Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing

Cambie Dress in Gingham

2013-05-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

Guys, I love sewing. I suppose that should be obvious by now. But does it ever just hit you, out of nowhere, how absolutely madly in love with this craft you are? That's been happening to me a lot lately. And I know it's a direct result of a recent resolution I made to spend more time sewing for myself, from other designers' patterns. I've been trying to get back to my sewing roots recently--picking out a pattern, fantasizing over fabric, poring over the directions.

I picked up Sewaholic's Cambie dress pattern recently, feeling like I was the only person in the sewing blogosphere who hadn't made it. And the pattern did not disappoint!

I made a muslin of the whole dress--pockets and everything--to really test the fit. I made a size 10 and ending up taking in the hips quite a bit--that was a new experience for me! (Sewaholic Patterns are designed for a pear-shaped figure, so the proportions are slightly different from other patterns.) The fit in the bust was perfect, no dart adjustment needed.

I made the dress in a small turquoise gingham.

I decided to cut the waistband on the bias, to break up the check pattern a bit.

The dress is lined in white siri, a cotton poly blend lining fabric. I added a facing to the front neckline, so that the white wouldn't peek out the top of the dress at all. Here's the inside.

As many have noted, Sewaholic's instructions are fabulous, and this dress had an emphasis on machine finishing. The only thing I did by hand was to tack down the lining to the dress at the waistline. It was nice to be sewing out of my usual comfort zone--I even used an invisible zipper! (I have a slightly irrational dislike of them, preferring a more vintage-y lapped zipper in a dress.) I feel so modern.

Yesterday was the first very warm day we've had, and I wore the dress to my knitting group. I can already tell that it's going to be a summer time staple. (I confess that I've already cut a second version.)

Other than that, I've been doing lots of home dec sewing. I recently developed an obsession with the idea of having piles of blankets all over the house (Jeff is convinced it's some Freudian thing), and I've been working on building up the blanket stash.

We did some antiquing in New Paltz last weekend, and I found this amazing mannequin head. Isn't she beautiful?

Supply Source: Tissue Paper by the Roll for Cutting Slippery Fabrics

2013-05-14T11:12:00.002-04:00

Remember this post, where I wrote about cutting slippery fabrics with tissue paper? Well, I've found a great source for industry-quality tissue paper. I asked the folks at Marist College (where I just finished up teaching a semester long course) where they get theirs, and they pointed me in the direction of South Star Supply Company, a Nashville-based business that provides sewing supplies to the garment industry. (Note: I'd never actually used this kind of tissue, since they had a different, mystery-sourced tissue paper in the studios when I was working at Marist.) South Star Supply also caters to us humble home sewists, making it very easy to place an online order.

Their tissue paper is called "High Yield Tissue" and you can order it in widths from 30" to 72". I ordered a roll of 45" tissue, which had 900 feet on the roll, and cost $50 plus shipping. I chose the 45" width because that's the width of most slippery silks that I use. Did I mention it's pink? It's pink! Bonus points for coordinating with my hair and sewing room colors.

My only complaint about ordering from South Star Supply is that two of the other items I ordered were out of stock, so they placed my whole order on backorder without telling me. A couple weeks went by, and I contacted the company to see what was going on with my order. They were super responsive and offered to ship out the items they did have in stock (which included the tissue roll). I just wish they'd offered that when I placed the order! If you have an order that's urgent, I would recommend calling them to make sure the items are in stock and ready to ship.

I received the tissue shortly after my email conversation with customer service. When I unwrapped it, I was surprised by how thick it is--not like gift wrap tissue, which tears easily. This stuff is pretty beefy, and it has a coarse texture, which is perfect for preventing fabric slippage while cutting.

I cut out a dress lining using the tissue, and loved the results. A bonus to this thicker tissue is that you can use the leftovers as pattern paper, making it more economical than the thin tissue, which just gets thrown away.

You can even draft facings and other pieces from your leftovers! Here's a skirt piece after cutting.

To draft a skirt facing, I just used the top of the tissue to make a 2-5/8" facing piece.

Cool, huh? You could also use those extra tissue pieces to make variations on your favorite patterns.

Overall, a highly recommended product. If you're looking for thinner tissue paper, Uline carries 36" rolls, which have a whopping 5,200 feet on them. They cost $128, but will obviously last a long time. I think I prefer the South Star Supply stuff, though, since it's wider and has multiple uses.

Cover Girl (New Dress Pattern!)

2013-05-10T10:24:00.000-04:00

Hi readers! I've been felled by a nasty stomach thing for the past several days, but I just got something in the mailbox to cheer me up: my dress design on the cover of a magazine! Stitch with Style is a special fashion sewing edition of Stitch Magazine, out on newsstands May 14th. (You can find ordering info and stuff here.) The magazine features the dress and instructions, and then you can download the free pattern on their website to make it yourself! Update: you can also buy a digital copy of the magazine here.

The dress made its merry way to back to me yesterday, along with a fresh-off-the-presses copy of the magazine.

And hey! I also have an essay on the back page, all about the process of designing and making the cover garment.

This dress was really fun to make. I developed the pattern by draping it on my small (model-sized, not me-sized) dress form. It has a low scoop neck, tiny cap sleeves, and a full skirt with side pleats.

The fabric was a delightful find at B&J Fabrics. (I don't see this particular fabric on their website, but I think they have more, so you could call them or email them this picture if you're interested in buying some.) It's a pure silk organza with a soutache-like ribbon embroidered on top. I choose a periwinkle silk habotai as a lining/underlining (there's both in the bodice) to set off the deep blue of the ribbon work.

I'm definitely going to be making this design for myself now that it's available to download in a range of sizes (XS to XL, or bust size 32" to 44-1/2"). More to come on that!

The Great British Sewing Bee Is Casting!

2013-05-02T11:42:00.001-04:00

I wrote about my love for this TV show here. In case you missed it, The Great British Sewing Bee is an amazing reality TV series devoted to finding the best amateur sewist in the UK. You can watch all the episodes on YouTube, starting with episode 1 here. You will quickly want to follow with episodes 2, 3, and 4, all of which are also available on YouTube.

Now allow me to get a little weird. Love really isn't a strong enough word for how I feel about this show. I was truly delighted, charmed, entertained, touched, and inspired to sew by each episode. I find myself thinking about it all the time: strange, but true. I could gush about it for hours on end. Let's just call it an obsession. So I was thrilled to get an email from the production company behind the show announcing that they're casting for season 2. Let me repeat: THEY'RE CASTING FOR SEASON 2!!!! There are not enough exclamation points in the world.

British readers, please allow me to live my dream vicariously through you! Go apply now and don't forget to report back on the experience. Aunt Gertie wants to know everything. Is Patrick truly that handsome? (It kind of freaks me out how good-looking he is.) Is May that sweet and knowledgeable? Is Claudia really so quirky and delightful? (I've now added the phrase "Ring-a-ding-DING" to my everyday vocab.)

Go apply now please!

P.S. And also, can we please brainstorm on how to make an American version happen? Are you a TV producer? A powerful media mogul? I've had daydreams about somehow getting a Great American Sewing Bee on the air, but I don't even know where to start. I would humbly submit myself as contestant, judge, consultant, anything! Anything, people!

The Winner of the Nancy Zieman Knits Prize Is . . .

2013-05-02T11:08:00.002-04:00

. . . The Garment Farmer! She will win the book Sew Knits with Confidence by Nancy Zieman, as well as all four of Nancy's new patterns, which are designed specifically for knits. See the giveaway post here. We had a healthy 637 entries!

It was a real honor to be included in Nancy's blog tour! You can see the original post here, which links to the other participants. I loved seeing what everyone did with these patterns.

Reader Poll for Book Two: Fly Front Pants?

2013-04-24T10:53:00.003-04:00

Hey readers! I'm hard at work planning the skills and designs to go into my second book, Gertie Sews Vintage Casual (due out Fall 2014). I've come to a conundrum that has completely flummoxed me: do vintage enthusiasts care about fly front pants? I thought I'd go right to the source: you, dear readers.

Fly front trousers were very unusual for women in the 40s and 50s; the majority of pants had a back zipper. However, there are always exceptions to the rule! The great Katharine Hepburn's signature clothing item was beige gabardine trousers with a fly front. Here's an example from her actual wardrobe.

Sewing patterns for fly front pants are almost impossible to find in this era. Here's a lone exception from the 50s.

My point is: sure, fly front pants are not completely historically inaccurate. But does that mean that we want to make them? I personally do not like a fly on a high-waisted trouser since the fly opening has to be so long, making the pants look strange proportionately (at least to my eye). But on the pro side, I think sewing a fly front is an invaluable skill, and one that I've been teaching a lot lately in my classes at Marist College.

So I'm going to leave this up to you, dear readers. I've arranged a highly democratic voting system (i.e. the time-honored blog poll). Please vote below and leave your comments as well! As always, I appreciate your feedback.

Update: the fly front pattern and instructions would be in addition to side and back zippers, not in place of them.

Finished! Butterick 5882, the Shelf Bust Dress

2013-04-22T10:37:00.002-04:00

Whew! That was a whirlwind. I made this dress over the course of a week, flew out to Dallas to wear it to a wedding, and flew back home the next day.

To catch you up, this pattern is part of my line of retro designs for Butterick Patterns, "Patterns by Gertie." (And they are all currently on sale for $1.88!) This particular design is number B5882 and was inspired by a 50s style called the "shelf bust."

Here's how my process works: I make the pattern and sample garment (all in a size 10), send it in to Butterick for grading and photographing and all that stuff. When the pattern is officially released, then I get a copy and can make it for myself in my own size (which is a 14, for reference).

Here's the model-y version.

And the Gertie version.

I added pockets!

And just happened to have the perfect shoes in my closet, never worn.

They're by Poetic Licence (the style is called "Faithfully"), and they are black on the outside and white on the inside of foot! Perfect for my black and white dress.

It was unseasonably cold in Dallas (I spent the outdoor reception huddled in Jeff's jacket) and crazy windy. Hair at the beginning of the day:

Hair one hour later:

Yikes!

Anyway, back to the dress, with a few construction details.

I added 3" wide horsehair braid to the hem. I bought this horsehair from Steinlauf and Stoller by the 36 yard roll. That's how much I love it. It's the best quality horsehair I've come across, very firm with a strong cord for pulling to shape the braid. (If you're curious how to use horsehair braid, here's tutorial to help you! I also have a segment from It's Sew Easy if you're more of a video person.)

The unmentionables! I added bra cups to the bodice. I just tacked them in by hand.

The waist stay is a wide petersham ribbon from a millinery supply store. The bodice is steel-boned all the way around. I made the boning channels by cutting two bodice linings, sewing them together wrong sides together, and then stitching lines to make pockets for the boning. (I detailed this method on my yellow dress from 2010, the days of yore. Thankfully I've figured out a better way to cut steel boning since then, which I will share one of these days.)

I borrowed a pocket pattern from a skirt pattern I own and sewed them into the side seams.

The fashion fabric is a silk and cotton brocade with flocked velvet polka dots from New York Elegant Fabrics. AMAZING. The contrast is a silk satin shantung from Paron Fabrics. I lined the whole thing in a lightweight cotton-poly blend from Metro Textiles, and finished the hem on the lining in black contrast narrow hemming on my serger.

Lapped zipper.

Okay, about the straps. I wrote a post about how I originally intended them to be worn, which is with the band flipped down under the bust and then twisting at the upper edge of the bodice.

And after all that, I ended up sewing mine differently. I kept my band flipped down all the way around the bust, no twist. I just liked how it looked on me when I tried it on.

I tacked the band down just where it turns into the strap, to keep it in place.

Whew! I think that's it! Overall, I'm really happy with the dress. It's a special kind of thrill being able to make my own pattern design. Here's a couple shot to end with.

The Great British Sewing Bee: AMAZING

2013-04-18T23:52:00.002-04:00

Oh my. I've discovered my new favorite TV show. (Okay, it doesn't quite compete with My Little Pony. But really, what does?) Have you all heard about The Great British Sewing Bee, a BBC show designed to find Britain's best home sewer? I mean, just the concept alone is amazing.

The show starts with 8 contestants.

And hey, look! One of them is our very own Tilly from the lovely blog Tilly and the Buttons. How cute is she? She looks gorgeous on screen and performs beautifully under pressure.

I've only watched one episode (you can watch it here), and I savored every minute of it. There were three challenges: make an a-line skirt from a pattern, design and sew a new neckline for a simple cotton blouse, and make a custom dress for a client. The exciting thing about this show is that it really is ALL about the craft. The judges examine each sewn product with care, admiring facings and handstitched hems. It's like a full hour of garment sewing porn. The narrative goes into great detail on construction, and even has some sewing history segments thrown in. The least successful part of the show (in my opinion) is the short sewing project. In episode one, it's a drawstring laundry bag. They rush through the construction (not that I'd want to see it, honestly) so it feels tacked-on and very separate from what the contestants are doing on the show.

The most charming thing is how very quiet and quaint this reality show is. Between challenges, the contestants sit down for tea at a local cafe for a nice little chat. The bitchiest comment from a judge so far was (whispered furtively behind her hand as a contestant cut some lining fabric from a bolt): "that's way too much fabric for a lining." She was promptly chastened by her fellow judge, because after all, the sewer could have been making a full-length skirt. (He wasn't.)

If you'd like a taste of the drama, check out this video, the ominously titled "Sandra's Mistake." (Spoiler alert: she sews her neckline facing on her blouse with the right side facing up.)

My major complaint is that the series is way too short overall: only four episodes! Hopefully it will be a smash hit and come back with more. Oh, my other complaint is that there's not yet a Great American Sewing Bee. Because I would so be there.

Episodes two and three are available to watch online, and I seriously cannot wait. Who will win this thing? I've got my money on Ann, an 82-year-old whose flawless construction reflects decades of experience.

Are you readers watching this show? If not, no excuses! Run, don't walk, to YouTube and check it out. Happy viewing!

Nancy Zieman's Santa Fe Dress Pattern (with Giveaway!)

2013-04-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Well, I am just tickled pink (ha!) to have been asked to participate in the blog tour of one of my sewing heroines, Nancy Zieman herself. She's launching a new book, Sew Knits with Confidence, as well as four new patterns specifically designed for knits. Read on for my version of her knit dress design, plus a lovely giveaway of the book and all four patterns!

Nancy's publisher sent me a copy of the book plus the patterns, so that I could choose one to make. I was super excited to read Nancy's tips on sewing with knits--they've become more and more part of my wardrobe, fabric stash, and plans for my own next book, which has a casual twist. But I was also very impressed by the four patterns. I think there's something for every type of seamstress in this selection. I chose the Santa Fe dress, mostly because it reminded me of a simple knit dress I owned from Anthropologie and wore til its tragic death.

But I was also incredibly tempted by the skirt and top in the Monterey collection. So cute!

The dress won out, probably because I'm in a summer wardrobe state of mind. But both these patterns provide particular opportunities for the retro-loving seamstress, in my opinion. I chose view A of the Santa Fe, which is dress-length and sleeveless. For my fabric, I used a black organic cotton jersey (purchased here and highly recommended).

First let me say this is a FAST project. I started cutting it at 2:30 in the afternoon, and was setting up my camera to take pictures at 4:30--and that includes time for fitting and style changes!

I chose to make the size small, knowing from experience that I like my knits to have little to no ease. However, I used the length and flare of the XL size, since I like my skirts swingy and on the longer side.

The bodice came together super quickly.

When trying it on, I found an easy way to "retro-fy" this design: pinching the neckline pleats to each side and stitching them in place to make a sweetheart neckline.

While I do like the original design very much, I think this small change makes it way more me.

Seriously, all I did was pull the neckline pleats to the side in a pinch. Then I used some black embroidery floss to stitch it in place by wrapping it around the pinch. You could also add buttons or small brooches here!

The other change I made was to nip the dress in at the waist. It had a very flowy empire silhouette and I knew a more dramatic waistline would work well for me. I started by chalking in just an inch on each side, machine basting it, and then trying on. I eventually took two inches out of each waistline side, tapering down in a straight line to the hem (I got rid of that hip curve you see below since it has a distinctly fin-like appearance on the body).

Here's the overall result. Hopefully Nancy won't shun me for bastardizing her pattern! The changes were fairly small but resulted in a garment I'm in love with.

Easy to dress up or down, and all sorts of other fashion clichés that I won't subject you to.

The back has a basic high scoop neckline.

The pattern instructions were great, explaining all the ins and outs of sewing with knits. I learned that jersey curls to the right side of the fabric--good to know!

I love the little notes from Nancy throughout! She tells you how to sew with either a sewing machine or serger, and even specifies when to use one over the other (for instance, she suggests sewing the bodice pleats on the machine for more control, then switching to the serger for easier bits like the side seams). I did use my serger, but it's definitely not necessary.

I'll definitely be sewing this dress again since it's perfect for summer (and for standing awkwardly with armchair).

Okay, now for the giveaway! Nancy's publisher provided me with a copy of the new book Sew Knits with Confidence as well as ALL four new patterns to give to one lucky reader. Please leave a comment here by the end of the day on Wednesday, April 24th. All countries eligible. Make sure that you link to your blog or include a way for me to get in touch with you in your comment!

I'm going to be eagerly following the blog tour to see what everyone else comes up with. Good luck in the giveaway!

Update: the giveaway is now closed for entries. See the winner here!

Time-Saving Trick for a Boned Bodice Muslin

2013-04-15T11:56:00.000-04:00

When I went through my corset-making obsession, I learned a lot of cool tricks that can be transferred to dressmaking. And this particular trick is my absolute favorite.

When making a muslin for a dress with a boned bodice, it's imperative to actually put boning into your muslin. A boned bodice generally has little to no ease. But without the boning for stability, it just looks like a too tight, wrinkly muslin--which makes it impossible to evaluate the fit. Obviously, however, sewing boning into a garment is time-consuming and often makes it difficult to alter the seams of a garment--exactly what you need to be doing in the muslin stage!

So, meet your new best friend, masking tape. Yep, you can tape lengths of spiral steel boning into your muslin for fitting purposes. (Does masking tape have different names in different countries? It's that parchment-colored tape typically used to cover molding or door frames when painting walls.)

Center the steel boning over the seam allowance (or wherever you want to place it) and secure it with a length of masking tape.

The only rule is that you don't want the boning to extend into the waistline seam allowance. The boning must end right at your waistline seam allowance.

It's perfectly fine for it to extend over the top of the bodice, though, as long as it doesn't poke into your armpit or anything awkward like that. Here I let the back boning extend past the upper edge of the bodice, just for the purposes of fitting. This way you don't have to cut the boning to length until you've figured out the fitting issues.

Another time-saving trick is to fit only the bodice (this works if the skirt is full and only needs to fit at the waist). If you're fitting yourself, it's really important to put a dress-length zipper into the muslin--just let the extra zipper length hang below the bodice.

I'm currently working on my design, Butterick 5882, to wear to a wedding next weekend! Sorry for the mirror photo, but it's about all I could handle this weekend. The only fitting change I needed to make was removing some ease from the waistline. The taped-in boning made this super easy: I just removed the boning to take in the seams, and then stuck it back in place to re-fit. You don't even need new masking tape since it stays sticky!

I'm making it from this amazing brocade with flocked velvet polka dots. The bustline and straps will be in coordinating black shantung.

More to come on this design, including the long-promised FBA post.

Hope this sticky trick helps you out on your next party dress muslin!

Reader Question: Will Tissue Paper Dull My Shears?

2013-04-11T11:05:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I wrote about using tissue paper to stabilize slippery fabrics for cutting. A few readers brought up the question: "Won't using this method dull my shears?"

It's come to my attention over the years that my attitude on this subject is more lax than others'. I would never use my shears for the purpose of cutting regular paper, but cutting tissue with them does not bother me one bit. Here's the reason: any use--short of leaving your shears sitting unused in a drawer--will dull them. Think about kitchen knives. Even if you only use them for their intended purpose--slicing and chopping food--they dull considerably over time.

In the same way, even just cutting fabric dulls your shears. That's why shears (and knives) must be sharpened periodically. (You can actually take your shears to a knife sharpener, FYI.)

Yes, cutting tissue paper will contribute to the gradual dulling of your shears. But it will not make them irreversibly dull. Get them sharpened, and they'll be as good as new! In my opinion, using tissue paper makes cutting silks about 1000 times easier and more accurate, which is worth the slight extra dulling of my scissors. Though, honestly, I haven't noticed them getting any duller than usual with the use of tissue paper.

My problem is remembering to take my shears in periodically for sharpening! But it must be done.

What do you think, readers?

Cutting Slippery Fabrics with Tissue Paper

2013-04-10T12:18:00.000-04:00

This is one of those tips I’ve heard a million times but never actually tried: sandwiching slippery silks between two layers of tissue paper to make cutting easier and more accurate. Well, I finally tried it and it’s basically a MIRACLE.

I recently lined a garment with habotai, aka China Silk. Habotai feels lovely: light as a feather and silky soft. However, it is a veritable nightmare to work with (in my humble opinion). It is so weightless that it practically floats away when you try to cut it, plus the layers slip around on top of each other. Argh! You’re lucky if your cut piece of habotai even vaguely resembles your actual pattern piece.

So, obviously, I was dreading cutting and working with the habotai lining. (Why do I buy it? Usually to save money. It’s under $10 a yard, usually less than half the price of crepe de chine, which would be my first choice.) The college where I teach stocks rolls of tissue paper for the very purpose of cutting and sewing tricky fabrics, so I decided I needed to finally put this method to the test.

Here’s how it works. It’s best if you can get a roll of tissue paper, which is usually around 36” wide. Roll out a single layer on your cutting surface. Lay out your fabric on the fold, right sides together. Arrange the fabric so the selvages line up with one side of the tissue paper and pin them in place. Then fold the tissue paper in half lengthwise so that it’s sandwiching the fabric. Pin all the layers in place together. You’ll have a tissue layer on the bottom, the two layers of silk, and the second layer of tissue on the top.

Next, place your pattern pieces on top of the tissue/fabric sandwich, using the selvage or fabric fold to align your pattern grainlines as usual.

Then just cut around your pieces! There’s no need for special scissors or anything. The tissue paper keeps the layers in place, making cutting a breeze.

Look at those neat edges of the cut pieces.

Now that your fabric is cut, you can also use the tissue pieces as a stabilizer while stitching seams. Leave the tissue piece on your bottom piece as you’re sewing, and it will feed through your machine as easily as quilting cotton.

Then just rip away the tissue paper from the seam. Sew with a short stitch length (like 2.0 mm) to make tearing the paper more perforated and easier to tear away. Keep some tweezers handy to pick out any stubborn bits of tissue.

That’s it! This method is fabulous for all sorts of slippery silks, like charmeuse, chiffon, georgette, etc.

Are you a fan of this method? Have any good sources for tissue paper by the roll?

Cool Tailoring Trick: Carrier Strips

2013-04-04T10:36:00.001-04:00

Unless you use the same materials and patterns over and over, you're bound to encounter construction challenges with each new tailoring project. In a current garment, I'm using silk gazar as an underlining in a silk faille jacket. I wanted crisp, bulk-free edges to the jacket front--and the gazar would have been bulky and messy in the seam allowances. In classic hand tailoring, twill tape is applied by hand all around the jacket front. In search of a more efficient solution, I decided to try the machine tailoring method outlined in my favorite tailoring book, Tailoring: the Classic Guide to the Perfect Jacket.

This book outlines a method using "carrier strips," which I haven't encountered anywhere else. Essentially you use a separate muslin piece as a transition between your underlining/interfacing and the seam allowance. Here's how it works:

On your jacket front pattern, make an outline of the front edge, and then make a second line 1-1/2" in from the edge. Cut this out in muslin. It's basically a 1-1/2" muslin border to your jacket front, cut on exactly the same grain as your pattern.

Pin and stitch the muslin strip to the outside of your underlining/interfacing, and then stitch again right inside your first line of stitching. (Note: you may be using an heavy underlining like the gazar, or more probably, you're using a heavy interfacing like hair canvas. This method works for both.) Your first line of stitching is 3/4" from the edge, and the second is about 7/8" in from the edge (this is assuming a 5/8" seam allowance).

Turn the work over, and trim away the underlining/interfacing from the seam allowance.

On the right side, cut away excess muslin to the inside of your stitching lines.

Now you have a smooth transition from your underlining/interfacing to the muslin in the seam allowance. The muslin creates a smooth, bulk-free edge on your jacket.

The next step is to baste your underlining/interfacing to your jacket front (the one cut out in your fashion fabric).

I thought this technique was pretty awesome: quick, easy, and effective. You could use it on any garment where you don't want the underlining or interfacing to extend into the seam allowance, but still want lightweight support on the edges of the garment.

Mom in Butterick 5895

2013-04-01T10:54:00.000-04:00

Readers, I'm back! It was so nice taking time to visit my family. While I was in Arizona, Mom and I turned her kitchen into a sewing room. She loves the capri pants in my new Butterick pattern, so I whipped her up a pair! It's worth noting that Mom keeps my patterns and books on a "shrine" in her entryway, but has never actually wanted to wear one of my designs (not her style, which I totally understand), so this was big.

I brought plum colored stretch denim from B&J specifically for the project.

Doesn't it have a nice sheen to it?

After making some fit adjustments to the waist and hips of the pattern (by measuring a pair of store bought jeans in mom's wardrobe), I followed the construction pretty closely--except for the waistband. Mom tends to wear hip-length shirts over jeans, so the waistband wouldn't have shown. So I added a grosgrain ribbon facing instead.

It's fun seeing the pattern in a Southwest casual vibe!

(Incidentally, after I left, my poor mother fell while hiking and broke her ankle in two places. She is confined to her bed for now, so here's hoping she stays sane and gets better soon.)

I also worked on some adorable little sundresses for my adorable little niece.

And I knit Jeff a sweater. Here's the "hey, I finished your sweater!" picture I texted to him. This is about as adventurous as he gets in sweater design.

Wow--just look at all that selfless crafting! I really am a saint, I know. Today I'm back to sewing size 2 samples for Butterick. But have a wedding coming up in three weeks and I am determined to make myself Butterick 5882 for the occasion. More on that (plus the promised FBA post, I swear) soon.

On Vacay

2013-03-19T11:15:00.000-04:00

Hellooo, readers! I'm visiting family this week. And despite my best intentions to post while away, I'm just having too much fun.

Did I mention that I have a niece?

She is delicious--I mean, adorable!

We are spending some serious quality time together this week. I take my role as "eccentric aunt" very seriously! I bought her that picture book about the gay penguins and also--a little pink ukulele!

She is a ukulele prodigy!

From here, I'm heading west to see my folks. I plan on continuing to have too much fun to blog, so let's meet back here next week, ok?

Hope you're all doing great!

OMG Zac Posen

2013-03-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

I can't even. Is this man human? Look at those features! Those glossy black waves! The glowing complexion! The cinematic arch of the eyebrows! The perfectly tailored notch on his jacket! Oh, I could go on and on . . .

Have you been watching this season's Project Runway, readers? Zac Posen, Greek God, is filling in for judge Michael Kors, the Orange Duchess (so nicknamed for his penchant for spray tans and bitchy royal demeanor). According to Jeff, no one can replace the Orange Duchess, but then again . . . Jeff doesn't turn into a giggling school girl every time the Greek God comes on screen.

Have I mentioned his smile?

His thoughtful and encouraging manner of critiquing design?

Okay, let's discuss the elephant in the room.

Obviously, Zac would not return my feelings. But guys, that's why he's my imaginary boyfriend, not my real one. If the pesky little issue of sexual identity got in the way of women having crushes on handsome and kind and stylish gay men, well . . . the pillars of Western popular culture would basically be upturned.

I have two other imaginary boyfriends, BTW. (Don't worry, Jeff doesn't get jealous. He completely understands.)

OMG Dave Grohl.

OMG Stephen Colbert.

Wait! Make that three other imaginary boyfriends!

OMG Adam Scott. (Wow, it's getting crowded in here.)

I know, readers. I have extremely good taste in men.

Okay, back to the point. Are you readers liking Zac Posen on Project Runway this season?

Reader Question: Will Butterick 5882 Work on a Large Bust?

2013-03-08T10:38:00.000-05:00

Hi readers! Today I thought I'd answer a FAQ about one of my new Butterick patterns, number 5882. This design has a feature called a "shelf bust," which is a set-in inlay of pleats with a bias band underneath.

The question I've been hearing a lot is: will this style work on a figure with a larger bust? My opinion is a resounding YES. Now let me tell you why.

While it may seem like a shelf bust would draw extra attention and volume to a large bust, that's only really true if the "shelf" extends to the bottom of the bustline. Let me explain what I mean.

Check out these dresses from my long-ago inspiration post.

The bustline looks heavy on all of these because it extends to below the bust, where the underwire on your bra would be.

In my version, I made the shelf more shallow to minimize this heaviness. The shelf seamline goes across the bustline horizontally, visually minimizing its proportions.

The other thing I did was to make the pleated insets rather small, proportionately. If you look a repro brand Trashy Diva's shelf bust dress, you'll see that the pleated sections are rather large.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a HUGE Trashy Diva fan. But I tried this dress on and felt that my bustline looked enormous (and I'm a B cup!). If you look at my design in comparison, the pleated sections are much smaller.

So that's my reasoning for liking this style for a larger bustline. But please keep in mind that this is not a modest neckline! You will be showing cleavage, but I think my pattern will minimize the overall scale of the bustline, if that makes sense.

Of course, the more important question is how to do an FBA (Full Bust Adjustment) on this style? I'm going to dedicate a post to the topic, but here's the short answer. You would need to add length and width in the seams around the bust: the shelf seamline, and the princess seams below it. From there, you would need to slash and spread the pleated inset and its lining piece to fit your new bodice. That's probably really hard to visualize, which is why I'll do a post on the whole topic.

I hope this helps!

Silk Gazar Fabric

2013-03-07T12:41:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a major fabric shopping trip for me, which is its own special kind of high (no substances required!). I'm working on the next round of Butterick patterns right now, and finally pulled the trigger on some amazing fabrics after a couple swatching trips and much agonizing.

One of the designs is very tailored and structured, and I want it to appear almost sculptural. At Mood, I was assisted by the adorable Kooan, who made a brief appearance on Project Runway Season 10 before opting to voluntarily leave the show. Remember him?

Anyway, he now works at Mood and is super helpful. I showed him my sketch to get some fabric suggestions, and was surprised when he recommended a double layer of heavy silk organza. He pulled out some examples, and one (photographed above) was especially unique: extremely bouncy but stiff, light as a feather, and only the tiniest bit sheer. It seemed way stiffer and opaque than any organza I've seen, including satin-faced organza (which can tend to be less sheer than regular organza).

I later found out that this fabric is actually silk gazar, which is one of those rare birds of the fabric world. (You may recall that Kate Middleton's wedding gown was made of silk gazar, so it briefly became a household term.)

Mood only had this particular fabric in the red color here.

While it's a lovely color, it's not what I had in mind for this design. But the drape of it was absolutely perfect. So I decided to pick up a small amount (1.5 yards) and use it to underline the body of the garment, which will be made in a silk/cotton faille. The silk gazar was $35 a yard, twice as much as the fashion fabric--but sometimes the understructure is everything, right? I also hate to hide this beautiful fabric, but we must make sacrifices for fashion!

I did a quick drape with the gazar so you could see its qualities more clearly.

I love how it almost glows from within. And look how the folds on the skirt stand out! It really is a spectacular fabric.

I found only a few online sources for silk gazar. NY Fashion Center Fabrics carries it in 20 colors, and includes this fascinating description. (Note: they use the variant spelling, "gazaar.")

Silk gazaar is a heavier sheer silk fabric with a smooth texture and crisp, matte finish. Essentially a four ply form of silk organza, silk gazaar was developed by the designer Balenciaga in the 1960s. Like organza, the fabric is perfect for lining as well as for sleeves, overlays or a back piece on evening wear or special occasion garments.

Love their "grape" color. I cannot speak to the qualities of this particular fabric, but I have been happy with ordering from this website in the past. I will be ordering a swatch of this fabric, so I'll keep you updated on that. It's not cheap (about $50 a yard) but all colors are always in stock and ready to ship or swatch.

You'll also see printed gazars, which are even rarer than the solids. Gorgeous Fabrics currently has this lovely black and white floral.

B&J carries some Italian floral gazars that are so beautiful they make my heart hurt. Incidentally, the price tag makes my eyes bleed.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

SIGH.

Have any of you sewn with gazar?

Shaping a Shirt Collar

2013-03-04T11:18:00.002-05:00

Hey readers! I realized that one of the things I can do while I'm working on top secret projects is to put together little mini tutorials without showing an entire garment. For instance, right now I'm working on developing a classic 40s style blouse pattern. A project like this usually takes me several tries in fabric, which is a plus because then I end up with several new blouses in my wardrobe! So the one you see here won't actually end up in my next book, it's just part of my process.

I've written about shaping a tailored jacket collar with steam, but it's worth mentioning that you can do the same thing with an interfaced shirt collar. Going through these steps will give you a shirt collar that stands up and rolls around your neck nicely. What you're doing is "training" it into shape with steam. Here's how it works.

First, interface the upper collar only. I'm using a soft sew-in interfacing, which gets basted to the collar piece. (Yes, I know I'm not going to win any awards for the aesthetics of my basting stitches.)

Pin it to the under collar, right sides together.

Stitch around the outer edges. I like to take one stitch diagonally across the corner to get a crisper point.

Trim down the corners.

Grade the seam allowances so that the upper collar seam allowance is about 1/4" wide and the under collar seam allowance is about 1/8" wide.

Turn right side out and use a pin to pull the corner out.

Press so that the seam line rolls toward the under collar (this way it won't show on the outside of the collar).

(Note: yes, those are little animal heads hidden among the polka dots on this print. It's a Japanese double gauze made by Kokka. Amazing, right? Purchased at Hart's Fabrics in Santa Cruz.)

Pin the collar to a tailor's ham, arranging the roll of the collar as desired. Remember that you still have a neckline seam allowance on the collar, so take that into account as you're pinning. I make the stand of my collar about 1 inch tall.

Steam well (do not press down on the collar, just apply lots of steam to it) and leave to dry for at least several hours.

When you remove it from the ham and sew it to your shirt, you'll have a nicely shaped roll on your collar!

P.S. For a hardcore shirt collar tutorial, check out Pam's blog. I've been meaning to try her method because it looks awesome!

Inspiration: Ukulele Ladies

2013-03-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been learning the ukulele. Part of my intrigue with the instrument comes from 1950s kitsch, no doubt. I love anything that's 50s fad-related (like hula hooping!), and cheap plastic ukuleles were everywhere in the post-war era. I also love any hobby in which the clothes are an integral part of the process. Because, obviously, you have to have a killer dress to play the ukulele, as Marilyn demonstrates above.

There's a cornucopia of amazing "ukulele lady" images to be found online, much of it pornographic (apparently it's easier to play a uke while topless? I'll have to try it sometime). I'l refrain from anything too saucy, but I do love a ukulele pin-up! How awesome are these ones from Gil Elvgren?

Here's one of Bettie Page, wearing what looks to be an original Warner's merry widow.

And while not 50s, the fabulous Bette Midler is certainly kitschy. Gotta love her pink pineapple uke--it has rhinestones, of course.

If you cast your search way back, you'll find some very cool 20s and 30s images, like this one of a Ziegfield Follies chorus girl.

I should probably start thinking about my ukulele outfit now, just in case I ever play in public. (I'm thinking about incorporating the uke into book talks and signings, so I'm guaranteed a captive audience.) I think I would need to be wearing fringe, right?

Challenges of Going Pro

2013-02-28T12:10:00.000-05:00

One of the major challenges of turning sewing blogging into a career is that often you can't blog about what you're working on. For instance, right now I'm developing the patterns for my next book while also hard at work on two new Butterick patterns. While it would be fun to show you every step of the process, my publishers would, quite frankly, not be pleased. (And I like to think you all enjoy the surprise of a big reveal once something is released. What lady doesn't like to make a grand entrance?) I also have an incredibly full teaching schedule right now (teaching my first college level courses and still doing private lessons as well) that is eating up most of my sewing time.

Every now and then I'll get a comment noting that my blog has changed--that I don't blog what I'm sewing as much as I used to, or it seems like I'm just promoting my "products" (oddly, I don't think of my book or my patterns as products, that seems too clinical a word for something that so much of myself has gone into). Unless I give up sleeping, the only way to turn my blog back into what it was 3 years ago would be to get an office job, break all my current contracts, and just sew for fun. I hope you'll forgive me for not wanting to do that! (Though maybe I could get a job in a fabric store instead of an office. Yeah, that would be awesome.)

I guess this post is really about stress, which I know we can all relate to. As modern women, we're pulled in so many different directions: career, family, basic life chores, email inboxes, bills, etc. Often taking care of ourselves is last on the list of priorities. We're also used to saying yes to everything and trying to please everyone, right? Sometimes it feels like we're all just scraping by, doing lots of stuff but not doing any of it as well as we would like. I've certainly made my share of mistakes along the way. Scratch that, I know I've made more than my share.

I suppose I'm just trying to say I'm doing the best I can to keep all the balls in the air, but I've also learned that being successful means knowing which balls to juggle. (Does it make me immature that every time I type "balls" I giggle inside?)

Hmm, I think I just wrote a post about my feelings. I hope you don't mind! And if, by some chance you actually enjoy reading stuff like this, there's plenty more where this came from.

P.S. In lieu of any sewing photos, here are some shots of me hanging out with Henry and Rosie. Almost as good as dresses? (Also, have I mentioned that I'm learning to play the ukulele? Great stress relief!)

About Butterick 5882: Straps, Etc.

2013-02-25T11:35:00.001-05:00

Thanks for all your kind words about my new Butterick patterns! Your lovely comments make my day; I hope you all know that.

I wanted to clarify something about the straps on B5882. As I mentioned briefly in my last post, I had intended for the straps to twist when worn. And, as it turns out, the folks at Butterick (while genius) are not mind readers. Who knew?!

So I wanted to show you pictures of the dress as I made and styled it, so you can make your choice when sewing the pattern. Here's a picture I took in my sewing room, right after I finished the dress.

See how the strap is turned down underneath the bust, and then twists at the side of the bust? This is how I draped the original pattern, so it helps eliminate any rippling of the strap.

I feel like an idiot for not giving Butterick more detailed notes on the placement of the strap. Live and learn, right? Happily, the dress still looks fantastic on the model and I love everything they did with the photo shoot.

Oh! And here's the dress on display at the Craft and Hobby Association in Anaheim last month!

This shows the dress without a crinoline, a more subtle look that works well also.

Several of you asked about how to do an FBA on this pattern, so I'll be sure to write about that soon.

Thanks again for all of your support! It means the world to me.

P.S. Several of you mentioned waiting for a sale to purchase the pattern, and you're in luck! Patterns are currently $1.88 on the Butterick site. The sale ends this Thursday, February 28th.

My New Spring Butterick Patterns!

2013-02-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited today, readers! Two new designs have been released in my "Patterns by Gertie" line with Butterick. The first one is B5882, a flirty 50s style dress. How cute does the model look?!

The major design feature is the "shelf bust," a vintage element I have long admired (and blogged here). It's so hard to find a great shelf bust dress pattern in my size! So I made one, thanks to my friends at Butterick. The "shelf" is a pleated bust inset that's framed by a bias strap. (Interesting tidbit: I had intended the straps to be worn with a twist at the edge of the bodice, but they're straight in these pictures and look great that way too!)

The bodice is steel boned and has a waist stay for support. The skirt is a 3/4 circle with gores at the princess lines. The fabric is divine--an embroidered shantung from B&J. It looks like strawberries, but they're actually little rose buds. The red contrast is silk taffeta.

They also show it illustrated in one fabric, which gives a more modern look.

I would love to see this in white on a retro bride!

The next one, B5895, is totally different: casual separates. The perfect thing to wear to a picnic or on a camping trip!

This model is totally doing it for me, by the way. Love that wicked grin.

The shirt has kimono sleeves, a wing collar, and a tie waist. (It wasn't actually intended to be midriff-baring, so I'm guessing the model is especially statuesque. It's also easy to length the bodice a bit if you like.) The jeans are capri length, have side pockets and a back zipper, and red contrast top stitching.

I made the shirt in Liberty of London cotton lawn, and the jeans in a stretch denim.

What do you think? I so hope you like the new patterns. I can't wait to make them in my size (sewing in a sample size is no fun at all!) so I'm sure I'll be writing about them more very soon.

Book #2: Gertie Sews Vintage Casual

2013-02-18T13:39:00.002-05:00

Fun news today, readers! Since publishing my first book last year, I'm not wasting any time to do a couple more. My fabulous publisher has signed me up for TWO more books, yay! The next one is coming out in fall 2014 (which sounds far away, but is scarily close) and will focus on the theme of "vintage casual." I'm in the thick of writing and designing the patterns for it now, so I thought I'd share a bit of my research and process with you.

When I was planning the first book, many of you asked for a pattern for pants (better known as trousers, for those of you of the British persuasion). I wanted to comply, but came to the realization that a pant pattern would pull me too far from the couture theme of the first book, and require a lot of extra content (fitting, for instance) that I hadn't planned on. Caroline, my genius agent, suggested saving that trouser pattern for another book, and perhaps even focusing on casual clothing exclusively. I loved the idea. So here I am, writing it.

It's the perfect timing too, since my life has gotten decidedly more casual since writing my first book. But I still want to wear cute vintage stuff! So I'm designing a bunch of patterns that are easy and comfy to wear, while still maintaing a retro vibe. Not necessarily just pants, either! I'm talking skirts and dresses that are more at home at a picnic than a cocktail party.

Without giving too much away, I wanted to share a few of my main inspirations.

Rosie the Riveter is essential to the spirit of the book. Never has vintage casual looked so badass.

If I were to choose one inspirational designer, it would be Claire McCardell. Her cotton dresses and easy separates were revolutionary in their time.

And, of course, my thoughts keep gravitating toward Katherine Hepburn.

Did you know she had 30 pairs of beige garbardine trousers in her wardrobe at the time of her death? I've never been a huge fan of beige pants, but perhaps I need to reconsider.

Another huge inspiration is coordinate wardrobes. Don't you love this type of vintage pattern?

That's pretty much all I can give away at the moment. I hope you are as excited as I am about this! More to come, of course.

Guest Post: Pattern Junkie on Heart Pockets!

2013-02-14T10:28:00.000-05:00

Readers, I'm delighted to have a guest post for you today! It's from Jace, the blogger behind Pattern Junkie, of which I have long been a fan. Bonus: Jace is a fellow pinkhead (well, more like a lovely magenta) and is really fun to eat Mexican food with. Enjoy!--Gertie

Hello, fellow Gertie readers! I’m delighted to be a guest writer today: I’ve been a fan of Gertie’s blog for several years, and had the chance to meet her when she visited L.A. (Guess what? She’s as wonderful in person as she is in blogland.) Like many of you, I have a love of sewing – and a love of (some might say obsession with) sewing patterns. And why not? They offer glimpses into fashion history and individual seamstresses’ lives. Some designs make me gasp at their beauty. Others leave me scratching my head at their peculiarity.

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, let’s talk about an interesting vintage detail: heart pockets. Beautiful? Weird? What’s your take? I think they can go either way, so join me on a journey through some examples. I’m focusing exclusively on women’s dresses with heart pockets: aprons and kids’ clothes with this detail are a little too easy to find…and when you do, they look like this:

ACK! Didn’t I warn you about the weird? The more you look at Aunt Martha’s 9619 (1940s), the stranger it gets. The twin kitties…Sis wearing nothing but an apron, socks, bonnet and shoes with Mom looking so sad in the foreground…I’m about to take a hot iron to my eyes to burn the image from my retinas. Quick! Something pretty! Let’s take a gander at Anne Adams 4923 (1940s):

For me, this works. The dress is classic and simple and the pockets are a sweet, unexpected touch. Bravo!

Next: Simplicity 3716, 1950s. Giant heart pockets are one thing, but hearts on the end of a rick rack neck bow? That’s taking things too far.

Plaid agrees: she’s looking a little smug. And you know what? Now I’m coming around to Blue’s point of view. It’s a housedress, after all. Blue, if you want to eat your breakfast looking like a Valentine and getting muffin crumbs stuck in the little pointy bottoms of your pockets, you go! Don’t let Plaid put you down.

This mail order pattern, Anne Adams 4589 (1940s), does everything right in by book. I love how the illustration places a plain heart and yoke against a flowered fabric. It’s not too sweet – almost matter-of-fact.

Unfortunately, I just can’t get behind Simplicity 1090 (1940s). I don’t think anyone’s going to take you seriously if your business suit features hearts right above your bust – or anywhere, for that matter:

While the lace-trimmed pockets of Simplicity 3186 (1950) are too sweet for my taste, I love the pattern illustration:

Navy Lace makes a heart with her hands, while Pink Gingham scolds her for being so forward! And what is Pink about to pull out of that heart-shaped pocket of hers?

Lest you think that the heart pocket faded with the fifties, check out its appearance in Simplicity 5803 (1973):

Finally, a pattern I can’t resist including, even though it technically doesn’t have a heart pocket. Check out Simplicity 4924:

YES! You saw that right! It’s a HEART HAT! Glorious, isn’t it?!

Thanks for exploring this odd little corner of the sewing pattern world with me, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Thanks again to Pattern Junkie!