Vogue 1395: The Meat Dinner Dress

Every year, Michael's family has two fancy-pants dinners together where we all go to a nice restaurant and eat (way too much), drink and be merry. They are generally scheduled around birthdays - one in April, one in October. The one this October was last night at San Telmo, an Argentinian restaurant here in Melbourne. It was a meat-fest and I woke up craving some crisp greens and tomatoes. Michael suggested we have lamb chops for dinner tonight and is still laughing at the filthy look I gave him. I like meat (love a good quality rare steak), but not to that extent - I have reduced my intake of red meat drastically in the last year and feel much healthier for it.

Anyway, I decided to make a dress to wear - I'm a bit sick of the good old sack at the moment, and feel like some waist definition. I decided I would sew a new pattern - one of the Rebecca Taylor for Vogue ones - V1395.

This is a fairly basic dress made less basic by the addition of a back overlay that extends into the ties at the waist. I was intrigued after seeing Morgan's Bee Version. Morgan is one of my favourite bloggers. I decided to use my rather precious length of rayon from Darn Cheap Fabrics that I bought after Jenny made this top out of it. The fabric is lush, but was horrible to sew for this dress. Narrow hems and slinky rayon were not made for each other and I had to unpick a lot. Luckily I made this when Little M was out, as she would now have a lot of very choice swear words in her vocabulary too. This is what I ended up with:

I made some adjustments after a muslin. I had to take 3.5cm out of each shoulder seam, beginning at the neck edge. I then added 3cm to the length of the bodice, and 5cm to the skirt length.

In these photos, the neckline looks way too high, and I admit for the first two hours I wore it, it annoyed the living daylights out of me. Magically though, after those 2 hours, it somehow settled in place and sits about 2cm lower - which is where I wanted it. I wonder what happened? So weird.

My wings. That is the back overlay being extended out, which you then tie in front (obviously). I found I had to cinch it in pretty firmly, otherwise I looked a little pregnant (which I'm not).

That's a pretty awesome tan line happening there!! I accidentally got burnt at Phillip Island last weekend. I am usually so anal about being sunsmart. 

While I didn't completely enjoy making this dress, I really enjoyed sewing something different and something that wasn't a sack. I'm not ruling out future sacks, but I don't reach for them as I used to. Maybe when summer properly hits I will.

I'm currently making a dress to wear to my sister's professional ball in two weeks. I have barely started - I have no sewjo!!! What are you sewing?

Anise Jacket (and bonus Papercut Pleated Pants)

About 14 months ago, I started an Anise Jacket. I muslined it, bought the wool/cashmere fabric, silk lining, thread, interfacing etc. I started sewing and trialled bound buttonholes on scraps (my fabric was far too thick for bound buttonholes - at least at my skill level). I decided I'd get do something else with the buttonholes. I basically sewed the jacket to the point of buttonholes and buttons. I put it on my dressmaker's form and admired it for the next 12 months. That's right. I didn't touch it for 12 more months until I decided it was cold, and I needed jackets.

I investigated getting the buttonholes done professionally. There is one person in Melbourne who offers that service that I could find, and I was informed by someone who is 'in the know' that that person has been known to completely ruin garments people have paid them to sew buttonholes in. That meant one thing only.... I would have to sew these buttonholes myself.

Cue a few sleepless nights (joking... sort of), me reading every internet resource available, talking to Kate at Buttonmania (and buying required resources for hand stitched buttonholes), and obsessive reading of Claire Schaeffer's Couture Sewing Techniques. I then started them. Only to absolutely hate my first four attempts. Let me tell you, unpicking silk thread on a very thick wool/cashmere is not fun at all. I may have had a small hissy fit. I left them for about a month. And then picked everything up again, wore a small running head torch on my head (doing fine stitches on that bloody wool/cashmere was really, really hard to focus on) and got them done.

I now have an Anise jacket that has been serving me well on these cold Melbourne days.

The fabrics were purchased from Darn Cheap Fabrics. They actually have a very nice selection of wool coatings. This is a wool cashmere blend and was only $20/m. The colour is lush.

I really like the 60's vibe this jacket gives off.

Awesome silk lining. I am slightly obsessed with silk as a lining.

Back view. If I knew what I did now when sewing this, I would have adjusted that under collar piece to account for turn of cloth. Ah well, you live and learn.

The buttonholes. They're not perfect, but they're okay. Liveable. The buttons came from Clegs.

I did not keep notes around making this jacket. The only adjustment I remember doing was to take some out of the CB. Apart from that, I made a size 8. Other things I would do in the future is to add in a sleeve head piece, maybe use a slim shoulder pad, and investigate why there are odd wrinkles coming down from the top of the sleeve (I have seen this on every Anise made - something weird with the pattern?).

My Anise was an odd make, mostly due to the extremely disjointed sewing process, but I enjoy wearing it now. I receive compliments every time I wear it - I think mostly due to the lovely colour. I don't think I'll make it again though. It is a fun jacket, but not a style I am totally gaga in love with.

Speaking of being gaga in love, meet my new Papercut Pleated Pants. I won't bore you with the details of these, seeing as I have made them before, but I absolutely love these. They're made from a black viscose-blend suiting remnant I got from Tessuti, and they are my perfect pants. Slightly slouchy, they sit at the perfect point on my waist, are very comfortable and look awesome with my patent brogues. I'm so glad I revisited this pattern, and will be making more.

I better get back to the Bellatrix Blazer I'm making for a special event coming up though - what are you making at the moment?

The Favourite Pants Copy

For a while now I have been wanting to do something different. Sew something different. Move a bit out of my comfort zone, learn a new skill etc. I don't really have the head space for this, as work is kicking my butt, but once I had the idea I had to start moving.

I decided to start up-skilling by copying a favourite pair of my pants - these relaxed fit, elastic-waist with a drawstring pants from Elk:

I own these - in the 'splatter' print pictured, in a black viscose, and I did own them in an apple-green colour, that I got to wear once. Only once because they met with a cranky toddler in an airport wielding fried rice. Then they met with an overzealous husband wielding stain remover, who may have applied it onto dry fabric, which then resulted in bleach marks all over the pants. Lessons learnt? Never wear new pants while wrangling said toddler by yourself at an airport, and never let husbands attempt to remove stains from brand new clothes.

Anyway, the ruined pants gave me the opportunity to unpick these pants and have a pattern to work with. These pants are pretty simple to copy. They are pleated at the hem, with a cuff to bind the hem, they have an elastic waist and a drawstring casing and they have welt pockets on the back, and welt pockets on the side front. I didn't do either of these welt pockets - I totally wimped out, and decided to do no pockets at the back and in seam side pockets at the front. I wimped out mostly due to my fabric choice - a silk viscose. I'm going to look for something more stable for the next version and will most likely put the welts in. Here is what I came up with!

I think they are pretty spot-on. I will say that the silk-viscose does not move in the same way as the cotton 'splatter' ones I own - I am slightly concerned about the durability of the lighter silk-viscose, but I guess time will tell.

Next time I will put some stay tape on the side pockets (if I use them!).

Copying these pants was remarkably easy. As I unpicked them I drew all over the pattern, indicating fold lines, pleat markings and seam allowances. I also made a list of construction notes - I tried to unpick the pants in the order I thought they could be sewed - I sort of achieved this. In the end I wrote out the order as I sewed these together, so that next time I have my own instructions.

I felt kind of weird copying these. Elk is a small Melbourne business, and I wondered if it was ethical to copy one of their garments. I talked to Michael about it and he asked me if it meant I would no longer buy stuff from there. Ummmm.... no. Since I unpicked these pants, I've bought the shoes I'm wearing in these photos, the shirt I'm wearing in these photos, a necklace as a gift...... and I've requested a pair of these same pants for Mothers' Day in an awesome print that I would never be able to find the fabric for. I don't know if any of this reconciles me copying the pants - what are your thoughts on this issue?

Lurvely Linen: Simplicity 2360

As you might be aware, I've been hankering to get my frock on, but have held off because I know my bust will change size in the coming months. It came to my attention however, that I could sew a more 'blousey', less-fitted dress, that will accommodate my current and future bust sizes.

So I turned to Simplicity 2360. You might remember seeing it as one of my 30th Birthday Party Dresses from 2010.

It is made from a dark-orangey red with a gold metallic stripe linen from Darn Cheap Fabrics. I love this fabric - the only issue I have with it is that is wrinkles so much! These photos were taken directly after I had my haircut - so I was wrinkly from being under the cape thingmy-bob you have to wear.

The dress is easy to make, but for some reason I had major issues with the neckline. It seriously gaped on me and came out to the outer edges of my shoulders. Weird. To fix the problem I took in the shoulder seams by 5cm. I'm sure this isn't the correct way, but because I didn't muslin the pattern (given I had made it before) I didn't really think I need to make adjustments. The only other adjustment I made was to make a non-elasticised belt. I used horsehair braid in mine and a vintage belt buckle from my stash.

I'm looking at Little M who was clapping her hands at me posing

I had a very fun afternoon - Michael and Little M went for a stroll on Sydney Rd while I got my hair cut(I get my haircut at Corrin's Hair Salon on Sydney Rd at Brunswick), and then we all had tea together and took some photos. Michael has joined a photography club, and is trying new things - what do you think of these photos?

Mmmmm~Meringue

Most of my clothing these days has to be play-friendly, dirt-friendly, and most importantly, comfortable. I can't be swanning around in beautiful frocks anymore unfortunately, because they're likely to end up covered in banana, drool, and all manner of other tasty substances. Bless Little M's cotton socks - I love that little messy bub to bits.

I got the Colette Pattern's Sewing Handbook for Christmas, and am itching to sew all the garments - especially Pastille, but I am going to wait until I stop breastfeeding, as I'm sure my bust size will change. So, in the mean time, I sewed the Meringue skirt - it ticks play-friendly, dirt-friendly, and comfortable.

I made it in a heavy dark denim (no stretch) that I got from Darn Cheap Fabrics for $5/m. I used well under a metre. I had a bit of a fitting debacle with this one - I thought I was a size 8 after the fit of my Ginger Skirt, so I traced off and made the 8. It was rather large on me. So Ruthy got it. I made a 6, and after increasing the back darts slightly and lengthening all the darts, it fits beautifully. And I lengthened it by 4cm.

The skirt is simple to sew. The only challenging aspect is the scallops. I think a beginner might find them difficult. I didn't follow the instructions regarding clipping and grading them - I trimmed the seam allowance right back and zig-zagged them. I think  it is also important to keep in mind that you need a very stable fabric for the outer, and a light-weight fabric for the facings. Otherwise the scallops will not hold their shape or press well. I used cotton voile for my facings.

So... a very simple skirt to play in that looks cute - what do you think? I wore it to a picnic down at Merri Creek last weekend. Little M had a lovely time - she loves being outdoors and loves playing on grass. We're heading off down there this arvo too - hope you're getting some outdoor time this weekend too!

P.S. - the shirt is another Sorbetto, made in cotton voile from Rathdowne Fabrics.