Mint and Navy Coastal Breeze Dress

Remember, tomorrow is the last day to vote in the Sewing Indie Month contest! Click HERE to vote for me in the Everyday Casual category (click the heart in the upper-right hand corner of my picture, #9, to vote). Virtual hugs and eternal gratitude are being sent your way if you do!

Hey, look everyone, I made a pattern more than once!

This is the Coastal Breeze Dress by Make It Perfect patterns, first reviewed here. I've been wearing my first one like crazy, so it just made sense to make another.

The fabric is a rayon jersey from Girl Charlee. I got it last year in a bargain box so I don't think they carry it anymore. It's soft and drapey but also a bit sheer. I have to wear a slip and a tank top underneath, which kind of ruins the light breeziness. It might be time to make a cotton slip instead of dealing with my heat-trapping nylon ones.

I cut my pieces so that the middle band of the dress would be navy and would make an uninterrupted pattern repeat of the stripes. It's not exactly perfect but it will work. I was rushing to finish the dress to wear out that night and some parts got a bit wonky (protip: don't rush projects, ever...do as I say and not as I do!).

It looks a bit droopy and part of that is imperfect stripe matching along the band. The drape of the fabric is also contributing to the droop. It's very lightweight and just doesn't hold its shape as well as my previous version, which was made with a heavier weight knit. That's fine, trial and error are a HUGE part of knowing about knits and determining what works when.

One new thing I tried (since I was rushing) was gathering the bottom of the bodice pieces on my serger.

It worked great! All you have to do is crank up the differential feed to the max, and send the fabric through without cutting anything off. I'll be sewing gathers on knits this way from now on, for sure.

For this version, I did try narrowing the neckline, which was a modification I mentioned in my previous review. To change the front pattern piece, I used my French curve lazily free-handed a new neckline.

Front pattern piece. Solid white paper is the new neckline.

Then I brought the back neckline in by the same amount, so that the length of the shoulders was the same.

Back pattern piece. Length added at shoulder along neckline.

I would like to say "hooray success!" but I can't lie to you lovely folks. Essentially I added more fabric to the back neckline, which for me resulted in the dreaded back neck gape:

BOOOO! Narrow shoulders why must you torture me so! I did some reading/digging/Googling/begging and finally came to the conclusion that I needed to leave the neckline of the back pattern piece alone. In order to change the back so it fit the elongated shoulder of the front, I need to add length on the armhole side.

Back pattern piece. Length added at shoulder on armhole side.

Spoiler alert: I've made one more Coastal Breeze with this modification and it worked much better. There is still a very slight back neck gape, but one tiny little change and I think I'll be at TNT status. Hooray!

With this dress in my closet, I'm giving some serious thought to a mint/navy fall/winter wardrobe color scheme...

Wardrobe Architect progress report

Previously on the Wardrobe Architect...

Armed with a color scheme, specific silhouettes, and notes about what I already owned, I generated a massive list of items that would fill the holes in my spring/summer capsule collection. That was over a month ago and since then, I've actually stuck to the list! Not because I have to, but because I'm excited about adding items to this capsule wardrobe. 

I'll admit, I'm getting a little addicted to the thought of having a completely coordinating wardrobe. I've separated my closet into two sections, one that fits my color scheme and one that doesn't. I find myself turning to the coordinated side FAR more often. Everything goes together, everything looks purposeful, and the colors make me happy when I wear them. Who knew having "rules" would be so liberating?

So let's turn to the to-do list and see what kind of progress I'm making. These categories are based on my chosen silhouettes, which you can see here, and the colors noted above. These items are the ones I need to make/buy and do not include anything I already own.

Loose tops

Shearwater Kaftan in grey

Renfrew in black

Vogue 8950, View A in pink/blue

Simplicity 1463, View B in grey

Revisit torn white top

Loose tanks

Perfect Slouchy Tank in blue

Perfect Slouchy Tank in tribal print

Fitted tanks

(didn't need any more of these!)

Skinny pants

New Look 6216 in denim

Skinny jeans in blush pink--buy?

Alter RTW jeans and dye bright blue

Shorts

Simplicity 1879 in denim

Thurlows in navy/white stripe

Shorts in blush pink--buy?

Capris

Grey capris--buy?

Casual dresses

Coastal Breeze in grey/white

Coastal Breeze in pink/blue floral print

Simplicity 2443 in...?

Craftsy Weekender Dress in navy

Misc.

Black jumpsuit

Outerwear

Victoria Blazer in pink

A few of these things are unblogged, the rest you can see on my Projects for Her page. There are 20 items on this list, and I've made 10! Not bad! Ten and a half if you count my navy/white stripe Thurlows which are languishing in UFO-land due to fit issues. Ten items made, three to buy, two to upcycle, one to finish. That leaves 4 to go! Wow! I can't believe I've made this much progress. I have other projects floating around in my mind that fit my color scheme, but aren't on the "official" plan. We'll see what I get to first. Which leads me to my next question...what do you want to see blogged next? I have a little bit of a backlog of completed items, so you tell me what you want to see!

Renfrew t-shirt

SBCC Tonic Tee

Bombshell swimsuit (!!!)

Pink/blue floral Coastal Breeze dress

Problematic Thurlow shorts

Comment below and tell me what interests you the most!

Sewing Indie Month: vote for me!

Last week I posted my entries for the Sewing Indie Month contest, in the Everyday Casual category. This was the category with the most entries, and so the ladies behind the contest decided to do two rounds of voting. A shortlist of entries was created by the pattern companies, and now voting is open to everyone else. And wouldn't you know it, my entries made it to the short list! Hooray!

Victoria Blazer and Tonic Tee

You can go HERE to vote for your favorite look (click on the heart in the top-right corner of the photo to vote). Voting ends Friday. If mine is your favorite, then I would sincerely appreciate your vote! I'm thrilled and humbled to have been included on the short list, out of 50+ entries. I think I'll wear this outfit today to celebrate!

Another random note: free shipping on A Sewist's Notebook ends tonight at midnight eastern time. Go here to order, and use code: JS614.

Happy Monday!

Sewing Expo recap!

Last weekend I attended the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Indianapolis. It's a 3-day event with classes, vendors, fashion shows, etc. They have shows around the country, visit their website for all the info. Going to this show was my Mother's Day present this year, and my wonderful husband volunteered to go with me. We left AB with my parents and were more than a little thrilled to have an entire day to ourselves!

I felt a little weird taking photos at the show, because there were "rules" about taking pictures of booths. There were even some quilts with signs that said "don't photograph unless you have purchased the pattern". Okay...I guess quilt pattern theft must be a thing? IDK. However, you can see pictures taken by the Expo folks on their Facebook page.

This was my first time attending any event like this, so I didn't know what to expect. Since quilting was obviously going to be a part of the show, I had some concerns about how much of it would appeal to a garment enthusiast like me. I was right to have my doubts, as it turned out the vendors and programming was definitely skewed towards quilting. I'm not sure if that's a function of this particular show, or because the state-wide sewing vibe leans towards quilting anyway. Most of the attendees were also much much older than me. My husband wanted to know if he won a prize for being the youngest person there (he's a year younger than me and loses no opportunity to remind me of it).

I took two classes, one on casual jackets taught by Barb Callahan, and one called Fine Tune Your Sewing Skills, taught by Linda Lee. The jacket class wasn't really worth the money ($19 for an hour-long class). It was mostly Barb showing off jackets she'd made and talking about them. If the jackets weren't your style then you kind of had to glean what you could and figure out how you'd adapt the ideas for yourself. Spoiler alert: the jackets weren't my style :) I was easily the youngest person in this class, probably by 10 years, so all the jackets were a bit...mature for me.

Linda Lee on the left, narrating a fashion show

The second class was much better. I've seen Linda Lee on It's Sew Easy (I think?), and she has classes on Craftsy as well as being a contributor for Threads. I can't say that I haven't heard her tips before and that the class was revolutionary for me, but it was still worth the price as she was a great presenter.

Honestly, the best part was the hotel where the Expo took place! It had enough space for all the classes and vendors, plus a beautiful outdoor courtyard. There was also a great restaurant and bar right in the middle of everything.

Day drinking! It wasn't even noon yet...

We did spend the entire day (10am-5pm) at the show and if it weren't for the hotel's amenities we would have been bored. I mean, my husband was probably bored the whole time, but y'know. Believe it or not, I didn't even buy anything! Vogue Fabrics was there, as well as a store from Canada called The Wool House, and an Indianapolis store called The French Seam. They all had lovely fabrics, but nothing spoke to me right now. Maybe I'm wrong, but it didn't seem like anything was cheaper except for possibly sewing machines. Obviously, you're not paying shipping, but I kind of wanted to "get a deal" or at least FEEL like I was getting a deal!

The only reason we stayed until the end was because the prize drawings required you be present to win. They were giving away some nice stuff, including a new Bernina, so I felt like it was worth it to stay. Also, even though it was Saturday, it didn't feel like the show was crowded at all so I thought I had a good chance of winning. Until the giveaways happened! Then suddenly it was crowded. I didn't win anything, unfortunately.

Did I mention the hotel lunch buffet included dessert?

I MIGHT go next year...but it would be more about spending the day with my husband at a nice hotel than about the show. I would also be more selective with the classes and their instructors to make sure I was getting my money's worth. Ideally, I would prefer to go to a convention like the American Sewing Expo which seems to be bigger and more focused on garments, but it's a state away and that's not quite as feasible for me as an hour drive.

The one benefit I can't overlook is simply being surrounded by fellow sewists. When you're self-taught and your primary community is online, it can be surprisingly refreshing to be around real people who share your interests. It's also a great measuring stick for me to see if I really know what I'm talking about. If I can follow along easily in a tips and tricks class without getting lost, it boosts my confidence immensely. 

Are there any other shows in the Midwest worth attending? All I want is a large show conveniently located to a dog-friendly hotel and mountain biking trails. With free babysitting. Is that too much to ask?

Victoria Blazer: tips and tricks

Even though the Victoria Blazer pattern is a simplified blazer, without too many challenges, I found as I was sewing that there were a few tricks to making the project go more smoothly. If you're about to embark on this pattern, I hope some of my advice will be helpful! You can read my original review here.

Victoria Blazer, with my new Tonic Tee

As a reminder, my Victoria is made with a cotton ponte for the shell, and a stretch silk charmeuse for the lining (both fabrics from Mood). The pattern is intended for wovens, but a stable knit like ponte will work. I made a size 2/4, which is the smallest in the envelope. There is a GENEROUS amount of ease, so please check the finished garment dimensions before choosing your size. The sleeves are fairly fitted but the bodice is meant to be oversized. There are no closures so the blazer will be open when worn.

Order of construction

I used a totally different order than what is detailed in the instructions (which, by the way, are VERY good). I wanted to sew as much as possible with the ponte before sewing the silk. The first reason was laziness, I didn't want to switch my needle back and forth a bunch of times. The second reason was practice. The shell and lining are constructed the same way, so I wanted to work out any kinks with the ponte and be that much more prepared for the silk. The third reason was efficiency. I think the directions make sense the way they are written, but they aren't that fast. For example, there are many rectangles on this design (the sleeve cuffs, the collar, the lapels) which are all sewn the same way. It's much faster to make them all at once, then go over to your iron and press. Just make sure to mark your pieces so you don't lose track of which rectangles are which!

Baste cuffs together before sewing to sleeve.

The cuffs are sewn to the sleeve using French seams. The instructions and sewalong are great, but I found while sewing my first cuff that I had a hard time keeping everything in place.

Above, you can see that on the right-hand cuff, the ends don't exactly stay together. They're supposed to be butted up against each other, but while sewing they moved around. For my second cuff, I basted the ends together using silk thread.

Silk thread is amazing for hand-basting, now that I've tried it I won't go back! It's smooth and pulls out easily. With the cuff ends basted together, I was able to keep everything in place while sewing the French seams (the left-hand cuff in the photo above). Looks much better, right?

Machine stitching the entire lining

Everyone hates slipstitching linings, right? In order to avoid that, I set my sleeves into my jacket dead last (more on that below). The benefit to that was that I was able to bag the lining, leaving an opening at the center back, turn, and then pull the seam allowances out through my armscythe (which had no sleeve attached). It was a nice big opening which gave me plenty of room to maneuver and finish bagging the lining with no hand-sewing. Clear as mud? How about some photos!

WS lining, stitching ends at white dots, leaving an opening.

Turn right-side out through opening, press.

Reach into armscythe and pull out the unsewn portion.

Unsewn portion/opening, which has been pulled out of armscythe.

Sew unsewn portion along previously pressed line.

Stuff everything back in through armscythe. Press.

No handsewing required!

Set the sleeve into the lining

I had another, more brilliant (if I do say so myself) reason for working out a different order and setting the sleeves last. Sally at The Quirky Peach had mentioned in her review that the lining had a tendency to slip down. She recommended tacking the lining to the seam allowance of the sleeve to keep it up. I thought to myself, why not baste the armscythe of the lining to the armscythe of the shell, and then set the sleeve in to both at the same time?

Frankly, I don't know why the instructions don't have you do it this way. I might be missing something obvious, but it worked amazingly for me. I pinked my seam allowances but you could easily serge this whole area and finish it neatly.

Topstitching lapels

I mentioned this in my initial review, but my lapels were flopping all over the place. My ponte was fairly thick and the seam allowances were causing some rolling. I'm not sure if it will happen with every fabric, but if your lapels are driving you nuts, consider topstitching them down.

I also saw one blogger who topstitched UNDER the lapels and collars, which helped her.

In case I didn't say it enough before, I LOVE the way this blazer turned out. The colors make me happy, the silk makes me happy, it's great! I highly recommend this pattern if you're looking for a beginner blazer project. Questions about these methods? Hollar at me in the comments!

Sewing Indie Month

At the beginning of May, I heard about Sewing Indie Month via Dixie DIY. It's basically one big month of interviews and tutorials with all our favorite indie pattern designers. I know that I was super impressed with the line up of companies and bloggers participating. There is a contest running as well, with some amazing prizes.

Today I'm sharing my two makes for Sewing Indie Month, the By Hand London Victoria Blazer, and the SBCC Tonic Tee!

I'm submitting these garments in the category of Everyday Casual. What's more casual than a grey t-shirt? And the oversized Victoria Blazer is perfect for every day (seriously! it goes with everything!). Since it's made with cotton ponte, it's as comfortable as my favorite sweatshirt. Y'know, if the sweatshirt was lined with silk!

I've already written at length about my Victoria Blazer (here) and tomorrow I'll be posting my tips and tricks for working with the pattern. I'll have a more formal review of the Tonic Tee soon. I believe it deserves its own post! But for my Sewing Indie Month contest entry, I thought it would be more fun to skip all the wordiness and share a bunch of photos. Enjoy!

Me Made May '14 wrap up!

Did anyone else feel a little weird NOT taking a picture of themselves yesterday? MMM is over and it's time to reflect on what I learned!

1. I have a lot of clothes I don't like.

2. Everything in my Wardrobe Architect capsule collection was worn (weather permitting).

3. I need to buckle down and secure some TNT patterns.

4. More knit dresses!!

5. I really want a pair of me-made jeans.

I'm definitely working on number 3 and 4 as we speak. I have a few knit patterns almost perfected (yet to be blogged!) and I can't wait to make them a bunch more times to fill up my wardrobe. I'm also being good about purchasing fabrics that fit my Wardrobe Architect color palette, which helps with number 2.

Day 13

For the clothes I don't like, it would be easy to be a bit depressed over them, but even if I don't wear them all the time, I still learned something in the making. We all have clothes we don't LOVE, but at least mine were made by me and have some nice lessons associated with them!

Day 23

As for jeans...I'm not sure my current sewing machine can handle them. Last week I was working on a pair of Thurlows in a heavy twill. They aren't denim but are similar in weight. It wasn't an IMPOSSIBLE task, but topstitching went slowly as I often had to hand-crank in order to get through bulky areas. I don't know if this is normal or not, but I went through almost a whole pack of jeans needles (and the shorts aren't even finished!). So I don't know. I might put off a decision until fall :) I hate the idea that I'd have to replace my current machine just to sew one particular kind of garment.

Day 4

Did you learn anything during MMM? I enjoyed browsing photos on Instagram and Pinterest this year (I'm not that into Flickr). It's a very cool thought to know that people around the world share the same interests and dedication to handmade clothing.