Plaid and Floral. Yea or Ney?

So how do you feel about mixing plaid and floral?  Are you a fan?  Or do you think one is enough without the other?  

When I cut out the plaid for Ava - I really, really wanted to line her with a brown floral lining.  I was positive I had brown floral lining in the stash - but I didn't - I had brown floral linen.  

In answer to the question - I like floral and plaid together.  I just don't think these two fabrics go together as well as I would like.  

The dress is BHL's Anna.  I really like this dress, I think it's flattering and very girly.  This version is fully lined and there are no photos of the guts at all.

When I put the dress on for these photos - the zipper broke!  I ripped it out and put in an exposed metal zipper.  it was cold on my back all day!!  Guess I'm gonna have to learn how to do a hand picked zipped.  I'm tired of the failures.  

Final Make of 2013

On the day of my office holiday party, I decided I needed a new dress.  Mostly because JB did not like the sparkly Ottobre dress.  What's a girl who sews to do?

 

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I headed downstairs around 11.

Traced the long skirt pieces of Anna, pressed the fabric and started working on layout.

Ran upstairs and had JB measure how long I am from back neck to floor

folded all the pieces up and tried layout again

folded the pieces up once more (for a total of 4" out of length) and finally got it all to fit

Cut dress out.

 

 

grabbed bucket of serger thread, tested, rethreaded serger, tested again

it was now 1:25

we were suppose to be downtown at 3

::gulp::

 

I will tell you for the party - this dress wasn't even hemmed.

It's a nice heavy jersey and it didn't need a hem.

I put the entire dress together with my serger

the only place it saw my sewing machine was the neckline and armholes.

 

Because it was a party - I cut the back into a deep v as well.

 

 

This is how I wore it work.

Black ankle boots, jean jacket and a plaid scarf.

Oh - and I hemmed it - 1.25" (that's 5.25" shorter than the pattern pieces!)

 

Looking at these photos - I could take about 1/2" out of the shoulders

and maybe take it in just a smidge.

 

 

 

MAGAM - Anna

This is the first Anna Dress.   I made some changes from the Anna Top.

I took the center front panel in 1/2" all the way down the length of it.  That's the 1/4" I added to all seams plus an additional 1/4".  It could be a bit snugger from the armholes through the waist.

And I'm wondering if I need to take a smidge out above the bust - thoughts?

 

I added 6" to the midi-length dress mark because I always have to add 6" to get it long enough. I cut 2" off and made a 2" hem.

Those BHL girls must be tall!

 

I wore this with a white cardigan all day.

I don't really know how to accessorize my work clothes.

If it isn't easy - well it doesn't get done.

Ideas - suggestions?

 

I am leaning backwards in this photo and sticking my belly forward.

But - I till think it's a good photo from the mid-chest up.

 

This was my garment for the Make A Garment a Month Challenge.

I made one muslin, then the top and finally the dress was made on the 29th.

But I didn't get a chance to wear it or take photos until today.

 

For December, I want to work with another BHL pattern - this one will be Elisalex. It will definitely have to be muslined - as the bodice is fitted and I'm not sure about that skirt on my hips - there might be more photos of me in muslin to get honest feedback.

 

Hopefully - I will have time to get it done.  I don't generally sew during the work week.

This coming weekend is my office Holiday Party.

The next weekend is Poker and I have to have the annual flannel pants ready to mail.

Truthfully - this past weekend - I was selfish.  I wanted to sew for me, so I did.

I made Anna and then I cut a lovely sweater knit I bought from Mood and made another Ottobre Sheath.  I then (unselfishly) made both of my girls Magic Pencil Skirts from the leftovers.

Good thing one of them lives on the East Coast - I think we are a bit too old to do the matchy matchy.

BHL Anna

I'm always far, far behind the cool kids in the sewing blogging world.  The first By Hand London Anna dress that I saw had me gasping.  Of course, Lizzy is a little wisp of a thing and I am not - so I didn't buy the pattern.  Then, I saw Karen's first Anna, followed quickly by her second, and then another favorite blogger made a spotty one and I was sold.  Add to that all the variations of Anna that Roisin has made and I had to have it.  (I might have also bought the Elisalex pattern).

I then decided to make this my November make for Make a Garment a Month.  Of course, early in November I made some easy dresses - that have been worn and photographed but not blogged.  I started by tracing the pattern and made a muslin.  I decided that I needed to add a smidge to the hips and started looking for some fabric to make this with.  I also had to lower the bust tucks by 1/2".  And I took a 1" sway back adjustment at the upper back ala Nancy Zieman.  The waist seam feels like it falls in a good place and doesn't need to be moved at all. 

I found a lovely paisley cotton and set about cutting out a dress.  Imagine my disappointment when there wasn't enough fabric for a dress.  So, instead - I made Anna into a top.  And honestly - I'm glad I did.  I think the center back panels need to be straightened slightly on the center back.  All of the skirt panel pieces are shaped like triangles - flaring toward the floor, but at the center back it's getting a weird flare that I don't care for. 

 Oh - I was totally mixing prints in this outfit too.  Not that you can tell, but the skirt is brown pinstriped.

Wearing the top all day and looking at the photos, I think the 'smidge' that I added (1/4" on all skirt seams - 14 seams in all added 3.5") might have been a bit too much.  I have already cut a dress out - but I think I'll take the 1/4" addition off the center front and leave it everywhere else - as well as straighten that center back seam.

So - what do you think?  Do you love Anna?  Have you jumped on the By Hand London bandwagon? 


My photographer has been listening to Carolyn and telling me to act like a runway model and stand up straight.  of course he always snaps the photo when I'm goofing off. 


For the record - the arms look tight in this photo, but they are not.  They are lose and I have full range of motion with no binding anywhere. 

I felt cute and sassy most of the day.  But I think this top/dress might have the ability to look 'maternity'.  I'm hoping taking that smidge back out of the center front panels will help alleviate that. 

I might have to consult with Lynne's Fashion Consultant because when I see these photos I feel dumpy and that's not how I want to feel. 

Enough blabbering.  Happy Holidays Everyone!