Off the Shoulder

Have you ever had a sewing project that needed a time out?

This was one of those for me.  And it's going to be a bit of a saga because there was a lot of construction involved in meshing three different pattern together, and I took a lot of photos of the steps along the way!

It all began when I realized that I had plenty of leftover fabric from my sequined circle skirt to make a matching top.

I did make a muslin, but what I failed to think about was the fact that two layers of cotton twill was considerably thicker than one layer of muslin. 

So after spending many hours embellishing the peplum and stitching everything together, I went to try on the garment.  And, horror of horrors, the two front bodice ties were too thick to tie a knot.  Which is something that is required of this particular bodice.

I had not inserted all of the boning in at this point, but the sleeves had enough weight that they were falling down and taking some of the bodice with it, too.

Well, I had a bit of a tantrum, and moved the project from off of my sewing table to a bin.

Out of sight, out of mind, right?!

I did have a hand knitted sweater that was a great pairing with the skirt, so all was not lost, but I was still sore about all of the time that I had spent thinking that I was going to have a lovely matching outfit.

But back to the actual construction . . . I had an idea of exactly what I wanted: it was  to be a combination of the peplum portion of McCalls 7929, the bodice of McCalls 7937, and a pair of fabulous lantern sleeves from my Cherries Jubilee gala dress from 2014.

I added boning to the lining.

This boning pattern works well for me, so I went with what I know.

And there were also plenty of sequins and beads to be added.

For this garment, I decided to limit the embellishment to the peplum.

This mirrors the sequin pattern on the circle skirt, as the majority of the sequins are on the lower portion of the skirt.

And I really like the way it turned out, which was the major reason that I was so frustrated when I realized the fit of those ties weren't going to work as drafted.

I also spent a fair amount of time on the construction. 

I continue to find uses for my scraps of silk organza, and this project was no exception.

I get paranoid about clipping corners, but if I wrap the clipped portion with a small piece of organza, it feels so much more secure.

Seam edges that were unlined were finished with rayon seam binding.

And here is a peak at my favorite way to finish the upper edge of a lapped zipper.

Because I like to have a fairly deep overlap, there is an issue with a normal facing.

Since the raw edge cannot be faced beyond the zipper teeth, I stitch a diagonal line from the seam allowance to the upper edge.

This gives me a finished edge so that the facing or lining is clear of the teeth on the lapped side of the zipper.

And I did stitch a few extra sequins onto the bodice since the floral motif matched up so that the two separate flowers on the peplum and bodice looked like a single blossom.

Because the sleeves fall off the shoulder, an elastic casing was added to the top and bottom of the sleeve.

The upper edge was stitched into a casing in the sleeve lining, but the lower portion is held into place with a number of thread loops.

And here comes the scary part.  As I have already mentioned, the ties and the sleeves were causing some fit issues.  But like many garments, it's quite difficult to know exactly how something is going to work and/or fit until the construction is almost completed.  And those ties were just too bulky and short to close.  I thought of a couple of options (including wrapping a separate rectangular piece of fabric to create a bow), but in the end, I took a deep breath and stitched a new line and cut a section of each tie right off.

I had previously added bra cups to the bust area, but they still wanted to collapse after the ties were knotted together.  To add further structure to this area, I catch-stitched a length of horsehair to the lining at the bust seam.

And for even more added structure, I hand tacked a small piece of boning at the outer edge of each side bodice.

The lining was hand stitched in place once again, and I tried it on one more time hoping that the removal of those two wedges of fabric would save the garment.  And it did! 

I had left some extra room through the waist because  it needed to go over the waistband of the circle skirt that has a large button at the waist opening.  So in addition to a waist stay, I thought I would add an elasticized stay under the bust.  

I have seen this type of stay in interior photos of haute couture pieces and I thought I would give it a try.  The elastic was inserted into a fabric casing approximately twice as long as the elastic length.  The stay is kept in place along each piece of boning with a thread loop (similar to the sleeves).

A hook & eye closes the stay just to the side of the zipper opening.

As for the zipper, I don't like to see bulky separating zippers on anything other than a hoodie, so instead, I fold up the excess length of a standard dress zipper.  That extra length is necessary to get the garment on over my head, or to be able to step into it since my waist is significantly smaller than my bust and my hips.  If the zipper closed at the waist, I would never be able to get into the top.  That extra length of zipper allows the center back seam to open wide enough and tucks away while the garment is on the body.

I also added a waist stay for good measure.

Both of those stays keep this (essentially strapless) garment on my body.

And as a final touch, I added the same sequined border to the hemline as I did with the circle skirt.

I am happy to say that all's well that ends well with this project.

I am very glad that I left it alone long enough to come up with a decent solution to the issues that cropped up because of my fabric choice.

It's also a good reminder to think through potential problems when using a fabric on a mock-up that is significantly different than your fashion fabric.

And here is a look at both pieces paired together.

It may have taken more time than expected, but I am going to call this one a success!

A Room with a View

I am finally getting around to posting my outfit that was inspired by the cotton twill that Organic Cotton Plus sent me last year.

I am suddenly becoming reacquainted with my love of Victorian and Edwardian inspired fashions for a variety of reasons.  One of those is perhaps because I am not ready to consider the late 80s/early 90s "vintage" just yet, and there is only so much further forward of 1960s and 70s fashion that I am willing to venture into.

Wearing ankle length skirts is something I need to adjust to, though, especially when I am sitting in an office chair; those rolling wheels are dangerous!

Of course, once I had the skirt idea sorted out, I decided to finally try my hand at using a Folkwear Pattern.

And I am so glad that I did!

This pastoral cotton sateen is also from Organic Cotton Plus, and it's fabulous.  I love the print, and the fabric quality is really wonderful.  It also comes in a white background with the same adorable green print.  I am tempted to get some of the white colorway to make another style of blouse. 

As for this particular blouse pattern, I will definitely be making another, probably in white.  I am always looking for a white blouse to pair with my printed skirts, and while there are a couple of options in my closet, there are not enough as far as I'm concerned.

The other exciting part of this project was the opportunity to wear my Londoner oxfords for the very first time.  And I don't think I own a more comfortable pair of shoes.  I am now convinced that I should specifically look for new sewing projects to match these shoes.  It's not the first time that I have created an outfit around a pair of shoes, but this will mean that I am working with slightly different silhouettes and skirt lengths than is my norm, and I am excited about that prospect.

I have an antique white petticoat stashed away that deserves to get a bit of attention, so perhaps a white cotton blouse would be nice to pair with that.  And maybe I could try my hand at some lace insertion while I'm at it.

Of course, I may be seduced by all of those sundress patterns that I have never made as the temperatures heat up around these parts.

I should also rummage through the stash of lace I have on hand because that might be all the motivation I need to get back to my love of Victorian inspired fashions.

Blouse:  Made by me, "Gibson Girl Blouse" from Folkwear Patterns
Skirt:  Made by me, Butterick 3418
Belt:  Made by me
Earrings:  Vintage
Shoes: "Londoner" by American Duchess

[The fabric for this project was received from Organic Cotton Plus in exchange for writing a blog post.]

Make, Sew and Mend

I cannot exactly recall when I first came across Bernadette Banner's YouTube Channel, but it was soon after the first Covid lockdown happened.  I spent days pouring over her lovely videos, eagerly anticipating the next.  It may have began as background noise in the sewing room, but I will admit that I became distracted by the wonderful story telling and did not get a whole lot of sewing done while those videos were playing. 

Part of the draw was memories of my early days of garment sewing, focusing on much more historical silhouettes than I do these days, though my attempts were much more costume-like than historically accurate, I will be the first to admit.

So when I was approached by Page Street Publishing about Bernadette's new book, Make, Sew and Mend:  Traditional Techniques to Sustainably Maintain and Refashion Your Clothes, I was excited to see what she would have to say, especially with her general emphasis on hand sewing.

And the book does a wonderful job of running through the basics, from choosing fabrics, to the importance of pressing (I will second that!).  But the book also includes information on things like clappers and needle boards, some basics on tailoring, and reminders not to get bogged down in obsessing over perfection at each step.  So whether you are a true beginner, or a pro who wants to add another reference guide to the library, I think that this book is an excellent choice.

The inclusion of directions on darning and the most beautiful examples of patching that I have ever seen is a testament that this book successfully leads you from the creation of a beloved garment all the way to caring for and maintaining that item - which is exactly what is promised, right there on the cover of the book.

There are also some wonderful photos of antique clothing innards, which I always find fascinating.  Sure, the photos of Haute Couture gowns are glorious, but show me the insides!!  I want to see how it's all put together!

I would have loved to have this book in my library as I was first delving into apparel sewing many years ago.  Bernadette makes it clear that you can begin your sewing journey with little more than needle, thread, and cloth (and an iron, of course!).  The only reference to machine stitching is found in an image on the Dedication page, an antique hand cranked sewing machine which I believe is the very machine I have seen Ms. Banner use in some of her videos.

Congratulations to Bernadette on her first book!  I would highly recommend Make, Sew and Mend for beginners as well as highly experienced sewists that will be reminded of the joys of taking things slow and enjoying the process while paging through this book.  

Bernadette's enthusiasm is infectious, and I am going to do my best to take her advice to keep up with my mending!  Why is it so very difficult to find the motivation to secure a single button on that purchased cardigan?  I have also been reminded that cartridge pleating has been on my to-do list of techniques to try . . . will this finally be the year?!

[A review copy of Make, Sew and Mend was sent to me, but the opinions expressed here are my own.]

Sweaters & Sequins

I love when two completely unrelated projects end up being a perfect pair!

I was working on both the sweater and stitching sequins and beads on the skirt at the same time, and it eventually occurred to me that the colors were a perfect match when I saw both items laying next to each other on the same table.

And while I was not finished making the matching top for the skirt, I decided that I could not wait any longer to wear the skirt. 

So in the Fall of last year, while the leaves were turning, I donned this sweater and skirt.

And I had a whole lot of fun wearing this skirt!

Circle skirts are definitely one of my favorite silhouettes, especially tea length circle skirts.

The sweater has become a staple in my closet (I liked it so much that I made another), but the star of this particular show is the skirt.

It is difficult to capture the shimmer of the sequins in a photo, but in the sunlight it catches the light beautifully.

While finishing the matching top, I had to find the leftover yardage to make a matching mask for attending the Symphony two weeks ago.

I did not realize just how much fabric I still have stashed away.  So there may be another matching blouse in the sewing projects queue.

I figure, I might as well get as much wear out of something that I spent so long making!

The only question is, to sequin, or not to sequin . . .

Sweater:  Made by me, "Jailbird Blouse" by Poison Grrls
Skirt:  Made by me
Shoes:  Nine West
Earrings:  Express
Ring:  Grandfather's high school ring