boring people society

Because I Needed an Apron...

2016-01-15T09:59:00.001-05:00

Pattern: McCalls 6334 (out of print)

Like the title states: I made this because I needed an apron. Of course I decided to make one after I've already made the fried dumplings and had oil splash everywhere...

Let me just say that I only used the pattern for its base and did not care for any of the weird designs like the owl... or the tulip pocket. I'm not entirely sure to whom McCalls was catering to, but those additives are horrendous and nobody should ever use them. I'm not sorry.

For the apron, I used home decor fabric that I had leftover from this dress. The trim is white cotton that I made into bias tape. I honestly wasn't really trying too hard to make this apron look good (yay for half-assed projects!)--I just wanted it to have for next time I cook. I would definitely tackle this again with more effort to make an adorable apron much like the ones I see at Anthropologie (that's the whole reason I bought this particular pattern in the first place).

I made this as-is (e.g. with no alterations) and find it okay for now. There are a few things I don't like about this pattern and would need to change the next time I make it. First off, the instructions to making this particular set-up (e.g. the way I sewed it here) was somewhat confusing as I had to jump around steps since there wasn't a very straightforward way just to make a plain apron without any of the hideous designs. I managed to get through it all, but there was definitely some doubts along the way.

My biggest peeve is the gape at the neck; the front does not sit flat on my chest and often puffs out. This could be remedied by sewing the straps closer to the center, which I will probably try next time, or at an angle where they currently are (but then you'd need to make sure to get the angle correct).

Another thing I don't like is how high the neckline is. I like to tie the neck straps once and then just slip my head through the apron. For this pattern, I have to untie the neck then retie it to be able to hang it or put it on. All of that just seems unnecessary.

Other than those three things, I think the apron is still cute. The front makes it look like you're wearing a dress and the silhouette is just adorable.

Star Light Star Bright

2015-11-09T16:30:00.000-05:00

Looking through my telescope

Top: Based on Butterick 4443

Skirt: McCalls 6707 with added pockets

Holy moly! I am almost done with traveling south for work--it's been 38 weeks and this week will be my last. Don't know what's going to happen afterwards, but I'm glad to go home soon and enjoy my home.

If this looks familiar at all, it is a copy cat of the Bea & Dot dress I saw on Modcloth. I'm always so wary of ordering stuff online, especially if I have to return by mail (mostly because I'm super lazy with mail returns). So I figured I'd make that dress myself and at least I'd know it would fit me.

I made this dress this past Saturday and can't wait to wear it out. The fabric is Michael Miller's Star Magic that I bought from fabric.com. It looks like they have a lot in stock now which is pretty cool. When I was looking for it a few months back, it seemed to be sold out everywhere and I could not find it in store. It was actually making me pretty anxious. Ha. I was able to score five yards when fabric.com got more in stock. IT GLOWS IN THE DARK! It's super cool!

It was difficult getting a good picture of it in the dark... This was the best I could get!

I thought I didn't have any plain lining fabric, so I ended up using this brown polka dot lining instead. Of course, once I actually attach the lining to the bodice did I realize I actually have plain black lining. The polka dot looks a bit odd on this dress, but it's whatever. No one is going to see the inside from the outside anyway!

If I had a go-to silhouette, it would definitely be this dress. I don't know how many dresses I've made with this look... At least four so far. I finally got around to making a new template for the bodice so I could stop making alterations every time I cut out the B4443 pattern as is. This seriously saved me so much time especially when I made my Halloween costume, but that'll be another post!

Sunshine and Summery Stripes

2015-07-21T21:03:00.001-04:00

If you remember my recent post about taking inspiration from children's clothing, I went ahead and did just that and "copied" this simple piece from this girls dress from Janie and Jack. Of course, I made a few changes to make this more wearable for me (I think I look terrible in halters...), but the idea is still there!

This dress took a long while to make (I finished it last November!) since I wanted to start other projects and because I was moving places last year. Moreover, summer was basically ending and in my mind, I saw this as a summer dress and the colors seemed too out of place for fall and winter time. Needless to say, this often got put on the back burner.

Bodice: Butterick 4443

Skirt: Butterick 5285 (out of print)

The top is a white linen blend that I got from Joanns and the skirt is a yellow gold striped cotton that I got from the Fabric Place Basement. In real life, the color looks more like what's shown in the photo below. I don't particularly pay attention to certain "fabric brands", but I do remember that the striped one is by Michael Miller (I like a lot of his novelty prints!).

I had some trouble trying to figure out what type of fabric I wanted for the white portions of the dress... Joanns (at least the one near me) does not seem to have a great selection of cotton solids that aren't super stiff. I opted for white linen since it at least was soft and had nice movement, though I really would have preferred a flat white cotton...

I added a collar to the bodice using the same linen fabric. Unlike the original, I sewed the skirt directly to the waistband without the top of the skirt peeking out from behind the band. Am I the only one who does not really like the look with the tops of skirts at the waistline? Does this style have a name? I also opted out of the navy waistband since I normally wear belts with my dresses anyway and could just put on a navy belt...

On another note, I've been traveling a lot for work the last five months and have been rather busy. However, I finally got to taking photos for lots of stuff this past weekend, so I hope to actually get something up here once in a while! I also hope to be home for good within the next month or so... Of course, I've said I'd be home in April, then May, then June, then July... so who knows when I'll go home! At least I'm racking up a lot of miles and points!

Fully utilizing Pinterest & Inspiration Board

2015-02-03T10:48:00.002-05:00

Yes, I am one of the millions of blobs who has a Pinterest account and yes, I still use it frequently. However, I am a horrible Pinterest user as I tend to pin and pin and never look back at anything I've pinned. Ever.

The whole point of this post isn't to tell you how sucky I am as a Pinterest user (though there's no denying how bad I am at fully utilizing this site), but to serve as a reminder to me that hey--I should look at this stuff more often so I can stop going on my weekly trips to Target or quarterly visits to IKEA and just forget everything and anything I wanted to get. (Yes, I do have weekly trips to Target--sometime twice a week. Is there a lot of stuff I need to get? Not particularly. Then why do I go so often? The best I can say is "just because.")

I've been at my current apartment since September of last year and the place is still what I consider "unlivable". Sure, everything works (at least as of now now that the heat is somewhat working), but it doesn't feel like home to me. Hopefully after this weekend, I will slowly start to fill it in with more furniture and make it more of a home than just a place where I sleep. I cleaned out a lot this past weekend and actually started sewing again after a long break (mainly because I am running low on zipper supply and have yet to replenish that stock).

Anyways, the thing I wanted to get to is my inspiration board:

Sewing Inspiration on Pinterest.

Every now and then, I see something or a technique I like and I pin it to serve as a reminder that I want to make something similar or try said technique out. I'm hoping to (again... deja vu, anyone?) get back in the swing of things and start making stuff again. However, it's going to be a little trickier to blog about stuff since my laptop crapped out. But hopefully something will come up soon, eh?

Winter is Coming

2014-11-09T15:31:00.003-05:00

Okay, so maybe winter is already upon us as it seems temperatures noticeably dropped within the last two weeks. Is it me or has season transitions been rather abrupt? I remember summer and then I went on vacation and when I came back from vacation, all of a sudden it was fall.

As it's getting colder and colder, I've been slowly switching over to wearing winter coats instead of my [fake] leather moto jacket that I've been donning all fall. The only issue with this is that most of my winter coats lack hoods and generally seem too "formal" for everyday wear (at least it seems to me that way this year... apparently I thought otherwise last winter). I do have one hooded jacket, which is a little short, that I got last year purely for the sake of snowboarding in. However, that proved to be a bad choice given the amount of snow that would sneak into my snow pants and all up my sweater.

I've been desiring a duffle/toggle coat for a few months now and it's tempting to just buy one when there seems to be a whole slew of them out this winter. There are three in particular that I've been eyeing:

Left to right: JCrew Classic Duffle Coat, JCrew Wool Melton Toggle Coat, Uniqlo Wool Blended Duffle Coat

But of course, I could just make one! I recently bought the Albion coat pattern from Colette Patterns and hope to make one soon--hopefully at least before winter is over so that I don't have a repeat of this.

Colette Patterns: Albion Coat

I still need to buy fabric and all the other necessary supplies; I've only printed out the pattern so far. Additionally, I need to find the time to get to it... I'm actually working on a dress right now that I hope to finish soon! And I've been actually getting stuff for my apartment (got a bookshelf this past weekend!) and will need to clean up and organize some things.

On another note, I hope to post my Halloween costume from this year soon! A little late, but better than never. I have a few things I want to fix before presenting it (the whole inside wasn't done when I wore it Halloween day).

Out and About and Across the Universe

2014-10-12T14:22:00.000-04:00

I'm not quite sure whether or not this is the coolest or the weirdest fabric I've ever used. Trust me, it's been a roller coaster. I first bought it thinking it was okay, sort of regretted getting it after I washed it and saw the whole print laid out on the floor, thought it was awesome when I finished the bodice, thought the skirt portion looked a little weird, and then thought the whole thing looked good put together, but still slightly weird. Aside from all this doubt, I have a feeling this will be a dress I will flat out find awesome!

The pattern is Lisette for Simplicity 1419 which I picked up at Joann's a few weeks ago along with the fabric and the add-ons (i.e. bias tape, invisible zipper, etc.). A side note: the pattern, at the time, was on sale for $1.99 and I only saw a day later that they would have been on sale for $1... Ah well!

I was actually working on two (TWO!) other projects, but halted them to start this dress. I spent almost an entire day cutting and sewing and then finished up the zipper and hemming after work for two days. I was surprised at how dedicated and how quick I was to getting this done even with putting effort into making it fit correctly (seams and all!)! Another side note: I'm also surprised at myself for not wanting to give up the other two sewing projects either. I was never able to handle multiple sewing projects at the same time!

Based on my body measurements (primarily my waist and hip), I cut out a size 10. I'm not a huge fan with grading patterns and I usually just end up cutting the bigger size completely and then altering the pieces to fit correctly. I'm smaller at the top, width-wise and length-wise, so I actually had to make a number of changes to make the bodice fit me. Beside my usual taking-1"-from-the-bust and being the lazy bum I am, I brought up the shoulders instead of moving the bust and waist darts so that it didn't look like I had a saggy chest... Of course this brought an onslaught of other issues where I needed to extend the armholes down by a half inch (though I should probably make it an inch--it's a little tight) and take out an inch from the neckline and the collar so that it wouldn't turn out like a turtleneck (I wish I had a before picture...). Luckily, there was enough fabric at the lower bodice so that when I sewed the skirt to it using a 1/2" seam allowance, the waistline fell at my natural waist.

In terms of fit, I did have to take out some ease and could have cut one size down... Maybe two would be cutting it close (har har har). I took out about 1" at the waist and another 1.5" at the bust, both including the standard 5/8" seam allowances and both at the back. It was odd to take out more fabric from the back since the side seams seem to be placed correctly at the side without alteration. Do they add more fabric to the back to account for the zipper? Maybe I'm just crazy and did something wrong... Though it doesn't look wrong to me??

I took 5" off the skirt hem, overlocked the edges, and then folded and sewed it up rather than rolling the hem. The hemline is just a smidge too short for my liking. For skirts and dresses, I prefer to have the it be above-knee to knee length and this one is just a tad above the above-knee length. Perhaps I'm too picky about my hemlines. My friend saw no problems with the length!

Olive Shirt Dress with Accordion Pleats

2014-10-04T18:25:00.003-04:00

I finished this dress about five months ago and finally got around to posting about it now. I am mostly impressed with this pattern, mainly due to the awesome efforts of Ivy+Blue/Butterick for making the insides look so clean! I am not impressed with how I executed one thing, in turn making me loathe that one aspect of this dress--this is of no one's fault but my own! (This will remain a secret!)

The pattern is Butterick 6020, which came out as a Spring 2014 pattern a few months ago. The fabric is an olive drapey, silky polyester that I got on sale from Joann (Joann calls it Silkessence). I originally was going to use this fabric to make an Atonement-inspired full-length dress, but that idea got pushed aside since come on, I don't go to anything fancy enough that warrants a full-length gown. (When and why did fancy balls go out-of-date??)

Instead of a high-low hem, which I despise (DESPISE I TELL YA!), I altered the skirt to have a straight hem and ironed the pleats down the length of the skirt to get wide accordion pleats. With the way the pattern markings were set up, it seems ironing the entire length of the skirt was not intended as the pleat markings got narrower as it moved away the waist. (I will likely not iron the pleats down again if they come out after a wash.) I probably should have ironed the pleats closest to the zipper last as on the pleats got messed up in the zipper... I may eventually take it out and redo it so that the pleat is flat. (I say "may", but it's usually a likely "no".)

This pattern had me impressed as it actually has you finishing seams with bias tape or french seams in places that are not hidden within lining. Look at these finishes! Looks like it could be the right side! I feel like you could make this a reversible shirt dress and no one would be able to tell the wrong side from right (well, maybe).

One thing I wish I could change: I ended up using the same fabric as the lining, but probably should have used a thinner material since the dress now has some weight to it and seems a bit too heavy for hot summer days. I've worn it out a few times this past spring and it hasn't made me feel hot or stuffy, so at least that.

As for the pattern, it's not entirely perfect. I would get rid of the pleating at the front bodice (and therefore the extra fabric) since I'm not too fond of the billowiness. You could easily use the bodice lining pattern, which has darts, for the front! I would also put in more buttons in the front since I don't really like the way the collar is sitting... It looks weird and like wide lapels when flat (hellooo 1970's!). At least that's an easy add-on.

PS: I'm glad I finally get to post something with my purple hair! Da purps! It's pretty cloudy today, so the color doesn't seem to be looking too accurate in these photos, especially with the indoor lights on... Its peachy on top, but the rest is a nice purple!

A Change of Pace and a Vacation to Boot

2014-09-22T18:49:00.002-04:00

It's been almost two months since the last post and it's not that I haven't written anything, I am pretty lazy when it comes to taking pictures (which is just what many of my draft posts need!). I've made a few things since my last project and hope to post them in the next few weeks. Quite a few things have changed in my life that may have contributed to lack of posts, but needless to say, I am ready to get back in the game!

I recently took my first REAL vacation since I started working at my company a little over two years ago. I've taken a few weekend/overnight trips before, but this one was almost a full-on week of fun! My friend Emily and I went to Disney World last week and spent a few days hanging out at all four parks. We've really been planning this trip since freshman year of college (6 years ago!), so of course, this trip was awesome!

I did a fairly poor job of taking pictures of everything--we took a lot the first day, but not so much the rest of the week. This was the first time both of us were really experiencing summer what with Florida's hot, humid, and sunny days. We've been cooped up at work for most of the summer... Perhaps even its entirety since the weather seems to be getting cooler now?? I'm excited for fall, but I wish I could have experience summer just a tad longer!

Disney in an instagram-esque collage!

Inspiration from Children's Clothing?

2014-07-25T16:06:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. They're clothes meant for kids--not adults! Given that shops like Modcloth are so popular and they offer loads of pieces that venture into this so-called "twee" and beyond, it seems that there is a good chunk of people that like this "twee" and/or childish aesthetic. I have to admit that I do have a soft spot for such items and I dare say I did have a wardrobe full of "childish" tops and dresses from my college days which I am glad to say is mostly gone after the spring purge!

While my current wardrobe seems mostly "work-appropriate" (I mean, there's lots of button-ups and cardigans??), every now and then I seem to get something that steps into the kiddie pool, if you will--things that are considered childish. I'm talking about things like peter pan collars, scallops, bows, whatever! It's not like these things were reserved only for children's clothing! It just so happened that they've been mostly used in children's clothing so that now we seem to think that some of these looks (especially the peter pan collar, I find) are childish and cute and therefore unsuitable for adults.

Anyways, to avoid making this some long incoherent thought, I like all that cute stuff and it's not strictly for kids. I don't straight up wear kids clothes (I could wear the larger sizes, but the proportions are all off) and I'm not looking at clothes because I'm interested in having kids myself (believe me, that is the absolute last thing on my mind if it's ever on my mind), but I like looking at kids' clothes for inspiration when making clothes for myself. Only a little though... I'm no diver, just a wader.

Recently, Janie and Jack has been my latest interest since (I admit) I am at the mall at least once a week to hang out with Emily (we don't really buy anything--just dinner mostly!) and we "ooh" and "aww" at their window display every time we pass by. I'm actually making something right now that is inspired by one of the dresses below (Which one? It's a surprise!).

Top: Striped Halter Dress, Pleated Colorblock Dress, Tiered Pique Dress

Bottom: Ribbon Colorblock Dress, Bow Colorblock Top, Bow Stripe Knit Top

Seriously... They're so fucking cute.

Collared Keyhole Dress

2014-07-11T17:39:00.000-04:00

Holy balloons! It's already July! I have been doing a lot of kitchen work the last few weeks. All it needs is a new floor and new cabinets, which are coming in tomorrow! Hooray!

I'm not sure whether this is post-worthy because there is one issue I have with this dress, but I'm showing it off anyway, at least the front (I'm also apparently making it a very wordy post!). It had the potential, and I suppose still has the potential, to be something I would wear often. However, it all depends on what I've eaten that day. I say that because... DUN DUN DUN! The waist is a taaaad too small...

I cut out TWO sizes smaller than I would normally do because the finished bust measurement made me think the dress would be wide (the finished bust measurement over the body measurement was a few inch difference). The bust did end up being larger. However, I ended up needing maybe another inch at the waist to make this dress comfortable. I can still zip up, but there is some fabric stretching if I were to bend in any direction (like those horizontal folds across my mid-section). Aside from it being a tad too small, I would definitely make this again, but in a bigger size of course.

The pattern is Simplicity 1755 and the fabric is one of those polyester silky print fabrics from Joanns. I have a semi love-hate for polyester. Polyester does give off the impression of being cheap and it generally doesn't breathe as well as natural fabrics. However, duh it's cheap and affordable for me, the draping is nice, and I'm tempted by the prints much like I am for quilting cottons. I'm not the type of person who needs 100% ORGANIC/NATURAL FABRICS, so I mean... No strong opinions about polyester either way. Although, I do side-eye companies that sell polyester items at $300+...

Tried to pattern match!
Anyways, at least this fabric seems fairly soft and not too heavy for warmer weather. This fabric frayed A LOT and does seem to get stretched out at the seams if you were to pull on it. Most everything is sewn with french seams, though I did double-stitch and tightly overlock where the fabric and lining meet the zipper since I did not want to have the zipper sewn only to the fabric (I feel like that would have stretched and ripped apart...). I hope no tearing occurs. The pattern does not call for finished seams any specific way, but french seams for most everything seems doable (I even french seamed the pockets!).

I had a bit of trouble trying to figure out how high I needed to bring up the shoulder, which I definitely needed to do since the bust placements were off (I'll have to adjust it next time). The instructions have you install the zipper and then add the collar to finish off the top. I like having the tops of the zipper meet the top of the neckline, rather than have the zippers tuck off to the side and enclosed in the neckline (I feel like it wouldn't close nicely even with the hook and eye). I ended up placing the collar in first (after multiple iterations...) before installing the zipper.

Some close ups...

Linen & Peacock Feathers

2014-06-16T16:09:00.000-04:00

A new piece to welcome in summer!

Linen is the epitome of summer! I got both fabrics from Joann Fabrics, the linen was originally for a copy of this dress on Modcloth (which I theoretically still could do because I have enough fabric leftover!), but I ended up using it with the peacock feather print instead. I love how cool and soft the linen feels, even with a lining underneath. Maybe next time, I will do a completely linen dress, though the cotton skirt I ended up going with this time around wasn't a regretful choice.

The dress is a mix of two Butterick patters: B4443 for the top and B5285 for the skirt. The bodice has a cotton-blend lining that I whip-stitched in. I should really make a new pattern piece for the 4443 bodice because I end up doing a number of alterations to get the princess seams to sit correctly on me. As is, the bust portion sits too low. I brought the shoulder straps closer in (without compromising the bust and waist width) to prevent the dreaded shoulder-strap-that-sits-on-the-edge-of-your-shoulder-and-not-on-it, which I see when patterns have both a sleeve and sleeveless option. I also took in the bust by an inch at the sides and extended the armholes a half-inch at the bottom.

It took probably far too long to get into this habit, but instead of sewing the skirt and then sewing it onto the bodice and dealing with mismatched seams, I actually pleated and then measured and took out excess fabric from the sides prior to putting in pockets and finishing off the seams. As a result, the skirt side seams actually match the bodice side seams! I've actually made a few pieces without doing this so the side seams never matched throughout the dress. (Shame on me!)

I'm trying to get into the habit of making quality clothes, rather than chugging out piece after piece just to say I have something that I've made. I used to be fairly impatient with sewing and often rushed items just to have it done (which is pretty apparent with the items that I decided not to keep during spring cleaning as evident by 1, 2, and 3).

This dress was fairly quick to make and I was able to finish it in about four days (i.e. cut it out Sunday night and sewed after work and finished on Thursday). I wore it all day last Sunday and unfortunately had a few wrinkles at the back from sitting, but luckily the pleats were not obviously messed up.

Organize: 3 Sprouts Storage Bins & Boxes

2014-06-11T17:13:00.003-04:00

Ever since I bought a few storage baskets and caddies for my linen closet and makeup, respectively, I've been looking to get more storage bins for the house since many things are just thrown around on any open table or shelf space. I've seen a few of these 3 Sprouts baskets in the Container Store, but never took a look at their website until now.

Is it weird that I want these?

From 3 Sprouts:

1. Racoon storage bin

2. Squirrel storage bin

3. Peacock storage box

4. Beaver storage caddy

5. Mouse storage caddy

6. Gorilla storage box

7. Whale toy chest

Out to Sea in My Pleated Skirt

2014-06-06T16:17:00.001-04:00

What a nice way to call in summer!

And because I'm so funny... /sarcasm

Excuse the wrinkles on the back. I was wearing it all day and it got wrinkled from constant sitting.

I actually haven't made many skirts. Well, I suppose a better way to say it is that I actually do not keep many skirts that I've sewn. Considering that Big4 patterns include significant ease, many of the skirts I've made always ended up too big. This skirt that I'm featuring is also a little on the bigger side even with an alteration, but is not so huge that it is unwearable.

The pattern is McCalls 6706 and the fabric is Michael Miller's Out to Sea, which I got at Fabric Place Basement in Natick. I do not recall when I finished making this... It would have been at least a half year ago, maybe longer. I do remember seeing this particular fabric at Fabric.com thinking it was really cute. I'm glad I was able to get it in store! I had never ordered fabric online and I was wary that I would get cut short on yardage. I'm slowly getting into buying fabric online as evident by my recent buy from Spoonflower, but it may take some time.

The skirt pattern is rather large and even though I cut out a size 10 based on my body measurements, it was way larger than I expected. I ended up taking in the back seam so that it could be tighter, but it is still not quite as tight as I'd like. I ended up sewing in loops at the waist so that I could at least wear a belt. I also added pockets because the original pattern did not include pockets! Whaaa??

Deer & Doe's Reglisse Dress in Striped Seersucker

2014-06-01T15:46:00.002-04:00

I got this pattern as a gift from Emily on my birthday last year (along with Belladone) and finally got to posting this now, even though I finished making this dress in late March. I wore it during my Portland visit in April, but it didn't make much of an obvious appearance due to coats and rainy days...

The fabric is black and white striped seersucker (the black looks more like gray in real life) with white cotton/polyester blend bias tape at the arms and hem. The collar/tie is a thin cotton lining material (voile, perhaps?). Granted, I should have used something stiffer for the collar, but I am severely lacking stiffer solid fabrics. Damn you, cute quilting prints.

I changed a few things for this pattern, some intentional and some not. Due to my lack of fabric, I had to use a different skirt piece as the one for Reglisse was a bit wider than the fabric. I used the gathered skirt from Butterick 5285 (which seems to be going out-of-print!) and made the skirt gather a bit at the waist so that the waistband did not look flat. I also did not add the cap sleeves and instead used bias tape to finish off the arms to make the dress sleeveless. I also took in my standard half-inch on both sides of the bodice underneath the armpits to make the bust line smaller, but kept the waist the same.

Unintentionally, I sewed the front bodice directly to the back at the shoulders without the shoulder yoke. I missed that part in the instructions, but didn't really see a need to fix it later on since it seems to look fine without it. I completely (maybe partially?) screwed up the front tie so that whenever it is tied into a bow, the inside turns out and you can see some inside stitching. Maybe I will fasten the tie into a permanent bow and sew it flat... heh.

I definitely see myself using this pattern again, especially since it includes an elastic waist (I usually make dresses with fixed waistbands). I also would definitely include pockets the next time I use this!

Scalloped Summer Shorts

2014-05-23T10:33:00.003-04:00

Just finished my first bottom that isn't a skirt!

In preparation for summer and a vacation in September (yes, I am planning early), I wanted to make some denim shorts that look like they fit well (I hope they look like they fit well!). Most, if not all, of my shorts are cotton ones that I had gotten from Old Navy when I used to work there during college. I used to own a few cheapo Forever 21 denim shorts, but those were too short and ended up in a donation pile some few years ago.

These scalloped shorts have back heart pockets, front side pockets, and a hidden zipper back. The pattern is McCall's 6930 cut in a size 8. I usually cut size 10 for their patterns based on my body measurements, but I find I always have to take out more than needed. The last dress I made, I used a size 8 just to see... and it turned out that it was fine (I mean, I still had to take some stuff in, but less now...), so I will probably stick to cutting it out at that size.

I slimmed down the sides of these shorts by 1/4" on both sides as I wanted them to be a little bit more fitted. I'm glad that the crotch area doesn't look stretched so that you get weird lines and flaps in the front. I've experienced once before with Old Navy jeans where the front isn't cut nicely at the crotch and thighs so fabric just bunches up in that area. Ugh, that looks bad.

I was hoping these jeans would have the usual front flap zipper, but silly me, I skimmed the back of the envelope and skipped over the fact that the zipper is in the back center seam and it isn't in a flap. I suppose these shorts would be more like suit shorts and I suppose the small invisible zipper (that's the only type of zipper in my stash!) does looks a bit off with denim fabric... But gosh darn, it still looks cute.

I was prepared to finish these shorts in one night and it seemed very plausible, except that I made a terrible mistake after sewing the waistband! While trimming the seam that connects the waistband to the rest of the shorts, I accidentally nicked the tops of the zipper (one partially and one completely), so when I went to try it on, I completely removed the zipper pull. For the life of me, I could not get it to go back in. This might have been easier with a normal zipper, but the ends of my invisible zipper just kept busting and the fabric would just unravel. I ended up taking it out completely and putting a new one in, making sure the ends were away from the waistband seam. Lesson learned!

Overall, I like these shorts and they will definitely see a lot of wear this summer. I need to make more in multiple colors! (maybe or maybe not all scalloped...)

Spoonflower: Sketchy Lemons in Organic Cotton Sateen

2014-05-18T18:05:00.001-04:00

I've always wanted to get fabric from Spoonflower since they have the cutest prints that can be printed on fabric besides quilting cotton. However, I've been deterred from getting anything from them due to the, what I consider, high price per yardage. So long I have been buying fabrics at less than $5/yd, at most $7/yd, but so long have I been disappointed with the selection of cute designs that seem to target more to quilters than seamsters.

I took the plunge and ordered the swatch booklet as well as the small color block swatch last month to get a feel for their fabrics. I was surprised and impressed as to how soft the fabrics were, even the quilting cottons, and wanted more of it.

I made a small lemon sketch (which I called "Sketchy Lemons", har har) and ordered a fat quarter in the organic cotton sateen. It took exactly two weeks for the quarter to ship and another two days for it to be delivered. I am curious about the turn around time if I were to order a few yards of it...

The colors came out a bit muted, which I expected, but overall fairly similar. I was surprised at first because the lemons looked almost flourescent and had a slight hint of neon green when I looked at the swatch indoors. However, it doesn't look that way in daylight much to my satisfaction. The background is actually a very very light cream/tan color. I can see there is a color difference at the picture border, but not on its own.

I really like the way it drapes. It's stiff enough to hold shape, but also light enough to have some movement. I am also fond of how lightweight and cool it feels--seems like it would be great for spring and summer apparel. I pinned the fat quarter in a few drapes to get a feel for how it would look as a skirt.

The cotton sateen does have a sheen (as implied by the name) on one side. However, based on the print that I have, it's rather subtle and was unnoticeable at first. The weaves are fairly noticeable up-close and I'm not sure how hidden they would be on darker colors, but it's not much of an issue to me since the background is almost white.

I love the fact that I can make and print my own fabric designs. I'm not so much in love with the price (organic cotton sateen in $27/yd + 10% off with designer discount), but I will hopefully get over it. I need to figure out how much I want, but I am definitely going to be getting yards of this!

Tour: My Own Little Corner

2014-05-05T18:18:00.002-04:00

I spent some time this weekend cleaning upstairs since our downstairs area is looking rather... helpless. In addition to going through my clothes and clearing out HALF(!) of the stuff in drawers, I fixed up my sewing room which was in a terrible state prior to this:

Well, before we moved into the house, it was called the sewing room. I suppose that it can't technically be called that anymore since Yura decided to claim half of the room for himself. One day, I will have a room to myself!

To clear stuff off the floors, I tried to put as much on shelves as I could. The bookcase prior to my cleaning was filled with random crap and trash. I reorganized my books into one column and shelved my sewing patterns (which were previously all shoved into a box) and my fabric. I still have a few more bolts to put up, but I rolled up all of the ones I've already washed and color-coded them underneath the patterns. The rest are still in a tote bag I keep by my desk.

Each fabric was folded twice and rolled onto two layers of comic book backing boards that I got on Amazon. I got 100 boards for 13USD! Not too bad! One board seems to be sturdy enough, but I used at least two so that I could have some of the board peeking out of each end. I looked at different options for storing fabric and while I find having them organized in file cabinets a better option due to fabric catching less dust, I am rather forgetful and whatever is out of sight, is out of mind. I suppose I don't mind having them sit out in the open. I think it looks nice!

With the limited space I have, I still hope to add a few more things to the room including a cutting table (I am currently cutting them on the floor, but at least with a cutting mat!). But for now, I am satisfied with its progress.

My current project!

Spring Cleaning: What Once Was Pt. 3

2014-04-18T18:20:00.000-04:00

Continued from Part 2...

This series is actually a lot (maybe not by too much?) longer than I had anticipated. I didn't quite realize exactly how much of my stuff I was getting rid of until I counted the number of pieces. I am limiting myself to having this be the last post for this season--some of the clothing that I've made are not really worth mentioning as they were either boring-looking or all-sorts-of-messed-up-that-it-would-be-embarrassing-to-show. Ah well, at least I finally moved the clothes from a pile on the floor to neatly folded in a big trash bag!

This very pretty peach gingham fabric I got from the Fabric Place Basement in Natick. I don't go there quite as often as I'd like since Joann is more on my way home from work, but they have a better selection of apparel fabric and actually sell silk fabrics at reasonable prices!

The pattern is the tunic version of Simplicity/Lisette 2246 with slight modification to the sleeves. I don't like the "pop-up" sleeves, so I got rid of the sleeve cap be reducing the roundness at the top of the sleeve, which is also why the sleeves seem to stick more out to the side on my dress form. It may be a while before I try and make this again because it has quite a bit of ease. I'd have to spend more time trying to make this fit. I cut out a size 10 based on my body measurements and the top ended up being very wide and bulky while the hip area was surprisingly slim in comparison. Also, the bust darts were much lower and wider than ideal.

Simplicity 1873 in a red nautical steering wheel print that is (gasp!) home decor fabric from Joann. Pardon the messed up pleats. I had ironed the skirt portion and it came out all funky. I used this pattern previously to make the sprinkle dress (as seen in Part 1). This one is alllllllmost perfect, in terms of fit, except it does have slightly tight armpits. I remembered to take in an extra 1.5" at the bust, but I forgot to make the arm holes slightly bigger. It would be okay to wear as long as I don't stretch or sweat. It's also too "twee" and that is something I should avoid nowadays...

This dress was close to being kept, but alas, it suffers from too tight arm pits and stretching at the back! Both things, however, can be easily fixed the next time around. Overall, this pattern seems to be one of the better ones I've used with minimal alterations. The pattern is Simplicity 1803 and uses cotton poplin fabric by Lisette (if it looks familiar, I also had this print in a different color).

Travel Portlandia: Gardens Galore

2014-04-12T19:49:00.002-04:00

The last of the Travel Portlandia series! (I believe so...) And probably, the most picture-heavy post of them all! After breakfast at the B&B, we did a silly back-and-forth thing. If you saw earlier, we were at the airport hotel Friday night, went to B&B for Saturday night, and then went back to same airport hotel for Sunday night. Every time we checked out, we went directly to the next hotel to drop bags off. Let's just say there was lots of traveling done on the train to and from downtown and the airport...

The first stop of the day was the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Old Town/Chinatown. It's an enclosed garden block that was by some sketchy buildings, if I do say so myself. The place itself is rather small, but I suppose it's a nice and peaceful thing to have close by if you're staying in the city.

It was raining on and off in the morning, but the clouds went away by the early afternoon. It actually got really nice that day that at some points, I didn't need to wear my jacket. We stopped by Portland Saturday Market for lunch and ate from the Polish food truck (I had pierogi and Yura had kielbasa). Afterwards, we waited in line at Voodoo Donuts for about 15 min before leaving... We barely moved 10ft! We instead walked to Blue Star Donuts where I got a passion fruit cocoa nut and pistachio cheesecake donut!

Yum...

...And then started the 1.5 mile uphill hike towards the Portland Japanese Garden. The distance itself is not bad and most of the walk was fine. But the last 0.6 mile uphill on a sidewalk that barely existed was fairly annoying and surprisingly hot and sweaty (too much info there?). But then, it seemed we reached the gate to heaven--err, the park.

The garden was very pretty and there was a lot of sun shining through the flowers and trees. There were also a lot of people so picture-taking was quick and shoddy at best. Yura was telling me all weekend that he needed to practice his "photography" and went on and on about needing to take all the pictures. I gave him my camera for this part of the trip. Most of his pictures came out blurry because he didn't let the camera focus. I also have so many pictures of random signs...

Yura likes taking photos of signs

We also stopped by the International Rose Test Garden, but since we visited out of season, none of the roses were blooming. I'd love to go back when they are in bloom though. There were so many empty rose bushes!

Sad over the lack of roses...

Afterwards, we had Korean barbecue for dinner (it was mediocre...) and then ice cream (was delicious!) before heading back to our hotel.

I wrote about some nice things we did, but there were definitely some negatives: some trashy downtown areas, lack of public transportation (worse than Boston at least), the food. THE FOOD! Yura and I were expecting so much from the food and went to places people raved about on Yelp, but we found most everything to be so blah! They seem to be so lenient with reviews, it was rather disappointing.

I'm not sure when I'll be back to Portland, but Yura is slated to go in about seven weeks from now. Perhaps, I may stay longer and give it another shot? Still have yet to go hiking!

Travel Portlandia: Portland Saturday Market

2014-04-11T19:17:00.000-04:00

Yura and I stopped by the Portland Saturday Market to kill some time between dropping our bags and checking in at Portland's White House. We first came upon the Skidmore market which isn't really that great. It seemed more like a flea market. Most of the booths reminded me of ones you see in Hong Kong that sell low quality, poorly made knock-offs. However, I did see a funny booth of "Business Catsual" bow ties for cats!

The Saturday Market section, though, is much nicer and has far more craft items! There were so many things to look at--we walked through it twice to make sure we didn't miss anything. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures. It was mostly rainy that day.

I bought four prints from a little sun who also has her own etsy shop! I thought they would be hilarious for the kitchen. My favorite is the traveling leek.

Pear Art, French Tourist Potato

Traveling Leek, Hop Hops Hopping

We also walked by Voodoo Donuts and contemplated waiting in line, but didn't. We did try again the next day, but eventually gave up and left. That line is just too long!

On a rainy Saturday afternoon...

We spent a few hours in the market and didn't really do much else that day outside of eating lunch and dinner. Also, public transportation in Portland does not even compare to Boston. I felt like I spent most of the day walking and waiting for the bus!

Travel Portlandia: Portland's White House

2014-04-10T20:17:00.000-04:00

I personally got to stay in the White House! Such an honor!

Just kidding. Not quite the president's home, but looks quite similar (...at a fraction of the size). Portland's White House is a bed & breakfast located in east/lower northeast Portland. Yura and I stayed there Saturday night only and left after Sunday's breakfast, which was delicious by the way!

I arrived in Portland Friday night, but stayed at a hotel near the airport since my flight landed later. The White House (heh) was very accommodating and let us drop off our bags in the morning even though our room was not ready. I packed lightly, but my backpack was too wide to carry it around all day.

The house is very museum-like and it seems like they even give tours some days. There were lots of seemingly expensive and vintage things on the main floor.

This was our first time at a B&B and we were expecting a lot, especially after seeing the B&B Portlandia skit. Unfortunately, there were no creaky stairs, but there were some creaky floor boards in our bedroom. Also, the cookies were not real soap cookies, but that didn't stop Yura from calling them soap cookies anyway. (A comment on their cookies: it tasted like I was eating a buttermilk pancake smothered with sweet maple syrup... How is that?!)

Hawley room desk with the [soap] cookies

We stayed in the Hawley room which was fairly small, but at least had its own bathroom. The bed was very tall and required me to jump on and off.

The room, as well as the whole house, had a sort of... old-people smell. It sounds bad to say that, but I can't figure out how else to describe it, though the TIME suggests that it is a real thing. I think B&B's seem to attract the older crowd as evidenced by the other people who also stayed at the White House that weekend. Yura and I were the only people (except for two staff members) under 60, though it seemed like a small group of them knew each other and were staying at the B&B for some class reunion. It made for awkward times at breakfast... Another older couple came down for breakfast after we did and they didn't seem to know the group either, so we felt a bit more comfortable and less like an "outsider". HOWEVER, turns out the husband went to high school with one of the ladies in the group, so back to being outsiders Yura and I went...

So, breakfast--BREAKFAST(!) was delicious. We had apple strudel/cake covered with fruits and topped with whip cream and a side of bacon. It tasted so good and was very filling. I, unfortunately, did not finish it all (nor did I take pictures...).

Overall, I'm not so sure if I would stay at a B&B again. There seemed to be a detachment between us and the house. There wasn't much of a staff presence aside from the two working the kitchen and leaving in the morning was confusing. No one explained it to us, so we just left the room keys in a bowl by the front door. It didn't evoke a sense of comfort, likely caused by the seemingly delicate and expensive items in the house that didn't want to be touched as well as the presence of an older demographic that liked things quiet. We came back to the house around 7pm and the house was mostly dark, very quiet, and everyone seemed to already be asleep (I could hear the snoring through the walls...). We had to sneak upstairs and be quiet in our rooms to avoid making loud noises. I was also not fond of the smell which was strongly evident on the comforter and pillows... Aside from the house looking nice and the great breakfast, I don't think this place was worth the price ($177/night), sadly. I felt more comfortable in the hotel by the airport. Ah well, it was an experience!

All Aboard: Portlandia

2014-04-03T21:00:00.001-04:00

"Motorcycle" by Vahalla Studios

Yura, my fiancée, is on a business trip to Portland, OR for a few days and I will be joining him this weekend so that we can tour the city. I've been to Portland once before last February for a business trip also, but unfortunately did not have much free time to roam around and Yura was not able to come (much to his dismay). It also happened to be during a time where there was a "snow storm" and it snowed a few inches throughout the three days I was there so visiting anywhere was troublesome.

I have a backpack that I've had since high school that I am using, but I was very tempted at getting a new one or even a weekender. I would have customized my own weekender from Kate Spade Saturday if I wasn't leaving so soon.

Left to right: Herschel Little America (Mid-Vol) Backpack, Herschel Retreat Backpack, Kate Spade Saturday Small Weekender Bag

Given my height (i.e. 5ft), I am gearing towards bags that are on the smaller side. My current blue backpack seems too long/tall for my height and I can imagine what I looked like when I was shorter in high school. It is also lacking pockets so all of my things are stuffed in one compartment. I like the look of the Herschel bags, but there's so many to choose from! Style and color-wise. It would be easier to lug around than the Saturday bags since my hands would be free, but the backpacks do lack a separate shoe compartment on the bottom.

I'll be gone Friday afternoon through Monday night and am packing somewhat lightly since we'll have some time walking around the city in-between checking in to hotels and B&B's. The forecast says mid-50's and rainy, but you never know for sure with these kind of things.

Spring Cleaning: What Once Was Pt. 2

2014-04-02T17:33:00.003-04:00

Continued from Part 1...

I haven't made much progress with sorting through clothes and still have a number of drawers to go through. Actually, since taking pictures of most of my sewn clothes and posting part 1, those clothes have been piled and sit by my window now and have not been touched. I will be getting to clearing it eventually once I have less on my plate (I finished a dress this past weekend and hope to be able to share it soon).

I have quite the number of items I've sewed that I am parting ways with. I think at this point, I'm keeping about 20 percent of everything I've made. This is really just telling me that I need to make more wearable clothes and less over-the-top, cutesy, ridiculously-patterned pieces that I find myself wearing in theory, but not in real life.

This is actually two separate pieces put together to look like a dress. The top is Butterick 5922 and the bottom is McCall's 6706. I altered the top pattern by having a button back rather than a pullover since I used a non-stretchy cotton poplin fabric by Lisette. I made the mistake of making the top too short. From where it tucks in, it's only a few inches longer and I had an instance where frequent sitting-up-and-downs made the back section slip out from the skirt waistband. Everything else about the fit was fine--it was just too short.

As for the skirt, it still looks nice and could benefit from a petticoat, but I'm not sure about the frequent ironing that it needs and the pleat placements. I took in the waist on one side (due to the other side zipper) so that it would fit snugly, but the pleats ended up being slightly off-center. Unfortunately, it's not quite that obvious in the pictures. I guess in the pile it stays!

This top is one of the first things I've sewn, possibly right after the sprinkle dress. The pattern is the top of Simplicity 2215. These commercial patterns have so much each and before I even ventured into alterations, I made everything by the book. The top has a lot of ease especially at the top bust/shoulder area. If I were to bend forward, the front would start bulking up around my neck and look frumpy. Additionally, the inside is a huge mess of unfinished seams and misuse of hem tape (never again...).

Retro Butterick 5605 with a cute light yellow swirls pattern that I got from the $1.99 Fabric Store. The back section is my favorite and is very pretty. I made the skirt hem scalloped with the scallop stitch on my sewing machine and cut the excess fabric out, but that didn't really make a nice clean hemline. The waist was taken in slightly along with the front bodice princess seams. This could have been something nice and is salvageable if I redo the lining! I made the mistake of using the same fabric for the front and for the inside and what ended up happening is a awkward, bunchy, and stiff mess at the arms and arm pits. Should not have used this stiff cotton as the lining... Clearly, I've learned from this mistake.

Thanks for reading!

BHLDN Boston Fashion Show: A (Terrible) Picture-less Recap

2014-03-31T20:09:00.000-04:00

Last week, my friend Emily and I went to the BHLDN/Anthropologie fashion show at their Chestnut Hill store. This was the first for both of us and neither of us knew what to expect besides the free champagne and sweets! Emily and I had dinner and hung around the little plaza prior to the show. Chestnut Hill Square actually does not have much to offer, in my opinion, so we primarily perused the Paper Source. I think many others had the same idea because the store seemed to be fairly busy with people in pairs (the BHLDN event was RSVP+1), but it quickly cleared as soon as it was 7pm.

The front window display

I wish I had taken more pictures, but it seemed a bit embarrassing. (Even taking pictures of ourselves were done sneakily or at least tried...) There was a line at the front door and someone came by to check everyone's name on the list. The inside of the store had sections of chairs lined up in rows in two sections of the store: one by the wedding gowns and one by the back room where Emily and I sat. I took one other picture that night showing the view from my seat.

Models walked in from the other room seen in the back (And so many people on their phones...)

Most of the clothing racks seemed to be in their original positions and it didn't look like a lot was moved for the chairs. Each seat had a cute little bouquet of flowers with different colored ribbon and a BHLDN label. Unfortunately for Emily, her bouquet fell out of its ribbon and onto the floor.

After we picked our seats in the front row, we headed over to the dessert table. No one was taking any of the drinks or desserts, but instead taking pictures of the table! I just dove right in and grabbed a glass of champagne and a small chocolate cupcake that looked like it was spray-painted with gold paint (I hope it was edible...). The first glass of champagne was very tasty and I wish I knew what brand it was. The second glass, unfortunately, was not as tasty and I bet it was to prevent people from drinking more than two glasses each. If that was their tactic, it definitely worked on me--I had to wash it down with a macadamia nut cookie.

It took about an hour of waiting and chatting before the show began. Some "higher-ups" from Anthro were in and made a few comments along with the store manager and a few designers. The fashion show itself was fairly short and featured (it seemed) all of their wedding and bridesmaids dresses, though they did add in a few dresses sold under Anthropologie. I was a bit disappointed with the way some of the dresses looked and most of them looked better online than in person. Many of them looked flat.

I was fairly excited to see the ombre petal wedding dress since I've been wanting to make my future wedding dress have a similar ombre effect. It was interesting to see that the dress wasn't dyed with a fade, but rather, the petals were grouped together in such a way that it made the bottom of the dress have a gradient. That might actually be easier for me to do than to dye the fabric and hope the color fades in a nice gradient.

BHLDN's Emma Gown

After the show was over, most people scattered to either look/touch the wedding dresses on the rack, fill out a form for the raffle, or shop and buy Anthropologie clothing. Emily and I did the first two, but didn't feel much like buying clothes. I was even surprised they allowed people to shop at that time.

All in all, it was okay. I was glad to have experienced it and would definitely do something like this again even if it does mean with dealing with some crowds. The free drinks didn't hurt at all either!

Clearly the champagne has its effects...

Thanks for reading!

Copy Cat: Kate Spade Lyric Dress

2014-03-28T11:53:00.001-04:00

I'm really liking the lemon theme in Kate Spade's recent new arrivals, especially the Lyric dress and the Capri Espadrille Maise and Via Limoni Lina bags. I'm not a big fan of espadrilles in general, but on the Maise bag, it looks so cute that I would put up with it. The lemon slice bag is so flashy!

From katespade.com: Capri Espadrille Maise bag, Via Limoni Lina bag, Lyric dress

I love the dress, but I'm not so much in love with the price (US$398! eek!). Since I do sew some of my clothes, I've become a picky shopper and usually tend to buy reasonably-priced items for the print or based on the difficulty of sewing due to fabric type, such as silk (I don't have much experience with silk). Those items that I like but do not buy, I always say "I could sew that..."

This Lyric dress is one of those items mainly due to the price. I can't really spend that amount of money right now especially since I'm paying off student loans, mortgage, car, blah, blah, blah. So instead, I hope to make my own version of it!

Fabric: Lemons; Alternate prints: Lemon Slice, Emerald Citronade

Patterns: Vintage Vogue 2960, Vogue 8685, McCall's 6438

The original dress has pinching under the bust and then a flat wide waistband that goes into a gathered skirt. The back of the dress has a simple center-back exposed zipper.

There are two things I could do when approaching this. Vintage Vogue 2960 has a similar retro look, but with buttons down the front, a higher waist with darts, and a floofier pleated skirt. If I wanted to stay closer to the original design, I would use the bodice and waist of Vogue 8685 and attach it to McCall's 6438, which is just a simple gathered skirt (with or without the second layer).

The closest print I could find to match the original fabric and is already available was the Lemons print on Spoonflower. I also linked to two alternate fabric prints that would work in keeping with the lemon theme. I really like the emerald color of the last one. Fortunately/Unfortunately, all these prints are available on Spoonflower whose service I have not tried mainly due to the price per yard for their fabrics. However, since I can actually chose the fabric type for this print (maybe a cotton blend? silk??), I may have to try it out this time.

Thanks for reading!