Quick, Simple Sewing

I saw the ruffled fabric on Lori's podcast blog - Sew Forth Now.   More specifically, the Episode 71 where she interviews Lynne.

In the links from that episode, Lori lists a link for ruffled fabric from - get this - Ruffle Fabric dot com.  As well as a tutorial for making your own ruffle skirt.  Of course I was smitten - and it didn't hurt that Carolyn made a ruffle skirt   (scroll down).

Ruffle Fabric was lovely to deal with and a joy.  I will order from them again.

The one thing I didn't know when I ordered the fabric was that the ruffles run perpendicular to the selvedge edge - I thought they would run parrallel - so I ordered 2 yards of each color - but really only needed one yard of each to reach my knees. 

I bought a fun polka dot ruffle for the brown ruffle fabric and I bought a lovely lavendar for the grey.  But as I still had far more fabric than I needed but only bought enough elastic for 2 skirts - I bought wider black elastic at J's for more skirts. 

The two skirts shown here will be boxed up this weekend and shipped off to non-sewing friends who need a little ruffle in their life.

Dressing for Flattery

Carolyn posted a very interesting conversation the other day.  Of course, being who I am - I immediately started thinking about how it applies to my life and sewing. 

I just spent the last 3 days at a sewing retreat sponsored by my local ASG chapter.  It's big fun - but I over the course of 3 days I made 2 dresses, 2 t-shirts, and 2 skirts for me.  Everything was precut and kept in ziplock baggies with all the appropriate notions.  Skirts are hemmed, tops are finished and ready to wear - the dresses still need hems.

McCalls 5974



The one thing I heard over and over - Wow!  That dress looks great on you - in relation to McCalls 5974.  I made the scoop neck view without the waist tie and it was suggest that I make the mock wrap view as well.

But often I feel like I'm the person Sewist #1 in Carolyn's dialog is referring to.  The last dress I made - not very flattering at all - fun print, comfortable to wear - but it was a very shapeless sack.  How come nobody says anything?  Well - with the exception of Marjie who always says it with love and tenderness.

Several of the other woman at the retreat spent the entire weekend (9 am Friday to 4 pm Sunday) working on one garment.  One woman made a lovely, lightweight cotton skirt.  It was pleated and she put in a handpicked zipper - it's lovely, but honestly I could never spend an entire 3 days making one garment. 

Even working in a law office my life is very, very casual.  Yes, I dress up my weekends a bit with mostly skirts and tees but why do I walk away from a wonderful weekend feeling like I can't sew my way out of a paper bag or dress myself.  I've done the exercises, ripped pages from magazines, studied colors, shapes, etc.  How do you do it?  How do you figure out how to dress an ever changing body in a flattering, but comfortable manner and not always throw on yoga pants or a shapeless dress?

The Last Thing to Come Out of the Studio

Last weekend I made Vogue 1179.   Once again, I took my inspiration from Carolyn. 

This pink knit was a heavy and it really is too heavy for this dress.  But I made it anyway. 

Without the cardigan it has a maternity look, but with it - I think it's okay - not that you call tell from the only photo that JB was willing to take. 

Due to yardage limitations - the dress is just a smidge on the short side - and I put just the tiniest, narrow hem I could into it. 

I cut the dress essencially with no alternation to the pattern - with the exception of the usual - I cut a 14 though the shoulders and chest,  used my french curve to grade the lines to a 16 at the waist and then out to a 20+ at the hips.  Honestly - that was too much.  Given the ease in this dress, I could have stayed at either a 16 all the way from the underarms down or possibly an 18.

I wore the dress all day with grey tights and boots and my grey alpaca cardigan.  I was comfortable all day long.

The rest of the weekend I sat on the couch alternating reading and knitting.  I didn't feel  well and ended up staying home on Monday and unfortunately, I'm still playing catch up at work and Friday morning it's time for the Fall Sewing Retreat again. 

Starting Tuesday evening, i've been cutting and preping patterns to sew up.  I'm looking forward to a weekend away with like minded people, sewing, laughing, relaxing and generally having a good time.  How about you?