Polka Dotty

I purchased Vogue 2060 when it went on sale, not really thinking too much about it, but wanting to add another DVF vintage pattern to my collection.  Once I had it next to Vogue 2000, I was questioning my choices and wondering why I had purchased another wrap dress pattern.

To be fair, though, the two patterns are actually different, so in the end, I think that it was worth it.  This particular version of the iconic wrap dress by DVF is drafted for knits and has no darts or tucks.  Vogue 2000 is drafted for both knits and wovens (although I still do question whether or not a pattern can actually work for both equally well).  And there are the obvious design differences with the added collar and a different shape of waist tie, although you certainly wouldn't need a separate pattern for those two changes!

With Vogue 2000, I found a 100% cotton knit which is more in line with the fabric used for the vintage versions of these dresses.  The only suitable knit fabrics that I had stashed away included Lycra or Spandex, so that's what I decided to use this time around.  Do I wish that I could find a rayon or cotton knit with no added elastic fibers?  Yes!  But for now, this was the easiest way to try out the pattern.

I interfaced the facing pieces with a lightweight fusible, included the cut-on skirt facing.  That may have been a mistake as it pulls the skirt opening up slightly, but the added interfacing does keep it from curling, so that is a win.

Seamlines were stitched with a narrow zig-zag on my sewing machine, and I finished most of the raw edges with a serger to keep them from rolling in on themselves.

This project did remind me how much I dislike working with spandex fabrics.  The rayon makes it bearable, I suppose, and they are quite easy to wear, but it does take some of the fun out of the sewing process for me.  Part of that had to do with the size of most of these pattern pieces.  Somehow working on a knit top that uses a yard of fabric doesn't create nearly the aggravation that oversized pattern pieces paired with stretchy and slinky fabric does.

At least knit designs go together quickly!

One thing that I will probably change if I use this pattern again is to cut a separate skirt facing instead of using the cut in one facing drafted on the skirt piece.  Vogue 2000 uses a separate facing and I think that ends up working better for my purposes.

And then we come to the "reversible" part of the design.  According to the pattern, this dress is completely reversible.  However, the sleeve is drafted with a front and back, although the difference in the slope is minimal.  But since I have worked with a least a couple of knit top patterns that utilize a symmetrical sleeve piece which seems to work just fine, why would the pattern draft go to the trouble of having a non-symmetrical sleeve head when the bodice is meant to be worn in both directions?!  I still haven't figured out the answer to that question. 

But I do have a very easy to wear wrap dress made of polka dot fabric which makes me rather happy.

And while I believe I will wear this with the higher neckline facing front (because I think it's a bit more interesting than a standard v-neck wrap dress) it's always nice to have the option.

Which neckline do you prefer?

Feeling a Bit Dotty

Just checking in, because it has been quite a while since I felt any motivation for blogging.  

And it's been a strange few weeks, to say the least! 

While I have been fairly productive (although the level varies from day to day), I have not felt the urge to go through photos or post to this blog.

But I decided to jump back in.

Do I feel confident that posting consistently will resume sometime soon?  Probably not.  But I am going to try to get back in the swing of things.

I find that posting to Instagram is much easier for me these days.  But it's the lazy way out, and I do like to have a record of my finished projects here.

When this began, I knew I had enough project materials to keep me busy for quite some time, so being forced to stay home did not seem like a horrible imposition since I had plenty to occupy my time.  What I didn't expect was missing the routine of going to work.  And even when I am not missing the office, I know that Valentino is.  He definitely misses that extra interaction (and the extra treats from co-workers!).

In the mean time, I am getting a lot of unfinished and abandoned projects completed, going on a brisk daily walk by myself to clear my head, and spending lots of time with my pup.

I hope everyone is doing well.  Stay healthy!  And happy sewing, knitting, reading, lounging on the couch, or whatever it is you are up to these days.

Dress:  Made by me, Vogue 8685
Shoes:  Nina "Serena"
Earrings:  Judith Jack

Repeated Patterns

Well, here we go again.  I loved my first version of Vogue 8685 so much, I decided to make another.

The only changes that I made for this version were to shorten the sleeves and add length to the skirt.  Because the below the knee skirt pieces are 60" wide at the hem, I had to take a little bit of width out of them when I extended the length by 2.5".  I am slowly becoming accustomed to my serger and knit fabrics, although I am not sure I will ever prefer knits to wovens.  This rayon blend ponte was also very easy to work with, so that helps with the process.

But what I wanted to talk about today is using the same pattern multiple times.  Perhaps it is my guilt over not using the many, many other pattern options in my stash, but I suspect my issue with repeat pattern usage is for another reason entirely.

I started my sewing journey with hand embroidery, mostly counted cross stitch when I was probably four or five years old.  I didn't begin using a machine and making clothing until high school (and to this day, I prefer the control of a hand stitch to a machine one), so when I went to college I had very few pieces of hand made clothing in my wardrobe and only a few patterns in my possession.  Two of my early projects included two cotton sundresses from the same pattern, although they were made from different fabrics and had different style straps.

My college theatre department employed an incredibly talented but rather tough taskmaster who was the costume designer for the theatre and also taught a few classes related to her craft.  I vividly remember one day when I arrived at her costume history class in one of my cotton dresses; she made an offhanded comment asking if I knew how to sew any other pattern (she had previously seen the other "matching" dress).  She knew I had some sewing skills as I also worked for her in the costume department, and the words stung.

Now, looking back on the moment, I see how ridiculous it was that I took a flippant remark so personally.  But the comment has stuck with me all these years.  And I still feel as though I am cheating or being lazy by not trying something new.

But why not take advantage of a great pattern and get the most mileage out of it that you can?  In the last few years, I am getting more on board with using patterns over and over.  Maybe swap out a sleeve, or simply change the length of a hem; then again, why not make two or three of the same skirt.  A different type of fabric, or even a different print is probably enough to make most people think you have two entirely different garments in your wardrobe.  And some of the most chic people I can think of wear what is basically a uniform.  When you find a style of silhouette that works for you, why not use it to your advantage?!

All this to say, I am still working on getting Kristine's voice out of my head when I use the same pattern for a second or third time.  My impressionable mind gave her words a little too much weight.  And she did entrust me with a number of complicated projects over the two years I spent working for her, so her comment probably had more to do with her rather sharp tongue than any deficiency in my abilities she may have seen.

When I started sewing apparel a couple of years prior, another woman told me to avoid zippers at all costs because they were horrible to install.  That same lady didn't shy away from set-in sleeves on my very first dress project, so go figure.  And I should say, I have never been afraid of setting in a sleeve, but it took me years to get over the fear of installing a zipper.  It's funny the things that make an impression . . . sometimes for no real reason at all.

What do you think?  Do you have any sewing hangups that you attribute to some random comment you heard when you were starting out?  I have heard my fair share of stories, usually something about sleeves, or buttonholes, or zippers.  So silly, right?!  Just start at the beginning and work your way through.  Although, I have probably scared some people away from polyester.  I have strong words for synthetic fabrics, and I am not afraid to let people know what I think of the fiber.  Maybe I should take it easy on the synthetics.  But then again, maybe not!

1930s Knitwear

I just love it when a plan comes together!

After thinking about this pattern/fabric combo for quite some time, I finally went for it.

The current Pattern Review contest gave me the motivation I needed to jump right into another knit project.

(Not that I need an excuse to play with polka dots!)

And while I had to fight with my serger to get through this project, I am beginning to get over my fear of knit fabrics.

The way the skirt is drafted does not allow for pattern matching, so the cut off polka dots are driving me slightly crazy, but it is also rather freeing not to worry about those sort of things every once in a while.  And besides, the dots are so random, I don't think most people would even notice.

I do think this design works quite well in a knit.  

One of the reasons I attempted it was because the skirt is fairly slim fitting for a contemporary Butterick pattern.  I knew this because of the rayon version I previously made, and I thought it would be an interesting experiment to use a knit without making many fit changes.  The most exciting part was not having to add a zipper!

I have a fair amount of the ivory with black dots version of this fabric leftover - definitely enough to make myself a top.

I have a couple of ideas, and I could absolutely use more polka dots in my life!  So there may be more knit projects in my future . . .

Black & Ivory Polka Dots

A couple of weeks ago, I decided it was time to make another knit dress.  Yes, my first and only other knit dress is also polka dotted.  So sue me - I have a polka dot addiction - they are very hard to resist, in my opinion.

The pattern I chose for my polka dots was Butterick 6410.  Ever since I pulled my first version of the dress out of the closet last September, I wanted to make another.  But this time, I thought I would try using the design with a knit fabric.

But then, my silly phobia about working with knits would rear its ugly head and the project was put on the back burner.

Since I had two contrasting polka dot prints in black and ivory calling my name, it was only a matter of time until I got the courage to cut into the rayon/spandex knit.  And after a bit of a hunt to find my fabric, I was off to the races.  (It's a clear sign that there is too much fabric in my home when I can't put my hands on a specific piece that I know I have.)

I used a narrow zig zag on the sewing machine to stitch the seams.  And then I pulled out the serger . . .

Yikes.  To be honest, there were some harsh words, and a threat to pitch the whole thing out the window.  You see, I decided to be a big girl and change the threads, and that's where it all went wrong.

I must have re-threaded the darn thing four times.  And it turns out, the only thing I was doing wrong was not pulling the thread taught through the tension dials (a step which is inconveniently left out of the YouTube videos I was watching - Arghhh!).  But reading the instruction manual out loud step by step finally made me realize my mistake.

At least I feel a lot more comfortable re-threading the darn thing after that ordeal!

And there is something very satisfying about sending a raw edge through a machine that comes out neatly finished on the other side.  I remember that feeling when using sergers in the costume shop in college.  Of course, I was not expected to maintain and re-thread those machines!

And while we are not best friends, I am learning to cohabitate and be civil with my serger.

One thing is for sure, using knit fabric and a serger sure speeds the sewing process up.  

But rest assured, I am never going to give up my Hug Snug seam binding.

I actually used it to stabilize seams on this dress - first, on the shoulders, and also on the front neckline opening.

There are probably more popular stabilizing options when working with knits, but I hate that clear elastic stuff, not to mention the fact that I don't have any in my sewing room, and I love when I do not have to buy any new items to make myself a new garment.  This was one of those projects, and for that reason alone I wan't about to make a special trip to the fabric store to purchase clear elastic. 

I borrowed a technique used in the Vogue 1027 instructions - adding a piece of elastic to a casing made using the waistline seam allowances.

With the help of my serger, this looks slightly more professional looking than my navy polka dot Donna Karan knock-off, but I am still going to have to work on my serger technique.

And I never really know how tight to make the elastic, so I inevitably need to shorten and re-stitch the ends together which happens to be one of my least favorite things to do on a sewing machine.

But I think the weight of this textile and the length of the garment will be served well by the addition of said elastic.  The fabric does have good stretch recovery, so I am hoping it doesn't  stretch too much vertically.

The final piece of the puzzle was the hem.  I am still not sure what to do with a knit hemline, but this time I used EZ-Steam.  It's a bit finicky to work with, but it does make topstitching look a lot nicer.  But what do you use if the hemline needs to stretch in order to get a garment on and off the body?  Because this stuff definitely would not work for one of those garments!