FO: Luxury lounging, Seamwork Almada robe

I'm sorry for the photos. Let's get that out of the way. I'm trying! photography is a continuing mystery. 

Phew! Now let's talk about this lovely robe, for, as Nicole called it, "my opium life". It's truly a LOUNGE LIFE robe, and that's what I wanted. Marie Kondo tells us not to keep leftover clothes for loungewear, and in my recent mega purge, my bedroom is getting a slow and clean makeover. I need something to wear for it all, right?

Enter Almada. I stalked a lot of double gauze, but couldn't commit, and made it out of [single?] gauze in olive and chartreuse/neon/lime (color people, please educate me). It's like wearing a dry feather, and I love it. It does hang open like shown above, so at some point I'll have to sew in the snap the pattern suggests.

Until then, let's look at the GUTS!

Shown above (on the left) is where the waist tie is stitched to the front. I strengthened it with some fusible interfacting and then added some leftover bias tape over top, in an attempt to camouflage the white white interfacing. Eh. I do think it's worth reinforcing this stitching so the tie doesn't pull the robe fabric apart, but this way isn't the most lovely solution.

When I first tried it on I found that the sleeve innards TOTALLY show when the robe is on. A raw seam (seriously! it was supposed to be just raw. Boo.) was not what I was going for in my #upgrade. So I went nuts.

Madam Clean Seams

I started with bias tape - i had made 300 yards for the front and neck binding, and I started by binding the sleeve/cuff seam with it. Then it was floppy...so I added a fancy decorative stitch. Those things are fun.


I went around the front seam with that same stitch pattern and I just think it's the neatest. Geometic, not frilly, but intricate and fancy-feeling.

Next time I would use two different fabrics, one for the cuffs and tie and one for the body, like I did here. I like how it makes it a little more special. I would make the ties about half as long though, or not interface them - as you can see above and below, the interfaced tie really only needs half a knot to stay in place. Then there are these crazy long rectangles hanging about...but there are NEON GREEN so it's all good.

and I LOVE the way the gauze hangs and moves. Check! Have you made one yet? It's like $3 dude. get at it!

Lessons from Me Made May

1st lesson: I need to exercise more!
Taking just a week of selfies showed me that it was time to get active. I've been teaching and on my feet for 6-8 hours a day, but not yoga or running as much as I should. That feedback was hard to take (as a sewist I measure myself constantly, but somehow...), but easy to act on. I've been working out 3-4 times a week and am feeling much fitter and hotter (http://instagram.com/p/ozMRzjvhcn/). ;)
reader- how can i post images here from instagram? ??

2nd lesson: I'm making what I like to wear.
My funds have been pretty tight for a couple of years since quitting PR and moving to education, so if I wanted to wear something I had to make it. Done! MMM made me focus on solid color tops to coordinate with my flashy bottoms, which means I have a new black tee and a new acid green tee to make eveything else infinitely more wearable.

3rd lesson: I reallly reallly really wanted a Saturday/Farmers market dress.
My darlingdonne was a hit and made me a sewing friend at the farmers market, but honestly it feels dumpy (even after i raised the hem 3-4" from those pics) and I stretched the v neckline on the right side so i don't love it as much as others do. Enter Linen! Laurel! AAAAYYYYY-men. I finished the neck and arms with piping because WHY NOT. I've been wearing these every weekend since and they are so easy to style and wear. I don't even wash them - just rinse and hang because linen fell from heaven in a divine state.

4th lesson: The stash is shrinking due to ruthless busting.
I'm making silk "muslins" at this point, to get rid of those "too fancy for today" fabrics that just sit there. It forces me to learn silk skills (thanks, Thread Cult!) and relieves the guilt of hoarding. Sewing is to reduce my impact, right?

5th lesson: I am SO FORTUNATE to be doing this here (in the SF Bay area). There's an awesome meetup group that makes me feel connected even if i barely ever make it (see first year teaching), the world's best sewing store next to the world's best grocery store about a mile from my house and they are both locally owned. There are lots of other scrappy and mystifying resources around, and of course, the people are ridiculously awesome. My meetup isn't octogenarian quilters (that would be fun sometimes but you know), it's Beth! and Meg! and a bunch of other people who will probably blow my mind when I finally meet them. Also Katrina, my latest art/craft crush, who I met at an art crawl last month and whose art got me focused on foxes. My finally-found spirit animal!

Please send fox fabric. 

So there we have it. What did you learn? What shall we sew this summer?

xooxoxxoo bex

i miss you

this is just a list of things i'd like to blog about. it's so awkward coming back here after such a huge gap!

all about me
- t shirt quest. how to

reproduce the perfect j crew drapey tee...and also test make every t shirt pattern ever posted on the internet.

meg meelwee's v-neck pattern

-  what i've learned about sewing underwear!! i love it soooooo.
- I finally made a laurel dress (not just a top) and it's my new favorite wear-every-saturday day dress. no waistline ladies ftw.
- on buying better fabrics and hallelujah I am over that price-is-key era of my sewing. also send me linen so i can stay cool forever. it's really hot here.

nice fabrics catch the light

- somehow at the same time I'm using up my stash! I worked really hard last fall and winter to NOT buy more fabric. I started slipping this spring, but am back at the busting! just this weekend: a failed Tiny pocket tank took up one of my first stonemountain discount shirting buys (c. 2011?) and Laurel #2 took up some yummy ikat that I bought for xmas gifts in 2012 and then kept instead. that yardage has needed a home since i tried (and HATED) the burda Anda.
- fixing things that were almosts and chucking things that were good practice at the time.
- i love grainline jen. that's old news innit. anyway, the latest love comes from the lakeside pajamas which have a weird bust thing i'm getting used to but is still annoying (why are her patterns so HUGE in the back and so high and tight in the bust? she looks so proportional and normal...). it makes me feel so lovely to wear intentional pajamas and not just jersey pants and an old unicorn tee shirt. can't wait to make set #2 out of this crazy gingham that is soft as silk.

a friend gave me this quilting cotton for some reason. stash busted! 

other people
- I made a bunch of stuff for the boy. i love it. so far I've bought him shoes for this season, and that may be all...we'll see if I can make/mend/inherit his whole wardrobe. i'll keep our consumption down as long as he lets me!

made this t (recognize the sleeve fabric?)
and inherited the shorts. he's happy. 

- i bought two haircuts and a bang trim with clothes i sewed. sewing for other people is kind of scary, but it gets easier as you know your audience.
- two friends got underpants for their birthdays and it made me feel good to give them fancy things I had made. lacey underthings? you're welcome.

cash value = two cool haircuts

the house
- um, quilting? I did it. what do i do with these things now? I should check Jen's blog.
- i really need interior design help in my apartment. I have gorgeous fabrics to use for curtains and such but have no flipping idea where to start.

and hanging out with other sewing people?!
- bay area sewists meets monthly! like all meetup groups, i stalked online for about 4 months before finally getting my ass to the event. It was lovely! such cool ladies doing the sewing. and I got to accost Beth and ask her what is the DEAL with the armpit lines on the tiny pocket tank. Thankfully Lindsay was there too and she had the lines so I didn't feel like a total dodo sewing noob.
- it occurs to me now that sewists, like dancers, are fine touching each other (well, our clothes) and pointing at boobs. so funny: "Hi Beth, I'm rebecca. Can i ask you a fit question?" next we're both checking out my bust and touching my armpits. and then drawing geometric diagrams.

What's in the queue?
- papercut la sylphide muslin (which is actually made of silk. The opposite of muslin. remember that stashbusting? I bought 1.5 yards of gorgeous silk crepe 2+ years ago and have been afraid to use it since. Today i cut it into a sylphide blouse because if it works its a coup and if it doesn't well at least it's not sitting in there yelling at me.) then a dress out of this moth print rayon. i have it all backwards, leave me alone ;)
- burda silk motorcycle jacket in gold-shimmer linen (inspired by sallie's beach mini last year). Bay area summer jacket, ya know.
- hawaii wardrobe: wax print keyhole maxi (is that kristen wiig modeling?), bikini, and at least one sexy fun dress (this fancy maxi?)
- jams!

these Sara pants are tight and loud. let's go to the club!

- i made a "muslin" of the Named Sara leggings and LOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEE them. it's too hot right now for those so they're tabled temporarily.
- trying out the SBCC trousers. I need nicer work pants and have the bEST stretch wool waiting for them if they work. that crazy 'muslin' loudness above will make some hot shorts if the pattern works. whooohew.

FO: LACEY LAUREL

shades of grandma's upholstery....

and a velvet ribbon I've been lovingly hiding for >10 years

it's my pullover lacey laurel!

I lowered the dart! good job, lady. Then cut the front in a 6 ish, and the back in a 0. I meant to leave out the center seam but forgot.

action shots to come...i expect i'll be rocking this number a bunch in the big ME MADE month of MAY!

simple banded hem and collar because the velvet was hecka hard, and has zero give...I didn't want to stretch and mangle the neckline fighting with ribbon.

woooooooo.

xo

Laurel draft and black and white submission cause why not?

Yall, i made a Laurel. it's a top, it's modest, it's challis. It's pretty dope but the darts are a little high. I am writing this blog while i preview videos for my teaching performance portfolio and I am having terror about if my students read this. whatever, they'd be bored quickly enough, right?

musing, dreamy, excess headroom 

here she is: Laurel test case, shown here with my atrocious photos and various efforts at styling, posing, and editing. aaahh!

casual, businesslike. meta. 

 friends, the dart is too high for my full mom boobs. can you tell? go ahead, stare below.

crazed picmonkey makeup and text!

 the back fits soooo nicely. and no fasteners OR stretch fabric required?! sarai did some magic on this one. 

fancy: the dual purpose fabric close up and back shot.

I was going to make 800 dresses and tops when I first saw the pattern. Then i saw this and got obsessed with lace. and underwear....

avante garde high contrast!

short story: I AM STUCK about what other versions to make. I need a meetup. Maybe a fabric swap to get the inspiration moving again...are you in!?

xo 

bex 

aggh! it's perfect!!

well, i've been obsessed with half sleeves, and was thinking about drafting some...

j.crew makes my favorite t shirts, but i cannot pay j.crew prices for sweatshop clothes!

Also thinking about dresses and plotting a thousand dumpy Andas (no, no, i would not let them get dumpy, but i'm still aware that the threat is there) in a quest for simple, wearable dresses. With pockets!

http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_store/patterns/anda

And then Sarai at Colette releases the exact thing I need! ok, the exact thing i WANT. (what do i really NEED? just a teaching credential ;) I am enjoying my Anise jacket so much, and am making a Ginger skirt for a friend, it looks like I'm back on the Colette train.

Today she presents a dress:

http://www.coletterie.com/colette-patterns-news/introducing-laurel

and a shirt:

GET YOU R OWN at http://www.colettepatterns.com/shop/laurel

a couple of clicks, and this one's on its way...so when I get my work done, I will have so much fun playing!!

FO: ANISE jacket

So it's done! And I took it on a hike.

Basics:
Colette Anise and sew along as mini tutorials.
2 months of occasional effort - cutting, buttonholing, tailoring, fitting, and handstitching the lining.
This lovely gray green blue wool was free! thank you Mena and your fun swap last spring. (I miss you!)

the back looks puffy here! Say it's not so.

I spent about $8 on thread and $9 on buttons at Stonemountain, then found this GORGEOUS silk remnant for $7 there too. A lovely lining really makes a garment special, don't it? Especially on something you're going to take off in public, on the regular. 

the collar is even good for poppin! This photo courtesy of the  ocean wind.  

jealous yet? I live in the best place, really. 

Pockets-  I may turn them sideways next time. ! 

MUST enjoy pretty pockets. perfect for the keys and phone. 

sleeve sort of behaving...

The one problem i'm having is that my cuffs fall! See that nice crease? That's the "end" of the sleeve. I think the lining is too long so it's not holding the cuff properly. 

But I am having so much fun wearing this I am really reluctant to get back into its guts. I did a little shenanigans with my sleeve lining to make up for the tininess of my silk remnant. Just goes to remind me, again - Measurements matter! 

 In Sum: YIPPEE!!

tailoring chops in wool. ba boom.

i put another 7-8 hours into my ANISE jacket!

 i finally started sewing pieces together last night. between the four kinds of fabric, and jillion pieces to cut, it's taken me 2 months to gather materials, prewash, interface, and underline. i've gathered all of the fabric from my onsite fabric store, which is pretty sweet. I've kicked ass at not buying more fabric this fall, and i've been so productive at the same time. I think there's something in the 'using what you have' that makes me more efficient. When i have piles of new fabric and piles of new patterns, i get overwhelmed with options and i think more, but i actually sew less. what a good lesson. :)

oh hello, repurposed dress shirt. how are you doing as underlining?

now, back to the jacket! it's such a nice start on tailoring. I've used Gertie's princess seaming tips (from her Craftsy course, sorry there's no free tutorial), Tasia's bound buttonholes, and Tasia's basting and underlining. I should buy more patterns from Tasia, she's really becoming my favorite sewing teacher.

i love how the hand stitches and muslin look like a tailor's shop.  hard to see with hi tech photos. 

 i sewed a couple of pieces together last night just for the satisfaction of a body-shaped item. Then I detoured today into bound buttonholes.

lovely: perfect spacing and straight, even lines.

Aren't they lovely??

oh! they look so ugly in this photo. Trust me when i tell you they are just like ugly tadpoles on their way to being beautiful froggies. 

i love them. i'm going to hand stitch them more...sometime when i watch a movie or something.

here they all are, all flipped in  & triangles stitched. they're small- it's cool. 

I'm excited to put this together and wear it, but also to be really careful in the making process. interesting life balance there. 

what are you learning this weekend??

xo

Colette party and why i'm trying again

So I went to the Colette party. It was fine. I saw a lot of people wearing Colette dresses.

things I learned:

• These dresses provide a particular aesthetic 
• That aesthetic is not exactly mine...
• I am also not a big fan of dresses out of quilting cotton (though yours was extra cute, Nicole!). 
• The samples are made from fabric types (silk, slinky poly), that I rarely see home sewists use in their Colette creations. that's why this dress is so dope:  
• I scrutinized the Sencha sample, and am going to try to work that one again. I also saw a cute version in action (on an actual person) so I have the faith again!
• I also grabbed the Anise from the sample rack and tried it on. WOO! I want a short jacket, and it's a good time to get motivated with a sewalong. 

are you supposed to touch the samples? xlnt.

I plan to make it up in this gnarly (free) olive wool I have downstairs as a test case. It'll be useful if it works, and not a huge loss if it doesn't. 

Questions

• Does Liberty quilting cotton = regular shirting cotton? something to consider. I love this stuff, and it's wayyyyy less benjamins than the nice stuff:

finally, i have this blog, where i sew and stuff? but i can't identify as a sewing blogger (because i don't do sH&t to build audience or community or whatever...plus of course I feel like a giant dork trying to befriend people whose projects I stalk and judge online) (who's honest? me). but innyways 1.0 points if you can name the one with the Look in this photo.

lolz- hi Amy! 

See you at the SEWALONG?

xo 

bex

SWAP deadline - and a giveaway~!

Today is the SWAP deadline. I think i've done pretty well, and am celebrating by adding a little SWAPPING with a pattern giveaway.
** giveaway alert! **
want my Sencha pattern? it isn't a flattering shape for me but maybe you are shaped differently...holler if you want it! tell me..your favorite tea. 
refresher- i was to make 11 wardrobe pieces...2 of a few items and then 3 others. for my first deep spring of sewing, I've had to reorient a few times as fabrics drew me and projects turned me off (i'm talking to you, cap sleeve dress). nonetheless.... WOO! 

2 Blouses     holla!

still seeking TNT pattern- here's my initial survey:

1.  Burda blouse in Green, my first sew weekly submission (and um, only, to date.)

2. Sencha, which I have realized is also my first wadder. previous post lied:  that thing is nasty.

3. Titus "village" blouse. it's a little big, but i used a nice fabric and better technique, and the shape seems like it could be good for lots of fabrics. here's hopin.  (in fact, Mom may get one for Mama's day, it's such a simple shape I think i could fit it to someone miles and miles away.  

stripped down renfrew cowl-i swear it's cute in person.

2 T-Shirts   beep!

1. brown lace
2. minimal cowl- based loosely on the renfrew, but with half the fabric- no sleeves, no cowl lining, no waistband. it's a solid wardrobe staple, thank goodness.

2 Dresses  what what!!

1. cinnamon slip (which has become a nightdress, i'm so femme :p)

oh, hello again

easter dress has a waistband now

2- "easter" dress...is underway but is taking forever~. does not count unless I pull it out.
3- black and white GINGHAM Darling Ranges. I LOVE THIS THING.

2. Skirt     hm.
1. pink half slip. I'm not really into skirts as separates right now (except pencil skirts). but i already have three pencil skirts. Really? that's enough. 
2. is not going to happen.

Coat or Jacket     ye-yeyeah!
1. Minoru rain jacket

i made my own category for undies
cinnamon cami
panties from my own design
slip - maybe the ruby, since i have it printed at home...
bloomers!

looks like i am a winner! are you too? tell me all about it! or tell me you want that Sencha! 

xo bex