Hit or Miss?

Ever since Angie posted all the photos from the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2010 Line.  I have loved this skirt.  I needed to have one of my own.  I had a pink tweed from long ago and thought it would work.  I threw it in the washer and dryer, then I underlined it with some lavender batiste.  I added 6 inches to the length.  I lined the skirt with a green lining and added the fringe selvedge edge to the lining - but it's short enough that I'm the only one who knows it's there. 

I started with the same ol' same ol' Kwik Sew skirt that I have made at least a million times.  It works.  It's fairly full and fits my hips well.  I always feel fun, flirty and feminine when I wear skirts made from this pattern.
I finished the skirt last weekend and when I showed JB his comment was it looked like somebody's curtains.  I wore it to work on Wednesday.  I wore a cream turtleneck and for most of the day I had a light green cardi on too - but then I got hot.  The other reason for making it longer - was so that hopefully it would work with my really cute heeled wingtips.

 

So - honestly - is it a hit or a miss?  Honestly.  You won't hurt my feelings.  Truthfully - the skirt is heavy and I felt 'dumpy' and 'frumpy' all day.  JB said it was cute when I was dressed for work, but later he asked what the knitting gals had to say - they said shorten it - about 3".  So I'll try that.  

Again - I'm asking for honest opinions here - work or no?  and if not - why not?  Thankee.  

Fun and Flirty

Last Saturday after my monthly ASG meeting, I had errands to run. One of those errands was going to get more vacuum cleaner bags. I managed to pick up a few new sewing notions while I was there. Also, the vacuum store is right next to Pacific Fabrics. I went in looking for some skull quilting cotton to make a long overdue project bag - instead I bought this lovely red and white floral quilting cotton.

I immediately put it in the washer when I got home and hung it on the clothesline. This is the softest cotton.

Sunday afternoon found me down in the studio. After finishing the orange skirt - except for the hem - I decided to make a quick version of KS3337 (seriously - buy this pattern - although in the first photo I look a bit like a huge triangle).

After putting the skirt together, I decided that maybe it was a bit thin and needed a lining. So off to the cupboard I went. I found a nice piece of white poly lining - most likely from JoAnns and cut out a lining. I sewed the invisible zipper between the fashion fabric and the lining. Then I decided to cut a strip of the fashion fabric and used it to hem the lining. I put the strip right side to wrong side of the lining and sewed a 1/4" seam, flipped it to the right side of the lining and then top stitched it down. Then I went back and added some tiny cotton "tatting" trim. The lining is about 2" shorter than the skirt so this little design element is just for me. But - it so dang cute I had to show just about everyone today!

Mexican Tablecloth Skirt

This is the Mexican Tablecloth Skirt. There's not a lot left to say about it. I wanted the lining to just barely peak out of the bottom, but I think it's a bit too much and I might need to take a tuck in it. Hard to tell.

This is a bit shorter than I usually make my TNT (although really I think you have to make variations that aren't just different fabric) KS 3337 skirt because the fabric shrunk when I washed it. Bu it's not indecently short and it was comfortable to wear all day.

The guy who works at the coffee shop in my building came out and said I looked absolutely adorable today - so JB must be wrong about it looking like a tablecloth. More sewing to come.

TNT?

This was my clothesline on Thursday afternoon

the first day this year nice enough to peg the laundry out

I did a load of just my work skirts

I think you've seen most of these - all from KS 3337

from left to right:

daisy skirt; orange {red} NY; Fall 2007 Retreat;

black & white print; age is over-rated; embroidered cotton; and

the original AB version

Can a Girl Get a Break?

So, I've been really frustrated with my inability to make wearable garments that don't scream - made by loving hands at home - lately. Needing a mark in the win column I decided to grab my Mexico fabric and whip out my all time favorite kwik sew 3337. I have made this skirt a million times. It just fits and always looks good - funky yes, but that's usually the look I'm after.

Can you see it? Can you see what I did? Not a win!

This skirt is made from 3 pieces - each cut once from a double layer of fabric. I cut the front on the fold taking some of the fullness out.

In my "I know what I'm doing" mode I cut one front, 2 backs, and 4 side panels. I then serged all the seams - this fabric ravels! inserted the invisible zipper in the back seam and sewed all the seams together. And then I looked at it - and thought I just f*ed this up. But then I looked again, and I thought it's not too big, I can still make it work. Um - not so much. Apparently, I'm not as big as I think I am. So - this weekend the plan is to remove the 2 extra side panels and finish the baby up.

Now that I'm thinking about it - I can't remember if I left scraps around for the waistband.

Look! She still makes clothes!

Many of you know already that we are headed to Mexico for a lovely vacation in March - the very beginning of March - actually! Well - I ordered a new brown swimsuit and my "uniform" of choice when we are beach vacationing is a swimsuit, skirt and sandals. As I learned on our cruise a few years back - I needed to either get a solid suit or make more solid skirts. Well - I went with both! This was a down and dirty skirt that I quite literally whipped out in a couple of hours last Sunday. I should have been working on my Ravelympics knitting - but let's just say I'm a quitter! This is Kwik Sew 3337 which I have used at least a million times! Seriously. Each one looks different I constructed the entire skirt - with the exception of the zipper completely on the serger. I even got totally lazy and just serged the hem. I put some fake "wooly nylon" in the loopers and just serged it with a short stitch length. It's cute and will be fun with a tank top of just about any color as well as a solid suit!

This Has Got to be My Favorite

A couple of years ago I had a vision. I wanted a black and white skirt with handmade lace peeking out from the hem. I had originally thought that I would crochet the lace so I made a lining from white muslin, starched the heck out of it and hemmed it with a wing needle which created little holes so I could crochet lace directly to the lining.

I knew the skirt would be from my favorite Kwik Sew skirt pattern (I think I've made 12 skirts from this pattern over the last 2 years). I tried several different crocheted lace samples on a sample of the lining. Nothing looked right. So I set it aside and made other things. Then I found the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of the Debbie Bliss magazine. There was a pattern for knit lace shown on the edge of a shelf. That was it! I knew it instantly.

I spent a couple of evenings knitting the lace, then I washed it in hot water - twice. Drying it in the dryer.

I have worn this skirt twice and I love it. It is fun and flirty. Wednesday I work it to knitting group and everyone had to lift my skirt and look at the lace. Today it was ASG - again several people had to lift my skirt to look at the lace. Then when I was in the grocery store, some man walking past me said "You look great in that skirt!"

It's a winner!

Any Ideas?

This is yet another version of KS 3337 - what apparently is to become known as my favorite skirt. I counted yesterday and I believe I have 10 skirts made from this pattern. When purchasing the fabric, the skirt you see is exactly what I had in my mind. However - it doesn't work. Rather than add a band of the small dot fabric, the underskirt is an entire skirt. The upper is just the shorter layer. It doesn't work - it's too heavy. I would like to slavage the upper portion, somehow - any ideas?

Look - Sewing!

Remember that big box I got from Cami last week? Well it also had fabric in it. I had seen this beautiful Denyse Schmidt leaf print at the Expo. But there were a couple of problems with it. First - the original one I saw was a mustardy gold with brown leaves. Second it was $23/yard! It's a lightweight home deck fabric but I wasn't about to pay that much for a funky skirt. Third, I had just decided that I needed to dress my age. God love Cami, Carolyn, Channon, Jessica, Yvonne, Sue, Marjie and everyone else who said that dressing your age is overrated. Cami mentioned that she had that same leaf print in the pink colorway in the shop, on sale. The checks in the mail I said. Why you're cutting it, why don't you look for something that will look great with it for pipping. So that pretty little brown micro dot is what she sent.

Thursday after getting JB settled and napping I went down to the studio and cut out this skirt. I cut strips on a slight bias for pipping, turned on my iron and headed upstairs to the new machine. Seriously there is a reason everything is in one place. This is the quickest skirt I ever make - there are 4 seams and a zipper. It goes together so quickly.

I did sew the two front seams twice. Originally I thought I'd add the contrast flat, but it was getting lost. So I ripped those seams and added cording to the trim and stitched them up again. Just a reminder - when you are adding pipping to a seam that needs more work done to it, ie: a hem, taped the pipping out at the hem line and there will be a ton less bulk to try and turn, press and stitch. This is one of my favorite skirts ever. I love this pattern. It quick to make and easy to wear. I had thought that the pipping might be uncomfortable, but it's not anywhere on the body that I'm sitting on. It's out of the way.

Second Skirt - Same as the First

Well only sorta. This is the same fabric as the S4787, just a different pattern. It's my favorite tried and true Kwik Sew Pattern - 3337. I have made this skirt several times - mostly from quilting cottons. While I was finishing up a cotton version at the Fall Retreat, one of the ladies there, challenged me to make the skirt using a drapy fabric. I'm not really sure why I bought so much of this fabric, but I had enough to make this skirt too. Thankfully the skirt works in a drapy fabric and looks good.

I'm finally learning that what I should be making for awhile is more tops. Some tees, but I really need blouses and button down shirts. And I really need to get rid of old clothing that is stretched beyond recognition, and maybe I should use the camera as a mirror everyday before leaving the house. The camera gives me a better reflection of whether I look like I got dressed in the dark - I think.

Weekend Recap

One fabric - 2 skirts finished. The first one is an OOP Simplicity. It was introduced here. This skirt went together easily and it's a cute flirty shape. The tights I ordered have come in already so, as soon as I get the tops sewn it will be good to go.

The second skirt is from one of my all time favorite Kwik Sew patterns - it's 3337. I have never made this skirt from anything but a cotton or heavier fabric. While I was at retreat, some one challenged me to make it in fabric with more drape - so here you have it. This photo is unhemmed and you can see how uneven it was. That was in attempt to keep the plaid matched at the seams.

I also hemmed a top that came home from retreat without a hem. Not to shabby since I really one had 1 day to sew for me.

Look What I Did

Finally! I took the skirt portion of the dress that I couldn't get right. I love the fabric (which totally didn't photograph well today). I had taken my favorite full skirt pattern - KS 3337 - and attached it to the dress' bodice. Well, last weekend, I unattached the skirt from the bodice. Because I had cut the back piece on the fold to make it work as a dress, I ripped the side back seam. I inserted an invisible zipper in to that seam. Salvaged some fabric from the bodice for a waistband, interfaced it, stitched, turn and done! Much better - and now it's actually wearable. Next weekend is the ASG Fall Sewing Retreat and I'll be gone for 3 days - sewing, chatting, knitting, eating, drinking and generally having fun. Now I need to spend the rest of the weekend and next week getting stuff cut and ready. (For the record, I still have 2 pink tops that I cut to sew at the Spring Retreat that aren't finished. Guess they'll get packed first.)

Take Two

This is the second version of Butterick 5028. This time I used my favorite full skirt - Kwik Sew 3337. I graded the top down so the armholes were a size 14, I shortened the shoulder length and cut front piece with the edge 3/8" off the fold. I also lengthened the bodice by 1". It's still not perfect. I wore a cardigan over it all evening and it was perfect. But the front gapes and man do I have cleavage in this dress! Which is amazing because I normally don't have cleavage. Feels rather uncomfortable if you're not used to it. Although the camera doesn't lie - I feel skinny wearing this dress. Other than the issues with the bodice it is very comfortable to wear. I still need to find some new strappy heels. I don't like the look of the flip flops with the dress - but we were headed out and I knew we would be walking once we got downtown. These shoes were the best option other than wearing my Danskos.

Anyone have ideas on how to fix the back? I don't know what to do. I really like this dress and may attempt one more version. It's pretty distinctive so I can't have too many of the same style in the closet, but I would like to work out the back issues. I think it looks so much better with this skirt, rather than a full rectangle skirt. I love the look of a dress with a full skirt. Claire has been telling me to try a slimmer skirt. While I'm not sure I want to go pencil skirt slim, I do like the way this skirt looks and will attempt more pattern frankensteining.

This Weekend Was All About Knitting

But, I took a vacation day on Monday and finished the Take 2 Dress. It looks horrible on Lou - hopefully, it will look better on me.

First, photos I promised VeeDogKnitter- the one on the left shows how I lay the front pattern piece on the fold to take out some of the flare from the center front. The top of the pattern piece is 5/8" (seam allowance) from the fold and then I just layed it "straight."

Because the bodice I was using this skirt for didn't have a center back seam - I also placed the back pattern piece on the fold. This time just placing the seam 5/8" from the fold all the way down the length of the piece.

Let me say - adding Kwik Sew 3337 as the skirt to the Butterick dress wasn't really well thought out. This skirt doesn't have side seams - the side panels wrap around your hip. The dress calls for a side zipper. The skirt uses a center back zipper, the dress has a deep V that overlaps in the back. It went together okay, but I could have made better choices. I'm actually going to take the original dress apart and use Simplicity 5914 as the skirt portion.

Anyway - here is the Take Two dress on Lou. It's no wonder I can't sew for the body I live in - Lou is padded out to fit a body that is about 15# less than I am currently. The dress looks horrible on Lou - hopefully it will look better on me. There will be no photos of me wearing the dress anytime soon as we are headed into a couple days of rain. But I promise to make JB take a photo or two as soon as the weather cooperates. And now I've done it - I've taken elements of one pattern that I love and added them to another that I know fits. It worked and wasn't really that hard.

Take Two

See, I really like this dress. And I've really wanted to have it in my closet for a long, long time. So, I'm not letting the disappointment of the last one not going to stop me. In fact, it is prompting me to do something I've never done before.

I'm making this dress again - this weekend. I'm using this pretty green and purple swirled cotton that I've had for almost 10 years. This new thing that I'm gonna do? Well after taking the bodice seams in as well as grading the shoulders down, I've been flat measuring to see if my favorite quick sew skirt will fit onto the bodice of this dress. I have never mixed pattern pieces from different envelopes - not even within the same pattern company.

So the KS skirt has gores and falls straight from the waist into a full skirt. Finally - after a couple of failures with gathered skirts - I'm finally starting to get it - step away from the full gathered skirt - it doesn't work on you! But I get tons of compliments on the KS skirt.

In fact, I wore the daisy skirt with a white tee to the mall yesterday to get a hair cut and attempt to do a

little shopping. The only salesperson I could get to talk to me, was a woman in the makeup department of Nordstroms, who jumped out and grabbed me as I was walking by. She said "Oh, where did you get your skirt? I love it!" I had to break her heart and tell her I made it - she wasn't going to be able to have one. She wasn't the only complete stranger to comment on my skirt yesterday.