Monthly Archives: October 2012

V8379 Dress: The October Issue

Posted in 2012 Sewing, Finished Projects by

I’m very happy to share my latest creation, a knit wrap dress made from Vogue 8379! This might be my favorite sewing project yet. I wore it straight away and the fabric is sooooooo comfy.

It came just in time too; I hadn’t completed anything since the end of summer’s First Impressions Dress. Yikes!!

Hmm, is it just me or do I match the furniture?

This dress is called “The October Issue” because I was cutting out the pieces while watching the Vogue documentary, The September Issue. In October. Yeah, heavy stuff coming to you live from Sewin’ in the Rain Productions. I had wanted to photograph the dress outside, but tomorrow’s forecast and the next few hurricaney days sure ain’t lookin’ pretty. As such, the photo quality falls short of stellar.

I picked up this (polyester/blend?) knit fabric over the summer, the first fabric purchase of 2012 for me (I’ve been good otherwise!). Since I don’t have many knits, adding to my stash isn’t as bad as when I buy more and more cottons.

At $3 a yard and $1.99 for the pattern during one of those online super sales, this is my most cost effective outfit to date! That doesn’t happen often for me since I tend to oooo and ahhh the slightly more pricey fabrics and patterns.

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Nina Leen’s Glimpse Into LIFE

Posted in Great Old Finds, Sewing Ideas by

Have you seen these incredible photos by photographer Nina Leen? They’re part of the LIFE photo archive available through Google. Leen starting working for LIFE in 1945 and was one of the first female photographers at the magazine. A friend introduced me to her and her work, and I picked out some of my favorites to share with you today!

First, I just love the photo above. There’s something kind of dream-like about it, I guess. The pose as well as the dress with the shoes and headband are all so cute – enough to intrigue a couple of fellas rowing boats even! Everything about it makes me want to be there. Doesn’t the model kind of remind you of Casey from Elegant Musings?

The page where this is posted (click on each photo to go to the source) notes that this is Washington Square Park, which certainly isn’t so! T’is actually taken by “The Lake” in Central Park. The Beresford – the grand apartment building just above the model’s head – is a clear giveaway, situated quite happily on Central Park West between 81st and 82nd Streets since 1929. :)

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Progress, I Promise!

Posted in Musings & Everything Else by

Just a quick update to say that all the pieces are cut for my Vogue 8379 wrap dress! Phew, it took a couple of evenings to cut these out. They’ve taken over my living room and I couldn’t get them all in this photo, but you get the idea. :) I’m not going to have much time over the next week to work on this, so I figured I’d give this mini progress report to keep the momentum going. (I decided not to take the fullness out of the skirt like most versions I’ve seen online – I’m curious to see how it will look.)

Oh, and I also traced the pattern pieces for Gertie’s Pencil Skirt. I didn’t realize when I bought the book that a lot of the pieces are printed over each other like patterns from magazines. Kind of the pits to trace, if you ask me. All those lines overlapping each other = confusing. But, hey, it’s done!