pattern testing: Lou Box Top

i love testing patterns. It makes me feel like I'm part of the in crowd and like somebody out there in sewing world sees me. All my friends and family know i tear up the sewing machine like nonstop
(and most of them have benefited from the obsession), but out there, in #sewcialists land, do you know me??***

So when Beth picked me as a tester for her super clean super simple "the modern simple top i've been looking for" Lou Box Top, i was hella stoked. I've made a bunch of Scout Tees, but they always needed after-the-fact adjustments, and just didn't feel very feminine. (Beth hasn't released the pattern yet, but hang tight! It's a goodie!)

I chose some silk i bought at Stonemountain a couple years ago one day i played sewing hooky (ahh the days before 85 kids counted on me every day). Silk is a PAIN IN THE ASS

Even with starch. So much starch. I use this stuff in the huge bottle. (omg that link! who knew Mary Ellen was so prolific in her efforts to make ironing less odious?)

The wovens version includes a button tab back, just to be pretty. (I think this button was harvested from one of my mom's awesome 80s dresses. HOT.)
 
very swingy. I used french seams everywhere, and navy silk crepe binding. I forgot to clip my curves (even though the directions said to do it) and so the neck sticks up a little! DAMN.

Anyway, isn't it cute? can be made knit or woven, and so simple either way. I bet a simpler fabric would take about an hour top to bottom.

Til I take that on, I'll keep it classy in my silks.

What are you wearing? Are you famous about it?

luv
bex

*** welllll, the ladies at the fabric store saw a stack of my in-process undies yesterday, that was fun. :)

Patience

I took an epic "get away" walk today. I lost one of my favorite fingerless cashmere gloves, and I found my theme for the upcoming year: patience. 

It's not my strong suit...but my "show up; get a better butt" motivation from 3 years ago is probably due for retirement. It has served its purpose, happily. 

Cue GnR! Night night my loves. 

did you hear about f3rguson?

I teach boys of color. They are 0scar Grant, M1chael Brown, Trayvon M4rtin, you get the idea. They all wear hoodies and have swagger and they are mostly brilliant (i think most 12 year olds are brilliant, which is why my job is great).

So today we had a walkout - or anyway we participated in the #handsup nationwide walkout in solidarity with boys who've been killed by police aggression. But as deeply as I care about these kids and the madness that's happening in my country, I am not the most articulate speaker on the issues.

I don't want to tell children of color about racism. I don't want to pretend I know what they live. I don't know what the kids know about the killings, and I don't know if they're oversaturated or hungry to discuss it. In Oakland it seems to go both ways.

But still. It was a national event and I wanted to let the kids know I live in their world too. And that I'm angry and scared too. So I asked B00ts Riley. He happened to be in my classroom this morning. Because Oakland.

The kids wrote private notes to themselves about the value of participating in an action like that, or they made signs to hold for the on-campus photographers (their friends and teachers with smartphones). And then they prepared for a lab using electrolysis. And then they went to math class.

I never really know what to do in this job. But caring a hell of a lot goes pretty far.

family fun- winter wardrobe for a kindergartener

The boy needed long sleeved t shirts! In our amazing climate, i got to put off the middle layers of his wardrobe until the last week of November. There are (many) good things about this place!!

I bought the new Rowan Tee pattern. He's outgrown the Flashback Tee and the Sewing for Boys book (mostly), or I was ready for something new. Probably a little of both. Long sleeved shirts (often) need hoods!

I took him to the fabric store, because I've been so awesome on my knit stash that all I have left is miles of swimwear lycra (want some? JUST ASK). HOLLA!

He picked out these:

$18/yard viscose, imported from France (AS IF. But ok we did get 1/4 yard...)

$? slinky slinky rayon knit

$5 I may have sold him on this super loose knit stuff but phew, it's practical
$5 blue remnant of super soft 100% stretch something that's wonderful
$6 green remnant he did not consider whyyyy did i buy it? or rather whyyyy did i sew it up for him and not use it for me? minor mistake.

The Rowan pattern is dope! It includes, and I used, cool features like chest pocket and sleeve stripes making the shirts look really high quality and giving us fun ways to play designer.

One change i made (shown in the space version below) is to widen the neck binding by 50%. You can see on the blue/triangles and green versions that the neck binding is Crazy Narrow. I like it a lil wider.

from left, hoodie with shoulder stripes and kangaroo pocket, just plain long sleeve with widened neck band, blue with sleeve stripes and chest pocket, green with kangaroo pocket and hem band. 

My mom asked if it's really cost-effective, and I told her (and I believe) it's maybe just more ethical. And the quality is way better than I could buy...so. Win, Win.

hood lining of SPACE

Now we need a go-to pants pattern. Ideas???
xox
R

Instant warmth- all wool Linden Sweatshirt

I got a merino wool sweater from the thrift store a few weeks ago. It wasn't super flattering.

I wore it one TERRIBLE MONDAY at school. It needed a redo.

I had this delicious wool blend knit (i bought it in 2012, sorry). I had made my mom a top but never thought of how to use it for myself....

TA DA!!!!

purchased, printed, sewed up Grainline's linden sweatshirt. i love it.

Improvised the triangle - love it.

changes: I doubled the width of the neckline binding piece because I think a bound neckline looks best on knit tops.

boom.
AND- a sweater by midnight (shown here the following day, a happier day at school).

yippee! where's your linden??
xo xox
r

perfect pattern parcel #6 and another solid staple for Maman

Every so often, there's a new Perfect Pattern Parcel. It's a group of patterns you buy as a set. you pick your price and the $$ goes to the designers, to the woman/mom/breadwinner who organizes it, and to my favorite organization this career, donors choose!

but often the patterns are kinda frumpy. or for kids. :( We can be real here. We're among friends.

my mom: neither frumpy nor a kid. She is one Classy Lady.

But #6 was for women, and it had the sweatpants. I raged (inside) about all of the internet hubbub when the pattern was released, thinking yich! sloppy! unflattering! with every new version.

And then I bought sweatpants at uniqlo and almost immediately wore them to a wine date in SF. SWEATPANTS. i wanted to off myself for the sake of streetstyle everywhere. I am a victim of a trend, and I like to wear comfy pants, and i teach yoga 2/week and i may as well cave and make some damn sweatpants.

So parcel #6 comes out, and it is: a tent dress with a romanian vibe (non merci), a maxi skirt (easy to do on my own but maybe there are interesting instructions?), a drapey cardigan (YES PLEASE), a cute tee shirt (eh) and the pants. I bought it. Let's say I did it for the children.

So far, I've made a long black skirt for myself (glamorous, gothy, flattering) and a spongy burgundy cardigan for my mom. fuck sweatpants!

(for now)

xoxo
bex

Workout top: Fehr trade XYT top

For a while there I was exercising a lot and didn't have enough tops to wear. 

at least it's not headless ok

So I bought and cut fabric for this pattern, and another one (papercut pneuma if you must know), in black, so that I could wear them with any old bottoms for any old sport.

so cute Y back

Then I got tired. And strep throat. But I am healthy again! So i wore it to play tennis and then to go for a run. I looove it. It's easy to wear! Looks like a cute tank, acts like a sports bra, and came together simply enough with Melissa's great instructions. Woo! 

can you see the gathering fabric/ridges? did i do that?

Notes on construction:  It's VERY supportive/compressive (I might go up a size in the bust next time). I already sized up in the waist and extended the length so it would be more swingy and less tight (as it's designed to be). I might also shorten the straps for yoga or a more modest-ok to bend over style. ;) One weird thing- I blame the tricky elastic adding step (which is a hard one for me, but i'm getting better) left this weird gathering that happened whyyuyy? Around the neck and armholes.

more of the weird gathering tunneling thing. 

Anyway, it's a good, versatile, unique pattern. Get one.

headless tree

And while you're here, do  you know a tennis skirt pattern? I wear the weirdest tennis outfits. Skirts would make them make sense.

xoox
bex

First week of school: take 2

Just found this draft. oops. it's late, but true. :)

Day 1 (orientation) boy asks for advanced science curriculum "I want to study quantum mechanics"

Day 2 (first day) first request for help spelling is for the word "repertoire". Second is "sponsored". 

Day 3 new kids volunteer for, excel at, and are appreciate for taking on classroom jobs.

Day 4 in collage about equity, scales are decorated "because some people need lentils and some people need Korean food". 

student refuses to help clean the classroom until better wages are negotiated. 

Honey, this is NORTH Oakland. Welcome home!

make it perfect: Shearwater Caftan

good shirt. i wear it all the time. 

 kinda tight in the armscye...but i don't always notice so maybe it's great.

 i never use the sleeve tabs.

 the fabric is this stuff

 WHO DOESN'T LOVE MOTHS?!?!?

 somehow it has a bit of shaping though it has no darts or anything.

 don't I have freaky fingers? also dirty hair, in these pics :)

 "no no like this!"

Anyway, make your own if you like to not get sunburned and stay cool. make sure your fabric is breathey.

xo 4e
bex

check that widget!

Hi pals.

It's summer. How great is that? (For a teacher, it is GREAT!) So I have been sewing, of course, and munching cookies. Did you know I eat a lot of cookies? You can see it in my FBA!  (lol sewing joke!)

Anyway, the old blog is pretty neglected, so I thought I'd just be super explicit about where to talk sewing and such with lil ol me.

here's what I did today...I've spent a lot of time sewing and unsewing this dress. no photos of the real thing STILL,  UGH. What do the zig zags tell you....? it's MYRTLE. 

1) Instagram. I'm also taking pictures of bugs, flowers, the city, and my munchkin, but usually one of us is wearing something handmade, so that's fun. I'm @rebeccaw0w

I had only shown this underbutt Bombshell beach skirt on Instagram...

2) Pattern Review - now that I have a clue about what I'm doing, I'm subjecting the large world of sewists to my brave and brash opinions. Check em out! 

I reviewed the Maria Denmark Signe dress on there. 

3) at the Bay Area Sewists meetups! I've plugged them enough, I know. It's so fun.

Here's a dress I blogged about then subsequently updated THREE TIMES. I think I like it now. 

4) If I hit you up on one of those media or you want to talk sewing or patterns or fabrics or whatever, write me! I do love the conversation and am totally into stitchery meetings, I'm just not an excellent broadcaster :)

xoxo
bex

Meetup: score!! And wows to C Sews

Before: nice fabrics that are Not my style. (Plus excess swim fabric just cause I have loads and why not share the love)

Not shown: dots in b/w colorway

After: fall wardrobe- L to R baby corduroy, wool, wool knit, and tasty linen 

Awesome. I'm so proud of how much smarter my fabric swap choices are. Last time I did this I took home piles of synthetic strangeness. Growth! 

Now back to my baby's hoodie and a grip of Myrtle dresses. 

Thanks so much to Chuleenan for killing it on g

roup organization! Congrats to Lindsay on her modified tiny pocket tank, happy bday to Meg and yayyy I got to meet Ebony! 

Bay Area Pride. 

Happy sewing!

Rebecca

Ps I wore my Polly top and it's too big- but a good stash buster!

To Do List

There are a lot of projects flying in my head. For my own brains:

Soma Swimsuit
Bombshell swim skirt/bootie shorts

call this a skirt, put on a slouchy white t, take the boys' numbers

potholder for housewarming party
Fabric boxes for
 - rag rug strips
 - bias bits
 - knit scraps
Dresses for gfs
Kindergarten backpack
some kind of cardigan

cardigan, bruh

color wheel art piece
various lunch bags
Polly Top
cut paper branch mobile
Prussian blue skirt
Moth something or other (scout? sylphide? both?)

so pretty!!! yardage is waiting in the closet. 

black ponte laurel dress
breton laurel dress (or other a la staple dress?)

How far does your yardage go?

I'm pretty cheap. Let's just get that out there. I could say frugal or treehugging, but cheap is truer.

I'll drop $$$ on a nice glass of wine, fresh cherries, even a ridiculous artisanal hot dog (oh Bay Area). But I save money almost everywhere else by being CHEAP. I also don't like waste.  

SO- I've been obsessed with nebula fabric ever since I saw this: 

Aah!!! Gorgeous!! I thought about buying a scarf to sew with...and then about Spoonflower...but no, those are not in my price range. But Girl Charlee, she knows my style. Some of their fabrics are kind of crappy. We should get that out there. This might turn out that way...but for now I'm showing you how much outfit I squeezed out of two yards of magnficently printed nebula fabric.

Piece 1: everyday tee from Meg McElwee. Why is everyone releasing t shirt patterns right now? This is the best one and you get a craftsy class with it. Win!!

Piece 2: signe dress!! As I was cutting the tee shirt I realized that this soft amazig fabric needed to be a dress I could wear every day this summer. Ta daaa:

Maria Denmark's signe dress!!

Piece 3: Then I made matching undies. They're  soft and lacy and undies! Zoe's is close, but I made this pattern from a fave rtw pair.

Piece 4?? Nope :(

It obviously pays to have some TNT patterns around. And notions. But that's what you get for 3 years of obsessive stitching, and yeehaw!

What's your record for items/yard??

Sinbad & Sailor Dove tee

Today is woven tee day. 

I have made a couple of Grainline patterns' Scout tees, but am always doing something fiddly to bring in the back (CB seam, sneaky darts, etc). Full bust with a flowy shirt back combine to make me look like a teepee- not so flattering! So i bought I'd try out the Dove "fitted" tee from new kids (??) Sinbad & Sailor. I love the saucy back slit too. 

Here's my super scrap-busting version with plaid shirting, linen, and lace. No attempt at pattern matching due to fabric limits (make do and make).

Everything fit together like a dream! If it weren't a "muslin" I'd definitely French all the seams and might also set the sleeves flat. As it was, my machine bunched the lace of the arm heads just enough that I didn't have to fit them. Woo. 

Chucked the facing for a bias bound neckline, and I'd do that again too because I find facings are always flopping about and yuck.

I'll try it on in the mornin to suss the fit. In the meanwhile- have you tried this puppy? Were you as impressed as I am?

UPDATE: the fit was TERRIBLE. You can see that it's very wide and squat - that didn't work for me. I took in the side seams about 1/2-1" on each side, then let out the hem. 

It seems like the back slit is a way to make the shirt work in a fabric that doesn't move- and because it goes so high it's really revealing. I may add a button or two around the top of the slit to keep the top in place. a windy breeze almost revealed my whole torso without it! 

Finally, the armholes are really tight. I'll adjust that if I take this on again. Which I will probably do because the bust fits really nicely and I am a glutton for punishment/complicated projects with low payoff. 

Tell me- did you fix these things already? Or could you tell before I could that this top was a no-go?

Xoxo r