Iris Shorts

It's the official start of summer here in NJ, and that calls for a new pair of shorts! Colette patterns just released this patterns for shorts; Iris. I whipped a pair up this weekend using some cotton from Paron's in NYC. The only pattern adjustment I did was to lengthen the crotch, apparently I have a long torso. I made version 2, with the buttons, but did not cut the buttonhole, and just sewed the buttons on top.

Happy Summer!

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Blue Rose party dress

I love this dress! My maid of honor told me to get sewing, and make myself a dress for my bridal shower. Everything about the shower is a surprise, so I handed off the dress to her right after I finished it, and won't see it again until after the surprise.

This dress is all about the fabric. When I saw this double paneled floral cotton from Fabric Mart's daily pick on facebook,  I snapped it up at only $3.99 a yard. As you can see, one side has more flower coverage than the other.

I never worked with a paneled fabric before, and carefully cut the pieces for this Frankenstein pattern. I used vintage Butterick 9752, as the inspiration, and followed those directions, but used the trusty pattern simplicity 2444, for the front bodice and skirt, just to make fitting a little easier. The scoop neck back and buttonholes pattern was a raised version of the vintage Butterick, I raised the scoop a bit just so I could wear a bra. I love the ric rac trim around the neckline and hem, I can't believe I've never done this before.

The back closes with 5 buttons, and is attached to the skirt that has a small invisible zipper closure. I will surely make another version of this sweet dress.

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Mother's Day Taffy Blouse

For Mother's day this year, I knew I had to make my Mom a Taffy blouse from Colette Sewing Handbook. I had this stain glass silk chiffon fabric from Mood in NYC, which is perfect for the bias cut of the blouse. The Coletterie suggests Sullivan's spray to spray the chiffon, which makes it easier to sew, cut the pieces on the bias, and then hung the pieces overnight to make sure the bias was stretched. I used french seams just like the book suggests, and bias trim on the neckline. For the sleeves and bottom hem I used the rolled hem on the serger, which made the ends curl, and have a more flowy feel.

I cut a straight size 6, but added some length to the body, because I know she has a longer torso. Thankfully the length and fit is perfect! Love you Mom!

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Prada Inspired Car Fabric

I've been wanted to make my own car fabric for forever, and trying to figure out a way to make it wearable, and chic. When I saw the Prada Spring/Summer 2012 runway, I knew what I had to do.

Prada Spring/Summer 2012
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My family has always been into cars, and every year we spend time at a racetrack, racing Shelbys. This is even how I met my fiance. I wanted to make a shirt I could wear that wasn't a icky t-shirt. I can't draw so needed something that I could scan and photoshop into an image. It took me a little while to find the perfect thing to scan and use for the basis of the images, but it was right in my attic. My Dad's copy of Ford's 1970 performance guide. So I scanned the images and with the help of photoshop (and a lot of help from my friends), I made an image for spoonflower, the company that prints whatever fabric you can think up.

AND VIOLA!

My personalized car fabric. I ordered two yards of the cotton poplin. I love it, I'm planning on making a sleeveless peplum blouse, just in time for the car even in the beginning of June!

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Yarn Debacle

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What do you do when your knitting something and don't like the yarn? I bought three skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca Royal in azure online and I am not in love with the color in person. This yarn was not cheap, and feels really soft. The picture from the Blue Sky Website is a pretty, light color blue, which would really bring out my eyes, but it reality it looks sort of muddy, and not as light as the picture. Am I being crazy and should just knit it or should figure out another option?

The pattern is a really cute scoop cardigan with a knot sleeve detail, also by Blue Sky Alpacas. Every time I pick it up to knit it, I finish a row and throw it down, annoyed by the muddy color. Blue Sky Alpaca is truly my favorite yarn company, and I have never been disappointed by a yarn. The royal yarn is decadent, just like it is described, I just wish the color was the same. Pin It Now!

Purple Dress : Butterick 6582

Last week I posted about the unflattering dress I made, which I turned into a new creation, retro butterick pattern 6582. I kept the skirt from the vintage pattern and married it to the new/retro pattern, using view c. It has a faux front wrap and gathered shoulders. I had to move the zipper form the center back to the side to accommodate the skirt which already had an opening on the side.

The fabric is a silk and rayon crepe blend. It is very lightweight, and very mailable. It was a challenge to get it to stay the same shape after I cut it. The skirt was the perfect opportunity to use french seams, and make a clean look. The fabric is very sheer, so I interlined it with the same fabric. Interlining it with the same fabric, made it easier to sew, rather than trying to force the silk to fit another type of interlining fabric (which is what I tried to do with the first dress). I hemmed it using the serger rolled hem, which was very easy to do, and looks great for this flowy skirt.  

The belt is a great detail at the waist, and the matching belt is the perfect vintage accessory. This belt was custom made for me at Pat's Custom Buttons and Belts. I love this service so much! I'm wearing this dress with my layer cake crinoline, which so cute. The only problem with wearing a crinoline this fun, is the desire to lift up my skirt!

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Simplicity 3473

This is what I have been working on for the past week or so. It is a vintage pattern, Simplicity 3473. I bought this beautiful purple silk and rayon blend crepe fabric from Mood to make a dress for my fiance's police academy graduation. I was very excited and originally intended to make the new pattern vogue 1044. I even ordered a custom belt and buttons from Pat's custom buttons and belts in Lodi, Ca. I made the muslin for v1044 and the pattern was way too small, and I was worried about the pleats exaggerating my bust.

So I threw that idea out the window and cut out the pieces for simplicity 3473. The crepe fabric  is very thin, and I decided to underline it with cotton. Well, sometimes projects just don't want to work out. The darts are weird, the fit is big, the neckline is too high, the top is boxy and unflattering. It is not nearly as cute as the picture. I still have some leftover purple, enough to make a different top for the skirt. Something with a little more drape will suit the fabric better.

My Mom let me borrow her dress for the graduation, but I still wore my belt with it! I was crying during most of the ceremony, I was so proud. Anyway, isn't my fiance cute?

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