So, the first two garments in "WoMAN with a PLAN" - my comprehensive wardrobe plan for 2010 are my holiday party dress and wrap (well, it's a jacket but I'm going to treat it like a wrap.)

Both my husband's holiday party and my bootcamp (friends I work out with) are on the same night - in San Francisco and Oakland, and both are equally important to me. So, we're going to have to try and hit them both and hope they don't end early. If I know my bootcamp friends, I'm thinking the dancing will go on for a long time.

So, starting my wardrobe plan with a party dress means I get the fun part first but also means that it will be done and I need to focus on "real clothes" in the new year.

Here is what I'm making for my party dress, a vintage pattern from 1956:



I'm making out of this wonderful, irridescent red/blue silk dupioni that I have (see swatch), literally 20 yards of (anyone interested in buying some off of me?) I sort of feel like, because I have so much of this fabric, I should make the full skirt, but I'm making the straight one. I'm lining it with a lightweight, burgundy silk that matches well (albeit without the weave of blue).

Here's the jacket I'll wear:



I realize it's not the same style or era but I think it will still look like it goes, with the 3/4 sleeves and cropped length (I'm doing the short version). I don't want to look like I'm wearing a retro "costume". That is never my goal. It's in the mixing of styles from different eras where your own personal style emerges.

I'm making it from this incredible deep peacock blue cotton velvet that I've had for a while. I'll probably line it in peacock blue silk dupioni (like my peacock dress.) And add some big beautiful statement button.

And then I'll panic about shoes and handbag. But that's for later. :-)

Having recently gone through my overstuffed closet and found that many of the things I was pulling out to donate to the Goodwill were things I'd made, I realized that I don't often think in terms of "a wardrobe" when I make clothes for myself. Every piece is a unique and beautiful snowflake which works, the first day, possibly from pure novelty of having something new to wear. But looking in my closet, I find myself repeating that age old cliché, "I have *nothing* to wear!"

Mainly it's just that none of my pieces coordinate with others or, if I made a dress, I have no coat to wear over it or shoes to match. In addition, I'm always attracted to prints more than solids and a closet full of prints is great -- if you're a clown or a hobo. But putting together a coordinated outfit gets harder and harder.

So, this fall, my plan is to make pieces that go together and that fill some of the sartorial gaps I've recently noticed. I mentioned this to my sister-in-law, a fellow sewist, who thought it was funny and very "Hardy" of me. (The Hardy family... they're *planners*.) Kris inspired me to write this up. Without further ado, this is what I did.

1. Decided on some scenarios for which I'd need some nice new clothes. I chose:

Work - Office days/meetings -- I work from home so that means I can get away with not having a ton of work clothes, but I do meet clients occasionally and I also work in clients' offices from time to time. For these occasions, I want to look smart, but be comfortable (there is a really wide range of average temperatures in each client's offices depending on their preferences. I'm usually too cold in most of them.)

Holiday - Fancy/casual party -- It's coming up on the holiday party season and I want a fancy dress, plus a more casual dress for parties.

Going Out - Dinner/dates -- Nights on the town with the gals, dinner parties, dates with my husband. For this, I want to be a little more casual than the Holiday/fancy party. More separates but trendy/edgy, hip.

Getting Stuff Done - Shopping/errands/appointments -- The most casual of the four categories but where I still want to look cute. Because I work from home, I usually am dressed in something I wouldn't be caught dead in outside the house. I need some pieces I can throw on quickly and without much thought and be cute, comfortable, and low maintenance.

2. Decided on the key pieces for each scenario. For work, some slacks, a skirt, a couple of blouses and a jacket, etc. etc. This might change a bit but I wanted to make sure I didn't forget to cover my whole bod just because skirts/pants are easier than blouses (for me). And, since you can get a lot more mileage out of neutral bottoms, the tops are where you mix it up and feel pretty and new, I had to commit to more blouses/tops than I usually make to satisfy this need.

3. Went through my entire stash and cut small swatches from fabrics I thought fit the general color palette I wanted to use. This meant that I could contemplate these fabrics without making a mess and pulling everything out - and I could also do it in another room, I didn't have to be staring at everything I had - just the fabrics I wanted to work with. My goal is to use only fabrics from my stash so I had limitations, but not many since my stash is OUT OF CONTROL.

4. Went through my patterns and Burda magazines and picked patterns to match the pieces I'd chosen in step 2. This was hard. I left it a little open to change though - pending matching with the fabrics.

5. Drew a few sketches of things I wanted to make but didn't necessarily have a pattern for. This is easier than it sounds. I'm not making something totally from scratch a la Project Runway. I might use a skirt from one pattern and a top from another, maybe add a sleeve from another - this is more challenging than just following a pattern all the way through, but not terribly so.

Oh, my sketching skills are really, really bad. BAAAAD. But, I know what I'm trying to show, it's mainly just to remind myself what I was thinking.

6. Matched swatches to patterns in each category. I tried to make sure each top in the category would go with each bottom. I didn't try to make sure the whole wardrobe worked together that way - as in, a top from work outfits could go with a bottom from going out outfits. That would just be way too hard. There may be some crossover which will be great, but I didn't focus on that.

7. Pinned the swatches to pieces of paper and wrote some notes about what each will be made into so I don't forget since some of this changed from step 4 after picking fabrics. Hung this on a cork board in my sewing room for inspiration.

8. Went on ebay and bought 10 yards of muslin fabric. I have a little in my stash - I also use old flat sheets from thrift stores too. But I just wanted to make sure I had plenty. Also bought some draping tape, though I'm not even really sure I know how to use it yet.

So.... this is where I am now. My intention is to start with party/holiday dresses since I have a party next Friday and I want something new and fabulous. Deciding where to continue after that will be on a case-by-case basis, I guess. I haven't figured that out yet.

Here's some pics. Don't laugh at my drawings!!!









I'm curious if anyone else starts like this, with a plan? What's your process?

Posted on sew_hip

I started to make BWOF 08/09 133 for my husband and I swear, I think their measurements for men are way messed up. Has anyone made this or any other Burda men's patterns, coats in particular. What the heck is going on here? Is it supposed to be this baggy? I realize it's outerwear but the description says "slim-cut" I made size 50 which seems odd because that was the second to largest size. The smallest mens size has a chest of 34 inches! I don't know any man with a 34" chest. Could it be a typo??? My husband's chest is 39 & 1/2" and waist 32" (his winter waist). The corresponding waist size for his chest size is 35 & 1/2". Wow, that would be quite the beer belly. Is it because it's a German magazine? Are German men shaped so differently??? Any feedback is appreciated.



So, I really wanted to make something for him so I decided his office chair needed a makeover. I had previously done both our office chairs in this retro fabric but I think the look is a bit busy (since my husband's desk he likes messy) and a tad cliche. (The picture is actually of my chair but I had already stripped his.)



I don't know why, but when I made the first covers, I used elastic for the bottom. Not sure why I didn't think to put a zipper down the back for a snug fit. I still used a little at the bottom but you cant tell and it doesn't bunch all up like the last cover. I think it looks much more professional and I can actually stand to look at it. It's a soft brushed cotton twill, medium to heavy weight but very soft to the touch. Hopefully it will wear well and the cats remain disinterested in it.

Now I have to make a new cover for my chair! I don't have enough of that fabric to make two matching covers but I'm over the matchy look anyway. Our chairs are totally different shapes so I have to make a whole new pattern. I've just started on my chair, anyone want me to document the process for a tutorial???

My neighbor, friend and ingenue Bella came to me to help her with her Halloween costume, naturally. She wanted to be a flapper and she bought the fabric to make her outfit with. She brought her sketchbook with a picture drawn of what she wanted. I wish I had gotten a picture of that. Too cute.

We made a muslin first... see? I'm teaching her good habits! (Pardon the slightly crappy iPhone pix. My camera was stolen from me in Mexico and I haven't replaced it yet.)



And then she sewed her little heart out.



I gotta say, this little lady is getting good. She's 9 and this is our 4th time sewing together. (Our First, Second, Third) She brought some sequined fabric for a shawl and cut it in a lovely diagonal shape, all her own idea. She didn't buy enough fringe to go all the way around so we put a row at the top, a row low on the hips, and a row at the bottom front. Whatcha gonna do, it's a costume!



And now....

Ta da!!!

---

My friend Sarah came over too, to sew an oven mitt for her costume (The "Other" Mother from Coraline, it's an animated movie which, of course, I haven't seen). Sarah pretty much sewed it all herself with only a little bit of help from me. And used a serger for the first time, weeee. She's a pretty good sewer. We used to go over to her nana's house and sew patches all over our jeans in high school (in the 80s aaaah).



The mitt:



And Sarah teaching Bella the Charleston, the iconic flapper dance.



Thanks Sarah and Bella for a fun afternoon with two of my favorite people doing what I love.

Posted on sew_hip

To say I love Halloween is an understatement. The fact that it was on a Saturday this year was even more exciting because a really good friend of mine who throws awesome parties threw a big bash this year.

I worked on my costume for a week but the idea I had for 10 years. We hit a couple of parties but, unfortunately for us, I invited a friend who had said she'd drive but she changed her mind at the last minute so Michael had to drive and, subsequently, we had to go home when she started getting tired - which was only 2 hours into the party!!! The party of the YEAR! AAAAh, noooooo!!!! Oh well, lesson learned. It was fun while it lasted.

So, without further ado, here we are... "The Great Carmichael and his lovely assistant Lucky". Unfortunately, Carmichael was recently blinded in a bizarre waffle iron accident.


The dress is my own design and I used a vintage curtain in a bright hot pink brocade. The trim, which looks like rick rack, is actually a vintage scalloped trim. The rhinestone bands in the front came off a pair of trousers I bought at the thrift store which had them sewn down the side of the legs (!?)

One thing I'm proud of especially is there is NOT ONE STITCH OF VELCRO on this baby. I sewed hooks and eyes and snaps but it came out classy (as classy as a skirt that barely covers your butt can be).

Michael's vest is even lined in silk dupoini! The pattern was 3 sizes too small so I had to do a lot of alterations on it to get it to fit him. But it came out great, I think.

(Lots) More pictures below:

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So, last week was fleet week here in SF. I could care less about it (to me it's all a bunch of military muscle flexing) but I had some friends in from out of state and a bunch of my old friends from my home town got together to go out together.

Of course, I had to make a new dress for the occasion. I had started making the bodice weeks ago from my original wrap dress design but it ended up being too low cut for my liking so I scrapped it and was just going to wear something else. But,Saturday afternoon around 3 I decided to resuscitate it. Fortunately, though it was in the trash, nothing liquid or food got on it and it was salvageable.

The bodice is a white eyelet leftover from Georgie's dress and the skirt is thrifted cotton lined with a red Ralph Lauren sheet. The sash is also from the sheet. I ran out of time since we had to leave the house by 6 so I just used a safety pin in front to keep my boobs from falling out of the front.

I didn't see ONE drunken sailor the whole night which is kind of strange. But, I did my best to be festive. (It's hard to see but the fabric has little white sailboats and little red buoys.) It was a rocking fun night and the dress was another hit, as were the shoes. Some woman came up to me outside a restaurant and tried to buy them from me. She was persistent - whoah. Get your own shoes, honey!!!




And with my handsome date (who carried me the minute I mentioned my feet were tired, what a gentleman!)

Posted on Wardrobe Refashion

I made this dress a while back...



Bleh... It just didn't work for me. The bodice didn't fit right and there just weren't enough opportunities to wear it to justify using up this *amazing* vintage fabric on it.

Then I saw this Nicole Miller skirt in a magazine and, well, do you see where I'm headed...



It had to become a skirt. I've worn this skirt now as many times as I've ever worn the dress (twice) but it's going to become a staple. I wore it out to a party with my workout friends at the Lake Chalet (on Lake Merritt in Oakland) and it was a hit. (If you only ever see the same people at 5:00 am in their workout clothes and sweaty, mostly anything other than that look will be a hit.)

The only pic I have of it is of me snuggling up with my Boot Camp Coach Jack (who is like an older brother to me so don't worry that it looks like his hand is on my butt. It probably is but he's not creepy like that). I am going to wear the hell out of this skirt, especially now that it's getting into holiday season. It will be very festive.



I guess the lesson here I learned is don't get too attached to things just because you made them. Sometimes, you gotta take it apart and make something else that you love instead.

Posted at sew_hip

I have made at least 20 dresses, blouses, pants, etc. since my last post but never seem to get around to getting any pictures of them. However, my lovely friend Mercedes had us over for a dinner with her new Italian roommate and I wore my new "Italian seaside circa 1958" dress. This is my new current favorite theme in my clothing. Mediterranean/vintage/summery/retro without being cliche.





I used McCall 5292 which is the world's simplest dress to make. I added piping because I like the way piping can make a simple dress look more refined. I did an SBA, possibly going a bit too small but it still looks flattering there.

Fabrics were both second hand - the dove fabric from the Hospice Thrift Store in my very rural little home town and the striped fabric from the mother of all fabric score yard sales a few weeks ago.

Here's a little closeup of the dove fabric - it's a wee precious.



We're about to go to Mexico for a week to our favorite sleepy little town to a villa right on the beach (with a maid, a cook, and 3 cats - it's okay to hate me.) I made a few new things to wear and I will try to get "action shots" of my "beach wear" on the beach.

Until then, here's an action shot of me with a cat.

Posted at Wardrobe Refashion

Is everyone sick of the multiple variations of this pattern I designed yet??? I promise I try something new each time so I'm not just making the same thing in different fabrics (though I may run out of new ideas at some point.)

This time, I'm working on making some petal sleeves. I sort of just winged it and they came out alright. If anyone's interested, I can scan my pattern and you can use it. However, I didn't mark where to start and stop the gathers, I just sort of figured that one out as I went.

Today has been a great day and I got to go to lunch with my husband. This was an incredibly rare event. On the way home, we stopped at our usual berry-pickin' location for some blackberries. Alas, someone had been there recently and we had some slim pickins. But I did get some pictures of my new blouse.



(Yes, espadrilles, short pants and sleeves are the absolute WRONG thing to wear berry picking unless you like getting scratches all over yourself. But it's cute!)




I like to think of it as 1950s Italian seaside style. Tailored and form fitting, but lightweight and comfortable, a little preppy, a little girly. I wore it with a pair of lowish-cut pants so you can kinda see my belly (a pet peeve) but it's summer, oh well. And I mostly made this top to wear in Mexico (soon!)

The fabric was purchased at Goodwill for $2.99 on Saturday and I really just thought it would make good muslin fabric, but after I washed it, it felt really nice so I thought, give it a go. I normally wouldn't think to wear a pastel blue and yellow plaid, but I quite like it now.

I am dying to make some high-waisted denim capris to wear with this and my Chinese picnic top. (I know what you're thinking... "Mom jeans". But I promise they will not be "that high" and they will be cute.

Oh, and you can't see it but one of the things I finally broke down and made on this frequently used pattern is facings! More work, but more professional looking too.

Next up on the cutting table - a nautical themed dress for "Fleet Week".

So, my husband's been working almost not-stop for 18 days. Here's an instant messenger conversation I had with him yesterday evening. (IM has been the larger portion of the communication we've had during this time.) He is a partner in this company, so it's more than just "a job" for him. I respect it, and still, I'm also pretty intimidated most of the time. (Sorry I had to hide the names of the companies, but let's just say they are all names you know.)


Mike Hardy: So, (REALLY HUGE COMPANY) owns (HUGE COMPANY), right? Tomorrow the CIO of (REALLY HUGE COMPANY) is going to be here, and we're going to allow him to use the software on one of the environments. Except all the environments are down right now because of a data corruption issue which no one seems to be able to fix, except me. If I can fix it before tomorrow morning, everything is fine but if I can't...
Mike Hardy: no pressure
Mike Hardy: !
Teresa Hardy: omg

What I didn't say, after "omg" is "guess what I'm doing honey??? I'm glueing lace on ROCKS!" Because that sounds pretty stupid at this point. But, context and irony aside, aren't they pretty???




I got the idea from my new friend Mary and they are quite useful for holding down patterns.

I have at least 5 dresses and 4 blouses to show when my "photographer" gets done from his rounds. More fashion pics to come soon!!

Posted in Wardrobe Refashion

I can't believe I'm posting this ridiculous picture of me but I was trying to emphasize the dorkyness of this turtleneck in the "before" shot so there you have it.

Took a super dorky thrifted Ann Taylor turtleneck....



And made it into a kinda cute bateau neck sailorish top.




I used some of the leftover neck to make a little headband thingy.

I liked the cuff of the sleeve so I kept that and took the sleeves in on the bicep. I could have done a better job trying to keep the lines straight so you couldn't see where the seam was, but I didn't really care. This is a knockabout top and I actually kinda like the funkyness those wonky seams give it.

Turtlenecks are pretty much the dorkiest thing ever and there's really no reason to own one unless it's black. (Disclaimer - this is only just an opinion, natch.) I have 3 more in sweater knit that I'm hoping to make into cardigans since autumn is just around the corner.

Posted in Wardrobe Refashion

Here's a really simple cheongsam pattern (OOP McCall 4369)



that I altered to have the more traditional looking neck/underarm opening. I still did the back zipper but used piping and frogs to simulate the opening. I also added lining because I used piping all around the sleeve seams, neckline, and bottom seam.


Frogs from Piedmont Fabric
Invisible zipper from stash.
Picnic table fabric thrifted.
Piping from estate sale (the massive roll of 1000+ yards of piping must be used!!)

I have a necklace that I bought in Chinatown in SF that is made of clear resin on a black cord. Inside that, perfectly preserved, is a large black ant. Can you think of a more perfect piece of jewelry to wear with a top that looks like a picnic tablecloth? I think that, if you recall my "Garden of Eden" top and skirt, combined with the snake belt and apple necklace, I'm starting to put together funny "theme outfits." Not costumes, but if you look closely, you will get the humor in it. I think I will have to try and continue this somehow.

Here I am getting ready for my "bootcamp" party Saturday night (bootcamp is a workout group at the YMCA, I'm not actually in the military!)





Then, I had to make my husband go outside with me and take a "pinup" shot on my 1963 Honda Cub motorcycle that I've been restoring to its former glory. Okay, maybe the iphone at dusk shot isn't the greatest. We'll have to try again sometime. But at least in this one you can see the "mock opening" in front with piping trim and frogs.

Posted at Wardrobe Refashion

So, another great experience came last night when I wore out another wrap dress made from my original pattern (see earlier peacock dress entry). Michael used to take me to Camino whenever I'd make a new dress and, it being Saturday night, and he having raced 86 miles that day, he came into my sewing room when I was putting the finishing touches on my latest iteration. We always go to Camino because the hostessess always commented on my dresses before.

Tonight, however, no comments and it was too full, a 40 minute wait, and we got seated in a total dead zone in the bar. This was NO way to celebrate a new dress and I wasn't feeling the love so we left and went to Pican, a wonderful new Southern restaurant. This place was awesome, super swank, but they serve grits and fried chicken!

When we came in, we saw a very elegant older looking man at the bar in a gorgeous suit with grosgrain trimmed lapels and a hat, beautiful shoes. I commented to Michael how amazing he looked and was pointing out all the details in his suit that made it so fabulous. Later on, the man walked up to us, pointed at my shoes, apologized for the intrusion and then proceeded to compliment me on my style, my dress, my shoes, everything. I was totally flattered and, of course, I told him how much I admired his look as well.

Anyway, of course I was glowing (or gloating??) for the rest of the evening, like I always do when someone compliments one of my creations. I think at least 90% of why I sew is to have those moments.

Ok, here's the dress:




Some details you can't see:

1. The fabric is thrifted wool/cotton blend (I know, crazy I'm wearing this in summer, but it actually feels pretty light weight). I literally had JUST enough to make the parts you see so the lining is a black silky acetate.

2. All around the neck, sleeves, and skirt edge is done with black piping that I bought at an estate sale - a HUGE roll. Probably close to 1000 yards and that is not a typo. I have white and black piping to last a lifetime from that sale. Seriously, does anyone want some, I'm happy to share???

3. The sleeve ruffles are attempt #3 to get something I liked. The fabric is a lightweight but semi-stiff silk. I pinked the edges. I'm into pinking these days.

4. Because I really seriously did not have enough of the grey to even make the belt, it's tied in the back with a long black grosgrain ribbon. Not maybe my first choice but, remember, Michael said he'd take me to dinner if I finished so I had to find something.

Really happy with how it came out but I think I'm going to retire this pattern for a while and try something new.

Update: I have found a good home for the patterns! Thanks everyone.

I have decided to go on a major pattern purge (fabric is up next, no one is safe...) and by "major", I mean about 2/3 of my pattern stash, which consists mostly of vintage patterns from the 50s and 60s. I have about 120 vintage and about 80 not-so-vintage.

I can't decide if I should put these on ebay, etsy or craigslist or just trade or give them away. I also

If anyone has any good ideas or proposals, please send them my way. I have my own business (which has nothing to do with sewing) so, the amount of time it would take to enter these all in an etsy store (taking the pictures alone was enough work for me!) would be too much for me. I would entertain the idea of a cheap intern though.


Here is a link to the pattern images - fronts and backs of each one (except the lots). I would appreciate any and all ideas on what to do with them.

And, here is one of my faves, though... sadly, not in my size and I'm too lazy to grade.

Like my clever title?

So, I made this blouse with the intention that it would be worn under a wrap dress and the ruffled collar would stick out the edge and it would just be super fab. Well, I tried it on with the last wrap dress I made from the batik skirt and it just didn't work for me. Far too "frou frou". And with black, it looked way too French maid. So, I just decided it would just be a blouse.



The fabric is vintage, it's a lovely fine woven stripe, but pretty sheer. I made "mock flat-felled seams" by serging the endges then topstitching that down close to the edge of the serged seam. Doesn't look too bad though I'm terrible with sewing a straight line. This was good practice.



This was also an experiment in adding embellishments like ruffles. If you've followed my blog at all, you'll notice I do very simple designs. So, this was fun. And it came out pretty o.k. The pinked edges made it easy and disguised a whole lot of *ahem* variations in the cutting line.

I should have modeled it with a camisole instead of over a green bra, but it's really too damn hot today to put on a camisole too. So, you get a 1980s Madonna-esqe look here.

Oh, and design is my own, based on the peacock dress pattern. I have gotten a lot of mileage out of this one pattern design!!

Posted on sew_hip.

Okay, I know I'm getting silly now.

But I just had to have a pencil skirt made from this great faux bois fabric. And when I was done, I just had to make a blouse to go with it that looked like leaves.



The blouse is lined with silk dupoini (I line just about everything) and the fabric is vintage cotton - probably 50s. The blouse pattern is Simplicity 5308, 1973. I took about 3" out of the sleeve gather because I didn't want it that poofy. It's still a tad poofy, but what are you going to do? I didn't line the sleeve, just the bodice.



I am thinking of wearing this with a snakeskin belt and maybe I should buy this apple necklace and have a whole "Garden of Eden" thing going on? Okay, that's probably stretching it. But I am so going to wear this outfit next Earth Day and see if anyone gets it.

Posted at sewhip

I found this skirt at the Salvation Army and bought it even though I knew it would look like crap on me. It was too long and it had WAY too much bulk around my hips (where I don't need any help). But I loved the fabric and so I offered it to my friend Mercedes who is 5'8" and looks great in long skirts. But she didn't get back to me in time and I couldn't help myself, I cut into it (I *did* warn her I might do it though, so she was aware). I just simply LOVE wax-died batik fabrics. I fell in love with it after going to southern Africa and seeing how the women there mixed and matched these wonderful prints in such creative and colorful ways - effortlessly.



I ended up making a dress of my own design that you might recognize from earlier posts. It's a wrap dress like the peacock dress but with ties instead of hooks and a belt, and like the Japanese print top but with a skirt, obviously. I just lined the bodice because the fabric was opaque enough that the skirt didn't need it. I also was able to salvage the pockets from the original, yay! Pockets always make a dress feel less "formal" and that's what I was going for here. There was just enough fabric to make a belt by sewing together smaller pieces - no one will ever notice that, I'm certain.



On the back, I wanted the ties to have a little detail because I always make such simple designs. So I used the leftover bead trim from my Christmas tie scarves I made a couple years ago.



Of course, it's already starting to fall apart. Anyone have any ideas how to secure beads like this?




For washing, since it's all cotton and I don't want to bother with dry cleaning for this, I thought I might just make a little drawstring bag and secure it over the beads and then just throw it in the wash. I'll secure it with safety pins so it should survive (famous last words).

And, lastly, I still have just not gotten the gumption up to make facings for my stuff. I am excused in this case because there would not have been enough fabric. As I mentioned, I had to "quilt" to fabricate the ties. Still, I would have probably done it the same way regardless. I just make it my rule that, if I'm not going to *do the right thing* and make facings for my garments, AT LEAST use pretty linings that you don't mind showing... and they will. In this case, I didn't use a lining that is especially *pretty* but it makes me smile - because the print is too funny, and the colors work perfectly with the main fabric.

If you look closely, you'll see basketball players in the lining... No, this will never be seen by anyone but me, but it makes me smile, anyway.

I made a new stool cover for my sewing room. I was thinking of reupholstering my dining room chairs in this fabric but I think it's too much pattern and color for that much coverage, so my little sewing stool wins.



Isn't it cute though?

Posted on sewhip

O.K. my friend Sarah once referred to me "the pants-rippen-est person I know." Because somehow I used to rip my pants a lot. I wore my clothes tighter, I guess, when I was young and it didn't seem so "cougar". I am happy to report I haven't ripped any pants in the recent past.

Which leads me to my new dress...

The design is my own based on the basic pattern I designed for the peacock dress (see last entry in blog). It has a little notched "v" in the front and princess side seams, pencil skirt and back slit. The fabric is vintage cotton and lined with moss green silk dupoini. I am a lazy liner and, with the silk at least, I rarely do a facing. I guess that's because the silk irons really crisp and so it doesn't show much and if it does, it's so gorgeous, I don't mind. But I really should do arm and neckhole facings more.

Seen here Saturday night on the way to the train for a friend's birthday party in San Francisco... this is before the Big Rip of 2009.









It's pretty obvious now why it ripped, I sewed it too tight across the hips which you can see in the picture. I also hadn't yet added the skirt lining because, if I did, we would have be even more late to the party than we already were. The combo of the tightness and poor choice of tights made it very "high maintenance" to keep straight all night. But at least it stayed intact until the drive home. I was so bummed that I thought I'd have to toss it but Michael convinced me to fix it (I had had 3.5 martinis over the course of the evening which added to my melodramatic response.)

AFortunately, there was plenty of seam allowance (due to my sloppy, rushed sewing the night before) so I patched the rip and reinforced the back seam a little, added the skirt lining and finished it up proper on Sunday. I replaced the quick-y top-stitched hem with a hand-sewn, invisible bagged-lining hem) and wore it out to dinner again, this time belted with a great Façonnable cardigan I got for $2 at thrift store.



I just love this dress and am so glad that, after thinking it was a one-night-stand dress, I was able to fix it so that it fit even better. I can wear it this way (with the sweater) to client meetings and also out on the town.

I need to take a closeup of the patch (which came out better than expected) and the invisible zipper which came out FLAWLESS for the first time ever!

An actual quote from the hostess at Garibaldi's last night after we had dinner to celebrate another completed dress. My spouse usually takes me to Camino but we thought this dress was a little "fancier" so that's where we went. Also, he treats himself to a steak whenever (and only ever when) he rides 100 miles or more on his bike which he did yesterday too so we were celebratin' the little things in life that make us happy.

So, I am especially proud of this because I designed this dress myself last Friday and I have already made two tops based on the bodice part and had a dress to wear by Saturday.



So, here are the deets.

Fabric is some peacock cotton I bought at Longs. Yes, Longs Drugs - the one in Oakland is massive and has a fabric section, some Walmarts also do I've heard. It's hit or miss but I usually find something. I actually bought ALL they had of this because I just love it. Flip side is a peacock blue silk dupoini. The reason I say "flip side" instead of lining is because....

it's completely reversible:



It's like having two dresses!!!! One fancy and one extra fancy.

The style princess seam full wrap with back darts on the skirt and inverted box pleats (or would these be considered gussets?) with the blue dupoini contrast on the peacock side of the sleeves and back. The blue dupoini side is solid, no contrast.



I made the belt from a vintage cover-your-own-belt kit found in a thrift store. I love cover-your-own-button kits and snatch them up when I find them at thrift stores and yard sales. Things always look so "finished" with matching buttons.

Okay, one more pic for you:



I guess truly the best part about this is that I really enjoyed working on it and it gave me confidence to try designing again. (I used to design clothes when I was much younger, as in 20 years ago... If you ask nicely, I might post some pics.)

Posted on sewhip