Monthly Archives: February 2014

Cozy Checkerboard Flannel “M6696” Shirtdress

Posted in 2014 Sewing, Finished Projects by

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Pattern: M6696 shirtdress
Fabric: 2 yards of 60″ wide Buffalo check flannel from A K Fabrics in the Garment District (I wish I had had at least 1/2 yard more though)
Notions: 10 5/8″ sailor buttons
Size: 10 at bust; 12 at waist/hips (waist should be brought in more next time)
Alterations: Similar to my first version, except this time I omitted the waistband (due to fabric shortage); made a self-fabric tie at the waist to cinch and to help hide the mismatched plaids; used the B-cup bodice pieces (and raised the waist darts 1″); lowered the skirt back darts 1 3/4″; and altered the sleeve cuff design

A warm and cozy dress for cold and snowy days is complete! Yay! Now I just need to find a cabin to sit by a fire with hot chocolate and marshmallows. Even though I think I just turned myself into a Brooklyn hipster with this flannel (L train chic?), I’m most pleased with it! For some reason I don’t like the way it photographed on me, but I like it on me otherwise. If that makes sense. :)

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Wearing Yesteryear: Class of January 2013

Posted in Wearing Yesteryear by

We’ve been pummeled with another round of snow today here in New York City, and now that I’m all cozy in my apartment again I remembered that I’m way overdue for my January Wearing Yesteryear post! But first, check out this elderly woman shoveling snow in front of her building this morning. She must be in her 80s, but was out there like the tough cookie she is! Her younger neighbor joined her as I took this shot of all the snow accumulating on the stoops of these Murray Hill brownstones.

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Intense! And this was just 9am. We still had a few more hours to go, and this evening the snow is back at it! I walked about 15 blocks in this and passed a bunch of shop owners shoveling outside their stores. Call me crazy, but I actually enjoyed my walk in the snow. :)

Anyway, back to the snow-free sewing world – here’s my lone graduate from January 2013:

The London Fog Skirt

Blog Debut: January 15, 2013
Pattern: Simplicity 5454
Worn In: Spring, Summer
Wearability Meter: Very!
Lessons Learned: When shortening the length of a skirt, true the seams properly.

I love this skirt! The color makes me sooooo happy and the pockets are fun to have around. I wore this regularly over the summer with a number of different tops. It’s a bold color, but it still manages to pair well with both prints and solids. Win-win! I typically wore sandals or flats with it.

The one thing I goofed up on was shortening the skirt. The original pattern is a straight skirt at about calf-length, and when I shortened it I came out with a fuller skirt than I had anticipated (I wanted to preserve the original silhouette). Next time, I’ll narrow the hem to account for the fact I’ve adjusted the length. My mistake wouldn’t have been as big a deal if I had used fabric with drape, but this cotton/linen canvas is a tad stiff.

Oh well! Can’t complain. I’m just a slight perfectionist. :) I’m still excited to wear this skirt and I’d like to make more! If you like this design but have a hard time finding it, you might be interested in the similar Hollyburn Skirt from Sewaholic Patterns.

That’s it from me. I have a new shirtdress done and it just needs to be photographed. Stay tuned! In the meantime,

Happy Valentine‘s Day!