Plum Medieval Dress: Finished!

I finished the medieval dress that I have been working on for more than a year in time for this year's Halloween! And it was gorgeous! I was so incredible happy and proud wearing this dress on Halloween!

The pattern is Simplicity 2573, view B.

Instead of the binding, I added seam allowances and sewed the bodice to the lining. I hand stitched the trim, grommets on the dress, and the hem on the dress. The underdress has french seams everywhere I could swing it. The lacings in the bodice are leather. The dress is a rayon/wool blend. The belt is silk charmeuse with a bracelet for a ring. The bodice is lined in china silk and the underdress is linen.

This is the first dress that I have ever sewn and I am so extremely proud of it! Anyway, more pictures:

One of the reasons that I picked this dress for my first ever complete dress was because I knew that the design would require little-to-no fitting. However, as you can see in the picture above, I probably should have done some kind of an adjustment to the back. There was apparently too much fabric in the back, although I am not entirely sure what one does to fix that sort of thing.

I wore the costume to work and got tons and tons of comments. One coworker asked if I would be willing to make one for his wife. I went full-on Selfish Seamstress and said "No way!" My favorite interaction of the day went something like this:
Girl: Whoa! I really like your dress. (pause) Oh, it's a costume.
Me: Yeah.
Girl: Where did you get that?
Me: I made it.
Girl: Oh. (pause) How long did it take you to make it?
Me: About 40 hours (some additional explanation about hand stitching that wouldn't be necessary...)
Girl: I would totally wear that dress.

I also got loads of compliments on the color. And on my headpiece (which I had made for my wedding).

There are a few other posts with more detail on my blog here and pattern review is here. Thanks for stopping by!

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Frivolous photo: My lovely boys went as minions for Halloween. I blogged about the hats I made earlier, but had to share this amazing picture from Halloween itself.

Halloween Minion Hats

Firstly, my 2 and 4 year old boys are very into Despicable Me right now. So when I saw an idea for DIY minion hats for Halloween costumes on the internet, I got a little excited. I'm quite pleased with what I ended up with!

I used McCall's 7012 as a pattern for a beanie-style hat, which I sewed up in yellow fleece.

This was my first time sewing with a knit, and I think it went pretty well. I used a long, narrow zigzag stitch, which only gave me problems with getting precise ends to the dart legs. The pattern called for a single layer folded up and stitched through to essentially hem the hat. The inspiration post called for two layers of fleece sewn together. I went with two layers and removed 1/2 inch from the inner layer to account for the turn of cloth.

For the eyes and goggle straps, I cut felt and attached with hot glue. For the goggle rims, I used canning jar lids. This was my first time ever using hot glue, and my fingers can tell you: it is hot.

As I was finishing the first hat, my elder boy said, "I have to go get my minion shirt!" He ran up to his room and came down with the only yellow shirt he has. So cute! Then he said that his brother didn't have a minion shirt and, "That's ok, we'll take turns." Long-sleeve yellow shirts are part of the plan, as are G logos for the overall fronts. For now, I'm just glad that I completed the sewing. The boys are really jazzed with them.

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Frivolous Photo: The boys and I participated in a run/walk associated with the local children's museum a few weeks ago. I walked/jogged a 5k and the boys walked/ran a 1/4 mile "toddler trot." It was a really great time.

Stitch Fix: August 2014

This blog is ostensibly about sewing, but fashion is a close cousin, right? Bare with me as I diverge a little bit...

I decided to give Stitch Fix a try. My wardrobe has been woefully thin since I went back to wearing non-maternity clothes about a year and a half ago. I was pregnant and/or breastfeeding for 4 straight years. During that time I bought pretty much no new clothes that were not maternity or over-sized normal clothes. Now that I'm back into my pre-maternity clothes, I'm finding that items are wearing out and some just no longer fit my style. On weeks when I haev to work 5 days (I have every other Friday off), I am inevitably scrambling and bumbed with the options that I have for that fifth day. I have winter and summer items that get worn week after week after week. And at that rate, it's only a matter of time until those items wear out. Oh, and go shopping for clothes? My boys are 2 and nearly 4. Going shopping is a very rare occurrence.

Enter Stitch Fix. I recently stumbled on the service that provides a personal shopper, clothes delivered to your door, on an as-requested basis. It seemed like a nice fit, so I decided to give it a try.

I gotta say, Stitch Fix is fun.

There's just something about getting a package in the mail that has been selected specifically for you. It was like Christmas, even though I had to pay for anything that I decided to keep. And that's coming from someone who was not terribly impressed with what I got. But let me get to the fixes...

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The first item is a silk chevron striped henley. I was very impressed with the quality of the fabric, and especially the price of this item, but unfortunately I just wasn't pleased with the way that it looked on. I had mentioned within my Stitch Fix profile that I have been wanting to wear clothing tucked in, but haven't had any luck finding styles that looked flattering. My stylist suggested wearing this shirt tucked into a pencil skirt. I also tried it untucked with pants, but it just wasn't doing anything for me.

Decision: Returned.

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Next up was a mixed crochet, silk, and something stretchy tank in all black. I loved the style of this top, in terms of the mixed textures and see through elements, but the shape was terribly unflattering. There was a crochet band right in the middle that stood out from my body quite a bit and made me look way bigger than I am. I definitely tend towards an apple shape, so I especially sensitive to anything that makes my middle look bigger than it is already.

Decision: Returned.

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Third is a tribal-print embroidered tank. I really like the fit of this shirt, and think it looks really flattering on, but I just wasn't excited about it. Nude and tribal is not my style, and it felt a little too casual for work. Would have been a great weekend top, but not what I'm in the market for. Not if I'm not in love with it anyway.

Decision: Returned.

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Fourth and last of the clothing items in my fix is a knit maxi dress. I had mentioned that I am in the market for a maxi dress, and had pinned to Pinterest a blue and white striped maxi from Banana Republic. I felt like this was very flattering, but was again concerned that it was too casual for the office. However, what decided against this dress for me is that the stripes were all over the place where they connected to the band. This is the kind of thing that I probably wouldn't have ever noticed before I started sewing. But now, there is no way that I'm spending my hard-earned money on something that is this poorly constructed. And it was the most expensive item in my fix!

Decision: Returned.

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Finally, there was this gorgeous silver-toned hammered bracelet. I was very pleased with this item. It feels contemporary and stylish without being in-your-face. However, I was a little torn because I don't do much accessorizing normally. In the end I decided to go for it.

Decision: Kept!

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Overall, I was pretty disappointed not to have any clothing items in my fix that I liked enough to keep. I was especially excited about the idea of having a maxi dress. I'm still in the market for one... I had in mind a classier level of clothing than what Stitch Fix provided. More polished, more powerful. I had noted in my request that I have way more bottoms than tops to wear with them. I felt like my requests were listened to, but that they just didn't get the right tone.

I'm hopeful that giving Stitch Fix more time to learn what I like may be worthwhile. I love the idea of having someone out there finding choice pieces for me, of not having to go out shopping for clothes, and of being stretched to try new things. Part of my problem with finding clothes in my post-pregnancy world is that I just don't have a strong sense of style. My body is different than it used to be, even though I weigh less now than I did when I got pregnant the first time. Styles have changed since 2009 when I first got pregnant, and I'm very unsure of what will actually look good, and more importantly feel good, on my body. I love the idea of trying on clothes in my own home, with clothes that I already own, and sending unwanted items back without additional cost. And I sure hope that Stitch Fix can figure out my style without me having to tell them specifically the articles of clothing that I want to buy (not all blue and white striped maxi dresses are created equal). We'll see. For now, I'm willing to give it another try.

Embroidered Linen Wrap Dress: Well, it's a skirt anyway

So, I did finish up a skirt made up from the tie and skirt pieces of the dress. It sits very low on the hips, but it works. I think it will do nicely with a sweater in the winter/early spring.

I'm not totally satisfied, but I was very proud to wear it to work this week!! My first ever sewn item worn to work. Hooray!

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Frivolous photo: I recently tried out Stitch Fix for the first time. Way too fun... more to come soon.

Embroidered Linen Dress: Wadder?

Well, I got the bodice of my embroidered linen dress assembled yesterday. I was super impressed with the finish and how beautifully I was able to sew all of the seams, etc. However, the bodice just is not working for me. I had stitched up a quick muslin, but wasn't checking for anything other than to ensure that there was enough room in the bust. There was, so I barrelled straight ahead. My pattern matching was nothing to write home about. (How do you match patterns across different pattern pieces anyway?) But the thing that really killed it is that it just doesn't fit me well. It is baggy, the shoulders are too wide, and there are twelve layers of fabric at the waist. I was excited about a dress with a defined waist, but, with an apple shape, 12 layers of fabric at the waist is... problematic to say the least.

Waaaaay too much fabric in front.

What waist?

It doesn't look terrible, but I know myself and I just wouldn't wear it. At this point, I'm thinking hoping that I can salvage a skirt out of it at least, since I am so majorly in love with this print and tie.

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Frivolous photo: The first blossoms have appeared on my tomato plants! Yay!

Embroidered Linen Dress: Tie Construction

I decided on "beetroot" charmeuse from Mood for the tie. Can I tell you? I am in love with this fabric. I want to have one of everything in it. I want to live in it. This is definitely my color this year. It really makes the blue of my eyes pop and I just love wearing it.

The pattern called for the ties to be cut on the lengthwise grain, but I wasn't interested in buying 2 yards of silk just for a tie around my waist. So I cut ripped it on the cross grain instead. For the longer tie, this meant that I needed to splice two lengths together. I had done this once before on an improvised tie for a maternity top. I used my quilting ruler to draw a 45% angle on the intersection of two lengths pinned perpendicular to each other.

Then I stitched on that line. I was pretty pleased with my accuracy!

When turned to the right side and pressed, it makes one continuous length with a strong angled seam.

I trimmed and pinked seams and trimmed the corners down tight.

I sewed the seam allowances of the join down into the seam allowance of the tube. I decided it would make the join seam stronger. Then I used a fancy tube turner tool to flip the tubes right-side-out.

There is a hollow tube that goes inside the tube, all the way to the stitched end. Then there is a stick that fits inside the tub that is used to start the turn into the tube.

I am very pleased with how these ties look, however, I do have some pressing marks... You can see it at the top of the tie in the picture above. the pinked edge of the seam allowances is showing through. I thought pinking the seams might help to blend the seam allowance line, since it would be at different lengths. I think next time I would use some sort of interfacing. Also, I wasn't sure how to apply the pressinatrix's pressing rules on a tube, and didn't look for help on the internet until I had already trimmed the seam allowances. So my seams aren't as perfectly pressed as they could be. Next time I will press the seam allowances back before I turn the tubes.

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Frivolous photo: My husband and I packed the kids off to go camping in the mountains not too far from home a couple of weekends ago. It was in a wonderfully wooded area. I could have moved in. The kids were fabulous! The biggest challenge with camping in the mountains near Denver is that the lows will be in the 40s even at the height of summer. In the morning, we had to get under a blanket to stay warm.

In other sewing news, I am close to having my medieval dress and my cloak done. The cloak just needs a hem and the medieval dress only has the trim left to add (and an underdress to sew up). Seems too close to the finish line to share photos...

Embroidered Linen Wrap Dress: Tie Choices

I mentioned in my last post that my local favorite Colorado Fabrics didn't have just the right color of pink silk for the tie of my in-progress wrap dress. I ordered some color samples from a couple of sites and still couldn't decide. So I made a mock up in Photoshop.

I'm seeing the dark pink as more modern. The light pink is a little too cutesy for the already pretty feminine pair of both the style of the dress and the fabric. My husband isn't convinced, but that's okay. I'm the one that will be wearing it. "Beetroot" charmeuse is on the way!

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Frivolous photo: My youngest (2) loves playing in the dirt. Plus a peak at my tomatoes. The summer's been a little slow with the heat this year. Great for people, not as great for tomatoes.

Embroidered Linen Wrap Dress: Cutting

I've started yet another new project. Should I be embarrassed? The cutting is the part that I normally dread the most, and I was in the mood for it, so I just went with it.

The project is a wrap dress from Vogue 8784, labeled "Very Easy Vogue." No buttons, no zippers. Sounds like a good project for the first me-sewn garment that I might actually wear to work. I picked up this embroidered linen about a year ago in a sale at JoAnn's. I got enough for a dress, but wasn't sure what.

The pattern runs perpendicular to the selvedge, so I had to cut the dress on the cross grain. You can see in the picture below that I cut out the bodice back pieces with my rotary cutter and mat, but my mat is only about 2' x 3', not big enough for the skirt pieces. So I pinned and cut those pieces with scissors.

Canned goods or pattern weights, you decide.

The front bodice pieces are cut on the bias. I have seen instructions in the past that recommend drawing a different grainline on your pattern pieces when cutting on the cross grain, but I just used a quilting ruler to line up vertically with the grainline and horizontally with the selvedge. I think it worked pretty well.

This print is crazy, at least in terms of trying to match the print between pieces. The print doesn't mirror, so I couldn't just flip the pieces over one on top of the other as I have done with plaids in the past. The flower stems kind of meander horizontally. It was really tough to figure out conceptually how to even go about matching the print. I didn't have much in the way of room to work, either. I did manage to save a seam by cutting the back skirt on the fold instead of having a center seam. That way, too I know the back will match with itself at least. In the end I just tried to match up the pink flowers as best I could. I'm sure it will not look fantastic to the trained eye, but I decided to just go for it. Sometimes you have to learn by making mistakes.

The pattern has pleats in the front instead of darts. I did make a muslin of the bodice, so I'm confident that the shaping will work for me. I didn't want to just draw all over the front of my bodice, however, like I did on the muslin, so I thread-traced instead. I cut open the pleat boxes so that I could accurately mark my fabric. I think it worked well. Of course, time will tell...

I have some pink silk swatches on the way for the wrap belt. My local fabulous Colorado Fabrics just didn't have the right color pink. For the lining, I decided to go with a cotton voile. I have just one ready-to-wear (would it be overly pretentious of me to go with prete a porte instead? You have to admit it sounds so much better) sundress that I ever so occasionally wear, and it has a cotton lining. I thought silk might be a bit too... clingy.

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For my frivolous photo: I have been traveling for work a bit lately and found myself in Anaheim, California, with an opportunity for a discounted ticket to Disneyland after 4pm. I didn't have anyone to go with, but I couldn't pass it up. I have to tell you, Disneyland is pretty amazing by yourself (especially with a kindle in your purse). It's so easy to talk to total strangers when you are by yourself and there are many rides that allow "single riders" go straight up to the front of the line to fill in when there is a party of five and the ride holds six. I had a really fabulous time. I sooooooo love Disneyland!

Plum Cloak: Piping

The cloak pattern calls for a facing from the fashion fabric that abuts the lining fabric. I have a ready-to-wear coat that has this construction with piping between the facing and the lining. It's a look I like, so I decided to use it.

I picked up some 1/4" cording and white silk charmeuse from my local favorite Colorado Fabrics. I cut 1 3/4" bias strips from the silk, intending on 5/8" seam allowances. I tried to be as precise as I could with my somewhat limited cutting surface and skills. I knew that as long as my strips were roughly 1 3/4" wide and the angle was bias-y, it shouldn't matter too much. Then I stitched one time down the length of the cording with my zipper foot. I didn't start with the needle flush against the cording, but I found that to work much better. Then I basted the piping to the facing, seam allowances roughly matching so that the piping was just past the 5/8" line.

I am incredibly pleased with the result! More pleased than I ought to be probably, since it certainly isn't perfect. But I think it looks very classy. I love the iridescence of the silk and the polish of the trim.

On the downside, I continue to struggle with my lining pieces having stretched out of shape. I actually hung my lining pieces from a trouser hanger after stitching the first seams. I don't have space to leave out my sewing projects in between my hour-or-two sewing sessions, and I was tired of having to iron them over and over again. I hung them up for about 10 minutes before I realized that probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. Boy did they stretch out of shape! I let all of the excess go to the bottom, figuring I'll just hem it out. Hopefully it won't come back to bite me later. I did hold it up to the cloak outer fabric, and the opening for the arms seem to match up still. So maybe it'll all work out. I'm not pulling on the fabric in the below picture, just holding it out for dramatic illustration.

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Frivolous photo: My three-year-old got a hold of my camera the other day. Luckily he didn't cause any damage, but he did take some interesting photos.