New Look 6871 - How the other half lives

Wore it to the office yesterday with skinny jeans and cork wedges.
It was the third work day for me, and the third new outfit.

Conversation with the executive assistant over morning coffee:

She:  "Oh, another one?  I hate you.  Love the color"
Me:  "thanks, I think.  It was pretty easy"
She:  "Seriously?  Just once I would love to hear you say 'Target, sale rack' like most people"
"Why?"
"Because then I could swing over to Target and grab one, or we could at least go shopping together.  Now you've go your own little clothing island going on and nobody's invited."  "The rest of us just sail by on the department store ferry and wave at you and your perfect fitting clothes."

The coffee was done, she rolled her eyes and went back to her office (desperately crying out for and FBA and a shorter hem).

Its easy to feel like the weird little 4H kid in 4rth grade when you grow up in home-made clothes.  Aren't we trained to just say thank you instead of admitting that we made it, by hand, and we loved every minute.  What do you say when someone asks you where you got that dress?

From The Selfish Seamstress

For one thing, I am rethinking the way I thought that garment sewing was perceived.  Maybe they really are just a little bit jealous.

I'm also rethinking my choice in coffee cups, as pictures on the right:

Either way, I'll keep sewing, wearing my sewing and bragging about it.

Maybe I'll stop walking around with the cup so much, but I'm keeping it!

What do you say when someone asks you where you got something that you made?  Do you dodge the question?  Do you lie?

Love the simple top.  I could have bought it at Target, but then it wouldn't be out of this stretch silk.  Its really awesome.  OK, I made it for comfort, not flattery or figure disguising curves and I nailed it!

One thing I gained from Me-Made-May Flicker photo group is that I need more casual, weekend clothes and this is a great addition.

More instant gratification - New Look 6871 and more

Sorry, no pictures yet.  My camera battery was dead.
But for once the fabric is still available as well as the pattern!
I love the fabric, just a splash of bright bright pink.  Really, its almost neon.
How often do neon colors come in style?

Its super soft, just a hint of stretch.

The pattern is super lose and comfortable.  In fact, some of the pattern reviews say that its the perfect maternity top.

Kwik Sew 3593 circa 2008

But there is something to be said for that...
I was recently cleaning out my sewing room and came across this green top Kwik Sew 3593 from 2008!  I had 'shelved' it because my serger took a bite out of the fabric.  It happens to the best of us.
I found the top and stated wearing it again.  Hey, it was a Saturday afternoon and I was going to Kroger's, how dressed up do you have to be for the grocery store.

I love the top, but don't exactly care for the pattern.  There is a bit of pulling under the arms as you can see with those diagonal lines.  You wouldn't think that a top like this would need an FBA (or at least I wouldn't, but then I'm new here) because its so lose, but you do see some pulling under the arms for several people.  Why is this such a common problem for this style of top?  I noticed it with reviews of that popular HotPatterns Weekender top.
My top really isn't so bad when my hands aren't on my hops, but I do notice it.

To respond to a couple of comments, the pants are from BWOF from July of 2009, and that about when I made them.  I'm making more, 3 more pairs.  I took apart the pair with the hole in the seat and laid them out on 3 layers deep.  I would be totally ready to go if only I could find the waistband.  Did I mention that I cleaned the sewing room...
Thank goodness I still have the magazine.

I will post more on my great master plan of making multiples of wardrobe basics later.

Also, its mini-wardrobe contest time of year again... Hmmm.

Did I mention that I love MARFY? reason 2415

Not much to say really...
This was a quick sew.  Including the separate side back pattern (which I integrated into the center for only 1 back piece) there only 4 pattern piece.  That includes separate front pieces!

When I first took this out I thought it was ridiculous for a knit pattern.  There is a dart in the right front side, and those pesky side back pieces seem like overkill for a pattern whose only suggested fabric is jersey.

But it works like a charm: 
The shape skims my waist.
The neckline doesn't pull or gape.
The asymmetrical hem slims and drapes elegantly without looking contrived.
The shoulders gather without bulk.

Pattern with coordinating markings

I laid out the pattern before I cut and it didn't even look like it would fit together.
But I looked at all my beautiful Marfy clothes and decided to trust them.  I cut it pretty much as is, except I cut a shirt tail hem.  I like these better, I hate sitting in my office chair typing and wondering if there is some sort of wardrobe malfunction going on behind me.

Muslin you say?  Who me?

I don't need no stinkin' muslin, I sew with Marfy.

The pattern measurements for a size 48:
Bust:  39 1/2
Waist:  35
Length is 22 1/2"

When I make it again I may add a couple of inches to the length and see how it looks.

I may also try it in a winter color in a woven fabric with print, and sleeves.

I have one more shirt to finish this evening so I hope to post again this weekend.  I have also started the boring job of making 3 more pairs of these gray pants.  The lining is worn through and torn and I have managed to ruin 2 other pairs over the last 4 years.  Its been 4 years, they don't owe me anything!
Its my go to pattern from BWOF July 2009.

I really appreciate all of your kind comments and feedback, its helps keep the blog posting.

Meeyooowwww Kay Unger 1329

Back to sewing, right where I left off!

This dress from my last post (Vogue 1329) worked out even better than I thought it would!
I took some cues from what I like in RTW, I made it more fitted than the previous post pic and I made it shorter.

I think the look is much more slimming.  Instead of just color blocking the front, I also color blocked the side back on the matching side.  If you will look at the picture in my previous post, you can see the black side front and the print showing through right behind it.  I've seen this in other reviews of this dress and in RTW and I personally think it looks a little awkward.

They made this pattern with a center and side back  which I think is a bit much for a pattern that calls for stretch fabric.

I think having the same color in the back side is more slimming and looks more uniform.

I wasn't sure if the leopard print would be over the top so I chickened out and wore it with a black jacket to work.  This kicks it up professionally and subdues the print.  I swear, in office light the jacket looks ore black than navy.  There is an upside to never being let out in direct sunlight, the blacks always match in fluorescent lights.


The other pattern that I have started and finished since we last spoke is a Marfy (couldn't stay away too long).  2415 is one of those unobtrusive tops that they slipped in with a jacket so great that I barely noticed the top.  That is until my fellow Fashionista Rita ordered it.

Did I mention that I finished it already?  In deep blue silk jersey from Universal Fabric Center In Rice Village.
I should be able to post pics when I wear it tomorrow.

All in all, I had a great 2 day sew cation.  I really need to do that more often.

Just in case you were wondering...

The key to uninterrupted sewing power

I know that I have been away for awhile.  We've been busy as a family working in the yard together.  After the last hurricane in 2008 when we lost power for 10 days, we decided to install a backup generator.  So, since I didn't want it sitting right next to the house we put it at the back of the yard.  This meant that we had over 100 feet of trenches to dig by hand for the natural gas and electric lines. It was a good way to get some sun and get myself in shape.  While we were in the trench digging mood, we ran irrigation lines from the house to both ends of the garden which runs all the way around the back yard.  This is the rock garden side, I promise the other end has a batch of tomato plants and fruit tree and looks much more impressive.

Yeah, its the white box in the middle of the picture. It doesn't look like much, but its the magical thing that supposedly keeps the house running (Air Conditioning included) during any power failure.  It runs on natural gas and is hard wired to automatically transfer for continuous power whenever the electricity is cut off.