Bicycle skirt

 I joined PatternReview.com a while ago, but I haven't really done anything there yet. Yesterday I randomly went to the page and checked out the contests. One of them is a pattern stash contest, in other words, perfect inspiration for me. I haven't done much sewing lately, and most of it has just been mending or minor refashions, so making a new skirt from scratch last night was a real treat.

 This is Simplicity #4036, a simple A-line skirt pattern. I think I bought it in grad school, but I'm not sure. It's been sitting around for a while. I got the bicycle flannel and this purple cotton-poly blend (I think) years ago in the remnants pile at Joann's. I knew I wanted to make a skirt out of it, but I also knew that I didn't have enough of it for a whole skirt, so it languished for a while. I knew I wanted to piece it together with the purple fabric somehow, but I was hemming and hawing over how.

I think it would have been cool to have more elaborate piecing going on, maybe with the front and back made up of panels of both bicycle fabric and purple fabric, but because the bicycle fabric is directional, the layout didn't work very well for that. So I decided to do the simplest piecing imaginable, just making the front in one and the back in the other, with the panel fabrics switched. I wasn't sure I would like it, but I really do. I also set in an exposed zipper rather than an invisible zipper because I didn't have an invisible zipper of the right length, and it just seemed fun.

The fit is kind of big because I made a 16 instead of 14. Next time I'll probably make the 14, but I like that this one is roomy and cozy, and the extra space will make it more bike friendly. Now if only the weather would agree with my skirt that it's time to bike! It was 20 degrees on the first day of spring. (That's Fahrenheit.)

You can read my review at patternreviews.com.

Easter dress

I made this dress a couple weeks ago right after a really warm spell in March. I was raring to make something light and cool, and then of course it got a lot cooler right after I made it. I ended up wearing it with tights and a jacket for Easter because it's so bright and flowery. (I ditched the jacket for the photo shoot, and it wasn't too bad. I'm just very Texan and prefer to be warm at all times.)

I used the same vintage pattern as the jet lag dress from a couple years ago. I bought the fabric at the same time as the green fabric for that dress, which I intended to be a wearable muslin for this fabric, but then I was concerned that the pattern looked too distinctive and costumey to have two of. But a couple weeks ago I decided I really wanted to make a dress out of this fabric, and it was the only pattern I thought would be nice and for which I had enough fabric, so I decided to go for it.

I thought the print really changed how the dress looked, so even though it's obviously the same pattern, it doesn't make me feel like I'm wearing a costume. It's amazing what a print can do. (Side note: I had a dickens of a time figuring out which way was "up" on the print. I could tell that there was no 180 degree rotational or reflective symmetry, but which one was right-side up was not clear to me. I settled on this in the end, and at least it's not clearly wrong. Maybe it could go either way.) I incorporated my ideas from that post for getting the fit a little better, and it wasn't as tight just below the waist. I also did a good job of keeping the fabric, which has a horizontal stretch, from being distorted as I sewed. Good use of staystitching and making sure the feed was smooth were the two main factors. Go me!

The one thing I'm not really pleased about is the placement of the pattern on the front.

I wasn't planning on trying to match the pattern for a variety of reasons: I didn't have much excess fabric and the center front isn't on the straight grain, plus I'm too lazy for that kind of thing. So I knew the pattern wouldn't match up, and I didn't care about that, but I felt like on the front it's close enough to matching that it's awkward.

And the fact that the center front isn't on the grainline means that the distance between the repeat gets larger from top to bottom.

This isn't as obvious when I see pictures of myself wearing it as when I look at it up close or in the mirror, but all in all, I'd prefer for the pattern placement to look more arbitrary. It's not a big enough deal to keep me from enjoying the dress, of course!

I felt great in this dress for Easter, and I think it'll be nice for the summer, too. The fabric is really breezy, and I think the pattern will help hide the inevitable sweat stains I'll get if I wear it on a warm day. (I'm a sweaty lady.) I don't know if it'll be a good biking dress. I think the skirt might be just a little too apt to float up a bit, not enough to be truly scandalous, but enough that I might feel uncomfortable without tights. I haven't taken it for enough of a test ride yet to see.

Yay new dress! I made another new dress that week that should make its blog premier soon. It's just been too cool since I made it to get good outdoor photos. Come on, warm front!

Nightshirt for Jon

Our second wedding anniversary was on Friday, and the second anniversary theme is cotton, so I made Jon a nightshirt/robe. It can be worn without pajama pants, but not for photos on a blog! I found this goofy but very cozy flannel with giraffes, bunnies, ducks, and teddy bears on it, and thought it was better than the only boy-type prints at the fabric store, which were of the superhero variety. I just don't see Jon as a superhero PJ guy (but apparently bright pink with bunnies is OK). As you can see if you look closely, I accidentally cut the back upside down. I honestly didn't notice the directionality of the print before Jon put it on. Oh well.

As you can see from his big smile, he likes it! (Or at least he likes me enough to pretend.) It's warm and soft and obviously made with love. I used Simplicity 3683, a costume pattern I already had from making a shirt-and-pants costume for a friend of our for Halloween one year. It's unisex and has a lot of variations on this kind of shirt and pants. I shortened a duster coat. I cut a straight XS for Jon; even though his measurements should have put him at a small, I thought the wearing ease was too much. Jon is a smallish guy, but I think it's kind of silly that he is the right size for an XS in a unisex pattern. What would small ladies do? For example, the shoulders on this are too broad for me, and there are a lot of women smaller than I am. (I would have posted pictures of me in this so Jon wouldn't be embarrassed, but the shoulders are too big and the hips too small.) We shouldn't expect a unisex costume to have a great fit for most ladies, but it's still a little ridiculous.

I was thinking about sewing the shirt together in the front up to the second button level, but then I did so much work to make the facings nice all the way down that I didn't want to just sew it together, and now that I've made buttonholes, it would look weird, so I'll leave it as is. Speaking of buttonholes, they went really well! I just used the buttonhole foot on my sewing machine, and it was pretty self-explanatory. I think I've only made one or two before, many years ago, so I was nervous.

Thanks, Jon, for letting me post these! You're the best husband ever.

Septmber 9th

I was really pleased with this outfit! I made this bias-cut Simplicity dress many years ago (in high school or college) and had issues with it. The facings on the neckline kept rolling out, the armholes are a little tight, but the neckline/shoulder area is a little loose, and the back doesn't drape perfectly. But after trimming the facings before putting it on and adding a belt, I was really pleased with it. I looked very narrow and delicate when I belted at my actual waist, but I really liked the vibe of the outfit belted a few inches lower, on the top of my hip. I added a blue sweater for a lot of the day because it was on the chilly side.

I think the fabric is really fun. I kind of think of it as a bunch of crayons melted together. It has greens, blues, and yellows in addition to the dominant pink, so it was easy to pull out colors from the pattern to use as accessories. I didn't mind that the yellow, blue, and green I chose didn't match perfectly; the pattern is wild enough that it doesn't matter too much. (At least to me.) This turtle necklace is another one that was liberated from my mom's jewelry box on a recent visit.

I have had mixed success with bias-cut garments. I think in general, bias-cut skirts are not particularly flattering on me. I think I'm a bit too curvy for them to flow gracefully down. They sometimes bunch up or show my lumps a little more than I'd like. But after adding the belt, I felt like this one was pretty flattering. It downplayed my curves, both on top and on bottom, in a really cute way.

Jon was apprehensive about this outfit. I have worn this dress one other time since he and I met, and I happened to bike home through a downpour that day. The sight of me soaking wet in the dress made him sad, and he hasn't gotten over the association. Unfortunately, it rained on us yesterday as well, but not so badly that it made him sad.

Two old shirts

I don't remember when I made these. The date on the pattern is 2000, so it was probably around then. Maybe the summer between my junior and senior years of high school? I really liked the wrap look on the back on view A of Simplicity 9269, so I made it up in this cute lily pad print.

Frustratingly, even though I cut out the sizes that should have worked at bust and waist, it was way too big. (This is when I learned that some patterns are better than others, and some are downright wrong.) I took in the side seams by about 5/8 of an inch each (that means the pattern that was supposed to fit me was actually 2 1/2 inches too big-a pretty big difference).

It was still a big too big, particularly in the bust, but part of the problem was that the neck was too wide, and there's not much I could do to fix that. The boatneck is not a very flattering shape on me anyway. I have worn the top a few times, but it's never been one of my most-loved garments. Of course, it's also a pretty crazy fabric pattern, so I wouldn't be able to wear it much, even if I loved it. I still liked the criss-cross, though, so I wondered if I could highlight that more by pulling it to the front. So I decided to play with it. I folded out the darts in the pattern (I'm so small-chested that losing them didn't matter much), cut a couple sizes smaller, and wore it backwards. For some reason, even though the criss-cross is symmetrical on the lily pad fabric, it's asymmetrical on this blue fabric (the bottom of the V-neck is on my right side), but I actually like it better that way.

This iteration didn't work perfectly, either. I think the shoulders are just too far apart, even in a size smaller than I should be wearing; if I ever try it again, I'll have to take a little bit out of the middle to correct for that. Also, the armholes are a little too tight. I also only wear this rarely, but that's because it shows my navel. I don't think it's appropriate to go to school or church with my navel showing, but yesterday I was going to the Art Car Museum for an artist lecture in the afternoon, and I thought it would be OK for my tummy to show a little.

I am glad that I've stayed the same-ish enough size that I can still wear these shirts, and I'm also glad that 17-year-old me was creative with the pattern. I had fun (and felt cute and a little saucy) wearing this yesterday.

Bibs!

I have hit the age where all my friends are having kids. I wanted something practical but personal to give to my expecting friends, and I came upon Simplicity pattern 2468. It has several animal-themed bib ideas and patterns. There are three basic shapes that can be made into the animals they suggest, or you can get creative with them. They take a bit of time to make for how small they are, but I think that's to be expected becase they have a lot of little details. I think they are super-cute. After I made the first batch, I was trying to figure out a reason to keep them for myself, but they really don't coordinate with any of my outfits.

I gave the first set to friends in May, and I've three more sets in the past couple months because I have three friends due in November and December. I made five for the first family: a bear, a turtle, an alligator, a plain one with aliens on it, and the one I thought might kind of look like a fish. It turned out pretty weird, but I thought it would still be useful as a bib, so I gave it to them anyway. Here is the first batch.

I think the bear and turtle ones are the cutest, but the alien print is pretty great, too.

The next set I made were teddy bear, turtle, blue flowers, monkey on surfboard print, and one that I was trying to make look like a pig, but it kind of looks generically mammal. I get hints of dog. The monkey surfboard print is a remnant I bought at JoAnn's ages ago, and then when we went to have our friend's shower, we couldn't decide between a monkey theme or a beach theme, so we went with both, and the bib fit perfectly with that. Funny how that can happen.

The next two sets were pretty similar. I made the bee for the first time, and I thought it ended up really cute. Here are the other sets of bibs.

I really love making these bibs for people. I have bought some fabric for them, but mostly I am using leftovers from other things I've made. The turtle body and teddy bear ears are from aprons I've made for friends. The pig ears and bee cheeks are from an old shirt of Jon's that I've made into a skirt (more on that later). The blue flower print is from one of my perfect dresses. Most of the buttons are from my and my mom's button stashes. I've probably spent more on ribbon than on fabric for these crafts. If you are having a kid soon, there's a good chance you'll be getting a few of these. I hope you like them.

Bones 'n Roses stuff for Carolyn

My friend Carolyn loves vampire and Halloween stuff, so when I saw this cute fabric with skeletons and roses on it last Christmas or so, it cried out to me that I needed to make an apron for Carolyn out of it. (I think if you know Carolyn, you agree.) I have several apron patterns inherited from my mom, and I bought enough fabric for the one I thought I wanted to make. After making one of those aprons for a different friend, I decided it was overkill and went with a less fabric-intensive apron for Carolyn. She loves it, and I even saw her wearing it when I went over to dinner at her house last Saturday. (If she doesn't love it, she does a good job making me feel good about it anyway.) I gave her the apron "for Christmas" back in July. (I don't always get my projects done in a timely manner.) The apron is pretty nice. It has one big pocket in the middle of the front and a smaller one for a pencil or thermometer or other small kitchen thingy on one side towards the top.

For her birthday this year (on time!), I made a tote bag for her out of the same fabric. I used It's so Easy/Simplicity pattern #2402. It can fold up and fit in a little pouch. I think it's a pretty nice tote. It's strong, and it is lined with a red cotton broadcloth for even more sturdiness (and so there aren't as many seams showing in the bottom). The pouch is cool too. I used a magnetic snap to close it, and it has a little clip on it, so it can be attached to the tote when the tote is unfolded.

I still have enough fabric for one more project for Carolyn. We'll see what it becomes.

My perfect dress

Simplicity 2917 is my perfect dress. There are options for sleeves, but I have only made the sleeveless version. It has four pieces each in the front and back, so there is no need for darts for shaping. The flared skirt is flattering on my hips, and the way the pattern is shaped from the neck to the waist makes the most of my curves. I think this dress is probably flattering on most female-shaped people.

I have made this dress eight times now. Four for me, four for other people. The first was the red one above. I made it because I didn't know what to wear to a December wedding in Dallas. This with a black sweater was just right. I have now worn it to three more weddings and several other occasions. It is made from a heavy cotton knit with just a tiny bit of stretch. The weight gives it a great drape. I did the zipper on this one the way the pattern suggested, with the left back lapping over the right side. I had never done that before, and it turned out pretty well. This isn't a great picture, but it's what I have.

The second time I made the dress, I made it a little longer in a lightweight blue and white cotton knit with a little more stretch.

The stretch of the fabric made it a little harder to get the fit right at the neck, so it's a tiny bit gappy at the top, but it's a nice, lightweight, casual dress for church or Sacred Harp singings. Plus, the length and fullness of the skirt make it very bike-able.

The third dress was my wedding dress.

We didn't have a big wedding, and I had been saving this airy turquoise silk for a special occasion, so I made my wedding dress out of it. I didn't have time to waste on a pattern that might not work, so I went with 2917 again because I knew it was simple and flattering. The silk was pretty tricky to work with, and because it was so light the drape was very different than the other two dresses. I had a dickens of a time getting the hem done, and I was never all the way happy with it, but it was my wedding, and no one was going to criticize my hemming skills!

In this picture, you can kind of see that the hem isn't quite smooth. Oh well.

I also made Jon's tie out of the same material as my dress. I loved that we matched! The silk made the tie quite tricky, and it never lay entirely flat, but the dicey parts were hidden under his collar, so it was OK.

The most recent five copies of the dress were made for the bridesmaids at my sister's wedding. We used a heavier purple silk that we got for a song. Here are the two sisters.

And here are all the maids. We had some issues with fitting for a couple of the girls (my fault, not theirs), and my mom did all the hemming work and most of the facings. I think the biggest issue is that one of the patterns should have been shortened before cutting. I hadn't even thought about that before taking their measurements, but it is difficult to correct for height after the pattern pieces have been cut out. I think in the end everyone looked great, but I would have saved myself and my mom some trouble if I had shortened the pattern beforehand.

I was very tickled a few weeks after the wedding when I saw these pictures on one of the girls' facebook page.

She was a beautiful fairy at Scarborough Faire! I'm really glad I was able to make a dress she liked so much. (And of course, that elusive bridesmaid's dress that you can actually wear again.)

I am done with 2917 for now (making six of something in a row will do that to you), but I won't be surprised if someday I haul it out again because it does work very well for me. Plus, I'm really good at making it now!