thrilled with the prompt service, the variety of style and size available and the returning discount that whenever I am looking for vintage I head there first! Okay testimonial over...

This is what I'm working on now...

Yeah, straight from the vintage pattern! And I'm using the gray border print for the dress.

I have an idea for a couple of garments from this fabric combination...but as you can clearly see I'm on a dress kick! If I could, I probably would wear a dress or skirt all the time but the seasonal changes here on the East Coast doesn't always permit that...so that's why I love spring/summer sewing so much. I can indulge my love of dresses and make as many as I want.

Speaking of dresses...here is a finished photo of the Vintage Pleated Dress, with and without a jacket...

Boy, that little white "muslin" jacket is coming in handy! But I think I want to make another one from a different pattern so that I won't wear this jacket out! *smile*

Finally, the JCC pictures are up. You can see them here. There are some really talented and accomplished sewists featured here so surf on over and take a look!

I have to go back to work tomorrow...but I have several new pieces to wear for the next two weeks especially since this week is suppose to be sticky, hot and humid, with temps in the 90s!

Vogue 7433 - A Vintage Inspired Dress

Introduction:

In my quest to use more "new" patterns and not just TNT ones, as well as to incorporate vintage details into my garments, I have begun yet another adventure with a pattern. There have been so many twists and turns with this dress, that I have nicknamed it, "The Fumble Around Dress." If there was something that could have been done easily and straight to the point, I managed to avoid it and take the long way around...so without further ado...

"The Fumble Around Dress"

Inspiration:

During my vintage pattern forays I noticed this silhouette in several different pattern lines.

Continuing in my quest to add vintage details to my current patterns I knew this Vogue pattern could work as a base to achieve the look.

Fabric:

A cotton/linen blend purchased from Cloth World approximately 15 years ago (I am really digging deep into the collection lately!) and a 1/2 yard of cotton sateen purchased from Metro Textiles was used for the insert and sleeve trim.

Pattern:

Vogue 7433 - a very loose fitting pullover top, has a collar, slightly extended shoulders, front neck slit and above elbow or long sleeves. This is an OOP Very Easy Vogue Pattern circa 2001. I started with a size 24.

Notions:

22" zipper, 1/2" shoulder pads

Construction Changes:

1. The first and most important was to convert this from a tunic length top to a dress. I did this by adding 13" to the front and back pieces.

2. I also cut the front and back pieces from the waistline to the hemline and inserted 1 7/8 inches to the pattern. I did this because I thought that the finished measurements of the dress would make it too tight. Of course, I ended up taking almost all of it out of the seams after the first try on...can we say fumble number 1, 2 & 3 ~ since on subsequent fittings I continued to take almost every inch added into the dress out of it!

3. The most important change was to add a center back seam and a zipper to the dress. I didn't want to pull the dress over my head so it was necessary to add a closure that would allow me to step into the dress.

4. This addition meant that not only did I have to alter the collar piece but I also had to alter the facing piece. Both pattern pieces were split in half, seam allowances added and then added to the dress.

5. To correct the extended shoulders issue, I added and sewed down 2" wide darts in both the front and back pieces. Not only did this solve the too large shoulder concerns but it added a "vintage detail" to the dress.

6. I made my normal adjustment to the sleeves - enlarging the bicep area. Then I went onto to make the fugliest sleeve possible by adding a piping insert into the sleeve and a band beneath it:

Fugly, fugly, fugly when added to the dress...so the sleeve had to be ripped out and re-worked!

7. The most challenging change to the dress was adding the v-insert. The pattern originally had you make a tank top to wear under the dress. I didn't want that and initially was just going to make a v-insert and tack it to the dress. Then I saw the insert that Summerset made in her daughter's Hannah Montana dress and I was off and fumbling around!

I started by cutting out just the front half of the tank top that is included in the pattern...after working on a couple of options and tacking the insert down and ripping it out...I finally ended up with what is in the dress now and pictured above. However, it took a great deal of fumbling around to get it to lay flat in the dress.

8. There are alot of little construction details to this dress - all of the topstitching on the collar, the handwork on the inside to hold the insert to the dress and all of the finishing details that make the inside of the dress look as clean as possible.

Conclusion:

My finished dress does have a slight a-line flair to it...probably from all of the inches I inserted...but I do like the way the fabric falls and the dress moves so I won't complain. The silhouette is slimming yet a little different from my TNT dress pattern and all of its variations...also the dress is in a great, bright color which makes it new and trendy since color is "in" for summer. It also has some of the details that has attracted me to vintage patterns and it will work in my corporate workplace on a hot, humid day when a suit isn't necessary.

However, it took me two long days to complete a simple basic dress because I definitely fumbled my way through the construction process. So the next time you are looking at one of my creations and wondering how I did it? In this instance...I fumbled my way through!

Finally, I am borrowing Summerset's Parting Shot:

My new Bose iPod docking system...it was invaluable to me during the last two days as I fumbled around with my new dress! *smile*

Refashioned

Last week walking through the subway, I saw a young woman wearing an a-line print skirt that had a band at the hem that was a totally different color than any of the colors in the skirt. At first it was a little jarring to the eye but the look stuck with me.

Today I was hanging up clothes in the closet and I happened onto some skirts that I made about five years ago from my favorite TNT skirt pattern. I have been hesitant to ditch them because they are perfectly good skirts, just not right for my current work environment. They are made from some cotton pique prints that I got during a fabric shopping extravangza with friends to JoMars in Philadelphia.

So I started with this long, ankle-length, bias cut skirt:

And after a trip to the fabric closet...I'm starting to believe that I have a little of everything in there...I ended up with this:

I added a 4 inch band of yellow linen to the bottom of the skirt. So with a little time and effort, I now have a great skirt to wear on fridays. I can just add a white twinset and I'll be all set!

I'm home for the next few days and have a few more dresses that I want to crank out so look for them!

And does a refashioned item count as a finished item?...Just wondering...

When Vintage ain't Vintage...

If you've been reading my ramblings lately, you know that I've been on a real vintage kick...not so much sewing actual "vintage" patterns but incorporating the techniques and details from the patterns into my TNTs. I think I've been pretty successful and I am very happy with the garments that I've worked the vintage magic on so far...

So I'm on Simplicity's site the other day and I find this:

It's Simplicity 3559 and since I've been trolling almost every pattern site on ebay that sells vintage patterns and several other websites, too, for Jackie Kennedy looks and 60's mod patterns, I immediately recognized this silhouette from the line drawings. To say I was excited was an understatement...I could purchase a pattern in a size I could wear out of the envelope (well with a little manipulation) and I would get those wonderful instructions. I promptly ordered the pattern from the website...we won't go into why I won't wait for a 99 cent pattern sale at the only fabric chain around here and how I think it is like going into the pits of hell to shop there...

So the pattern arrived today! Now first I have to give Simplicity props, they are very quick with the pattern delivery! However, I was very disappointed after anxiously opening the envelope. Simplicity are you listening, cause this is important...don't skip onto the good parts...really HEAR what I'm saying! Us, vintage fanatics (notice how I included myself in there!) WANT, NEED, the original instructions...not some trumped up instructions that are taken from bits and pieces of computer generated instructions that are laying around.

Folks...I should have gone looking for the original pattern (which btw the number is conveniently NOT displayed on the new pattern)! See I love those old instruction sheets. Each one is a sewing lesson in itself - full of trusty tidbits that challenge me and increase my sewing knowledge. So basically I got a rip-off...dang Simplicity is ripping itself off and not doing a very good job of it! *LOL*

There are 2 pages and 4 sides of instruction...and the construction sequence is soooo off in this dress that I will end up not even using the instructions. Except for tying off the darts (really is that an older technique?!), there is nothing new and different in here...okay so maybe they are on the recyling kick...maybe they are being green...*shaking head* nah...I don't think so...

I will probably make the dress, cause it is a cute silhouette and will work well in my "Summer of Sophisticated Dressing" wardrobe...but *sigh* I am disappointed...

Can you stand anymore JCC?

I came home from work dog tired...I mean I went to bed at almost 1 am and was back up at 5:45 am to go to my day job...well I really just crawled out of bed, showered and threw on something and left. Thank goodness it is a casual week in my workplace!

It took me awhile when I got home to get it together to take pictures...but they are done and sent off to Elizabeth - the host of the JCC.

However, I wanted to share with you my favorite pic of the dress...

I love this dress! It met and exceeded all of my expectations from when I was "dreaming" it up! I love the movement of the pleats...I love the brown accents...but I especially love how feminine the dress makes me feel!

I promise I'm moving on and talking about techniques and patterns and other sewing stuff in my next couple of posts...I'm just so thrilled to be finished with these JCC pieces!

Done!

First I want to thank you all for your encouraging words both here and via email.

Second, I never thought that I had sewing ADD but I must because what else would have possessed me to sew a vintage dress that had no relation to my JCC wardrobe last weekend! If I had just stayed on track, I would not have been rushing tonight to meet the deadline!!

Third, I finished sewing the last button on at 11:38 pm tonight. Then I snapped a few quick pictures on the hanger...full blown dress up pictures will have to wait until tomorrow because I have until July 4th to get the pictures to the leader of the JCC Contest.

I have much to say about the sewing of the jacket ~ both the things that I liked and disliked. I am still trying to decide if I will make it again! One part of me says yes...that there are aspects of the pattern yet unexplored...and another part of me says no! I guess I just need some time and space to properly evaluate that experience.

Also I know that I still need to post about how I made the box pleats for both this dress and the vintage one...so look for those soon. My sewing machine and serger have been turned off and they will stay that way until the weekend. I have a few days off for the holiday and have several dresses with some vintage details that I want to make...yeah I'm still staying home and sewing...another DD starts college in the fall!

Okay, construction pictures are up on my Flickr Album. And I will leave you with two pictures...garments are still on the hanger...

I love this sleeve detail...

and one of the jacket over the dress...

I was concerned this wouldn't work but it does, it really does! *LOL* Okay, I'm taking my tired self to bed...more later...

June 30th doesn't end until midnight, right?

Here is where I stand...

June 30th doesn't end until midnight right? So technically I can come home tomorrow, finish up the jacket, take some pictures and submit it all before 11:59 pm...or am I pushing it too close?

Well...I'm committed now and I can almost see the finish line...so this is what's left on the jacket...

1. Hem the sleeves - then sew the tab and button on.

2. Finish pressing the hem up, add hem tape and stitch it down.

3. Make buttonholes and sew buttons on.

4. Insert shoulder pads

5. Give it another good pressing

I can finish all of that by midnight tomorrow night, right? And if I don't I guess you guys will be the first to know...but....I....am....not....quitting....yet! *LOL*

One more pic for the road...and I would be absolutely, positively NO-GOOD on Project Runway...I am not at my best under pressure...

taking my tired behind to bed...

I think I can...

I am stopping for a break 'cause if I don't I won't finish this jacket...which is a major PIA!!! Why oh why did I pick a new pattern for my last piece? Because somewhere in my twisted brain I thought I would have 2 days or the entire weekend to work on it instead of just one day...

I am weary so please forgive me...but I think I can...I think I can...finish up this last piece so the JCC is done...

Okay...I'm going back in now...too bad I have to go to work tomorrow or this would be a no-brainer...

I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...

she mutters as he heads back to her sewing machine...

Three Down and One to go!

As the title says..."three pieces done and one more to go!" Okay that's an expansion on the title but hey I can see the finish line, and I'm a little giddy! The first three pieces of my JCC wardrobe are completed and ready to be worn...

...All three pieces...

...SW Mission Tank and pants...

TNT dress with banded sleeves and pleated bottom.

Tomorrow I will work on the safari jacket and this wardrobe will be done.

I have to make or buy an accessory...so my official entry will have two accessories...a scarf tie for the tank so I can have a bowtie look on the blouse and a belt for the jacket...made from the pattern.

However my real new accessory is these shoes...purchased just for these new pieces! Gosh I love a new pair of shoes...though they won't arrive in time for the official end of the contest because I waited to long to order them!

Tomorrow is one more piece and pictures...and of course I will share here when its done!

Friday Night Snippets

I know that I haven't posted here this week, but believe it or not I haven't had much to say! *lol*

My vintage pattern fabric obsession is still in full swing.

These arrived this week:

McCalls 3145
"A Pounds Thinner" Pattern
copyright 1972

Advance (Sew Easy) 3289

Simplicity 6276
copyright 1965

And I just won this one on an Ebay auction:

Simplicity 4889

I know that I said that I would stay away from there (Ebay) but I just keep getting sucked back in...at least now though I am only buying one or two patterns at a time instead of 15!!!

I also got this amazing gray linen blend border print from FashionFabricsClub:


My fabric closet holds quite a few pieces of gray and navy fabrics but mostly in wools for fall and winter. I managed to put together this collection of fabrics to make several more pieces for work...I just have to figure out when to sew it!

Solid gray linen (FFC); gray linen/blend border print (FFC); cotton/linen blend (Rag Shop); ltwt. cotton sateen (Metro Textile)

And I took a picture of this tag:

Since so many people seemed "curious" about the fact that I knew exactly where and when I bought the fabric for the Vintage Vogue Dress. This is just something I do...every piece of fabric that comes into the house gets tagged. The little white tag tells me yardage, fiber content, where I bought it, if it was pre-treated, and in the early years I put the year on it or if it was a store tag (i.e. Fabric Mart/Rag Shop) the year appears on it. It helps with knowing how much fabric is available when I'm thinking about a project and if it was pre-treated!

I also want to clear something up from the last post about the Vintage Vogue dress ~ the back yoke DOES NOT have bound buttonholes on it. I made machine stitched buttonholes and added an extra buttonhole and button to cover the yoke fully. When I re-read what I wrote it sounded like I made bound buttonholes and I didn't...making the pleats was bad enough! *LOL*

So this weekend will be dedicated to finishing off my JCC pieces. There are already some amazing entries up for this contest and I need to get mine finished and photographed so that I can move on! I have quite a few ideas running through my mind for more summer dresses and I need to get them made into garments!

Last update - I am in awe of all of those who have made their coat muslins! I don't even own the muslin fabric yet and realized that I am going to be sewing mine in late August/early September. I just can't sew that far ahead of the season! Issues...I know! *LOL*

Have a great weekend and hopefully finished JCC pieces soon!

Vintage Vogue 5265 - Part 1

Well I've done it again...planned more than I could actually sew...*sigh*

I totally underestimated the amount of time it would take to turn my TNT dress pattern into a version of Vogue 5265. From the drafting of new bodice yoke pieces...to the pleating of the fabric...to even assembling the dress...just way more time than I had originally planned.

First some basics:

Patterns:

Vogue 5265 - the inspirational pattern's description:

Dress with wide box pleat either side of center front and center back joins shoulder yoke with oval neckline. Looped sash worn at waistline or hipline or novelty belt. Short sleeves and sleeveless. Copyright date 1961 by The Conde Nast Publications Inc.

TNT Dress Pattern (Butterick 5932) which has a copyright date of 1998 on it and my revised version looks nothing like the original pattern.

Fabric:

A 100% rayon purchased 13 years ago from a local fabric chain called "The Rag Shop" which is out of business in my area. There was 3.5 yards of 53" wide fabric before pre-washing. Since I'm lazy (lol) I did not measure it after pre-washing. However, there was only enough fabric to get a sleeveless version of the dress and the sash constructed. Even part of the yoke linings are cut from cotton batiste because I needed to insure that I had enough fabric for the sash.

Notions:

3 - 5/8" buttons

1 - 9" zipper

Construction Details:

There were quite a few construction changes...so I am only going to highlight the ones that I feel were important.

First - I did use the pattern pieces for the yoke from the original vintage pattern to make new ones for my interpretation of the dress.

Two - I added several more pleats to the front of my dress than the original one, probably because the original calls for a pleated center front piece and two side fronts that are cut and sewn to the center piece and then pleated. I thought I could achieve a similar look by just pleating a front piece to match the width of the front yoke.

Three - since I was using a rayon fabric for the dress and I was concerned that with time the pleats would fall out, I edgestitched each pleat. This was very time consuming but definitely worth it to me since I will never have to guess how to iron the pleats back in.

Fourth - the dress calls for a side zipper. I don't know why but I hate side zippers so I moved the zipper to the back under the button opening. With the buttons and zipper opening, the dress opens very wide so that I can just step into it. In the vintage version, I probably would have had to slide it over my head, then zip up the side and button the back.

Fifth - I did use what I thought was a really kewl detail from the original pattern...it has you stitch down the pleats at the waistline and then you put the sash over the stitching. It helps hold everything flat and makes it really neat and easy to wear.

Other details:

The instruction sheet on this pattern wasn't as helpful as previous instruction sheets have been...however, it did have the sewist make bound buttonholes for the yoke back. There were only 2 buttons/buttonholes suggested for the yoke back - partially I think because of the bound buttonholes and maybe partially because the yoke back is considerably smaller in the lower sizes. I used 3 buttons for full back coverage.

There is a lot of fabric in this dress...all those pleats...so its very comfortable to wear but absolutely, positively needs the sash to reign in the fullness...also so it doesn't seem as if I'm wearing a maternity dress.

The armholes are finished with bias binding but I found something that I had in my notions/trim collection and used that instead of cutting bias binding from the fabric like the pattern suggests...well I also didn't have much fabric left!

I embellished the yoke front for two reasons - one, the dress looked plain without it and two, it covers some poor marking on my part when I was making the box pleats.

This was suppose to be a "wearable" muslin and then I was going to make the dress again from a red rayon/linen piece...but I'm DONE! I still have to finish the sash and hem this thing...which is going to be a challenge in itself...so this one will be worn as is. I definitely will not be taking this trip again! *LOL*

Finally a headless shot of me wearing the almost finished dress.

It was a challenging project...alot harder than any of the other interpretations I've done. It also looks nothing like any of the other dresses in my summer wardrobe so I'm glad that I went for it and made it. The other surprising thing is that the sash does not cut me in half nor make me look like a stuffed sausage in the dress.

Of course, once I have actually hemmed it, I will post a picture of me in full make-up and heels wearing the completed version!

This was such an all-encompassing sew that I did not add the sleeves to my JCC dress nor cut out or sew the pants for the JCC wardrobe. However, I am off work on Wednesday and will have a few hours to sew, so I will work on those pieces then. It took two days to create my translation but I am glad that I spent the time on this dress and made it work!

At the week's end...

Well it's Saturday morning and I've made it through another grueling week...

Since it was such a trying week, I haven't thought much about sewing...geeze that statement is scary!!! However, I did work out the sleeve for my JCC Dress, so I will finish the dress up this weekend...and I've also decided to make the pants from the JCC Wardrobe as my third piece too...keeping me on track to finish up with my final piece - the jacket next weekend.

On another front, I really have become fanatical about vintage patterns. I found some new sites (thanks Marji!) that have really inspired me and of course some more patterns have followed me home...

Of the new ones, this one is really "talking" loudly:

It arrived this week from Lanetz Living, it's envelope is a little tattered, the pieces very yellowed with age...but the most priceless part of this pattern to me is the instruction sheet:

I now have fabric in the wash waiting to make a "wearable" muslin of this dress, using the "idea" from the vintage pattern and my TNT dress pattern, hopefully I will end up with a new dress to add to my Summer of Sophisticated Dressing garments.

This also showed up this week:

Just the white/black paisley silk charmeuse portion of the picture...it is matched with the black linen purchased several months ago because I want to make a summer/early fall version of my Easter Suit. I have been diligently searching for a black/white silk print that would work for the inserts, the lining and another SW Mission Tank. I think this one fits the bill and says me at the same time! This is just a peek at a future sewing project.

So my weekend sewing plans are:

*complete the JCC dress

*make the JCC pants

*work on the vintage Vogue pleated dress

Updates tomorrow!!!!

Boston Celtics - 2008 NBA Champions!

Yeah baby!

They did it!!!

Boston 132, Lakers 92

And Paul Pierce, MVP!!!!!

It's All About the Fabric...

First, I would like to thank everyone who posted a comment in the, "Pretty and Professional" post. I appreciate all of your comments and your perspectives on the situation. It helped me greatly to be able to post about it...so thanks again!

Second, I will post "how I did-its" this weekend...as I stated in my dress post, I just sewed the dress...I didn't take any construction pics...so I will have to make some samples to show you how I made the box pleats on the bottom of the dress.

Tonight I was on Style.com because I read an article about Carolina Herrara in this month's More Magazine and admittedly I was looking for a little inspiration...not that I don't have a list of dresses that I want to make now...but I was looking anyway! What I found in Carolina's section was interesting but it wasn't floating my boat...

So I changed directions and tried Chado Ralph Rucci...I mean if you can't find any inspiration from this man...*throwing my hands up in the air* there is just nothing there to help you! *sigh*

Then I got to this picture:

photo credits: http://www.style.com/

And I realized what my sewing has been about for the last few weeks..."it's all about the fabric, baby!" Even some of the garments that I have lined up in my mind...that are banging at each other trying to make it from flat fold fabric into a wearable piece in my wardrobe...is about the fabric first and the design second.

If you've been reading my ramblings for any length of time, you know that I LOVE fabric. Nothing makes me happier than a great piece of fabric...especially one that has some detail to it...a piece of fabric that once cut up can be transformed into something magical and unique!

So even as I've attempted to try sewing patterns other than my TNT, time and time again it's the fabric that makes the garment sing...

And I have some even more amazing pieces of fabric waiting on deck for their chance to become a garment, because it's all about the fabric, baby!!!