My Drape Stripe Dress

A sewing project! Yay!

I don't know that I have much to say about this project. Based off of Drape Drape 2's draped dress pattern, this dress was actually quite easy to make. I have been postponing making the dress because it involved tracing a pattern from a quite crazily packed pattern form from the book. (They had like four different patterns all on top of one another on the same page.) And I didn't have decent tracing paper to use. After seeing a recent recommendation to use blueprint paper, I simply went to the art store near my doctor's and bought me a couple of rolls. Genius. Why didn't I just do that before. I ask you?!?!? (That's right! It's your fault!)

That said, the dress came together quickly and easily once I finally traced the pattern like I was supposed to. I added sleeves based off of Simplicity 2261's flutter sleeves, and bound the neckline and sleeves with leftover scraps from a jersey sheet I refashioned ages ago. Since the edges of the sheet were already folded and bound, it made the binding super easy on the sleeves and easier on the neckline (similar to bias tape, really).

The fabric is super soft and flowy, which makes this top a pleasure to wear. I'm so tactile. I do think that the weight of the sleeves, along with some possible stretching of the neckline while binding may have stretched the neckline a bit further than I would have preferred. But we'll see how it fairs after a washing or two. If it becomes problematic, I'm sure I'll live. Nothing wrong with wearing a tank underneath.

The best part is that the dress will be super appropriate throughout much of the pregnancy and well after. It is a little short, so I may just wear it as a top at the tail end of the summer. Who knows? I'll keep you up to date as we go along, okay?

Once Upon This March, or Former St Paddy's Day Plans

A poor quality pic of shirts I wanted to use

Believe it or not, I actually had plans to have a Sew Weekly and Refashion Co-Op post way back around St. Paddy's day. I had intended on taking two big t-shirts from Buddy's work party on last year's St. Paddy's day and whip them up into some sophisticated dress that I could wear to this year's party. But it was a significant fail. The "draping" I did on my person made it look like the dress may just work out beautifully, but instead, as I tried to interpret it into a useable outfit, things just got ugly.

So I scratched it. For now. I have to undo some elastic I put in there, and I anticipate a significant increase in cutting as well. Still not sure I've reached a point where I can reliably refashion without a pattern. At least not for dressy parties.

But I did a much simpler refashion that same day, and the clothing item was also green and grey.

You know how Mena has her "Mena test" for clothes, when she determines whether she actually needs to put a zipper in?  I think I have a "Seeks test" for refashions: If a top can fit over my hips and stay put, it is fair game for a skirt. In fact, it is almost automatically going to be made into a skirt.  See the first example here or here.

I picked up this Old Navy shirt at a Goodwill by my parents months ago. Loving the stripes, but not wanting to just wear it the same as usual way, I tucked it away in my far too big stack for refashions and stewed on it. But the refashion itself is quite simple: Cut off sleeves, Sew a skirt-appropriate silhouette, Wear.

It's super comfortable, and makes me excited to wear it too. As a shirt, it felt standard; as a skirt, it feels playful and a little less conventional.

What is nice about this particular shirt's neckline, is that it has a slight dip in the front. Which makes room for my 16-week, soon to be more glamourous (read: bigger) pregnant belly. :) The waistband doesn't pinch or squeeze, and sits right below the usual offended area for such things. I am unsure if the constant use I expect to give this skirt will wear out the "waistband", but I will definitely be testing it out. If it becomes unusable, I have some nice stretchy green knit fabric that would do quite well as a new waistband.

Though I couldn't think of a better lead-in to my happy news than this, (though Kat did a spectacular reveal!), I am very happy to announce a veer in sewing plans this summer. My vintage patterns for wiggle skirts and dresses will have to be put on hold for a little bit, as my body is doing all kinds of crazy things. :) As my plans solidify, I will happily share them with you!

Happy Sewing!

The Year's Still New Dress

So, I had intended on making this dress for New Year's Eve. Not so much because I was planning on going to a fancy cocktail party, as I actually was going to be outside in the cold country for NYE. It was more because I got this for a pattern swap through The Sew Weekly Circle, and they had encouraged us to have our pieces done around the holidays.

The original pattern and starting curtain for fabric. I have other plans for the beads.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen. I blame the fabric. It's green on one side and black on the other. You can't let that go to waste!

Alright, alright, mainly it didn't happen because I was me: I waited until the last minute (New Year's Eve, to be exact) and made the project more complicated than usual (reversible). Not much more complicated in this case. All the problem spots would remain problem spots (read: zipper, slippery loosely woven fabric), but making a dress reversible changes some of the planning for details.

Instead of regular seams, I had to go with flat felled seams for the skirt. Instead of facing, I just did the same cut of the bodice and sewed those two together.

Matching darts was a pain on such slippery fabric, and the darts themselves are way off from the apex of my bust, but, I still think it works overall.

Because the dress was reversible, but the skirt was only one layer, I decided to do an exposed zipper. Using gifted vintage curtains for the fabric, I used the existing hems for the skirt hem and the dress tie. Since that left a bright green hem on the black side of the dress, I decided to go for an exposed bright green zipper to tie it together.

I also added a black ribbon to the dress tie, to cover the hem and any flyaway threads where I cut, and to continue that theme of color blocking.

 The fit was quite good! It's a little snug because I had to redo the zipper from my NYE attempt in which I already cut the fabric down and then sewed the zipper to like three layers of the dress. I ended up having to pull in some extra fabric on the side when handpicking it the second time around.

Besides the wandering darts, my main issues with the dress are the zipper (I'm getting better, but still wouldn't consider myself good) and the fact that the zipper isn't technically reversible. Fortunately, I can take my arm out and then unzip it when I'm wearing it green-side out. Most reversible zippers that are already made are for jackets, so are too big and boring for a cocktail dress.

Yay! First project of the year down, now too many to go! (I think I have three or four in mind already, some deadline driven, so you're actually likely to see them completed!)

Happy New Year!

Sew Weekly Circle's Round the World Pattern Swap

Kat at the Sew Weekly Circle did it again! She helped organize a pattern swap for members of the Circle recently, and of course I had to partake!

Sandy Vojta, of Harlem Homestead, whose Halloween costume you must go see, got my name. It was not even a week since we were to send our patterns that mine arrived in the mail! And let me say "WOW!"

The collar is mind-boggling, and the pattern is super cool! Sandy has challenged me to lower the neckline, but I'm almost imagining the collar going on that scooped back. What do you think?

I've never sewn on something so fancy, but Sandy assures me it's quite easy. Here's hoping I do it justice and don't botch it in the process. That would be shameful.

Cool part is that I have the perfect fabric for the dress and collar, I think, with that green curtain you see in the picture. My friendly neighbor gave me the curtains to use in a sewing project, so I will be happy to give it a good second life.

I must admit that I did not take pictures of the patterns that I sent to my drawn partner (the lovely Charlotte Powell-Brooks). The last time I did a swap, I took tons of pictures, but then my package took forever to arrive in Australia and I just never did a post on what I sent. To summarize, I sent her three vintage patterns roughly her size. I think I sent one each of the 90s, 80s, and 70s. But I may be wrong. I will post a picture if/when she posts one of what I sent.

(Post update: Here's what she got from me)

Source: Sew Weekly Circle

I also sent her some vintage 40's fabric with cherries and rectangles on it. And some little moose/reindeer card or picture holders (they're hiding in the back of her picture). Quite cute.

And as an only slightly related statement, I must say I'm eyeing up some fancy silk over at Charlotte's Etsy shop. It would go well this pattern, too, I think.

Christmas has come a tad early in the House of Seeks.

Completely Random Observation

Just as an aside, I was thrifting a bit over the weekend, and came across this pattern.

Doesn't the girl in the green remind you of Mena?

I mean, seriously!

The Sew Weekly's Lace & Notions Exchange

I am not the most active member of The Sew Weekly, but I love the concept. A new sewing project every week? That's the kind of productivity I'm hoping to get to. Once I figure out where all of my actual time is going. 

Mena Trott, the woman who started The Sew Weekly (and also was a co-founder of Six Apart and has done some pretty amazing things in her non-sewing career), started a project called the Common Thread Project in which she sent various seamstresses pieces of the same kind of lace with which to make something.  The projects already completed are impressive, and I think it has been quite the hit. So much so, that one of the members of Sew Weekly's Sewing Circle, Kat, had asked if the Sew Weekly community would be up for an exchange of notions too. 

Needless to say, I signed up right away. I don't have much of a stash, though, which was perhaps poor planning on my part. Join a notions exchange when I don't have many notions. But, I was excited to share. 

I'd show you what I sent, but it seems that my package still hasn't arrived at the doorstep of the person I was assigned. :( Super sad. I've offered to send her a new package, but I haven't heard from her yet. Super super sad. 

If I can send her another package, I will be working hard on making it spectacular too. I mean, look at what I received:

Vintage buttons, multiple zippers, lace upon lace upon lace, ric rac, ribbon, a homemade pincushion (yes!!!), a homemade flower pin, an Australia magnet (she's from Australia). Oh my. I almost cried when I got this. So. Amazing.

I have a lot of ideas jumping around for these notions, but I have managed to make one (and a half) pieces using my gifts. I may have stated this before, but I often choose fabrics by touch, rather than by any knowledge of their uses. My cousin and I found incredibly soft brown jersey pillow cases at the Goodwill recently, and I'd been trying to decide what to make with it. When I got Debbie's notions, I was immediately drawn to using the orange and cream trim. It seemed a perfect match with the chocolate brown of the jersey.

I had a costume I had to make for a festival, and the combo of these two new members of my stash seemed just right. I had a little extra trim too, so was able to make a choker. I sewed two orange ribbons on each side, and finished the edges of the trim. I'll probably run some FrayCheck on it though, as the cut edges seem to unravel quickly.

I am contemplating adding an insert of lace at the top, since the top shows a good deal off when worn alone. But I may just wear it with different shirts to play with the look some more. As I think on it, I have a nice green cowl neck shirt that would match very well. Yay for flexible wardrobe pieces!

As mentioned in the last post, I also have another use for the lace Debbie provided. I am hoping to use the wide white eyelet lace trim on the ties of my Crepe dress. I'll post pictures when it's completed.

In the meantime, I have to hatch a way of getting notions to my assigned recipient. Traveling notions go slow when they have to get across oceans, I suppose. (Still sad.)

(And for those of you that may have seen this early, i.e., before May 18th, my apologies. I scheduled the post for the wrong month!)