The Back To School Top

Guys, I love going back to school. I really do. School is the best. I really didn’t like that book The Golden Compass because the protagonist went to a weird Pseudo-Oxford and hated going to school and I was like, this girl is an idiot, school is the best. And also, weird spirit animals. And also, thinly veiled critique of the Church. And also, I’m not wild about Pullman’s writing style. BUT, all of that would have been just fine had she LIKED GOING TO SCHOOL. As I do. Because school is amazing! They let you learn stuff there! It’s great! And my joy is only mixed with sadness that I am in the second year of my program so there is no third year so HOW WILL I EVER FEEL THIS HAPPY AGAIN, OH GOD. (Sobs quietly in the corner for an hour.)

Okay, I’m good now, still sad but in a meditative way. And I’m not going to let future pain get in the way of present happiness! YOLO, am I right? Side note, my cousin Elyse and I have started using YOLO in the most inappropriate ways possible, and it’s catching on with my friends. Like, do you think that the housing market in the United States will recover in the projected times? Um, duh, YOLO! It’s pretty fun. Try it today!

So anyway, in celebration of the new school year and this fall weather that is, hypothetically, on its way… (seriously, we were on a nice streak there and then unexpected 85 degree weather today, are you kidding me? Stop messing around and let’s get autumn up in the piece, am I right? Come on, Fall, YOLO!) I made this “transitional piece” shirt. Yay! And I tried a new pattern. Yay! And a new look. Yay! And a new restaurant with my friend Allie (hi, Allie!) who took these photos. It was pretty good! Yays all around. Enough of this nonsense, to the clothing!

So this is Megan Nielson’s Briar Sweater/shirt pattern. I actually bought this to make for Allie, because she is tiny and lovely and the kind of person born for a crop top, unlike my own more, er, robust self. I did make the crop for Allie this summer (unblogged, sorry) and plan to make her another with longer sleeves from some lovely jersey from Mood, her choice, Allie has a great eye, but in the meantime I thought, well, there is a longer version, and while this isn’t the first thing I thought I would love, what’s the harm…

As it turns out, there is none! I never thought I would like something like this, the hi-low thing and I are not best friends forever, but I’m actually kind of wildly into it. It’s much more flattering than I thought it would be and also, I love this fabric very VERY much. It’s from Girl Charlee. Duh. Where else do I buy knits?

It’s super lightweight and soft, and the color gradient is very cool. I think it’s clearest in the first photo.

Plus, it has some nice back-door coverage, for those days you just want to throw a tarp over your junk in the trunk. Which is a lot of days for me, honestly. The fit is nice on this thing, a little roomy but ain’t nothing wrong with that in an airy knit top and also I think it will look nice tucked into skirts. We shall see, I suppose! I’m picturing it with a wool Pencil skirt, if it every gets cold enough…I know, I know, I complain and then in a month I will be the little match girl, craving the summer. Speaking of, this is a great song.

I like this shirt. I like the design, it’s quite modern, and I like the cut, despite my doubts. See, I like it so much I had to have a moment with this stairwell about it on St. Marks Street. I was not the weirdest person there. BY A LOT.

And there you go! This shirt is really quite simple to put together, it took me from cutting to hemming probably under 2 hours, or an episode and a half of Suits. I love Suits. Harvey Spector needs to call me. Not Gabriel Macht. Not the real person. The fictional character. He doesn’t know it yet, but we are in love.

Spoiler: I did not actually wear this on my first day of school, I wore it this past Monday, when the weather actually WAS a trifle cool and the sky was clear and I thought, here we go, let’s do this thing, Autumn. Maybe if I make another one it will get cool again? It’s got to be worth a shot….

Do you love school? Does autumn make you nostalgic? Or are you like Lara and you would rather be hanging out with street children who end up getting taken away and…I’m really not sure what happens next in the book, I really didn’t like it, guys…don’t hate me, Pullman fans! I like Harry Potter. BECAUSE THEY GO TO SCHOOL. Mind. Blown. YOLO.

The From Russia With Love Dress

So a part of growing up seems to be watching your friends put on fancy clothing, master the art of public speaking, and dance the night away. Oh, and they also get married, I guess, but that doesn’t seem as important as Jordan almonds and centerpieces and fancy cakes, now, do they? No, not at all. Still, that’s, you know, a part of it, or whatever, so I play along, you know, just to be a good sport. And also because I wouldn’t go to a wedding if I didn’t love the people getting married, because who needs that? I’m not buying you candlesticks if I don’t think you deserve them, know what I’m saying? I’m kidding, I go off registry, COME on, that thing is for strangers! You don’t NEED an immersion blender. You need the weird arty gift I found for you in an alley. It’s really two gifts, with the bedbugs, so….you know, winning.

So my friend Betsy just got married. When I say just I mean JUST, she tied the knot two days ago in a simply lovely ceremony on top of a hill in the Catskill Mountains. She married a really splendid fellow, Raul, and together they are a stupidly attractive couple (they are both actors, so it’s part of the job description, but boy is the world not fair sometimes. I would refer you to this video.) and what’s worse is that they are blissfully happy and in love. Couldn’t you just kill yourself? Sigh. THE worst.

I’m lying through my fingers, really, because watching them get married was the most wonderful thing, I mean, seriously, it was like a movie wedding, the whole thing from the vows to the party was just gorgeous and appropriate and charming and original. And her DRESS. I can’t even:

Look at that. LOOK AT IT AND WEEP, ye mortals!

Seriously. She looks like Daisy from Gatsby only I don’t HATE HER. How amazing does this woman look? Check. Out. The. Details:

Not everyone can pull this look off but Betsy? She was radiant.

Sidenote, here is why I think this couple is the best. They had a first dance planned, but a thunderstorm and some technical difficulties interfered with their VERY cute song choice so instead they got WAY down to some funkytown tunes. And they rocked it:

I want to be them when I grow up. Seriously. Don’t you?

So, enough about that dress, let’s talk about the dress everyone was REALLY talking about, shall we? Obviously I mean my own creation:

I will say it. I am not unpleased.

I love it! I really do. I had this planned for a while, actually, and then when Betsy told me her color scheme, including these pastel shades, I was all in. I described the dress to Betsy over pedicures (which she bought me as a birthday gift because she is the NICEST and also blonde and pretty, she’s, like, a unicorn) and I said it had a lot of white in it, and she was like, in perfect deadpan, you’re wearing white to MY WEDDING? And she held my gaze for, like, a full minute before she broke and laughed. She is amazing.

You might have guessed by now, if you sew, that it’s a Colette Patterns Crepe. My mom got me the pattern for my birthday two years ago, and I bought the fabric a year and a half ago at least, and I had always planned to put them together, so this was the perfect marriage (GET. IT?) of both these things!

And I love the back, I do, the wrap is just so pretty. It’s such a special detail, I can’t stand it. And so comfortable!

See, look how happy I am about it! I love this dress, I want to make, like, 4 more. The skirt is full but not dramatically so, but the wrap makes for a perfect amount of swish in the back, and a nice amount of flare in the front. Which really worked for me during the salsa dancing later in the evening…

….or the afternoon twirling. WHATEVER.

So pleased with myself….

OH, did I mention it has pockets? Because it does. No big deal. It’s not amazing. IN ANY WAY.

Construction details, sigh, okay, well I cut a size 8 because when I made myself a Cinnamon slip I cut an 8 and it was still snug in the bodice, so I thought, better safe then sorry. I could have gone down to my normal 6, though, but it’s fine, I like the ease. I made literally no changes to the pattern, I love it the way it is! Next time I would shorten the bust darts as they came a bit high, and maybe, I don’t know, did anyone else have an issue with the back not really being higher than the bra line?

Some definite slipping there, I know. So, any ideas, internets? Have you made this? Oh, I did make a change, I lined it rather than using the facings because I hate facings with a fiery passion and will go through hell or highwater if it means I don’t have to use them.

The fabric is from Paron’s, and I bought it on my first ever trip to the garment district a while ago. I ended up getting four yards for the price of two of this linen-cotton blend, which was so perfect for this outdoor wedding in the heat. AND HOW CUTE IS THE NECKLINE? I can’t deal. I CAN’T BUT I MUST.

So I did. And so did Betsy, I think she liked it, the moment she saw me she said, you made that for my wedding? It’s great! Like I wasn’t going to make something for her wedding. COME on. Who am I?

I also made these:

Betsy wanted games for her cocktail hour, which ended up being a great distraction while the wedding party took their photos, so I made her a bunch of beanbags for the beanbag toss. Her dad made the actually beanbag targets, which are too good for words.

Couldn’t you just die? It was awesome. I was so worried they would split but I double stitched them and I didn’t HEAR about any issues so I think we are good!

Of course I took some action shots, how could I not?

And there you go. Wedding. Awesome.

Oh! The name of the dress. Betsy and I met studying abroad in Moscow together, and we’ve been friends ever since. So there you go. From Russia with love. And all my love went to Betsy and Raul this weekend, how could it not? They are really really ridiculously good looking. And, like, decent people or whatever blah blah blah no one cares.

How was YOUR labor day? It’s okay to be jealous of mine, a lot of people are…