Guest Post: Jenny's Beautiful Blue Licorice

I'm delighted to welcome Jenny of A Short Version of Things.  Jenny has made a glorious blue Licorice with a (*be still my polka-dot loving heart*) polka dot collar!  Without further ado, take it away, Jenny!

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Hello, hello!  Erin knocked my socks off when she contacted me & asked me to do a guest post for the final
project of Sew Colette- the Licorice Dress! I’d been itching to make this one up ever since I got my copy of the book, and am not disappointed with the results… even if I do say so myself As usual, the instructions are extra-clear and easy to follow, with heaps of diagrams to boot! (For this reason alone I would recommend Colette Patterns to any beginner seamstress). Anyhoo, enough with the chit-chat, let’s get down to business!

What kind of fabric did you use?
The blue dress/ wearable muslin is made from viscose from The Fabric Store in Melbourne and the polka dot collar is a silk/ cotton blend from Global Fabrics in Dunedin. The collar fabric was quite sheer so I decided to fuse it with a very lightweight interfacing. I wouldn’treally recommend doing this because even with a light fusing you lose the lovely drape of thecollar.

The second dress is made from silk crepe, also from The Fabric Store, and is lined with a viscose lining from Clegs. I’ve never sewn with 100% silk before but found the crepe pretty manageable and would really recommend it to other people who would like to give it a go. It’s not as slippery as other silk fabrics but still requires a few extras like patience when cutting, French seams, and a sharp needle, all useful things for easing yourself into the nerve-racking territory of extra slippery silks!

Was there a benefit to sewing a muslin first? Do you normally sew muslins?
Sometimes I do & sometimes I don’t, although now that I’m tending to buy better quality fabrics, I guess I would say probably more often than not, even if it’s just for the fitted part of the garment. I was pretty confident I’d be able to make the muslin of this pattern a keeper, which is why I used better fabrics for it, but at the same time I just wanted to err on the side of caution! I suppose I would say that the main benefit of sewing a muslin for me is peace of mind.

What would you have done differently the next time around?
I’m pretty happy with the fit, but I think I’d like to play around with the sleeves a bit more. I really love the sleeves on Tilly’s latest button-back blouse, and have a couple of patterns that I might borrow the sleeves from –Simplicity 5347 which has longer puffy sleeves with a cuff, and Simplicity 9747 which has puffy sleeves that are gathered with tucks above the elbow. Aside from that, I love how the simplicity of the pattern means that you can let the fabric do the talking (“pick me, pick me!”). I’d like to experiment with a fabric with a little less drape and cute floral print.

How long did each dress take you to make?
I wasn’t really keeping track, but the 1st one, probably a few nights after work, and the second one, maybe a week or so.

Do you have any advice for someone sewing this for their first time?
Because the style of the dress is quite simple, it’s the perfect opportunity to invest extra time in the fitting. I think the 2 examples of the dress in the book really illustrate how different the dress can look depending on the fit. One alteration that I would definitely suggest is to adda curve to the straight centre back seam.

Well, that’s all from me folks! Thanks to Erin and Sarah for having me, and thanks y’all for reading! Looking forward to seeing all of your creations!

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Guest Post: Tabatha's Lovely Licorice Dress

I am delighted to welcome Tabatha of Thread Carefully today.  She has graciously shared her experience making her gorgeous Licorice with us and I know you'll enjoy reading how her lovely dress was made.  I must admit to falling head-over-heels in love with her version of Licorice; she had me at 'pretty little flowers'! 

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Hi all! I am very excited to share with you my finished Colette Licorice dress! I was way ahead of schedule for this make, which is most unlike me, so I’ve had all the more time to wear and enjoy my new dress. I love it. Like so many Colette patterns, it is beautifully designed, and of course easy to put together due to Sarai’s wonderfully clear instructions.

My fabric was a love-at-first sight purchase from Remnant House in Harrogate, Yorkshire. That place is packed to the rafters with bolts of fabric, and this one was tucked away out of sight, but a good rummage unearthed this John Kaldor poly crepe fabric and my heart skipped a beat – it was perfect!  I really wanted something with a lot of drape, and this fit the bill, not to mention the gorgeous print
and colours! There were no labels, so I took it the counter and was told it was £4.99 per metre. KER-CHING!!!

I actually managed to sew this dress in one day (7.5hrs), including making the muslin, but that was only possible because a) the muslin fit without alterations and b) the muslin then became the lining for the dress and c) my daughter was at nursery for the day! I made the muslin using an old bed sheet which was in good condition except the elastic had gone from around the corners – now I know I could have put my sewing skills to practical use and put new elastic in, but deciding between a fitted sheet and a pretty dress wasn’t really that difficult! I machine-basted the muslin together very quickly (not the sleeves, just the front and back) and tried it on. It looked ok for me. It was a fairly loose fit, but I
wanted this dress to be comfortable, and when I looked at the models in the book I could see that their versions weren’t tight-fitting either, plus I knew by the time I’d got the lining and shell fabric together that would pull it a little tighter. So, I basically stitched over the basting stitches and used that as my lining.

The rest of the dress came together very easily. I overlocked my raw edges, and inserted a hook and eye at the top of the zip at the back. The zip I used was white because that is the only one I had at the time, but I might replace it at some point with a navy zip because it does show a teeny bit. For the sleeve cuff, I used up some left-over ready-made bias binding, which didn’t really match as it is grey,
but because it is only used to form the elastic casing and it is turned to the inside, no one knows except me (and all you lot)! I happened to have the perfect amount, and it meant I didn’t have to buy or make any, so that suited me just fine. When I tried on the finished dress, I couldn’t have been happier with the results. Because in its previous life the bed sheet had been washed many times, as a dress lining it
just felt SO soft! It was like sliding between the sheets for a nice sleep, so comforting!




This pattern is definitely one I will be reusing in the future. It’s just such an easy dress to wear:  flattering, pretty and feminine. I think it would be great in prints or solids, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone else’s versions!




Thanks so much to Sarah and Erin for inviting me to be a guest blogger, and for organising such a brilliant sew-along. I know I have certainly gotten my money’s worth out of the Colette Sewing Handbook thanks to you both!

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Guest Post: Fabulous Fabrics for the Licorice Dress

Oh, have I got a treat for you!  I am over-the-moon delighted to welcome Meg McDonald of Mood Fabrics and the Mood Fabrics blog to my humble internet home today.  Meg, along with the help of Ann (Silk Department) and Michael (Cotton Department), have crafted a lovely post all about fabrics for the Licorice Dress!   I don't know about you, but Mood Fabrics has never failed to impress the socks off me and this lovely compilation below in no exception.

Did I mention that the delectable samples listed below are winging their way to my hot little hands as we speak?! Oh, yes! (maniacal laugh!)

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Greetings from Mood Fabrics in New York City! I was so excited when Sarah asked me to guest blog about fabrics for the Licorice dress. Nothing excites us more at Mood than finding the right fabrics for special projects.

First, we definitely agree with Sarai Mitnick that this dress pattern merits a fabric
with drape, like a silk crepe de chine. You want to the collar to sit softly around the
neck and shoulders, not stand out like some medieval ruff. Silks, lightweight cottons, some poly blends, and lightweight linens would all work for a spring/summer version of this dress.

But enough talk, let’s look at fabrics! I asked Ann of our Silk Department and Michael of our Cotton Department to give me their picks for this pattern, and I think they did a fabulous job. First, here’s Ann with her picks:

Ann rounded up a variety of silks in prints and solids for your viewing pleasure.
She likes the idea of making the dress in a print and then sewing the collar from a
contrasting fabric. The silk print Ann is holding above is by Oscar de la Renta, comes in three colorways, and is only $14 a yard.

Above, the Oscar de la Renta silk prints with coordinating solid silks.

More silk prints and coordinating solids from Ann…

…and even more silks prints and solids (the navy/fuchsia print is also Oscar de la
Renta).

Here’s Michael with his picks:

Michael pulled out two great cotton options. Wouldn’t the plaid be great with the
collar cut on the bias? Kind of schoolgirl chic. Michael envisions using that black
embroidered cotton (on the left) as a border in a black cotton dress…ooh, I like that idea too.

Here’s a close-up view of Michael’s cotton picks.

I hope this has given you some fabric inspiration and ideas for your own Licorice
dresses. If you’re in the area, stop by our NYC or LA stores where we have tons more Licorice-appropriate fabrics, or visit our web site, Mood Fabrics. Let me know if you sew this dress from a Mood fabric so we can post a photo on our Facebook page. Happy sewing!

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Meg McDonald works for Mood Fabrics in New York City and is the creator of the web site Shop the Garment District. She loves to sew on the weekends while catching up on all the TV shows she missed during the week.

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Guest Post: An Oonalicious Taffy

Oonaballoona has to be one of the greatest blogging stars ever to hit the community  She truly does not need an introduction, as those of us who have been happily 'Oonafied' delight in her adventures.  Those of you who are yet unaware of this fantastic lady, get thyself to her blog forthwith and introduce yourself!

Oona is talented, adventurous, and has a delightfully sharp wit. Below is her hilarious chronicle of making her own Taffy Blouse and the battle that ensued between New York Oona and California Oona. 

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i was so glad when sarah and erin asked me to share my experience with the taffy blouse, since i never really posted about the making of it in the first place! (true to form, i paired a Jazz Concert with a Me-Made, and the perplexing tether that connects events in my brain called it A Blog Post.)

so!  le blouse du taffy.  i scored this gorgeous material during our big new york meetup last fall.  i swear, every piece of material bought that day was anointed in holy sewist water.  (where would one get that?  possibly from the first ever steam iron?  its vessel is always mysteriously full; it resides in a secret room in the labyrinth under chanel.)   during those glorious sunny hours, i played co-host, and sternly told myself: no fabrics.  i would be too busy co-hosting.   ten minutes into our first stop, i had four bolts out.  total haul: around twenty pounds of fabric, and not one piece has failed me.  

that said, i have no idea what most of the fabric from that haul IS.  i've pored over sarah and erin's posts on taffy fabric choices, hoping to recognize mine, but really... no idea.  perhaps one of you might sleuth this material? if i had a scrap in my possession, i'd do a burn test, but the silvery remnants are in new york, and the blouse itself was left languishing there as well, in favor of a californian summer palette.  i do remember the fabric having little to no stretch, with a lovely burnout pattern.  i think you call this burnout... again, i'm no expert on fabric.  is there such a thing as burn in?

after tracing off my size, i began my usual pattern adjustments.  first and foremost: raising the waist.  this time i took it up a good two inches.  this affected that fascinating bust dart that juts out of the pattern piece like italy's boot.  so, i closed up the dart, folded it down just as i would have if i were using fabric, and added a bit more paper to the edges to make the side seam behave as it should.  now.  speaking of boob darts.  being a smaller cupped gal, i've had issues with colette patterns, sized for the C cupped woman.  lotsa gaping going on for this this wee B.  to solve this problem i just traced the smallest dart, the size zero, so the apex would be as high as possible.   questionable pattern alteration?  yes indeedy.  but let's face it, if i'm not making a muslin, knowing i have to adjust for high waist / small bust / square linebacker shoulders / erect back, do you really think i'll be rotating any darts? no, i get way too excited about the glorious material in front of me to do it right. 

and, there's something equally exciting about having to make it work when it goes wrong.  HOW WILL I EVER FIX THIS ONE, i'll often think, geekily knowing inside i will indeed fix it and then have the right to feel Incredibly Smarmy About It.  it's flawed logic, i know.  shhhhhh.

still, i try to be smart about this half baked way of thinking.  i always use a basting stitch and fit as i go.  here's my path: sew bodice darts, hold it up to mirror.  check.  baste side seams, pin shoulders and try again.  check.  only, this method doesn't work with sleeved garments.  OOPS.  i shrugged my square shoulders and serged everything together.

lo and behold, when i threw it on, the neck was so wide it was a bad attempt at a flashdance costume.   if the Costumer had put jennifer beals in a top that fell off the shoulder TO HER ANKLES.  not exactly the colette asthetic.   really, a fail.  

 fail?!  a chance to make it work!  HUZZAH!  i pinched the fabric, looking for where it wanted to go... it wanted darts at the front and back necklines.  so i gave it what it wanted.  i'm benevolent like that.  and instant karma for my generosity:  i LOVED the weird extra darts!  in my head, they play with the sheer fabric quite well.

mission accomplished, i moved on to the raw edges of the neck, arm, and hem.  self made bias tape wasn't going to happen with my wee bit of yardage, and anyways at the time, i was all PHOOEY ON SELF MADE BIAS.  Future California Oona was most certainly laughing and shaking her head at Past New York Oona's ignorance.  yes, Future Oona giggled mightily poolside, drink in hand, extra sharp needle in the other, stitching her fifth garment finished off with self made bias tape, you just wait.   Present Oona has indeed wised up, i'm addicted to the stuff now, and i adore sarai's method of attaching it front to back.  i like to blindstitch the backside of it, while sipping a cocktail.  no, truly, i do.  all Oonas are in total agreement on this point.

but for this go, Past Oona was all uppity.  i dug into my drawer of trim and found this wee floral crocheted stuff.  i serged the neck, sleeve and hem edges in one circular swoop (they had been raw and handled carefully to prevent fraying the whole time--i don't like to overlock each pattern piece before sewing when using dainty stuff like this, i find it much harder to get a clean finish on circular edges when they've already got threads in them), then pinned this trim on the neck and straight stitched it right down the middle.  i left the hem and sleeve edges serged, thinking too much of these little flowers would be... too much.

i'm constantly playing hide the ties with anything wrap-like in my closet, so i decided to omit them.  i prefer a belted look-- belts are like candy to me, and i have a knack for finding dollar waist goodies in every color.  

i was so happy with this top, i wore it immediately.  that's unusual for me.  when i make something because i want to wear it IMMEDIATELY (like in 4 hours from when i start the garment) i usually end up wearing something else while the garment gets a cooling off period in the closet.   its probationary sentence is used to coax myself into forgetting any shooting-myself-in-the-foot activity that might've occurred.  but even with my refusal to do things the proper way, the pattern was impossible to mess up TOO much.  so, to a holiday celebration it went, that very night.

so that's my oonafied version of sarai's indestructible taffy.  actually, as i wrote this post, i was alarmed to recall my path.  i realized i've been getting more and more thoughtful in my sewing.  it would seem California Oona has learned a few tricks, a little patience, a few new cocktails... come on over and see me sometime if you'd like proof. 

thanks erin and sarah for having me... i'm excited to see ALL of your perfect taffys, you colette challengers, i'm positive there will be much teeth gnashing in kalkatroona! 

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Guest Post: Twelve Tips for Sewing the Taffy Blouse

I know for some of us in the sew-along, the Taffy Blouse can seem a little daunting; slippery fabric, French seams, and miles of bias tape.  I am very excited to say that the lovely Sarai Mitnick, author of The Colette Sewing Handbook and owner of Colette Patterns, has stopped by today to share her 12 tips for sewing the Taffy Blouse!

Sarai is a wonderful seamstress and designer and one for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration.  Her patterns are consistently beautiful, straightforward to make, and yield a wonderful garment.  She tackles all types of fabrics with aplomb and crafts the most wonderful tutorials in the process. Without further ado, I give you Sarai Mitnick!

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It’s so exciting to see what everyone has made so far for Sew Colette. It’s hard to believe you’re already on to Taffy, one of my favorite patterns.


Taffy is fairly simple and straightforward in terms of construction, but of course there are a few challenges here and there. In fact, that’s why I included it. Taffy is designed to get you using a couple of different seam finishes (French seams and bias binding). Plus, it’s cut on the bias and uses a light fabric, so you need to think about fabric choice and drape as well. But never fear, I have a few tips to help you along the way.


Fabric:

1. Choose a lightweight fabric with good drape. This blouse is meant to flow, so be sure to hold your fabric up and examine the drape carefully. Don’t go for anything too thick either, because it could make those French seams a bit bulky. French seams are really meant for your lighter fabrics.


2. Try making your own bias tape. You can certainly purchase some ready-made, but making your own is a lot of fun and gives you many more choices. Check out the instructions for making bias tape in the book (p. 138-139), or this tutorial from my blog: http://www.coletterie.com/tutorials-tips-tricks/continuous-bias-tape-tutorial


3. Use stabilizer for floaty or slippery fabrics. The sample we made for the book is a gorgeous silk chiffon, and we couldn’t have done it (at least not without a lot of cursing) without our trusty Sullivan’s Spray Stabilizer. Stabilizers help temporarily stiffen light or slippery fabrics, making them much easier to work with.


Cutting:


4. Make a muslin. Perhaps this goes without saying, but be sure to work out your fitting challenges before cutting your fabric. For Taffy, you want to make sure that the overall size is good, that it fits at the shoulders, that the neckline doesn’t gape, and that the bust fits well.


5. After cutting your pieces, let them hang overnight from a hanger. This helps to stretch them out a bit prior to sewing.


6. Use pattern weights. Be sure to use some good, heavy pattern weights to hold your pattern and fabric in place while cutting, particularly if your fabric is light enough to want to float off the table. I find this particularly important when cutting on the bias.


7. Don’t stretch the fabric while cutting. Because you’re cutting on the bias, you need to make sure that your fabric isn’t getting stretched out as you cut. Cutting through a single layer (as the cutting layouts show) is helpful for this. You can fold the fabric along the bias and lay your patterns on the fold instead, but you need to be extra careful not to stretch the fabric in this case.


8. Use markers or pencils instead of snipping notches or dart legs. Because you’ll be doing a French seam, you want to avoid making any notches in the edges of the pieces because they could end up interfering with the seam finish. Instead, when you see a notch, mark it with chalk, or water soluble pen or pencil.

Construction:

9. Staystitch the curved edges. It’s a good idea to staystitch the neckline as soon as you have your pieces cut (before hanging them overnight). Staystitching immediately will help keep this curve from stretching out. Stitch ¼” from the edge, since you will be binding with bias tape.


10. Use plenty of pins. If you’re a more advanced seamstress, you might be used to sewing without using many pins. But for a bias blouse like this, it’s important to pin your edges together before sewing. Because bias tends to stretch so much, it’s much easier to match seams together while laying flat on a table and pinning than while actually sewing.


11. Take your time with the binding. Doing all the bias tape binding, especially on those loooong sleeve hems, is pretty time consuming. Take it slow and don’t get frustrated if it’s not done in a jiffy.


12. Try the blouse on again before hemming. Check to see if the blouse stretched at all, or if the hem became uneven due to sewing. Even out the hem and shorten if necessary before you stitch.


Finally, I have one bonus tip that doesn’t involve sewing: store the blouse folded. It’s a good idea to not store this blouse on a hanger in your closet, because it may stretch things unintentionally. Bias pieces are often best stored folded whenever possible.


Does that help you guys out? If anyone has other tips, either for bias sewing, binding, or French seams, definitely contribute in the comments!

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