tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56595323277072346222024-03-12T16:21:50.797-07:00Invisible FlowerAndreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.comBlogger194125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-54171717830305251472014-07-04T14:26:00.000-07:002014-07-04T14:26:53.011-07:00Happy 4th (and Emery #7)I realized I had a red, white and blue Emery that I hadn't posted: what better day to do it than US Independence day, aka 4th of July! <br />
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I don't usually go for red and blue together, but I really like this combo: I think it's the way the specific shades or red and blue play off each other, plus how the white in the print provides some balance. It's from the West Indies collection by Jennifer Paganelli, and I believe it's called "Matilda". It's from a few years ago -- I got mine on eBay.<br />
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Seven dresses in, what more can I really say about this pattern? Other than I still like it a lot: there are two (aaaaaalmost three) more of them completed since this one. Have I mentioned that it's a fine twirling dress? Good amount of movement, no real danger of indecent exposure.<br />
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It seems weird to have so many of the same dress, but I already bought multiples of favorite clothes, and my personal style doesn't really change from year to year. And hey, Steve Jobs wore the same black turtleneck every day and everyone thinks he's a genius. ;) Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-50274071973603998032014-06-25T16:53:00.001-07:002014-06-25T16:54:45.158-07:00Strange Fruit Pacific MoonToday is <a href="http://www.schmeebot.com/">schmeebot</a>'s birthday!<br />
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From me she gets a skirt. What a surprise. </div>
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Perhaps it even looks familiar. I used this fabric to make her a skirt earlier this year. But for that one, I used only the green fronds. Here I used (mostly) white ones. I couldn't get as nice a match across the back seam. (Though I probably could have done a little bit better at matching the brown stemmy part -- oops.)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">v1 -- we call this one "Leaf"</td></tr>
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Why is this one called "Strange Fruit"? Look inside:</div>
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It reminds me of an oddball watermelon. I also added a label -- finally managed to catch these in stock at <a href="http://sublimestitching.com/collections/woven-labels">Sublime Stitching</a>. There wasn't truly any #%&!?* involved in the making of this skirt, but I think the label is funny, so there.</div>
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Happy birthday schmee! At least I mailed your gift on your birthday ...</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-23843478706936715242014-06-24T17:01:00.000-07:002014-06-24T17:01:01.013-07:00When flowers attack (and a woeful tale)I've been into big-ass flowers lately -- the bigger the better. These here flowers certainly qualify.<br />
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This is the same skirt I've been making, just a touch shorter because the width of the fabric demanded it. I did try a little pocket mod on this skirt, though. I just happened to have a green scrap that matched the green flowers (and what is up with <i>green</i> flowers, anyway?) perfectly. To make the tulip-y shape of the pocket, I simply attached the front pocket with a curved seam instead of simply sewing along the seam line. The back part of the pocket gets sewn as normal, and when they are sewn together you can see the pocket back in the cut-out. The only difficult part is that you cannot press the front pocket seam flat after you attach it to the front skirt piece.<br />
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Sad to say, the yoke facing does not match as perfectly as the pocket fabric. A first world problem if there ever was one, I know.</div>
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This may be my favorite skirt so far. I know I say that a lot, but that doesn't make it less true! The simple switch-up on the pocket is fun, and I should remember to try stuff like this more often.<br />
I wore this skirt to work last week with The Brown Cardigan of All-Matching-ness. Seriously, I have since been going out of my way to <i>not</i> make garments that match this cardigan, with only partial success.<br />
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The skirt has a fairly satisfactory twirl rating, too.<br />
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Finally, my tale of woe. My serger ... it sergeth no more. I spent hours on Sunday threading and re-threading, but no luck. I've had it for five years, give or take, and nary a service in all that time, so maybe it's simply on strike. Either way, it's off for an extended vacation at the sewing center tomorrow.<br />
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That would leave me sergerless. Or would it? <br />
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It's funny how I used to do all my sewing sans serger, and thought nothing of it. Even when I bought the serger, I thought it would be mostly for knits. But now I finish all my seams with it, and the serged edge makes a rolled hem super easy. (I should probably try out the rolled hem setting though ... never crossed my mind before this post!) I didn't like the idea of going back to French seams or unfinished edges, even just for a few weeks. <br />
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After 24 hours of pondering a sergerless life (for any duration!) I decided a "backup serger" was in order. Given that I have nine or so "backup" sewing machines, this probably isn't such a surprising conclusion. Anyhow, a Brother 1034D was duly ordered and I am anxiously awaiting its arrival. I don't expect it to replace my original serger (a Janome MyLock 634D ... why do serger numbers end in "D"?). But the Brother seems surprisingly well-loved, given its price, so I am hoping it will be a good stand-in, and maybe could become a dedicated rolled hem machine when the Janome returns home hale and healthy? Once I've used the Brother for a bit I'll try to post some thoughts on how they compare.<br />
<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-34896348933489145562014-06-17T20:16:00.001-07:002014-06-17T20:16:46.972-07:00Emery #6: Strange Submarines (and Emery #2 at long last)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Say hello to Emery #6! </div>
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Worn to work with an aqua hoodie exactly the same color as the print -- I love me some matchy-matchy, I confess.</div>
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And look what is hiding in this fantastic print? Submarines and mermaid tails! This fabric is from <a href="http://tulapink.com/collections/current-collections/salt-water/">Tula Pink's Saltwater</a> collection. I love this design for both its intricate detail and subtle cleverness. I wore this Emery to work last week and I wouldn't be surprised if nobody noticed the submarines hiding in the design. Somehow it makes me think of steampunk, which is not a bad association.<br />
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Somehow this one came out a touch longer in the back than in the front in at both waist seam and hem. I'm wondering if it's a screw-up in hand-sewing the bodice lining at the waist. Possibly I turned under too much of the lining in front and it's pulling things up a bit? However, it doesn't seem noticeable in photos and I forgot about it after I quit scrutinizing the dress. Maybe its just the typical hyper-criticism reserved for hand-made items .... because I <i>could have</i> made it perfect, suddenly it becomes an obligation. Sigh. Given my lack of enthusiasm for hand-sewing (Emery #8 is waiting for some already!) I will try to forget I noticed any irregularity: seems the easiest way to go by far.<br />
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Obligatory dress form shots. The lining is pale aqua Imperial batiste -- it matches the print. <br />
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And here's Emery #2 at long last -- Lindy Leaf Emery. Facings are leftover Lindy Leaf in another colorway, from <a href="http://invisibleflower.blogspot.com/2011/01/whats-red-and-pink-and-spins-really.html">this project</a>.<br />
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Lindy Leaf is a little looser than the Emerys that came after it, and I need to try it on again to see if I'd be willing to wear it to work.<br />
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I did some jumping around while my husband was kindly taking my photos. While most of those shots are total crap, they really proved to me just how well this pattern fits -- better than any dress I've ever had in my life. That's hard to beat!<br />
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And check out how green the yard is! I hope it stays this way all summer. Last summer was lawn-watering hell, just trying to keep everything from turning brown. That said, I'm loving having a big suburban yard after 20 years of urban living, watering or no.<br />
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<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-54222145633615762992014-06-09T18:07:00.001-07:002014-06-09T18:11:09.458-07:00Garden skirtI'm still on a skirt kick. This one's the same as the sunspot skirt, just with side-seam pockets. I looove this fabric! Beautiful and also a very nice quality lawn: it hardly wrinkled after a long day at work! This one's from High Fashion Fabric in downtown Houston, and I've been hoarding it for a few years. <br />
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The pattern match-up in the back isn't perfect but will do at a glance. Lining and yoke follow the usual protocols.<br />
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Wore it with my trusty gold cardigan a week ago. On a very humid morning: the camera lens fogged over! Let's call it an artistic effect. We can say the same about what my bangs are doing -- ew. <br />
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I've been wearing stuff I've made to work a lot more recently. I think it's finally nailing fit on a few patterns, and realizing that I really like the same simple shape. For me, color and print is where the fun is at. So I may not be sewing many wild and crazy new designs, but I'm finally making stuff I can count on liking and wearing, which is a bigger win for me. At least right now. The downside is that I am running out of hangers ...Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-86654564315601544462014-06-05T18:20:00.000-07:002014-06-05T18:20:15.725-07:00Sunspot skirtI've taken a quick break from Emerizing to make a few new skirts. I think I've just about got my "perfect skirt" formula down -- really a matter of getting the waistband just right, since I like full, not fitted skirts.<div>
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Thanks to my husband's help (and a newfound interest in wearing my makes to work as soon as they're done), I'm also doing a bit better at documenting my finished items in use. This is from last Friday early in the wee hours. I had to leave the house at 7 freaking a.m. that day, so ironically there wasn't much sun to illuminate the ol' sunspot skirt. Many of the photos came out blurry as a result.</div>
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I'm liking the slightly longer length I hemmed this at. It's actually the same skirt (modified from vintage Butterick 6075) that I use on my version of the Emery, modified to have front pockets (what's the technical term?) instead of side-seam pockets. Just because. The fabric's an inexpensive cotton lawn and I've had it long enough to forget where it came from. (So when I say "inexpensive" you know I am talking about quality, not price.)</div>
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This was sewn with Mrs. Williams the Featherweight, as was several other of my recent projects. So, the zip came out a bit crappy because I don't have a good zipper foot for this machine. I put this one in with the regular straight stitch foot and it came out better than the one I used the low-shank zipper foot on. The zipper foot I have is rigid, and this seems to make it impossible to get over any kind of seam, and what zipper doesn't cross a seam? Ugh. I could adjust my foot pressure but it's good for everything else and who wants t fiddle with that every time the zipper foot comes out? I've seen zipper feet that are hinged ... need to hunt one down I guess. OK, end rant. :) Other than this zipper thing Mrs. Williams' company continues to be a pleasure.</div>
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The facing's quilting cotton. The fact that it coordinates so well pleases me -- the scrap bin gods smiled on this project I guess. The lining's the usual Imperial poly/cotton batiste.</div>
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Have a great weekend everybody!</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-62898906531219460322014-06-03T18:09:00.001-07:002014-06-03T18:10:21.291-07:00The Anniversary EmerySay hello to Emery #5, aka The Anniversary Emery. Since I decided to make it in honor of our 20th wedding anniversary (now almost a month past!) I asked my husband to help pick the fabric. Then began to waffle, second-guessing his choice and proposing alternatives. But he was not to be swayed, and he was right, this was a good choice.<br />
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Naturally the dog and I have both managed to look like goofballs. And I look like I am trying to meld with the jasmine on the fence. But in more urban settings this dress stands out nicely, I promise. I wore it for one of our anniversary dinners (we had several, because what the hey).<br />
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Not much to add on the making of, at least that I can remember anyhow given that it was done a month ago. Looking at these pictures I did decide that the bodice might be a hair too long in front, even though it doesn't <i>feel</i> long. So I shortened it ever so slightly for Emerys 6 and 7. Otherwise the slight bodice looseness is intentional -- yay for a little easy, easy ease.<br />
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By the way, 20th anniversaries are awesome. We originally thought we'd travel somewhere nice to mark the occasion, but decided to take a week to just spend time together and work on some home improvement projects that would make our daily lives better instead. That worked out well.<br />
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OK, side 'n' back views and we're outta here. Have a good evening, or a great day or fantastic wherever you're at in the celestial cycle.<br />
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<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-57733727004480870582014-05-26T14:49:00.000-07:002014-05-26T14:53:01.396-07:00Mrs. Williams' triumphant returnWe're all rained in here on this holiday Monday (Memorial Day in the US) -- prefect day for sewing, and that's what I'm up today. I finished up a dress yesterday (Emery #7) and am currently working on a skirt that I hope to be wearing to work next week. But today's topic is not those sewing projects, but rather what sewed them. That would be the Mrs. Williams referenced in the title of this post. Here she is: <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... also a sneak peek at Emery #7</td></tr>
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Mrs. Williams is a 1947 Singer Featherweight gifted to me by my Aunt Dora while I was visiting over the Thanksgiving holidays. (Aunt Dora has about as many vintage sewing machines as I do, but used her formidable "thrifting fu" to acquire her lovely collection for a fraction of what I've paid.) Mrs. Williams was one of three featherweights in my aunt's collection -- they all have names taken from their previous owners. This is how we know Mrs. Williams' name:<br />
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A service tag, from The Singer Company in the Cumberland Mall in Atlanta. Wikipedia tells me that the Cumberland Mall opened in 1973, but no luck finding out when Singer was a tenant there. Since the other information wasn't filled in, it's anyone's guess when the service took place or what was done. <br />
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I sewed a few projects with Mrs. Williams around Christmas time, after doing some basic cleaning and oiling, but it became clear that she had some thread stuck under the bobbin case: periodically the thread would get snarled up and I'd have to stop and pull everything out. Also, while the tension was "good enough" I couldn't seem to get the perfect balance. Other than these things, Mrs. Williams was working pretty well, but I decided to get her serviced, rather than try figure out how to fix these issues myself (chicken). However, I dragged my feet on actually taking her in -- my local service center will work on anything, new or old, but their turnaround time is at least a month. Even though I have other machines to use (9 of them ...) I hate to leave my machines at the shop for that long.<br />
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Then I noticed an ad in our local newspaper (as I was putting it in the bottom of the birdcage lol) for "Kimberly's Junk in the Trunk", a local antiques store specializing in vintage Singer sewing machines, both sales and repair. I checked the place out the next time I had a chance, and ended up bringing Mrs. Williams back there for service. They told me the turn-around time is usually two weeks, but they had her ready in one. And not only did they fix and clean every aspect of the machine (and provided a detailed list of everything that was done ... it was a lot!), they also cleaned and polished the case, and fixed the original screwdriver that was with the machine (it was bent). Now I am glad that I was too chicken to take things apart myself: no way would I have done this good a job.<br />
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It's nice to have Mrs. Williams back home and in tip-top shape, because she's become one of my favorite sewing machines. Definitely different to sew with than my modern Janome, or even my 70s Kenmore 1931, which I also use a lot. Someday I'm going to have to work up a big spreadsheet comparing my collection and what they're like to sew with ... but I wonder, is much of sewing machine enjoyment subjective?<br />
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I also gave away my Kenmore 1320 last weekend, to someone who is just getting started with sewing. So, one machine in, one out, and hopefully good sewing karma for everyone!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-12398461313871148692014-05-21T05:23:00.000-07:002014-05-21T05:23:00.219-07:00California Houses Pacific MoonCouldn't resist making another Pacific Moon! Since the doubled fabric experiment seems to have been a success, I wanted to try it with a quilting fabric. Because if that works ... the door to whole universes of fabric possibility have been officially thrown open and who knows what might happen.<br />
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<a href="http://www.schmeebot.com/">schmeebot</a> liked the "Mod Houses" fabric I used for Emery #4, and I had barely a yard left over, enough to make a PacMoon and not much else. I had to cut the pocket back pieces upside down, but the thing got done. Pattern matching was out of the question, but I think it looks okay. The print is also slightly off-grain, but that's not too noticeable either. </div>
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To make the skirt the heavier weight that schmee prefers for hiking, I put a layer of white Kona cotton underneath. Apparently the two fabrics together form a formidable opponent, because it made my serger cry like a little baby. And by that, I mean both needles broke instantly and the blade couldn't cut it. (To be fair, I have not changed my blade in ... well, ever. Maybe it's time?) I ended up finishing the edges with zig-zag stitch on the regular machine, which is clearly made of sterner stuff than the serger since it had no complaints whatsoever.</div>
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I associate this style of house with California, perhaps because they look so darn good with the landscape. Also, schmee is a structural engineer. So clearly this fabric needed to be a Pacific Moon. Anyhow, long story short (since this is PacMoon #26, after all) I really like the way this came out. </div>
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On an unrelated note, the jasmine on my backyard fence is blooming and it smells awesome.</div>
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Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-42245504936538546262014-05-19T07:30:00.000-07:002014-05-19T17:31:37.782-07:00Emery #4: Deer DreamingStill no photos taken of Emery #2 ... it's deep undercover on a secret mission and cannot be recalled. Uh, or maybe it's in my closet, but kind of wrinkled and I'm not in the mood for press and photograph it. Not when I could be sewing Emery #7 instead!<br />
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Meanwhile, here is Emery the fourth, which is a rather psychedelic number featuring deer. The fabric is "Oh Deer!" by MoMo. <br />
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The fit of this one is the same as for Emery #3, Mod Houses, but somehow this one looks a bit loose in the lower bodice. It is actually, if anything, slightly tighter, and I'm not sure I want form-fitting anyhow: I like taking deep breaths, eating, etc. Perhaps the problem is that the front bodice is slightly too long? <br />
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Check out my awesome totally accidental pattern matching on the back. I cut the back bodice pieces along the selvedges and it just worked out. Hooray blind chance. Too bad that in real life it will always be under a cardigan!<br />
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I promised (threatened?) to list the modifications I made to the bodice pieces. (I used the skirt from another pattern.) Here goes:<br />
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<li>Increased bodice length 1 1/4"</li>
<li>Doubled width of back upper darts, and made them about 1/2" longer</li>
<li>Made the front and back lower bodice darts 1/4" longer</li>
<li>Used the size 0 bust darts, but shortened them about 3/8" (I made the size 4 otherwise)</li>
<li>took a 1/8" deeper seam allowance on the shoulder seam at the neck, tapering to nothing at the shoulder</li>
<li>Pinched out about an inch or so from the front upper bodice, tapering to nothing at the bottom</li>
<li>Took out 1/4" at the armhole on the side of the front bodice, tapering to nothing at the bottom</li>
<li>Adjusted armholes for a sleeveless version by making them 1/2" shallower, like so:</li>
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... and probably some other stuff that I forgot. I'm also sewing the side seams at 3/4" rather than 5/8". All this for a pattern that had a pretty promising fit out of the envelope! This may be why I like to stick with a good pattern once I find it.<br />
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OK final gratuitous shot with dog (though it's not his best). Emerys (Emeries?) 5 and 6 have been completed in the time it's taken to get around to posting this, and #7 is on the horizon. My photo editing situation has also improved, so expect to see photos taken with something other than iPhone and lots of gratuitous post-processing in future posts.<br />
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<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-61920930055407368512014-05-01T20:33:00.002-07:002014-05-01T20:33:52.863-07:00Double trouble Pacific Moon<a href="http://www.schmeebot.com/">schmeebot</a> has received her Pacific Moons, so it's safe to reveal the "surprise" entry in the collection! It's challenging to find good PacMoon fabric: schmee wears these skirts hiking on windy Southern California hillsides (Or are they mountainsides? Living in Houston I would hardly know the difference!) Anyhow, we all know that wind + skirt = danger, so heavier materials are best. Ikea always delivers, but it's nice to have other options. <br />
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Hancock's had a 50 percent off sale on this super-bright-and-cheerful twill. I spotted it, got excited ... and realized it wasn't quite beefy enough. Bummer. But I didn't want to give it up, and decided it was time to try a double-layered skirt. <br />
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This first attempt is orange with pink inside. Yep, the pockets are nice and deep: schmee puts water bottles and such into them while hiking. The cotton twill layers "grab" each other well, and behave as one. I cut them separately, but otherwise treated them the same as I would have a single layer. I didn't double the pockets and waistband, and I think that worked. If it washes and wears well, expect to see more fun color combos in the near future!<br />
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The yoke facing was some leftover fabric from Emery #4. Which I guess I still need to post ... soon! I had to cut pieces sideways and upside down to get them to fit, but I did manage to get a deer with a bird on his butt on the back yoke. Sometimes it's the little things.<br />
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<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-13404788338461901552014-04-20T14:27:00.000-07:002014-04-20T14:27:55.303-07:00Pacific Moons, Spring EditionTime for a new batch of Pacific Moons -- I've just finished up four more for <a href="http://www.schmeebot.com/">schmeebot</a>. Looking back, I made her just one in December last year. And I had to go back to May to find the batch made before that! I can't believe I let her go without new Moons for so long.<br />
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schmeebot told me recently that I had made her 21 Pacific Moons so far, that makes the ones I just finished 22 through 25. I'll show you 22, 23, and 24 now, but I'm going to hold off on revealing 25 until after schmeebot has received it. I tried a little experiment on it. I think it worked, but it is really for the wearer to judge. Plus ... 25! I have never sewn 25 of anything before, so the quarter-centennial of Pacific Moons should have its own moment in the ... moonlight I guess. <br />
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For these three, there were no new tricks up my sleeve, so there's nothing to add with regard to the making. They're all Ikea home decor fabric, with quilting cotton yoke and pocket facings. (Well, one has home dec fabric pocket facings ... didn't have a good mostly-white scrap handy.)<br />
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First up ... "Onion Rings". I think Ikea intended flowers but that is what they look like to me. Bee fabric I've used before for the waistband facing, and I got my rings matched across the back seam. Go me.<br />
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Next up, "Moose in Love". We've been calling the fabric that since it was acquired last year. For the record this does appear to be two female moose, However, I still maintain that they are in love. Pattern match across the back not so good this time, but the design is so busy it's hard to notice. There are words on the inside ... the fabric's called "thesaurus" and it was on clearance at <a href="http://fabric.com/">fabric.com</a>. I guess people don't like to build their vocabularies while they sew.<br />
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And finally, "Leaf". No cute name for this one. I did have fun with the layout though. schmeebot says this one is her favorite of the three. No picture of the inner fabric because at the time I took the picture I hadn't sewed it down yet, but it's the same ladybugs fabric I used on the blue skirt I made in December. How boring, but it worked best out of what I had.</div>
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For those who celebrate, Happy Easter! I love the colors of Easter, and the opportunity to celebrate Spring. Which has finally arrived, it seems. We dyed eggs in the backyard, while the dog begged us to go back inside. Some dog. </div>
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<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-21444251108009845042014-04-15T05:00:00.000-07:002014-04-15T05:00:07.082-07:00The House dressSo, I have found my perfect dress pattern. Or rather my perfect dress bodice pattern, and that's the part that matters when one prefers full skirts. This pattern is none other than <a href="http://www.christinehaynes.com/products/emery-dress-sewing-pattern">Christine Haynes' Emery dress</a>, and <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=dress+emery&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=IN9KU8qFEO2-sQSdi4HYAw&ved=0CFMQsAQ&biw=1175&bih=599">Emerys are everywhere on the Internet</a> now, so clearly I am not alone.<br />
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I have now made this dress four times. I may make it four million times, because it's the perfect canvas to show off an awesome print, and when it comes to sewing, fun fabrics make my world go 'round. It's one of the reasons I keep coming back to quilting fabrics: it's hard to find apparel fabrics with prints that appeal to me half so much. I should probably try designing my own someday, though with all the good stuff already out there (and the expense of services like <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/welcome">Spoonflower</a>) the bar is pretty high. But <i>someday</i>. Especially now that I have the perfect pattern to use the fabric for. I think that in the coming months I may bore you with my lack of pattern variety, but long-hoarded fabrics are going to be bursting out of the stash right and left!</div>
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Anyhow, would you like to see these wondrous dresses? I have photos of Dresses 1 and 3, so I will show you those now. We'll start with 3, because that's where I really perfected the fit, plus I have pictures of me actually wearing it! I shall call it the House dress, because duh. The fabric is Michael Miller's "Mod Pad".</div>
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This is at the end of a long day ... I had an event to go to downtown and this is what I wore. (I wore it on a stage, even -- I was handing out awards.) You can see a seatbelt crease across the front of the bodice, but trust me it fits me better than any dress ever in the history of dresses! </div>
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I chose to leave off the sleeves. I did muslin the bodice with a short sleeve, and it was actually not far off fit-wise, but I really like the look of the dress sleeveless better, and I always wear a cardigan or hoodie anyhow. </div>
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I used Butterick 6075 as a starting point for fitting. They're a little different (Butterick 6075 has no waist darts in the front) but it guided me well in my pre-muslin pattern alterations. Based on the muslin, I made a few more alterations, then Dresses 1 and 2. Here's Dress 1, which is made using Kate Spain "Sunnyside" raincloud fabric, drifting through my backyard:</div>
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I think it was between Dress 1 and 2 that I doubled the width of the back neck darts -- a common alteration for me because of my shoulder blades. I had already completed Dress 2 by the time I decided that a slightly closer fit would be better. The only changes I made between Dress 2 and Dress 3 was to sew 3/4" seam allowances on the bodice sides instead of 5/8", and to pinch out another 1/4" from the upper center bodice, tapering to nothing at the waist. </div>
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I decided to drop the House dress into the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/2562748@N23/">Sew Dolly Clackett</a> pool, and may add Dress 4 as well if I get it photographed in time. Some fabric came out of stash for that one!</div>
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Finally, here's a closer look at the House dress, and Dress 1 ("Stormy Dress?"). You can see my contrasting facings. The Emery dress doesn't come with facings, but I drafted a neck facing for a little extra stability, and did my usual thing of attaching it to the lining.</div>
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When I come back with Dresses 2 and 4, I'll catalog my pattern alterations, and show the change I made to the armscye when I went sleeveless, which I took from Butterick 6075.</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-87817905093483450812014-03-30T14:00:00.000-07:002014-03-30T14:00:19.529-07:00The "Signs of Spring" Butterick 6075Here's something I made back in February, when Spring seemed as if it would never come! Yet another 1950s Butterick 6075, that would be number ... five? Six? I've lost count.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With this much envelope wear it had to be good, right?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(That case holds a vintage sewing machine ....)</td></tr>
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I've had this Amy Butler Lotus fabric (quilting cotton) for ages. At the time I bought it I thought the print seemed kind of large, but nowadays I'm preferring big prints. I stil love the color combo, and the stylized lotuses look like pale suns to me.<div>
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I took care to line up the print on the skirt (which is cut in four pieces, so there are seams in the front and back). The pieces are wedge-shaped, and so the edges of each piece dissect the print diagonally, so I ended up with a slightly kaleidoscopic feel. Here is a lousy picture of the front of the skirt ...</div>
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I used a couple of colors of my favorite Imperial cotton/poly batiste for lining: I was running low and had to work with the scraps I had left. My local fabric store (well, local is a relative term now that I live 30+ miles away from it) stocks this stuff, but inconsistently. So I hunted around and found an online seller: <a href="http://www.stitchinpostinc.com/AWSCategories/p/40/POLY_COTTON_BATISTE">"The Stitchin' Post"</a>. Now the batiste coffers are full again and I'm a happy camper.</div>
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I did my usual and attached the facings to the lining. I like that I got the print centered, even on the inside (though look closely and you'll see it isn't prefect).</div>
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This will be the last Butterick 6075 for a bit because I've found a new dress pattern love. More on that next time!</div>
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Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-85553313954381743662014-03-17T14:52:00.001-07:002014-03-17T14:52:45.823-07:00Deer and Doe ArielleOh no, the projects are piling up while the tumbleweeds wander across my blog! But I finally got some photos today, so it's time to catch up. Without further ado ... back in January (I think it was, anyhow!) I made up Deer and Doe's Arielle blouse. <br />
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I was set on a two-fabic Arielle from the beginning, so I combed through my scrap boxes (yeah, plural) to find some good pieces that worked together. I did a trial run with leftover rayon challis from <a href="http://invisibleflower.blogspot.com/2013/06/first-vintage-of-2013-butterick-6520.html">this dress</a> in size 6. Which I found was a bit too big on me. (For some reason I used my hip measurement to choose size rather than my bust measurement, go figure.) I used some poly-cotton batiste for the shoulder yoke and collar on that one. The rayon challis drooped a bit in the front due to the weight of the collar: it isn't one of the recommended fabrics, perhaps with good reason. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arielle enjoys the almost-Spring breezes!</td></tr>
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For v2, I used size 4 and Denyse Schmidt cotton voile fabric. (Left over from not one but two skirts, so I got some good mileage out of that piece!) The yoke and collar are cotton batiste. Unfortunately my interfacing was both too heavy and too white for this project, and you can see it through the collar. <br />
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I added a couple of inches to the length, and vents to the sides since I don't see myself tucking this in. At the time I was making it I thought I'd wear it under a cardigan to work, like I usually do with knit tank tops. However this has not yet come to pass. Perhaps because the cold weather demands warmer layers. Or because that collar looks a little crappy up close and personal. Or maybe it's just too different from my usual uniform, making it unappealing first thing in the morning when my brain gravitates toward the path of least effort. I do think I like it though, so I think some day the stars will align and it will make it out of the closet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rounding out this post with the back view. </td></tr>
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I should have put this on my dress form for photos ... but then I'd need to find a matching bottom. (Am I the only one who thinks dress forms wearing only a top look a little ... exposed? It's worse than having nothing on them at all!) However, I'm really only seeing this top with pants, which are a no-go for dress form-kind. Incidentally, my dress form is named Ethel, after my grandmother, for this very reason: my grandmother does not subscribe to the idea of women in pants.<br />
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Anyhow, back to the point ... final verdict? Cute top, easy to sew, but I need to give it a real wearing come warmer weather to see if it's truly "me".Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-70215481488931118262014-02-16T10:55:00.000-08:002014-02-16T10:57:11.772-08:00January's skirtI wanted to document my one and only sewing project for January. Since it's just another variation of the same skirt I've made a million times, let's make it quick shall we?<br />
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Made of brown micro-corduroy with two shades of pink dots, and lined with a burgundy rayon. Can't remember where I got this fabric. I've been holding onto it for a while.<br />
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Yoke facing is a fat quarter that I've had for eons. There wasn't enough to use for pockets too, so I used the last of my red and pink Lindy Leaf print, which has been used for a few facings and first appeared as <a href="http://invisibleflower.blogspot.com/2011/01/whats-red-and-pink-and-spins-really.html">this dress</a>. I love <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=lindy+leaf+fabric&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=tAgBU8bpD4bOyAGRiYHwCg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1175&bih=651#q=lindy+leaf+fabric&rls=en&tbm=isch">Lindy Leaf</a>. (After doing the image search, I want some of the green and yellow variant now!)</div>
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Happy Sunday everyone, I'm off to work on my current sewing project!</div>
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<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-3023026742136366862014-02-15T09:26:00.002-08:002014-02-15T09:26:32.749-08:00Artzona recap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big barrel cacti were everywhere!</td></tr>
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Artzona: it was amazing! As an introvert who doesn't usually "do" groups, I was a bit concerned that the overall experience would be more stressful than fun. However, this is one of the few times in my life that I can say I genuinely enjoyed hanging out with a large group of people ... all the more amazing because they were a group of people I had only just met! The Artzona crowd turned out to be a real "come as you are" bunch, ranging in age from 30-something to 80-something. The majority had been to a past Artzona (this one was number three), but there were plenty who like me had never attended, and a few who had also never met any of the other participants before.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chihuly sculpture and cacti just belong together.</td></tr>
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So, what happened over the four-plus days I was in Mesa? The event organizers did an amazing job thinking of how to make the most of the time. We made art of course: in a conference room at the hotel, well-equipped with big worktables and snacks. There were also some optional side trips: an evening hike in the desert, an art walk in Scottsdale, visits to art supply stores, and a trip to see the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the botanical garden. Also, on the last day I went to see Taliesin West, built by Frank Lloyd Wright, before heading back to the airport for the flight home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taliesin West. Beautiful, but totally worthless as an actual place to live. Unless you like to keep your living room at 95 degrees in the summer and don't mind snakes in your bed.</td></tr>
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I know not everyone loves to read about others' vacations, so I've kept it brief -- but hopefully this gives you an idea of what an art retreat might be like. Suffice it to say, I had an amazing time, and it was over before I knew it! My roommate was fabulous, and we had a great time from the moment we met for the first time at the airport. I loved not only seeing other people's art, but also how they worked. The woman next to me showed up with an incredible amount of gear, including a spray booth, and her art-making was almost like interpretive dance: she was layering textures and collaging in layers, mostly working standing, with efficient, graceful movements. Other people were sculpting items, drawing, painting ... you name it. I saw lots of neat techniques I want to try. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just part of my Artzona haul!</td></tr>
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I had to travel for work the weekend after Artzona and have otherwise been busy as usual, but I am exploding with creative energy and am making stuff whenever I an squeeze it in. In fact, I finished a sewing project this morning: I'll share that soon, along with another sewing project I finished over a month ago.Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-11080060120217777492014-01-19T21:05:00.000-08:002014-01-19T21:05:30.322-08:00Artzona boundIn just a few days I'm off to Mesa, Arizona for a little thing called ARTZONA. I've been flinging most of my free time for the last six weeks into making items to trade with 39 other women I have never met, in a city I've never been to, as part of a schedule of events that are being kept under wraps by the organizers. In other words ... I have no idea what Artzona will be like, but I do know we'll be making art, so whee!<br />
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Artzona is a three-day event for face-to-face ATC (aka artist trading card) making and swapping. I heard about it over on the <a href="http://atcsforall.com/">ATCsForAll</a> forum. ATCs are little 2.5" x 3.5" works of art that are traded between artists. (there's a different acronym for cards that are for sale: ACEO, which stands for art card editions and originals). I joined ATCsForAll a little over a year ago because I hoped the themed challenges would help get me back to drawing regularly. And ... they did! But building a huge stockpile of cards to trade at Artzona has helped even more. I couldn't worry too much about what to draw -- I just needed to draw. And I did. And it got easier, and I got better.<br />
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Now -- to go give it all away! Well, except for this baby hippo card, which my husband claimed. He suggested several of the animals I drew, including the hippo, so I guess he earned it. If you want to see all the cards I'm taking to Artzona (minus baby hippo), they are <a href="http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Artzona&w=28489141@N00">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/11920824014_4dbb2f9b04_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/11920824014_4dbb2f9b04_b.jpg" height="283" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For Artzona! (Not.)</td></tr>
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Hearts are another trading theme at Artzona. They're palm-sized ... well, they're heart shaped objects, made out of whatever medium strikes your fancy. I decided to sew mine, and then added some beads. (Look, there is sewing in this post!) The fabrics I used are leftover from other projects, and also from a bag of cool vintage fabric scraps that my Aunt Dora gave me eons ago. I was glad to finally have a project that could use some of the beautiful but very small pieces. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2843/12019347905_2502764c2d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2843/12019347905_2502764c2d_b.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sure, art saves lives ... too bad we can't agree on what art is exactly ...</td></tr>
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I didn't want to put my name directly on them, so I attached paper tags with my info. Fun fact: the "Art Saves Lives" stamp that I used for the front of the cards was given to me by my husband for Valentine's Day ... in 1991! We'd only been dating a few weeks, and yet he picked out this stamp and several other items that were very, very "me". <div>
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Finally, some folks bring "signature cards" to Artzona. I've never seen one, but I gather they're like artist business cards, that represent the artist: their style, likes/dislikes, and other details of interest. Often they're mass-printed, but also personalized in some way to make them unique. I was toiling away at my ATCs, so I decided to just get <a href="http://us.moo.com/">Moo</a> cards printed in lieu of signature cards, using some of the photos I've taken over the years. This was actually super easy to do, and I think the result is really cool. I'll probably try out other Moo wares at some point. (Like the stickers ... ooooo custom stickers!)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7413/12019762024_f1ec021b28_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7413/12019762024_f1ec021b28_b.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snazzy crown hides my personal details ... because teh Internetz haz a-holes.</td></tr>
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So ... Artzona ... I'm ready!<br /><br /></div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-80260679352283794582014-01-01T17:13:00.002-08:002014-01-01T17:13:37.872-08:00Citrus skirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7387/11689763425_03f4658970_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7387/11689763425_03f4658970_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy 2014! The sun came out for a while this morning, and I was able to get a few pictures of my last sewing accomplishment for 2013. <br />
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Nothing too exciting here ... just another rendition of my "Fuller Moon" skirt. However, this fabric really spoke to me. I love the little mandarin oranges that are at their best this time of year: I've been eating them throughout the holidays. I'm also a native of the great state of Florida, which is strongly associated with citrus. I found this at High Fashion Fabrics in downtown Houston (back when I lived in downtown Houston -- maybe two years ago). It's Michael Miller quilting cotton, but has a soft, almost plush-like feel to its surface. Not all quilting cotton is the same, even from the same designer or manufacturer. This is one of the good ones! <br />
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For the yoke facing I used a fat quarter from a pack my mother in law gave me for my birthday, which coordinates nicely:<br />
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I fixed the waistband problem I'd had on the last couple of skirts I made by going back and re-tracing the <a href="http://invisibleflower.blogspot.com/2010/05/burda-7741-in-all-its-wonderful.html">Burda 7741</a> skirt waistband that I used as a starting point for this pattern way back when. Somehow over the past few years I'd managed to gradually draft in too much curve, why I don't know! The original waistband is pretty close to perfect. </div>
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I've been feeling the need for new skirts (too many of the ones I made last year just didn't work out as I'd hoped) so today I'm squeezing in just one more, from the same pattern. After that, I need to focus on my ATCs for the rest of January -- I have a deadline, which I'll explain soon. Tomorrow, alas, it's back to work, but at least things should start slow, since many people will still be on vacation until Monday. </div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-62621926041018463552013-12-31T16:55:00.002-08:002013-12-31T16:55:33.835-08:00This is not the end, simply time to begin again ...It seems a little silly to do a 2013 wrap-up when I was MIA for a big chunk of the year, but I was curious, so I did a quick tally:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Dresses: 2</span></b> Both from the same vintage pattern. (Really 1.9, since one of them ain't hemmed yet ... ) As I recall, I chose this pattern because it was a bit different from the other 1950s dresses I'd tried. I also sewed the dresses in drape-y rayon fabrics, and while I love rayon for skirts and blouses, for some reason I don't seem to like it as much in a dress. Not sure why ... something to ponder.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8122/9012055426_7ebd8d82dc_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8122/9012055426_7ebd8d82dc_b.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like it was made from bed linens ... but isn't.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blouses: 1 </span></b> The pale pink Sewaholic Alma from the beginning of the year. It's okay, but the first version was better. Both are rayon challis, but the darker challis I used for my first Alma looks and feels nicer, even though both fabrics were the same (dirt cheap) price, and bought from Fabric Mart at the same time. I also need something better to pair this blouse with -- I didn't really like it with the jeans I modeled it with. (I also decided I hated the jeans and they are at Goodwill now ... may they go forth and share their misery with some other unsuspecting fool.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8522/8544342087_57a4e1043f_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8522/8544342087_57a4e1043f_b.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well at least the dog is cute.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Knit tops: 2</span></b> Really? That's it?? I must do better this year. The two I made are Renfrews, so obviously winners. Since they're striped, double winners.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8367/8586869802_6fa90dbe6d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8367/8586869802_6fa90dbe6d_b.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stripes FTW.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Skirts: 11</span></b> Thaaats more like it. Though the "miss" ratio was higher than it seems it should have been (and only about half have made it onto the blog). I wear skirts to work quite a lot, so they're the most useful item I can sew for myself. However, I also seem to be a bit picky about them, and perhaps unintentionally have embarked on a journey in search of my "perfect skirt". I think I am getting close ... and on that note I have a new skirt I'll try to photograph and share tomorrow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8398/8668111277_eb635231e4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8398/8668111277_eb635231e4_b.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More real-world compliments than anything else I've sewn ever (total compliments: 2).</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pacific Moons: 5</b></span> (aka, skirts for schmeebot) Only half as many as last year! 2014 will bring more, I am sure of it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what sewing Zen looks like.</td></tr>
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So, I made 21 items this year (as opposed to 34 last year). Not so bad really. I wouldn't say that I learned any new skills, but I did use my vintage sewing machines quite a lot! <br />
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I also got back into drawing, a long-neglected hobby I'd been struggling to re-engage with for the past few years. That's a big deal for me. But my biggest accomplishments of the year were at work (and I worked darn hard for them too, hence the long hiatus). <br />
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And 2014? I have more dreams than I'll have time for. (Some are on their way here <i>par avion</i> from Deer & Doe.) So I guess my biggest wish for the new year is to make the most of my time, so I can do as much as I can. The rest ... we can talk about it next year, I suppose!Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-46557568944425737532013-12-29T09:57:00.000-08:002013-12-29T09:57:33.254-08:00The prodigal blogger returnsAs you might have guessed (if you wondered at all) these past few months have been busy ones for me. Life's been all about the day job, but productively so! Sewing ground to a complete halt sometime in August, and what little "hobby time" I had thereafter went to ATCs, because they were easier to dip in and out of. Looking back at my <a href="http://flickr.com/graustark">Flickr archive</a>, I see that I did two ATC themed swaps in August, and one each in September, November, and December. <br />
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I did do some sewing before that, though, in July and early August, but none of that stuff got photographed. I made a second version of vintage <a href="http://invisibleflower.blogspot.com/2013/06/first-vintage-of-2013-butterick-6520.html">Butterick 6520</a> but was annoyed with it and to this day it hangs on my dress form, un-hemmed. Layered over it is a rather crazy-looking <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/patterns/58875">Pavlova skirt</a>, made from Ikea fabric that <a href="http://www.schmeebot.com/">schmeebot</a> sent me. I like the skirt, but it's a bit much for the office, I think ... <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5522/11628768556_03f8f7eda9_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5522/11628768556_03f8f7eda9_c.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neglected.</td></tr>
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Two other skirts were made as well, one that didn't work due to fabric choice (more of the stiff Ikea sheeting), and one that gets worn regularly (made of my favorite, rayon challis). I have photos of neither, of course. (Should work on that.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2821/11628373394_207ac039c2_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2821/11628373394_207ac039c2_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ATCs so far ... I have a strict daily production target.</td></tr>
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December finds me with some time off, and I have been re-discovering this whole hobby thing. ATCs take first priority (more on that later, in another post, another day) but I have done some sewing too, making one skirt for schmeebot (which came out awesome if I do say so myself) and two skirts for me, both of which are a bit too loose in the waist, not because I have changed size but because I have forgotten all those little undocumented adjustments I apparently always made ... so I am out to capture, <i>on paper</i>, exactly how my ideal skirt waistband should fit. If I can nail that, wide vistas of possibility open up before me ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7310/11486493754_e5c3ecdb53_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7310/11486493754_e5c3ecdb53_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schmeeskirt #?? ... it's corduroy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2856/11486474725_5bdc88af3c_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2856/11486474725_5bdc88af3c_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladybugs from one of my early dress projects.</td></tr>
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After such a long absence, I thought about dumping blogging altogether. Who cares about faithful updates on my sewing progress? Well, the answer is ... me! Otherwise I'd really have no idea what I made this year, and which scrap fabrics I've already used for pocket and yoke facings for schmeebot's skirts. I'm also not going to worry so much about restricting myself to "only" sewing prattle. Other stuff may appear here, if I find it useful .... cathartic .... whatever. If you're still following along after a six-month absence presumably you'll tolerate anything I throw up here!<br />
<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-20875568433494844722013-06-25T18:25:00.000-07:002013-06-25T18:25:31.993-07:00Birthday Pacific MoonsGuess what? Today is <a href="http://schmeebot.com/">schmeebot</a>'s birthday! It's not hard to guess what I gave her ...<br />
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<a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3709/9110122530_a9c81b5f4a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3709/9110122530_a9c81b5f4a_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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She had asked (a looong time ago) for some skirts with yellow in them. 75 percent of these skirts comply with this request. Schmeebot chose the two fabrics on the right, and I chose the ones on the left. (But I choose which turn into skirts when!) All four fabrics are from Ikea. No mysteries remain when it comes to Pacific Moon-making, so let's jump to views of the finished products.<br />
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First up, my favorite of the bunch: the Applebees skirt! Here's the apple:<br />
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<a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3795/9110184204_5a17c0dd65_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3795/9110184204_5a17c0dd65_b.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
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... and here are the bees! I found them in Hobby Lobby before I had the Ikea fabric on hand. I just knew they'd be perfect for something.</div>
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<a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3715/9107954569_eb610487a9_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3715/9107954569_eb610487a9_b.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
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And here is the back. Just a leaf ... but Applebeeleaf is a dumb name for a skirt. I did (mostly) match the pattern across the back seam though.</div>
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Next up ... BUTTS. Schmee sent me this fabric months ago, and when we talk about it in chat (Don't you instant message about fabrics? Doesn't everyone?) We always call it BUTTS. Here's why:<br />
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<a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2886/9110166836_aafe51ffeb_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2886/9110166836_aafe51ffeb_b.jpg" width="350" /></a></div>
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More butts on back. Again, (almost) pattern-matched across the center back seam. Also on one side seam, but not on the other.</div>
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Inside BUTTS are dots. Also from Hobby Lobby I think.</div>
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Now ... TexMex. I was struggling for a name for this one, and so schmeebot did the naming, in honor of the color palette. It was not the fabric we wanted, which was <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30227262/">this one with amorous moose on it</a>. I went to Ikea in Houston no less than three times over the course of a month for this fabric (OK, and maybe for some bookshelves and other stuff too.) Every time, the website said it was in stock. Every time, nada. I finally gave up and bought something else, and made ...<br />
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Unfortunately this one has a slight quality control issue: the waist came out half an inch too big. I measure (and re-measure) very carefully during the skirt-making process, so I am not sure what went wrong. There will be a thorough investigation, I assure you. We take quality very seriously here at Invisible Flower Industries.</div>
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Anyhow, here's the back. Didn't even try to match the pattern -- for shame.</div>
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And finally, the yoke fabric, which I have used before, in <a href="http://invisibleflower.blogspot.com/2011/01/whats-red-and-pink-and-spins-really.html">this dress</a> and inside <a href="http://invisibleflower.blogspot.com/2012/03/pacific-rainbow-moon.html">this skirt</a>. But it was too nice a match not to use again.</div>
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Last one ... Melty Trees! Or should we call it Melty Trees the Second, since I <a href="http://invisibleflower.blogspot.com/2013/01/melty-trees.html">already made one for myself</a>? I actually prefer the design placement on this one to my own.</div>
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Pattern matching(ish) in back, woo hoo! Well not really, but I did match the yellow line and tried not to chop any major design elements in half.</div>
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Inside we have some ancient orange fabric, from when I first tried to sew in my 20s (but ended up fighting a constant battle with my crap sewing machine and eventually gave up). And I did hand-sew the edges of the yoke to the zipper before I mailed the skirts. It was late in the afternoon when I reached that point and I realized the light would be too dim by the time the hand-sewing was finished if I did it first.</div>
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So there you have it -- birthday skirts. HAPPY BIRTHDAY schmeebot, I hope you had a great day!!!!</div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-71606505163934201722013-06-11T18:17:00.000-07:002013-06-11T18:17:21.760-07:00First vintage of 2013: Butterick 6520Hard to believe that half the year is almost gone and I am only just now dipping into the ol' vintage pattern collection. Well, for the sake of full disclosure, I must admit that I dipped into the vintage pattern collection that is Etsy for this one, rather than my rather plentiful existing stores. But it's part of my collection <i>now</i>, that's what's important, right?<br />
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<a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3666/8853845536_12f2dd465a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3666/8853845536_12f2dd465a_b.jpg" width="202" /></a>Anyhow, thar she blows. Butterick 6520. 1950s Buttericks are my favorite! And this one did not disappoint. This time around I tackled the dress, but I'd love to get the jacket a try someday. I made a "muslin" to test fit, after applying some best-guess alterations based on comparison to bodice pieces from another pattern that I knew fit well. I added about two inches total width at the waist (too much, as it turns out), narrowed the front neckline a bit, and added darts at the back neckline.<br />
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This pattern's front pieces are cut on the bias, and it relies on gathering at the wide neckline rather than darts for bust accommodations, making it significantly different than my comparison pattern, So I didn't figure the fit would be spot on with the very first attempt, and indeed it was not -- but it's not bad. I'm actually pretty happy with it, enough that I wouldn't consider going back and trying to do alterations (bleh). I'll just fix it next time.<br />
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The fabric I used is some rayon challis that was cheap ... I think from the <a href="http://www.highfashionfabrics.com/">High Fashion Fabrics</a> clearance section. I was a little eh on the overly washed out pastel-ness of it all, so it was a good compromise choice for this project. However, it's not so great to photograph, especially in bright sunlight.<br />
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It's not super apparent, but the bodice is a bit loose. I think I'll narrow it from the center front and center back seams, and add some length to the front of the bodice,which had a curved bottom that I thought was to balance out the gathering/bias cut, but instead just hiked the skirt up in front in an odd way. I adjusted the hem accordingly, but I'd rather have a straighter waist seam. I ended up letting the shoulder seams out to balance the bodice shortness, but obviously adjusting the pattern piece is the better way to go.<br />
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Here's a better shot of the fabric. I used the lavender poly/cotton lawn I lined with (also from High Fashion) to make bias tape finishings for the neckline and armholes (as instructed) and hem (for the hell of it). <br />
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I fully lined the dress (yes, this dork even puts full linings in muslins -- I hate slips!) but took a few short-cuts that make the lining more of a lining-underlining hybrid. Rather than gathering the lining and main fabric separately and attaching them, I gathered and attached the layers as one. (Win! I haaate gathering.) This meant that when putting in the zipper it was easier to treat the layers as one there as well. Minus one for the zip showing inside, but plus one apiece for the lining adding stability to the main fabric (resulting in a better zipper insertion), and for not having to do the hand-sewing of lining to zipper, So also a net win.</div>
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I haven't shown any "dress guts" in a while -- do y'all find this kind of shot useful? Hopefully this better illustrates the description above.</div>
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Hopefully this week I'll build my brand new <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60208648/#/80208652">Expedit</a> to house my fabric collection, which has been packed away since we moved last year. Whoopeeeeeee! Only I think the fabric collection may have expanded while it was in the closet and may no longer fit on a single Expedit. Yep, that's my story and I'm sticking with it ... </div>
Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-43840903521426404382013-06-02T09:53:00.000-07:002013-06-02T09:53:50.700-07:00A few more skirtsI've finished up a few skirts ... I'm gonna be lazy and just post pictures of them on hangers.<br />
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Skirt #1 is another Hollyburn. Again, I went with the fullness of the shortest skirt in the pattern, but lengthened to the middle of the three lengths. I made the waistband narrower, too. Since I'm not wearing this at my true waist it just works better that way. The fabric is a JoAnns find: some sort of cotton (a poplin, maybe?) with soutache sewn on it. I tried a closeup to show the soutache better, but there's too much contrast between the navy and white. Naturally the skirt's lined too, with a navy poly-cotton lawn that is not really the same navy as the skirt (much greener in tone) but hey who's lookin'.<br />
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I finished this like two months ago, yet have not worn it yet -- it just feels so ... nautical. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I guess I just haven't been in a seafaring mood. But now that Summer seems to be on our doorstep it has a bit more appeal for some reason. <br />
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Skirt #2 uses the skirt pieces from a 1950s Butterick dress (<a href="http://invisibleflower.blogspot.com/2012/01/calamity-dress.html">Butterick 6075</a>) paired with a self-drafted waistband and in-seam pockets stolen from I forget which pattern. I used silk dupioni which I machine washed to make a bit less shiny and crispy.<br />
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I lined it with a hot pink cotton batiste, and used a quilting cotton with white dots on hot pink to face the waistband. All my pictures of that came out super blurry so just use your imagination. <br />
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I really liked the texture of the silk dupioni after it was washed. YMMV. It still feels a bit dressy but it's not quite as fancy-pants as it was before. <br />
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So OK, enough skirts already. On to dresses. Here's the project I'm currently working on:<br />
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It's another 1950s Butterick pattern ... I love these things. I took my draft of <a href="http://invisibleflower.blogspot.com/2012/01/calamity-dress.html">Butterick 6075</a> as a starting point and did some seat-of-the-pants re-drafting to get to what is hopefully a wearable starting point. The making is currently in progress, using a rayon challis that was cheap and that I don't totally love, with the expectation that I will still need to tweak some stuff because the bodice shapes of the two dresses are not the same.<br />
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Besides sewing, I have also been working on our backyard a bit. Among other things, we're adding fruit trees! I'm kind of excited about them. We have a satsuma (a small orange-like fruit), sweet kumquat, peach, and key lime (even though we a tad north of their ideal climate). I'm hoping they survive and that a combination of the brutal Texas summer heat and my gardening ineptitude don't kill them.<br />
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<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659532327707234622.post-54754320572263302282013-04-26T19:00:00.000-07:002013-04-26T19:00:35.019-07:00Let the Hollyburns begin!I finally cracked open my <a href="http://www.sewaholicpatterns.com/product/1206-hollyburn-skirt">Sewaholic Hollyburn </a>pattern, and it is another winner. I think it has kind of a 40s-meets-70s vibe, while being a classic shape that can be transformed by fabric choice and the little details you choose to add. <br />
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For my first version, I used the fullest, shortest style, but lengthened it by several inches to something closer to the middle-length style. The fabric's cotton sateen from JoAnn's. I was stuck for something to wear with it, but then <a href="http://www.schmeebot.com/">schmeebot </a>coincidentally thrifted me a lovely cardigan that works nicely. Isn't it great when things work out? It's amazing that I did not already have a matching cardigan given just how many cardigans I have ... but let's not go there!<br />
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The skirt is drafted to sit at the waist, but that fit bugs me: I find it more comfortable to have the waistband sit a few inches lower. I realized this after having already cut out everything, so I just re-cut the waistband two inches longer (it's just a straight strip). And somehow, miraculously, the skirt fit the new band just fine. <br />
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Now the second Hollyburn is the one I really love, because I used a very special fabric my aunt sent me. It's vintage -- not sure how old, but only 35 inches wide. Unfortunately there is a permanent fade line where it was folded in half, but I made sure to match up the marks so that they make an upside down 'V' on the front and back of the skirt, and I really don't think it's that noticeable. I love the bird print (of course ... my love for bird prints is well documented) and the color palette as well. It's cotton, but somehow does not wrinkle. It's practically magic fabric, I'm telling you.<br />
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I went with the original width of the middle-length Hollyburn version from the package, and narrowed my lengthened waistband for a better fit. Both skirts are lined with cotton/poly lawn.<br />
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I'm working on yet another Hollyburn now ... should have it finished up and photographed before the end of Q2 with any luck. :) I really love wearing skirts in the summer, and though they may not make for the most exciting blog fodder, they see more wear than the other types of stuff I sew. Thus, I plan to eke out a few more before moving on to the next thing. After the Hollyburn-in-progress, I have some lovely plaid silk dupioni queued ... no pattern chosen yet, but perhaps a <a href="http://gksagenda.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-surprise-win.html">trapezoid dirndl</a> would work best. I never really liked silk dupioni until I threw some in the washing machine and ran it through the dryer. The resulting fabric is far less precious-looking and thus more useful in my non-fussy everyday wardrobe. </div>
<br />Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10674930108735903116noreply@blogger.com3