A Long Plaid Coming...

I must say... my blogging has gotten away from me! Between a job change, traveling for work, and Mardi Gras... I haven't had time to sew a thing. (And am now secretly glad I didn't post my "sewing resolutions" back in January... I'd be in deep water now...)

It doesn't help that my new job is teaching 1st grade... which is amazing, but "weekend craft" heavy. Let's just say I cut out a lot out of laminated letters. And crazy shapes. And sea animals. Not as many dress patterns.

So let's REWIND to September 2011 and look at a plaid variation of Sorbetto that I made, but never photographed, way back then.









Pattern: Colette's Sorbetto
Sleeve: Colette's Macaroon
Fabric: Plaid Shirting from Hancock's
Trim: Something lacy I picked up in NYC - August 2011.
Cost: No idea, but I'll guess $7.

I love how the Macaroon sleeve looks in the crisp shirting. A very comfortable shirt.























I used the trim to finish the sleeves and neck line by stitching the trim on right-sides-together, turning the seam under, and top-stitching it down. This method caused the trim to stand straight up - as you can see below - which is a little odd, but I kind of like it. 3-D Baby. Perfect to wear around the house while I start my next sewing project!

Poncho Ambitions

Source: google.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

It was love at first site...this Etro poncho and me. A different color at Neiman Marcus, but just as elegant. A heavenly silk wool blend. So fabulous with a chunky belt. I think I will try to make one... for me and my mom.

What you can't see is the silk charmeuse that lines the front panels...and you can't feel how soft it is...and you can't see that it's really four panels of fabric sewn together with straight stitches....excellent...

Thanksgiving Day at the Races!

This Thanksgiving we participated in the New Orleans tradition of dressing up and going to Opening Day at the Races. While others focused on hat construction, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to test my refashion prowess.

Awhile ago, I snagged a hot pink polka dot pleated skirt suit at St. Vincent de Paul's Thrift Store - at a whopping 75% off the $6 price tag!

BEFORE:
After ripping the pockets off the front and cutting a bodice out of the top, I stitched it to the skirt (which I was prepared to take in, but luckily didn't have to.) I used the top of the Anda pattern to give the top a general shape. I centered the button up front along the back seam - making the buttons a back enclosure instead of a front enclosure.

AFTER:


Pattern: Anda for the top.
Cost: $1.50 for the dress, $7 for the hat
Material: 100% Polyester!
Left Overs: shoulder pads... hmmm....

I do wish I'd done something more interesting with the neckline - especially given how long the skirt it. The whole dress is pretty conservative (when you wear a camisole under the top, of course.)

Thanksgiving Day was 72 degrees and sunny in New Orleans! A gorgeous day for the races. I didn't gamble, but Gus managed to break even, and S made $7, which she then left in the betting machine by accident. As you can see - we are novices.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Infinity Banana

Yikes! It's been a while since I've posted. Sorry. Life.

Good news, though! I made my first article of clothing for another person! Soul sister of mine, S, professed a deep love of my Palindrome Dress, so I made her a variation... here's how it went down:

S: I love this dress!
Me: Bring me the fabric and a Diet Dr. Pepper and I'll make you one!
S: I can pay you.
Me: How about you don't pay me, but if I screw up you don't hate me either.
S: Deal.

S showed up with some fabulous stretchy banana fabric. And two months later (I got distracted), voila:
Fabric: Banana yellow cotton jersey - 50% stretch, fabric.com
Pattern: Palindrome
Belt: Banana (Republic)

Why am I calling this dress Infinity Banana, you may ask. Let's break it down.

Infinity:
I did use the same pattern as my Palindrome dress - but the fabric S chose was slightly see through. I decided to do a double layer of fabric. My brilliant idea was to have the inside layer be like a facing for the arm holes and neckline. I lined it up and sewed the pieces together as such - but when I went to turn it inside out, I found that I had turned the dress into an infinity circle. You could keep turning it forever!

A bunch of stitch ripping later, I settled on the facing technique for the neckline only. I ended up just hemming the armholes.

The lining side is also a little shorter than the outer dress, which makes the bottom of the dress a little translucent.

Banana:
I'm not going to explain this. I know you get it. I would, however, like to recall the wonderful palindrome "yo, banana boy!"

S was a willing model, so I give you Two More Views.

Dancing:
Showing off the Saab:

Needless to say, making clothing for others makes me nervous. The fabric sucked itself into the sewing machine several times and I nearly panicked. It's not like the fabric was super expensive or anything - my competence was just on stage, I guess! I'm happy with how it ultimately came out, though. What was the first article of clothing you ever made for someone else? Did it make you nervous?

National Sewing Month Pledge: Sewing Machine Maintenance

I'm still trapped on Martha's Vineyard... I say "trapped" because it's been cold and raining, until today. Which is sunny and beautiful, but I woke up with a head cold. FOILED.

Tucked into my cozy New England bed, I discovered from xoJane that September is National Sewing Month. I haven't decided what to do with this information yet...but I do have one pledge I'd like to start off with.

Source: google.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

I pledge to master the art of sewing machine maintenance and practice it zenfully (and consistently).

I mean, I didn't even know you were supposed to change the needle out. I'm sure some of you are shaking your heads at me right now. I'm ashamed. I've been awful to my little Brother and it's high time I made amends.

Of course, reading the manual will be my most important step, but I've found these resources while I'm laid up here.

Source: threadsmagazine.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Threads Magazine
About.com
New Mexico State University
SewUSA - more of a repair guide
Burdastyle

These are some great resources for sewing machine maintenance and preventative care. Maybe I'll find all those pins that periodically get sucked into the machine. Yikes.

How Tropical Storm Lee Thwarted My Plaid Ambitions

Self Stitched September Day 1!!! Blue plaid flannel Anda dress. One of my first successful projects. Vintage belt. As you can see from the background, I'm at work here.


And now for the story of why this is the only Self Stitched September photo I have so far:(

Tropical Storm Lee. Actually, it was Tropical Storm 13 when it started this trouble. As you probably noted in my last blog post - I had some great ambitions for Mad for Plaid week - a plaid pencil skirt AND a plaid Sorbetto. The former to be fitted on Friday evening. The latter to be whipped up on Saturday morning. All so I could take said items to Martha's Vineyard with me (I'm here for the week) to show my mom.

But then it started raining. And I got nervous. And my mom got nervous. And my coworkers said "get out of here while you still can! There won't be flights on Sunday!"

So I listened, and I flew out of New Orleans on Friday afternoon - no plaid in hand :(

Already, I'm modifying my Self-Stitched September promise. I did bring self stitched attire, but in my haste to pack, I did not bring anything weather appropriate. See, it's raining on Martha's Vineyard too. Except not as hard, and much colder. To be honest, I've been wearing one outfit all week, made up of all the warmest pieces I quickly tossed in my suitcase on my way out the door.

Yikes.

So here is what I can offer you:

Photos of the completed (but not perfectly fitted) pencil skirt:


2. This photo of Gayhead on Martha's Vineyard. It's gorgeous, even in the cold rain.


I return to Louisiana on Sunday evening... to reassess SSS'11 and get back on track! I think the best solution is to disregard vacation week. Sigh.

Plaid Ambitions: A Pencil Skirt is More Complicated Than It Appears

I was about to write a blog post about my Self-Stitched-September 2011 inventory, when I realized how pitiful my self-made-stash really is. So rather than dilly-dally counting what I've got, I jumped into making a few more wearables.

I was so satisfied with the quick and successful nature of my first Sorbetto that I assumed the same could happen with a simple pencil skirt pattern. I mean, I'm a one-night garment wizard, am I not?

The answer is "not." But I get ahead of myself.

Convinced I could make a quick skirt, I picked up this faux vintage pattern at Hancock's:

Fabric Selection
The Sew Weekly's weekly challenge has historically been an anxiety producer for me. I'm like "one week! I have to make a decision AND fabric shop AND sew something? Too much!" But this week is different. This week, the theme is Mad for Plaid. And I love plaid. Especially for fall. And I'm making a skirt for fall. Purrrrfect.

So I grabbed a poly-rayon blend suiting and cut out the pieces. Voila.

Pattern: Simplicity 2154
Now, Simplicity is a silly name for a pattern company. It creates a constant search for irony as I sew. At every step of a Simplicity pattern I think "How Ironic, this pattern isn't simple!" OR "How Not-Ironic, this pattern is so simple!" Here is the count on 2154 so far.

Not-Ironic
Only 4 pattern pieces! And two are the same.

Ironic
Last time I used a Simplicity pattern I cut a size 14 based on my measurements and it was enormous (I needed an 8). This time I cut a 12 and it was too small. ARG.

Not-Ironic
No lining, only 1 piece of interfacing, darts are the most complicated step.

Ironic
The waist band doesn't look like the picture when you attach it according to the notches. The front is too long and the back is too short. Double ARG.

Needless to say - I'm a little worried about this project. It was so tight on the hips after I did the side seams that it reminded me of shopping in the junior's department. I let the sides seams out a bit only to have the waist be huge. Yikes. Looks like Lizzy has some fittin' to do. Here you can see the unpressed progress I've made.



Side note: I knocked my dress form funny when I was moving it last. Now it slouches. Or I guess it is just leaning forward, but it looks like it slouches. Oy. A dress form with bad posture. Not good.

Bottom Line: I'm hoping this skirt comes out okay. It's fine if it is ultimately a muslin for a future masterpiece, but I'd like it to at least be wearable for SSS'11.

In other news: I also grabbed some plaid shirting for my next Sorbetto! I'm stoked about this one...


More plaid to come this week! (Duh.)