Alive and Sewing... Barely.

She's alive! Alive!!!
Just long enough to hem my leather skirt, and rescue it from the sewing room! This school year has been FILLED to the brim, between the kids' activities and our own. Top it off with PAYING SEWING JOBS, and you've got a very, very, very busy Kristine, with no "fun sewing" time! Here's a quick update on my latest and greatest, which garnered many compliments today at work.

Simplicity 9825


I've had this pattern for years. It's the perfect pattern for leather, with a center front and center back seam. A little on the short side, so if I make it again, I'll likely add a couple inches of length.


Gorgeous Fabrics: 3 Lambskin skins and silk twill lining. The bump below the waistband below is just my shirt tucked in (was in a terrible hurry before work, and this pic just had to do).


I used an invisible zipper at the left side seam (rather than the back), and fusible tricot interfacing for the waistband. A leather needle and regular poly thread was used, along with my special "roller foot". Rather than glueing the hem, I decided to stitch it up, figuring that would make it more secure for the life of the garment.


I'm very happy with the final product, and beautiful leather skirt in a wonderfully wearable color. Adding some tights will carry me through the winter, and the leftover skin will make for great accents for future garments! If you're afraid to try leather, don't be! I saved a ton of money making this myself, and it really wasn't any more difficult than any other woven fabric.

Fiction + Sewing = Happiness

When I can't sew (i.e. when we're camping), I love to read. I stumbled across 2 fantastic novels this summer that are related to sewing. I really enjoyed both of them, even though they had two very different settings.

"The Seamstress", by Frances de Pontes Peebles


This lavishly detailed if overlong debut novel set in 1920s and '30s Brazil follows two sisters who share excellent sewing skills, but take divergent paths into adulthood. (From Publishers Weekly)

I have never been a fan of "social studies", so I find it weird that I really enjoy historical fiction. Attaching characters to historical events completely grabs my attention, and I was further mesmerized by this story of sewing sisters and how differently they experienced life and managed to be connected. It's a LONG read, but I loved the descriptions of the treadle machines, the hand stitches, and the fine fabrics they worked with. Fascinating and educational.

"A Vintage Affair", by Isabel Wolff


When vintage clothing expert Phoebe Swift decides to abandon her career as a Sotheby’s auctioneer, she opens London’s Village Vintage, selling only the best recycled designer duds. However, it isn’t long before we discover that the cupcake dresses and alligator clutches that populate her quaint neighborhood shop aren’t Phoebe’s only baggage. Reeling from the death of a close friend and the subsequent collapse of her wedding engagement, Phoebe is in need of a change. She certainly loves the clothing she sells for its history, but it takes a new and profound friendship with the elderly client Mrs. Bell to show Phoebe to care for herself in the same way. Although the novel is sometimes predictable, UK best-seller Wolff keeps us entertained by sending a few courtiers Phoebe’s way and threading intriguing wartime historical fiction into Mrs. Bell’s backstory. Readers with a passion for couture fashion will appreciate (and feel vindicated by!) Wolff’s well-researched and intricate descriptions of beautiful, significant vintage pieces. While the dialogue is occasionally a bit bloated, this book is a smooth read with enough flair and fun for the beach or the pool. --Annie Bostrom, from Booklist

I just finished this one today, and it was so enjoyable. Set in modern day England, but the story connects back to WWII. Again, I was hooked into history by the characters in the book! Pretty predictable (and I much faster read than the previous book), but the discussion of vintage fashion trends and the popularity of vintage threads was very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!

IN SEWING NEWS...
Nothing new to share. We went camping this week and enjoyed playing on the beach of Tawas Bay, riding bicycles, and touring a lighthouse. I have the leather cut and ready to stitch, but I've got to report to work Tuesday and Wednesday to ready my classroom and prepare for my students. I got the urge to purchase a new bag for school (a tote to bring carry graded papers and my iPad), but after seeing the prices online, I'm considering making my own. Bunny and Ann? If I go this route, I may be scouring your blogs for advice! If any of you have Vogue 7982 (OOP), and want to sell it, let me know!

A Different Kind of Vintage

Not dresses, but cars. Remember, I live in the Motor City! (Read to the end, there's fabric, I swear!)

Every August, the Motor City holds a little something called "The Woodward Dream Cruise" (which we usually stay far, far away from because the traffic is ridiculous). But, it was a beautiful day, and we went early to beat the crowd, riding DH's motorcycle and admiring the view of 8 lanes of hundreds of classic cars.


Apparently, back in the good old days (before I was born), quite a good time was had by "cruising Woodward". This week's celebration brought out every decade, every model, from hot rods to tail-fins, from muscle cars to cool trucks. Miles and miles of vintage cars, all oldies but goodies!





But, don't think that this little jaunt was all for DH! Guess what's located not far from Woodward Avenue? HABERMAN FABRICS!!!

I picked up some necessary supplies for an exciting upcoming project...
(Which involves this lovely lambskin from Gorgeous Fabrics)


And this amazing brocade was begging to come home with me, so I agreed.
Slightly textured abstract stripes of black, white, cobalt, and purple. I think it beats the red/white J Crew skirt's butt!


The red/white striped fabric is still on the work able, waiting for the sewing Gods to bring some solution to light. Regardless, today sure was a lot of fun!

Fork in the Road: Which Way???

Last week as I was watching the Today show, Savannah Guthrie was wearing the cutest skirt. I should've taken a picture of the TV, but I didn't. It was a red/white striped, fitted, knee-length skirt, which she wore with a white button-down tucked into it. Super cute.
Fast forward to this morning, when I went out on a limb and sent her a tweet, asked her who made the skirt. She quickly replied that it came from J Crew! (Yes, I know it probably wasn't actually Savannah Guthrie that wrote me back, but it's still pretty cool!)


It's the No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Deck Stripe, and it's $90. As I was watching the show, I started searched for fabric in a red stripe like this, but I kept finding knits, not wovens. I bought a yard of this medium weight knit in my favorite shade of red from Mood ($8/yd, not a big loss if my plan fails).


Now, here's my question:
Should I mess with an underlining or fusible to "stiffen" up this knit, so I can make a more structured and fitted skirt, with darts and a zipper...

Or, should I just make a nice and easy elasticized mini that would wear more casually?

I'm on a red/white kick lately, can you tell???

Vintage Vogue 8812

Vogue 8812



Pattern Description:MISSES' DRESS, BELT AND BOLERO: Dress has bias shoulder straps, self-bias binding extending into tie ends, close-fitting bodice with bra/slit, no side seams, back-button closing and self belt. Fitted bolero has shoulder pads. Note: no provisions provided for above waist adjustments.

Pattern Sizing: 6 - 22. I made a size 14, according to the finishing garment measurements. It was perfect in the waist and hips, as expected.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Very nearly! I decided to go strapless, and I skipped the bolero. I have the perfect white sweater in my closet already.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes. As usual, I had to make it slightly more complicated by including a full lining, and that I had to figure out myself! No big deal.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
LIKE: The gathered bust and sweetheart neckline, the smooth lines and slight A-line where the skirt meets the bodice.
DISLIKE: Buttoning up the back of a dress by yourself? No thanks. I installed a zipper instead.





Fabric Used: A retro/vintage cotton batiste print from Mood. Can't find it on the website now, maybe it's sold out. I underlined the bodice pieces in white batiste, and lined the skirt separately.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Eliminated the straps and installed a zipper.


Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes and Yes. It's a really lovely dress, that doesn't scream "vintage". It's summery, it's feminine, it's fun, and I really love the way it turned out.

Conclusion: It may not get a ton of wear, but it sure is fun to wear. Not too hard to make, and very feminine.


I haven't had a fun photo shoot with DH in forever, so this was a blast! We came inside and "My Cousin Vinny" was on (the scene where his girlfriend is the expert witness on cars?), so I hit the couch. He snapped one more:

The Teacher Dress

My family tells me that this is a great "teacher dress". I think it's a great dress...period! I love the fit and the style, and can see myself getting lots of use out of it, both in and out of school.

Inspiration: Stella McCartney "Ridley Stretch Cady" Dress, $885.


I first saw it worn by the Duchess of Cambridge at the Road to 2012 celebration, and admired the shape of the dress and darts on the outside. The pattern has sleeve options, but for this time I left them off.

Pattern: Butterick 5780


The darts on the skirt immediately reminded me of the McCartney dress, and I was really drawn to the unique shaping of the neckline.



Pattern Description: "MISSES'/MISSES' PETITE DRESS: Fitted dress (close-fitting through bust) has side front bodice extending into back collar, front pleated skirt, stitched hems and back zipper."



Pattern Sizing:6-22. There are NO finished garment measurements on the pattern (usually marked at the bust/waist/hips), so according to my measurements, it should've been pretty close. It was a smudge big, not too bad, though.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, exactly!!!



Were the instructions easy to follow?Butterick gives this pattern an EASY rating, but I disagree. The bodice construction isn't easy and the illustrations provided in the instructions aren't adequate. Go slowly and use the matching points (and logic) where you can, and it WILL be worth the effort! Start to finish (including cutting the pattern), it took me 4 hours to make this dress. Well worth it, in my opinion.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
LIKE: A sheath with style. It will be good in warm weather and (with a jacket) in cooler months. It was a welcome challenge, as my recent projects have been pretty easy.
DISLIKE: The instructions on the bodice assembly were quite lacking. It would've been nice if they had warned you when to finish the bottom edge of the facings (first thing right off the bat, in case you make it up yourself).



Fabric Used:2 yards of black RPL from the stash (Ressy's co-op). No lining, no interfacing. (I skipped the zipper, too. Shhh!)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: When I saw that it was a tiny bit big, I took in the side seams about 1/4" on both sides.



Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes and yes! I have some navy knit in the stash ready to go, and now that I've figured out the "origami" of the bodice construction, I can do it again, no problem! For others out there, please don't be intimidated by these reviews, just take our time, read the instructions and pin in the obvious places... It is worth the effort and time!

Conclusion: I'm looking forward to making this pattern up again, now that I've figured out the construction of the bodice and love the way it looks!

Vogue 1299

Vogue 1299


Inspired by a photo of Jaime King, wearing the "Ashanti" dress by Joie,$268.
I spotted this in "People Magazine" after finding the fabric on the Mood website, and knew it was the look I was after.


Fabric from Mood:

Rose Floral Double-Sided Poly-Cotton, 56"wide. 2 yards.
(Lining: Beige Anti-static from Joann's, 58" wide, 1.5 yards)



Pattern Description: "Pullover dress has tie/loop, flounces (wrong side may show), loose-fitting bodice, side pockets, thread carriers and very narrow hems. Elasticized upper edge/waist and belt."

Pattern Sizing: 4-20. I made the 12 according to the finished garment measurements on the pattern. I wanted it to slide over my hips easily, but without too much extra fabric to gather at the waist.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? For the most part, aside from the change of shoulder straps, RTW belt, and slight change in length.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, but since I needed to line it, I strayed from the instructions quite a bit.


What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I chose it because it allowed me to use both sides of the fabric and strongly resembled the magazine picture I admired.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
1. Shortened the hem by 6".
2. Used 2 shoulder straps.
3. Inserted a lining.
*4. I WISH I WOULD'VE LENGTHENED THE BODICE BY 1".


Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would recommend it, it's a great sundress and easy enough to make. I don't really want/need another in my closet right now, but I'll tuck it away for the future.

Conclusion: On a scale from 1-10, I'd give it a 7. It's a great sundress, but I'm not crazy about the waist gathers. It's a little short-waisted, but I think it will get lots of wear.