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.

 

 

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:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pattern Porn 5/4/11

The internet is a very dangerous place. Oh, I don’t mean for kids in chat rooms and people on dating websites and the Craigslist killer, though all of that is certainly true, but I mean for sewers (seamstresses? tailors? what’s the right word for this, anyone?). Because you might, say, be glancing at a project on Burda Style or checking out a blog or an ad and all of a sudden you think, pleated skirt from the 30’s,  it must be mine! And you find yourself trolling the internet for the skirt, or the perfect bolero, or hat making classes (I have….searched for all of these things, true story) at 2am on a Saturday when all normal people are either sleeping or partying, and because you are on your 5th glass of wine (or more, no judgment) you are like, of course I need a 1970’s parka, it’s all my wardrobe desires! And this is why I keep my wallet with all those nice credit cards FAR away from my computer. My philosophy is, if, in the light of day, you see that same item (or in this case, pretty pretty pattern) and you STILL want it, and if after some coffee and maybe another day or two you are STILL thinking about it, then you are allowed to buy it. If it’s on sale. And the shipping is low. Did I mention I’m cheap?

So, Sunni of the Cupcake Goddess did this amazing sew along with pencil skirts. One of my goals for this summer/year (did I mention that my one year sewversery is coming up? No? Well, it is! Which means, goal time!) is to sew some things that are more fitted. Right now I’m making a pair of capri pants (SCARY) from this burda pattern. I used a fabric I don’t mind burning because it could all go horribly awry, sigh. And I bit the bullet and got this pattern so I will, someday, make some trousers. DUH duh DUUUUUH (cue lightening):

So when I saw Sunni’s amazing photos in her lovely form-fitting make Joan Harris proud skirt, I thought, that’s it, this is the year for fitted garments. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love me some full skirts, and plan on making full skirts and full-skirted dresses, but I’m also going to delve into the scary world of close fits and tailoring. Wish me luck. And so, with much deliberation I bought this:

From Etsy Shop LisaAnne1960!

Don’t you adore it? The shop link is here, she has the cutest things. I initally got it through a google search of “1960’s wiggle dress” which drew some….odd responses. But as it turns out I love every single view, and can see myself making this baby over and over. Well worth the 8 dollars plus shipping, don’t you think? Here is the wiggle dress view:

I’m in love. And these are the other girls, I mean views, I mean mad men characters, I mean, what?

But that’s not all, gentle readers, that’s not all! You see, I have found myself hoarding, both fabric (which, in my defense, I didn’t really expect to get massive yardage from one trip to my grandfather’s house, but never look gift fabric in the mouth, right?) and patterns. I really didn’t mean to, guys, but it happened. It’s interesting because when you look around everyone has a different defination of “a lot of fabric” and “a lot of patterns”. However, when I tell my mother that I don’t have NEARLY as many patterns as all the other kids she looks at me with SUCH disapproval, I want to cry. So I need to make some of these things people, stat. Things like this:

I love this new Butterick I just bought (on sale!) Have any of you made it? Bow back! Precious! It's 5605 and it's currently on sale, go buy it!

And this:

A New "Vintage" Vogue pattern from 1946. Thoughts? It's 8728

And this charming pj set I got from Franolina, another great Etsy seller:

And then there is this vintage pattern I couldn’t help but pick up at Decades, a vintage store on Fabric Row:

And why did I buy this pattern? I would love to say just because it’s cute, because it is, but mostly because it says this:

Pounds thinner, eh? Not only can vintage patterns LOOK good, but they can help you lose WEIGHT! What’s not to love?

I don’t know how I feel about this next guy, but it came with the above pattern and I feel like it could either be cute, or hideous, like, you know, most things:

And finally the patterns I found in my grandfather’s attic. First up we have the very swinging 60’s:

Don't you just adore their hair?

And then, finally there is this puppy:

Which has the CUTEST little details:

Have you ever seen any of these vintage patterns? Or made them? Or the modern ones? And isn’t looking at patterns fun/destructive? Be strong, people, be strong.

Who Are You Calling Easy? Dress

I can’t believe it, but I finally finished this dress. Look, I don’t know if it’s just because I have only been sewing since May or because there is some disconnect between my mind and my hands, but I think I’m a fairly slow sewer. I read about these people who can whip something up in a scant few hours and my jaw drops. Case in point, the lovely and talented Tasia of Sewaholic who made this amazing dress in six hours. COME on. Really? Really. Fully lined. This dress took me two full weeks. Granted, I was not sewing the entire time, I’m not THAT slow. But I bought this wool fabric at Jack B. Fabrics two weeks ago, and I also picked up a zipper, the lining and the lace for the lining hem at my beloved PA Fabric outlet. (Coincidently, on my walk home I entered an Avon sweepstakes and actually WON! Thank you, Avon! That never happens!) Cutting all the pieces took me forever (and I still have a solid helping of the wool left, but I’ve expressed my feelings on that subject in my vest post…), and then, of course, putting it all together had it’s fair share of struggles. And they call this a Very Easy pattern…

The pattern is Vogue 8615. I love it. I drooled over it for a while and then broke down and bought it. Gertie of Gertie’s blog for better sewing (which I adore) made it in a shantung which is divine , but I went for wool.

There was a lot of hand sewing with this dress. I had to hand sew the lining sleeves to the bodice, and then the bodice lining to the skirt lining. I also handpicked the zipper, with an extremely informative tutorial by Sewaholic.

I also put lace on the lining hem, as per Tasia’s suggestion. I kind of love it, it’s the kind of detail that only the wearer can see but it’s one of those lovely vintage touches that makes something special. I love this lining color, don’t you? I think it makes a nice contrast.

Those shoes were my grandmother’s. My grandmother absolutely loved to shop. For everything. And when she passed away she left something in the neighborhood of 50 pairs of shoes, some of which she never even wore. This is one of those 50 pairs. I got a lot of her shoes, so you will be seeing the Isolda Kogan Solo collection of footwear quite often. Get excited.

I love the neckline on this dress. It’s modest but it also shows of collarbone, and I feel like as long as you’ve got that you are more “hello sailor” then “living in a Mormon compound”.

And the back is so lovely. I love the v-back, it’s unexpected and cute.

Do you like the teased hair? Yet another tutorial, this time from Veronika of Tick Tock Vintage. No fewer then 4 tutorials went into making this “very easy” dress.

The scarf was also my grandmother’s, one of countless scraps of silk and polyester. The bag is from Astro Vintage, a favorite store of mine here in Philadelphia.

See? Not easy. Pretty, yes. Love the fit? Yes. But not easy. I need at least 3 dates and several phone calls before I will let you try anything, buddy. Does that sound easy to you?

Illness:1, Craftiness: 0

I’m sick. So sick. My throat hurts and my nose runs and the most distressing thing is my voice, which sounds like a frog or a troubling fairytale gatekeeper of some sort. I’m the reason goats really shouldn’t cross streams. I’m like a Dianne Wynne Jones villain. I’m a struggle.

So you would think that given my infirmity and the fact that I’m playing hooky from work I would have a lot of time to sew. But I don’t. I mean, I’ve got the time, but I have no energy, nor hand eye coordination, and it feels like those symptoms coupled with cough medicine mean I shouldn’t be operating any kind of machinery. And I could force my mother to take more photos of me in garments I have already crafted, but given just how cute I look right now (picture an all fleece wardrobe, fake ugg slippers I bought in China, my hair doing all kinds of things to defy the laws of gravity, and a tea cup nestled into my  hand. It’s hot, right? I know. I know. ) I didn’t think that would be a great idea.

So, instead, I have decided to update you on a few projects that are currently wasting away in my very messy sewing room. Other blogs I’ve read call these sorts of things UFOs, or unfinished objects, which is hopelessly cute, honestly. So here are some things I’m making or thinking about:

1.

 

The Franzi Vest

I had a bunch of purple tweed left over from my Purple Tweed Sweetheart Skirt, as well as purple lining from the same project. So I’m making a vest. It’s actually the Franzi Vest, which is a FREE PATTERN! at BurdaStyle.com. I’m going to use bound buttonholes, which is fairly scary.

2.

 

I bought this pattern online and am so excited to make it!

I’ve made the Muslin for it already, (first muslin! Wow.) and it fits me very well. I might bring down the neckline a bit, though, right now it’s very Big Love. Thoughts? Disagreements? Ideas? I think I’m going to make the shorter variation in wool. Color commentary?

3.

 

Seam Binding Bonanza!

I got this shirt from Gap Outlet for 5 dollars. In this photo, 13 yards of seam binding is currently festooning it in an homage to Jackson Pollock… I’m just kidding. I hate Pollock! But I love seam binding, it’s thinner then ribbon and iridescent, and it’s about 30 cents a yard at PA Fabric outlet. So I’m going to combine these two elements sometime soon, and save myself the 50 dollars I could pay J. Crew for the same item. Ha. I love it when I beat J. Crew.

But I’m not going to do any of these things today. Today, I’m curling up with gallons of tea, oceans of soup, Cold Eeze, Netflix and my cats. I’m sure my sewing machine appreciates the rest.