06 May 2009

139. The Pixie Shift

We've had a lot of rain in Austin these past few weeks, which has kept the worst of the heat at bay. But the sun has come back in full force and we'll spend most of the week in the mid-90's (that would be about 35 degrees for those of you in celsius-land. I'm so global that way, haha!). My son asked me to stop walking to pick him up from school in the afternoon because it's just too hot to walk home with the heavy backpack. I find myself, as I do every spring, dreaming of a collection of loose, flowy, smocky, at least vaguely stylish summer dresses.

[I am reminded at times like this that I am a total, complete dork. Good thing I am OK with it.]

I'd like to say that this one just came to me out of nowhere, but (a) the construction is not complicated and I've seen similar styles in RTW, and (b) I actually drafted it as a flat pattern from my sloper two years ago, at tunic length. I never sewed it up, and decided Saturday night to make it by draping on Clementine instead. It's funny how little things matter to me now, like the yokes are slightly rounded in the draped version instead of straight across as in my flat pattern.

Recognize the fabric? You might have it in your home... in the form of a pillow or cafe curtains. It is from IKEA, on clearance last summer for $1.99 a yard. I can't help but be drawn to the bright colors and simple shapes. I'm like a 7-year-old that way. And in this dress, I probably look like one, too.

But I can't help but lighten up a bunch when I put this on! It's just a fun little smock to wear.

I can pinpoint the areas of my draping and patternmaking where I have not yet honed my eye and my intuition. Armholes and sleeves are two. I always make my armholes too high. I really understand quite a bit about sleeves, but the knowledge in my head doesn't always translate to good decisions for my hands to carry out. Why does that disconnect happen?

I made a pattern from this draped dress... I should compare it to the flat pattern from 2 years ago and see how well I did! Two changes are in order: narrowing the shoulders an inch, and contouring the bodice at the high waist for less tent and more a-line from the waist. Then I think I will sew it up again in a more... ahem... grown-up fabric.

BTW, you must be getting tired of seeing artwork propped up against the fireplace behind me. I finally bought more hardware to hang the rest of the pictures in the house, so maybe the next time I photograph an outfit the artwork will be on the walls instead of on the floor. ;)

18 comments:

  1. so cute!
    isn't it funny how things like caring about rounded yokes kind of sneak up on you? so many things i used to just shrug my shoulders at two years ago two... ;-)

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  2. oh it's SO cute. Good thing never to lose touch with your inner dork. I've never lost touch with mine. It makes things so much more fun!

    Meanwhile weather here turning to custard. Cold drizzly, dark. This is the time of year when buying BWOF fashion magazines becomes ridiculous as the seasons are nearly polar opposite.

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  3. The dress, and you, are completely adorable.

    I only wish we had your weather--I'm wearing a sweater at the moment.

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  4. you are totally cute. And the dress is adorable. Great pics.
    I'm a dork too. dorks unite!

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  5. Cute popover dress, perfect for Austin weather.

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  6. Cute! And bah to banishing the inner dork or for wearing patterns and clothes that are grownup. Where's the fun in that?

    Maybe we should have an inner dork blog party day.

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  7. that dress on anyone else would not invoke such frivolity. I love the 4 pic montage. do you use photoshop or something simpler? I'm experimenting with picnik.com but i'm not graphic savvy.

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  8. So very cute, so very dorky, so very lovable... all you, my dear.

    I especially freaked out when I took a good look at the picture second from the far left in your collage. Really, one of these days, I'm really going to send you and Mary Nanna a picture of me. Really. (3rd time's a charm.)

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  9. Nothing wrong with letting the inner dork loose!

    And the idea behind the masking tape is to make a pattern from the RTW--I think I first saw it in Threads magazine or something. You lay the tape on seam to seam (I also did some criss-crossing here and there to hold it together), mark where any darts or whatever are, peel the tape off the garment, if you have any darts you cut those open, and then lay it on paper. Then all you have to do is add seam allowances. I did use this on a shirt once, which I subsequently modified on the pattern, and it worked pretty well. With this one, I just wanted to get a better idea of how the legs needed to be tweaked, since the pattern legs are way too straight for a bootcut, despite the fact that they're supposed to be that. Does that help?

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  10. It seems to me that dork=cute. At least that's what I tell myself! For what looks like a simple dress, you sure used a lot of phrases I don't understand HAHA!

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  11. You're so gamine!
    Infortunately for me, I'm starting to think that I am now too old to wear a peter pan collar (and I don't mean those high-necked ones, I mean the super-cute ones that hang off a scoop neck).

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  12. Oh this is so cute! And I love the fabric, so joyful

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  13. YOu are too cute. Love your style babe.

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  14. That is the perfect summer outfit! In my book anyway!! Love it.

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  15. Cuteness. I need to start cracking on some summer dresses. I like have none and it gets pretty hot here in Atlanta. It's great to have happy clothes like your dress - they just make you feel good when you put them on.

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  16. Adorable! I love the geeky pictures and the pairing with All-Stars! Man, I've been meaning to get my @$$ over to IKEA for some fabric, for ages now! Now you've inspired me again!

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  17. You look unbelieveably cute in this.

    xoxox

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