A Suit Skirt

I decided to start with the skirt for this project.  There is a lot of tailoring to do on the jacket, so I decided to ease myself in.

The skirt is underlined with cotton instead of silk organza.

Because I am using a very textured cotton that easily hides small hand stitches, I decided to stitch the fabric layers together where they might separate just outside the darts.  This is probably overkill, but I thought I would try it out and see if the extra work makes a difference.

Speaking of darts . . . there are ten darts in this skirt - add the lining, and that brings the total to twenty.  And that is just the skirt!

After I cut out my skirt pieces, I suddenly realized the fabric had more give than I was expecting and I was worried about the seat bagging out during wear.  

Instead of cutting a duplicate piece in organza, I cut a shortened version of the skirt back piece that covers the the portion that might stretch out during wear.  I think that should do the trick!

Other than that, the construction is pretty self explanatory.  Straight skirts are pretty straight forward!

The zipper is a hand-picked, lapped application.

I am waiting to cut my jacket pieces out before I deal with the waistband and hemline, so this skirt will be set aside for a bit while I spend some time with my bodice pieces.  But it's a start!

Mock-ups & Muslins

Time for a new project!!  I knew (or expected) that I was going to need to take this pattern in a bit, so a muslin was my first step.

The natural waistline is marked on the pattern tissue and is miraculously in the correct place (the seamline that bisects the jacket sits high on the torso).  So while the shoulders, sleeves, and overall width of the jacket is too large, the torso length fits me perfectly!  Go figure . . .

I think I am most excited about the collar on this suit - I have never seen anything like it.  It may end up looking silly, but at the moment, I think it's fabulous.

What surprised me was how much I needed to take in the skirt.

One thing I will say about making skirt muslins . . . take the extra time to baste a zipper in – it is so much easier than fighting with pins and wondering what the garment will really look like when the opening is properly closed.

I purchased a large bag of zippers years ago which included some heavy duty ones that I will never have a use for in any finished garment I ever plan to make, but they are super easy to use on a muslin.

And so my sewing adventures continue . . .

Mellow Yellow

This dress was a test . . . I had a design idea and thought Simplicity 1197 might be a good starting point to create it.

In my mind, I decided I wanted to make my trial run in a mint green fabric.  I never found exactly what I was looking for, but I did pick up this yellow cotton at Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics that felt suitable for the dress.

The design turned out to be much more fitted through the skirt than I was expecting.  Which means it will not work for my original idea (too many alterations necessary!), but at least I have a new summer dress that is great to wear in hot weather!

I added two inches to the hemline of this dress, and I feel like to it is bordering on too short (which is a common issue I have with the vintage reproductions from Simplicity).

I also added sleeve heads which helps the garment look more tailored on my sloped shoulders.

The style is a little out of my comfort zone, but I ended up really liking the result.  There may even be more 1960s designs in my future . . .

Dress:  Made by me, Simplicity 1997

Shoes:  Liz Claiborne

Earrings:  Made by me

New Patterns from McCall & Simplicity

McCalls and Simplicity Patterns have released their latest collections, including a few designs that I may have to add to my collection.  Or perhaps I should get to work on the stacks of patterns I wanted to make last summer . . . but there are never enough hours in the day!

McCalls 7190

This late 1940s/early 1950s silhouette has always looked slightly awkward to me - too long for a peplum, but too short for a dress (although many current designers would probably disagree with me on that).  It is one of those transitional designs that feels slightly off.     

McCalls 7190

I feel the same way about 1830s and 1890s dresses - they are about to become something fabulous, but the proportions are a bit ungainly for the moment.  Simplicity has a pattern in a similar style which I own.  I pull it out every once in a while, but always end up putting it back. 

McCalls 7190

I also think that this style has a tendency to shorten the body.  This particular pattern does have some nice details, though - the top-stitching and neckline may be enough to tempt me to try it out.

McCalls 7190

When I see it styled with those pants (not included with the pattern – that was naughty, McCalls), I am reminded of I Love Lucy, so perhaps the look will grow on me.

McCalls 7184

The other Archive Collection pattern is this blouse and jumper outfit for children and adults which happens to look incredibly similar to Simplicity 1075.   

McCalls 7184

I love the blouse, but am not sure what to think of the jumper.  This looks to me like a teen pattern from the 1950s . . . except for the addition of the tiny version.  Maybe this was designed for sisters instead of mother and daughter?

McCalls 7187 is a contemporary design, but has a 1960s mod feel to it with definite possibilities.

McCalls 7187

And I do love something about this wrap dress - possibly because it reminds me of a simplified version of a Donna Karan design.  But that front slit could prove to be problematic.  The full-skirted version is pretty cute, too.

McCalls 7185

These Jiffy patterns must be popular for Simplicity, because they continue to be released . . . but you probably know where I am going with this . . . I want complicated, not simple two piece garments.

Laura Nash has a new line for Simplicity with a vintage feel.  I do like a dropped-waist, so this one may end up coming home with me.  I wish the same could be said about those red shoes!

So, nothing earth shattering, in my opinion, but a few nice additions to the catalogs.  What do you think?

The Most Comfortable Corset Ever

Okay, so it’s not really a corset – it’s an Alabama Chanin Corset Top.

It does have some lovely princess seams that mimic a corset and give some nice shaping to a garment that wears like a t-shirt.  And that is a pretty cool trick!

I had the idea of making a second top to wear with my Alabama Chanin skirt before I started dying cotton jersey.  I was generous with my yardage cuts before I threw the white cotton into the dye bath, and thankfully, there was enough to cut out a corset top from the Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns book along with my Shawl Collar Coat.

All this hand stitching is definitely addictive!  I just can’t seem to stop myself!!

And now I have my own hand stitched mini wardrobe.

Although I have to admit that after finishing the top, I had a moment where I thought I had made a huge mistake layering the green over the blue.

I made a swatch and liked it paired back with the skirt when it was tacked to my dressform.  But it can be difficult to envision what the finished garment will actually look like from a small swatch.

Now that I have worn the top and skirt together, I really love the color reversal.  And I will admit that I have already started another hand appliquéd piece!

Top:  Made by me, Alabama Chanin Corset Top

Skirt:  Made by me, Alabama Chanin Mid Length Skirt

Necklace:  Made by me

Shoes:  Jennifer Moore

Solid Colors

I have an aversion to working with solid colored fabrics.  They always seem so boring sitting there next to the gorgeous prints.  I can get behind a solid color that is textured, but in my experience, those are very difficult to come by.

But a solid colored separate can certainly come in handy.  And in reality, this linen/rayon blend has more texture than most solids.

So I decided it was time to get over myself and add a plain red skirt to my wardrobe.

I used one of my favorite skirt patterns (Butterick 4792, which is actually a dress).  I added six inches to the hem this time around.  This pattern is certainly a fabric hog (especially with the added length).  If there was any question, just look at the width of that hem!

I added a shaped waistband with a few pieces of boning to help keep its shape.  Unfortunately, the waistband ended up too loose - the weight of more than four yards of linen fabric is heavy!

Which means I am going to have to do a little surgery.  And the only thing I really hate about the sewing process is re-working a finished garment.  Ggrrrr.

But in this case, I am hoping it will be worth the extra effort.

Blouse:  Made by me, Simplicity 4047

Skirt:  Made by me, Butterick 4792

Shoes:  Miss L Fire "Bel-Aire"

Earrings:  Vintage