Chronically Uncool

Finding an off-line sewing community

2011-08-26T12:40:00.002-05:00

I love the on-line sewing community. Sewing blogs and on-line fabric stores make my hobby possible. I wouldn't have found the whole world of sewing - especially the vintage and retro sewing community - if I didn't spend too much time in front of a computer with a really good Internet connection. It seems like the resurgence of sewing as a hobby for my generation has its roots in the Internet, with blogs, YouTube tutorials, downloadable patterns and the cool factor of all those hipsters sewing stuff to sell on Etsy. Lately I've been enjoying the off-line sewing community too. I've wondered: Are any other on-line sewing enthusiasts making the transition to a sewing community IRL?

Last night I attended the monthly meeting of my local sewing group. I've been a member for more than a year now. We're a neighborhood group of the St. Louis chapter of the American Sewing Guild. The ladies in the group are generous with their interest in each others' projects, assistance with learning new techniques, contributions to the "free stuff" destash table, charitable sewing, and snacks. They are not good at publicizing their good works and recruiting new members. I'm one of the very few members who is under the age of 40. Last night a couple of us talked about ways to raise our public profile and help potential new members find us. So lurkers, I'm curious. Do you have sewing friends in real life? Would you ever consider joining a group? Is the perception of sewing groups as grandmas showing off appliqued sweatshirts too strong to overcome? What activities would appeal to you?

If you're curious, and you're in my neck of the woods, you can check out the Belleville sewing group in action. At our September meeting we are doing a sit-and-sew to make caps for cancer patients. New faces are always welcome, with or without sewing skills. E-mail me for details: chronicallyuncool at gmail dot com.

Today I am 32

2011-08-25T16:31:00.002-05:00

No biggie. Just marking the day on the blog like I have for the last few years (29, 30, 31).

I'm a little disappointed that I haven't done much blogging this year. I'm running about 3 months behind on posting my projects. The important thing is that I'm still making things and my skills continue to improve.

I find it hard to get motivated to make things for myself when real life keeps on sucker-punching my loved ones. News that would have seemed monumental last year is hardly a blip on my radar this year. I'm so glad I have a hobby that is suitable for frequent daydreaming to pass the time as well as occasional intense focus that helps block out everything else when shit really hits the fan. I used to hide in books to escape from the world. Now I can work on a sewing project to escape for a little while and feel productive at the same time! All the escapism of reading, with none of the sloth!

Avery's Strawberry Birthday Party Dress

2011-08-24T16:47:00.001-05:00

I made a dress as a birthday gift for my little friend Avery using the Oliver + S "Birthday Party Dress" pattern. And then Avery wore the dress to Henry's birthday party!

This is the same pattern I used for Micah's ridiculous peachy striped silk dress. The pattern has pleats with folds spaced 1" apart, so it's perfect for 1" stripes, plaids or ginghams. I used a "homespun" woven cotton from JoAnn Fabrics with strawberries woven into the white squares. I will admit that I originally bought the fabric to make a dress for myself (maybe this one?), but I've decided that maybe it's just a bit too juvenile and cutesy for me. Also, I would describe this fabric as shifty, warped, and unpleasant to cut. It took longer to lay it out and cut it than it did to do everything else.

This was all about the plaid-matching. I did pretty well, except for one of the back sections. I am pleased with the way the plaid worked with the box pleats on the bodice fronts. I am not so pleased that the little strap and button doesn't line up perfectly.

The back side of this fabric has lots of very long, loosely woven threads between the strawberry motifs. I underlined each piece of the dress with white batiste to keep the long threads on the back from pulling. This pattern is well-suited to the "apply underlining right-sides-together and turn each piece before assembling" method. It's easy and gives a nice finish to the inside seams. The only tricky part is remembering to use a narrow seam allowance on all the vertical seams when underlining and when assembling the underlined pieces. I used the neckline and hem facings as instructed (regular seam allowances) to finish the top and bottom edges. I fudged the buttonhole placement on the back to match up with the squares on the fabric.

Easter 2011: McCall's 6759 and the mysterious bodice wrinkle

2011-07-28T16:45:00.005-05:00

You've already seen my Easter dress, with the mysterious horizontal bodice wrinkle. The pattern is McCall's 6759 from 1963. I love the curved seams! The bow, not so much.

As you'll recall, I made my dress and my sister's dress for Easter. Even though I had to hustle to get it done, I took the time to do some nice details. I made a muslin of the bodice. The facings are interfaced and lined for a clean finish. I used dressmaker's tracing paper to transfer the curves for the bodice so I could make perfectly lapped seams. I even took a few photos during the process! There's an inside belt, lingerie straps (with tiny little snaps) at the shoulders, and a custom label. (More about the lovely label soon.) Hell, I even made a thread loop for a belt carrier in the back and a hidden snap to keep the buckle centered in front!

This should have been my best project ever. But no, somehow I managed to completely whiff on the bodice. I did a muslin! It was fine with my usual tweaks. It seemed fine in the fittings. Here's a crappy cell-phone-in-the-mirror pic for proof:

But when I actually wore it for Easter, the shoulders moved forward or the bust moved up or something, and I had a giant horizontal wrinkle across the chest. (That's in addition to all the usual wrinkles that are expected with linen.)

Now I want to make it again just to see what the hell went wrong. I've actually dreamed this dress in a lightweight denim with contrasting topstitching on the seams...and maybe a different skirt. With this style of skirt I always feel a little like it's saying "Here is my crotch, right here!" Maybe that's just me. Never mind.

"Proportioned" Skirt Patterns - Useful or not?

2011-06-23T12:04:00.001-05:00

I'm a taller-than-average person, so I'm often frustrated by the fact that Petite and Half-size patterns are available but the vertically gifted have no customized options in vintage patterns.

Or so I thought!

I stumbled across a few patterns for skirts in Proportioned Sizes:
Short: 5'3" and under
Medium: 5'4" to 5'6"
Tall: 5'7" and over

Of course, I had to have one. I'm a sucker. I was hoping for more length between the waist and hip, or maybe side seam pockets that had longer/lower openings to accommodate my lanky arms more comfortably.

Nope. The only thing proportioned about this pattern is the hemline. Bummer. I don't find this proportioned pattern stuff helpful. Do you?

Easter 2011: Never again, sister!

2011-06-21T16:32:00.010-05:00

I broke one of my cardinal rules of sewing: Never sew anything for anyone else, unless they are too little to complain about it.

I made a dress for my sister. She didn't like it. She wore it anyway. What was I thinking? Bear with me for some backstory.

Easter is a pretty big deal for my family. My sisters fly in from New York and Colorado, joining me and my brother at our parents' house. Everyone brings their spouses and kids. It's chaos, but it's the only time we're all in the same place. There are always tons of pictures.

My sister Mary Ann lives on top of a mountain in Colorado. Shopping in Denver is a major excursion, especially since she lives on the far side of the continental divide. She has two small children. (Micah is her youngest.) Her lifestyle does not require things like dresses, slips, and pretty shoes. Finding something to wear for dressy occasions is an ordeal. Last year for Easter she wore a dress that I remember helping her pick out for a wedding in Missouri shortly after she had her first baby. It works for the post-baby poochy belly, and makes the most of the nursing boobs. With a little sweater it's perfectly versatile.

So Mary Ann and I are talking on the phone, and discussing plans for the Easter trip, and I ask what she's wearing. (Since I realized I'd probably been rambling on about the dress I'm making for myself.) She grumbles about how everything in the stores is awful, nothing fits, and shopping is depressing because the baby belly hasn't snapped back into place despite months of cross-country skiing and eating right. She says the only thing that fits is the dress she wore last year, but she doesn't want to wear the same thing because there will be so many pictures. I detect a healthy dose of frustration. I'm no stranger to the rage that boils up when you realize you've shopped for hours and not a single thing is right for you.

I don't know what possessed me, but I offered to help. I told her if she would send me the old dress that fits, I would use it as a starting point to make a new dress for her. I dug through my stash and found fabrics that worked together and looked like something she would wear. I mocked up a dress by pinning the fabrics on my dressform, accessorized with my favorite basics, and sent her a picture. It's not particularly exciting, but serviceable. She declared it better than anything she had seen in the stores. I told her to find her own cream/natural shoes and sweater, and be prepared to wear the old dress if my attempt failed.

I was feeling pretty good. I knew that I had a pattern in my stash that was very similar to the old dress. When the old dress arrived in the mail I compared it to the measurements on the pattern and made just a few minor changes. I asked for Mary Ann to send her measurements for comparison to the pattern sizes, but I went mostly by the old dress. I looked at the pictures of Mary Ann wearing the dress last year and made a couple more changes to the pattern - raising the neckline slightly, adding a little bit here and there to work with our particular shape. (I say "our shape" because we have almost the same body shape, except she has bigger boobs and she doesn't have to deal with the sunken chest issue. I have a little more padding everywhere but the distribution of our pudge is nearly identical. It's shocking, really, how similar our bodies are - especially since she exercises and eats her veggies and I am a sloth - if sloths could live on anything but vegetables.)

I decided my stash fabrics (cotton shirtings) were a little too flimsy for the project. I'd have to underline and line to make them substantial and opaque enough to be comfortable for a rainy Spring day, and that required too much time. I had less than a month to make this dress and my own dress too. I went for this cotton/linen/silk suiting in a colorful plaid. It's Easter-y, but not too girly. I sent Mary Ann a swatch and a traced sketch of the pattern for reference so she could find a sweater and shoes.

Pay no attention to the hideous photo on the envelope!

The pattern is Simplicty 3777, which has the worst pattern photo ever. If you can look past the ridiculous sleeves, it's a nice basic dress. I decided to cut the band on the bias for a little fun with the plaid. The major difference between this dress and Mary Ann's old dress is the gathers in the center front of the skirt below the empire line. (And the fact that it's not strapless, which is a big plus for this project.) I debated eliminating the gathers or changing them to pleats. I decided to leave the gathers because I didn't want to make it too tight across the belly. If Mary Ann was worried about her poochy baby belly, a dress that was too tight there would probably make her feel terrible, right? Better to leave it roomy and avoid a possibly unpleasant fitting issue, right?

I matched the plaid across the center back seam, I lined the bodice, I did a pretty damn good invisible zipper, I added lingerie straps with snaps at the top of each shoulder, I hemmed it by hand. I packed a selection of appropriate slips and undergarments for her. I packed options for shoes (even though I knew none of them were quite right). I tried to find appropriate jewelry in my stash for her (no luck).

When we were both at my parents' house a couple of days before Easter, she put it on and it fit almost perfectly, maybe just a half inch too roomy across the upper back. I was pleased. This is what she thought of it:

A maternity dress.

She insisted on wearing it even though she said it made her look pregnant. She could have worn the old dress. She could have found something else since we spent a whole afternoon at the mall shopping for shoes and a sweater.

Nope, not my sister. She wore it even though she doesn't like it. Like it was a big favor to me for her to wear it.

Never again, sister!

And don't pet my head when I'm agitated!

Next time: My Easter dress and the mysterious bodice wrinkle from hell!

Peachy and pleated, if not very practical for a toddler

2011-05-27T16:50:00.003-05:00

I made a dress for a toddler and it didn't suck so badly I had to review it in bad poetry. That's progress!

I made a dress for my little niece (age 1) out of silk dupioni. I used beautiful hand carved antique mother of pearl buttons from my grandmother's stash. I underlined it with batiste, faced the hem and bodice, and then hand stitched the facings and buttons during my commute. The pattern is the Birthday Party dress from Oliver + S. I thought the pattern was great - good instructions, nice heavy paper, nice details without being obnoxiously cutesy. I sent it to Micah with specific instructions to wear it and wash it, no big deal.

I have this thing about sewing with silk. I wash it. In the machine. Always. I dry it in the machine too, at least a couple of times when it's new. It makes silk dupioni softer and more casual, so I can use it for more than just special occasions. I figure people have been wearing silk a lot longer than they've been using dry cleaning fluid. Your mileage may vary.

The unlikely combination of silk + toddler is a result of spontaneous on-line fabric shopping without requesting a swatch. I swear this fabric looked like rich, autumnal oranges and browns on my monitor. It was a four-yard, end-of-the-bolt bargain. When it arrived, it was clearly in the springy pastel portion of the spectrum. (I'm more of a late-autumn brunette moving quickly toward a silver streaked salt-and-pepper winter.) I don't do pastel anything! The only springy people I sew for are the two little girls in my life, and it was Micah's turn. (Since the dress for Avery hadn't gone so well, I was anxious to redeem myself.) It's dangerously close to pink, but I'm calling it peach.

So stinking cute! And such a good model!

I figure Micah might wear it once or twice before she grows out of it. It's not the most practical thing for a toddler in the frozen tundra of Colorado, but that's not the point. This is the kind of project that reminds me that sewing is my hobby; the doing is the important thing. The garment is a byproduct. Sometimes it's a useful byproduct, sometimes it's not.

Anybody want a couple of yards of peachy striped silk? Shoot me an e-mail or let me know in the comments!

Next up: My Easter dress! And my sister's ~~maternity~~ Easter Dress!

A dress for Avery, in verse

2011-04-15T12:32:00.008-05:00

When I review a baby sewing project in verse, you know there has been a disaster. Thank goodness a cute kid can make any sewing project look good! This is Simplicity 4243, View D.

There's a panda bear on Avery's derriere--

I saw those tights -- so cute! -- I had to give her a pair.

Perfect for a doll learning to crawl

With a dress to match made in no time at all.

(Hence many errors I did not catch.)

The zipper's crappy, the neck edges uneven.

I blame the fabric, shifty and nappy.

Me, using polyester? Proof I've lost my reason.

Thank goodness she's so cute, and the point will be moot

'Cause it was a snug fit and she's already grown a bit.

Hooray for kids growing fast! My sewing shame won't last!

Apologies to Shel Silverstein

Stripey Silk Sheath and The Case of the Lumpy Back Waistline

2011-04-08T18:15:00.006-05:00

The tulips are blooming, so obviously it's time to post about the dress I tried to make for Thanksgiving. I finished it in time for a Christmas party, so it ranks pretty low in my personal procrastination Hall of Fame.

I bought the fabric while I was in San Diego in 2008. It's a slubby dupioni-ish silk with woven stripes in brown, orange, gray and pale beige. I bought it because it looked like autumn to me, and because I have a thing for coordinating dresses and coats. This fabric is awesome with the great pumpkin coat! My plan was to sew it up for Thanksgiving dinner. In reality, I didn't get it done until the night before my local sewing guild had the annual holiday party.

I decided to work the stripes into a square neckline with mitered corners, using the upper bodice from my leafy V&A museum dress. I frankensteined that bodice to the fitted empire-line skirt from one of my earliest projects, the digital camo dress (Simplicity 3673, retro reprint). I eliminated the underbust band and moved the zipper to the side seam, but otherwise kept the pattern lines intact. I underlined the striped silk with brown silk organza to reinforce it and prevent stretching at the hips and butt. (Thanks, Mom, for helping me by basting the underlining to the dress pieces!) I lined the bodice in a thin silk habotai. I wish I had lined the whole dress. At the time, the thought of marking and sewing all eight darts in the skirt again was just too much.

Note that I measured and cut most of the pieces well before Thanksgiving, when I was at my summer size. I did not get around to sewing it up until after the holiday buffet season was in full swing. It's tight, but it will be fine next fall when I'm back at my summer size, right?

I'm pleased with the way my stripes worked out. I couldn't make all the lines match up at the corners, but I got it pretty close. My goal was to use the stripes to create the optical illusion of a bigger bust and a slimmer everything else. I know I'm not fooling anybody, but I had to try. I don't think sheath dresses suit my pear-shaped self, and it's is absolutely impossible for me to buy one off the rack. I wanted to see if I could make it work. I think I'll stick to fitted bodices and roomy skirts. The slimmer skirt is more grown-up and easier to wear for work, but I don't feel good in this shape at all. And no pockets allowed. More swish, please!

The pictures reveal that I have at least one more fitting mystery to solve: The Case of the Lumpy Back Waistline, as Carolyn Keene would have it. I pinched out a horizontal wedge on my pattern pieces for a little swayback adjustment, but I guess it wasn't enough. I suspect that the problem is exacerbated by the winter insulation I'm carrying around my hips. If there was less junk in the trunk, would the skirt settle lower and make the wrinkles disappear? Or is that lumpiness just a necessary part of having enough ease to move in this dress? Will the problem be resolved when I'm at my summer size, or is this really a pattern adjustment problem? Only time, a healthy diet, and exercise will tell...

I'm back!

2011-04-08T11:30:00.002-05:00

Work has been intense for the last couple of months, but I'm back! I got promoted last summer. The new workload didn't really kick in until Februrary and it's taken some getting used to. It's good to be busy. I have a couple of projects that make me feel like I'm making my corner of the world a slightly better place. This whiny little blog of self-flagellation has to take a backseat to that, right? The other good news is that I have been working on a few sewing projects, so I have lots to post here. In fact, I still have projects from before Christmas to post about. Prepare yourselves for awesome stripe matching and terrible poetry.

Another dress for Micah: New Look 6926 with snowflakes!

2011-02-09T15:39:00.008-06:00

I made another dress for my niece, even though I promised I wouldn't after the striped disaster last summer. I just can't resist the perks of sewing for little kids. Specifically:

No pesky personal fitting adjustments

Super fast to cut and sew, even if you sew lots of bits by hand

Small enough to carry along and sew on the train

Not much fabric required. All those lovely "end of bolt" clearance pieces are fair game!

At this age the recipient is unlikely to say they hate it and throw it in the bottom of the closet.

If it's bad, they grow out of it so quickly the shame doesn't last long!

This dress is New Look 6926 View A-B without the trim options. I used a cotton corduroy with varying wales from my stash. I added the chunky topstitching (embroidery floss) and the snowflake buttons during my commute to work. I wish I had used smaller, flatter buttons. I apparently have a hard time with scale for tiny people, but I'm getting better!

Speaking of scale, I cut this pattern in a size 1/2 for Micah. In these pictures Micah is just over one year old, 20 pounds, 30 inches tall. She's between 12 month and 18 month size clothes. According to her measurements I should have cut the size 1, but I learned my lesson last time and cut a smaller size. It's still big on her. The turtleneck (purchased) is size 18 months. The necklines on the dress and the shirt don't quite work perfectly together, but it was cute and the blue was a good match so I went for it.

The other great thing about sewing for little kids is that you can create ridiculously cute outfits with tights and adorable little shoes. I sent this dress to Micah for her birthday in December, along with a heap of tights and not-so-practical shoes. Fuzzy white boots with a soft slipper sole for a toddler in the frozen tundra of Colorado? Ridiculous! That's what aunts are for, right?

Thank you Mary Ann, Andrew and Micah for tolerating me when I inflict my hobby on you, and for taking pictures of whatever ridiculous outfits I send. I've already finished another one...this time in a perfectly practical peachy pleated silk! Pictures pending postage of the parcel. Ok, I'll stop now.

All about my petticoat/crinoline/fluffer wardrobe

2011-01-21T14:31:00.007-06:00

I am the proud owner of five fluffy skirt-empoofening items. (Empoofening is a perfectly cromulent word, right? An expansive vocabulary embiggens everyone.) I've seen them called petticoats and crinolines, but I can never decide which is right. There seems to be much disagreement in blogland. I prefer to call them fluffers, despite the word's less than savory meaning in some circles.

I purchased my first fluffer two and half years ago. Wearing it for the first time was quite an experience, but I've come to love the fluff and swish. All my full skirts look so much better with the fluff.

Here are the top five things I've learned about wearing fluffers in the modern world:

1) It's impossible to forget you are wearing one. The rustling sound, the feeling of volume, and the momentum as you walk or twirl are noticeable even with the lightest fluffer. The little sensations are reminders that cause me to walk, stand, and sit more gracefully. They may also cause me to dance a little crazier, but that's probably just me.

2) The dressier the outfit, the bigger and crisper the fluffer can be. For casual outfits a softer, less fluffy option is still a nice boost. I'm still a little self-conscious about wearing such an uncommon (at least for my place and time) item, so I only wear my fluffiest fluffers when I am fully armored, spackled, painted and ready to face the world. I'll wear a little fluffer on an au naturel day just to put a spring in my step and a swish in my walk.

3) Wear a slim slip under your fluffer (unless it has one built in). It may seem annoying to wear a slip and a fluffer, but you need the slip to keep the fluffer from bunching up between your legs as you walk. The slip will also keep scratchy netting away from your skin and prevent your fluffer from catching on your garter clips.

4) Vintage fluffers with busted elastic can be a bargain. It's easy to remove the old elastic and install a new piece. Often the length of a vintage fluffer is a bit too long for modern taste. Shortening from the top is super easy. I bought one that was a little too long, chopped off the elastic and the top two inches, and put new elastic in.

5) Thin elastic and a thin nylon yoke at the top are comfortable and flattering. Crisp cottony yokes with elastic in a casing are okay, but it's better if the elastic is a little loose so it sits slightly below the waist. The elastic in a casing can be bulky. If you are wearing a dress that is very fitted at the waist, you'll want the elastic of the fluffer to sit slightly lower than your natural waist so you don't add bulk at your narrowest part.

BONUS: A fluffer is essential when wearing a very full skirt on a windy day. The layers of net can diffuse an updraft and prevent a Marilyn moment. And if your skirt does get blown up, at least you've got some coverage!

Here's a rundown of my five fluffers, in order from most fluffy to least fluffy.

Red, four layers of stiff netting with cottony yoke and cased elastic, from Eleen Fashions

White, nylon net, two layers (one stiffer, one softer) of tiered gathers on a thin nylon yoke with thin elastic. This is the one I wear the most. (Cloud dress, leafy V&A dress, yellow Easter dress)

Blue-green, one layer of soft nylon gathered tiers on a cottony yoke with cased elastic. This is probably 80's-does-50's. It's too short for me. I wore it and the white fluffer together under my Vogue 8956 for maximum fluff, but really I need to pass it along to someone who will use it.

Black, vintage, one layer of noisy and slightly crisp mystery fabric with a single, gathered, soft net ruffle attached near the bottom. I keep meaning to shorten this one from the top to make it more wearable. I prefer to wear it inside out so the net ruffle isn't next to my legs. The long hanging loops are a nice touch that makes storing this one in the closet easier.

Ivory, vintage by Colony Club, gathered nylon tiers with lace between each tier, attached to a very thin cottony bias cut layer that functions as yoke and underskirt. This one is so soft and thin that it barely changes a skirt silhouette, but I love it for those times when a very full silhouette would demand too much attention. I shortened this one from the top and replaced the busted elastic with plushy lingerie elastic. This design is my favorite. I love it for just a little fluff under summer skirts. The bias layer is genius! It prevents bunching when I walk and makes this one cool and comfortable.

To summarize, my favorite design features are: very thin fabric yoke, narrow elastic (not in a casing) and long hanging loops for storage. For a casual fluffer without too much fluff I really like the built-in underlayer. For dressier occasions I would probably be wearing a full slip anyway, so I prefer my super-fluffy fluffers without that underlayer.

If you don't have a fluffer yet, please try it! It makes full skirts look and feel so much better.

My new fluffer from Eleen Fashions!

2011-01-21T14:06:00.004-06:00

My custom fluffer arrived yesterday! It's my fluffiest fluffer yet. A big thank you goes out to Dawn at Eleen Fashions for a great reason to make a new dress!

Here's what I'm thinking for the dress...

This dress (vintage, sold for $850!) is my inspiration. I'll modify my V&A dress bodice to get the high front neckline and the dramatic back with buttons. Then I'll frankenstein it to the skirt from my cloud dress. I'm thinking red silk dupioni for the top and navy silk (dupioni? taffeta? matte satin? faille?) for the skirt. I have a small piece of navy silk with red and silverish ovals in my stash. I might try to make it into a little bolero with a red silk lining. My matchy-matchiness will be off the charts!

Now all I need is a place to wear this ensemble. Any ideas?

Simplcity 2590 and Chicken Fat

2011-01-07T16:10:00.007-06:00

Here's another visit to my sewing heap of shame. This time, it's Simplicity 2590 in brown linen. I made it because I wanted something cool and comfortable for the steamy summer, and because I didn't have a single dress that went with my lovely shoes. It was quick and easy to sew. I finally learned how to use my narrow-hem foot, AKA "The Roll-y Foot". The best thing about this dress is that is swishes gracefully when I walk. I attribute that to my choice of real linen and the narrow hem. I got all matchy-matchy with the belt and the hat, but it still wasn't enough to draw attention away from the two major issues with this dress...

Issue 1: The sagging elastic. Check out that back view. I tightened the elastic as much as was comfortable and it still drooped at the back waist. It drooped enough that it was always hanging out below the belt and I had to fuss with it every time I went from sitting to standing. Are you calling me a sway-backed old nag? Not cool, elastic, not cool.

Issue 2: The Chicken Fat and related neckline issues. So I recently discovered that my arms are pudgy. It was quite a surprise. With this dress I found myself focusing on a related issue. See that lump of pudge near my armpit that is neither the breast nor the wing? Let's call that The Chicken Fat. I swear it was covered by the edges of the bodice when I made this dress. I stay stitched all my neckline edges, but I do believe they stretched considerably after the first wearing. The sagging neck tie and the stretched edges of the bodice have combined to reveal my chicken fat to the world. This bodice would benefit from some serious seam-staying with fusible interfacing or silk organza.

Speaking of silk, I lined the bodice with a lovely piece of matching brown china silk. It makes it a little sweatier than the linen alone, but I felt much more comfortable free-boobing with two layers of fabric between me and the air conditioning. I'm not as perky as I once was, but this dress was sort of a celebration of my boobs returning to their petite dimensions after Henry finally lost interest in nursing. If the nips are going to roam free they much prefer the silk lining to any poly/rayon/acetate lining. And with that, the TMI portion of the post has concluded.

This dress isn't a total disaster, but it's just so freaking annoying to have the elastic sagging in the back all the time. I loved the coolness and the comfort, so I decided to make a second version without the elastic issues. I made it into separates: an elastic waist skirt and a lined top with a self fabric belt. I even made it in cotton seersucker for extra breeziness. Unfortunately, I made the whole thing out of seersucker that happened to be PLAID. And not just a subtle, restrained plaid. I chose plaid seersucker in PRIMARY COLORS. It is a bit much. What was I thinking? I did wear it to a kid's birthday party at a park in August, and felt pretty appropriate for the occasion. Since then only the top has appeared in public, with a denim skirt. All that plaid-matching from top to bottom is wasted.

Charming little coat and hat from 1962

2010-12-20T15:40:00.005-06:00

I started this project for Henry last year, when he was less than a year old. As soon as I got the hat assembled I realized that the whole thing was going to be way too big for him. I carefully packed up all my cut pieces with the pattern still pinned in place and put them away for almost a year. It's still too big, but it will probably be too small by next year, so this is as good as it gets.

(Charming photo by Jennifer Morrison Photography)

The pattern is McCall's 6255 from 1962. In typical early-1960's McCall's fashion, there is only one size in the envelope and the pattern pieces are printed and precut, with numbered seams. This is my favorite era of pattern to work with. The markings are simple and there are instructions right on the pieces in addition to the instruction sheet with illustrations. Everything was perfectly clear to me, even though I have never made a hat or a jacket before.

I used the patch pockets instead of the welt pockets. I skipped the decorative bands at the sleeve hems. I topstitched the jacket seams but not the hat seams. I skipped all the interfacing and lining on the jacket since this was really a stunt project for pictures (and possibly for my retro-Halloween Kennedy family costume idea, but that didn't happen). I would like to try the tailoring techniques someday, but not for such a stunt project. The jacket is shown buttoned all the way to the collar in the pattern illustration, but in real life the collar rolls back nicely if the top button is left undone. The hat is lined and has a grosgrain ribbon band inside, hidden by the lining. Here are a few photos with the lightness jacked up to show the fabric and seaming details. (Pay no attention to the zom-baby staring into your brain. He's harmless.)

I used a cotton that felt like a corduroy but didn't have any wales. Is there such a thing as a non-ribbed corduroy? Anyway, it is 100% cotton and has a tiny gray herringbone pattern on an almost-black background. There is a slight nap to the fabric - just enough to be a pain to work with. I managed to make a covered button for the top of the hat, but I decided to use some black and silver buttons for the jacket. The corners on the patch pockets are a little wonky, like always. Next time I'll make a cardboard template to press them around so the corners are smooth and perfectly matched.

I'd say the coat - in Size 1 (chest 20, waist 19.5) - is still a bit big on my 18 month old. It's roomy everywhere, with an extra 1.5 inches on the sleeve length (tucked under for the pictures). For comparison, Henry is slightly tall and lean for his age. He's still wearing 18 month clothes but he will be in 24 month/2T soon.

If I were to make this again, I'd try the tailoring details on the collar, the welt pockets, and the sleeve bands. The pattern includes instructions for adding another layer of fabric for warmth (interlining), so I might try that. If I were making this for frequent wear, I'd make the sleeve bands functional so I could use them to keep mittens handy (adding a loop to the mittens and running the band through it). I was surprised to find that Henry actually likes his coat. I dragged him along to a sewing guild meeting to show the ladies, and when we got home he didn't want to take it off!

I have an excuse to make a fantastic dress!!!

2010-12-14T10:41:00.009-06:00

I won the Sew Retro custom petticoat give-away! Eleen Fashions is going to make a fluffer for me!

There are two different designs of petticoats to choose from. A one layered petticoat with ribbon about 4 yards, perfect for shorter dresses. Alternatively, a three layer petticoat which his very full, almost 8 yards of poof, and perfect for longer dresses. The colors available are black, white, yellow, lime green, kelly green, sapphire blue, light blue, hot pink, light pink, red, orange, brown, purple or aqua.

I definitely want a fabulous color. I already have my really poofy white one and a much less poofy ivory one. I also have a black one that is not very poofy and way too long to wear with any of my dresses. (It's a vintage below-the-knee 1950's style and the elastic is shot. I keep meaning to shorten it from the top and put in new elastic.)

I could be sensible and ask for aqua to coordinate with this dress. Then again, is there anything less sensible in my life than being excited about wearing 8 yards of brightly colored tulle? The sensibility ship has sailed, my friends. I think this calls for a new dress to coordinate with the new fluffer. I will be dreaming up a new dress project! Any ideas?

I can't believe I wore this to work

2010-12-09T17:00:00.008-06:00

I made this dress last year, in November, to wear to work. At the time I was still nursing Henry (about 6 months old then) and pumping milk at work. I thought the inset waistband would define my waist and contain my deflated belly, and the princess lines would be slimming over my various post-baby bulges. I added flaps and buttons at the shoulders so I could flip it down for pumping. I planned to wear it with a jacket or cardigan.

I started with Simplicity 2473 and drafted my own tabs for the buttons at the shoulders. The fabric is a suiting of questionable content (from Hancock's) with tiny checks. I lined it in a thin silk crepe that was just the right shade of dark olivey-brown-green. (I had ordered it for a different project, expecting it to be plain dark brown. I figured the odd color match was a case of fabric stash destiny.)

The pattern adjustments I made were bad, and the ones I didn't make were even worse. I frankensteined a 14ish top to a 16ish skirt, making the transition between sizes happen within the waist piece. What was once a rectangle became a trapezoid. I neglected to consider how the vertical princess lines would be INCHES out of alignment with this method. Not good. I also neglected to consider my particular issues with a sunken chest (and bad posture) creating tons of room in the upper bodice. Even with this otherwise conservative neckline, I developed a problem of "lean over and share my gloriously ratty nursing bra with the world" proportions. Here are a couple of pics with exaggeratedly upright posture and realistic posture.

What's that? You can't pull your eyes away from the super-puckered topstitching on the vertical seams long enough to notice the rest of the epic fail? How about the heinous hem, straight stitched on the machine? The lumps coordinate perfectly with the poorly joined bodice/waist seam! The tabs with the buttonholes are interfaced - but not the shoulders where the buttons are sewn - so there are puckers there too! At least the lumpage is consistently, perfectly coordinated.

Are your eyes bleeding yet? If you need a break from looking at the dress, go ahead and focus on my pudgy arms for a second. Really, I don't mind. I've developed a strange fascination with my upper arms as they appear in this picture. I find them as soft, spongy, wrinkly and difficult to handle as the damn silk crepe I used for the lining. When did my arms become pudgy? How do arms develop pudge? I honestly do not recall that sweet little development. I believe I will blame it on pregnancy. That's what moms do, right? But back to the dress...

Ahoy, wonky topstitching and awkward button placement!

The worst part is that I knew this dress was doomed to be a wadder before I finished it. At that point I just desperately wanted something new and functional to wear to work so I finished it anyway. The quality of the lining construction reflects my lack of enthusiasm. I may or may not have finished the lining hem. I can't bring myself to dig it out of the closet to look. I didn't even cut the separate panels of the skirt. I just cut a shape somewhat similar to the skirt after the panels were sewn together. The lining creeps and crawls and forms lumps like you wouldn't believe.

I have worn this dress exactly once. It's hidden it in the back of my closet, like the proverbial skeleton. I even avoided blogging about it for more than a year when I specifically created this blog to record all my projects - especially the colossal failures. I do feel better now that it's out there. Unfortunately, there are more Projects Of Which I Am Ashamed to come.

P.S. Please don't try to make me feel better about this project. Let's just accept the failure and try to learn some things from all the mistakes. Next up, something cute!

Please nag me (just a little)

2010-12-02T16:12:00.001-06:00

My backlog of finished-but-unblogged projects keeps getting bigger! I finished another dress at 7:15 this morning so I could wear it today. (My local chapter of the American Sewing Guild has a holiday dinner thing tonight, and I'd hate to disappoint the ladies.)

My list of things to blog about is big enough that it's dragging me down. Please help me regain focus by choosing which finished projects I should blog about first (listed in order of when the project was started):

Dress for work of which I am ashamed - Simplicity 2473
Henry's charming coat and hat - McCall's 6255 from 1962
Brown linen long summer halter dress of which I am ashamed - Simplicity 2590
Plaid seersucker halter top and skirt of which I am ashamed - Simplicity 2590
Corduroy dress for Micah - New Look 6926 (I know, I swore I wouldn't do it to her again)
Super-stripey silk sheath - frankensteined V&A bodice/camo dress skirt

Are you in the mood for shame or success? The cute or the cringeworthy? Let me know in the comments!

New look, same stale flavor

2010-11-19T11:56:00.002-06:00

I updated my blog layout in hopes of getting motivated to post a backlog of projects. The look isn't much different, but the behind the scenes bits are significantly updated. That's progress, right?

Deep thoughts about math and hem circumference

2010-10-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

I finally made my first 100% mathematically calculated skirt pattern and I'm pleased. It wasn't difficult. Any seventh grader could do it, but it gave me a tiny thrill to feel mathematically and geometrically self-sufficient in a calculator-assisted world. It made me think about all the quick mental calculations I do every time I sew something.

Fraction arithmetic!
Unit conversions!
Congruence! ("Did I just cut two left sleeves?")
I don't take my math and geometry for dressmaking quite this far, but I use pi in my daily life!

My math skills get the most work on full skirted vintage patterns. The old patterns usually tell you what the finished circumference of the hem is, assuming that you don't lengthen or shorten the skirt and thereby change the length of the radius. I shorten all my full skirts to a length of about 24 inches because that works best for me and my fluffer. I calculate the difference between circumferenceA and circumferenceB when the radius of circleA is decreased by X inches for circleB. I keep notes with my patterns about what the final hem circumference is so I know how much hem facing or horsehair braid I will need next time.

I'm slowly learning how the numbers on the back of a pattern envelope translate to the qualitative experience of the skirt. For the longest time I had no mental image reference for what the numbers meant for the finished garment. I've finally worked out that, on me, for a 24 inch long skirt:
- a hem sweep of 88" is nicely full and wearable without feeling too odd, and may not even require a fluffer. I can easily get it done with three yards of fabric and have enough left for pockets and a waistband, even with a directional layout.
- a hem sweep of 120" is a swishy statement that needs a fluffer, and is very nice for twirling
- a hem sweep of 160" is a hazard in high winds and needs at least one fluffer, (probably more) and an extra seat on the airplane if you aren't flying in first class

My next quest is to determine how the cut of the full skirt affects the feeling of wearing it. I plan to make a series of skirts with the same length and hem circumference, but in the different basic styles I see in vintage full skirts: gathered/dirndl, circle, gored, etc. I'll try to use similar fabrics for all the skirts in the experiment so the skirts are as comparable as possible. (Unless someone out there has already done it. Anybody? I'd love to see the results.)

Tetris skirt - Finished!

2010-10-08T13:54:00.004-05:00

I finally worked up the nerve to cut into my Tetris fabric a couple of weeks ago. I made this skirt from my self-drafted pattern - eight gores, two pockets, 88" hem circumference, hem facing, side zipper, straight waistband with parallel rows of stitching, blah, blah, blah. The skirt is shown with my usual fluffer in this picture, but I wear it without the fluff in real life. The quilting cotton is sturdy enough that it keeps almost the same shape without the fluffer. I put my pinking shears in one of the pockets so you could see the opening better in the picture.

I'm a little disappointed in how the black area continues to fade to gray very quickly. It's already got that slightly distressed denim look to it. I'm more disappointed that I have worn this out of the house three times already and not a single person has commented on it. What's wrong with people? If I saw someone wearing a Tetris skirt I would cross the street just to say hello!

My freak flag, it flies high these days.

Family Costume Ideas for Halloween...Sadly, Only Hypothetical

2010-10-07T13:16:00.008-05:00

I really love Halloween. I have actually considered hosting a Halloween party just so I have a reason to dress up. Then I think about the hassle of cleaning the house and give up on it. What I really need is for a very good friend or family member to host a party and INSIST that everyone wear costumes. Any volunteers?

I have a running list of potential costumes, just in case, even though Matt will probably never agree to dress up. I think he should capitalize on the opportunity to go all Yul Brenner for one night, but he's too cool for that nonsense.

Here they are, for dad, mom, toddler, and sometimes our little dog too.

- Batman, Catwoman, Robin, The Joker
- Bert, Mary Poppins, little chimney sweep
- Big Bird or Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Elmo
- Captain Hook, Wendy, Peter Pan, Crocodile
- Captain Jean Luc Picard, Dr. Beverly Crusher, Wesley Crusher
- Donkey Kong, Princess, Mario, barrel
- Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Baby Frankstein, Doggy Frankenstein
- Fred or Shaggy, Daphne or Velma, Scooby, Scrappy
- Han Solo (or Vader or Sith or Chewy), Leia or Amidala, Yoda, Ewok
- JFK, Jackie, John Jr.
- King of Siam, Anna, British kid
- King, queen, knight, jester
- Kratos from God of War (or Ares), Athena, Eros, Cerberus
- Pharaoh, Egyptian queen, Egyptian prince
- Professor Xavier, Jean Gray or Rogue, Wolverine
- Scarecrow/Tin Man, Dorothy or Wicked Witch, Lion, Toto
- Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Gingerbread (Should the dog or the toddler be Donkey? Tough choice.)
- Snoopy, Lucy, Charlie Brown, Woodstock
- Stay-Puft man, Ghostbuster, Slimer
- Superman or Captain America, Wonderwoman, The Flash

And I could totally copy my sister's Pinocchio family costumes too!

What do you think? Any favorites?

$138.20 for robots and Legos!

2010-09-21T14:10:00.005-05:00

A big thank you goes out to everyone who has purchased my Tetris fabric through Spoonflower. I hope all of you (40 people!) are enjoying your fabric (75 yards!), and that it feels a little extra warm and fuzzy knowing you helped buy robot parts and Legos for some clever kids.

Finally! A Tetris Fabric Project!

2010-09-13T10:42:00.005-05:00

Can you believe I've had three yards of my Tetris fabric in my stash since January 2009 and I have yet to make something out of it? That ends this week! There will be a garment!

~~(Also, my Tetris fabric is a contender in this week's Spoonflower contest for border prints. You can vote for it here. Hurry! The winner will be announced Thursday.)~~ UPDATE: My fabric came in fourth! Thanks to everyone who voted!

I originally wanted to make a Tetris dress. I have since decided a skirt would get worn more often. The skirt is really the big deal with this fabric anyway. I collected an impressive bunch of patterns designed for border prints but I never found the perfect one for my fabric. Since I had it printed on quilting cotton (that's all that Spoonflower offered in the beginning) I nixed any patterns that relied on drapiness, like many of the ones from the 1940's that first caught my eye. I was also afraid that a gathered skirt would be too stiff and bulky at the waist. Ditto for lots of pleats.

My recent success with the V&A Museum dress reminded me that quilting cotton can work with gored/paneled skirts. The skirt on that dress has eight sections of varying widths. The more sections, the less distortion of the horizontal bands of color. That's why it works with the striped print in the original design and with my horizontal bands of varying density on the leafy print. Unfortunately, that skirt uses about four yards of fabric for a "with nap" directional layout. I only have three yards to work with.

I gave up on finding the perfect pattern in my stash. Last night I drafted my first skirt pattern ever. It's seems simple to me, but it did require a tiny little bit of algebra to work out some measurements. The specs are: Eight sections of equal size, finished waist 32", length 24", hem circumference 88". I used 1/2" seam allowances everywhere to keep the numbers easy. I plan to face the hem so I don't waste too much of my print along the bottom. That works out to pattern pieces that are five inches wide at the waist seamline, twelve inches wide at the hem foldline and 25 inches long. I did a bit of string-and-pencil-compass action to get the hem curve. I plan to make a simple rectangle for a 1" waist band with a little tab to overlap and fasten above the side zipper. I decided to get all fancy and stuff, so two of the sections will have pockets like the V&A museum dress. I just traced over the pocket pieces, changing the angles of the side seams to match my skirt sections. Stay tuned for results!

UPDATE: Skirt is done!

V&A Museum Dress - My best yet!

2010-09-03T16:22:00.012-05:00

I wrote a review of my V&A Museum dress for Pattern Review and it turned into a novel. I've copied it here so you can read it if you've got some time on your hands. Keep an eye out for exciting phrases like "optically-enhanced massive rack" and "maximum twirlability". Take a drink every time you see an exclamation point! Or you can just skip to the comments and pretend you read it.

Links to the free pattern are in my previous post about this dress. I also wrote about it a little in my post about the trip to the museum.

Links to pictures of the insides are at the bottom, or you can click on these thumbnails:

Pattern Description: Day Dress (1953) by Horrockses Fashion from the Victoria & Albert Museum exhibition "The Golden Age of Couture". The original dress is part of the V&A collection, and a pattern was made from the dress to be downloaded as a free PDF. I made this dress to wear to a museum meet-up in Nashville to see the Golden Age of Couture exhibit. This dress was sort of a stunt dress, but I like it so much I'll be inventing reasons to wear it.

Pattern Sizing:The PDF has lines for UK sizes 10-12-14 (Bust in centimeters: 84-88-92. Bust in inches: 33-34.5-36.) I cut a 14 and added inches everywhere except the shoulders. In my estimation, the shoulders run long, the bust is high and ideal for the small-of-boob, and the midriff is long. I would say this pattern is cut for a tall, slim, girlish figure, but is easily adaptable and flattering to the not-so-girlish. A muslin or two of the upper bodice is a must. It's totally worth it.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?Yes! I love it! I made changes, but those were mostly on the inside. I am thrilled with the way my print placement worked out. I was trying to trick the eye with the various densities of the leaves, making my bust bigger and my waist smaller. I think it worked! My first instinct was to make the bodice pieces completely out of the light part of the print. However, I ran just a little short of fabric to make that placement work. Instead I placed the bust piece so that the bust points sit on the edge of a lighter band, with the slightly darker band below the bust points implying that there is a dark shadow created by my optically-enhanced massive rack. The dark green contrast band under the bust continues the illusion. The waist is cut from the darkest part of the print. The dark part of the print continues on the top edge of the skirt, with the light part of the print coinciding with the upper edge of the pockets. I love this print and this layout!

A TMI note about undergarments: I wear this dress with a padded bra and a waist cincher with flexible boning, plus a slip and a 24" long double-layer nylon net petticoat. They make a huge difference in the fit and look of this dress.

Were the instructions easy to follow?Yes! The pockets are simple and clever. This thing went together so easily that I actually told my husband I felt like a genius while I was sewing the skirt.

The only part that didn't make sense was the stitching of the lining to the outer fabric at the armholes. The instructions said to stitch the lining to the dress fabric at the center back seam and neckline and then turn it right sides out. Then it says to stitch the armholes. (This is steps 8 through 11 in the instructions.) Maybe I was being dense, but I got very confused. I improvised by basting my raw edges of lining and dress fabric together, then applying narrow bias tape, turning it inside so it's hidden, and handstitching it to the lining.

The were no clear instructions about the zipper. Probably no big deal if you've done zippers before. I was feeling ambitious so I tried my first hand-picked zipper ever. There is room for improvement and now I don't think the exposed zipper treatment I did suits the dress. Whatever. There will be a "next time".

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? This pattern just felt so darn clever to me! The square neckline made from raglan-seamed pieces is easy and flattering. The flat back bow is not fussy or obnoxious, and it perfectly hides any little wobbles where the band lines up across the center back zipper. Genius! And pockets! And maximum twirlability!

Fabric Used:Quilting cotton from JoAnn. It is a bit stiff and grabby but super easy to work with. The finished dress is fine as long as I wear it with a crinoline to keep the skirt spread out. It was totally worth it to get the subtle shading of this print! I was going for a trompe-l'oeil effect with this dress from the start. My non-hourglass figure needs all the help it can get.

I lined the bodice and the pockets with JoAnn's Sheermist batiste, which is a cotton-poly blend.

The green band and bow is a cotton-poly broadcloth that was just a little too flimsy for the task. I chose it for the color match, but it would have been better if it was a little sturdier or interfaced to keep the bow flat and support the hidden snap. I stitched my bow and snap all the way through the band and the dress to the lining. It looks tacky on the inside, but I prefer that to having the flimsy fabric sag from the weight of the bow and snap.

I went for simplicity and speed on my seam finishing. That is to say, I only pinked my seam allowances. No extra lines of stitching, no zigzag, just assemble, press and pink! No raveling yet!

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I took this pattern from the Bust 36/Waist 28 to a Bust 36-plus-extra-at-the-center-back/Waist 32ish-with-more-of-that-extra-in-front-than-in-back (thank you #1 son for the poochy belly!). Fitting is an improvisational art at my house, not a science.

(For context on my size and the modifications I made, see my blog post with a group picture of my trip to the museum. I am pretty tall.)

I did not change the length of the midriff pieces (although most people will probably have to). It's just a bit too long on me, maybe 1/2 to 3/4" but I found the slightly longer waist to be a more flattering line than my actual waist would probably have been. (Here's a dress at my actual waistline. And another one. I feel a bit stumpy in those with the seam at my true waist.)

1) Major vertical expansion of the upper bodice pieces, but not the shoulder pieces. I usually cut patterns in size B34 or B36. I cut this one in the 36 (because I intended to wear a padded bra) and still added lots of room by lengthening the front piece below the bust point and adding a little width to the center back. Check out the tiny little darts on the original piece. Consider the dart size and the distance from the dart apex to the seam line. It's tiny! I think that would work for a very high and perky A cup, max. I'm no Dolly Parton, but my first muslin was laughable even with some changes. My second muslin was still not covering the distance between the bust point and the underbust sufficiently. Third time's the charm on this bodice!

2) Added lining pieces for the midriff. The original has the lining stop at the underbust seam. I know that a fitted midriff is usually interfaced and/or lined to reduce creasing, so I extended the lining to the waist. I'm glad I did it. With a more delicate fabric I would probably interface or underline too. The instructions say to hand stitch the bottom edge of the lining to the seam allowance at the underbust. Since I extended mine to the waist I was able to machine baste my lining to the dress fabric (wrong sides together) at the waist and treat it as one when I attached the skirt. I stitched again for reinforcement, trimmed and zigzagged. Then I...

3) Added a waist stay (or inside belt, depending on the era and sewing book you prefer). This is a hidden piece of ribbon or fabric that keeps the waist very close to your body and supports the weight of the skirt. I used a twill tape that matched my lining and a swimsuit hook for a closure. I arranged it so the closure would be just to the right of the center back zipper, so I wouldn't have too much bulk in one spot. The waist stay is carefully machine stitched to the seam allowance AND hand-stitched to the...

4) Zipper underlay. I used a metal zipper that matched the background of my fabric in an exposed application. I knew it would be uncomfortable on my spine if I didn't put a strip of something under it. I used a piece of 1" wide twill tape. First I tucked under the top edge of the twill tape. Then I stitched the twill tape to the edge of my zipper tape on the left side. I installed the zipper by hand, keeping the twill tape out of the way, for an exposed look. The center back edges of my fabric were already neatly finished by the lining, so I just put them right on top of my zipper tape and went to town. When the zipper was in I trimmed the bottom of my twill tape and folded it under. I was concerned about the underlay not staying flat against the zipper. I gave it three points of contact to keep it flat. First, I stitched across the bottom edge of the twill tape, catching my stitches in the odd little zipper facing piece (piece 15, which I cut out so the lower edge is on the selvage - again, making me feel like a genius). I added a tiny snap at the top edge of the twill tape to keep it flat at the neckline. I hand stitched the twill tape to the waist stay where the waist stay crossed it so that when the waist stay was fastened the tape would be kept flat at the waist. It sounds much more difficult than it was!

5) Shortened the hem by about five inches to suit my personal preferences and my crinoline, and to make my layout on a tricky print easier. I considered adding horsehair braid to stiffen the hem, but my fabric was stiff enough once I got the hem pressed up that it wasn't necessary.

6) Pinched out a little from the contrast band at the side seams so the band hugs the body. The band is just one simple rectangle folded in half. I found that the folded edge wanted to wing out a little bit even with major pressing. A little hand-sewing to pinch out a tiny wedge under the arms made the band lay perfectly. It's so small I don't think it's worth making a change to the pattern pieces, but the little pinch made a big difference in the smoothness of the line.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?I will definitely sew this again. I put so much effort into tweaking the bodice that I plan to use it for several dresses with slimmer skirts, and piping! This free pattern is a great way to get a taste of the vintage full-skirt silhouette without paying for a vintage pattern or a modern reproduction. The clever details like the pockets and the bow make it very satisfying to sew.

Conclusion: That was really long and detailed! Here's the short version:
* Make at least one muslin of the bodice. Really.
* Line the midriff.
* Wear the right undergarments.
* The print placement really makes this dress work for my figure.
* The construction of this dress makes me feel like a genius, and the finished product makes me look more like an hourglass then I really am. It may be the best dress ever!

Here are pictures of the dress on my dressform. It fits me much better than it fits her!
Dress Front
Back with Zipper and Bow
Back Unzipped
Inside Back Unzipped
Inside Bodice Front
Front Bodice Pattern Piece, original and mine