Unimpressed Lu

I spent the morning hand embroidering the motif on some material for the front of Lu’s Christmas dress.  I showed her the flowers. 

Mama: Look at these pretty flowers!  These are your flowers.

Lu: I need dress part. 

Good point. Good point.  No more other sewing until Christmas dresses are done.

Winner/Loser

The Loser this week is this skirt.  I was suspicious that it may turn out feeling matronly and it turned out feeling matronly.  The pattern went together fine.  I lined it and put a grosgrain facing in.

I hate it. I put it in the give-to-charity pile already unless any devoted readers would rather have it.

The winner is this lovely top.  The fabric is from Yellow Bird Fabrics.  It is a stretch cotton that I only had a yard of because I bought the end of a bolt.The pattern is Butterick 5610 (sz 10).  I love this pattern.  I want to make it a few more times.  The next time with a contrast yoke/sleeve part.  The front attaches to that flattering front yoke curve at these pain the the rear corners.  After it was finished, this was the best part of the pattern.  While sewing, for sure the worst.  I changed the construction to avoid hand stitching the sleeves at the bottom. I sewed the sleeves hem right sides together & then the side seams of the sleeves.  This meant I couldn’t easily do the neckline in one continuous line.  This still seems better than handstitching the bottoms together (lining and fabric).  Next time I’m going to do the neck line first, the the bottom of the sleeves (still flat) pulled through the open bottom yoke, then the underarm seams and then I’m going to proclaim myself a hero.        

Here is the token crappy cell phone self portrait into a cruddy mirror.  Its becoming a nightsew signature style.  Love.

In the sewing room/closet this week

I’ve been sewing some for myself.  There is some wool/silk I really want badly but is a little spendy from Yellow Bird Fabrics that I was hoping would be on sale for Thanksgiving.  They were closed the weekend of Thanksgiving. 

So I bought this fabric at JoAnns for a really great price and made this instead.  It was on sale, then I bought the last of the bolt so I got 75% more off half of it then I had 25% additional off in coupons.  Fabric ended up costing $5.88, plus a $.99 pattern & a $1.80 invisible zipper.  The lining (which wasn’t called for in the pattern but was added in a late night decision) was a little stiff but it was leftover from a project years ago.  Total $8.67

Occasionally I sew something very affordably to make up for the ridiculous expensive other things (ahem, Christmas gowns) I sew. 

The pattern is Butterick 5640.  I added a full lining and modified the construction to avoid all hand sewing.

  This is the lining view.  

Here are two crappy cell phone self-portraits into an antique discolored mirror.  Quality I give you. 

I also made this the other day.  I actually cut it out a few weeks ago but I lost the instructions.  I kept thinking they would show up but they didn’t.  Finally I just got down to business and made it.  Such a cute sew.  The neckline is a really nice shape and depth.  Sleeves have little tucks.  It wears really easy—I took it off my body to take these pictures so it is a bit wrinkled.  The pattern is Simplicity 1915 and I would definitely consider making another view.  I’m annoyed that I didn’t line up the ruffled to center perfectly but the fabric pattern camouflages it fine.  Cotton from Yellow Bird Fabrics. The hem dips in the back.  I made this last week. The pattern is Simplicity 2147.  I’d make this again and again too because it takes so little time but is a nice easy wear.  This has been washed and dried and looks lovely.  It is loose in the body but quite fitted in the yoke and under the arm.  Again, the fabric is from Yellow Bird Fabrics.    Also looks lovely and more tailored with a belt. 

I also need to take a picture of an easy knit skirt I made Alison to go with some after Thanksgiving sale tees. 

Christmas Dress #1

Halfway done.  Except buttons.  I still have to decide what I’m doing for sure with the buttons. Oh and decide on the length of the bow in back.  

This has been SO delightful to sew.  I love working with silk dupioni. It may be my favorite fabric except for the crazy fraying.  I love the whistle it makes as it is cut, the rustle as it goes together, how light it feels for how rich it looks, the slubbiness, the oversaturation of color, the light clean pop sound the needle makes as it pierces, the body and sheen.  Love it.  Really, this is why I’m making these.  My satisfaction—because there is nothing practical or necessary about this sew for the girls.  100% frivolous.  I’ve tried to stay with washable and easy wear fabrics so much that I was starting to feel a bit stifled.  

Bird hasn’t tried it on since the pink was added.  Its a little big up top. The hot pink and avocado feels oddly festive, like a natural mutation of Christmas green and red.  When I get it on Bird I’ll try posting more pictures.  

 

Christmas Dresses Underway

 

Cream Sister Dresses

I made Lu a similar little girl dress to go with the cream dress I made Bird recently.  It took two tries, but it came out in the end.  The first time I used my serger for all the seaming and I don’t think I’m a very precise sergerist so things didn’t line up as well as I find acceptable.  Determined this had cuteness potential, I went back and got some more rib knit from JAs and tried again.  This time I seamed with my coverlock so I could pin and fiddle more.  So worth the effort.  The first dress became my wash cycle study (machine wash and dry).  It is a darling dress on Lu, cozy, dressy, washes up easily and nicely.  The pattern comes from Ottobre Issue 6/2011, design #3, "Cosy Winter”.  This is another issue I’ve sewn a lot from—packed with goodness.  The body is made from a really nice ponte knit I purchased locally at Yellow Bird Fabrics.

I snapped this picture of the girls in church (I know, not reverent.  It was during prelude music).  As ever, I need better pictures but this is as good as I can do.