222. Simplicity 2059 Lisette: "Resort" top

A little joke with myself, this top being "resort wear".  I'm actually taking some time off and away this summer, and when I consider what I should wear, I see practical appeal in designers' "resort" lines.  We're going north, to where the water is warm but the air is cool, and I think I will get to wear some long sleeved shirts!  What?!

You have no idea how exciting it is to me to wear long sleeves in summer.  When we went to Scandinavia 6 years ago, I was in heaven wearing long sleeves, knee socks, jeans, etc. in June.  It's kind of a big deal!

221. Nearly-Perfect Travel Tote from Simplicity 4535

I've mentioned before my quest to create the perfect carry-on travel bag, after not being able to purchase one that fits my exacting needs.  Simplicity 4535 is as close as I've come so far, and it's pretty close!

Most U.S. airlines define the maximum size carry-on as 35 linear inches.  The dimensions of View D total 33 linear inches, so I went with this tote.  It's bigger than it appears in the photo because the bag has 7 inches depth.  And as always, it's those little customized pockets and other details that really make or break the bag.

199. McCall's 6069: The HOT 2.5 Hour Dress/ Cindy's Dress Week

The name of the dress is a reference to an enthusiastic comment I made on Kyle's version of M6069 a couple months ago.  I immediately proclaimed it HOT! HOT! HOT! and bought the pattern at the next 99-cent sale at the fabric store.  I don't think my dress is quite so HOT but it is great in HOT weather and very comfortable, as any tube of stretchy knit fabric with an elasticized waist would be.  The front shot doesn't show the draping in the most flattering light, but overall I think it's a nice dress and I have been wearing it a lot.

It is my official submission to Cindy's dress week sew-along!  I do think I sewed this during the right week, but haven't posted till now. 

198. McCall's 5879: Citrus Dress

Thank you for the overwhelming support of the plaid Trickster dress, and/ or of my wielding power tools in my garment photos!  Who can't use a good laugh every now and then?

Unlike the plaid dress, I really loved the pattern envelope pic for McCall's 5879.  It wasn't until I picked up the pattern that I realized you put it on by slipping it over your head.  Is it just me, or does it seem impossible that the dress could fit so well around the bust and still be wide enough to slip over one's head?  Well, call me curious.  I moved this dress to the top of the queue.

I usually switch my personal scent in the summer to something lemongrassy or grapefruity -- if I smell like citrus, it must be summer.  So why not look like citrus, too?  I pulled this fabric from last summer's stash and there were just scraps left after cutting this dress (the bodice is self-lined).

So how does it fit?

197. McCall's 4892: Trickster Dress in Plaid Linen

Tricked me once? Shame on you. Tricked me twice?......

... Well then, shame on me.  This time, I'm referring to McCall's 5892.  (And the first time, it was Vogue 1046.)  It reads like a mystery in three parts, or maybe more like an episode of Blue's Clues.  Not the full-on cartoon newer ones, but the original ones, with Steve, where Blue doesn't talk.

192. Colette Patterns: Macaron Dress

What's up, ladies???  I hope you're getting a nice change of season where you are.  We are on spring break!  Excitement and happiness and sunshine and lots of sugary sweets abound.  My brain is squarely in spring and summer dress mode, and the weather has been so accommodating that I couldn't resist taking the plunge with the Colette Patterns' Macaron, which seemed the most "like me" stylistically of all the Colette offerings.

184. Simplicity 2584: How Low Can You Go?

I went to Hobby Lobby for Christmas goods a few weeks back, and found a bolt of clearance denim that felt so soft and lightweight. Medium blue is not my favorite shade, but it felt like 6 oz denim, which is rare in Austin. A summer denim dress! Finally! I rushed to the cutting table, and as the fabric unrolled from the bolt, I saw the blinding sheen of metallic thread and was paralyzed.

Sometimes you see fabric that is so hopeless that you have to get a few yards and challenge yourself to do something to redeem it. (PatternReview.com Ugly Fabric contest, anyone?) I don't know that I think metallic denim is ugly, per se -- just a very odd choice. Of all the denims you could produce, metallic denim?

Enter Simplicity 2584, a Cynthia Rowley pattern I picked up last summer. I thought it might be just the class a metallic denim would aspire to, so their fates were sealed.

Can I mention that this dress looks much better in person? Everyone who's seen it so far has compliments, and I promise the photos don't do it justice.

Cindy sewed her version of this dress last summer and piped the yoke. Even though the denim was lightweight, I didn't want to bulk that front yoke by lining as instructed, so I perused the fabric store and came up with this stone blue piping that matched so well. It was my first time using piping and I have to say that it was a pleasure. My newbie hands weren't able to get the sharpness of the yoke's points as I would have had I lined the yoke, but it doesn't lessen my love for this rags to riches story. LOL

And that yoke is LOW! Only J-Lo goes that low (as in, lower than the bra strap). I don't, so I will be sewing in a little lace modesty panel.

So far, the new year intent to slow down and be part of the process of sewing more has worked great. This pattern is not difficult at all, but requires careful attention to instructions and detail, and taking one's time does wonders. And now I have another dress for Hawaii next week! I'll be sure to take photos of me wearing the dress, maybe in some bright equatorial sunshine, and see if I can do a better job of showing you what I see.

My full review of Simplicity 2584 is here.

183. McCall's 5621 - Hawaii wedding dress?

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed the very best holiday season. I love New Year’s Day even more than Christmas, and this year was no exception. There’s something about the sense of renewal a new year brings that holds a lot of meaning for me.

This year I’ve decided not to set very specific, quantifiable sewing goals. I want to work more on my attitude and approach, developing more patience with and enjoyment of the process, instead of rushing through everything. This might mean actually finishing a project the same calendar month I start it! I will focus on completing last year’s sewing goals this year – including a pants sloper, the Chanel jacket, the 302designs t-shirt refashions, etc. etc.

Shopping the fabric stash is so 2009. For me, 2010 is the year of shopping the UFO’s. That’s what I did here:

I cut out this dress in June 2008! Technically it is my first finished garment of 2010, as it was completed around 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day. :D

The pattern is McCall’s 5621. The self fabric is a floral rayon and the contrast neckband is some polyester peachskin, both from JoAnn’s. If I were to sew this again, I would use a stable cotton for the neckband. This slippery peachskin stuff wasn’t fun to work with, and I don’t think the neckband lays very flat now that it’s done. Other than that, I like the way the dress fits and feels, and am very happy it’s COMPLETE!

I think I will wear this dress to the Hawaii wedding later this month, which is an outdoor wedding. My full review of McCall’s 5621 is over at PatternReview.com.

182. First garment from Japanese pattern book!

How is your winter shaping up? Mine's great -- I've been home for almost two weeks straight! Another three weeks to go before getting on another plane and that's just right. There's so much to catch you up on... bit by bit, though. Here's the first bit -- a dress, refashioned from two men's short-sleeved button down shirts. Before:

After:

And here's the photo I would have used to show the dress, if it wasn't blurry (and don't ask me what my hair is up to these days. That's a matter for another post):

The pattern is from the popular Stylish Dress Book 1:

All the dresses in this book are labeled A-Z, and this one is Dress H. I was sold on the shaped, gathered straps, falling over the shoulders just so:

And I was feeling like a lunatic for having a stash of Japanese pattern books for 2 1/2 years and not sewing from a single one. Several people have suggested I sew from these books as the sizing might have a better unmodified fit for me than American patterns. Oh, and Karyn from The Workroom has sewn a bunch of garments from Japanese pattern books that are very inspirational. So I finally got off my duff and sewed this dress.

In many of these books, there is a lump of paper stapled in the back of the book with all the patterns printed on them, overlapped in a big jumble (very much like Burda and other magazines). You unfold the oversized sheets of paper and trace out the pieces you need, then add your seam allowance.

There is a great series of posts with detailed instructions on sewing from Japanese pattern books over at Label-Free. I mean, the whole thing is beautifully written and photographed. As an adult learning professional I was blown away by the quality of these instructions! Aaaaand it won't surprise you that I didn't use those great instructions at all -- I just sort of went on instinct with the whole process, from selecting the pattern to construction. I think most advanced beginners/ intermediate or vaguely adventurous sewists who aren't native Japanese speakers should be OK half-winging like I did. And for everyone else, there are those great Label-Free instructions! My strongest suggestion is to be diligent about transferring notches/ markings. Really pays off later.

As for oversized paper to trace onto... sometimes I finish a class and I've written notes for everyone on the flip chart, and I frequently don't re-use those flip chart pages because they are specific for that group of learners. Since I don't trust most hotels to recycle, I end up taking the oversized sheets from the flip chart (I think the standard size is 24" x 36", or 61cm x 91 cm for my metrically-inclined pals) home to draw on the back with my son before it goes into recycling. In this case, I recycled two of these oversized sheets to trace out the bodice pattern pieces. Bonus: I happened to recycle flip chart paper with the strip of adhesive on the top, like a sticky note -- and it's just the right stickiness to hold the tracing paper to the pattern piece and peels off easily when tracing is done!

The pattern itself was perfect for me. I chose a size 7 based on the sizing chart, and even though my measurements fall between a 7 and 9, all the styles are so loose that I went with the smaller size. It is still loose enough that I omitted the side zipper and it slips on over my head easily. Everything lined up and the shape (though on the less shaped side for sure) was already petite-ified, requiring no pinching an inch in length at the waist as I typically do for a Big 4 pattern. I shortened the dress by a good 5" at the bottom hem, as it seems many of these dresses are meant to fall mid-calf -- not the most flattering length for me. I might get away with it if I could sport a softer voice and waifish demeanor, as I imagine these models have. But not me.

I did fudge a little as this was a shirt refashion: specifically, I omitted 3" in width from the front bodice and 2.5" in width from the back bodice because the shirt simply wasn't wide enough. The fit is still fine and frankly, I think my version has a slightly more flattering shape than the original in the book. The dress buttons up the back.

I bought this pattern book and its follow-up, Stylish Dress Book 2, from YesAsia.com, which offers reasonable prices and free shipping. This is a great place to go if you know exactly which book you want to buy and they stock it, but Amazon.co.jp offers a much wider selection (and hefty shipping charges if you are buying less than about $200 in merchandise last time I checked). There are sellers on Ebay and Etsy who specialize in the Japanese sewing/ craft books, too, but the total cost including shipping sent me back to YesAsia.

I'm no expert sewing from these books so if you have some tips to share, please leave them in a comment! I can see myself using these books more in the future.

In case you're wondering why I made this dress in these fabrics in the middle of winter, it's because I'm going to Hawaii for a week in January and wanted a new dress or two to wear! Yes, a week on vacation with my BFF, sans husband and child. I know lots of men and women do this, but this is my first time and I have entertained feelings of guilt. I've left home for work tons of times, but to laze on the beach for seven full days? My husband is fully supportive! I kept reminding myself I need and deserve this trip. Maybe this new dress is a sign I'm getting on board emotionally. :)

What about you -- have you taken a luxurious holiday just for you? Did you feel guilty? Did you completely get over it?

173. Refashion 30: Men's T to Women's T (New Look 6762)

Oh boy... this is one of the least exciting refashions I've done, but so very practical. I made a t-shirt for myself from a men's XL tee.

Kyle was kind enough to send me New Look 6762 in my recent goody box, which she made and narrowly averted disaster with last fall. Her finished product looked so different from the pattern envelope that when I saw the pattern envelope, no alarms went off. She reminded me, and I checked out all the reviews of NL6762 at PR.com, so I felt ready to tackle this beast -- view E, the raglan tee.

I didn't bother taking a photo of the original men's tee because you know very well at this point what an oversized tee on Clementine looks like. :)

There is strangeness and oddity with this pattern. Specifically, there is a sleeve dart which has befuddled and perplexed my predecessors. I've sewn raglan-sleeve garments with 2-piece sleeves so I figured closer contours were the goals behind the sleeve darts in NL6762. Also, previous reviewers noted that the neckband notches didn't match well with the notches on the bodice front and back. A recent reviewer said she did fine when she divided everything in quarters and stretched the neckband evenly around the neckline.

Also, the t-shirt I used for this is not the ideal knit. A swatch of my t-shirt does not stretch as the pattern envelope suggests it should for this pattern. I knew all this going in.

As a result, it took me about 30 minutes to deconstruct my men's tee and cut out the pattern pieces, and 45 minutes to sew it all together. I had to fight the neckband a little because it really did not want to stretch as much as I was forcing it to. I also did not hem the sleeves because they are already an inch shorter than the pattern piece (not enough fabric from the original tee), and decided to leave the bottom hem unfinished as well to match.

The sleeve darts are kind of pointy, even though I took extra care to sew them a little longer and more rounded than the pattern showed. At times, like when I've been moving a bunch and haven't smoothed out the shirt in a while, you can really tell, like in the photo at the end of the post. Most of the time, you can't tell the pointy shoulder darts from rumply cotton:

Other notes:

• I took my usual 1" petite alteration at the waist.
• I added about 4-5" at the bottom because the original t-shirt had enough fabric. This is tunic-length, and I really like it.
• I like the overall silhouette of the tee, and more importantly, I think the neckline is the perfect shape and size for me.

I'll definitely sew this again with an appropriate knit, and will make the sleeve pattern into a 2-piece sleeve. Chances are I will make long sleeves, too, to carry me through the winter. Geez, do I look angry in this photo or what? It has been almost a week straight with no sun and I think it's getting my energy level down! (I know, I'd never make it through the winter up north.) But I'm not complaining -- we totally need the rain. My review of NL6762 is at PR.com.

149. Vogue 2975 (finally!): Modern Muumuu Done Right

Wish I'd kept better count of all the summer dresses I've sewn so far.  Maybe I'll re-cap at the end of summer.

I bought Vogue 2975 to make a summer dress from 2 years ago!  Never quite found the right fabric for it, or maybe I didn't have a very clear vision of what I wanted mine to look like.  No vision problems this year:  Summer 2009 is obvz going to be the summer of barely-shaped muumuus!  In Las Vegas, I got my hands on a gauzy, bright floral-printed cotton and saw the muumuu potential.  

Side note: last summer I tried my hand at McCall's 5654 and it was a total, complete muumuu.  Don't feel comfortable wearing it and I may need to refashion it into something else.  It taught me that I need some shaping in my muumuus, at least fitting at the bust and definition at the waist, even if there is tons of ease at the waist and hips.

Back to Vogue 2975... 

It met the new muumuu requirements for fitted bust and definition at waist.  Well, this dress in size 6 is fitted at the bust if you have a 33" bust.  I don't, so after I made my usual petite alterations of taking an inch from the bodice in the waist and another inch in the hip, I put the dress together and tried it on, and it gaped at the bust.  After exploring a number of options for reducing the excess fabric (pinching an inch from the front and an inch from the back, taking in the princess seams, taking a fraction of an inch from every vertical seam all around), it became clear that the excess fabric was all in the front, and, surprisingly, taking two inches from center front was the best way to go.  So, at least for this dress, I've added an extra pleat at center front.  I don't particularly like it when I stand back and look at it, but the floral is so busy that it isn't distracting or obviously bad in any way:

Funny, too, I omitted the zipper.  It still slips on over my head.  Taking it off requires a little negotiation, but not much.  Worth it to me to skip the zipper.  Also had to add some pockets.  This dress is so full that some fluffy, puffy, rounded, elasticized pockets called out to me.

I like the shape of this dress, I like wearing it, and I'd highly recommend this pattern even to beginners.  It's marked Average but that's probably a rating for the jacket.  The dress has only 5 pattern pieces but looks much more complicated.  I made this at my mom's house and she doesn't use tracing paper, so marking out the pleats took a long time -- I marked and sewed some of them incorrectly, had to unpick them, and start over.  

If I can find the right cotton I would like to make this again in a LBD version, with a pattern modification to reduce the front by 2 inches.  Hopefully this doesn't mess up the pleat placement too much.  I'll keep you posted if and when I get to that point.  :)

My review of Vogue 2975 on patternreview.com here.

146. Refashion 22: Boy's Hat from Cargo Pant Legs and Refashion 23: Vogue 8585 Dress from Men's Dress Shirt

Greetings from Las Vegas!  We are visiting family and celebrating my niece's high school graduation!  And, of course, I am sewing and blogging.  A rolling stone collects no moss.....

1. The Hat

So, the story is that Louis needed a summer hat.  I made him a driver's cap from a Japanese pattern book, but it was too big (BTW, it fits my dad perfectly and so now has a new owner).  There's a tulip hat pattern in the same book that I've made myself a couple of floral hats from, and the shape of the hat looks great on Louis and covers his neck.

I had six Louis-size cargo pant legs in the refashion remnant pile.  They came from three pairs of cargo pants that would get more love and wear as shorts, so I simply cut off the legs around the knee/ just under the thigh cargo pocket and double-folded new hems on the shorts.  One set of leftover pant legs was a khaki camouflage, another was olive camouflage, and the third was plain khaki.  As the tulip hat pattern calls for 6 panels, I used one of each contrasting pant leg.  I lined the hat with remnants from my dad's new driver's cap.  Et voila!  New hat, ready for fishing with Grandpa and cousin Nick in a week.

2. Dress refashioned from Men's Dress Shirt

Last year, I was lucky enough to find this enormous men's shirt in a size 4XL.  It was, by far, the biggest one in the stash, in great condition, and I kept waiting for the right project to make the most of the size and width of the original shirt.

Of all the Big 4 pattern companies, Vogue is the one I sew the least, and I generally like their pattern envelopes best!  I bought Vogue 8585 at a $3.99 pattern sale a couple weeks ago, and bought the last yard+ of a fantastic deep pink twill to make it from.  After I got home, I realized there was no way to get Vogue 8585 from the pink twill, and in fact, no other fabric from my ridiculously big stash seemed quite right.  I remembered the 4XL shirt in my refashion stash and its fate was sealed.

I made a couple of changes.  The most obvious one is that I didn't sew the "partial placket" as the pattern shows -- I just drew center front on the front bodice pattern piece and aligned it with center front of the men's shirt.  I also chose not to sew in the back seam as I'm at my parents' house and don't have all my tools and workspace at the ready.  To keep it simple, I cut the back bodice on the fold and it is thus missing some shaping around the waist.  

This style, the gathered sleeveless raglan with tailored neckline, is kind of popular in home sewing patterns these past couple of years.  I actually believe that I own a similar style pattern -- Vogue -- from two or almost three years ago that I never sewed!  (I am kind of embarrassed to admit that, but it is the truth.)  

I forgot to add another buttonhole and button on the neckband!  It will look more finished.  I just loved the shape of this dress, and liked that the coverage would not require unusual or uncomfortable undergarments.  Despite its simplicity with only 4 pattern pieces, it's a style that required my full attention with markings.  There was a lot of matching up, aligning, etc. and missing a mark meant an interruption in the flow, and a little extra work.

But worth it to me; I like wearing the final dress.  I think I will try a dressier version, maybe even before I get home.  Just need to get lucky finding the right fabric while I'm here....

For the full scoop, check out my Vogue 8585 review on PatternReview.com.

110. Refashion 13: Chanel Knock-Off Dress from Men's Dress Shirt

Is 13 my lucky number?  Hope so, because this 13th refashion project is my entry for the PatternReview.com refashion contest.  I could really pick apart every little thing I wish I'd done differently, but instead I will just plan to work on a second version to incorporate all the lessons I learned from this refashion and fill you in on the details then.  Maybe this could become a video tutorial someday?

The inspiration garment and suggestion came from my dear friend and sewing guru, Shauna, who spied this gem in the January 2009 issue of W (with a flawless Christy Turlington Burns on the cover).  I was three issues behind and would not have found it on my own till April, probably, but she showed it to me in December and suggested it might make a great men's shirt refashion project.  I started deconstructing the shirt right before my Canada trip and felt stumped about those bust pleats -- how much fabric could I eat up in the darts without affecting the a-line shape too much?  I wasn't sure I'd figure it out in time to meet the contest deadline.

It never really becomes clear to me until I start sewing it.  I had to unpick, re-measure, re-draw, and re-sew the bust pleats three times, and I think I will move them again in my next (and hopefully final) version.  But overall I think I got most of it right and it will be interesting to read what the SPR voters think about it!  Not that I want to lobby for votes, but if you're eligible to vote and you like the dress the best of all the entries, please do vote for it!  :)

Here's the review on PatternReview.com.  There's some neat stuff in that refashion contest gallery!

You're wondering about the purse, aren't you?  It is, in fact, a Columbia Lily original in a beautiful, nubby gold shantung.  I was fortunate enough to win it during her Birthday Week of giveaways a few weeks ago, and it is even lovelier in person than in the photos on her blog.  My husband assumed I had bought it and was duly impressed that it is an original design from an independent designer, handmade with love and care and extra attention to detail.  Want one of your own?  Right this way.

Re: the vlogging in my last post... I am sorry the video quality was so low when I finally posted it.  The resolution is very good on the (very large) original video file!  I am sure there are other options for compressing the video and I'll do some more research on that.  If you have any suggestions for Mac users, I'm all ears.  I'm using my iSight camera and it's great that the sound is OK.  There's got to be a simple solution and if it's not simple, sometimes I don't feel motivated.  So I was thinking I would post a vlog tutorial on the empire waist shirt refashion (like #11 or #12).  I will see if I can get that out to you before the end of Feb.

It was so strange to hit that record button.  As soon as I started talking, it felt like I was breaking down a very large wall between the dedicated readers -- my blogging buddies -- and me.  Totally personal, unedited, like the messy house in the background!  Plus it's funny how many things I want to look at as I'm talking -- I can look into the camera but it's distracting to see myself on the computer monitor.  LOL  Hope it wasn't too weird for you.  XD

Simplicity 3694: Little Red Riding Hoodie

Before we get into my latest sample garment, trying out Simplicity 3694 for fit, let's answer a couple of questions from the comments to my last post...

I mentioned that I was a beginner sewist 18 months ago.  It would have been clearer to say I was a beginner-level sewist 18 months ago -- I've been sewing apparel for ~2 1/2 years.  If I'd seen that Martha Stewart ad with just one year of sewing under my belt (figuratively and maybe literally, ha-ha!), I probably would have wanted the Sewing Ideas site to deliver more directions than simply "sew up those two patterns and put them together."

Lisa asked how many items I've made. As you know, esp. with me!, there is a significant difference between the number of garments I've started and the number I've completed. Are you picking up what I'm putting down? As 2008 draws to a close, I plan to take a look back at the year to account for at least the last 12 months. I do sew a lot of little crafty things, which are mainly gifts, and as I tend to finish these projects quite close to their deadlines, I don't usually get to take photos of them before they are out the door and in the gift recipient's hands.

For now, I have a new garment to share with you, which is my sample garment for Simplicity 3694 a.k.a. Little Red Riding Hoodie, a.k.a. my version of the Martha Stewart Sewing Ideas dress.  I had some vintage plaid fabric from my mom's stash but not nearly enough for either the dress or jacket from this pattern.  I'd bought 2 yards of red corduroy for a Little Red Riding Hood Halloween cape, though I ran out of steam to sew the entire getup in October.  With Christmas coming, I grabbed the red cord and got to cutting.

Believe it or not, 2 yards of 44-inch wide fabric wasn't enough to sew the dress-length version with hood, and in fact, 2 yards was barely enough for the jacket.  

The extra pattern piece for the zipper placket is probably one of my favorite design features of the jacket, because this jacket could look dangerously wide without those extra vertical lines on the front.  I also dig the semi-patch pockets -- the sides of the pockets are not sewn as traditional patch pockets, but into the seams of the jacket itself.  Very cool.

Geek Sewing commented that she's out of her hoodie phase.  I totally get that!  I don't think I had any hoodies left in my closet from when I turned 30 and thought hoodies made me look like I was trying too hard to seem younger, and now I've just made one.  Also useful to know that this pattern features a nice, round neckline that would probably work with any number of collars, and someone sewed a dressy version with no collar at all that looks pretty sweet.

My red corduroy has very fine wales, and the fabric is so light.  I will probably line it if I use another lightweight fabric for my dress just to give it more body.  But I am sold on this pattern and it will make a fun little dress!  Now I just have to find the right fabric for it...

FYI, Sarah pointed out in her comment on my last post that Martha Stewart is hosting a contest on her site for sewn stuff, and there's a fashion category.  In looking through the 80+ entries as of last week, I can vouch for the fact that not one of the entries seems to have much to do with fashion.  Sure, aprons are cute and can be fashionable, but I can't see any apron winning in a fashion category over a well-made dress or jacket.  Here's the link to contest details -- hope to see some of you getting in on the action!

To photograph the jacket, I wore the Vogue dress that was originally intended as the Little Red Riding Hood dress, and now the fullness of the dress doesn't bother me so much!  Without a basket in sight to complete the Red effect, I grabbed a red truck.  Obviously.

Refashion 9: Finally Fall Flannel Shirtdress from Mens Button Down Shirt

I imagine sometimes the journey each of these shirts took before ending up in my hands.  I think this one came from a young man named Jeremy, who was raised in a single-mom home in Colorado.  He loved to be outside.  This shirt was a gift for him from someone he loved.  He didn't wear it often, but it didn't fit an Austin lifestyle.  Who needs to wear cotton flannel in Austin?  Maybe for one month a year.  So it ended up at the thrift store, in excellent condition, and ready for my sewing hands.

The best part about this shirt is that it had a straight hem, and since it was a big and long shirt, it was a perfect length for a shirtdress.  I chose Simplicity 2885 - just one side bust dart.

I kind of like how it turned out, though the sleeves feel less than finished.  Oh, wait, probably 'cause they are not quite finished.  I just turned the bottom under instead of adding a cuff.  And I sewed one size larger than I normally do so I can wear a t-shirt and leggings underneath, so it's basically barely fitted, not semi-fitted at all.  All in all, though, not too shabby.

back yoke, up close and personal

sleeve pleats

My Simplicity 2885 pattern review here.

Whatever Happened To... Princess Leia Costume, a.k.a. McCall's 4756

This is one of THE iconic images of Princess Leia, right?  Mega-draped tunic wonder for being camouflaged in the desert, or whatever.  I find white so impractical for daily life.  Why else would she wear so much white if not for survival?  If I sat still and watched the whole movie I guess I would figure out why, but I'm not a Star Wars fan.  (My husband, who is, shudders as he reads this whole paragraph.)

My version didn't come out too shabby!  The costume was for my friend Amy's 6-month-old daughter.  What a cute baby!  For the dress I used McCall's 4756, without the button down center front and a little slit opening on the back.  I also extended the long sleeves, used a size 1 bodice with size 4 length  to make a dress instead of tunic, and added a simple bias collar.  Someday I'll post a review.  This was a very simple sew and I love this classic little girl dress silhouette.  The belt was also improvised -- it ties in the back and I sewed on some gold buttons to look like the medallions from the original belt.  

I was most proud of the hair!  Amy had emailed this picture to me to show me what's available for purchase off the shelf, and my first instinct was to copy the fleece buns.  I worried that wire in them would be uncomfortable and unsafe, so Shauna suggested doll hair.  Couldn't find any long, straight brown hair at the craft store (all dolls have short, curly, blonde hair?) so I headed to the yarn section and grabbed a skein of 100% wool Lion brand yarn.  I used a balloon as a head form and twill tape to outline a structure, and then "basted" using scotch-tape to attach lengths of yarn to the twill tape, twisting every so often to make sure they were the right length in the right places to make those trademark buns.  Then I sewed the yarn down to the twill tape in a very delicate operation and ripped off the scotch tape.   

Truthfully, my favorite part has nothing to do with my handiwork:  it's the shoes!

 

The real Princess Leia photo from Obi-Wan's Jedi Academy.  Costume photo from OfficialStarWarsCostumes.com.

Giving Thanks

There is much to be thankful for!  I remember often all that I am thankful for, so it's definitely not limited to today.  But today I am thankful for Whole Foods, which prepared much of our Thanksgiving dinner so that we could relax, hang out together, take pictures, and blog!  LOL  I'm also thankful for a few extra things, like easy skirt patterns that give good results, tall heels that don't hurt much, clothing swaps, and very warm Thanksgiving days.

Butterick 4924 was so easy to whip up!  I have attempted several Butterick patterns in the past with generally bad results, almost always due to fit.  They have been like New Look patterns for me, where the smallest size still requires some grading down (i.e. a combination of prayer and luck).  In this skirt pattern, I actually went up to the second smallest size and the fit is just right (thank you, post-baby waistline!  Ha-ha).

If you're looking for a little party skirt, I strongly recommend this pattern.  A couple of sewing notes: I sewed View C, which should have a contrast band, but I left off the contrast band.  This means my actual skirt is something like 17 or 18 inches from waist, not the 23 inches it would have been with the contrast band.  Also, the skirt is actually meant to sit at the natural waist.  After years of low-waisted options, some intentional and some just too big, I really like the way this skirt feels!  

My full review of Butterick 4924 is up at patternreview.com.

Thank you so much for reading, for commenting, for sewing, for inspiring.  If you're celebrating today, Happy Thanksgiving!

What Ever Happened To... Vogue 1046: The Voluminous Gingham Dress

I have a strong tendency to rack up UFO's on my sewing path, and by blogging all year I am starting to see that I am dragging anyone who reads my blog with me down the road of non-completion.  The best thing to come of blogging is that I finish more of my UFO's for the benefit (at least in my mind) of the collective sewing consciousness -- you know, contributing to that sense of closure.  Before things get too philosophical, let's move on to the dress...

All better now.

When I last shared the Vogue 1046 dress with you, I'd spent about 4 hours on it, and it was a

 finished garment.  It seemed like the dress had ideas of its own, with those bothersome gathers on the sides of the skirt back pushing out almost horizontally in a very unflattering way.  After fielding suggestions from some of you talented sewists and stylists, and after consultation with my sewing guru, I decided to:

1. Unpick each end of the seam attaching the back yoke to the skirt back about 6 or 7 inches,

2. Ungather the first 2-3 inches of fabric from the side seam in, and

3. Make a big ol' pleat to use up the excess fabric.

4. Sew it all back together.

Given this fabric is so lightweight, it didn't weigh the skirt down enough to keep those multi-directional puckers from happening.  The pleats make a HUGE difference in my comfort and confidence wearing this dress, but the silhouette is still VOLUMINOUS, and after seeing the photos I took today of the dress from the side and straight on, I think I will make the same alterations to the front next spring.  

Pattern review will be posted tomorrow.  Have a great weekend, everyone!!!!!!!

UPDATE: Here's that pattern review of Vogue 1046.

Yes I Can [Finish] Dress in Sunflower Yellow

Do you love this crazy look on my face?  I didn't crop it out because it's honest, LOL!  I was half puzzled and a little impatient with my new camera remote, and of course this crazy face picture gave the clearest shot of the dress.

I dyed the BurdaStyle Danielle dress I sewed last week.  Sarah from Sewer-Sewist suggested Jacquard brand dye, remembering it might not require hot water and therefore wouldn't shrink my already-snug new dress.  Thanks for the suggestion -- according to Jacquard's site, it requires hot water.  As a thumbs-up sign from the universe, I had on hand some Dylon dye in Sunflower Yellow, and it turns out that it uses just warm water.  So I went for it!  The color came out exactly like the color swatch on the package, and although it's darker than I wanted it to be, I do like it.  After the dye job, I washed the dress in cold water as instructed, and air dried it.  It shrunk a bit from this process.  (BTW, Elizabeth:  I also considered dying this dress a deep, rich plum but happened to have the yellow readily available.  Maybe I can dye something plum before our month of cold comes and goes!)

I picked up some lovely rayon lace last weekend and sewed it onto the empire band -- this dress has sweet and simple lines but I wanted to add a touch of frou-frou.  I like how this turned out, too!  The heavy muslin is wrinkle-prone (and not very soft, unfortunately), so I pressed it with a steam iron.  This may very well be the first time I've made a garment for myself that is too tight across the bust and fits fine everywhere else, LOL!  

I wrote a short review of the BurdaStyle Danielle on PatternReview.com.

Refashion 4: Ruffled Collar Shirt from Mens Tuxedo Shirt

I thrifted this shirt specifically so I could reuse the pintucked section on the refashioned shirt! All the glory with none of the pain, right? Having all those pintucks really limited my choice of shirt patterns to use, though -- no waist darts because they would interfere with that coveted pintucking. I settled on Simplicity 4179 with a single side bust dart, but knew I would probably not have enough fabric left for the peter pan collar. So I put together the 4179 bodice with my ever-loved Simplicity 4077 neckline and collar. It was really easy to do just by lining up center front and shoulder seams between the two patterns. I've had ruffled collars on the brain since Spring 2007 and thought it was now or never, so I used some excess fabric from the original long sleeves and threw the ruffle on top of the collar. Here is the end result:
Some Editor's Notes on the experience:

1. I love the fit of this Simplicity 4179 bodice! Of the Big 4, Simplicity really nails the fit for me more often than any other. I have decided not to review Simplicity 4179 on patternreview.com because I made modifications for style, not for fit, and this being a shirt refashion really rendered the instructions null and void. But I like this pattern so much I think I will end up sewing it again with the peter pan collar, and I'll write my review then.
   
2. There's an optional peplum at the bottom of the shirt that looks cute and I didn't have enough fabric to add it, but the length of the finished shirt is probably just right for my proportions as it is.
3. I had a few "make it work" moments during this refashion, from how funky the plackets were attached (different technique on each side of the shirt, from what I could tell) and what that meant for how I would sew the new collar to the shirt, to that dreaded Simplicity 4077 collar and a few other complications thrown in for good measure. I just kept going, and the whole thing came together nicely.

If you look at the shirt closely, you can see some definitely improvised choices that didn't turn out quite as close to perfection as I beat myself up for in my sewing sometimes, but you know what? I forgot about most of them just two days after finishing the garment, and the shirt still looks pretty good and feels great on. (Well, the collar is a little constricting but that's more the 100+ degree heat than anything else. Ask me again in November.) So what's not to love about this refashioning thing?