Emily Ventures

Summer Saltspring

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 20:22:00 +0000

I've been working through my summer bucket list: s'mores, fireworks, (tofu) hot dogs, a drive-in movie, popsicles, food trucks, a picnic, and of course, a new sundress. I decided to join the fun for Handmade by Heather B's Sundress Sewalong 2015. I love the rayon challis Sewaholic Saltspring I made last spring so much that I had to make a second.

This time I made a straight size 6 and did braided straps like Caroline. I was hoping to get away with making only three straps, braiding them together and then cutting the braid in half, but it was about an inch too short. I had to go back and repeat the whole process over again (womp, womp), but I love how the straps came out! I used the length of the tied straps on my first Saltspring as a guide.

I also went back and added a skirt lining towards the end. I was pretty lazy and tried this on over my clothes throughout, but I did a proper try-on at the end to decide on the hem length and discovered that it was much more sheer than I originally thought. Oooops. At least I discovered this in my bathroom and not looking at blog pictures later. I used this method from the sewalong and cut off about 2 inches from the bottom.

Other than that, there's not a whole lot else different about the construction. I did do a machine invisible hem this time because the handstitched hem on my first one is, to be completely honest, not great. I just don't have the patience for handsewing, and hemming is by far my least favorite part of dressmaking already. I'll take a slightly-more-visible hem over hours of trying (and mostly failing) to keep tiny hand stitches even.

The fabric is a bit outside of my usual color pallet, but I actual love how obnoxiously bright this is. I found about five yards of this drapey poly blend at a thrift store for 3 dollars and snatched it right up. It's a breezy, effortless dress that screams "summer".

Until next time, I'll be soaking up every minute of summer, reading in the shade by the pool and making infinity batches of fruit bars with my new popsicle molds. Happy summer!

Timey-Wimey Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 04 Jul 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Back in the spring, JoAnn's put out a line of Doctor Who fabrics, and apparently they sold like hotcakes because I found myself impulsively driving waaaaaay OTP (Outside The Perimeter, aka the 'burbs) to go to the only JoAnn's in greater metropolitan Atlanta with any left in stock. I literally stole the bolt off a pallet of new merchandise tucked in the corner, removed the wrapping and nonchalantly presented it to the lady at the cutting counter, who asked me what the blue boxes were among all the pretty swirls. I tried to explain, but sometimes Muggles just don't understand the need to make skirt celebrating a British sci-fi show.

I'd say the trip was worth it! This is my third iteration of Simplicity 2226 (Version 1 and Version 2). It's the perfect pattern for stiffer quilting cottons and prints that might be a bit much as a full dress, so I returned to it again. I love a good pattern repeat.

This time I got smart about the excessive ease in this pattern and sized down to a 10 in the waist. Halfway through I became nervous that it would be too tight if I had a big lunch and let it back out a bit on the side seams and center back. It's a little big now but my measurements have fluctuated over the past year and better safe than sorry. Other than that, I made all the same changes as my previous comic book version, so not much to say about construction. The print is really the star of the show anyway.

I must have re-done the gathers three times over a couple of days. Gathers, it seems, will always be my Achilles heel. Invisible zip? No problem. Smooth dart points? I'm on it. Gathers? Well, settle in, because it's going to be a looooong afternoon.

As always, the pockets are my favorite part. The construction is cleverly done, so you have roomy pockets without bulk. Exactly what you need to go on timey-wimey adventures.

Summer Plaid Belcarra

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 16:15:00 +0000

Hello again! I'm so happy to be back. Things got preeetttyyy intense at work this spring, and after putting in long hours I didn't have any brain cells left over to figure out fitting problems and tricky instructions. After three wadders in a row I decided sewing just wasn't in the cards for a while and instead I read a lot of books and comics (Ms. Marvel is my JAM).

But now I'm back! And I made a plaid Sewaholic Belcarra top that I plan to wear 8574 times this summer.

This is the perfect shirt to make in plaid, because you only really have to worry about plaid matching the side seams. I did a pretty bang up job too, if you'll allow me to brag for a moment:

I'm usually an 8 in the shoulders in Sewaholic, but the muslin came out big so I did an 6 in the shoulders and bust and then blended to a 4 in the hips. I took 2" off the length because I knew I'd never tuck it in. It's a little bit of a wriggle to get it on, but I wouldn't want it any looser. I think it strikes a nice balance of being breezy but not boxy.

My bra straps do have a tendency to peek out, and if I make it again I'll probably bring the neckline in just a tad. I do think the portrait neckline is very flattering though. I also took in the underarms by about an inch because the sleeves were a bit too billowy on me.

The fabric is some kind of linen voile that I found at a thrift store. Two yards for only $2! And I had to include the little pocket because they look so great on plaid shirts cut on the bias.

Construction was super straightforward. I had a little trouble understanding the pocket instructions, but a quick visit to the sewalong cleared that right up. This was the perfect quick project to get my sewjo back.

Well I'm off to make broccoli slaw for a potluck tonight. We're going to have a water balloon fight and make s'mores around a fire pit like overgrown children. But there will definitely be more sewing. I have plans for an exploding TARDIS skirt for DragonCon and a second Sewaholic Saltspring. Happy Summer!

Pattern repeats are awesome

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 23:07:00 +0000

Recently I made up new versions of two patterns I've used in the past, the Sewaholic Renfrew and Colette Beignet. It was a good reminder of just how much I like returning to old patterns. You're really free to enjoy the experience when you take the sizing guesswork out!

First up, I made this Renfrew out of an impulse addition to my Girl Charlee cart. It's completely ridiculous and makes me laugh every time I wear it. Best $6.50 ever spent.

I think I've got the Renfrew fit alllllmost perfect. This time I did a size 8 in the shoulders, a 6 in the bust and then blended to a 4 in the hips. I also did a 1/2" broad back adjustment using Sunny's method like I have in the past, but somehow it still felt really tight in the shoulders/armpits and I had to let it out. I saw a different method in the most recent issue of Threads magazine that I'm going to try next time around.

I also tried interfacing the hem with lightweight Stitch Witchery before I used my twin needle, and it came out so much better than the hem on my Lady Skater did with Wonder Tape. I'll be sticking with interfacing in the future, especially for lighter weight knits.

I was inordinately proud that I was able to squeeze this out of a single yard of fabric without sacrificing pattern matching. I did a Breakfast Club-style air fist when I was left with my teeny tiny pile of scraps. I felt like such a cutting wizard! Or, maybe more appropriately, like a Boss Witch.

Secondly, I finished my Colette Beignet do-over! I was gutted last fall when my special birthday outfit turned out to be such a bust. Luckily I had enough corduroy left over to give it another go, and this time it came out much, much better!

The first version came out too big, and in attempt to make it fit better I cinched the waist and ended up with crooked buttons. This time I sewed up a straight size 4, and the fit is much improved. I worked really hard to get the buttons straight and even, but they're still not perfect and my eye starts to twitch if I look too closely. My machine has a 4 step buttonhole, and it's hard to be 100% consistent every time no matter how carefully you make your markings. Still, it's at least not in-your-face wonky like the first version, so I'm calling it a win.

I'm still not convinced that this is the most flattering silhoutte for my figure, but it's nice to know that I am capable of sewing this intermediate pattern. Sometimes I just need to prove to myself I CAN do a thing, so that I know in the future I'm choosing not to do it because I really don't want to, not because I'm afraid to fail.

It's funny looking back at how difficult I found this pattern to be a year ago. I really struggled with the lining and the waistband, and this time I didn't find it that challenging, just time consuming. It was a really gratifying, tangible example of how much my skills have grown in the past year, and it makes me even more excited to take on new projects and new challenges. Next up, Ginger Jeans in stretch corduroy!

2014 Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:27:00 +0000

It's been a while hasn't it? I'm almost finished with a do-over Beignet skirt I've been working on for ages, and I made two new pillow covers to go with our new couch. Home dec is boring so I decided to get fancy and make my own piping, despite my recent pledge to never make piping again. I am a liar. I'll have pictures soon, but for now I wanted to check in to do my year-end wrap up!

This has been a really great year for sewing. I only made 9 garments, but amazingly all of them (all of them!) were hits. I'm a slow sewer and have several other hobbies, so I'm thrilled to have a few well-made and well-loved garments over a bunch of quick "meh" ones. Here are my Top 3:

3. Spider-Man Dress

I only got to wear this for one night at DragonCon, but oh, what a night it was! I had such a good time doing the Retro/Pin-up Superheroes group costume with my girlfriends. Plus, this was the most technically challenging thing I've ever made, and I was so relieved that the weeks of effort, ripped stitches and fabric indecision paid off. I felt like the fit was spot on, and aside from some collar issues I'm proud of the construction.

2. Strathcona Tee

It's just a simple tee shirt, but Brian LOVES this thing. He swears it's the most comfortable shirt he owns, and brags to everyone who will listen that I made it. It's touching that he is so appreciative of the time I spent working on the fit. I already bought fabric to make more.

1. Buffalo Check Shirt Dress

Hands down my favorite thing I've ever made. The pattern, fabric and fit alterations came together to make the world's most perfect dress. I wear it when I'm feeling a little nervous and need a boost of fabulous.

As far as misses, this year I really only had one: the Miette Cardigan.

I won't dwell on it because it makes me supremely cranky to think about the dozens of hours I put into this bat-winged wadder. People keep telling me it's not that bad, but I can't bring myself to wear it around the house, let alone in public. Lesson learned: Sometimes a pattern just doesn't work for your body and you should accept it and move on immediately, instead of a year and thousands of stitches later.

I feel like this year was a turning point where I went from stumbling around in the dark to feeling more confident and ready to take on new challenges. My big goal for 2015 is jeans! I have been having the worst time finding jeans that fit, so I decided to be brave and give it a go. I recently bought the Ginger Jeans pattern and denim, so wish me luck!

Lady Skater

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 14:30:00 +0000

I've been trying to up my knits game recently, and after success with the Renfrew and Strathcona Tees, I decided to take the full on plunge into a dress. I waffled for a while between the Colette Moneta and the Kitschy Koo Lady Skater, and eventually went with the Lady Skater, because, reality check, I suck at gathers. And I have to say, I think I made the right call.

Although it was an uphill battle the whole way because of my fabric choice. I always have to make things difficult for myself don't I? I bought this rayon knit impulsively from JoAnn.com when they had a free shipping deal and I was feeling too lazy to drive to the burbs. When it arrived in the mail, I was disappointed to discover that it was thinner, stretchier and more sheer than I was expecting. Womp womp. Still I liked the print and I hate letting things go to waste so I decided to just go for it.

I made a bodice muslin out of the leftover fabric from Brian's Scracotha Tee, and it fit remarkably well. I usually need to add an inch to the waist because I'm tall, but this pattern seems to be pretty long-waisted and I ended up taking it out. I was also very pleased that the sway back adjustment from the Kitschy Koo blog worked like a charm.

My muslin was a straight size 3 in a stable knit, and it was a little clingy at the waist so I decided to grade out to a size 4. Big mistake. My thin, stretchy knit just grew and grew and grew as I sewed this up and I had to take it in twice. I have no idea what size I ended up with, but I think in general this dress (at least on my body) needs a pretty fitted waist. I also had to take in the underarm by a good inch and half and narrow the sleeves. Looking at these pictures, it looks like maybe I could have taken it in a little more.

The hems on the skirt and sleeves were a nightmare. I used about a mile of WonderTape, and still had some tunneling with my twin needle. I think a really stretchy knit like this needs a full on fusible web tape. I managed to smooth it into submission with a combination of steaming and pressing, but I'm a little nervous to see how it looks when it comes out of the wash.

As frustrating as the process was, I am pretty happy with the pattern and the finished product. I think the neckline is very flattering:

And I LOVE the swish of the skirt. It's perfect for playing in the leaves on a fall day.

Here are the details:

Pattern: Kitschy Koo Lady Skater PDF - This was a reasonable number of pages and easy to put together, but I was slightly annoyed that the sizes were distinguished by color because I don't have a color printer.
Fabric: 2 1/2 yards of rayon blend knit
Sizing: 3 in the shoulders, and probably a 3 in the waist and skirt as well.
Alterations:

1/2" broad shoulder adjustment
1/2" swayback adjustment
Added 1" to length of sleeves instead of using cuffs.
Added 1 1/4" to length of skirt but later cut off 1", so really no change

What I'd change for next time:

Cut a straight size 3.
Don't add any length to the bodice, and maybe make it a smidge shorter. It's hard to tell where I landed with how the fabric stretched out as I sewed.
Don't add any length to the skirt.

I'm already planning another version in a ponti knit, this time a Lady Skater-Renfrew mash up with a cowl neck, like this one and this one.

Cat Lady Tofinos

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 16:43:00 +0000

I once again broke my never ever, ever - unless the the house is on fire - go outside in my pajamas rule for you guys. I guess it's not so ironclad is it? But that's how much I love you, sewing community. Not only did I go outside, but I spent 15 minutes traipsing around my apartment complex looking for sunny spot as the sun rapidly set, earning many strange looks from the dog walkers.

I was just like, what, you've never seen a grown woman at dinnertime in flannel hipster cat pajamas before? Don't you know that October is the Cat Lady Sewing Challenge, hosted by the fabulous Erin of Miss Crayola Creepy?!

The stars really aligned for this make. I knew I needed a new snuggly pair of pajamas for this winter and I had been meaning to go back to my Sewaholic Tofino pattern, since I wear my first pair all the time. When I found this hilariously perfect hipster cat flannel on sale at Joann's shortly after Erin announced the challenge, it was just too perfect an opportunity to pass up.

This time I went all-out, and made the tie belt and piping. I love how the piping came out, but oh man is it tedious to make bias strips, piece them together, sew in the cording, and then baste the piping to the pattern pieces. I think I'll probably stick to pre-made piping in the future if I can help it.

The glasses kill me! These pajamas make me ridiculously happy.

Here are the detals:

Pattern: Sewaholic Tofino
Fabric: 2 3/4 yards of novelty flannel from Joann Fabric, and 1 1/2 yards of plain flannel for the piping and belt. It was suspiciously cheap, so it probably won't wear well over time, but I just couldn't resist those hipster cats!
Sizing: 6 at the waist, blended to a 4 for the hips
Alterations: I cut off about 1 1/2" inches (I should really write this stuff down) from the bottom. I'm 5'8" and these were way too long, so shorter ladies can definitely save some fabric and made this adjustment from the beginning.
What I'd change for next time: Nothing! I'm not fussy about the fit of pajamas, and these are super comfortable.

As a parting gift, here's my impression of Selena Kyle (aka Catwoman), the ultimate Cat Lady. I don't know if you guys have been watching the new TV show Gotham, but her sole purpose in the show seems to be needlessly crouching all across Gotham and stealing milk for kittens. It's kind of a terrible show, in that absurd, so-bad-it's-good kind of of way, and I highly recommend it.

I can't wait to see all of the other Cat Lady makes. Until next time, dear readers!

Miette Cardigan

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 21:05:00 +0000

This pretty much sums up how I feel about this cardigan:

It deserves that side-eye, trust me. This is the Miette Cardigan by Andi Satterlund, and lots of other bloggers have made beautiful versions, so it's definitely not the pattern. It's just that, for some reason, this project was doomed from the start for me. I stupidly persevered, because I am too stubborn for my own good sometimes. I should have given up when I realized I needed a third major frogging, or when I paid a $700 emergency vet bill after my cat got into my project bag and ate a bunch of the yarn. I should have given up after I named the UFO one of my "Misses of 2013", and I even should given up last week when all I could find were crappy 5 for $1 plastic buttons to match.

Did I mention I'm stubborn? You're probably thinking, Emily, that doesn't look that bad. It has sleeves and a button placket and you're not in any immediate danger of a wardrobe malfunction. That's because you haven't seen the um, "dolman sleeves" I added as a "design feature".

On my first go at this pattern, I worried I had made it way too small and it wouldn't fit in the shoulders. I started over in a larger size, and I also added several rows before I joined in the round for the sleeves. Somehow, despite trying it on along the way, I ended up with 2 1/2 inches of excess fabric under my arms. It also doesn't help that I lost some weight over the (many) months I worked on this, so it doesn't have the negative ease the pattern intended.

So, what do you guys think? Dolman sleeves are in, so can I get away with pretending it's intentional or should I just put it into the donation pile and move on? I'm honestly kind of tempted to throw it into the dryer and just see what happens. You know, for SCIENCE.

Spider-Man Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 22:17:00 +0000

And now for the big reveal: my Spider-Man dress for DragonCon!

My girlfriends did a group costume on Saturday night, and the theme was Retro/Pin-up Superheroes. Although duplicates were allowed, I started telling everyone who would listen months in advance about how I wanted to do Spider-Man, my all-time favorite super hero. Once word got out that I was sewing a dress from scratch, people started acting like sewing was super power! I felt like kind of a badass. Yeah, I can whip up adorable baby shirts by day and custom fit-and-flare dresses by night. I'm your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

This is me, um, "web slinging."

Okay, back to the dress. I used Simplicity 1755, one of the Leanne Marshall (of Project Runway) designs. I cut a 10 in the shoulders and then blended to 12 in the waist, with my usual SBA and 1" waist lengthening. I had some major fit issues in the beginning and went through two muslins, but looking back I think I was just really tired or temporarily lost my fitting Spider-Sense or something, because it really shouldn't have been that hard. It's probably still a little too big in the bust, but c'est la vie.

I made the Spider-Man symbol by fusing some heavy-duty interfacing to some black fabric from my stash and then carefully gluing it on with Tacky Glue and a paint brush.

The blue fabric is a poly crepe. For the bodice, I used a shiny spider-web mesh I got on clearance after Halloween last year (yes, that's how far in advance we plan for DragonCon haha!), and underlined it with cheap quilting cotton. I really like the final effect, but the mesh is very delicate and the spider-webs have rubbed away in places. I kept trying to handle the dress like glass as I sewed it up, terrified would ruin it before I even got a chance to wear it!

One of my favorite things about the dress are the cute upturned sleeves with the button closure. I think the instructions have a mistake though. The diagram shows the button loop at the top of gap, but the loop actually has to be in the middle. The marking on the pattern piece seems to be in the right place though, so I'd stick with that.

My other favorite part is the in-seam pockets!

As for things I didn't love so much, I'm not sure that the pleats look any better or all that different than a simple gathered skirt would have. It was a huge pain to mark and baste dozens of pleats, and it took two tries to get the two sides even. Here's a pic without the belt you you can take a look and decide for yourself:

The other thing I wasn't crazy about was how the collar came out, but I think that had more to do with my inexperience and a the multiple layers of fabric than the pattern itself.

Still, though, I am pretty proud of this dress! It's probably the most technically challenging thing I've made so far. I got so into this dress and the matchy-matchy look of the 1960's along the way that I went kind of overboard with the accessories. I made the belt using a vintage belt kit I got at a thrift store for $1, glued the spiderweb mesh onto the headband, and made a matching clutch!

I used a 5" purse frame from Joann's Fabric and this tutorial. It was juuuuuuust big enough to fit my cell phone on the diagonal, which is why the bag looks a little misshapen in the picture. It was fun to make though, even if I did end up with fingers covered in super glue by the end.

So that's my Spider-Man dress! I had a fabulous time, all of my friends looked drop-dead gorgeous in their retro costumes, and I'm already dreaming up plans for next year.

Baby Tee Refashion

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 14:54:00 +0000

Another top secret project I can finally reveal: a baby shower gift! When I first moved to Atlanta I had a hard time making friends and was getting pretty lonely until I stumbled on the Geek Girls of North Atlanta. It sounds a little junior high and cliquish, a grown-ass woman belonging to a club, but it's a really awesome group of ladies and open to anyone.

So anyway, last year we had tee shirts made for DragonCon and I ordered mine based on the bust size and it ended up being uncomfortably tight in the shoulders. You know, that awful, digging in your armpits feeling? Ugh, it's my RTW bugaboo as a tall, small busted lady. I only wore it once and it languished in my closet until I heard my friend Lisa was having a little girl. Well, our newest (and tiniest) Geek Girl was going to need a shirt too, so I made her one!

I used this free pattern, only I left off the skirt portion and did a smaller hem with my twin needle. I followed the directions exactly and it was a pretty quick make, just a couple of hours. I struggle a bit with the arm bands because my jersey didn't have much stretch. In retrospect I probably should have just recut longer bands instead of fighting the fabric. You can see a little bit of puckering because this. I'm hoping the baby will be so squirmy and adorable no one will notice.

This is the original shirt:

This would have been plenty of fabric, except there was a flirty slogan on the back and it felt skeevy to sexualize an infant. Plus the font was way too big to fit on a baby-sized shirt.

However, in a bit of sewing serendipity I still can't get over, my husband went to an event at work and came home with a shirt by the same company using the same fabric in the same color. He couldn't resist my sky-high enthusiasm for this project (seriously, this has been so hard to keep a secret!), and let me cut up his new shirt. This was fate, I explained, and one does not anger the sewing gods or they will smite you by breaking the upper looper thread in your serger.

The rest was cake. I traced the pattern onto the front to make sure the design was centered and the text was straight, and then sewed it all up in a jiffy.

I didn't finish the side or shoulder seams because I read somewhere that serger finishes can be rough on on a baby's delicate skin. It's so tiny and adorable I can hardly stand it.

As tiny as this is, somehow, impossibly, it won't fit until next spring or summer, but I had to go with a bigger size to fit the graphic. It's for the best though, because by then, our newest Geek Girl will be a little less hungry and sleepy and ready to take on some geeky adventures.

Thread Theory Strathcona Tee

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 18:58:00 +0000

Wow, it's been a while, huh? I feel like I've been doing a ton of sewing, but it's all been projects that aren't quite ready for the big reveal - DragonCon outfits and selfless sewing. Today though, I can finally share the Thread Theory Strathcona Tee I made my husband for his birthday.

I know you might be thinking, "Really, Emily, a basic tee shirt is your big gift? This is a BIRTHDAY we're talking about here." I know, I hear ya, but Brian isn't much for birthdays, so it's usually pretty low key. Plus, I made him a preeettttttyyyyyy awesome cake:

It's a Reese's Cup Icebox Cake, and oh man is it delicious. Seriously, go make it right now.

Okay, so now that you've had some cake, back to the sewing. I LOVED this pattern. I bought the pdf and it was a totally reasonable number of pages and easy to put together. The front and back are full size pattern pieces, so you cut everything out in a single layer - my preferred way to cut out knits. And it has 5/8" seam allowances, which is perfect for a knits newbie like me. I treated the shirt like a woven and sewed the seams on my machine with a narrow zigziag and finished them with my serger. Basically the Strathcona is the Renfrew for men and I can't recommend it enough.

At first I cut a straight Small after comparing the pattern pieces to some of his favorite shirts, figuring it might end up a little big but I could take it in. I ended up with a Small in the shoulders and an Extra-Small in the torso. I also cut off about 2" from the sleeves, but to be fair, the instructions do warn you that the sleeves are intentionally on the long side. Brian is about 6'0", if that's helpful.

It's not perfect, but I'm getting better with knits (Remember this? Haha!). I'm particularly proud of the collar - it lies flat and I finally figured out all the tricks to get my machine and twin needle to play nice.

Brian raved about the fit and said it was the most comfortable shirt he owns. I was so touched when he chose to wear it immediately, for a celebratory night out with a couple of friends and then offered to pose for blog pictures. This is sure to be a TNT, which is fantastic because I'm growing increasingly uncomfortable with buying cheap imported RTW as I learn more about how workers abroad are treated.

My one and only complaint is that the pattern called for 1.4 yards, but I made this in a little less than 1 yard. I'm not too broken up about it, because it's a great excuse to finally try making a pair of knickers. Probably this free pattern from Zo to get my feet wet? I've been really inspired by all the beautiful swimsuits popping up in feed, so I think this will be a great first step to making my own bikini.

But that's definitely a dream for next summer. For now, there's only 32 days until DragonCon and I have to finish my costumes!

Savannah Saltspring

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 26 May 2014 12:05:00 +0000

I just got home from a weekend trip to Savannah to celebrate my 5th(!) wedding anniversary. We went on a ghost tour, strolled around the squares, saw modern art and historic homes, and did some really good eating. And along the way, I got to debut my new Sewaholic Saltspring.

I apparently learned absolutely nothing from my last experience sewing on a deadline and finished this the day before the trip. I literally clipped stray threads as I was packing. I had been mulling over buying the Saltspring pattern, and when I found this beautiful rayon challis on clearance at Joann's (crazy, right?) I knew it was meant to be.

The rayon challis was the most challenging part of this make. I cut it in a single layer because it was a little too slippery to be trusted. It also frayed like crazy, so used about a gallon of fray check throughout construction after reading Marie's cautionary tale. Annoyingly, the rayon challis didn't play nice with my serger in a single layer. There were some touch and go moments finishing the pockets and skirt seams, and then when I got to the hem I had to skip serging altogether and place my faith in fray check. Worst of all, I had to do invisible hem by hand (uggggggggghhhhhhhhh). Good grief do I despise hand sewing - this took me several nights running and as meticulous as I tried to be, it's still a little dodgy. Grudgingly, I have to admit was worth the trouble though, because this dress felt like wearing a cloud in the sweltering Savannah weather. It was MAGICAL, you guys. This dress is a swishy, floaty cloud (with pockets!)

I skipped the muslin since there were already reviews filled with great advice out on the sewing interwebs. I left the zipper out, and I can add to the chorus that it's not necessary. I have no problems getting into this dress without it. I also followed the excellent advice of Lisa G. and added 1" inch to the skirt length - a floaty mini is NOT a good look on a windy day. As it is I just about had a wardrobe malfunction on the breezy River Walk. Consider yourself warned.

I cut a 6 in the bust, an 8 in the waist, and then back to a 6 in the hips. I probably could have gotten away with a straight 6, but I'm pretty happy with the fit. I decided I wanted less blousing, so I did my usual 1" lengthening on the waist of the lining and left the outer shell pattern piece alone. This gave me 1" of blousing instead of 2", which I think works better on my frame.

This is really the perfect dress for a summer day outdoors, and I think it'll get a lot of use. Here's to cookouts, picnics and walks in the park!

Knitted Cupcakes and Cats

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 15:02:00 +0000

A dress bodice turned into a wadder recently thanks to over fitting on my part, and it's especially frustrating because I went to the trouble of making a muslin. Le sigh. After some careful measuring, calculating, and flat-pattern adjustments, I think I'm back on track, but the waste of time and fabric has put a little bit of a damper on my creative spirits.

To cheer myself up, I've been finishing up some fun smaller knitting projects. I made several of these cupcakes to give away as birthday gifts. They're quick to knit up and great stash-busters, but sewing on the bugle bead sprinkles takes foreevvveerrr. It just seems too plain without them though, don't you think? I'm Team Sprinkles for sure. And also Team Milk Chocolate and Team Froyo, in case you were wondering.

My mother-in-law gifted me the yarn and pattern to make this "parlor cat" at Christmas, and I recently finished knitting it up. She originally planned to make it for me, but then decided the pattern was too advanced. I'm glad - I love the idea of getting a kit to knit something up myself. And if there was any doubt before, I'm pretty sure making a yarn version of Pippin puts me pretty firmly in crazy cat lady territory.

The resemblance is uncanny, isn't it? Madam Toussaud's should hire me to make a special wing of knitted dopplegangers. Ha!

I'm actually pretty disappointed in the outcome, to the point that I didn't even bother to embroider the face. My stripe matching needs some work, even though I used the "slip the first stitch of each color change" trick, and I don't like how the pattern highlights the jogs by putting them in the center back. I also wish there were some short rows in the face to make it three dimensional. Ah well.

I also picked my Miette cardigan back up. I was pretty frustrated with the fit issues and frogging, but I finally gave up and banished it to the closet last fall after Pippin ate some of the yarn. After a night crying in the emergency vet and paying a $600 bill, I just couldn't bear to look at the damn thing anymore. But I am stubborn, and not one to leave something unfinished, plus a cotton cardigan to wear with summer dresses sounds pretty great right about now. So it's me vs. the Miette, round 3!

Tea and Scones Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 19:59:00 +0000

As much as I love watching shows like The Great British Sewing Bee and Project Runway, sewing under a deadline is definitely not for me. About month ago I got it into my head I would just "whip up a dress" for an upcoming fancy tea party with some girlfriends. Ha! Cut to me, last Saturday, frantically hemming at 12 pm with bedhead when I'm supposed to leave at 12:30. But, somehow, miraculously, I managed to finish the dress and pull myself together. Whew!

What really made the afternoon perfect was not the company, or the delicious tea, or the yummy miniature scones, but a passing comment by a friend who asked where I had gotten my dress because it fit so well. I could have done a Breakfast Club air fist right there at the tea table that 1) my dress didn't look Becky Home Ec-y (my biggest fear) and 2) I nailed the fit. Instead I gleefully explained that I made it and tried to convince her to give dressmaking a go. I think I may have my first convert, you guys!

Okay, okay, enough about me. The dress is Simplicity 1803 and it's made with a horrible polyester from Joann Fabric. Looking back, I have no idea why I used a GIFT CARD to buy this last year. For shame! I could have stocked up on notions or went home with a rainbow of serger cones, but instead I bought 100% polyester that's much girlier than I usually go for. In all fairness though, it doesn't wrinkle, and it's amazingly opaque for white. I'm wearing a black bra in these pictures, and you'd never know it.

All things considered, it went together pretty easily. I cut a 10 in the shoulders and then blended to a 12 for the waist and hips. I did my usual SBA, 1/2" lowering of the armholes, and 1" lengthening at the waist. It was actually pretty easy to fit because of the princess seams - just shave a bit off the curve and voila, smaller bust without any of the usual side effects. I am now completely enamored with princess seams.

Overall, this was a pretty straightforward make with a couple of tricky bits. One was the the notched neckline, which I ended up handsewing into place because I couldn't get it it centered on my machine. Even now, it's not perfect, but it's passable.

The other part I struggled with was getting the top edges in the back to line up. Maybe I accidentally stretched the facing out, because the dress met up at the waist seam no problem, but the right side of the back was a good 1/2" higher than the left. Or it may have something to do with the fact I was putting in the invisible zip, oh, 90 minutes before I was supposed to leave. In the end, I channeled my inner Tim Gunn, sternly told myself to make it work, and did some quick seam ripping and lowered the right side to mirror the left.

The only other change I made was to cut 2 1/2 inches off the skirt and used bias binding for the hem instead of folding 1/4" twice like the instructions called for. I figured the bias binding would be faster and easier, and when else was I going to use the rest of the packet I bought to finish the arm holes? And I have to say, it was kind of magical. I have never hemmed anything as quickly or easily in my life. Or maybe that was just the potent combination of coffee and adrenaline.

So I guess what I've learned from this experience is that every dress should be made with princess seams and bias tape. Every last one. Except that I'm already working on one with waist darts. Oops.
Also, sewing on a deadline and using polyester fabrics are generally terrible ideas that sometimes pay off. I'm sure this won't be the last time I set myself a ridiculous deadline, but for now, I'm going to take a breather and go at my (happy) snails pace.

Buffalo Check Shirtdress

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 01:43:00 +0000

You guys, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I CONQUERED PLAID. Okay, okay, it's a buffalo check, which isn't quite as complicated as an unbalanced plaid, but whatevs. I agonized for hours over matching the plaid as I cut it out in a single layer, so this definitely, definitely counts.

If it's not clear already, I'm so, so happy with this dress. It really fits my style - a little tomboy but still feminine, nothing fussy or twee or overly trendy. And the finished product 100% matched the vision in my head.

I picked up the last of this bolt of buffalo check flannel for a song at my local fabric store, Gail K. Fabrics (highly recommended, if you're in the Atlanta area), with a shirtdress in mind. I figured if the plaid matching went terribly wrong at least I hadn't invested much. But, if you'll forgive me for bragging, I showed this plaid who is boss. And I in no way cheated by using a gathered skirt and bias-cut placket. Those were, um, strictly aesthetic design choices. Yeah.

This is View C of Simplicity 2246, with the sleeves and pocket from View A. I made View A, the Lisette Traveler Dress a few months ago, and while I still adore that dress, I figured the more masculine flannel needed a more fitted silhouette.

I cut a size 10 in the top half, but the waist was a little tight so I let it back out by 1/2" on each side. I think I was too generous, as it's a little loose now and you can see there's some bunching around the waist in the back. I was hoping the back bodice darts would fix the fabric pooling issue I always seem to have in the small of my back, but not quite. One of these days I'll figure it out - maybe I need a swayback adjustment? For now I'll just pretend it's not there and enjoy how supremely comfortable the dress is.

I didn't want the skirt to be as voluminous as the pattern drawing, so I cut a size 6 in the skirt and trimmed down the side of the front pattern piece so it wouldn't have such a dramatic A-line. I used the skirt front from my Lisette Passport Dress (now sadly out of print) as a guide.

I think this may be a new TNT, because I didn't do many alterations. Like the other view, I did a SBA and added 1/2" to the sleeve and back piece to accommodate my broad shoulders and avoid the straightjacket feeling. This go around, I also lengthened the bodice by 1" and took the skirt up by about 4". The skirt is drafted crazy long. Like, perfect for a modest giantess.

My only complaint is, once again, the collar. It's a single piece instead of two, and as a result it tends to be floppy. One of my new goals is to learn to sew a beautiful shirt collar with perfectly pointy lapels - I had a hell of a time getting this collar to look half-way decent, and there are definitely things I wish I could change. I shudder to think of how janky this thing would be without my beloved edgestitching foot. Don't look too closely...except here's a close-up, because we're all friends here.

So it's a flannel buffalo check shirtdress, just in time for...um, spring? I made this dress during not one, but two snowstorms (a rarity in Atlanta), and now, just as I finish, it's a beautiful, sunny 60 degrees. Ah, well. I've been dreaming of sundresses for weeks, and now I have every excuse to sew one up!

Life Lately: Costumes and snow

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 19:37:00 +0000

My friends are not the kind of people that only dress up on Halloween. Ohhhhh noooo. Just about every party has a theme and needs a costume, and I freakin love it. Already I've been to three costume parties this year, with a hair metal birthday and a fancy English tea coming up next month.

In early January there was an Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party, for which I made a "Painting the Roses Red" fascinator. I made the roses out of felt using this excellent tutorial, McGuivered together the base out of a cereal box and more felt, and hot glued on some hair clips.

At first, nobody got it, and then after I explained, several people were impressed that I made it, having assumed I bought it on Etsy. I'll put that in the win column. The tunic I'm wearing was actually my wearable muslin of the Lisette Traveler Dress (never blogged).

Then there was a 90's birthday party, which I sadly fell down on the job. I tried to throw something together at the last minute, but my husband gently told me I looked more like a crazy person than a recognizable Gwen Stefani. I still had the greatest time, and really enjoyed hearing my friend's amazing 90s cover band, Tomagotchi.

Last night was a midcentury tiki party - meaning Mad Men meets Hawaiian. I had no idea, but apparently Tiki culture was huge in the 1960s, and it was fun to be a little fancy and drink fruity cocktails. I found the perfect dress at a thrift store, but it was a little big. No problem, I thought, I'll just take it it in. Famous last words. I spent waaaay too much time futzing with the fit, but at least I learned some new alterations skills. It's also a really good illustration of how a good fit makes a huge difference.

And, on a completely different note, it SNOWED last week. The entire city shut down for 2 1/2 days, and several of my friends were stuck in traffic for hours on end. I was very, very fortunate to get home before things got bad. I had never seen so much snow in my life, and I was giddy with excitement.

I can't remember the last time life felt so magical.

Hope you have a magical weekend too!

Winter Renfrew

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 20:47:00 +0000

Hello again! I kind of lost my sewing mojo after my hugely disappointing Beignet skirt, so I decided my next project should be safer bet to ease myself back in. I always meant to make more Renfrews after the success of my first one, so a second, winter version was clearly in order.

And I love it! I made View C, with the cowl neckline and three-quarter sleeves, with some modifications. I lengthened the sleeves by 1 inch (I just picked a spot in the middle to slash and spread) to accommodate my long arms. Although I love three-quarter sleeves, they are almost always too short in RTW, so I had a hunch that would be the case here, and I was right. I felt like Sherlock, with my amazing powers of observation (okay, okay, more like Watson).

I cut a straight size 6, but I probably should have gone up a size or two in the shoulders. I had to let out the sleeve seam by 1/4" so it wouldn't feel like such a straight jacket. It's still a little tight in the underarms, but much, much improved. I'm super annoyed with myself because I made a very similar observation about my first renfrew, and then I didn't even take my own advice! Ridiculous.

I also eliminated the hem band because I wanted to be able to tuck this into a pencil skirt and wear it to work. I lengthening the front and back pieces by 4" using the hem band pattern piece as a guide, which turned out to be way too much. I turned it up 2" and then cut off over an inch of extra fabric after I did the hem. Adding 2 1/2" would probably give plenty to work with for a hem.

Speaking of the hem, I could really use some advice on twin needles. I broke not one, but TWO ballpoint twin needles on this shirt. This is really frustrating because I had to special order them online and at almost $5 apiece they are not cheap. In the end, I seriously cheated by doing two lines of a narrow zig-zag topstitch. It's not nearly as stretchy as a twin needle hem would have been, but this is a very stable knit with hardly any stretch, so I think (hope?) it will be okay. I just wanted to be done so I could wear it already!

My favorite part of this is the cowl. I don't usually wear cowls, but this is so warm and cozy I'm a convert. It's like a built-in infinity scarf. Love!

This was also a trial run of sorts for a buffalo check shirtdress I have planned. A way to dip my toe into matching plaid, using a fabric whose busy print would be a little more forgiving. I cut in a single layer and took my time, and I think it came out pretty well. I'm feeling much more confident about working with plaids.

Not a bad start for 2014! The weather here is gorgeous (60 degrees! In January!) so I'm off to enjoy the sunshine. Hope you are enjoying MLK day too, or at least having an easy Monday.

Hits and Misses of 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 18:48:00 +0000

After waking up feeling reflective and seeing so many year in review posts in my feed, I decided to join Gillian in sharing my top hits and misses this year. I'm only going to share 3 though, because my output just isn't as prodigious as most bloggers. It's the downside of having so many hobbies, but I'm not willing to give any of them up either!

So let's get the misses out of the way:
1. Lisette Passport Dress

Okay, so this one wasn't a total disaster, but it was a good lesson in fabric choice. The top half attracts lint like crazy and is too heavy for summer. I also should have sprung for cotton batiste for the lining instead of using slightly scratchy muslin. Past Emily apparently had some magical thinking going on there about the power of fabric softener. I also wish I would have lowered the waistline by about 1/2", because the belt likes to slide down to my natural waist and doesn't cover the the seamline. I have to constantly adjust the belt when I wear this dress, which isn't often.

2. Miette Cardigan

I've seen so many cute versions of this in blogs and on Ravelry, but mine has been a terrible struggle. I've started over twice and ripped back major sections at least two other times. I can't seem to get the fit right, and I keep messing up the lace in glaringly obvious ways. Plus, a couple of weeks ago my cat got into my project bag, ate a bunch of yarn, and landed in the emergency vet. So, I think we can all agree this project is cursed, yes? Somehow though, I'm not quite ready to give up on it yet! It's hibernating for now, but I'm gearing up for Round 3 in 2014. Miette, you're going down.

3. Collete Beignet Skirt

By far and away my biggest disappointment of 2013. This pattern was stretch for my skills, and I spent two months slowly and painstakingly working my through it. In the end, it was too big and the buttons were crooked. I think I got a bit overambitious, and I definitely should have made a muslin. It was supposed to be my special birthday skirt, but I've never worn it aside from blog pictures, and I doubt I ever will. I think I might come back to this pattern next fall though, and try again in a smaller size.

And, now, on to the hit parade!
1. Lisette Market Top

This was my first make with my new-to-me machine, and the first time I attempted sleeves. I was so proud of myself, and I still wear this all the time. I love this type of top - it falls somewhere in between a t-shirt and a button down, and so I can wear it practically anywhere.

2. Striped Sorbetto

I made this for a song using remnants and free pattern, and it's one of my favorite tops in my whole wardrobe. I learned to do an SBA, and I'm so glad I put in the extra effort. I love the fit, and I have plans to make two more of these using more remnants from my stash.

3. Lisette Traveler Dress

Easily my biggest sewing accomplishment to date. I figured out fitting problems that have been plaguing me from the start, and this has the nicest finish of anything I've ever made. I only got to wear it once before it got too cold, but I got a ton of compliments. I can't wait to bust this out again in the spring!

I kind of lost my sewing mojo after my Beignet skirt turned out to be a wadder, but writing this post was a good reminder of all the lovely, wearable things I also made this year. On to 2014!

Colette Beignet

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 23:22:00 +0000

Hello again! It's been a while, hasn't it? I've been going to Halloween parties and birthday dinners, playing about a thousand rounds of this game, knitting and frogging my miette cardigan by turns (ugh fitting), and reading like a demon. You know, the usual.

I've also been fitting in some sewing here and there, and have spent the past month or so working on a Colette Beignet. After admiring the corduroy beignets by Andrea of Four Square Walls and Shona Stitches, I decided to hop on the ripoff train and make one myself (thanks ladies!).

It's a well drafted pattern and the instructions are pretty clear. All of my issues were, as usual, of my own making. I think after the success of my chambray shirt dress I got a little overambitious. I could knit pick my beignet death, so suffice it to say that the finish just isn't as nice as I want it to be. I mean, it's probably nicer than anything at Forever21 or H&M, but the whole point of sewing for myself is to exceed that (very) low bar.

Like others have pointed out, this was pretty time consuming, between the multiple panels, lining, pockets and twelve (twelve!!) buttons. The pattern is definitely intermediate, and I found it to be challenging throughout. It didn't help that I picked a fussy fabric that requires careful pressing and shows every ripped stitch. I do like the pockets though, and the panels are flattering.

I cut a size 8 in the waist and then graded down to a 6 in the hips, as recommended by the size chart. It's a little loose in the waist, so I probably should have cut a straight 6. It is pretty comfortable though, and as Tasia from Sewaholic always points out, you need room to eat a big lunch. Which is pretty important when you've got leftover butternut squash lasagna to devour. I did try to cinch it in at the waist a little bit, and now the buttons don't line up (argh!). If you see me on the street, pretend you don't notice, okay?

I used quilting cotton for the facings to reduce bulk. This floral print already in my stash from my remnants haul from Fabric World, and I love how it came out.

Overall, I'm kind of disappointed in this one. I'm not sure that it was the best choice for my figure, or match between pattern and fabric. Maybe I should have chosen a darker colored corduroy? What really tears me up is that my mom sent me the pattern and money for fabric for my birthday. After such a thoughtful, generous gift, and weeks of work, I feel terrible that the final result is so meh.

Chalk it up to a lesson learned. On the bright side, this only took a little over a yard of 60" fabric, so I think have enough to make a Grainline Moss skirt. On we go!

Lisette Traveler Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 20:03:00 +0000

You guys, I am officially living the dream. You see, a long time ago (Spring 2011), in a far away land (Tampa, Florida), I was a novice seamstress struggling to make a supremely ugly pair of pajama pants. One day, I fell in love with the Lisette Traveler Dress, but I knew our romance was doomed from the start. With sleeves, a collar, and 8 buttons, this dress was way, way beyond my skill set. But I couldn't resist the Traveler Dress' charms, so I bought the pattern and fabric, and put it away for some distant day after either magic fairy dust or a Rocky-style training montage gave me ability to do it. And that distant day, my friends, is today.

It cracks me up now that I completely ripped off the pattern picture, down to buying the Lisette Chambray. Beginner Emily had basically no understanding of fabrics, and so buying the exact fabric on the envelope was the only sure bet. Since then, I've even inadvertently stolen the model's haircut!

And really, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, just time consuming. The trickiest bit was dealing with the chambray, which frayed like crazy and made it hard to find notches and line pieces up properly. I cut a 10 in the shoulders and then blended to a 12 in the hips. I also made a few adjustments, but nothing too crazy - this is a well drafted pattern with clear instructions. I did an SBA and took some of the excess out of the center back. It's still a little big, but I can live with it.

I'm especially happy with the fit in the shoulders. I tend to find sleeves really constricting and have a hard time moving my arms forward to drive, type, cook dinner, give hugs....basically everything. Googling the problem, I stumbled upon this genius tutorial by Sunni of A Fashionable Stitch, which instructs you to add about 1/2" of ease to the back armsyce and sleeve. It worked like a charm!

I actually set the sleeves in properly for once, and while they're not perfect, they're not half bad. I feel the same way about the collar. I was most intimidated by the collar going into this, but it turns out the collar and collar stand are all one piece. It's a nice way to ease yourself into shirt making, but it's probably worth the extra effort to have a separate stand. My collar doesn't sit as nicely as I would like.

The pockets are my favorite part! They were kind of a pain to sew up, but I'm so glad I did. They're not very functional, but they're very cute, and you could fit some money and a chapstick in a pinch.

I'm not sure if it's the most figure-flattering thing I've ever made though. When I asked my husband if it made me look especially small-chested and big-hipped, he very matter of factly replied, "It does, but I like that about you." My heart completely melted. I need a gentle reminder now and again that beauty and attractiveness don't need to have such narrow definitions. It's okay to let my hips out of hiding sometimes!

Overall, I'm really happy with the dress. It feels like a real turning point, with more challenging construction and finishing techniques. This is also first time I'm not worried that it's blatantly obvious the dress is handmade. Plus, it goes really well with my pink oxfords, and I am always looking for an excuse to wear them!

And so, on we go to even bigger challenges! I impulsively bought a plaid flannel (it was $4 a yard!) a couple of weeks ago, without really thinking about pattern-matching. This is going to be an adventure.

Ups and Downs

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 21:15:00 +0000

Oh, hey, guess what? I'm today's Featured Member on Pattern Review!

I'm sure it's a random pick by some computer program, but still, it was a really nice way to start the day. I have to admit I got a little thrill seeing my picture on the home page.

And it was especially nice, because yesterday was kind of a rough day. I'm furloughed because of the government shutdown, and so I was home alone sewing yesterday afternoon when I SEWED THROUGH MY INDEX FINGER. Like, completely through. I have a an entry and exit wound, but I'll spare you the disgusting sight. My machine jammed while in the middle of a button hole, and I stupidly tried to unjam it by poking at the needle. I had to unjam the machine so I could get my finger out, pull out two threads that went all the way through my finger (*shudder*), and then give myself first aid, all while willing myself to not panic or throw up. But after I calmed down and realized I didn't even need stitches, I finished those damn button holes. Final score: Viking 1, Emily 1.

Then later that evening I was working on my Miette cardigan (yup, jumping on the bandwagon!), and realized I need to start over. I'm 44 rows (1 1/2 balls of yarn) in, and it's pretty disheartening. I messed up the lace on one section of the collar, which I might ignore as a "design feature", if it weren't for the fit issues. The angle of the raglan is off - it ends way over in the middle of my arm instead of my armpit.

Then there's this weird bunching of fabric when I try to stretch it to fit anyway. Strangely, it meets nicely in the center, but doesn't fit at all in the shoulders.

I think maybe I need to go up a size so it fits across my shoulders better? I knew the size 8 needles were too small to get gauge, so I went up to a 9 but didn't bother to make a second swatch. Gail over at Today's Agenda did a really detailed knit-along, and her posts are making me think perhaps I should have gone with the size 8 needle but followed the 36" directions. Such is life. I did learn lots of useful information about how to choose the best size.

In happier news, I finished this guy last week as a "Thanks for coming to see me!" gift for my Mom, who came to visit last weekend.

It's my second octopus from my Amigrumi Knits book. It's got loads of quirky animals - I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a break from fitting!

Dolman Sleeve Top

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 21:09:00 +0000

Recently, I did the impossible: I sewed something in a single day. One. Single. Day.

I am a very slow sewer and it usually takes at least two weeks, if not several, to finish anything.
But the Dolman Sleeve Top by Cation Designs is a fun, quick pattern. Thanks Cindy! I wasn't sure how the silhoutte would look on me, but I figured with a free pattern, and free fabric I had nothing to lose. And I really like it!

Yes, the fabric was free too. My mom works a community theatre, and she sent me a whole box of remnants - it was like Christmas had come early! It was all left over from shows, or was donated in pieces too small to turn into costumes. But remnants are kind of my jam. I love the challenge of squeezing something useful out of leftovers. Also, I've clearly been watching way too much Project Runway and feel like everything needs an extra twist pulled from the velvet button bag that is my brain.

I juuusst barely eeked this out of 7/8 of a yard, but it meant I had to shorten the sleeves. I like how the elbow-length came out though. I cut a size Small for the arms and neckline, and then widened out at the hips using my Sewaholic Renfrew as a guide. I also made the arm and sleeve bands a little narrower and cut the underarm/dolman sleeve area a little higher.

Lest you get the wrong idea and think that one day I just woke up a sewing wizard, let me let you in one a little secret: I glued down the neck band. I was having some trouble because it was so narrow, and I didn't have enough fabric to cut a wider one. Plus, the brown thread I was using didn't match all that well, so the topstitching looked funny. So I sewed right sides together, flipped the band over, and glued it down using iron-on adhesive tape. Not my finest moment, but you can't tell from the outside.

Not too shabby, especially considering my whole goal was to practice more with knits and try a new silhouette. I'm putting this one in the win column.

P.S. Check out my new blog design! I couldn't have done it without helpful tutorials from Portia of Miss P on creating an archive page, and Sew Many Ways on how to make a header.

Comic Book Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 12:41:00 +0000

Hello again! I recently finished a second version of Simplicity 2226, in a really fun print. Inspired by Cindy of Cation Design's geek dresses and Leila of Three Dresses Project's Comic Book Hummingbird skirt, I decided to make one up myself for Dragon Con.

Okay, okay, this might be quilting cotton. Shhh...don't blow my secret identity (I'm still a sewist!). They don't seem to make novelty super hero prints in apparel fabric, so sometimes you just have to take a leap (wearing your web-slingers, of course) and try and choose the pattern wisely. Originally I was going to make a dress, but I decided to go back to the skirt pattern Simplicity 2226, because I've made it before with a fairly stiff fabric. Also look at this print! It's awesome, but also a whole lotta look. An entire dress would have made other people cross eyed.

I flat measured the dimensions of my last version of it, and then decided to cut a 6 in the skirt and a 14 in the waist. I knew from the last go around that with stiffer fabric, the gathers wouldn't drape well and I was better off just cutting a smaller skirt to begin with.

After putting in the zipper I realized it was way too big in the waist, so I ripped it out and then took it in by about 5/8" on each side of the center back seam. Happily, the second time I put in the zipper I think I did a better job. I prefer invisible zippers, so I used that instead of the lapped zipper it called for.

I didn't even attempt to match the pattern in the back because I squeezed this out of 1 1/2 yards of fabric. In fact, I had to piece together the inner waistband from a bunch of tiny pieces - it was a little like quilting!

I usually follow the directions to the letter, but I got a little brazen with this one. Invisible zipper! Machine invisible hem! Nicer finishing! My biggest change was the the inside finish of the waistband to give it a cleaner look. This pattern is marketed towards beginners, so it instructs you to leave the bottom edge of the waistband exposed, like this:

It looks messy to me, even if it is technically a finished edge, so this go around I folded the edge under and stitched it down.

My favorite part about this is the pockets. I love it when skirts and dresses have pockets!

It's funny, I remember the first time I made this skirt it took me weeks and weeks and felt like an uphill climb the whole way. This time, though, it all came together pretty quickly and easily. I really must be getting better at this. Except for gathers. Those are kind of my kryptonite. I must have redone the gathers 3 or 4 times, trying to get them evenly spaced, and eventually settled for good enough.

Still, I'm overall really happy with how this came out, and I'm beyond excited for Dragon Con.

I hope you all have fun Saturday plans. I have do some house cleaning and errands (ugh) before I head out to watch a rolly derby match with some friends. I've been dying to see roller derby since that Ellen Paige movie came out a couple of years ago!

Cake!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 15:08:00 +0000

Hello again! Not a ton of sewing this weekend, mostly because I spent most of Saturday making this:

Brian doesn't like to make a big deal about his birthday, but the one part he does enjoy is the cake, so I do it up big every year. I don't subscribe to the idea that adult birthdays are limited to minimalist white sheet cakes with sprinkles. I mean, you never get too old for R2-D2, right? He absolutely loved it and pronounced me the best wife ever.

I really enjoy coming up with a concept each year and making it happen, usually making a giant, delicious mess along the way. I made one 9" round (cut in half and stacked) and 12 cupcakes. While the cake was cooling, I made marshmallow fondant from scratch. It's about 100 times more delicious than regular fondant, but man, is it a sticky, sticky mess. The kitchen looked like a powdered sugar bomb exploded by the time I finished.

I don't think R2-D2 quite tops this Tron one from a couple of years ago, but I'm still pretty happy with it.

While I was looking for the Tron picture, I found this Lego cake, which came back from the brink of disaster. The layers weren't level, so the top cracked and I thought, no big deal, I'll just use frosting like caulk. As I was frosting everything together, the air conditioning broke (at the height of summer in Florida), so the apartment just got hotter and hotter and the frosting started to melt. After 20 tense, sweaty minutes, it was business in the front..

.
..and a party in the back. Yes, that is a spice jar and toothpick propping up the back of the cake. You can't make this shit up. This picture still cracks me up.

This transformers one was the first time I made marshmallow fondant, but I don't remember it being such a pain. This one was strawberry flavored and particularly delicious, and obviously, from before the trainwreck that was Transformers 3 was unleashed on the world.

Hope you all had great weekends, filled with deliciousness.

Striped Sorbetto

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 21:26:00 +0000

Hello again! Today I have a Sorbetto top to share. After seeing just about every sewist in the blogosphere make a gorgeous version of this pattern, I had to give at go too. Colette has some super cute patterns, but I've been a bit scared of them because they are drafted for a C cup, and I'm, um, significantly smaller. But between the free pattern and and 50¢ remnants from Fabric World in my stash, this seemed like the perfect project to experiment with a small bust adjustment.

And it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be! I used this excellent tutorial by Megan Nielson and it dramatically improved the fit. Before this I tended to deal with my small bust by cheating and using the smallest sized dart. This did help, but the bust was usually still a bit too big. I really should have tried an SBA sooner. Sometimes I'm stubborn.

I also made some other adjustments that are pretty typical for me: I lowered the armholes by 3/4", added in more waist shaping, and added length. I just cut the longest size instead of properly lengthening, and think I would add another 1/2" to 1" to if I made it again.

It was also my first time sewing stripes, and that wasn't as fiddly as I thought it would be. The front came out pretty well, but the sides are slightly off because I didn't account for the dart. Oops. Lesson learned.

I'm still learning my fabrics, but I think it's a voile. It's pretty lightweight and just a tiny bit sheer. I had two remnants from my trip to Fabric World last year. I experimented with a bunch of different layouts, but try as I might, I didn't have quite enough fabric. My solution? Piece it together, not on the back center fold or anything conventional. Nope.

Instead, I pieced it together on upper back, across my shoulder blades. Seriously. And it worked! I painstakingly made sure the seam was at the edge of a stripe, so it's practically invisible.

The bias binding is store-bought, but matches remarkably well. I think next time I might try making my own bias tape.

Overall, it's not too shabby for under $5 and a couple weekends. I had a lot of trouble with the pleat in the center, but that was totally my fault. It helps to stop, take a breath, and actually read the directions, you know? Oh, and then after you do that, make sure everything is lined up properly. Third time's a charm. Sigh.

I also would have had this finished sooner except after I finished I decided the armholes were still too high. I had to rip out and redo the bias binding but it was totally worth it. High armholes digging into my skin is one of my biggest problems with RTW and I'm not going to stand for it in items I make myself!

Also, sorry these pictures are pretty terrible. It's been raining every day for weeks now. While the rest of the country is in a heat wave, we have had maybe 1-2 sunny days since June, so I finally gave up and took the pictures indoors. My husband was more interested in getting back to the news from Comic Con than being my photographer. Not that I blame him - the Veronica Mars trailer from Comic Con is out and looks amazing!