Speaking of which, the birthday sale at Gorgeous Fabrics is going strong! 25% off almost everything (not muslin, swatches, buttons, or gift certificates), even the newest fabrics that I’m adding!
Because I'm Bad! I'm Bad! You know it
I bask in my material malevolence. I revel in my silky sins and voile vices. Evil eyelets are my joy. Lace lasciviousness lights my life. I even have minions.
Wearing French Denim, of course!
Well, back to (eeeeevil) work. Happy sewing… bwahahahaha!
Tatiana’s dress is all done, yay! I won’t do a full-on pattern review, because I didn’t really use a pattern, more like I morphed a bunch of different patterns into the finished product. Plus, you’ve seen it throughout its genesis.
Oh yeah, and I’m super busy thanks to a little sale we have going on. More on that later.
One thing to note about this dress is that the skirt pattern I based it on, Burda 7470, is drafted for an NBA player. Seriously. It is LONG! I cut 4 inches off the skirt before I even started measuring it for a hem. Then I took another 4 inches off after Tatiana tried it on the first time, and I put a 1 inch hem in place. That is a loooooong dress!
I also added a little bit of bling. I put a few hot-fix crystals under the front cowl:
Colors: Citrine, Topaz, Topaz AB, Clear
And in the space left exposed by the cowl’s back drape:
We can always add more bling later if we want
She really liked it. The only thing I might change after the competition is the godets. We lost 8 inches of the godets, and therefore the associated fullness that they added to the bottom. I may re-cut the godets and put them in so we get that fullness back. But Tatiana was happy with it, so it’s good for the comp. And she loved how comfortable it is to wear. Yay me!
Here’s a video of her doing a practice run in it:
Gorgeous Fabrics is Turning 5 Years Old!
It feels like this was only yesterday, too.
Happy Birthday to us!!! Gorgeous Fabrics is turning 5 next Friday, and we’re starting the celebration early! I can’t believe it’s been 5 years. How that time has flown! It seems like only yesterday I sewed the Cosmopolitan Dress in that black and white knit that started the whole thing. Wow! And even more wow – I have made so many new friends through GF, and I’ve been having such a wonderful time working with all of you. You make me want to get up in the morning and jump right on the computer, every day!
So to celebrate… are you ready for it?
Are you really ready for it? Because here goes. Through next Monday, we’re are putting almost everything on sale for a whopping…
25% Off!
And when I say almost everything, I mean it. Even the newest fabrics will go up at the sale prices! This is our way of celebrating and thanking you for your business and friendship. And if you are on our mailing list, you already know about the drawing for the $250 gift certificate. If you’re not on the mailing list, or a FB, why not? It’s free, it’s fun, and you get the inside scoop on all sorts of things! And we never, ever share your information.
Here are a couple of pictures of the work in progress. Front:
Small cowl in the front
And back:
Cascading into a drape in the back
Tatiana is coming over to try it on tomorrow. I’m going to put a pair of criss-crossing straps from the shoulder to the mid back, just for security. I also have several dozen hotfix crystals that I’ll apply to the center back where the drape falls away from the dress. I’ll post pictures as I go, so stay tuned!
Now, on a much more serious note. You may have heard that Whitney Houston died today at the age of 48. That was a shock to many of us, but more so to my family was the death of a neighbor’s grandson last night. My oldest son invited 3 friends over for dinner (on a happy note, my roast chicken has a great reputation with the bandies). As we were finishing dinner, six police cars came screaming down our street with the lights flashing and rounded the corner. Shortly thereafter, an ambulance and the rescue fire truck came careening by. We found out later that our neighbor’s 21 year old grandson died in their house of a heroin overdose. They were in Florida. The boy’s mom, who lives about 5 blocks away, came looking for him and found him. I didn’t know the boy, but it hit hard for everyone in our neighborhood. He was good friends with our next door neighbor. Parents, make sure you talk to your kids early and often, and keep those lines of communication open.
I was out of town on Monday and Tuesday. I attended a fabric show (a story for a later time, but it wasn’t what I hoped, alas). Let me tell you, Tuesday was a tough day to be a Patriots fan in New York. I like the Giants and I’m happy for them, but…
Okay, so anyway, where does the dress stand? No pictures, but I got a lot done today. I added godets to the skirt front. I pulled it off the table and held it up against myself and – holy cow! How tall does Burda expect one to be? Seriously, the skirt pieces were long enough to reach comfortably to my armpits. I’m 5’6″ in bare feet. So I cut 4 inches off the bottoms of the skirt pieces. I will cut more off later, but this gives me something to work with for now.
I also added godets to the skirt, to give it the fullness required for International Standard moves (most notably the Viennese Waltz). I had made godets that were 17 inches high, but after checking them out, I decided to make them longer. The new (and hopefully final) height of the godet is 22 inches. That will give Tatiana lots of room to move.
I hope to get the outer dress mostly done tomorrow so I can show pictures. I did find out when I got back that the comp isn’t this weekend, it’s next weekend. So I got some breathing room. Halleluia!
The talking heads are yapping away pre-Superbowl (GO PATS!!!!), and there’s still an hour to go, so I figured I’d give you an update on what I’m working on. The Chanel jacket is on hiatus for a couple of days. DS the Younger has a dance competition next weekend. I made a dress for Tatiana in the summer, but I wasn’t really happy with it. Here’s a picture:
Grrrrr, baby!
I tried an experiment, using a pattern that has a fishtail hem. It just doesn’t work very well for ballroom. You need a skirt that is more circular. Fortunately, I bought about 8 yards of this leopard print fabric. So I am remaking it based on a leotard that I drafted for Tatiana, and this Burda pattern, 7470:
Burda 7470
I’ve added sleeves and a front cowl. I redrafted the bodice and back so they are the same silhouette as the leotard: almost bateau neckline and a very, very low back. I’m going to insert godets starting at the knee to give it more swing. Everything is cut out and ready to sew. I won’t be able to work on it until Wednesday, and the comp is Saturday morning. Well, I do say I work best on a deadline!
Every morning, I read two newspapers: the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe. I figure the truth lies somewhere in between. Well, this morning there was an article in the Wall Street Journal Off Duty section titled, “Better Beauty Sleep” (WSJ online subscribers can click on the link to see the article. I’m not sure if you can see the whole article if you don’t subscribe.) It’s a fun article and I agree that sleeping on a silk pillowcase is a good idea for keeping your face crease-free and your blow-out tidy. Then I get to the punch line.
1. The Softie … Silk Charmeuse Classic Standard Sham, $140
2. The Custom Fit … Silk Standard Pillow Case in Blush, $100
3. The Splurge … Silk sham with Lace and Rose Embroidery, $745
4. The Modern Take … Swan Lake Sham, $173
.
.
.
Are you freaking kidding me? $100 and up (and up and up) for a silk charmeuse pillow sham??? Thanks, I’ll make my own. Here’s what it takes:
2 yards of Silk Charmeuse from Gorgeous Fabrics, $36
Matching Thread, $2
You can make a sham or a plain pillow case in less than 30 minutes and voila! You have just saved yourself between $62 and $707. Wowzers!
I think I’ll make myself one this afternoon. Now, aren’t you glad you sew?
I got several hours to myself today. My accountant needed my computer, so I couldn’t go online. I took the opportunity to work some more on the jacket. What a treat! As I said yesterday, now that the major construction parts are done, it’s down to the details. And the details always take the most time. The next major step is setting the sleeves. Before I do that I wanted to sew the sleeve’s lining seam allowances together. I used a slipstitch to do this.
For those who are wondering, my nail polish is "Swimsuit, I Win!" from OPI
That is a slipstitch, right? Or is it a fell stitch? See, this is the reason I hesitate to write a book. I’m afraid I’d get it wrong and people would jump all over me.
Here’s a picture of the finished seam:
All done, whatever you call it.
I did have time to set the right sleeve before I had to tend to family matters and dinner. I basted it in by hand first, then I machine stitched. It’s not trimmed or given a final press yet, but this picture gives you an idea of how it will look.
It's a 3-piece sleeve
So that’s where it stands. Can I just tell you? This fabric is an absolute joy to work with. I love the feel of it between my fingers. It’s so soft, and so luxurious. Have you ever worked with a fabric like that? What did you make? Share, please!
That’s where the Chanel jacket stands. Major parts are done, but lots and lots of small things to go.
It’s been a while. I had to go out of town on business, followed by a big family affair last week. That means this week was spent catching up back at the office. Adding to that, DS the younger had a sore throat followed by pink eye, so we spent much of yesterday at the doctor’s office and the pharmacy. And we had a band concert thrown in for good measure. On the plus side, DS the younger, who plays bari sax, was featured prominently in all three bands.
Needless to say, I didn’t have a lot of time to work on the jacket. Phyllis came up today and we had a sewing afternoon. She worked on a costume for her daughter. It’s going to be amazing. Phyllis has an eye for matching multiple diverse patterns and trimmings that is second only to Georgene. She’ll share more when it’s ready. It’s going to be good.
So here’s where the jacket stands. All the major seams are sewn. I’ve tacked down the seam allowances on everything except the right sleeve. I’ll do that tomorrow. The seam allowances of the lining are pinned down and ready to be stitched. Now comes all the detail work that will take some time. I’m hoping to have much of it done by this time next week. We’ll see! Here are some pictures of the work in progress:
Front
Back
Sleeves, Inside and Out
As you can see from the sleeve on the left, it’s really important to tack the seam allowances. Left to its own devices, this fabric ravels like crazy.
Have you checked out Susan Khalje’s Craftsy Class?
Shameless plug time. I signed up for Susan Khalje’s class on Craftsy, “The Couture Dress”. Can I tell you? Fabulous! I am only a couple of lessons in, but it’s great. And I love that you pay one price for the class. They don’t nickel and dime you to death with buy-the-video, buy-the-pattern. Just pay the one price and get going. I’ll do a full review once I finish it, but so far, it’s great!
And as a follow-on to my post about books for those of us who have been sewing a while, I got an email from a sewing deity recently, and I think our prayers will be answered in the not-too-distant future. Please keep your comments coming, because they are being looked at by publishers. And I really, really appreciate the kind words from folks who think I should write a book, but I’m not ready at this point. I’m really good at a lot of things, but I know my limitations, and I know my time constraints. Maybe some day, but not right now.
That’s all for tonight. DH has the new “Sherlock” on Netflix. Time to snuggle with him and have a glass of champagne. Just because.
Happy sewing!
Wow, yesterday’s post certainly touched a nerve! I guess I’m not the only one who feels neglected by the sewing book publishers. For me, it’s not about age, as much as about ability. Then again, sometimes it’s hard to distinguish. Anyway, keep them cards and letters coming.
In the meantime, here’s today’s sewing pretty. Thanks to Laura of Capitol Sew and Sew, I am the proud owner of this fabulous overnight bag.
Overnight Bag from Modcloth
Laura posted about it on Facebook, and it just happened to be my birthday, so I treated myself to it! I love Laura, even if she has gone over to the dark side taken up knitting recently. I’m not sure if the bag is still available. I got it at Modcloth. I don’t have the link right now, but I’ll try to find it and post it here later.
ETA: Found it! You can see it Here on the Modcloth Site. I know. I’m eeeeeevil. But Laura started it!
Be prepared – it’s Ann-rant time. I have been talking with several sewing friends, and all have voiced similar frustration to mine. That is – where the hell are the good sewing books for us? We’re not beginners. We’re not all in our early 20s. We are fashionable. We like looking good. We enjoy challenging sewing projects. But there isn’t much on the market for us.
For example, I spent an afternoon last weekend at my local Barnes & Noble. Of course, I had to check out the sewing books section. What I found there was great for young, beginner level stitchers. For folks like me? Not so much. I don’t sew cute cotton dresses. I’m not interested in patterns and styles that border on twee. I’m not interested in looks that are so cerebral that they border on costume. I tire of the wall of sherbet colored books with titles done in cute fonts that look like hand stitches. Don’t get me wrong. There is clearly a market for these books. I’m just not part of it.
I like to think of myself as an aspirational stitcher. I know how to do all the basics. I can teach the basics, and I can teach a lot of the not-so-basics. What I want is to learn cool new techniques. I want to learn how to do some of the things that I’ve seen on the runways at Fashion Week – things that a real woman could wear. I want to work with difficult fabrics. I want to challenge myself. Pastel dresses? Nope, not for this girl woman.
I already own all the books written by Susan Khalje, Kenneth King, Claire Shaeffer and David Page Coffin. The problem is that they’ve all been around for a while. There isn’t anything new for intermediate to advanced stitchers in the retail market. I’ve taken to collecting college texts. They have more interesting techniques. Zoya Nudelman’s Couture and Julie Cole’s and Sharon Czachor’s Professional Sewing Techniques for Designers are good. Of course, they’re college textbooks, so they are not cheap.
I don’t have a solution, and I haven’t heard of any books coming on the market, but boy, I’d love it if some fabulous couture teacher would put together a book for someone like me. Maybe I’ll write my letter to Santa now, to give him some lead time.
Say What?!
Every morning, I read two newspapers: the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe. I figure the truth lies somewhere in between. Well, this morning there was an article in the Wall Street Journal Off Duty section titled, “Better Beauty Sleep” (WSJ online subscribers can click on the link to see the article. I’m not sure if you can see the whole article if you don’t subscribe.) It’s a fun article and I agree that sleeping on a silk pillowcase is a good idea for keeping your face crease-free and your blow-out tidy. Then I get to the punch line.
1. The Softie … Silk Charmeuse Classic Standard Sham, $140
2. The Custom Fit … Silk Standard Pillow Case in Blush, $100
3. The Splurge … Silk sham with Lace and Rose Embroidery, $745
4. The Modern Take … Swan Lake Sham, $173
.
.
.
Are you freaking kidding me? $100 and up (and up and up) for a silk charmeuse pillow sham??? Thanks, I’ll make my own. Here’s what it takes:
2 yards of Silk Charmeuse from Gorgeous Fabrics, $36
Matching Thread, $2
You can make a sham or a plain pillow case in less than 30 minutes and voila! You have just saved yourself between $62 and $707. Wowzers!
I think I’ll make myself one this afternoon. Now, aren’t you glad you sew?