Meeting the Selfish Seamstress!

The Selfish Seamstress was in town for secret government business. This is why I love DC--everyone ends up here sooner or later for a conference or a meeting and then I get to see them without having to go anywhere! Cidell drove up from Baltimore and the three of us met up for an evening of Real Life.

We went had dinner at one of my favorite pizza places, Ella's Pizza, and then new-school frozen yogurt at TangySweet. I think it's so funny that frozen yogurt is having a sweeping-the-nation resurgence similar to its first sweeping-the-nation phenom in the mid 80s. But I must say, the new kind is SO GOOD. While the old kind is trying to imitate ice cream and is generally way too sweet and chemical flavored, the new kind actually tastes like yogurt, a little bit tangy and a little bit sour. Yum. And now it is finally warm enough to eat it again!

I have to say, the Selfish Seamstress, despite her protestations to the contrary, does *not* do a good job living up to her moniker, as she came bearing gifts. She brought fabric she had purchased in the Phillippines, taking care to match her selections up to our taste. I think she nailed it! Love this midnight blue with the gold border print; as we know I have been a little obsessed with border prints lately. I see this as a simple shift or sheath to show off the fabric.

It is so fun to meet up with sewing friends! This definitely whets my appetite for PR Weekend Philly and PR Weekend Montreal. I am so excited about going to both!!!!!

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I am also excited about my trip to NYC this weekend (though I was hoping for beautiful sandals weather, *sigh*). I still haven't booked my bus ticket (better get on that), but my plan is to arrive around lunchtime on Friday and plan a lunch somewhere in the vicinity of the garment district, inviting any who can join. If you have any veggie-friendly restaurant suggestions please let me know!

Burda 08-2009-118, Flounce Front Blouse

When I went to Philly in October, with a trip to Jomar heavily featured, I picked up two silks from the $6/yd silks section for Fall/Winter blouses and I was determined to actually make them up! I made the navy into the Burda 02-2009-123 self collar wrap blouse, and decided to make the gray into Burda 08-2009-118. Although the sleeveless version of this blouse has been quite popular, I haven't seen anyone make the version with sleeves.

I purchased 1.5 yards of this fabric. For cheaper fabrics Jomar gives quite generous cuts, but understandably in the relatively higher dollar (let's not forget it was still only $6/yd!) fabrics the cuts are closer to accurate. So I had to narrow the sleeve pattern a bit to accommodate my fabric. It is still very puffy. I also did not make it tight-tight at the bottom of the sleeve because I thought it would be too uncomfortable to have tight fabric bunching in the crook of my arm. I am definitely not wild about the sleeves. I don't like a dropped shoulder in general and combined with the overall puffiness of the blouse I think it's more shapeless than chic. I felt a little better when I wore the blouse this week and a co-worker complimented me on it.

Because it is a silk, I used French seams. I wasn't quite sure how to handle the armscye. In fact, in general I don't know how to handle the armscye when doing french seams. With a gathered sleeve cap French seams can get very bulky. This doesn't have a gathered sleeve cap but it has a drop shoulder line so the side of the blouse is cut in a straight line with just a marking for placement of the lower edge of the sleeve, rather than with a traditional armscye. I decided to French seam the sleeve onto the bodice first, and then to sew the sleeve and side seam at one go. I had a hard time getting all layers of the fabric to catch in at the underam. But for the most part the seams look nice and fancy.

I had several issues with the neckline of the blouse. The first was that I did not have enough fabric to make a bias binding for the neckline and so I was forced to use the facing. Seriously, facings are SO AWFUL. I finally got it to look decent, but it involved a lot of clipping at the curves, which always makes me nervous, especially in a delicate, lightweight fabric like this (not sure exactly what the weave is, but it's not much more substantial than a habitoi/china silk). And it's so ugly on the inside!

The second issue, which Birgitte had flagged (I swear it was her, but I can't find the actual post, only this one showing the a-mazing complete Chanel outfit for her daughter--btw, Birgitte, if your daughter is sick of it I will pay for the express postage to send it to me, heh), is the flounce placement along the neckline. The markings are really too wide, with the flounce going almost all the way to the shoulder. Not only does this widen the shoulder line in an unflattering way, it stretches the flounce too thin so that it doesn't fall as well as it could. Out was ripped the facing understitching, the facing/neckline serging, and the facing/neckline seam and the flounce was brought a couple inches closer to the center on each side and it looks much better.

The third and fourth issues are not really issues. Burda tells you to finish the flounce with a close zig zag, I used my rolled hem foot. Burda tells you to sew a button on the inside with an invisible loop to keep the neckline closed. I used a fancy button on the outside (leftover from my Cruella de Vil costume), but followed their suggestion for using a thread loop as the closure, which looks nice.

The flounce/ruffle/other embellishment trend has been strong for quite a while now and I wanted to get on the bandwagon. However, I'm not sure that this was the right choice. I just don't love how puffy it is, and I think I have the length wrong but am afraid to shorten the hem for fear it will pull out when tucked into a skirt (the length isn't an issue when it's tucked in, only when worn over the skirt with a belt). I really like how the sleeveless version has worked and may try that over the summer. In fact, maybe I should just take the sleeves off this one since I dislike them so much and am unlikely to give the blouse that much wear next Fall/Winter (I am officially declaring it Spring; it hasn't been below freezing in several weeks). I will ponder that.

It has few pieces and is quite easy to put together and has a trendy look, so if you like the pattern you should definitely give it a try. All photos are here and the pattern review is here.

Giveaway Winner, Coming to NYC, and Patterns are the Window to the Soul

The random drawing winner of the sundress patterns is Mary is Sew Fast! Very exciting, and I am hoping that Spring will get here soon. It was beautiful at the beginning of last week but now we're raining raining and the Potomac has overflowed its banks. I suppose rain is part of Spring, so maybe it is Spring? I will mail your patterns on Wednesday.

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Thank you so much for all of the amazing compliments on my 40s Faux Shirtdress! Wow. I knew I liked the dress but I didn't realize it was that flattering. Thank you for making me feel pretty.

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I am heading to NYC! I plan to arrive sometime on Friday, March 26. I'll be free that afternoon and Saturday morning, March 27. I will definitely be spending some time in the garment district!!!! Let me know if you want to meet up!

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It was Fashion Sewing Club at G Street's Falls Church location on Saturday, so of course I had to do a little fabric shopping. I was uncertain about the gold sweater knit (it's gold in color and has some metallic threads running through it), but I thought about it all during the meeting and finally decided I dug it. I have two wraparound sweaters that I bought from H&M many years ago and I LOVE them. I will copy them in the gold sweater knit. I was also thinking of maybe just a simple t-shirt and/or a shrug for dressy clothes. I have a silver shrug (RTW), but not a gold one.

I intended the cotton print to be a blouse, but then I paired it up with the orange tie silk I got from FFC and I am so in love with how they look together. So now it needs to be a dress that can be worn with a belt, maybe some kind of shirtdress arrangement. My candidates right now are Simplicity 2694 (the view with sleeves minus the gun flaps, although I've been wanting to make the view with gunflaps forever), Butterick 5315 (probably with a narrowed skirt as I have only two yards), Simplicity 2579 (although the whole reason I like the pattern is that shaped midriff, which might be too obscured by a belt), Burda 05-2009-122 (although I don't think the fabric has enough drape), and maybe Burda 01-2008-121. The Butterick is my top choice at the moment, but the reviews on PatternReview have not been favorable. It sounds like it has the tight/restrictive armhole issue I've run into before, so I'd have to deal with that.

In a recent post, TE said she had gone to G Street Fabrics' Centerville location and been disappointed and asked whether she should try another location. I have never been to the Centerville store, only the Falls Church store and a half dozen times to the Rockville store. So I can't say if it has less selection there. As you know, I mostly shop at the $2.97/yd table but the thing is that the merchandise is constantly changing. There may be nothing interesting, or there may be only one interesting piece. It's rare that I find more than one thing that I like on it. The regular stock at the Falls Church location is good, but very expensive (polyester knits for $19.99/yd) so I don't buy much at full price. I think Rockville's regular stock is slightly not as good as Falls Church (though I haven't been to the new location). So G Street isn't necessarily a great destination from out of town for a bargain shopper because you have to visit many times over months (and, ahem, years) to accumulate a stash of fabrics you like.

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My mom went through her sewing supplies and got rid of a bunch of patterns (it must be something in the air). She asked if I wanted them, I said sure. The box was huge! I thought it would just be a few little patterns.

I have to say, I felt a little weird going through her patterns, like I was prying into her fantasy life. My mom stayed home with us when I was a kid, and had her first job when I was in junior high as an occasional substitute teacher. Starting when my younger sibs were in high school she worked various jobs at the mall, an animal vaccine manufacturing plant, and in lost luggage for an airline. Although she encouraged me and my sister to pursue our professional dreams, she did not want to work outside the home and did so only out of financial necessity (although I suppose financial necessity is the reason most of us go to work, regardless of how much we like the job!).

So it was surprising to me to pull out pattern after pattern for 80s Power Suits from the box. She didn't need them as a teacher, nor for any job she worked subsequently. It was so curious to see them and imagine her imagining herself in them, an important person in the corporate world. It was a facet of her I'd never seen before and it seemed like these daydreams were private ones I shouldn't know about.



There is also a plethora of 80s tie front and romantic-style blouses. That See & Sew 3403 is totally current.




I am digging the dress in Simplicity 5835. It's another thing that I think is totally current (with the waist raised a couple of inches). I like the exaggerated cut-on sleeve and the little neck frill.

I wonder what sort of aspirational life my pattern stash reveals, beyond the apparent aspiration to own every pattern that is put into print. I have lots and LOTS of dress patterns, both knit and woven, so I think that reflects my taste. I have more purse patterns than I've ever made purses to justify, but they are a blip compared to the size of the rest of the collection. I do have quite a few suit patterns, but that technically fits into my lifestyle (technically), although I never sew any.

What secrets does your pattern collection reveal about you?

Hot Patterns Classix Nouveau Three Graces Rick Owen Knockoff

When the Hot Patterns Three Graces top came out I immediately loved it for the crossover view. I didn't realize until later that it was a knockoff the Rick Owens twist top we were talking about on the blogs last year and that's why I liked it so much.





Before I finally bit the bullet on this one, I hadn't purchased a Hot Patterns before but when Fabric.com had a 20% off sale on everything I went ahead and got the pattern. I was excited that it had not only the Rick Owens top but two other fun drapey views, but having never sewn a Hot Patterns pattern before, I had no idea how to do the sizing.

This pattern has been spectactularly popular but not so many people have made this view. Argh! However, it does appear to run large based on the small sample on PatternReview. Froggiegirl is most similar to my shape and her top fit quite well. She said that she went down two sizes from the envelope measurements (so, for her from a 10 to a 6) and the fit looks good on her. My bust is a 6 and my underbust is between a 6 and an 8, so I figured I had better at least grade this to a 4 at the top, and cut an 8 at the front hip rather than 10. However, I cut the back hip at a 10, based on suggestions from my pleat front knit dress that I might need more room in the back to accommodate my rear view.

Unfortunately, I think this pattern just is not designed to fit my body. I know that HP has drafted its own sloper, and I am guessing that it is designed with a very large cup size, perhaps a large C or even a D. Which I totally understand because Trudy is a large cup size, but I think those of us who are small of chest are kind of out of luck with this pattern line. You can see in the photo at left that once I finally (finally!) got this together there was SO MUCH fabric flapping around under the arm. In general it seems that when that happens it is because I am expected to have a bust large enough to push all that fabric toward the front. I took about four inches out from under each arm by re-stitching the sleeve and side seams as a quick and dirty fix, but the fit on this top just isn't great and I have NO idea how one would alter the crazy origami pattern to take out the extra fabric.

Speaking of the crazy origami pattern...OMG. Wow. This was SO HARD for me to put together. I spent two hours--literally, no exaggeration--with my dress form watching the YouTube video (instructions for this view start at 4:50) over and over. I watched it around a dozen times. I appreciate the video assist, but I found it very frustrating that Trudy used different numbering terminology for the seams in the video than those used in the instructions so I couldn't really match up what she was saying with the fabric in front of me. I do not have a 3D brain, as I've mentioned before, and this brought me to tears. I finally got it done, or so I thought, and sewed it all together, and then realized that somehow I had done it wrong and there was a twist that wouldn't come out. Luckily, the second round only took me half an hour.

My favorite feature of this pattern is the back collar. It's nicely drafted and gives a nice finish to the back neck. But I am otherwise not wowed. Well, I'm wowed that they figured out how the Rick Owens top works (mostly, although I think the crossover is too high and wide) but these patterns just do not work for my body. I thought I might try the other views but I think at this point I will cut my losses and move on from this pattern. I am just too different from their sloper. It's too bad because the line has some cute styles, but at least now I know I'm not missing out!

I made this in January but have procrastinated in posting because I can't get my camera to focus properly on this red top. I don't know what it is, but all the pictures came out a little fuzzy (I desaturated the thumbnail photo to try to show more details). So I can report that I've only worn the top a few times. The baggy fit just isn't me. Too bad!

All photos are here and the pattern review is here.

Burda 12-2008-121, Faux Shirtdress with 40s Flair

During the week of the Snowmageddon I decided that I should use the bonus sewing time to sew up some stash; with the stash contest going on I decided it was a good time to get some of that fabric that's been staring at me for so long off the shelves.

I bought this stripe rayon/poly/lycra (I think that's what it is) at PR Weekend in NYC in 2006!!!! Seriously, that was a long time ago. Before I sewed the dress I had only used 3 of the 8 fabrics I bought that weekend. At least now I've sewn up half of it. I bought the fabric to make a wearable pants muslin. Three and a half years later I still haven't made any pants so I decided to release it from its theoretical servitude and make it into something I actually wear, a dress.

I looked through back issues of Burda to find a pattern that would make the most of the stripes and ran across 12-2008-121. It's designed for a plaid but I figured it would work just as well in a stripe. I only later realized this came from the same issue as the Tuxedo Jacket of Doom, so it's good to have a success from that issue.





The pattern calls for a lining but I didn't think it was necessary as the fabric has enough weight to be worn alone. To give it a nicer finished look inside I used leftover fabric from the lining of my inauguration coat to make bias binding for the edges of the facing. I should do this treatment more often; I think it looks nice.










Seriously, how does this happen? I cut them both out with the same care and hand-basted *both* sides of the invisible zipper. The front is flawless and the back looks like I did it blindfolded. After fretting about it for a minute I decided that I really don't care that much and can live with it that way. The chevron effect is still there so whatevs. I am pretty proud of the front, though. However, it looked a little weird because with the faux placket the stripes meet perfectly...but off center. I think the (nonfunctional) buttons took care of that weirdness. In fact, I'm surprised nobody on PR had put on buttons before! To keep the little front flaps folded back I hand-tacked them down from the inside. The pin is merely decorative.

The cuffs are to be cut on the bias as well. I considered skipping them but in the end I'm glad I didn't. I cut them in two pieces so the stripes would chevron at both the inner seam and the outer edge.

The back has those dewlaps again. *sigh* I don't know why my back is so hard to fit! The swayback I understand and mostly have it covered now. But the narrow shoulders/wide back thing is a mysterious pain in my @ss and now this is the second time I've had this dewlap droopy back situation. I think I need to start cutting a size larger at the front hip, as you can see some pulling on the side, but the front otherwise looks good.

I don't wear a lot of dark colors but as I wrote several months ago I don't really have a funeral dress. I think that this is both kicky enough to feel like me but sober enough to wear to a funeral in a pinch. I was really pleased with the 40s vibe it has going on. I added some small shoulder pads because all the 40s patterns I've worked with call for them and it made the dress fit a little nicer.

All photos are here and the pattern review is here.