New Projects

First of all, thank you everyone for your lovely and kind compliments on my outfit posts. It just goes to show that we're our own worst critics, right? I love y'all, and that's a fact.

So! New project!  I'm turning the raglan sleeve dress from Vogue 8701 into a TNT dress.  Its marked as "easy", which I guess it  is, once you get past the million and one modifications needed for proper fit. These are all common for me modifications: rounded shoulders, large arms, lengthened waist, full bust adjustment... The problems is I've never done it for this type of bodice.

I decided to go with the advice from a class I took at the Sewing Expo some times ago and make all the modifications to the back and shoulders first.  I have found this to be good advice, actually, since once that fits the FBA becomes much easier.  Here is a somewhat fuzzy photo of all those pieces:

I will be taking higher quality photos with details on how the changes worked later, probably next week.  I tried doing some searches for tutorials on how to make these changes and um... didn't find much. I had to turn to my text book on fitting, which had nothing for rounded shoulder adjustments on raglan sleeves.  I kinda made it up as I went.

This was my next big puzzle.  I needed an FBA of a total of about two inches after I made my modifications to the back and sleeves. I decided to start with the basic y-bust alteration and then use the "law of dart rotation".  I'm not sure either of these things are actual THINGS,  I know that many a book and blog have talked about them, though I think I may take my own crack at it here. In any case, I tried to make sure that the dart tips were at least 1.5 inches away from the bust point* so that I'm not sporting Madonna Bra Cones.

Next up I traced the pattern pieces for the "Roxy Royal" hoodie in the Autumn 2012 Ottobre' magazine. I'm pretty sold on this magazine so far and think I'm going to get a year's subscription. They have the best selection for boys anywhere that I've found. So.. YAY!  The hoodie is actually for a friend's daughter.  She loves pink and My Little Ponies, and I have some polar fleece of the original ponies kicking around in my stash. In fact, its been kicking there for about a decade now. Originally it was intended for Felicity but she is currently anti-pink.

But back to this magazine, its got that crazy migraine-inducing pattern sheets you trace. I've taken to highlighting the one I want with a similar colored highlighter. Makes a huge difference.  Also, those huge wax sheets save my life when it comes to this. Best haberdashery purchase ever!

In conclusion, here's Wanderer (aka Monkey Butt,  cause that's what Felicity started calling him after he got 'fixed' and came home with his butt shaved) helping me with my projects.

What are you working on?

* Another nice tip I read recently is to think of the bust as the tip of a cone in relation to the garment you are wearing.  You have to shape the fabric to mold around your bust in a pleasing manner.

Changes and Notes

Hello Everyone!  You might have noticed I changed a few things.  I'm trying to update the graphics to look slightly better than a trained monkey apprentice's work.  Let me know if anything is really wonky on your system.

Ok, first big note of interest, the FIFTH give-away.  I can't for the life of me remember what it was suppose to be. I'm not kidding, really.  I shouldn't be surprised though cause, for some reason, I always stress out at mid-year review time. Self reviews, does anyone else hate them?  Anyway, I'm gonna rummage around and find something awesome and I'll have it up by noon today.

Next up, my current sewing projects. Vintage beach outfits for the kids! If any of you have been following me on Pinterest you may have noticed a couple of cute summer kids patterns in there.  Check out the patterns and fabric...

Aren't these great?  Felicity's fabric is a print from a fabric my Mom bought what I was her age, so its from the 80's. I'm reclaiming some purple linen blend that was going to be a paper bag skirt for me until I realized that would be a disaster.  The blue Hawaiian fabric for Simon is a Japanese cotton I found on Etsy.  The pattern is a size 8 but I'm hoping, based on past experience with vintage children's patterns, there will be HUGE amounts of ease.

Now, in case you are wondering why I might be making beach outfits, there's two reasons. I live near a lake and its less than three weeks until ISLAND VACATION!  We're heading out to stay at a friend's beach house on Jekyll Island, just off the coast of Georgia.  A little neat bit a trivia, the very first International Telephone Call was placed from Jekyll Island.  Not remember the date at the moment, but it was early 20th century. As someone that works in Telecommunications, I think its very interesting.

Anywho.  I'm starting on these this week and I'm going to do my very best to document working with these patterns.  Its going to be my first attempt at shorts with pockets and cuffs. I'm trying not to be intimidated. Weird, huh?

So, those of you in the Northern Hemisphere*, what do ya'll have planned for summer?

*Ya know, the international nature of the internet is just kinda awesome.

Carved Messages

I <3 U

The downside to working nights is my children often complain they don't see enough of me.  It always breaks me heart, especially when they say it while I'm on my way out the door for work.  But then they do little things that make me just love them to pieces.  Now I smile whenever I grab the tailor's chalk.

She Needs a New Party Frock!

So the other day we were getting ready to go watch Simon sing for his honors chorus at the school. Felicity, in a flurry of activity, tried on all her "pretty dresses" and none of them fit except the vintage party dress I made before I started blogging.  And it was snug enough that this was its last wear. Felicity turned to me and said "You need to make me a new party dress! None of these fit!".  After a stern lecture about how making demands was rude and its much more polite to ASK, I promised one by Easter.  Inwardly I was smiling because it didn't even occur to her that we would buy one.  Even after several shopping trips in which we saw numerous displays of  dresses she didn't like any of them.

So last week I sat down with her and drug out patterns and fabric and we went through all the options.  The 50's patterns got a luke warm response.  Then I brought out this one:

Simplicity 2912

It was a hit.  And I can see why, too.I love Patty Reed's designs for girls as they always have his wonderful retro element and are just FUN.  This one might be discontinued but I've seen it floating around on the interwebs. So, with the pattern settled we started on fabric. I pulled out some that I had bought with her in mind. Pink gingham with floral, another floral, a polkadot.  At first she wanted to mix two floral prints that even Oona might have flinched at. Then I remembered some fabric that I had bought but then couldn't quite see it as "me".  I pulled it out and showed it to Felicity and she said "YES! I think red and blue should go together!".

"I quite agree", I replied.

So we now have this, though I used a darker red for contrast:

YAY! Its a start.  I got the pieces out and used my new and shiny 36x24 wax paper for tracing onto the fabric, using a straight size seven. The blue/grey floral print is a cotton lawn I got from Fashion Fabrics a long while ago for $3 a yard. I have another version in black/pink colorway.  Anyway, by itself it was too flimsy so I underlined it in white batiste. I used the "cheat" method that Gertie learned from one of her couture classes, I used fabric glue. Hey, its a kids garment. I'm not spending THAT much time on hand basting, thankyouverymuch.

Gluing the underlining

 I have to say, this dress super easy after you've racked up some experience points. Lots of pressing involved but it gives you such a clean finish. The red contrasts are actually sewn right side facing wrong side, folded over and then the raw edge is pressed under and top stitched. Clever, really.  The ties are just basically folded edges twice and, again, top stitched.

So much pressing.

  I did a Hong Kong finish on the seams that were left exposed.

I'd say the fussiest part of the whole thing was making the flowers.  The super curved seams, plus clipping, and then the gathering and hand sewing after turning them out and pressing.

Flower template and shiny new scissors

Oh, by the way, those are my shiny new scissors I bought at the Atlanta Sewing Expo. They are micro serrated and titanium plated. Cuts like BUTTAH. Love em'.   The end product turned out beautifully.  I had three yellow vintage buttons that worked perfect as the center of the flowers. All told I put it together in about 8 hours.  I am SUPER pleased, really.

So. That was a REALLY long post and I hope you made it this far!  I highly recommend this pattern if you can get your hands on it. What about ya'll? Making anything fun?

When You Have Children...

You turn the corner and find this...

nom nom nom

Now, this mask lives at the top of my stairs. My stairs land in the foyer of the front door. Its purpose is to scare away evil spirits (If you believe in such things).  Finding this random sort of thing is not uncommon in this house.  Ask me about the time they created an instance in a kids MMORPG  called RoBlox where they convinced the other players all squirrels are brain eating zombie agents of the devil. No, I'm not making this up. To say I have interesting conversations with their teachers would be an understatement.

I will have sewing related posts this week, promise.