Snoop Shopping for Fall/Winter Tops

Every single Fall/Winter I find myself (1) not having any long sleeve tops and (2) hating the ones that I technically don't even have because I have no long sleeve tops. Two years ago I embarked on "Two Weeks of Winter Work Tops" and I STILL have no long sleeve tops. Ugh!!!! While I wear dresses almost exclusively in summer, for some reason I turn more to separates in winter.

So, I decided it was time to look for some inspiration at Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom. It turns out that nobody has any good ideas for winter work tops, so at least I'm in good company. There were a lot of basic t-shirts and basic blouses, but we all know that I don't do basic.

I found a handful of inspiration pieces (and if you haven't seen SewBeDo's FABULOUS bow t-shirt variation of the BurdaStyle Lydia, check it out and encourage her to do that tutorial!).

The twist top is still popular, as shown by the 3.1 Phillip Lim Twist Front Cashmere Pullover - Nordstrom $495 and Nic + Zoe Twist Front Top - Nordstrom $63.90 on sale variations.


The Nic + Zoe I could easily pull off, as it just appears to be a twist overlay and at this point the cat is out of the bag on how to do twists. I can fantasize about somehow modifying Butterick 5079 (one of my unreviewed projects) for the 3.1 Phillip Lim, but I know there's no way I'd figure that puzzle out.


I love this Kate Spade blouse ($275, Bloomingdale's) from the front *and* the back.


The website doesn't mention a closure, so it appears that it just pulls over the head. This makes me wonder if it is clipped in the photos, because that cut looks too slim to comfortably wriggle over the shoulders, but of course if I made it I could always put an invisible zip in the side. Love the ruffles, the non-exaggerated sleeve, and the tame looking collar in front that ties in a bow in back. This is the kind of mood I am in for blouses this Fall--soft and feminine, not a traditional shirt-tailored kind of piece.


The peasant blouse still lives--here are some from Michael Kors ($64.90, Nordstrom) and a t-shirt version by Cameo Appearance ($48, Nordstrom)




I like the sleeve shape on the Kors version--that rounded opening appeals to me, and is a little different than the normal balloon with more fullness on the lower half of the sleeve than the upper--does anyone know what this style of sleeve is called? That style sleeve first came to my attention in relation to a DVF copycat controversy. I like the open sleeve on the tee, it's more laid back. The jury is still out on whether I can wear this style that balloons over an elasticated hip, though. I like my Simplicity 4020 top, so maybe.





LOVE this Tadashi Shoji blouse (Nordstrom, $238). The faux wrap and the peplum with the coordinating pleats is so cute, and the collar is excellent, so much more fun than a traditional shirt collar but not over the top.


I could live without the beading. I could also live without the zip all the way down the back (???--I don't get it), but I'd move it to under the arm.

I have Vogue 7998, a wrap top pattern that might be adaptable. (That I have all these ideas that could be done does not, by any stretch, mean that any of them will get done, of course.)





It also turned out I am ahead of the trend with some stuff I made for *last* Fall/Winter: the Knip Mode twist top I was so obsessed with and a BWOF dress.



The BWOF 10-2008-115 dress isn't identical because the Bloomingdale's dress has a surplice/faux wrap neckline and no gathering in the skirt. I like the BWOF version better, actually. This dress isn't really for work, though, and I already have a million ideas for dresses anyway.
The Knip Mode 04-2008-13 twist top, as far as I can tell, is an exact match for the TWO different variations at Nordstrom. I need to make one or two more of those!


I found a few more ideas for ruffles and bows and more ruffles (though I would make that last one a blouse, not a cardi) but honestly it was slim pickings. You can check out the whole set here. Please pass on all your good ideas and inspiration!

Exquisite Fabrics Update, Trip to Philly, and Stashoholism Confessional

I had a very productive weekend...if you consider stash-building productive. Ahem.

Cidell came to visit me in DC. We exchanged gifts from our recent travels; she picked me up a ton of knit lining and a cute little shirting print in Panama.

We spent Friday hitting up the Simplicity sale at Joann, where I picked up 8 patterns at 99 cents each. Score! My top picks are 2473, a princess sheath with faux-belt separate waistband; the Cynthia Rowley 2512 paper bag waist skirt with shaped waistband; and a tie-neck blouse 2501 that comes in both peplum and one piece variations with an awesome ruched sleeve.

Then we hit up G Street, where I SWORE I was not going to get any fabric. Until I did. Luckily only one piece. I could not get the color to come out right in the photo--the flash kept washing it out--but it's a dark gray (of the blue gray variety) knit. There is a dress in the Drape Drape book that I want to try, but it is a bit wild and crazy and has to be done in a sober solid color, not to mention that it will EAT UP the yardage so the $2.97/yd price was a big sell.

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Then it was some snoop shoppping in Georgetown. Embellishment is big, is all I can tell you. We went in J Crew and every t-shirt had some kind of ruffle, bow, lace, sequins, applique, etc. on it. I am all for girly details, but the indiscriminate application of sequins was a bit much on some of them. I NEED to do something with a froth (or bib, for the less poetical among you) of ruffles at the neck.

We also made a point of stopping into Exquisite Fabrics' new(ish) location at The Shops at Georgetown. They moved there about a year ago from their old K Street location, which was metro accessible and *ahem* easily drop-in-able from my doctor's office. It's still very high end, as it was before, with high end prices to match. There are a lot of very nice wools and a large selection of silks, though I found the vast majority of the silk prints...inexplicable. By which I mean hideous. They still have the "bargain" section, with yardages allegedly in the $2-10 range, though most were $8/yd and above. There was nothing much to interest me there. I will say, the notions section has expanded and I can definitely always find a zipper or thread here if I'm in a pinch, which is awesome. I ended up getting only one thing, an AWESOME gold bow buckle that, judging from the packaging, is actually from the 80s. It was marked down to $5. I'll be using that puppy at the first available opportunity.

I must say that service is crap. Ugh. Cidell and I were greeted when we came in, which was nice. But then after I figured out what I wanted I went and stood at the register, patiently waiting (that is to say, no sighing, eye rolling, finger snapping, or other boorish behavior) where I was PATENTLY ignored. I mean, the clerk went out of her way not to see me while standing a few feet away. She made a huge show of helping another customer, who obviously didn't sew at all, look for buttons. Had the other customer been there first, I would of course not complain at all, but I was waiting first and since I was at the register was probably going to be quick, while button chooser had no idea what she was looking for. It felt very much like the clerk considered me too young to be a "real" customer, and treated me accordingly. It left a very bad taste in my mouth. So, buyer beware.

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The next day we hit the road and headed up to Philly to meet Karen and sate ourselves at Jomar. I brought my camera but of course failed to take a single picture. Sorry about that. I had limited time so we got straight to business. Jomar is crazy, man. It is huge, there is so much fabric, it's a little weird, and the prices are insane. So I, um, went a little crazy.

In the fashion fabric category, I got two silks for blouses and four knits:



The dark silk is navy. I never wear navy because (1) I like black and think it looks good on me, and (2) what shoes do you wear with navy????? But I am branching out. I also got gray because I have been feeling the gray this year. It's a good color. On the knits, the three ITY prints are self-explanatory. Cidell maintains that the metallic tweed-ish knit defies explanation, which it sort of does but I was really drawn to it.

I also picked up linings in black and silver/gray (the lightest color I could find in an acceptable texture) for $1/yd. Sadly, I couldn't locate any rayon lining so I have either 100% poly or acetate, but I have often found myself in need of a silky lining, especially as we go into Fall and tights are necessary. Now I can never say I don't have any lining. Then there was the interfacing--also $1/yd, I got two wovens and a knit. But my total for all of this was right around $70, which is crazy for six fashion fabrics, two linings, and three interfacings!

After our shopping, Karen led us to the most delicious falafel place. The fries were made with onions and peppers along with the potatoes, which was divine and I don't understand why everyone doesn't do this. The falafel and hummus sandwich was incredibly delicious. Mmm. I have been thinking of this place ever since!

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So now I really, really, really need to stop buying fabric! My plan for this year was 6 yards per month. I am guessing I have exceeded that, although there have been several months where I didn't buy anything. I have certainly exceeded my sewing because I have been busy lately and not been able to spend an entire day each weekend sewing. I wish I could learn to sew during the week, but unless I have a deadline I've never been able to bring myself to do it. So, discipline in buying is really the only alternative. If only I could figure out how to develop it...

McCall 6788, Vintage 1947 Shirtdress

In June Myra sent me a fabulous set of vintage patterns. I immediately fell in love with this shirtdress and decided to make it as soon as I found the right fabric. While I was in Hong Kong, I bought a vintage-y floral cotton print (on the far right in this photo) but then in Tokyo I fell in love with this dragon fabric and decided it was even better. I am very happy with the result!



This was a fun pattern to sew. I love working with vintage things and thinking who might have made them before me (the pattern envelope says faintly in pencil "Mrs. Emie Seriash"). I loved the little pleats at the shoulder echoes in the skirt at the waist and the cape sleeve.

The pattern is a size 14, which in 1947 meant Bust 32, Waist 26.5, Hip 35. 12 was the smallest size this pattern came in (and I can't imagine there were many grown women who were smaller than a 30 inch bust); I wonder where the number conventions came from?

While my bust is a 32, my waist and hips are somewhat larger, so I graded out about 3/4" at each side seam, to add a total of 1.5 inches. However, once I got it made I saw that I shouldn't have done so, and maybe even taken it in a bit at the waist. The tiny-waisted pattern illustration notwithstanding, this is very baggy at the waist and a belt is an absolute necessity. (It looks great with the ribbon belt I made in July!) It's also huge at the bust; I'm not sure if this is the style or if it is expected that a women with a 32 bust will wear a gigantor padded bra.

This wasn't designed with pockets, but I feel that a shirtdress ought to have pockets so I added some below the waist seam. They feel right with the style. I used, as ever, the pocket from BWOF 07-2008-107

A while back Claudine said that she wished she wore slips so she wouldn't have to line every single thing she made. I feel the same way! And yet, I don't wear slips. So I lined this fabric with my trusty Ikea Knoppa sheets ($1.99 for a twin!).

The sleeves are not really sleeves. You finish the armscye as for sleeveless (I used the "sew shoulder seams of fashion and lining, sew fashion and lining together at neck and armscyes, pull fronts through strap tunnel to turn right side out, then sew side seam" method), and then just stitch the cape sleeves--which are just a half circle, nothing complicated there--at the shoulder and on down the bodice. This could easily be transported to a more modern garment for a fun sleeve.

The capes are meant to be finished with a facing. At first I thought I would just turn under the edges in a hem and skip the facing. But then I remembered that one of the things the friend-of-a-friend I'd met up with in Japan told me was that traditional kimonos are rather sober on the outside, but lined in bright colors. Part of the allure in wearing a kimono is to perfect the art of flashing a teeny bit of that bright color in the sleeve lining.

When I had visited the Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum I had noticed that some of the kimonos had bright linings and loved it. When contemplating this bit of information, I loved the way the main dragon fabric went so well with the wave fabric I'd also bought. I knew it would make it a little costume-y because the navy wave fabric is rather stiff and would make the cape sleeves stick out even more, but I just fell in love with the idea and had to do it. To tie it together, I did the bodice neck facing in the wave fabric as well. I turned under the raw edges and hand-stitched them to the lining.

I shortened the dress considerably--it was drafted a 45 inch length from back neck which is pretty much to the floor on me (were they taller back then?). On the pattern illustration it appears drafted to be 2-3 inches below the knee, but it might have been meant to be mid-calf. At any rate, anything more than 1 1/2 inches below the knee is just awful on me, so I went contemporary with the length and hemmed it just above the knee.

I'm glad I got the chance to sew this pattern. The fit and details are definitely vintage, and I went a little costume-y with the big red buttons and stiff contrast lining for the sleeves, but it is wearable in modern times. I love that it goes into fall with tights and clogs!

All photos are here and the pattern review is here.

Back from Spain!

I had a lovely trip to Spain! I was there for two weeks, the first week in Barcelona and the second week in Madrid (very briefly), Cadiz, Jerez de la Frontera, and Sevilla. It is a beautiful country and the people are friendly. I got a lot of opportunity to speak Spanish. I kept meaning to study more before I went but things kept getting in the way so I was *very* rusty (I was never fluent by any stretch, but I had a high level of competence...in high school 17 years ago) but some Spanish definitely helps when you're there.



I especially wished I spoke better Spanish when I met up with Paco! I hadn't realized he lived in Barcelona until I asked for fabric shopping advice for the first part of my trip and everyone recommended getting in touch with him. He is super nice, even rescheduling our meeting after I realized I was completely mixed up on days (I thought I landed Sunday morning but it was actually Monday).

We met up on Wednesday and he took me on a tour of the fabric shops of Barcelona. Paco is just as nice as you might hope, and he was very patient with my poor Spanish skills. We each can read the other's language fairly well, but speaking it is a whole other ballgame. It was so great to get an intensive practice like that!

The stores are all beautiful, even the more moderately priced ones. The fabric is on rolls, not bolts. The rolls are laid out on tables, generally just one roll high (not stacked so you have a hard time pulling out the one you want). The shops are relatively small (mostly) and the storefronts have nice big windows so there's a lot of natural light.

Paco is well known to all the shop owners and employees! So we got good service. Mindful of my groaning shelves of stash at home, I purchased only two fabrics:




The gray print is a rayon jersey that will make a great maxi dress. As Cidell has "gently" hinted many times, Paco was a little concerned about my taste level when it comes to bright colors, but I love them! The louder the better! The white/green print is a polyester, which you know I don't normally buy, but I loved the print and decided I'd give the fabric a shot. These were not unduly expensive, around 7 Euro per yard (of course, the dollar is so weak that it translates to quite a bit). The prices overall didn't seem high for what you got.

Later in the trip, in Sevilla, we passed a bunch of fabric stores but my travel companion forbade me to go in. Heh. So I didn't get any more.

There is another photo of me and Paco and a sneak peek of three new dresses I got done for the trip here on my sewing flickr.

You can see all of my travel photos (a lot!) here.

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Despite my stash concerns, I did add just a few more pieces on Saturday. At this point, I actually hadn't been to the local fabric store in months and I needed to get some Halloween fabric. My youngest brother and his wife are planning to visit over Halloween weekend and they know I love Halloween so they are all excited. Unfortunately, I have NO idea where to take them. As much as I hate to admit it, I am a little bit outgrowing Halloween. Well, maybe that's not true. DC just does not have a great Halloween the way Austin does. In Austin, they shut down 6th Street to traffic and it is a big giant informal parade of amazing costumes. You don't even have to go into a bar (most years I didn't), you just hang out on the street and people watch and strut your stuff. In DC, I haven't found anyplace that is a giant (but not overly drunken) crowd of people who just want to enjoy the costumes. It's all parties in bars and you have to wait outside for hours (often in freezing cold) to get in and then it's hot and crowded once you finally do get in and you can't see anything.

Anyway, I do think my costume will be cute but it has come to this: I am annoyed that I have to take time out of my real sewing to make it. However, I do have a closet *full* of costumes, so I could draw from the archive and that I'm not says something. Maybe I will make one last costume and then deem the collection complete.



The blue and green on the right are for the costume (to be revealed later, but it's the same thing I had planned for last year before I ended up going out of the country). The middle two are jersey prints--one for Fall/Winter, one for Spring/Summer. On the left are a bronze silk to line a wool dress and a wool skirt length to make a black pencil skirt. I need to find a pattern for the black and purple jersey--I don't think I have enough for a wrap dress, which is my go to shape for cool weather dresses, nor can it have a full skirt. I'm sure I've got something in the stash!

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I pulled all the new pieces out of my closet and I am only 10 reviews behind. Not bad. I thought it was more. I had my travel companion take fashion photos of the new dresses while in Spain, but when I got home I realized I had somehow set my camera to take teeny pictures, and they can't be cropped because they get pixilated. Argh!!!!!! I am really upset about this. So I can't use those photos and have to start over. We'll see when I get in the mood to do a fashion shoot.

BWOF 11-2008-111 Pleat Neck Dress & 06-2009-151 Obi

Life has really been getting in the way of blogging lately. I've been working on this post for two weeks! I had to go out of town for work last week. I assumed I'd be able to blog in the evenings, but working until midnight sort of put the kaibosh on that plan. Ugh. I was so happy to get home.

And on Sunday I'm leaving for Spain!!!!! I am so excited. I need a vacation for sure. Work has seriously eroded my sewing time so I won't have an entirely new wardrobe, but I will have one or two new pieces.

If anyone has any fabric store recommendations in Barcelona, please let me know! I'll be there for a week. Then I'm off to Madrid, Cadiz, and Sevilla where it will be too whirlwind to get any fabric shopping in, I think (but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to be informed...)

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When I got the silk/nylon crinkly shiny green fabric I'd found at Paron in NYC home, I had two thoughts. (1) Must.sew.now. And (2) I think this is home dec? Not that #2 bothered me, just made me think I should go to home dec more often.

I immediately made up a skirt and a dress. I went back through my BWOFs (I know it's Burda now, but you'll always be BWOF to me, baby) and stumbled on 11-2008-111. It looks like nothing in the photograph, just a jumble of shiny, print satin and a faux fur capelet, but the line drawing shows that it's got a very on-trend pleated neckline and a fairly simple silhouette, perfect for the fabric to be the star.



I am thrilled with the result. It has enough interest, but isn't weighted down with bells and whistles.

The shaping in the front bodice comes only from the pleats at the neckline, so I was stumped when tracing and cutting as to how to do an SBA. I decided I'd figure it out in sewing and the answer became obvious when it was basted together and the waistline was sagging. You can see my orange marking to indicate how to shorten the bodice.

The original design calls for the skirt to have inverted pleats spaced evenly from center front. However, I thought it would be more in the style of the dress to move them to center front. It has a bit of the same maternity problem as Butterick 5321 and absolutely must be worn with a belt or I look like I have no waist, but I think for the fabric the style works. If I make it again in a more conventional fabric I will probably place the pleats as drafted.

After that, everything was smooth sailing. To get nice looking construction and ensure the fabric wouldn't end up shredding at the seams (silk nylon seams like a tough blend, but silk always seems prone to shredding) I put in French seams. I discovered--well, I'm sure everyone was already doing this--a cheater method that makes them so much easier. I unthreaded the left needle (yeah, I should have taken it out but whatevs) and used the serger to sew the first seam. My problem with French seams has always been that no matter how close to the edge I sew the first seam I always get some kind of seam allowance crap poking out of the second seam. Not so with the serger seam! The serger trims off all the crap and makes it nice and tidy to turn in and sew the second seam. I may do French seams more often now.

It turns out this silk-nylon blend is very scratchy, which is what makes me think it's home dec rather than fashion fabric. So I wanted a comfortable lining that was substantial enough to stand up to the scratchy fashion fabric without getting worn holes in it. I searched through stash and came up with a cotton I'd gotten at Hobby Lobby a couple of holiday seasons ago while visiting my family in Texas. It is a crosswoven turquoise and dark blue that was gorgeous on the bolt but after I washed it the sheen was lost and it was too thin and flimsy to be suitable for much. But it was perfect for a lining.

In order to give the front neck pleats some body, I stitched the shoulder seams of the bodice fashion fabric and lining, sewed them right sides together at the armscyes (topstitching afterward), turned them right side out and then treated as one at the neck. The pleats at the neck are much more distinct than those at the waist, where the fashion fabric is separate from the lining. I finished the neckline with bias tape (sacrificing this skirt, which was just too wrinkle-prone to wear).

As I said, this absolutely must have a belt, and luckily I had already made a gorgeous obi and the colors look fabulous together.

As I forgot to tell Cidell before she made hers, I shrank the pattern along every dimension:



The pattern comes in 36/38 and 40/42, so I knew I'd needed to size it a little as I am generally a 36 at the waist. Here are the changes I made:
-Moved CF 1.5 inches (and because this is cut on the fold that means I shortened the front piece a total of 3 inches)
-Narrowed the front piece along the vertical axis by two inches at CF, tapering to nothing by center back (on the side/back piece)
-Ties 27" long

This was designed to be made of leather and unlined, but I was using my tie silk from the Fabric Mart bundle and it needed to be lined. I chose a bronze silk dupioni from stash (it has previously made appearances in Butterick 4985 and BWOF 06-2008-105 and is nearly gone). I interfaced both halves with heavy interfacing.

I sewed the side seams, leaving a slit in both lining and fashion fabrics on one side, sewed the ties to the ends, and then sewed all around the edges. I turned the obi right side out by pulling the ties and then the body through the slit. Then I turned in the seam allowances at the slit and topstitched it closed, as you can see in the photo.

I'm a huge fan of the way it turned out, and have a red and black version planned. I'd been wanting to make an obi-style belt for a while and knew it would be a very simple matter to draft my own, but I never got around to it. Thanks BWOF!

All photos of the dress are here and the obi photos are here and the pattern review is here.