Category Archives: 2013 Sewing

Zebra M6462 Party Dress!

Posted in 2013 Sewing, Finished Projects by

m6462-swirl

Oh, how I love, love, love Christmas in New York. So festive. And where better to celebrate some holiday cheer than at the famed Plaza Hotel just off Central Park? Look at all those holiday decorations! There are a gazillion public rooms in the Plaza, but these photos feature the beautiful Palm Court and main entrance.

  • Fabric: 2 1/8 yards of zebra-ish knit (no idea what it is, but it’s soooo soft!) from Les Fabriques in Charlottesville, VA; 1/2 yard of black cotton tricot for the bodice lining from Spandex House, NYC
  • Pattern: McCall’s 6462 (knit)
  • Size: 10 with adjustments
  • Notions: Black stay tape to stabilize the neckline
  • Adjustments: omitted center back zipper and just cut pieces on the fold; omitted lining at skirt; omitted inseam pockets; shortened arm straps to remove gaping at front

So, yes, I have a me-made party dress – woohoo! And in fabric that’s kind of unusual for me, how ’bout that? I bought it in 2011, and every time I’ve picked it up since then I’ve thought it’s way too soft a fabric to be sitting there any longer. Well, now I’ve finally gone and turned it into something.

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Pumpkin Spice “Charlotte” Skirt

Posted in 2013 Sewing, Finished Projects by

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
First of all, oy, please excuse the quality of these photos. They were really dark when I first took them and I had to work the limited Photoshop magic I possess to get these up to snuff. This might be the way of things for the time being, so I do apologize. Alrighty, now on with the show!

Pattern and Fabric
 This is the Charlotte Skirt of By Hand London fame. I’ve been wanting to add some sass to my wardrobe with a high-waisted pencil skirt and who better to turn to than those sassy London ladies? Of course I went for the plainest variation of this pattern, but oh well. I still love how it turned out (with some changes) and I can’t wait to have a bunch more in my closet!

(US readers: you can order BHL and Deer & Doe patterns through Grey’s Fabric in Boston and avoid international fees! I was really happy to discover this.)

The fabric is a pumpkin orange wool blend with brown lines that I picked up from Mood here in the city last spring (you can see the print detail better in that post). I lined the skirt with beige Bemberg, also from Mood. Rare to buy the outer fabric and lining on the same day and actually make the skirt I had intended to make!

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Sewaholic Minoru: Blue Skies & Starry Nights

Posted in 2013 Sewing, Finished Projects by

minoru-side

Yay, I have a brand new jacket! I can’t tell you how much this color makes me happy. Who says all New Yorkers wear black? The second I saw this pretty blue stretch cotton on the shelf at Mood this summer I knew it was meant to be a Minoru Jacket by Sewaholic Patterns.

At 60″ wide, I bought 2 yards of it and had some left over after cutting out all the pieces. I also used about 2 yards of 45″ wide navy and white polka-dot stretch cotton from my stash for the lining (with navy Bemberg rayon for the sleeve lining – helps with sliding the jacket on and off!). The metal Riri brand zippers are from Pacific Trimming in the Garment District.

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The “Taking Initiative” Renfrew Top

Posted in 2013 Sewing, Finished Projects by

samba-renfrew

renfrew-patternThe Facts

Fabric: 1 1/2 yards of red cotton jersey from Mood NYC
Pattern: Sewaholic Renfrew
Notions: none
Pantone Challenge color: Samba
Year: contemporary
Time to complete: 4 to 5 hours
First worn: for these photos
Wear again? Yes!

Total Cost: $20


 It’s here! My contribution to the Sew Weekly Reunion. A really simple effort, but it’s definitely going to come in handy once the cooler months come our way. Dressing and sewing for summer is no problem, but the winter has always left me stumped. I just don’t like the cold! I often wear a short-sleeved shirt or dress with a cardigan over it so this is the year where I’m really trying to focus on long sleeves and thicker fabrics.

I’m calling this the “Taking Initiative” top because I really didn’t think I was going to be able to contribute to this challenge after committing to it. I felt like I was running out of time and then I realized one day I was making a bunch of excuses! It was then that I took the fabric back out of the cabinet and cut out the pieces. It took me two evenings: one to cut and the other to sew it all together.

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M6696: The Indian Amazon “Hamaca” Dress

Posted in 2013 Sewing, Finished Projects by

m6696hamaca

  • Pattern: McCall’s 6696, view C
  • Size: 10 at bust transitioned to 12 at waist/hips
  • Fabric: 3 yards of Kaffe Fassett Ikat Streak (succulent colorway)
  • Notions: 8 c. 1900 vegetable ivory buttons from Archangel Antiques
  • Alterations: Raised armscye 1″; removed front darts at skirt; removed 4″ of width from back bodice to reduce poofiness caused by gathers; machine-stitched button placket and waistband facing instead of hand-stitching; used self-fabric instead of purchased bias tape (other changes for next time below)

This is the dress I wore to MPB Day 2013! I made it with fabric I bought at Z Fabrics in Portland, Maine during a New England road trip last summer. Paired with the sleeveless bodice, it’s a perfect weight for summer. Some folks on MPB Day asked me about the fabric, and it wasn’t until I looked at the receipt later that I discovered it’s Ikat hand-dyed and hand-woven in India. Neat!

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