Ruby Winner!

This has been done for a week, I just needed to find the right belt to wear with it! A nice easy project while I waited for my supplies to arrive for the vintage cashmere jacket...


Vogue 8663


Fabric: Ruby Double Knit from Emma One Sock. 2 yds. I wore this to work today and I got so many compliments! It's funny... now that everyone knows I sew, I get specific compliments like, "I like the neckline! I like the color!" The color was probably what garnered the most comments!


I made the size 14, and eliminated the zipper. It slides on easily, and is still fitted in the waist. I used my serger throughout the dress, but made sure to zig-zag and serger that waist seam, to allow stretch. Construction was super simple, with just 5 pattern pieces (2 skirt, 2 bodice, 1 sleeve) and no facings. I used single fold bias tape to finish the neckline, and a blind stitch to hem the sleeves and skirt. The neckline pleats were easy enough, except the center front one took a little extra work. No biggie.


You'll have to excuse the blurry pics. It was a crazy morning, so Little Miss Princess did these for me after a long day at school. I wore my black booties and the belt is new, just got it from Kohl's yesterday! All in all, I'd definitely recommend this pattern. I'm sure that if I did it again in a few months, in a print, without the sleeves, no one would ever know it was the same pattern! As for the jacket, it's coming along very nicely. The lining is nearly done, and should be installed tonight. I need to recut the center front hem curve, and attach the facings. Shouldn't be too much longer...

Jacket: Under Construction

Muslin fitting proved very useful, as I definitely needed more room in the waist. I let out the back darts completely, and about half the depth in the front waist darts. After those adjustments, the fit was great, but there was still something nagging at me. Something about the cut of the lower front edges... So, I did some research.








The February issue of "People, Style Watch" had a few pages about black blazers (how timely!) and I was so happy to see all these single breasted jackets... with the bottom of the CF having a rounded edge! See my vintage pattern illustration below?


It may seem like a ridiculously small detail, but I think it makes all the difference in the world. Crazy? I purchased my interfacing from Pam at Fashion Sewing Supply, and bought the "Supreme Lightweight Fusible" under her recommendation. The pattern instructions obviously don't incorporate the use of fusible interfacing, so I'll work around them. The facings all fused beautifully, so I am thrilled! With the outside shell done, my next step is to construct the lining (another change to the pattern instructions). I purchased black China Silk for this, with the hope that natural fibers will breathe and allow me to wear this jacket into early spring. My plan (which sounds wonderful inside my head with birds singing, the sun shining, and the jukebox playing "Runaround Sue") is to construct the lining to just below the waistline, as the facings reach up to that line. I will put the shell and lining wrong sides together, and baste the layers together at the neckline and sleeve hems, treating it then as a single unit. Then I can round out the front center hemline and go from there. I think...

New Project: Vintage Cashmere Jacket

Thanks to all of you that posted comments about my lovely lace dress! I think that it will get much use, and I'm quite pleased with it's timeless, classic elegance! Here's a pic of the back, as requested, along with a pic of the front (unbelted):





For my next trick... I purchased a couple yards of black cashmere on sale at Haberman's that same day. I don't possess a black jacket, and know that it would be a staple in my wardrobe. I've been itching to make up one of the vintage patterns I acquired this fall (from my co-worker), so I dug in the box and came up with this wonderful McCall's 9377 from 1953.


I love the narrow, unnotched collar, and really like the casual look of the 3/4 dolman sleeve (if that's the correct description). I'll be using the same fabric for the collar and cuffs, so it won't have as contrasting an appearance as the envelope. I'm also eliminating those "flaps" stuck in the front waist darts... why would anyone want flaps there?


The previous owner used all the dress pieces, leaving her pattern alterations in place with added tissue and straight pins. It felt like playing with history, handling those pieces! 60 years later, I gently left the pins and tissue in place, folding them they way the way I found them. Those pieces were cut with pinking shears, but all the jacket pieces were present and untouched.


Here is a pic of the jacket instructions, I just love the typewritter font, and direct arrows to each illustration step! Looking at these, I was surprised to find NO LINING! I really want this jacket to hold up to frequent wear, so I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate one (without having to draft it). There are facing pieces for the front center, and for the front and back hem, that reach all the way up to the waistline.


I'll need to buy (or make) some black binding for all those edges. I could just serge those edges, but for some odd reason, I've become pickier in my finishing on these more expensive pieces I've made lately!


You may also notice the bound buttonholes, and thankfully there are just 3! My shopping list includes interfacing, buttons, binding, and lining... I'm headed downstairs to stitch up a muslin first, and check the fit. It's a size 14, bust 32, so I may need to let it out a smidge, and I want to make sure the seam lines/darts through the waist and hips are too tight. Wish me luck! (I just noticed something ironic... the dress featured on the envelope with the jacket has a scallop neckline, just like my lace dress! And this jacket will work very well with that dress! Ok, carry on...)

Lace Love: The Details

Sorry to leave you with such a small post last night, but I couldn't wait to post until this morning, as I was just too excited about how it turned out.


Never had my picture taken in front of one of these "red carpet banners" before, so I couldn't resist! It's DH behind the camera, not the press!!! Pattern: McCall's 6505 (Phoebe Couture)


I cut the size 14 (which has been fitting like a glove, but I knew from the flat pattern measurements that it would need to be sized down. The dress has much more of an A-line shape than the illustration/photo shows. I left the sleeves off, and used the outer "lace" pattern pieces as the lining, since my lace wasn't sheer. Alterations: -I took in the side seams 1/2" from the armhole to the waist, then grading out to 1 1/2" at the hem. -I added waist darts to the front piece, because without them this dress just falls slightly away from the body, hanging off the bust. With a slightly heavier fabric and the desire to belt it in the future, I needed a more contoured fit. I used a different sheath pattern from the stash and transferred the markings. I did the "sewing room happy dance" when I pressed and the darts were invisible! (Isn't DH extra handsome in uniform???)


Construction: Very straight forward! I whipped this up between a evening and a morning. I placed the hem at the selvedge, to take advantage of the "just lace" edge. Everything was normal and easy until I had to attach the lining. Since I strayed from the pattern lining and used the outer pieces, I sewed them right sides together all the way around the neck line, trimming, turning, and pressing the finished neckline. I finished the armholes by hand, machine stitching the seam line, clipping and pressing it flat, then hand-stitching the two layers together along the stitched seam line. I love the back, as it has a back "V" that is very pretty. Supplies: I lined it with ivory china silk from Gorgeous Fabrics, as I wanted a natural fiber that was light as air. I used a black invisible zipper, and 1.5 yds (60") of the lace covered wool from Haberman Fabrics. All in all, this dress cost under $50. But, the belt would change that price... I gotta story about that! I went to the Michael Kors Outlet store at the local mall and spent my Christmas money on a fabulous tweed dress that came with this thin black leather belt. It was on the clearance rack, which happened to be 50% off that day... so the dress and belt came to a whopping... $50. I'll show you the dress time, but isn't that a great belt???


The Event: The Pontiac Fire Dept. was holding a funeral... for itself. The city fell into financial crisis, and the governor placed an "Emergency Financial Manager" in charge of correcting the problem. He has dismantled the police department (the county deputies now patrol there), and now has dissolved the fire department. PFD has 180 year history, and fights multiple house fires every day, along with transporting many patients to the hospital. Our friends on the fire department will be now employed by a neighboring community, and last night's event was to honor the legacy of the past and present that made the department a true Brotherhood. As of Tuesday, the PFD will no longer exist, and this was their good-bye. It was sad, it was humbling, and it makes me angry. Detroit is about to fall prey to the same situation, and it's very scary. Just Google it, and see for yourself. DH, along with firefighters from other communities, came to bear witness and honor the department.


So, there you have it. ALL the details! Sorry it was a novel, but thanks for reading to the end! In conclusion, I love this fabric and will get lots of use out of this dress! The pattern needs tweaking, I strongly recommend you muslin it first and make sure it hangs the way you want. Have a great sewing week!!!

Lace Love!!!

Headed out the door to a fancy night out, just had to show you the finished dress! Details to come, but its exactly what I wanted, so I am thrilled!

ALERT: Fabric Enabler!

If you loved the lace wool I posted about the other day, here is the link to Haberman Fabrics in Royal Oak, Michigan where I bought it. There was plenty left on the bolt on Tuesday... If you call and ask if the ivory is still available, they will take your order over the phone and ship it to you.It was also available in a lime green under the black lace for the same price...


In my efforts to find some images of RTW sheath dresses and skirts of lace overlay, I found that Mood also sells this same exact fabric, in more colors! Grey, royal, pea, and I can't tell if it's white or the ivory I bought...



From the Mood website:
This is heavy weight boiled wool with a black lace laminate, making a reversible fabric.
Content: Nylon-15%, Viscose-50%, Wool-30%
Width: 57"
Price: $30/yd

From the Haberman's website:
A soft, medium weight boiled wool with black lace attached to one side.
Color(s): Lime Green, Black
Width: 56"
Fiber: 30% Wool, 50% Viscose, 15% Nylon
Care: Dry Clean
Recommended for: coating, dresses, handbags, jackets, skirts, totes
Price: $27.98/yd

Detailed descriptions are mandatory for me when buying (expensive) fabric online, and I find the differing opinions of medium or heavy weight interesting...

Thanks to all the responses on my last post, its so nice to know that I am not alone in talking/listening to the fabric!

I've definitely narrowed down my choices to skirt or dress, and am leaning toward dress. Making the most of the yardage I bought is important to me, although I did consider splitting it, keeping 3/4 yd for a skirt and selling 3/4 yd to one of you. Maybe.

Last question: When you are torn on how to use a fabric, how do you decide? Do you drape your dress form, like me? Do you search the Internet for similar images? Ask your Facebook friends?

Listening to the Fabric...

Hello, sweet thing! You are the prettiest wool I've ever seen, yes you are! Who's a pretty girl? Who's a pretty girl? That's right... You! I've been dying to find the perfect lace to an overlay with, and there you were yesterday, just sitting on the shelf at Haberman's, waiting for me to take you home! You and your ivory wool already fused with a cotton lace, just to make my life easier, too! Did I take the lime green underlay? No, ma'am! I took the ivory and black, for a classic color combo. Thankfully you were on sale too, but with my birthday money burning a hole in my pocket, I probably would've bought you anyway! A yard and a half of 60" wide could be lots of things, so please tell me... Whisper it in my ear. Do you want to be a skirt?


Kind of boring, but very useful. Maybe. How about a jacket? A nice Chanel number with some pretty black lace and trim along the edges?


Ooh... Now, you're talking! Mommy likey that look! Or perhaps a simple, but elegant sheath dress?


Easy to dress up with jewelry for a night on the town, or dressed down with a black cardi for work. I did buy some of that black wool cashmere yesterday, too for a nice simple jacket that would match!


What to do, what to do with a fabric like you? The extra lace hanging loose along your selvages are screaming to be put to good use, which just makes my wheels spin more...


Being a mid-weight slightly heavier than a suiting, I can do any of these pieces. The skirt seems like a waste, in my opinion you're just to pretty to get noticed more! I really like the idea of edging you in bias strips of black organza with a pretty braided trim centered inside for the prettiest Chanel jacket! Then again, you are so very similar to the awesome lace overlay dresses that Kate Middleton wears, that I feel the urge to go in that direction, feeling like a Duchess myself! Decisions, decisions... What does my readership think? Skirt, jacket, or dress???