Wearing Yesteryear: July 2012 One Year Later

Posted in 2012 Sewing, Wearing Yesteryear by

Hello everyone! It’s me again, back with yet another post (I know, they’re coming in left and right!).

So, this is a series I’ve been meaning to start for awhile now, but I’ve just never gotten it off the ground. It’s a pretty simple concept: write a reflection post a year after a sewing creation was shared here on my blog in order to see how it wears in the long run. Sure, it’s nice seeing pretty pictures of a garment, but how does it wear in reality? Does it fit nicely into my everyday wardrobe or is it a great piece to take out every now and then for a special occasion? Has it since been altered or does it never see the light of day because, well, things just didn’t work out for one reason or another?

That’s where this reflection series I’m calling “Wearing Yesteryear” comes into the picture. Since I’m not the most prolific of seamstresses, I can review all the projects I posted in July 2012 right here, right now in July 2013. Last I checked that’s a grand total of two (yes, two!) projects.

I think this is a great way of being honest with yourself (and with your readers) about what really works and why or why not. It’s not the worst thing in the world if a project doesn’t work out as long as you can learn from it. This is easy to say now, but that’s why Wearing Yesteryear is a helpful way of separating enough time from the hours you put into making a garment you hoped against hope would come out just as you had planned, only for it to end in frustration or plain ol’ misery.

Okay, so without further ado, here’s to kicking off the Wearing Yesteryear series!

muddy waters dress

The Muddy Waters Dress

Blog Debut: July 11, 2012
Pattern: Cambie Dress by Sewaholic Patterns
Worn In: Summer, but would be a better spring dress with the Bemberg lining (see below!)
Wearability Meter: Sadly, a dud
Lessons Learned: Go with my high bust measurement for the bust and do possible FBA; Bemberg lining in humid summers –> just say no!

What a sad way to start off Wearing Yesteryear, but if we’re going for honesty here I must admit that this dress just doesn’t work. I last wore it to Gertie’s book launch party last fall; just to prove how often I don’t wear this, there’s a small chocolate cake stain on the bodice from the party that I haven’t removed.

The problem? Gaping at the neckline from going with my bust measurement when I should’ve gone with my high bust measurement. I was trying to provide more room in the bust area, but if I drop down one size to reflect my high bust measurement I can work in an FBA if needed. I’ve never done one of those before and I think my method of cheating by going up one size at the bust failed me this time! I tried shortening the sleeve pieces to fix this, but that ended up pulling the darts in odd ways that only I seem to notice (which is enough to keep me from wearing it despite the compliments this dress received!).

Another thing? Bemberg lining in a hot and humid New York summer just does not breathe. Wowser was I trying to convince myself otherwise in my original post or what?! :)

amh_flirtskirt

The “In the Garden of St. Mark’s” Skirt

Blog Debut: July 21, 2012
Pattern: Flirt the Issue Skirt by Anna Maria Horner
Worn In: Summer
Wearability Meter: In regular rotation!
Lessons Learned: Fabric print is key; easy to care for; in another version, I’d add inseam pockets

This super easy to make skirt has definitely found a place in my summer wardrobe. The pop of those big flowers pairs nicely with a plain top as seen above, and it makes a simple outfit quite fun and interesting! I’m not an accessories person outside of earrings so the print accessorizes for me. The elastic waistband makes this a nice adjustable piece.

The cotton broadcloth fabric is also super easy to launder so when it gets dirty it doesn’t sit in the laundry basket for weeks waiting to be hand washed.

There’s definitely room for inseam pockets here and I’d work that in to a future version. Doesn’t really bother me though, and I even wore this skirt yesterday to work!

Okay, that’s it for now. Do you do these kinds of reflection posts of garments you’ve already made? Do you find it helpful?

The Camelia Bedelia Dress

Posted in 2013 Sewing, Finished Projects by

Happy belated Fourth of July to those who celebrated! Do you remember Amelia Bedelia? She randomly popped into my head when I saw “Camelia” written on the selvedge of this fabric. Anyway, I hesitate to call today’s creation “self-drafted” because it’s really just a rectangle, but I’ll tag it that way nonetheless. Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Jerry makes the joke that people think they’re artists simply because they can draw a 3D cube. ;)

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The halter straps were intentionally made long for dramatic effect!

  • Fabric: 1 yard of Alexander Henry “Camelia” cotton
  • Pattern: One rectangle (34″ x 44″) and two rectangles folded up for the straps – aha!
  • Notions: “Chestnut” rayon seam binding at the neckline; white elastic thread for the shirred bodice

I whipped this dress up over the course of a day to wear to my friend’s wedding in Virginia Beach. The photos in this post are from the reception! The neckline and hemline were created by snipping into the fabric and ripping the rest of the way – instant rectangle with a length of 34″. I cut the lone rectangle on the fold and used the whole width of the fabric, which was 44″. This meant I only had one seam so I decided to use a French seam.

You may remember the lengths I went to with my first sundress. So many steps that just weren’t necessary! Tanit-Isis left her no-brainer method in the comments and I instantly felt silly for over-thinking, but, hey, that’s what I do. :)

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Toodles, Google Reader…

Posted in 2013 Sewing, Finished Projects by

…and hello, seat cushions!

Well, before I get to the (finally finished!!) seat cushions, I wanted to offer a few ways to follow my blog if you’ve been reading along via Google Reader. I’m incredibly late in writing this post, considering that Reader will shut down tomorrow, but what can you do?

On the right-hand side of my blog are buttons to follow me on Bloglovin’ and Feedly. There’s also a sign-up box to receive updates via email (I don’t post very often so this shouldn’t get annoying/overwhelming!).

Below are the seat cushions that I had first cut out in Los Angeles three years ago. I’m proud to say I finally finished them this month in New York City! That’s transcontinental fine dining right there, yes siree.

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The construction process was pretty simple: after I created a template for the seats, I cut out the fabric to include a 5/8″ seam allowance. I probably could’ve gone with 1/4″, but I wanted to cover myself in case I needed to adjust and make the cushions bigger.

Since I didn’t have enough of this floral fabric for both sides, I went with a dark green color for the bottoms and ties (four ties per chair). It worked out nicely! The ties took the longest part, from having to cut out the strips to then turning them inside out. They’re knotted at the ends.

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Colette Sorbetto: For the Times They Are a-Roastin’

Posted in 2013 Sewing, Finished Projects by

sorbetto6

  • Pattern: Sorbetto Top by Colette Patterns
  • Size: 0
  • Fabric: 3/4 yard of 60″ wide Liberty “Suria” Tana Lawn from Brooklyn General; underlined with white voile
  • Notions: White bias tape (one package)
  • Alterations: Lowered the bust darts 1″; lengthened the top 3″
  • Tip: To save paper, you don’t need to print the last page of the pattern section and, if you’re one of the smaller sizes, you don’t need to print out the second page

Oh boy, has it been roasty toasty these past few days. Temperatures have been hitting the 90s (30s C) and after a nice cookout on Saturday with family, I decided to spend Sunday sewing away.

And, look, a one day creation from me! Yes! It’s so nice to tackle a simple sewing project every once in awhile, especially when time is short and you want to take a break from a more involved project.

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The Perfect Sewing Fortune?

Posted in Musings & Everything Else, Sewing Ideas by

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I couldn’t help but share this fortune cookie I opened yesterday. Usually these messages are pretty random, but this one in particular really resonated with me and my sewing habit (the baseball reference also helps, as I’m a huge baseball fan).

The second I read this I thought about the countless number of potential sewing projects that constantly stream through my head. I know I’m not the only one who does this! It’s so true though: wouldn’t one completed project be better than three stuck in UFO land?

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This was also great timing because I’m finally determined to complete a set of seat cushions for my kitchen table. It’s only been, oh, three years since I cut out the fabric for these babies.

My incentive? I’m hosting a book club meeting this Saturday (we’re reading The Age of Miracles, if you’re curious). I have no idea if this will get done in time…

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Of course, when picking up some supplies for that project at Purl Soho I also left with some Nani Iro fabric I didn’t really need. I’m thinking of either turning it into another Parfait dress or maybe finally tackling Casey’s 1950s sundress tutorial. Should I mention that less than 24 hours earlier when I bought the fabric I had plans to turn it into a skirt? ;)

Annnnnd that’s one of (way more than) three sewing thoughts left on base! I think it’s time for the 7th inning stretch so I can catch my breath, hunker down, and sew.