The Indiophile Tunic

My sewing backlog is out of control. I keep making stuff and not documenting it. What is my deal? I have a tripod. I have no excuse. I just always end up throwing things in the laundry and as I step into the shower remembering that I was supposed to take photos of that and now it’s dark and my hair is wet and everything is the worst. So I go talk to some food about that, and, and this is the important part, NOT TAKING PHOTOS OF MY GARMENT. And the cycle, she continues. How do you guys do this? Do you find it to be as much of a struggle as I do? Am I alone in being decent at the making but bad at the taking (of photos, which I know you guys get, I just love to end on a rhyme…).

However, today was stunning, and I wore something new, so I basically forced my friend Sam into snapping some photos of me in Washington Square Park, which is just a stone’s throw from where I go to school. It’s usually filled to the brim with hip NYU students and ornery homeless people, and today was no exception. Sam and I felt just right at home. It looked a bit like this:

Nice, right? The trees are just starting to bloom, the grass is growing, the homeless people didn’t spit on us, it was a pretty good day, all things considered. And Sam ever so kindly put up with my terrible modeling, because she is a good friend.

So, remember when I told you all that my friend brought me back fabric from India? Well, I made something with some of it…

The glare from the sun caught this at an angle and so there are odd large green hexahedrons on my legs. And a little one that in this photo looks like a hair ornament. So that’s fun.

The pattern is Butterick 5548, a tunic that I thought went well with this fabric, one of the three (THREE, I’ve said it before but thank you, Rohan!) that I have. This one was a border print, and sort of a lightweight kind of a thing, cotton, I believe? So tunic seemed like a good choice. Check out the weird pattern image:

I guess what I find so weird about it is that both of those models are actually the same person, but I feel like they are pretending it’s two difference people with the change of hair and pants and shoes. And it’s awkward. But the pattern is cute! I used the longer pattern and shortened it by about a foot, and yet it is still quite lengthy.

But I like it! What else did I change, hmmm, I guess that’s about it. It’s a very simple pattern to stitch up, only a few pieces and really the collar is the most complicated part.

It’s sort of flipping out in this photo, but I think you get the idea.

I loved wearing this today. I finished it last night after Game of Thrones (guys, I’ve gotten into Game of Thrones! That’s why I’m not taking any photos of my garments, I’m too busy with Game of Thrones! Obviously!, and it was perfect for today’s weather. The shot cotton (I don’t know if you can see it in these photos but it’s sort of a lovely shot cotton in two shades of orange) seemed to brighten the day for me. I never wear orange, but I like this! 

 

As you can tell, this fabric, amazing and wonderful as it is, wrinkles like a sharpei dog.

See the resemblance?

WE ARE THE SAME. Ahhhhhh!

A little close up on the gold border print. So pretty, right?

As a thank you (read, way to torture) my lovely photographer, I took a photo of her so the world can see the person behind the magic. Thanks, Sam, and thanks, Rohan, and thanks, today, because the weather was simply gorgeous!

Stay tuned for my Mad Men dress coming soon, which I swear to you I will document, by all that is holy, I will take photos of that damn dress!

 

Me Made May Day 2: So it’s spring, right?

I’m not all that into talking about the weather. It’s just not a passion of mine. Don’t get me wrong, I care about the weather, I obsessively check weather.com and monitor every cold front and hot spell so that I’m prepared for every eventuality. What can I say, I like to know what’s going on and how to layer appropriately. I just don’t feel the need to discuss it all the damn time. Still, today was cold. And rainy. Do you know how annoying it is to bike in the rain? I do. Oh, I do….

Still, I try not to let the weather I constantly check completely alter what I wear. So for Me Made May Day 2, I went with a skirt. Wool in May. What are you going to do about it?

The blouse is the thing I made, it’s my “I don’t believe in UFOs blouse”. It’s grown on me, honestly, though I haven’t worn it all that often. The skirt is vintage, it belonged to my grandmother, I think, my mom and I aren’t sure if it was Isolda’s or my mothers. Ah, well. People always ask me if I made it. I did not.

And the other vintage thing? This brooch:

It came from the hoarder stash. How lovely is this brooch? Very 1960′s. I adore it.

And there you have it. A rather dreary day two. No scraps today, just rain and red blouses. I’m off to San Juan tomorrow. so expect a gap between postings, and then a flurry of new projects. How is Me Made May going for YOU all so far?

Cha-cha-cha-changes and a giveaway!

I have big news, people, big news! Brother Cadfael had been accepted to the NYU-Tisch MFA for Dramatic Writing program! Of course, as his human servant, I will be required to attend all the classes and write all the plays and screenplays and generally just be enrolled in the program while he dozes and licks himself. But it’s really his wonderful accomplishment, and he is to be congratulated!

Waiting for Godot is so mainstream, says Cadfael. Endgame is Beckett's real masterwork.

I’m just messing with you. Cadfael didn’t get into Tisch, he didn’t even apply, he thinks graduate students are the worst. I, however, did apply to and was accepted by this amazing school, and I will be attending NYU-Tisch in the fall. Yeah. That’s right. So I’m moving to New York. And yes, I’m taking Cadfael with me, he can lick himself just as easily in Brooklyn or Queens as he can in Philadelphia. We are very excited about this. Well, I’m very excited about this. Cadfael doesn’t understand the concept of plays, or writing, or moving, or New York. Or excitement, really….

At any rate, for now, I’m still here at home in my beloved Philadelphia, starting to make my plans and let the people around me know what’s happening, but I thought that I would share this piece of good news with the world of sewing bloggers, like you do. And to tie this all together, because purely personal posts are not my bag, I’m offering a giveaway! Of 13 vintage patterns! From me to you! Yeah. That’s right. Now you’re listening…..

Let’s take a look at the goods, shall we?

You know, your classic cape/skirt combo. Don’t worry, the embroidery transfer comes with it. Thank goodness.

This I could actually see as looking super modern in the right fabric.

A wrap skirt!

You could, of course, make this in black and white herringbone wool. As suggested.

I guess you could make NON-matching separates, but that just seems like crazy talk.

Pleated skirts are big for spring, apparently.

That cover art model has clearly been infiltrated by aliens. Not to worry, it’s still a cute pattern, right?

I would not recommend the jacket, but the dress is cute!

Vest, check. Miserable looking dog? Check. Cute skirt pattern? Check!

I really want their shoes…

Diversity in cover art models. Thank you, 1970′s!

Julia’s Mad Men Copy Cat Challenge is over, of course, but you can still dress like Megan. Don Draper on your arm optional, but recommended.

And for the final pattern, I must say, I know it’s not a winner, but I’m Jewish, you see, and I just don’t see a need for this in my life:

Yeah. Drink that in.

And you can have all of these pattern (ALL OF THESE PATTERNS!) for the low low cost of free! Just comment before the 15th of April, and tell me which you like best, or what you would do with them, or really if anything exciting has happened in your life recently! All sharing is welcome.

Oh, and I realize that there are 13 patterns I’m giving away to one lucky person, so I’m willing to throw in a 14th to avoid bad luck. Because I’m just that nice.

Happy Passover! Happy Easter! Happy Springtime! Whatever you’re into, have a happy one.

Did you know they’ve got patterns for sale on the internets?

First of all, thank you VERY much for your lovely comments on my recent denim adventures, and your thoughts on needles. Food for thought indeed. It’s funny, as a self-taught seamstress I get a lot of information online and from random sources, and I seem to have no real evaluative processes for deciding what to take and what to throw away. Like, for example, I once read an online article about pressing which I found via A Fashionable Stitch and it said you should press a seam four times and I was like, yes, of course, and now I do that. EVERY. DAMN. TIME. One side, the other side, wrong side, right side. All my seams. All the time. But then I read something about replacing your needles and I was like, that’s clearly insanity and I will never do such a thing. Totally arbitrary. So anyway, thank you! I obviously should be changing my needle (and, for that matter, my contact lenses, sorry, Dr. Wortman!) more often.

In other news, I really never should have gotten an ebay account. It’s a real bad idea, guys. Don’t do it. Learn from me. Think of me as a drug addict your D.A.R.E officer brought in to teach you about WHY METH IS WRONG. Because people, they’ve got PATTERNS on that thing. PATTERNS. In LOTS. And I may or may not have gone a little crazy and bid on/won a bunch of them. Whole lots. Of patterns. Recently. So, you know, that’s happening.

Want to see them? Yeah, you do.

Shoulder yokes. Delicious.

I love this. It’s like the Sense and Sensibility Swing Dress Pattern, but the REAL DEAL!

The photo is bad. The pattern is lovely.

This is a little insane. I’m totally making it, though.

Check out the cuffs on this bad boy!

The collar is excellent.

Well it’s got pockets, so I’m in.

Simple to make my ass but I love that the collar works 5 ways!

Asian inspired pajamas? Yes, please.

Hmmm. The cover art is so amusing.

The fedora is so jaunty!

Well, obviously I need a house coat. That’s just a give-in.

Oh my god this blouse I love it very much. I would need to resize it but MY GOD it’s the best.

There is something vaguely creepy about all of this. I couldn’t tell you what.

This is my absolute favorite. Right? RIGHT? SO CUTE! Honestly, it was worth the lot of them just for this one gorgeous creature. Did I mention all together it was like 15 dollars? Yeah. It’s okay to be a little jealous of this addict. She’s the crazy person in the corner with ALL THE AWESOMENESS.

But, hey, if you don’t want to get an ebay account that’s cool. Look who just released a free pattern? Salme Patterns, independent designers extraordinaire! The Sonja Dress is a free pattern download on Burda Style and it’s just adorable. Never heard of Salme Patterns? Check out Kelli’s awesome interpretation! Kelli blogs at True Bias, and I would like to be her friend. I would like to be all of your friends. Do you like the ebay? Has it captured your heart and mind? Where do you buy patterns? Which of these is your favorite? Spoiler alert, I will be giving a couple of these away come March. Which one would you like? If you say the last one I will end you.

But to end on a positive note, Cadfael in a bow!

Cat photos. Just one step closer to becoming Miss Marple.

 

 

The Cat’s Pajamas

Not everyone enjoys sewing for other people. I know this, and I respect it. After all, it’s a hell of a lot of work. I think that Oonaballoona (who I deeply adore, from afar, for her daring and her mad skillz, and for her cameo on Royal Pains) summed it up best in this blog post, and if you click on that, read the comments, because they are all insightful and amazing. I must say that more and more as I’ve been sewing for longer and, of course, my garments look a hell of a lot better, when I mention that I sew (I’m just kidding, I never mention, I scream it to the rooftops) people have started asking, do you take commissions? To which I just grin. Because in my mind I’m thinking, honey, do you know the time and effort it takes to make a garment? And fit it? And finish the seams and make sure the design is right and hem and baste and blah blah sewing blah? And you want it in chiffon? That’s cute.

But it’s just like anything else, isn’t it? Like, someone sees an actor perform in a role. And they think, hey, I’m attractive and I can talk and I have feelings, I should be an actor! But what they don’t think about is that that’s an art form, and it requires work and skill and effort. Sewing takes a lot of work, and the longer you do it the more you realize that you don’t know, and still need to learn. So when people ask you to make something for them, “real quick”, it demeans you, in a sense, because they think that what you do is easy and quick, whereas we know that sewing is labor and time intensive, not to mention the cost of materials.  It’s one of the reasons learning to sew will put you off, as the British say, buying RTW, because you know that the labor isn’t being compensated fairly if you only need to pay 10 dollars for a blouse.

That being said, I am someone who does make things for other people. Not when they ask, necessarily, though I do like to know what they want before I spend timing making something, but because I love certain humans and want to show that love with hand-made items. And that is why, among the many things I made for people this holiday season, I made my mother and father pajamas. And you know what? They turned out pretty baller, if I do say so myself.

I think my parents make excellent models, don’t you? The pajamas my mom is wearing come from vintage pattern Simplicity 4006, which is one I have also made for myself. I made it for myself first because A. I’m selfish and B. I wanted to check the fit on my mom before I made her a pair in this lovely flannel that is more her color palette (she’s an Autumn). I scored the fabric from a fabric.com flannel sale and I got the pattern from this lovely etsy seller. I got the buttons from PA Fabric outlet, because that’s all I ever do. I think it turned out really well, and my mom certainly likes her new pajamas!

Oh, I think I love the collar best of all, it’s inside edge bound with lime bias tape:

As for my father’s pair, I got that vintage pattern from this other lovely etsy seller, and it’s Advance 8217. I loved the style, but I ALSO love the fact that three out of the three cover sketches are smoking. Thank you, 1960′s.

My dad's head looks enormous here, but I can assure you that's fairly normal for him, he has a very large head.

I got the fabric from the same fabric.com order (come on, I had to make it to the free shipping! Anyone would have done the same!) and I got the buttons from PA Fabric outlet. My father wanted a collarless style, and a fabric shortage led me to cut the exposed front non-collar thing (it’s hard to explain) on horizontal stripes, when everything else had been cut on vertical. I think it looks kind of cool, what do you think?

Sorry about the wrinkles, but these are pajamas, after all.

I also really enjoy the cuffs:

 

So there you have it. Two cool cats in very cool pajamas, looking comfortably vintage in their flannel glory.

But just because I made this for my folks, don’t get any funny ideas, okay, people?

Not Only Is It 2012, But It’s Also Almost My One Year Blogiversery!

Hmmmm, blogiversery is a word that doesn’t get tagged as being spelled wrong. That’s…..troubling, in it’s way.

Me on the knee of a delightful gentleman. Thanks, Joseph,you are a peach!

Anyway, HAPPY 2012! For those of us who haven’t raptured (remember THAT?) I would like to welcome you to this year and express my sincere hope that that Mayan calender is incorrect, because I have a lot to get done in my life and would prefer the Universe not to end any time soon.  That being said, 2011 was a pretty positive year for me, especially crafting wise! I started a sewing blog, I learned to knit, I learned about seam finishes, I made pants, I made my first (but in no way last) clothing from vintage patterns, I inserted visible and invisible zippers, I made buttonholes, I took on a me-made-month challenge, I got a lot done!

Let’s look at it numerically, shall we? This past year I made 38 garments, give or take a few that I didn’t blog about, including:

1 pair of pants (Clovers!)

1 vest (Franzi!)

1 Jacket (Naomi!)

2 pairs of shorts (Simplicity 7688 and Simplicity 2017!)

3 pairs of pajamas (Tara Top and Colette Bloomers, Jane and Simplicity !)

3 refashions

8 skirts (2 Maries (1 and2), Simplicity 3688 ,  1 self drafted, 1 more self drafted, Helena, Vivat Veritas, and McCalls 8161!)

9 Dresses ( New Look 6732, three incarnations of Burda Style Dress with Cap Sleeves and Gathered Skirt (one I’ve never blogged about, sorry)-1 and 2, McCalls 7326, Vogue 8615,  BurdaStyle 10/2010 Full Dress with Cut Out Bustline, Tara, and the Angela Kane Pinafore!)

10 Blouses ( Butterick 8097, 2 Sorbettos (1 and 2) 2 JJs (1 and 2), 3 Utes (1 and 2 and 3), Alexander, and two Butterick 7490 (1 and 2)

Of course, this is all just the stuff I made for myself. I also made my mom 2 skirts, 1 dress and two sets of pajamas, I made my father a set of pajamas, and I made my brother 3 ties.

Which brings me to my New Years Sewing resolutions of 2012:

1. Concentrate more on the fitting process, and less on the instant gratification. I’m about to undergo a pencil-skirt project that hopefully should play into this nicely, as well as becoming a devotee of Sarai’s fitting chapter in my brand new Colette Patterns Sewing Handbook (thanks, Mamala!)

2. Add more variety to my sewing. Clearly I like certain patterns (JJ? Ute? Burda Style? Yeah, I’m talking to you people), but that doesn’t make for a super diverse wardrobe. I have enough patterns in my stash at this point to start branching out.

3. Sew with new fabrics. I actually made a knit top (a bit wonky, but wearable!) and completed Dixie DIY’s ballet dress pattern (it’s available for a mere 4 dollars to download! Do it!) for the New Year’s Bash I attended (it was amazing). I haven’t gotten a chance to take photos yet but once I do you will no doubt be delighted by A. this clever pattern and B. my mastery of knits. But I need to step it up on the silk front, people.

4. Conversely, bust my stash! Seriously. SERIOUSLY. FOR REALS. I cannot will not must not should not dare not buy any more fabric for the foreseeable future. We found another haul in my grandfather’s attic, photos to come, and this is getting a bit insane. No new fabric until my birthday in July. That’s my rule. Let’s see how it goes, shall we?

5. Fill some of the gaps in my wardrobe. Try a jacket, or two. Make more pants. Tunics. Something different. Mix it up. It’s 2012!

What about you guys? Sewing resolutions? LIFE resolutions? I know you’ve got em, lay em on me!

Looking back on the year, some of my favorites include:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sleep No More Skirt and the I Don’t Believe In UFOs Blouse

What we have here, folks, is a double header.

First of all, I hope you had a merry christmas/awesome 6th day of hanukkah/day just like any other. I myself celebrated in the traditional way of my people, gorging on popcorn during Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (it was awesome. AWESOME.) and then feasting on Chinese takeout in the company of my family. It was quite a day, I must tell you.

Second of all, quick, to the sewing project! Or projects, as the case may be. Because I recently completed an extremely frustrating little blouse that I decided to pair with a skirt I made the other evening and wear out to a neighborhood Christmas Eve party. Of course, no holiday is complete without me forcing my mother to take photos of me and yelling at her while she does so, so here we go:

As you can see from my charming expressing, I was being a bit of a jerk about these photos. I’m sorry, Mom.

Let’s break it down, shall we? First, the easy part. The skirt:

I love this skirt. Love. LOVE. It’s unbearably simple, but I believe it to be extremely flattering. It’s a basic six gored navy skirt made from Simplicity 3688, a reproduction 1940′s pattern. I love it. It’s full at the bottom but because of the gores it’s really nice from the side and the rear:

Glides right over, right? I think the key is, when you have a bit of junk back there in the trunk, which I do, and you like full skirts, which I do, you have to make sure that the skirt only fills out past the hips. Which is sad, because I love me a gathered skirt. It just doesn’t love me back….

Pleats are okay, though, right? RIGHT?

Whatever. Look at the pretty simple skirt:

It’s hard to see the gores, which are topstitched, but I love the 40′s flare of this skirt. I call it my Sleep No More Skirt (find out more about the show here and read my review here) because I was inspired by the event (on so many levels) and just adored the severe but elegant skirts of the female performers. So 40′s, so sleek and easy to move in but flattering and lovely. I whipped this skirt up over two evenings, and that includes hand stitching the hem and the zipper. I love 40′s style bottoms, they all use exactly one button which is a great way to get rid of those beautiful but seemingly useless one-offs you may or may not have haunting your button box.

I used a gold one. It felt right.

Now, to the blouse, which is more exciting, but also more ANNOYING. I call it my “I Don’t Believe In UFOs” Blouse, because really, I don’t. I don’t like, nay, I can’t physically start one project, one big garment, before I have finished the one I’ve started. I just can’t do it. I have to finish what I start, I just have to. And that determination is pretty much all that kept me going, I must tell you.

zI got this blouse pattern from a lovely Etsy seller, SewUniqueClassique, and I was extremely excited about it. I waffled for a week or two after I found it online and then finally bit the bullet. I imagined that this would be my new go-to-blouse pattern, I would make every variation and use it all the time. I love this style of blouse, and this one seemed to have the shaping and details I’ve been looking for in a pattern. It looks perfect on paper, right?

Quick and easy, eh, Butterick 8097? Oh, sure. SURE you are. So I guess I’m just slow and frigid, because I had a hard time getting this one into bed. First of all, for such a short blouse (you can’t see in any photos but it only reaches a few inches below the waist) it ate up almost three yards of fabric. Second of all, it’s fussy. Really fussy. Lots of hand sewing (on shirting poplin? Really? That’s not happening), lots of silly steps, general struggle, but who would expect anything less? And while the fit is nice, it’s actually kind of baggy around the waist, despite the diamond darts and oddles of shaping, and it’s got a lot of fabric bunching in the back:

I suppose I should have done a swayback adjustment, but I’ve never done one of those before. Sigh.

I should say that now that I’ve finished the thing I do really like it and will probably get a lot of wear out of it. That being said, I don’t know if I would make another of these.  I might, because I like a challenge, and because I like a lot about this style, but my hopes for the blouse I make seven of and wear daily have been dashed. Sigh. I like the collar, though:

And the gathered sleeves:

I like the color, too. It’s a stretch poplin I got from Fabric Mart for 1.99 a yard. Bam. And the buttons are from my beloved PA Fabric Outlet, real shell, too! Fancy dancy.

And there it is.

See? Happy Face. I guess it’s my own fault, really. I’m always looking for patterns I would make more then once, rather then something I would just do once but do really carefully. What about you? Do you look for patterns that will make one unique statement in your closet, or ones you can make over and over again?

I used picnik to make some 40′s style shots.

I’m reading Macbeth, because it’s the primary source material for Sleep No More. SO CLEVER.

Can you just see me keeping the home-fires warm?

Glamor Shot!

And there you have it.

The Parque De Palomas Blouse

Paloma is a beautiful word for what is in reality a very ugly thing, and that would be a pigeon. But for some reason Puerto Rico loves itself some pigeons. Not only are they fed with abandon, flying rats that they are, but they even give them love in the culinary culture. No, squab isn’t a big deal there, and frankly, that wouldn’t be love but hate, allow us to fest on the tiny stupid pigeon bodies….ahem, excuse me, I’ve gotten carried away. No, in Puerto Rico they use a word for beans that isn’t used anywhere else. In the world. See, for most of the Spanish speaking world beans are frijoles, but not in the struggle that is PR, no, they call beans habichuelas, or pigeon peas. See? See the love? It’s insane.

And of course there is a park, in San Juan, a little patio, really, called Parque de Palomas, where, on my actual real life birthday, I made my mother shoot photos of my second attempt at Butterick 7490, this time in a white shirting from my grandfather’s attic stash, and a re-drafting for a keyhole neckline:

What did I change? Well, the neckline, obviously, which I like a lot, the keyhole neckline just feels very vintage to me somehow. I also finished off all the hems with self-made bias tape, and I took the darts in the front in by an inch each, which I think gives it a move fitted shape:

Of course, this looks silly with this skirt, so I tuck it in, and that defeats the purpose of the fitted shirt. I’m a smart one, me.

It’s a cute skirt, though. It was on sale, many years ago, at Anthropologie, and I bought it, didn’t like the length, never wore it, then, just recently, chopped it up at the hem and look at me, making it work!

That thing I’m leaning against is one of the most famous monuments in San Juan. It’s actually a shrine, but a particularly picaresque one, and if you’ve ever been to San Juan you probably have a very touristy photo of you by this little chapel. It’s called the Capilla de Cristo and has an interesting and predictably wacky series of myths and stories surrounding it. Not at all the sort of thing a nice jewish girl should be posing against, right?

Of course, I love this arch anyway, because it’s beautiful, and because it’s right by the place where we go to get our nails done. It’s a rare treat for me because I always ruin them right away, and this was no exception. Sigh.

Sad Face.

But why call this blouse the Parque de Palomas blouse? Because the Capilla de Christo is RIGHT NEXT TO the Parque de Palomas! Islands are cool.

A place in which you will see cool trees:

And little lizards (largartos)

And strange young women posing:

And palomas. Lots of em. 

Oh, well, all you can do is smile.

And fantasize about murdering all the palomas you can find.

The 2011 Summer Essentials Sewalong, or why on earth I joined another challenge related to sewing

So even though this may sound like an insane thing to do given that I’m already mired in Me Made June struggles and it’s only the middle of the month, but I also decided to participate in ANOTHER sew-along, the Summer Essentials Sew Along hosted by the lovely and talented Ali of The Wardrobe, Re-imagined. And as she describes it far better then I ever would, here it is:

The goal: Stock your closet with quality summer basics. The benefit: A group of sewers who will encourage and inspire you, not to mention talk you off the ledge when you need it! To me, there are six categories of summer wear. Feel free to add to this, but this is just to start us thinking of what you need/want.

Sounds fun, right? And at least, thank goodness, it’s open-ended. So I can just make the patterns and pieces that work for me, and not follow along some slavish dictates of another sewer. Sewing really is the new fascism, I swear. So I’m going to make a least six items this summer that fit into the categories listed below, and I’m going to only shop my stash, because I really need to not buy any more fabric until the heap of cloth sitting in my home shrinks to an acceptable level. Right now it’s just too much to bear. What with the huge amount my grandfather gifted to me and some pretty things I couldn’t resist, I can’t purchase anything new until at least August. Let’s see how it goes….So what are the 6 categories? They are the following:

Poolside Pretties: Anything that cools or dries you off when there’s lots of sun and water around. One and two-piece swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, surf shorts, sun hats, oh my! One versatile swimsuit cover-up I find lovely is a terry cloth dress. Double-duty, that’s what I’m talking about.

Growing up in the age of Juicy Couture sweatsuits has given me a strong aversion to anything terrycloth, so that’s off the list, and I don’t feel like I’m ready to make my own swimsuit, but I can go a cover up! I’m thinking fabric, left over from my Shibori project, with this pattern, lengthened from a tunic to a dress, will be the perfect couple:

Burda Style's Tara Pattern

Clam Diggers & Co.: Bifurcated bottoms of every style and length, from flowing linen pants to short-shorts and all the inbetweens—clam diggers, pedal pushers, Bermuda shorts, etc.

I just got two perfect patterns in the mail! This lovely 1950′s guy:

And with some black fabric left over from my My Lips Your Lips Tulips Skirt, I think it’s going to make all my Sandra Dee dreams come alive and dance! I have to resize the pattern, and I’m a touch concerned because it will be my first shot at shorts, but carpe diem, no?

And then this 1940′s stunner:

Sweet & Sassy Skirts: Prints and solids, short and long, low-slung and high-waisted. But most of all: Airy, flirty, flattering.

Sure, like I wasn’t going to do that ANYWAY. I have a few projects in mind, including a softly pleated affair from a tutorial by Pattern Scissors Cloth with this fabric:

I love this fabric. Doesn't it scream Ancient Roman Chic?

The Sundress: Need I say more? To me, the perfect sun dress strikes that cord between casual and elegant—arms and collarbones, looking good barefoot or high-heeled. It’s something you can wear to both a barbecue and a summer wedding.

Again, I’m on it. I’ve got too MANY of these in the works. I want to make a couple vintage dresses this summer, or at this least one, that’s my big challenge:

Tees, Tunics & Blouses: Yes, please! I’m finally understanding the worth of blouses as they also strike that balance between casual/formal, totally versatile. I’m also thinking mini-dresses that do triple duty as tunics, dresses and cover-ups.

Mini dress is not a term I ever want to use in life, so I will just do blouses, got it? I’m down for some more Sorbetto tops because I liked it that much, and definitely a few things in white. I need more basics.

Those Summer Nights: Pullovers, cardis and hoodies may be the last thing you’re thinking of with the mercury rising, but there’s those cool summer nights, not to mention every last establishment with the air con blasting. Or: for those of you where thunderstorms are a daily summer experience, a lightweight trench?

It’s hot as hell in Philadelphia. This one might get the ax. That way I can just make another dress….

Are you taking on any challenges this summer? Planning any changes? In any respect, not just sewing wise? I think I’m going to try to read Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon, that might be my large summer novel, you know, the one I am “reading” while I read lots of other trashy novels. Like you do.

The First Time For Everything Blouse

You know how Eleanor  Roosevelt said “Do one thing every day that scares you”? Well, I’m pretty sure she was talking about using her first vintage pattern when she said that. I mean there is no way to be sure, of course, but I’m fairly confident that that’s what it was about. Of course, vintage to her would have been, like, tea gowns from the Edwardian era, but, you know, potato, potaahto.  It’s scary out there, guys, it is. I’ve read horror stories about vintage patterns with crazy instructions and no photos and wasting fabric and time and precious moments all for naught! So I was fairly concerned about delving into the world of vintage patterns, which is dumb, because I have BOUGHT a lot of vintage patterns….logic and I aren’t really best friends sometimes.

But sometimes you just have dive right in, right? Carpe Vintage Pattern, no? So I said to myself I said, start small, just try something simple. And with that I stitched up Butterick 7490, which some of you may or may not recognize as the pattern I discussed in my first of many future posts on Copycatting. This is a pattern I bought in homage to Colette Patterns’ Sencha, and you know what? I think it actually turned out pretty okay!

I look very pensive here. Maybe it’s because the sun was in my eyes. Maybe it’s because I’m considering how impressive my blouse is. Potato, potaahto.

Buffeted by the WIND!

Not only was this my very first vintage pattern, (and it was a snap, ladies and gentleman, just too easy! Well, except…but more on that later) , but it was also the first time I have ever re-sized a pattern (courtesy of this amazing tutorial), and I used vintage fabric and vintage thread AND this was my first time working with…..stripes! And I think I matched them fairly well!

Not to shabby, right? I pretty much used this as a muslin, in a sense, because I feel strongly that this blouse pattern is going to be used over and over again. I just love that this is such a simple shape but actually neatly tucked and quite flattering on curves. The only modifications I had to make were to the neckline, which now looks a little something like this:

Right, so, cute boat neck, right? Well, when I first made this I was determined to follow the (excellent) directions to the letter. So when it said finish the hems with seam binding, I was like, yes, of course, right away, sir! So I did so, even though I think seam binding is a slippery devil. But I did it! And then then I had finished I had a neckline that was a floppy neck hugging choking mess. And I thought, hmmmm, this is not exactly what I wanted.

So I just flipped over the excess, sewed a narrow hem, trimmed, and went about my merry way. And so I finished all the hems just just pinking, turning, and narrowly stitching. Which would NOT make this the first time I said, oh, screw it, I’m taking the easy way out here. Honorable? Mayhap not. But there are only so many challenges I can take on in one go.

So what would I change? Well, next time I’m going to try out a keyhole neckline. Let’s see how THAT goes, shall we?

Glamour Shot!

All in all, my first time was pretty good. Not everyone can say that, now, can they?