New Year, Same Me, A Sewalong!

So, I have an very important question to ask you guys, and that is, um, well, oh boy, this is so hard to ask, but, would you do me the honor of….participating in my sew-a-long?

Oh, let’s back up.

First of all, Happy New Year, y’all! I hope that you had the most wonderful Hanukkah/Christmas/Kwanza/Festivus/Saturnalia/Satanic ritual/whatever you’re into, and the most lovely New Years Eve! What’s-his-face and I had a latke party and then we rang in the New Year by eating pizza and watching Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (for the hundredth time, obviously) and then we watched some of this which is absolutely bonkers.

Seriously, check it out:

Thinking back on my many sewing projects of the year, many of which, alas, went undocumented, as always, I will say that I think I tried a few new things, style wise, which is always fun, and I’m looking forward to trying some more in the year to come. I also want to challenge myself more to try a few new things, including more (any) outerwear (which is hard, because I spend so much of my time in India right now and Mumbai is not an outerwear kind of a place, but I can still try!), and taking more time with projects that have challenging details, like some formal wear for weddings and events, and more vintage items that require me to spend more time with them during construction.

Do you guys have any sewing goals? I rarely make other kinds of resolutions, and I’m already starting every day with homemade green juice (recipe courtesy of my friend Rakhee, follow her on Instagram at @rakheejainarora! And follow mine, I figured out how to put a link on the side and everything! @lfstruggle!), and I have a big year ahead what with my first novel release and What’s-his-name’s projects, stay tuned for more on all counts, so I feel like I have a lot covered on the personal front. So sewing can have a lot of my intentions, right now!

And speaking of sewing goals, in the spirit of wanting to sew more vintage, and in celebration of what I think was one of the best pieces of television, nay, MEDIA in 2017, I am thinking about hosting a Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Sewalong! Who is with me?

First of all, we’ve all seen The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, right? RIGHT? NO? Okay, um, wow, well, don’t even worry about it, I can just hang out here for a day while you binge it. But, like, seriously, WHAT ARE  YOU DOING WITH YOUR TIME? And if you say watching Black Mirror I will BREAK YOUR FACE OFF YOUR FACE. Watch that on your own time! We have a female centric passes all kinds of Bechdel tests smart, funny, stupidly well acted period piece from what may well be the most flattering period of fashion for women in the last century and you…had better flipping things to do with your time? LIKE WHAT, PRAY TELL?

Ahem. This show is an Amazon Prime production created by Amy Sherman Palladino and Daniel Palladino, the team behind Gilmore Girls, which, if you haven’t seen that, then, I don’t know, maybe just stop reading my blog, or whatever? I mean, you make your choices, you know? AND I MAKE MINE. It features the magnificent Rachel Brosnahan, and the wonderful Alex Borstein, and it is just a sheer delight, complete and utter modern feminism wrapped up in a perfectly coordinated 1950’s package. The show is splendid, really lovely, and worth talking about for days, but the costumes, my friends, oh, the costumes. Now that’s something else entirely.

Lovingly designed by Donna Zakowska, with the kind of precision, character building, and thought process we haven’t really seen since, well, Mad Men, basically, and before that? Maybe never? these costumes really are a character in the show. They have inspired envy from the least vintage oriented of my friends, and I myself have drooled over them, longing for a cacophony of coats in impractical wool weights with no closures and all class! Hey, now, maybe THAT is where my interest in outerwear has come from….

But seriously, the costumes. First, enjoy this article. Then, look at all this:

And that’s just Midge. That’s just one character. Good. Lord. I mean, yes, it’s the MAIN character, but, like, still! I didn’t even show you her wedding dress. Listen, just watch the damn series, okay? Amazon Prime. Oh, and while you are at it, check out The Collection for a costume porn double header and then you come right back here and let me know, is anyone down for a sew-a-long?

Because I think this could be a ton of fun! So I will follow this up with a series of posts with inspirational pattern ideas, a giveaway or two, and we can reveal our Maisel outfits in a few months, let’s say, the 15th of April? That gives everyone a little time to join and try stuff out! And I promise to do a few myself, and I know that everyone’s favorite Blog for Better Sewing has a Charm patterns release coming up which she said should make fans of that red number up there very happy, soooooo…….

Who is in? Comment below if you are down, otherwise I will…totally just make a bunch of stuff on my own and wear it all and wish Miriam Maisel was my friend. And check out this pinterest board, it’s full of ideas already!

 

The Fabulous Fifties in Holland

When we went to Holland, every single art museum we attended, with the exception of the Franz Hals house, was under renovation. For. Reals. This seems like terrifically bad planning to me, but hey, I’m not the Dutch government, now, am I? But if I were, I probably would have sped up the TEN YEAR LONG renovation of the Rijksmuseum, and then waited until that was DONE to do the Van Gogh Museum, and THEN dealt with the Mauritshuis in The Hague. I’m just throwing that out there.

That being said, the fact that the majority of the Mauritshuis’ unbearably amazing collection was moved from its home in the center of the city to the Gemeentemuseum outside of the hustle and bustle and U.N. dealings actually ended up being kind of  blessing in disguise. Not only is the museum building a gorgeous one, designed by H.P. Berlage, a member of the Amsterdam School, which pleased my mother, but  it also currently houses an awesome if vaguely confusing exhibit called Mondriaan and De Stijl, which is fantastic, and they have most of the marvels of the Mauritshuis (except the damn girl with the damn pearl earring which is in JAPAN, are you kidding me? Not cool, Holland, NOT COOL.)

But they also have an exhibit that might actually be relevant on this here sewing blog, and that was one entitled Fabulous Fifties, Fabulous Fashion! It was a pretty cool exhibit, not all that revelatory and trying to paint Holland as the center of fashion development, which, well….

But still, it has some just simply gorgeous pieces, Vintage Dior and Givenchy and even some modern things. And they let you take photos, so, um….

PROM DRESSES! I didn’t know they had prom in Holland.

I love this jacket.

This grey dress looks almost modern, don’t you think? It’s Dior, of course.

Gorgeous details.

I love the bow, and this color is just….

I think that deep purple could have been torn right off of Joan from Mad Men.

Love this draping.

How modern does this jumpsuit look?

Too cute.

How odd are these wigs?

These two cocktail dresses would be right at home in 2013.

Another Dior. Just lovely, don’t you think?

And now some modern takes on vintage looks:

Prada’s 2011 Show:

Alexander McQueen ( I think)

Vivienne Westwood:I love their poses!

It’s always so wonderful to get this close to some beautifully made pieces of clothing. I couldn’t help but share them with you! It almost makes up for this Vermeer nonsense….

Fall 2012 Sewing Plans

I sorted through all my patterns recently. It was….scary. There are so many of them. SO. MANY. PATTERNS. I don’t even know what to do with all of them. I found about 30 to give away, so, look out for more giveaways, I guess….

And yet, somehow, in all of the many of them (I couldn’t even count, it was too many) there were gaps. For example, I don’t have all that many skirt patterns. Or suit patterns (though god knows when I will ever wear a suit in my chosen profession of playwright, so whatever on that score). There are very few knit patterns, or, for that matter, modern patterns. There are a lot of dresses, mostly of the summer variety. There are some blouses, mostly of the button-up variety. There are a handful of coats and a scant number of jackets, and one swimsuit, that is actually a burdastyle download so that doesn’t even really count (because I couldn’t bear to deal with my downloaded and carefully assembled patterns, they aren’t really a part of this discussion because I don’t want my brain to explode). And there were dresses. Lots of dresses. Did I mention there were dresses?

And yet, though all this mess of paper and wonderful daydreams (like, I’m going to make all these shift dresses! Tomorrow! It’s going to be great!), I have carved out a Fall 2012 Wardrobe/plan/back-to-school (oh my god, I’m going back to school!) wish-list. Inspired by the wonderful Cindy of Cation designs, I shall now share my plans with you.

1. Another Jiffy 4977 dress.

I know. I KNOW. I was so “whatever” about this one but now it’s one of my favorite dresses and every time I wear it people love it. So I’m going to make another one, with slightly longer sleeves, for fall. Maybe in this cheerful stripe?

2. Sewaholic Thurlow Trousers (one, or maybe even two pairs…)

I bought this pattern the day Tasia released it, even BEFORE she released it, because I’m on her mailing list. I’m not really a pear shape, it’s true, but I do have a sizable bottom half (which, hopefully, is balanced out by my not-unsizable bosom) so I thought these might be a good fit for me. I want to make one straight from the pattern in a blue denim, dark, of course, and then fiddle about with the legs to make a slim-fitting black pair, perhaps a thurlow-clover hybrid? We shall see…

3. A mock wrap dress, Simplicity 4074:

In this lovely knit fabric from GirlCharlee

4. A Cation Designs (FREE PATTERN!) Dolman Top:

I couldn’t tell you what fabric, though. I’ve got some rather plain navy in my stash, and I’m trying not to buy any new fabric, but it seems rather dull for such a lovely pattern…

5. A coat, specifically McCalls 2979 from the 1970’s:

This is going to be a doozy, in fact, I would say this is a fall/winter 2012 project. I’ve never made a coat before, but I pre-ordered Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing (and I can hardly contain myself waiting for it!) so I hope her padstitching and tailoring advice is helpful (like it would be anything BUT). I have no idea what fabric I’m going to use, I’m sure I will buy something, and, sorry, New York, but I’m equally sure I will be picking it up here in Philadelphia. When it comes to prices for wool, we can’t be beat…

6. A men’s shirt (for mi hermano!) Colette Patterns Negroni, of course:

Tailor-made for the 27 year old hipster in my life. I feel strongly that there will be many muslins because A. Fit is tricky and B. my brother is picky  discerning. He wants a long-sleeved version with both pockets intact, and I will be using the hell out of Peter’s Men’s Shirt Sewalong from all those moons ago, so look out for updates.

7. A Pencil Skirt! What pattern, do you ask? I. DON’T. KNOW. As mentioned above, I don’t have many skirt patterns, and I’ve never made a pencil skirt that I really loved. I’ve made a lot that were just okay, but nothing wonderful.  I would love for it to look just like this, please:

Can anyone find me something that would resemble that? I’ll send you a pattern, if you do!

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as it were. I also plan to make a Peony Dress, a 1970’s pattern with tie-neck (delicious) and all sorts of other things, as they come to my busy mind. I mean, this doesn’t even cover knitting or quilting, which I find myself liking more and more each day. But I like starting with a plan. What are your fall sewing plans? Any perfect pencil skirt patterns you swear by in your own lives?

Spring/Summer 2012 Palette Challenge (And I’ll throw a Me-Made-May in for free!)

Ah, Spring, you are (sort of) here. Well, I’m wearing a sweater right now, and it wont get higher than 57 today, but hey, in THEORY Spring has sprung and it’s time for some planning! And you know how I love to plan…

But first, I should tell you that I’m participating in Zoe’s 2012 Me Made May Challenge! I had a lovely time doing it last year, and Zoe has encouraged repeat offenders to up their game, as it were, so here is my pledge:

I, Leah of strugglesewsastraightseam.wordpress.com, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May ’12. I endeavour to wear at least one if not two self stitched items and one vintage item(including accessories) each day for the duration of May 2012.

Boom. How is that for a challenge?

And additionally, I’m going to be participating in Colette Patterns’ lovely Spring/Summer 2012 Challenge! I love that Sarai has opened it up to both seasons, because now I can merge the seasons and think further ahead into making pieces that transition well! Yay! I’m so down for this.

So here is my palette, as generated by Color Lovers:

So as you can see, we are going Nautical this year.

Can we talk about the fact that every damn year magazines do the same damn thing? Wool and plaid for Fall! Stripes are back for Spring! What the HELL? When did stripes ever leave? At what point were we going to oust sweaters in the Fall? “Bright colors for Spring”. Florals are BACK! REALLY? HOW UNUSUAL. In no way does that corresponding with nature and precedent. It just makes SENSE to wear brights and floral things in the spring and summer and darker tones in the winter. THAT’S OKAY. We don’t have to pretend is a damn revelation every damn season! AM I RIGHT?

Okay, moment of rage over. Back to the planning session.

I’m planning on shopping my stash for this challenge, because god knows I have more than enough fabric to do so.  The one exception might be a dress for Jenny’s wedding. I mean, I MADE one already, but I’m kind of on the fence about it, so…..

Anyway, here is what I’ve got in mind so far. One pair of shorts, four blouses, two dresses and one skirt. I’m really more in the Spring place then the Summer place with this challenge (at least, in this color palette) but hey, that’s okay, right? I do have some summery projects planned, but color-wise they are sort of more wild-cardy so I will save those for June. Let’s look at the combinations, shall we?

1. A Blouse

I’ve been wanting to  make a Jasmine top ever since the pattern came out last Fall. In fact, it was even included in my Fall Palette Challenge goals, but it never came to pass (hangs head in shame). I love the idea of making a Sailor Style one, and of course Mena and MTL had to go and steal my idea…seriously, though I love this combination. I’ve actually already cut this out of navy and white cotton shirting, and I’m just hanging the bias portions and getting ready to sew this thing into existence.

2. A Shirtdress

I already own this pattern, it’s Butterick 2626. I’ve wanted a 1960’s style shirtdress for a while, so let’s see how it goes with this fabric:

which I also already own.

3. Another blouse.

Simplicity 4608, version A (short sleeves) sans pocket. Using this vintage blue and white shirting:

I used that for my truffle muslin (PS I need to have WORDS about the Truffle, more on that later) and for the lining for my jacket. This shirting has really gone a long way.

4. A Skirt:

This is an ebay pattern score (from a lot of 40, guys, I really can’t buy any more patterns…), Simplicity 5196:

Horrible cover outfits aside, it’s actually a simple and sweet bias-cut skirt that I’m doing up in a grey linen/cotton blend. No photo of that, sorry!

5. Another blouse (or two, or three…):I want to make a New Look 6808 (or two). Am I alone in thinking that everyone and their mother has made this blouse? And tips?

With these fabrics:

and

And I want to  make this DARLING vintage McCalls 3305:

In this:

6. A pair of shorts, Simplicity 2017. I’ve made these before, and I love them.

This time it’s navy linen all the way:

(All of the swatches from from my sewing book, which I made after being inspired by Sarai of Colette Patterns and it’s proved to be a really helpful tool, especially when thread or zipper shopping.)

7. And finally, another dress, AKA Colette Patterns Lily AKA my new best friend. (I totally bought this as soon as it released even though I don’t need any more patterns and don’t really need to spend money. I am weak in the face of adorable patterns. WEAK.)

I’m not sure what fabric I will use to make this one. How about a bright red linen with white linen accents? Or is that too va-va-voom? I’m just throwing it out there. If you want it, take it. If not, send it on back. (Guess the movie quote!)

So those are my plans for Spring. I actually enjoy these planning posts, both reading other people’s and making my own, but if you don’t, well, feel free to ignore all these ramblings. However, if you DO, what are you working on? Any spring challenges or ideas? What do you want to make as the weather gets warmer?

“Don’t go to the well, Peter, there’s no more water there”

People, sometimes being a planner can be a problem. I’m all about the plan, the inspiration board, the concept. I thought I had this Mad Men Challenge in the bag people. IN THE BAG. The best laid plans of mice and men. Am I right? AM I RIGHT?

Let me start by saying, I am a huge fan of the TV show. Just a really huge fan. I know there are people out there who are into it for the vintage style and the pretty ladies, and that’s all well and good. And I know there are people who don’t even like the show itself, and while I literally can’t understand that, I totally respect your right to not invest in the story. Hey, man, I couldn’t get past chapter 1 of The Hunger Games (but I swear I’m going to try again! It’s such a  disturbing concept…) and I don’t even watch The Wire! So I’m guilty of some stuff. When it comes to Mad Men, however, I am a fanatic. So if you don’t get some of the references and direct quotes coming up, just ignore them, that’s totally fine by me. But know this. They will be coming at you fast and furious. Get excited.

Let me first say that I knew from the very begining that I didn’t want to emulate Joan. Don’t get me wrong, I love Joan. I love Christina Hendricks! I loved her on Life! Remember Life? Great show. Sorry it was canceled. Damien Lewis, please feel free to CALL ME. But I didn’t want to go for Joan. SO mainstream. How can I express my true and complete fandom by dressing like the one character everyone knows? So I thought at first I was going to replicate something of Trudy Campbell’s. Not only does she have the same last name of one of the best people I know (talking to you, Lisa!), but I just adore her. Yes, she has gotten repeatedly screwed (on many levels, HEYo!) by Pete, and yes, she wears some insane hats. But I love her. Girlfriend is a treat. “This is America, you don’t just SHOOT the President!” Fact. Love her. But then I realized that because Trudy is so fashion-forward (read, trend obsessed) she rocks a lot of ensembles that don’t suit my personal taste. Okay, I thought, I have a near-encycolpedic knowledge of this show, let’s do this. I did love me some Helen Bishop! All progressive and pro-Kennedy despite her son Creepy Glen and her scandalous divorce. But she’s clearly an Autumn. And I’m a winter. That’s no good. Megan and I have simular coloring! But she’s a stick. And also more into the late 60’s aesthetic which frankly is abhorrent to me on so many levels. (Mod and I do NOT get along.) Allison is pretty! But she dressed pretty terribly, let’s admit that, shall we? Plus, she slept with Don and then freaked out and took it out on Peggy (and I’m very protective of Peggy) so I don’t want her life. Kitty is cute! But rather garish, though I do love her! And I don’t want to end up married to a gay man. Dr. Faye is super cute! But she’s a blond. That’s not happening.  And I’m not really into the boho thing going down with Madge (though I love me some Rosemary DeWitt). As a Jew and the decendent of department store owners, the Rachel Mempkin thing seemed a TOUCH on the nose, plus her best thing were her suits, which I don’t feel up to right this minute, or this amazing nightgown: Super practical. Where WOULDN’T I wear that? I loved this golden dress Bobbie Barrett wore, but I really have been trying to shop my stash and there is a curious lack of gold up in there: Besides, who wants to emulate Bobbie? Girl had issues. “The full Don Draper treatment”? Gross. I’m not going to discuss Betty and Peggy, because my mom already thinks I dress like a little girl, so those full skirts and florals aren’t going to do me any favors, and besides, I already have a ton of ’em.

So there I was. Sigh. I didn’t want to go there, I really didn’t, but in the end, I ended up with Joan. Still, if you have to end up with anyone as your inspiration, oughtn’t it to be the most gorgeous woman on television? With curves for days and some of the best most silkily delivered insults anyone has every heard? “The last thing I would have thought Paul was was open minded”. GOOD lord. “I’m not a solution to your problem. I’m just another problem.” JOAN. Be my friend, please. Thanks.

So I decided to try and emulate one of her outfits. No big deal, right? Of course not, easy peasy lemon squeezy. I wanted to use Simplicity 4558, which I had bought on Etsy. HOWEVER. When I took said pattern out to make a muslin, I had the shocking realization that this pattern is skirtless. I mean, I’m sure there was a skirt originally included but somehow I had bought the pattern without a skirt. No wonder it was so cheap….

Okay, I thought, I can use a skirt from so other source, no problem. Then I make the bodice muslin. And I just thought, no. This is not good. I do not like this. A. it needs a FBA (god, that’s just going to be my life, isn’t it? How did I get away with not doing them for TWO YEARS?) and B. I just didn’t love it! So what was I to do? Then, like manna from the heavens, I thought, the Pastille dress! I like the pattern, I’ve already adjusted it to fit my frame, I know how to make it, let’s do it! I ditched the pale pink and pulled out a hot magenta viscose I had bought at Mood Fabric all those months ago. It has a great drape and a nice hand (look at me, using fabric words!) and I thought it would be perfect in replicating that amazing magenta dress Joan wears. Of course, it’s a promo dress, I don’t think it ever made it onto the actual show, but you know what? I don’t even care. I DON’T EVEN CARE.

Ah, Joan, you help me stay calm.

So anyway, I’m almost done the bodice and then it’s skirt darts, attach skirt, install zipper and hem. I’ve made a few adjustments to the original pattern that I will outline later in more detail, but I’m just so thrilled to have something that I’m happy with and happy to be making and, hopefully, pays homage to one of my favorite things on television. And I watch a LOT of TV, folks, so that’s a stiff competition right there.

So, what’s going on with you? Are you a Mad Men fan, or do you just not get the hype? Did my Hunger Games confession concern you? I promise, I’m going to try again!

Ba-car-di-Eisenhower

Happy March, everyone!

I’m off today to Puerto Rico for a four-day trip, so I wont be back until Monday evening, but I wanted to leave you with my March crafting plans! Looking ahead, which is what I do, I’m a planner, I can tell that March is, more likely than not, going to be a bitch, schedule wise, so let’s hope I can actually accomplish the list of things I’ve created in my sewing notebook (that charming little covered moleskin featured in my Jump Or Be Pushed Jacket photos)! But at the very least I plan to continue with my Sew Colette challenge (expect a final draft of the Pastille to come, and then it’s on to the Truffle!) and I’m also joining in on the Mad Men Challenge, and I’m using this pattern:

To make a replica of this dress:

I was totally going to go Trudy, guys. I mean, everyone is going Joan, you know? I don’t want to be a follower….But in the spirit of the replica, and in an effort not to buy any new fabric I would rather “shop” my stash and Joan it up. However, in my defense, it’s also reminiscent of this awesome dress worn by Dr. Faye:

Nice, right? Oh, Dr. Faye, you were so awesome. Don, I love you, but you are a stupid stupid man. Megan? Have you seen her TEETH? COME on.

As an added bonus, I may or may not also make this, just for kicks:

Oh! And the lovely Lavender of the delightful Thread Square has gifted me with an award! How lovely is that! This is, in fact, why I think of her as lovely Lavender…(and have you SEEN her Sew Weekly contributions? Girlfriend is on FIRE)

My face is just one giant blush right now. Just one big giant blush.

And now I’m supposed to pass this thing along. So pass it I shall!

According to Lavender:

The Liebster Award is designed to send some love to the online stitching community, and when giving the award, one should stick to blogs with under 200 followers. (Note from Leah: I don’t know how to gauge this, so I’m just going to give it away willy nilly. Just try to stop me.) In other guidelines:

• You must acknowledge the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
• Give this award to 5 other bloggers. Please let them know through a comment on their blog.
• Post this wonderful award on your blog.
  
• Bask in the glory bestowed upon you and appreciate all the amazing bloggers out there.
• Enjoy and spread the good vibes around.

I can totally do all of those things. Thank you, Lavender! So here are my five choices, though I can honestly say that ever blog I read deserves an award! Thank you all for your lovely creations, wonderful stories and awesome advice. Go forth and enjoy your awards!

Cindy of Cation Designs

Misty of Misty Skies Aloft

Natalie of Splatastic

Kelli of True Bias

Leah (awesome name) of A Vintage Thread

Now, I’m off to San Juan, and in my bag I’ve got at least 3 garments to photograph in the hot Caribbean sun. Have a lovely weekend, folks! Anyone up to anything fun? March crafting plans? Upcoming trips? Share is out!

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.

 

 

Sew Grateful Giveaway Winner and Awesome Things You Ought To Know About 2/12/12!

I have no photos for today, so here is Maru. God, I love Maru.

First of all, I would like to thank each and everyone one of you who commented to win my giveaway prizes. Not only did you remind me of a plethora of cartoons that delighted me as a child (Hong Kong Fooie? Was the best. THE BEST.) but your ideas for these items and descriptions of what you are currently working on made my day(s). I really do love to see what other people are doing with this sewing and crafting business, it’s so inspirational and activates my own creativity. So thank you, for letting me shamelessly rip you off. You guys, you make it happen.

Second of all, congratulations to the randomly selected winner, number 26, Mokosha! (I don’t know how to show you the randomizer thing so you will just have to trust me. I promise I really did find a device on the interwebs and enter in the parameters and make it spit out a number, I’m not lying to you! I’m just not good enough at life to figure out how to grab that image and post it here!). Mokosha is a knockout on many levels. She is a phenomenal seamstress. She is whip smart and gorgeous. And she is probably one of the funniest people writing about sewing across whom I have come. She is effortlessly cool (I assume, I really don’t know how much effort she puts into being super awesome), she’s an art historian, an archaeologist, a great photographer, and a generally stand-up human being. All of her posts come in the form of poems, which is just plain delightful, and she wears the hell out of a blazer. So, Mokosha, forgive my gushing, but I have a sewing crush on you, and I am happy to contribute to your crafting adventures.

And honestly, I think I have a sewing crush on every person who commented. You people, you are the best. Thanks for stopping by, and come back again soon, I’ve got more giveaways planned for the future.

And now for the awesome things about which you should know.

1. Okay, this is going to sound absolutely insane, but, um, do you guys know about Ebay? I literally just found out about Ebay. Of course I knew what it was, but I swear, I have never used it before this month. Long story short I really liked the bags from the Jason Wu for Target collection, but of course it sold out within minutes. So I went to the internet for guidance, like you do, and I was like, wow, a plethora of bags exist, out there, online! In fact, the whole collection is available, online, you can buy it, today! Which I just found to be stunning. And then I found out that there is FABRIC on there. And PATTERNS. And NOTIONS, probably, I haven’t actually checked. Now, I’m not really someone who should be purchasing fabric, but, yeah, it’s there, if you need it. How cool is that? Yeah, obviously I’m rather behind the times. Just go with it.

2. The first two seasons of NewsRadio are currently streaming for free on Hulu. Obviously I don’t need to say anything else.

3. I’m sure you’ve seen this, but Casey’s tutorial for Valentine’s day strikes me as a gorgeous way to embellish a sweater.

4. I am not a fan of the Maxi dress. I honestly think it’s a garment that has been designed to make ladies feel negative about themselves, like harem pants, or drop-waist dresses. HOWEVER, two separate but equally delightful people have created/displayed maxi-dresses lately that actually make me say, wow, I want one of those. Would I wear it outside? No. No I would not. But would I swan about my apartment in it, feeling lithe and ten feet tall? Yeah. Yeah, I would. So check out this Maxi dress by Cirque du Bebe, and this Maxi dress by Cation Designs, and tell me you don’t want a piece of that. Yeah. Thought so.

5. Very little has every described how I feel almost all the time as much as this amazing post by Hyperbole and a Half. Read it. It will not make you feel better about yourself, but it will reassure you that everyone else feels the say way you do.

Sew I thought you should know…

How grateful I am to all of you. Every single person who stops by and reads this thing. Seriously, it makes me a little dizzy sometimes when I consider how three years ago I didn’t know a thing about sewing, and now it’s this huge part of my life. It has become a form of therapy, an outlet of creativity, a way to be part of a community and a continual delight for me, so despite the long nights of hemming and the occasional (frequent) “what the hell does that instruction mean I hate facings/zippers/basting/the world” moment, I am so grateful for my little sewing addiction. Through sewing I’ve been introduced to so many amazing people and ideas, primarily digitally, and yet I feel connected with people across the world when they say, seam rippers, AM I RIGHT? And I’m like, bitch, please, I totally get you on every level.  Some of us serge and some of us hand stitch everything. Some of us love synthetics and some of us swear by naturals. Some of us love punk, some prep, some (a lot) vintage, some modern, some cutesy, some chic, but I have learned so much from so many people out there, and I can’t help but be insanely grateful for every blog, comment and query I’ve discovered along the way.

Brother Cadfael, contemplating how hard it is to measure stuff without opposible thumbs.

As a mostly self-taught sewer, I’m sometimes embarrassed by the gaps in my crafting knowledge. That’s why I’m so thrilled for each and every tutorial and tip that drifts my way. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone post something about “look how I finished this seam” or “easy buttonhole tips” and I’m like, seam finishing, eh? What’s that, then? (I do know what it is now, but it’s sad how long it took me to realize that A. fabric frays and B. you should do something about that.) So I’m grateful, deeply, to everyone and their blogs, because my god have you saved my sewing ass, as it were.

I’m also so so so grateful to my mom. And my grandmothers, both of them. Not because they taught me how to sew, but because they didn’t.

So many people out there have these amazing stories of sewing at their mother’s knee or knitting along with their grandmother. I don’t have that, you know what? I got My maternal grandmother, Isolda, could barely sew a button. And honestly, she never had to, she was the daughter of wealthy Russians who emigrated to Iran, then Persia, in the 1920’s. She had maids and pet bears (true story!) and several fiances. She was, in a word, amazing. And when she met my grandfather and moved to the States, she brought a bunch of fabric with her. And, somewhere along the way, bought more. And never used it, ever ever ever. Instead she bought bags and bags of clothing from American department stores and considered herself under-dressed in less than four pieces of jewelry. She read me Pushkin and took me to get manicures and made me eat weird Russian foods (which I in turn grew to love, and to this day am bonkers for borscht).  She has a sense of style that was essentially Parisian, but with that Eastern European taste for the gaudy (what? It’s true! I lived in Moscow! I would know!). And she never ever did anything with all the fabric and thread and buttons and snaps she had bought. She was a buyer. And it all sat, unused, until my mother unearthed the box from Iran and I discovered the yards and yards of shirting and boxes and bags of notions. My grandmother never knew about my sewing hobby, she passed away before it became such a big part of my life. But something tells me she would have liked it. She liked everything else I did (what else does a grandmother do?).

My father’s mother died when I was very small. But as it turns out, she was an embroiderer. I never knew.

And then there is my mother.

My amazing unbelievable delightful mother, who suffers through kickboxing with me and puts up with my bratty bitchy abuse when I force her to take my picture and lets me know gently, but in no uncertain terms, when I’ve made something that just doesn’t look awesome one me. My mother who, unlike her own mother, hates shopping and make up and buys small batches of really good quality clothing once or twice a year, at most. Thanks to her guidance and my ever-expanding pattern collection, I’m trying to erase the Forever 21 and H and M that have long littered my closet, and instead replace the crap with a small collection of great quality highly flattering garments. She is always willing to put up with me babbling about work or life or sewing techniques or why I think standing on an escalator should be illegal (it really should).  She watches Downton Abby and she laughs at Parks and Recreation so hard she once cried. She bought a fedora because she wanted a hipster hat (her words). She loves I Am Maru almost as much as I do. And she doesn’t think it’s weird that I jumped headfirst into making my own clothing and devoting a lot of my time to grainlines and pinking sheers. So while my lovely father just says, “nice” when I model a new blouse or skirt or hand dyed shibori inspired jacket, my mother actually stops, looks, and tells me how she really feels. And I am, and will forever be, grateful.

And of course, I must thank all the cats.

Tiny Tiger and Mr. Malevolent, who live with my parents.

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And Brother Cadfael, who lives with me.

Thank you all, everyone, I am sew grateful. And as for anyone who actually read this 1000 word post, thanks for that too. I’m sew grateful for you, too.

Don’t forget about the giveaway! Debi listed 4 rounds of links here, and you can still enter my grand giveaway here! I will be drawing a winner on Sunday, so enter by Saturday, February 11th at 11:59pm and you will get a shot!

Knickers In A Twist

So, it’s that special time again, the time that single people and coupled up couples…also hate, I assume. Yes, that’s right, folks, it’s Valentines Time! The big day is just a scant 14 days away and already Etsy and CVS and Godiva have teamed up to make everyone feel bad about themselves at all times. It’s the most wonderful tiiiiiime, of the YEAAAAAR.

Oh, that’s just the bitterness talking. Really, I don’t actually hate Valentine’s day, I think it’s sweet if it’s done in an understated way and HILARIOUS if it’s not. And I look awesome in red, so I don’t really mind the color-scheme. But given that as a single woman I’m entitled to, nay, SUPPOSED to, EXPECTED to hate this holiday, I figure I might as well act the part. Which is a shame, because I’ve been thinking a lot lately about sewing my own unmentionables.

Which brings up two questions. One, as a single person, why am I expected to always be sad and bitter and especially angry about couples? I’m happy for people in relationships, if that’s what they want. I’m especially thrilled for people like my friend Jenny, who is getting married this summer, or my cousin Jessie, who is getting married this spring. Not only are they celebrating their love, but I get to make some new dresses! It’s win win!

And number two, what do you call your undergarments? Underwear? Panties? Knickers? Immortal Enemies? Best Friends? And, perhaps more importantly, would you make your own? Would you make your own slips, your own negligees? Would you, in fact, make your own Valentine’s day/Friday night/Tuesday morning (what? I don’t know your life or your, um, schedule) ensemble?

Now, I’ve made my own pajamas, and even a half-slip for an event, but I’ve been more and more interested in breaking into the world of what-to-wear-under-there. Luckily, BurdaStyle just released a couple of new patterns to that effect including this retro-charmer:

Cute, right? But they have a zipper which is just odd. Who has zip-up underwear? Burda has also released this business:

Which is not exactly my cup of tea but I could see many a woman or daring drag queen rocking it. They actually made 9 bedtime inspired patterns, and why any person needs a boudoir bolero escapes me. But apparently they do, and you can see all 9 patterns here.

I recently bought a few downloadable patterns off of Etsy, too, from the lovely Anna Depew, who blogs at A Few Threads Loose and offered a sew along based on these patterns:

Is it weird that I really want to make myself tap pants? Maybe I just like the NAME, tap pants? But really, I’m sure I would wear them with everything. All the time. Of course.

And there is a matching slip/camisole. But say you don’t want to spend any money? Personally, I never want to spend any money. Well, then you have this amazing slip pattern/sewalong from Sherry at Patterns Scissors Cloth (clearly I love this woman, I keep linking back to her, she’s just inspirational and helpful, why isn’t everything in my life like that?)

Behold, the Ruby slip. It’s a FREE PATTERN.  Actually, in these shades it looks spot on, as Sherry might say, (she lives in New Zealand, they say that there, right?)  for Valentine’s Day, but you could also go with classic cream or chartreuse or cerise, whatever. Life is about choices.

But really, if we want to get right down to it, there is also underwear. And I found a world of tutorials and patterns of how to make your own.

This one from Drumbellina has a host of cute illustrations. This FREE PATTERN from BurdaStyle is mighty cheeky. And this classic layout teaches you how make a hanty (panty from a hankerchef. If I didn’t hate the word panty so much I might find it cute.)

The question is, should I? Would you? Is it worth it? Honestly, it might be the most cost effective sewing possible, you can cut up old t-shirts, make cute undergarments out of mere 1/4 of a yard of nice knits and luxurious stretch silks and laces, and really be able to make your own outfit, from the foundations on up. So, what do you think? Would you get your knickers in a twist? Or make a slip? Or join me in tap pants adoration? Or do you leave that the professionals at Victoria’s Secret? Discuss.