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5.12.2012

The 'Home Sewing is Easy' Dress

Oh, how I love this dress! This is the newest version of Simplicity 3673 that I finished at the end of March. This past weekend we were finally able to get pictures and I'm pretty excited to share it with you.

I have wanted to make something with a tongue-in-cheek reference to my mad love of sewing for quite some time. Showcasing the quote below was a priority and I cut the bodice so it would stand out:

I used Colette Patterns' Jasmine for the sleeves, thus earning myself some Franken Pattern points. Quite by accident, managed to match the cartoon frame on the bodice to each sleeve. Bazinga!

The quotes in the fabric are hilarious! I am especially fond of this one: 'Look at the way she's dressed! She must be throwing Harry's money around!' Clearly I must look as though I'm tossing Mr. Friday's money to the winds, but little do they know I've saved money through my 'sewing know-how.' Hee hee!

I used my favourite lapped zipper tutorial and inserted an obnoxious super-hero yellow zip in honour of Oona. I love the high-waisted style and even though it's a bit time-consuming to sew 8 darts in total, the effect is totally worth it.

This dress ranks in my top five favourite things I've made and I feel like I could give Joan Holloway Harris a run for her money in this! Joan would knock me out, but I'm OK with that. Thanks to her, a secretary is just glamorous and mysterious as an executive.

UPDATE:
Thank you so very much for all of your lovely comments! I found the sewing-themed fabric on Etsy. Click here to purchase.

With this dress added to the queue, my year-to-date handmade totals are:

Tops: 11
Skirts: 4
Trousers: 4
Dresses: 5

Spring and Summer 2012 Sewing Plans

I so enjoyed reading Scruffy Badger's great post on her Jubilee-inspired wardrobe that I wanted to take the time to write down my own sewing wish list for the upcoming seasons.

I have finally decided to embrace my love of handmade clothing and if my closet explodes, so be it. After all, I use Solanah's excellent closet rotation plan, so I should come through relatively unscathed.

Source: google.ca via Sarah on Pinterest

I am having a glorious love affair with blues, meaning sapphire, cornflower, periwinkle and turquoise are taking centre stage. Paired with shades of gold, lemon, and hot pink, I am creating my own sunshine during this cold, wet, and somewhat snowy (oh, yes!) Spring we're having.

Source: rhinestonesandtelephones.blogspot.ca via Sarah on Pinterest

THE PLAN

~~Blue Floral Pendrell blouse~~
Butterick 4452 capris
~~Butterick 5763 wrap skirt~~
Colette Crepe
Colette Licorice
Colette Macaron
Colette Negroni for Mr. Friday
Colette Oolong
~~Colette Taffy~~
Drawstring capris from Simple Modern Sewing
~~Lady Mary's Walking Skirt~~
~~Lady Mary's Flower Show Dress~~
Mail Order 9487
Marian Martin 9281
New Look 6808
~~Pyjamas for~~ ~~Karen's PJ Party~~
~~Sewaholic Renfrew~~
~~Victory Patterns Chloe~~

Source: rhinestonesandtelephones.blogspot.ca via Sarah on Pinterest

No doubt that several of these items will not get made, but I've decided to just 'go where the energy is' and sew for the sheer fun of it and whatever I finish is just fine. I've also been sure to tie in my plans with the following sew-alongs:

I have actually done quite well with my Franken Pattern Pledge and am enjoying being a mad sewing scientist! Everything I make this year must mix-and-match; there will be no closet orphans in 2012!

MY PROGRESS

I have almost finished my version of Lady's Mary's Flower Show dress, with the exception of the zipper and hem. I am really pleased with the direction it has taken and am looking forward to sharing it with you.

Source: google.ca via Sarah on Pinterest

I also need to photograph my Linda tunic and Larita trousers and a really fun version of Simplicity 3673, all of which have been finished since March. Ooh, I also have Lady Mary's Walking skirt done, too. I am not sure if I will make the Armistice Blouse or go with a more modern Simplicity 2601.

This month, I've made 4 Renfrews - as well as a dress version - and a rayon challis Pendrell. All of these are waiting on the photography skills of my Mr. Friday. Much like Debi's David, he is always happy to pitch in.

* * * * *

What are you planning on sewing for the upcoming seasons? What sew-alongs / challenges are you participating in?

Colette Patterns Spring & Summer 2012

Oooo eee, ladies! Summer just became a whole lot more pretty with the release of Colette Patterns' 2012 Spring and Summer patterns! I am so excited to be posting about these and my mind is already whirling with ideas. Above, we have lovely Hazel. She's a super cute sundress pattern with really neat bodice inserts. I love how Sarai has played around with the direction of the stripes in this version (not to mention pairing it with that cute purse and polka dot scarf!). I can easily see it made up with a colour blocking effect, too. So pretty!

Sarai is one amazing designer, let me tell you. The Iris shorts, shown above is yummy lemon yellow, are so super-adorable that non-shorts-wearing me may just be gallivanting about in a pair of these this summer. Just looking at the cute details - buttons! pockets! - and seeing it paired with an equally lovely Violet blouse is making me dream of bicycle rides and picnics. How about you?

Lastly, but certainly not least, we have the Lily sundress. Oh, my heavens, is it cute or what? I love the retro feel with the contrasting bodice band and pocket detail. It's making me crave an old-fashioned root beer float in an equally retro soda shoppe setting. This would be super cute in a fun polka dot, don't you agree?

I just love it when Sarai completely messes up my sewing queue with her fabulous patterns! I'm off to happily plan my summer sewing.

Turn a women's sundress into a child's dress

I bought this knee-length halter-top sundress at a thrift store for 10 cents. It would have made a lovely swimsuit coverup, but it was one size too small...so out came the scissors and pins.

This was a really simple retrofit for my 5-year-old. I took in the sides first. Then I marked new armholes (using the highly sophisticated "eyeballing it" method), keeping the original back and zipper. I removed the grosgrain ribbon binding from one of the neck ties and used it to bind the new armholes and neckline. Finally, I used the other tie to make the two shoulder straps.

Project Review 2012: March

I was a bit late finishing the second project for Sew Colette: the Pastille Dress. Overall, I really like it and I am pleased with the two-tone look and fit. If I were to make Pastille again, I would definitely try a full skirt version.

Victory Patterns' Chloe

The response to the Victory Patterns feature and giveaway was incredible! I am delighted to say that lovely Kristiann gifted me with a pattern of my choice and, after much deliberating, I chose Chloe. I want to make both a woven and knit version.

I am quite pleased with my first item for That's Sew Cinematic: Lady Edith's Blouse. The fabric is a lovely soft poly-blend, which was slightly slippery to work with at times. Despite tendencies to fray like mad, I love the blouse and think it's a nice nod to Lady Edith's style.

It was an absolute treat to review the pretty Bali Ha'i dress from Shabby Apple and the beautiful Pink Safari Separates from Tess Designs. All items are wonderful to wear; comfortable and flattering and have already had outings on their own! If you're looking for quality items with a vintage feel, I would highly recommend both Shabby Apple and Tess Designs!

Source: google.ca via Sarah on Pinterest

I have also finished a second outfit for That's Sew Cinematic, based on Larita's trousers and Linda's tunic. I need to wait until the weather clears up before venturing outside for photographs. I made another version of Simplicity 3673, which is one of my favourites, that involved both stash-busting and a bit of Franken Pattern-ing.

My Year-to-Date Handmades:
Tops: 5
Skirts: 3
Trousers:3
Dresses: 3

For April, I would like to make the following:

Taffy Blouse for Sew Colette
Lady Mary's Armistice blouse and walking skirt for That's Sew Cinematic
Renfrews!

What did you make in March? What are your plans for April? Has spring finally arrived or are you welcoming fall?

The Franken Pattern Pledge

Sometimes I feel the only way for me to stay on task is to make a pledge. Today, it's about focusing on what I have. Goodness knows I have no shortage of fabric and my pattern collection is nothing to sneeze at; however, I am worried that if I don't bring my creative energies into line, I'll never sew half the patterns I own! Our recent trip to the bookstore yielded these treats for me (As a local library devotee, I only buy books using gift cards):

Simple Modern Sewing is a book I have been thinking about buying since before Christmas last year. I'm lacking pretty and comfortable lounge clothing in my handmade closet and this book definitely will fill that gap. The eight patterns enclosed can be combined to make up 25 different garments; great value for my money, I say! I do love the blouse pictured on the front cover and would love to sew up some deliciously soft cotton or linen lounge pants to match.

During our shopping trip, Mr. Friday unearthed several partially used gift cards and I was able to pick up this book. Again, it has been on my list to buy for a while. I am especially happy with the diversity of projects and clear instructions.

When I returned home and added these to my collection, I realized another pledge was hatching. As I said above, pledges seem to keep my creative energy focused, which means I am more productive and, therefore, much happier with the results of said productivity.

So, what is the Franken Pattern Pledge? It's a straightforward attempt to actually use the patterns I love, rather than leaving them languishing in my collection. It involves using my favourite patterns, either alone or in combination with another, to make the projects I have earmarked for this year. For me, that includes:

Advance 9833
Butterick 2507, 4552
Colette Patterns' Crepe, Jasmine, Macaron, Oolong, Peony, Sorbetto, and Violet
The Colette Sewing Handbook
Famous Frocks
Lisette 2060, 2209, and 2245
Mail Order 4687
New Look 6808
Sewaholic Renfrew
Simple Modern Sewing
Simplicity 2886, 4218
Victory Patterns' Chloe

When I find a pattern that I love, I tend to make several versions of it and feel more confident playing around with it to get different looks. In all honesty, I feel very lucky to have access to extensive sewing supplies and I should definitely make use of them. As you can see from the list above, Colette Patterns and Simplicity feature heavily in my list. This is due to the fact that both brands tend to fit me out of the envelope with only occasional adjustments needed. To quote an old cliche: 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

Therefore, I pledge to use the above patterns listed to create the items on my project list for 2012. I will not purchase any new patterns until I have used each pattern at least once on its own and at least once in combination with another.

(Oh, boy, this will be hard! Colette Patterns and Simplicity are bound to release new designs that make me practically salivate. Guess I better get a move on!)

JOIN ME!
As always, I find I stay motivated if I'm not in the lifeboat all alone and would love it if you joined me on yet another mad adventure. Please feel free to copy the code below and add the badge to your blog or website. I'd would love to follow your creative endeavours!

From evening gown to dress-up clothes

I found this breaded evening gown at a thrift store for $2. Sparkly! And with huge shoulder pads! Yay 1980s!

I recently discovered Trash to Couture and thought I'd try my hand at refashioning the dress into something for Zari. I liked her 80's beaded blouse to Parisian cocktail dress.

I wanted to preserve as much of the original neckline, beading, and zippers as possible. The beadwork was a pain to work with. We now have thousands of beads littering our attic floor.

I took the sides in, then cut new armholes. Once the bodice was done, I cut the floor-length skirt off at the knees and waist, pieced the two panels together, and attached the new, fuller skirts with gathers. I used the satin skirt lining to make a sash.

Here's the final result:

It's a bit large for her still, but this means she'll get several years of use before she outgrows it. This project was a success, but I think I'll stay away from beading in the future. It's almost impossible to sew over without breaking needles.