Sew Distracted

New Patterns II

Continuing right along.

 Vogue 1202.  It probably does not surprise you that I love this pattern.  It is so seriously "me" that I popped into my cart before I even looked at the line drawings and I have no regrets.  Actually, when it arrived and I noticed that it is two pieces, that was like an added bonus. I love the way the top is all covered up and almost nun-like in front while the back is open.  I am not sure about my opportunities to wear it that way without mesh or something.  I'm thinking about support here but I know G would be thinking that my back scar would show.  Actually the scar doesn't bother me; it is not like I've given up v-necks to hide the open-heart surgery scar on my chest either.  I'm proud of my scars; I probably wouldn't be here today but for the miracles of modern medicine they represent.  Should I want more coverage however, I do think there is room to play with this.  

 Speaking of covered up, I also ordered the Issey Miyake pattern, Vogue 1204. I love the fabulous seaming on this piece with the angled seam in the back and on the sleeves as well.  It is a lovely, long slim line and is something I would definitely wear.    My only pause was concerning the neckline, which looks too high and my first thought was "what jewelry would I wear with that", a question which is very near and dear to my heart.  But the more I think about it, the more I know I can work that out.

I purchased this pattern for the jacket and was not convinced I liked the skinny jeans.  In fact I'm not ready to make jeans at all yet, being perfectly content with some I have purchased, but I have purchased straight or skinny jeans and like the look when paired with the right pieces.  Somehow the ones I own don't feel as skinny  as these look on the model, but when I compared the measurements of the pattern to my own jeans they were the same. So should I make jeans, this pattern may be an option.  Perhaps not in suh a dramatic print however.  I love a dramatic printed skirt; pants are another thing altogether.

 Then I picked up a Marci Tilton pattern from earlier in the spring, Vogue  8637.  This choice was another one inspired by the Elm pieces I picked up in the spring, specifically the cut of the skirt reminds me of the interesting cut of the elm skirt.  But I would wear the pants as well I think.  I am learning (again) how nice straight soft pants that fall directly from the hip are on me, and how long and skinny they make me look and feel.  Although these pants aren't actually straight, I think they would give the same effect with a little bit of added interest.

 Vogue 8666 is a basic dress, a safe dress.  I know it will work style-wise and it is a good basic dress, that can probably play it more or less safe depending on the fabrication.  I may be attracted to more dramatic and unusual cuts and shapes, but I also appreciate the joy of having a few basic staples in the repetoire, and I am hoping this will become such a dress.

 Last, thought certainly not least, is the new Marci Tilton top pattern, Vogue 8671.   I am predominantly attracted to the views with the panels and long vertical seams, but I do also like view A, the one with the aysmmetrical neckline and seam.  That top, the asymmetrical one, would probably end up being the most versatile, and probably the view I would make again and again.  I suppose this is a nice treat for me, and a bit of a lesson in not forgetting what actually works and what is most wearable, versus what attracts the eye.  

Addendum

I tried to get the earlier post out early, because I am learning that, at the moment at least, my most focused time is in the early mornings.  As a result I didn't completely think things through.

The first photo I posted of me wearing the sweater bothered me for several reasons but as I moved through my morning, constantly readjusting the sweater, it dawned on me that the main source of my discomfort was that there is no closure on this sweater and I am not really a fan of open sweaters at least on myself.  

 The immediate solution was to sew a hook and eye at the neckline.   Fastening a sweater only a the neck and allowing it to swing free is one of my favorite looks and I am very happy with this.  Unfortunately, I do not have any really tiny hooks right now and the smallest one I had is still too large and it shifts around dragging the sweater out of alignment.   Luckily I was planning on placing an order with Atlanta Thread in the near future and I can easily add tiny hooks to the order.  

 In the meantime I feel more "finished" and pulled together, and the sweater now makes a much more flattering line.  Well, it would it I hadn't gotten it bunched up in my belt so that it pulls over the bust, but although part of me wants to go get a more perfect picture, another part of me suspects that I tend to look more bunched and rumpled than sleek and pulled together most days.

I will wear the sweater open at the neckline on occasion, most likely belted over a skirt or a dress. Now, at least, I have the option of choice.

The UPS Man cometh

I've been slowly accumulating a few favorite pieces, some of which I wear all the time, like the Elm pieces from spring and the Roses in Caramel skirt, and some of which will see less frequent wear but have good long-term prospects, like the spotted silk coat.

 Yesterday the UPS man brought a package from J Crew.  Mostly it contained a couple of my favorite, "perfect-fit" tees, but there was a new cardigan as well, this lovely soft mauve linen cardigan, called the "linen detaché cardigan, which has matching silk trim under the front band.   It is light and airy fills a definite hole in my wardrobe.  I have had plans to knit some soft linen cardigans, but nothing this fine, and I am happy to have found this version in one of my favorite colors.

 Here I am wearing it -- not the best photo as I was struggling with the light.  Everything is too dark or too bright due to the sun.  The best light this time of year is in the front yard which faces east, but it is unavailable for photos as the masons are working  on a new front walk and there are piles of stones and dirt everywhere, scattered in between the excavated walk and the concrete risers for the new steps and porch, which are still curing.

As you can see the sweater appears much lighter on because it is so sheer. It provides just enough warmth to protect from indoor chill, but is also light enough to take the shock of the heat once I walk out the door.  At least it works today when, although it is hot, it is far less humid than it has been.  I tend to believe that nothing is particularly comfortable when the humidity is high although linen tends to be the best option.

New Patterns I

A package arrived from Vogue Patterns over the weekend, and I just got around to opening it and cataloging and filing the patterns.  There was a sale last week, and I took the opportunity to order some of the new patterns and a couple of older ones I hadn't gotten around to previously.  There were quite a few patterns, so being my normal wordy self, I am going to have to break this up into two posts.  

 I'll start with the only non-Vogue in this order, McCalls 6165.  This is a pattern that I probably would not have purchased not that long ago, although it would have intrigued me even then.  I am not sure what my problem would have been as I am pretty sure there is a lot of potential here and it is a good look for me.  I've worn long sweaters and long a-line hand knits for some time.  

I think that wearing that Elm dress that I bought back in the spring has really helped lighten my spirit.  Those two pieces are the most frequently worn items in my closet right now and I think they are helping me to look at garments and how I might wear them with new eyes.  Anyway, I see lots of options for these tunics in all seasons, and I really want at least one NOW.  I might have to start pawing through my fabric collection.

 Next, a Sandra Betzina shirt, not from the newest set, but a pattern which has been drifting in and out of my consciousness since it did come out, Vogue 1165.  Recently I saw a photo of a friend wearing this top, and it reminded me of a shirt from Chico's that another friend had purchased in the spring, a shirt I am constantly admiring.  Somehow the similarity of the purchased shirt to the pattern didn't occur to me before.  The three-quarter sleeve version would be a summer staple.

 Next up is a new pattern, Vogue 1194, a dress by DKNY.  I love almost everything about this dress.  I love the gathers at the shoulders which allow for fullness toward the bust, I love the v-neckline and the empire line in front which is a very flattering look for me, especially with the curved waist seaming leading to a lower curved line at the back waist.  I can see this as a dress, slightly longer for me, or as a tunic at a slightly shorter length to wear with jeans.  In fact, given how much I adore wearing the aforementioned elm dress with leggings, this dress, in the right fabric might be fabulous with leggings as well.

 It seems that every time I order a bunch of patterns they seem to have a common theme except for one that sticks out and apparently has nothing in common with the others.  In this batch it is Vogue 1199 by Rebecca Taylor.  Although I love the skirt in this pattern, I did not buy it for the skirt.  I have lots of pencil skirt patterns and this is nothing new.  The blouse is what I wanted and that is why I say it seems incongruous compared to the rest of the set as this blouse is definitely soft, flirty, feminine, and ruffly, not words I would usually use to describe myself but definitely things I am attracted to at times.  I would wear it tucked in with a pencil skirt as shown on the model, perhaps with ankle boots, perhaps just with pumps.  I have long adored a statement blouse paired with otherwise very simple clothes and when the blouse is soft and romantic like this I like it best paired with a very structured skirt or pants.  Certainly if I were wearing it loose, which I well may, I would go for a contrast in texture and feel, probably pairing it with narrow jeans and a strong shoe.

 The fifth pattern, and my stopping point for today, is  Vogue 1201, a Donna Karan design.  I purchased this for the jacket with its large shawl collar and waistline seam creating a modified peplum effect.   Raglan sleeves are often problematic for me, but they are effectively hidden by the collar in this case so may prove to be no problem at all.

 I also do like the pants.  I love this slouchy style as it has been shown on the runway, and therefore like the pants in theory although I really have no idea how they will look on me since I have found nothing like them on my few forays into local stores.  Truthfully, I have doubts, and if I hadn't wanted the jacket I probably would not have bought the pattern just for the pants. But now that I have it, I may just have to play with creating a pair just for the fun of it.  The worst that can happen is I get a shock, a laugh, and a wadder.

August Vogue, Boucle Dress

I got pulled in many different directions this week and did not get back here even though I had grand plans and good intentions.

 In my last post, there was a page I neglected.  Although the main image, the model with the simple turtleneck, red skirt, and matching boots, is an outfit I would absolutely wear, it is actually the smaller background images that captured my fancy.

I like both outfits in the back, the low round neck of the Carven jacket with the white shirt is lovely.  But I love the dress, the navy Chanel tweed dress with the coordinating solid fabric at the cuffs and neckline and along the button closure at one raglan seam.  I don't know if this is just decorative and there is a zipper hidden elsewhere or if it functions, or if in fact this is a functional opening and there is a zipper.  I might fancy both a zipper and working buttons.  This dress appeals to me because it seems modern and sporty, whereas I tend to think of tweed dresses as being rather formal and old-fashioned.  It seems I have a generous collection of tweeds, boucles and textured fabrics so new ideas are always appreciated.

August Vogue -- a few ideas

 The August Vogue Magazine arrived over the weekend and although, I have generally been less than thrilled with Vogue lately, I was eager to curl up with it hoping for some fall inspiration.   Mostly I was disappointed.  

Since I am mostly interested in Vogue, and other fashion magazines for inspiration and design ideas, which I still collect even though I am in a fallow period sewing-wise, I found very little here that captured my imagination.  Even the editiorial pages, which were filled with classic clothes that should thrill me, left me cold.  It is not that the individual garments were not nice, some of them were lovely, but the choices and the way they were presented seemed to detract from the product, at least to my eyes.  

 Upon first reading, I thought "bah" and cast the magazine aside.  Upon perusal though, I did find a very few small things that captured my imagination.

This ad for Derek Lamb really appeals to me.  Actually I am only interested in the skirt, but the styling does not detract from that.   I like the combination of leather and the soft fabric which I envision as a soft wool.  I like the firm yoke, the front zipper, the "tough" look of the topstitched pocket combined with the soft pleats of the fabric which end with the leather band at the bottom of the skirt, also pleated.  It is an appealing blend of masculine and feminine and I although I would not cut a skirt exactly like this, I think some combination of these elements in a slightly longer length, has the potential for becoming a favorite skirt.  

This was my big inspiration for this issue, so Vogue certainly isn't inspiring me to go shopping, either for actual RTW or to the fabric shops.

 I was intrigued by this dress, which was a very tiny photo on ALT's page.  I dislike the actual dress intensely.  It would make anyone but the slimmest youngest sylph look like some heavy-hipped hausfrau.  But what intrigues me is the combination of the stripes with the lace or embroidery overlay on the skirt.  I also like the way the stripes are pieced on the diagonal in that center front inset.  I didn't notice that detail until I scanned and enlarged the picture and now it has captured my imagination.  

Don't expect any kind of literal copying of this dress, but for pure inspiration factor it my head is reeling. 

   Then there was this photo of Stacy Goodman.  I clipped it for the top.  It is a very basic top, and yet not so basic at all. I could find a lovely stripe, or even piece the stripes.  I see this as a very structured tunic, well and close-fitted at the shoulders and even through the bust line, perhaps narrowing a bit below the bust, not close-fitting but skimming with a hint of shape, before flaring in a bit of an a-line inspired shape.  I realize that the top shown does not narrow, but I think that for this top to work it must be fitted to the shape of the wearer.  For me, fullness off the bust will look very bulky and I do think there is room for interpretation here, adapting the attitude but not the exact style. This will definitely take some muslin fitting to get exactly the look I want, but I think it would be fabulous just as shown here, with narrow pants.  In some ways it is a difficult look to pull off as fit is everything.  But then, isn't that one reason we sew?

Pearls and Leather

 Every since I reclaimed a too-short wooden necklace in April I've been thinking about beads and beading and a few necklaces that I have but no longer wear.  Exploring the options of stringing beads appeals to me as I love colors and colored stones and am intrigued by the idea of making beaded necklaces.  If I were to pursue this further I would need to learn to knot silk well, as this technique fits my style more than most simple beaded necklaces, but I realize there are other techniques that would be fun to explore.  

But as much as I admire other people's beaded necklaces and earrings, they all too often fall a little too far into the crafty and hand-made spectrum to fit my taste.  I'm not saying there is anything wrong with either crafty or hand-made, I appreciate both, but there is a definite disconnect between what I see, and even admire in the bead store and what I would actually wear.

Enter the Chan Luu wrap bracelet.  Garnet Hill had some of these with pearls a while back, and although I never got around to ordering one, they never completely left my mind either.  When someone in my knitting group was making a similar bracelet a a couple of months back, my interest was definitely piqued.   So I went off to the bead store. 

My friend was using glass beads, and they were lovely.  The bead store had a lovely selection of glass "pearls" and a few freshwater pearls, but somehow they did not appeal to me.   Most of them were dyed and I did not really like they way they caught, or failed to catch, the light.  So a search was on for pearls, and truthfully I did not know what I was doing.  But I found some small, rice-shaped (oval) pearls that were inexpensive enough that I was willing to take a chance and I ordered them.  They were not fabulous, but they were pretty and had a soft glow that I could accept.  They are a little larger than the seed pearls, but I have decided I rather like the size and the shape.

 Then I found a Swarovski crystal button to use as a toggle for the closure and I was off. 

After the initial period of clumsiness, I found that making this bracelet was quite relaxing and enjoyable.  I want to make more.  I wake up with dreams of bracelets dancing in my head, although there are one can only wear so many wrap bracelets.  I am thinking that these may prove to be great gifts for nieces and and great-nieces come the holidays.  At the moment I am obsessing about lemon quartz, although I don't have any and I am thinking that my next version will be using some tiny orange beads that have been reclaimed from an old necklace.  This should be very appropriate for a young girl rapidly approaching her teens.

 But back to my bracelet.  I loved making this, although there was quite a bit of redoing and adjusting as I learned the proper tension to keep the beads in place while maintaining proper flexibility in the bracelet.   It would have been much easier to start with a consistent glass seed bead until I mastered the technique rather than starting with pearls which are not round, inconsistent in shape, and inconsistent in length.  It is not perfect, but I am reasonably happy with it, and have been wearing it steadily since completion a couple of weeks ago. 

Although I love wearing it, there are a few niggling tension problems.  I should be able to resolve these with the next couple of versions, at which time I will probably take this one apart and remake it.  Or perhaps I will just start from scratch.  I have more of these pearls.  If I do it again, there are several changes I would make to the overall construction of this bracelet.

First, I may well sort the pearls by color, as you can see on the photo of me wearing the pearls that there are substantial variations in the colors of the pearls.  I don't necessarily want a uniform look, but I may want a little more control over the variations in color. This may mean that I need to use my "spare" pearls and dismantle the existing bracelet in order to get enough pearls in the desired color sequence.

I will also take time to sort the pearls more closely by length and shape, eliminating any particularly long, or particularly wide pearls, or in the case of the wide ones, attempting to work them into the general design of the piece.  Since many of the pearls are narrower on one end and wider on the other, I will also take far more care with the orientation of each pearl as I place it on the bracelet, in the few areas I did this with my first bracelet, I am far happier with the way the bracelet lays than I am with the areas that are more random.  

 I think I will also copy Chan Luu's technique of adjustable loops on the end for closure.  This bracelet was custom made for me, and I rather like the loop I made, but I do think there are possibilities with the staggered knot technique as well.

Last, but not least, I am still on the lookout for some fabulous round pearls; not necessarily white, although white would do.  I have a tiny 14 inch strand of freshwater seed pearls with breathtaking luster.  I don't know where I got them.  If anyone knows of a good source for high quality seed pearls, please let me know.

Roses in Caramel

I never thought it would take so long for me to follow up with details on the skirt.  Blame unusual heat, house guests, and a sinus infection which is usually a summertime plague, striking whenever the weather gets hot and steamy.

 I got most of the hand stitching down within a day or two, discovered I had left a couple of basting threads in and removed them, and have worn the skirt a few times now.  I just managed to put the hook and eye in yesterday.  Although I have tried to train myself to be a more detail-oriented person I am far more naturally inclined to let minutia like hooks and eyes slide.

Pattern:  Vogue 7333

Fabric:  Cotton Matelassé, Valentino Atelier, at least 10 years old

 Changes to the Pattern:

I've had this pattern a long time, and it has been made quite a few times as well.  I chose this pattern because I wanted a pencil skirt and the last version of this fit pretty well at the time I started, hopefully needing only a few small tweaks to the pattern.

I had already changed the waistline of the pattern to fit my own unevenness.  This was accomplished by trying on a muslin, getting the grainlines to hang straight, matching the hips to my actual hips and retracing the waistline to match my own waist.  I had help with this project, the marking of the waistline, at the time.  

I had also copied the pattern so that I had three whole pieces:  one complete front, and two back pieces, each of which was subtly different.

But when I tried on the muslin I discovered that more changes were necessary.  First of all, I noticed that the waistline of my skirt pattern (and the original too) was way to high on me, coming up a couple of inches above my actual waist and ending just at the bottom of my ribcage.  Of course I had noticed this when I wore the previous skirts but somehow did not think about it at the time.  It was not a particularly flattering look.  I ended up cutting nearly 2 inches off in length at the waist, which then required that I re-grade the hips and alter the darts slightly so that the skirt would sit at my actual waist and follow the curve of my actual hips.

I then also had to peg the skirt a little bit at the hem.  Although it was fine from the front, I noticed that by the time the fabric accommodated my rear, I had a huge barrel of extra fabric at the back of the skirt, which just added general dumpiness to the silhouette.  I took out 1" at one back side seam and 1 1/2 at the other.  Actually I cheated and took a little bit of this from the front as well, dividing it between the pieces, but not evenly.  Most of the extra fabric came out of the back.  Sorry, I did not manage to take a back view.

Once I made all these changes and was satisfied I transferred the pattern to oaktag, as this is a pattern I will make again and again:  my first TNT.

Construction Notes:

 There really is not much to report here.  As I mentioned in a previous post I spent a fair amount of time worrying about matching the center back seam; but once that was done, I just relaxed and sewed.

When I cut the initial skirt pieces I was undecided as to whether I would use a facing or line the skirt to the waist and use petersham to interface the waist area.  Since I sewed the back before I cut the lining, I did not sew the lining and the fashion fabric together with the zipper which is the technique I have been using the most frequently lately.   Therefore I had to hand-sew the lining in at the zipper.   As you can see the skirt is lined to the waist and there is petersham hidden between the fashion fabric and the lining, reinforcing the waist seam.

All in all I am very happy with this skirt and am looking forward to making many more.

52 going on 25

When I was in my 20s and learning to sew, I did a lot of last-minute sewing.  I would decide to make something for a particular event, not allow enough time, and end up barely pulling myself together in time.  I remember hemming a huge chiffon circle skirt by hand in the car,  while G drove to Baltimore for a wedding. This kind of thing happened more times than I can recall but I eventually learned how to plan my projects, and for the most part, finish them in advance of the event.

Yesterday however, I once again finished a project at the last moment.  

I hadn't counted on finishing anything. I intended to sew but questioned how much time I would have and how far I would progress.  As I finished up the lining for my skirt however, I realized that I had a very good chance of being able to wear it to my birthday dinner.  So I determined to work as efficiently as possible without cutting corners.  I'm really not into speed sewing for the most part and I did not change my plans just to finish the skirt early.

I did however make a compromise or two, and I wore it unfinished, although only on the inside.  I realized as it got close to the time of our reservation that I had time to baste in the hem by hand or to put on makeup.  When I was 25 I might have opted for the basting.  At 52 I opted for grooming and sewed the hem by machine.  I don't think I can rip the stitches out and re-hem it by hand, the needle holes remain quite evident in the fabric and they would bother me more than the machine stitching does.  I'll just call it a design detail and it is one that makes the skirt far more casual, which certainly works in my life.

I also did not do any of the finishing work on the inside.  The lining still has to be stitched down around the zipper and the vent, a hook and eye needs to be applied, but it worked for one dinner.  I can finish it up at home this week while watching television with G, or relaxing in the company of my grandson, who arrives tomorrow for a week with his parents.  Posting will be light; sewing and blogging pale next to 3 1/2-year-old wonder.

I will have more details upon completion.  (top is purchased and is getting too big.  I intend to copy it and create my own version).

Today is my Birthday

 Happy 52nd Birthday to Me!  

G got me a pretty new bauble.  Actually he got it a while ago, and I knew about it, because he doesn't drive and can no longer manage his money without help.  But still, it was his choice and his intention, and I merely acted as both facilitator and recipient..... probably tricky ground that.  But life is what it is and we make the best of it.

I am in the sewing room today.  Not entirely sewing, as we had a rather fraught and frazzled week.  I find myself squeezed for time between the parting of last week's guests and the arrival of the new crop on Wednesday. But there will be progress on creative pursuits, not merely necessary tasks. 

Once upon a time it seemed to be so easy to say something self-centered like "it is my birthday and I want to sew all day".  And it would be so.    But I have only recently come to accept that my life now doesn't work this way.  It isn't that I don't want the time; but by focusing on my want, I set myself up for frustration and it is not a pretty sight.  It isn't that G doesn't want me to pursue my own interests, but that the thought "Mardel sewing" gets stuck in his brain like a broken record, actually causing him to focus more on me than if I just seize those quite moments for myself whenever they occur.  I never asked to be a caregiver, I suppose few of us do, but fighting it only causes more grief.  G's memory and hold on the progression of time is highly variable; sometimes good, sometimes caught in an endless cycle of confusion where he doesn't remember what happened a few minutes ago, a few days ago, or if it has happened at all -- the thought is all that exists, in the moment, at that moment, to the exclusion of all else, past, present or future.  

And so my goal for this, my 53rd year, is to learn to better appreciate the small moments and make use of them, to let creativity flow when the moment occurs rather than thinking I must set aside a time and a place.  Already I am seeing progress rather than frustration.