wedding skirt is done~

I finished the skirt to wear to the wedding. But our camera is not working so no pics. I think it's a tad too long, but maybe I can fix that next year.

I still need to hem my blouse and add a hook/eye.

the snowpocalypse have caused any plans of remaking the blouse in a different fabric to disappear.

other sewing projects to do before we leave for SFO on Tuesday: small embroidered label, a purse for a small girl, and two sock monkies. (um, yeah, might not get those sock monkies done.)

duh!

I cut out the lining for my skirt to wear to BIL's wedding. I thought to my self: oh, I didn't mark the darts, so I pulled out the pattern pieces and found out I'd cut out the pieces for view A rather than view C!

Luckily, I bought enough lining to cut out two skirt's worth. I labeled the wrong lining for a future skirt and re-cut out the proper pieces.

I also cut out the facings from the wrong set. But now that i think about it, I will probably do a regular waistband because faced waistbands seem to shift around and slide up. I still need to get some grosgrain ribbon or twill tape to reinforce the waistband.

I also cut out two muslins for my top. I may actually wear a tucked in shirt. I'm going to ask Dave which one he likes better (hopefully he will be able to see beyond the weird pattern of my muslin fabric (it was the only chiffon-y, silky thing in my stash.

abandon ship!

For the upcoming wedding, I started making a vintage dress pattern. I tissue fit and then realized the fabric I wanted to use was too stiff. bah. I think I'll use the pattern for a summer wedding since it'll be better in a very flowy fabric.

So, I thought, Hey, I've got McCall 5466 in the stash, I'll make that since it'll be better with the heavier weight wool lycra blend I want to use.

UGH. This pattern is ALL WRONG for my body type! So, back into the envelope it goes. I may try to remake it some time with some major modifications, but for now, I don't have the patience!

So, I am making a skirt. I'm using a "tried 'n' true" New Look basic A-line skirt. But I'm adding a ruffle to the back from a skirt in the Otona No Couture Skirts book. You can see the cover at the Japan Couture Addicts site. It's book 65 on their list. (no one else has made it though. boo!)

I recklessly cut into my fashion fabric ($2.99/yd Pendelton wool.lycra!) and pinned the pieces together. Fit is GO! So I cut out the ruffles from the Japanese book (enlarging by FOUR sizes from their largest which is a 38" hip [size 13]) and pinned htose to the back. AND IT LOOKS good.

and I am so sad because my camera is toast and I can't take a picture of it!

No all I have to do is: finish the skirt, sew two nightgowns, embroider and sew a lunchbag, applique a onesie and figure out which blouse to make AND make the blouse! all in one week.

I'm thinking of making a Burda WOF for the top in a stretch satin. But that may be courting disaster.

tailoring

I've been inspired by all the great coats people have been making lately. I checked out three tailoring books from the library. And I bought some purple wool from the Pendleton outlet ($4.50/yd!) it's a pretty plum color. I hope it looks good on me.

Now, all I have to do it pick out the pattern I want to use. I'm drawn to doing something simple, but I also saw this cool coat at Foundation on Alberta St. I don't like how it gapes at the bottom, but the neck treatment is cool. (I like funnel necks even though every style guide says they are bad for people with big boobs.)

Tonight, I almost finished my lace skirt. Now I just have to figure out how to hem, and what to wear with it! I was planning on wearing it to see A Christmas Carol on Thursday (in 2 days!) so I"m not sure if I'll be able to make a top to go with it.

good stuff

I bought 3 yards of stretch wool gabardine, 4 yards of pinstriped black wool (with two green stripes), 7 or 8 yards (I forget) of plain wool gabardine and 3 yards brown wool which was not labled stretch but sure feels stretchy for $47!!! at the Pendleton outlet! woo!

Also, our friend Karen called and she had tickets to the Doc Martens warehouse sale and I bought a Greta a pair of boots and three pairs of mary janes (including 1 a size too big to grow into) I got a pair of mary janes, a pair of red wedgie sandals and a pair of cornflower-ish blue wedge heels. Dave bought a pair of brown shoes too. Total cost $180 for 8 pairs of really nice shoes! woo!

now I have to rethink what to wear to Mike and Sara's wedding because I have these cool cornflower blue heels that I could wear.

Not Enough Fabric Woes

I finished my muslin and am happy with the fit of McCall 5314. It has a circle skirt and thus requires nearly 6 yards of fabric.

The fabric I wanted to use is six yards, but in two cuts, so I couldn't get it all out of that. Then while talking about clothing in hot climates like North Africa and India, I realized that I could use my sari fabric for this since Saris are usually at least 6 yards long.

I had to squeeze and do some piecing but I got the pattern pieces cut out tonight! whew!

The sari is a faux-bandhani ((printed design, not truly tie-dyed). I have a real badhani scarf that my husband bought in India back in 1995, but sadly, it totally rotted and had to be thrown out.

I made good use of the border print, with it running down the edge of the wrap skirt.

pattern review silk contest

I'm almost done with my blouse for the One Fabric: Silk contest on pattern review. My hope is to get at least one vote! But, the ones already posted are pretty great. Tough competition!

I'm doing a lot of hand sewing (bottom and sleeve hems.) The silk pulls a lot when sewing. ugh. Charmeuse is so evil, foxfire doesn't recognize it!

picks when I'm finished.

Floral Jumper

I made this floral jumper for my daughter out of a piece of floral pique from my stash. I finally realized that this print is not something I'd ever wear. I also didn't have enough to make myself anything!

The bodice is based on the top of a jumper. I didn't have a lot of fabric, so the skirt is not very full. (I think that's the style these days!)