13 December 2008

Whatever Happened To... Martha Stewart Sewing Ideas?

A few weeks back, I posted about a cute hooded dress in a Lucky magazine ad.  I immediately went to the Sewing Ideas site as instructed and didn't see any reference to the cute dress in the ad.  Thanks to 2WeeMonsters, I got a link to the info about two weeks later.  I thought maybe I was blind or it was that non-detail-oriented thing that I missed the very info I was looking for, but lsaspacey has confirmed that I am neither blind nor going out of my mind.  (Yet.)  I guess it just took a couple of weeks for the Martha Stewart team to realize they needed to get the projects up on the site for people with a high sense of urgency, like me.

Cutting to the chase, the actual project file (PDF) is here.  This is clearly sponsored by Pfaff, and having seen sewing projects from the Pfaff site before, I know that the majority of their sewing projects are just embellishments to garments that you make from a Big 4 sewing pattern.  That's pretty much what you get here.  As lsaspacey pointed out, we are to make the dress using one Simplicity pattern for the dress and another Simplicity pattern for the hood.  The sleeve cuffs and tabs are constructed of various size rectangles of fabric, and get this:  the pockets aren't really pockets -- they are faux welt pockets.  You have this roomy dress that can easily camouflage the bulk that pockets and stuff in them can add, but you don't actually add the pockets!  Mystifying.

As a sort-of intermediate sewist, I am deciding to go with my gut response: Simplicity Built By Wendy 3694, which is the pattern Sewing Ideas recommends for the hood.  This pattern's bodice looks close enough in silhouette (barely shaped), even if it doesn't have the gathering at the neckline.  I think I'll sew the BBW minidress with hood, forgo the sleeve cuffs and tabs, and put in some real pockets.  In fact, I think I'll sew this tomorrow.

As much as this shouldn't bother me, I feel a slight, nagging pang of disappointment.  Could be that 18 months ago I was still a beginner at sewing and would have been very, very frustrated with the promise the ad seemed to make ("For these patterns and instructions, go to...") and what's delivered ("Buy someone else's patterns, follow their directions, cut up a bunch of random fabric rectangles, and sew them on," if I may loosely paraphrase) .

Oh well, so much for advocating for the beginner sewist.  I took my classes, sewed a lot of garments, some good and some wadders, and paid my dues.  I know what to do to get this dress and tomorrow I'm making it.  I will need lots of rest to get it done, so for now, good night!

Photo from Simplicity.com.

6 comments:

  1. Oooh! Can't wait to see what you whipped up today!!

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  2. I can't believe you only started sewing 18 months ago!

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  3. hi, I love your recent sewing projects!! you might be interested in something I just found, there is a sewing contest on Martha's website, you can upload photos of projects you made (one category is fashion) and you can win machines, shopping spree, etc. the link is: marthastewart.com/sew

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  4. Ooh, I can't wait to see! My goal in the new year is to definitely sew more. Now I just need to work it into my schedule. So, how many items have you made in the 18 months?

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  5. Got your comment about S2725 and the jabot! Hee! I can't see it very well on the photos on the Simplicity website (the line drawings don't really show me what it really looks like, you know?) Did you see the ruffle on S2724? It is fierce and I might make it soon!!

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  6. You go, girl. Or rather, you sew, girl. I played with this jacket pattern... well, I'm still thinking it over. I think, I'm over my hood phase. When I cleaned out my closet, I was amazed at how many hooded tops I purchased. BTW, that Vogue top is done, and the pattern+fabric=too interesting not to do a PR review.

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