Archive | May, 2008

Spring 2008 MSB

30 May

The new Spring (or is it Summer?) Mrs. Stylebook is out. I picked mine up last weekend at my local indie bookseller. This month includes a couple of hats and a few knitting / crochet projects. I’ve scanned a couple of my favorites.


I love the whispy layers of this blouse

It’s the sleeves here I like with the traditional collar

There are a number of pretty dresses in this edition. Some are shown with ankle socks and heels. I will never get on board with that trend. Didn’t like it in third grade when Madonna did it. Don’t like it now.

The cutest apron project. It’s made from a men’s shirt!

There is also a tutorial on pants drafting. So, this too will go with the other four of these I own. Sigh. Some people collect patterns, I collect the magazines!

Pattern Matching

28 May

How much do we love this $150 Banana Republic ‘safari’ dress??


About as much as we love finding a matching pattern….

4-2006-109 BWOF (image from burdamode.com)
We also like finding it’s cousin in the Playtex advert above!

Bonus: It’s the illustrated sewing course of the month.
You may thank me later :)

Mid Skirt(s) and I’m a joiner

27 May

Hope you all had a great weekend. My interest in going back to work today is nil. But, only four days until the weekend, eh? Sewing weekend was awesome. But, I don’t have a single completed skirt to show you.


The Vera Moda green and white skirt is hanging here. I decided after construction that I wanted to line it. The clothespin is marking the four inches I need to cut off the bottom. It hit me mid calf. Yuck.

Overall, I am loving it. I consulted with my stylist (Carolyn) and she agreed that I should leave off the bottom trim.


The Roberto Musso skirt is still hanging. It’s a circle skirt with pleat insets. It’s going to be one heck of a hemming (probably by hand) and I’m not quite up to it yet.


The Chole skirt in the Banana Republic print is half cut out. I did a single layer cut because the silk twill is very slippery and I wanted to do my best to match the chain link. I decided yesterday afternoon that I needed to underline it in cotton batiste, so that’s got to get cut out too. Oh, here’s a photo I found on eBay of an original BR dress in the same print. Nice, huh?

I’m also signed up for the Great Coat Sew Along that Marji is running. I’m making a red raincoat from this September 2006 BWOF (#103). Mine won’t be as long since I’m one yard short of the requirement. I also plan on doing a button out wool lining.

Simultaneously, I’ll work on a jacket from the April 2002 BWOF. Which will be great to have this fall.


And now, to the office.

One more thing…

25 May

In case you were thinking this is a lot of work to track down magazines from Spain and muddle through their directions… I submit this evidence of why I obsess over Patrones.

Joven 2008:
Gucci Spring 2007 show:

Photo from Style.com

Side tracked

25 May

Just so you know, my background music today is ‘Learn Spanish in Your Car’. I’m going back to Panama in August and the Patrones have put me in a Spanish speaking state of mind!

I never cease to be amazed by the kindness and generosity of others in the online sewing community. I must give a huge thanks to Claire who saw that those were buttons, not studs on the side of the skirt. And, really, I Y Lisette and Paco who told me that the ‘presillas lado’ that I didn’t recognize or find in the dictionary were in fact button loops.

Lisette even went so far as to translate the directions for me when I emailed her to double check the waistband construction order. Huge help. It putzed around with this for HOURS yesterday trying to get it to work. Funky looking, right? Turns out I traced the pieces wrong.

Ahhh. The good thing is re-cutting gave me the idea to change the grain direction for interest and add a few cm since the first one was a tad small.

But, I’m back on track this morning. Except. I just need to add 2 cm, so smaller seam allowances on each side. So, smaller seam allowances. Why is it small? Because I thought it was more economical to buy two 5 pound bags of Gummi Peaches and Gummi Cherries last week. I have to get these out of my house.


Something to note about Patrones that is different than BWOF. First, they just give you the general pattern outline in their layout. Second, they don’t always lay out the pattern pieces in a way to show where each connects. Third, in the layout / line drawing they DO NOT NOTE seam points like A, B, C, D (or 1, 2, 3, 4 in BWOF). Which means you must me super vigilante on checking the pattern for markings because you can’t double check it against the magazine drawing to see if you missed any points. Ask me how I know.

The pink line is my grading up to 42

I also find myself laying out the entire pattern before sewing to make sense of it.
In between all this, I helped my friend Jon finish his wife’s 2007 birthday gift. You may recall he came over last September to start it.


He’s so proud of himself.

Look at this neat trick I picked up from Sherril Miller. She traces the line drawing onto her pattern. I did it for the skirt since there were so many panels. It makes it way easier to see what you’re doing. Plus, it’s really cute.

Otra falda y Ayudar

24 May

Last week I went in to south Baltimore to try out one of the taco trucks I heard about in an NPR story. I went with Anna from my office and ordered for both of us in Spanish. Seeing how she speaks four languages and I’m still working on my birth-given English, I was very proud of myself. I even understood his questions on condiments. What I was really proud of is that it turned out the guy spoke perfectly good English. But, my Survival Spanish was good enough that he didn’t bother switching over. Or, he enjoyed hearing me butcher his mother tongue.

Now, that being said, Patrones is even more of a challenge! Does anyone actually translate the whole directions? Luckily, this week Paco Peralta posted about the most extensive sewing Spanish glossary I’ve come across. It’s like he *knew* this was my Patrones weekend!


Today I’m working on the #52 Vero Moda skirt from the June 2007 Patrones. This gem of a magazine was a gift from Caroline G who I officially met at West PR Weekend (What’s that? You thought after two months I was done talking about WCPR?? Silly Sewist!!). I really love the three piece waistband.


Because this waist is more fitted than the Roberto Musso skirt I made yesterday, I’m doing a muslin — mainly for my swayback and because I am still sorting out the Patrones fit.

There is one part of the directions I don’t get though. If you speak Spanish or the language of Patrones, maybe you can help me out?

It says I need to cut four for my ‘ presillas lados‘. They are strips that are 6cm by 3 cm. I don’t think they are the trim at the bottom since that needs three strips. I *think* this is something I’m sewing along the side of the skirt? I skimmed and found ‘lados‘ used in the following way “con las piezas lados segun senales C-D e hilvanar los pliegues segun patrones; cerrar lados falda” Which I think means sew the ‘lados’ to or along points C & D? Then baste it closed (the little pleat at the hem of the skirt. Que?

Meh. I’ll trace out the pattern and see if I can figure out how it assembles.

Black Pants

24 May


Here I am in the BWOF 5-2007-112 pants. They are made up from black on black seersucker. The lining is a pink poly/cotton batiste from Joann. They are really high waisted! Easily to my bellybutton. I did make the buttonhole in pink to try and infuse some interest in the pants.


I made a 1.5 inch full seat adjustment just to get the pant over my rear an in the vicinity of my waist. I went down to a 36 in the waist and up to a 42 through the leg. I, um, don’t think my rear is quite that pooky. I think there is some extra fabric there.

I did add 1.5 inch to the crotch point in the back. But, I think next time I will leave that off. They seem to have a little too much fabric under my bum.


I wore the outfit out tonight for my friend Sheryl’s birthday happy hour.

I have to say. These pants are so underwhelming. But, it’s fabulous to have a pair of pants that stay up at the waist and aren’t straining across my backside. I think with some tweaks these could become a good basic pattern. I really love the slope / flair.

Today, I pretty much got the first of the three skirts done. Since it’s mainly bias cut, it’s hanging now so the bias can drop. I’m planning on tackling the hem on Sunday or Monday.

Sewing Weekend Skirt Series

22 May

Reethi asked in the comments of my last post if I always dress up for work. The fact is, I’m actually usually on the underdressed side for my office. Suits are definitely the norm and I tend to err on the nice dress, heels and hose side. Which is partly why I’m obsessed with tailoring more of my garments and getting the hang of pants. Luckily, my boss is a bit of a fashion plate and summer is more casual so the dresses work out well.

I’m hoping that adding some coordinates to my closet will expand my range. A month ago, Sewing Diva Phyillis said she doesn’t buy anything if it doesn’t go with two other items in the closet. I’m taking on that mantra this year. I’m not making anything if it can’t go with two other items. Ok, I’ll start with one other item and work my way up to two because I gots no coordinates right now.
So, this weekend I want to make the following three skirts. Muslins will be made for two of the three. Still figuring out my Patrones fit. As I post the finished product, I’ll post the magazine and pattern numbers.

After the skirts, I want to make two white tops. I have the fabric, but I haven’t quite settled on which patterns yet. I’m hoping they will come to me tomorrow as I’m tracing and cutting.
The pants are done! Just need hemming and slipstitching of the zipper. They are so basic and devoid of any style details that you will be totally underwhelmed when I get around to taking a pic. But, they blessedly fit.
If you were planning on coming to the Wheaton Library on Saturday to see Trena and I, don’t. That lucky (expletive) is going back to Paris for work. Perhaps she’ll smuggle me back some French bread. We’re going to reschedule, just not sure when yet.

Pay no attention to my lack of pants

20 May
My pants were a mini-fiasco. The lining was so tight my legs looked like sausage in casing. I’ve since:

1. Made the needed alterations to the pattern (huge protruding seat, down one size in the waist and up two through the legs, and another sway back adjustment)

2. Made the drive of shame to Joanns late late at night for supplies

3. Have new lining and fashion fabric cut out and partly sewn.

I should be finished by this weekend. I’m also working at breakneck speed to take off Friday and turn this weekend into a four day sewing weekend!

So, in lieu of pants (or photos of the alterations) I will distract you from my non-muslin making stupidity with photos the staff photographer took of me last week at two different events in clothes I’ve made.

Betty Shopper Bag, BWOF Cape, BWOF Dress

There is a thread on PatternReview.com about actually wearing the clothes you make. Now, I know it was in the beginners section. But, I have ALWAYS worn everything I made. I wish I had a camera 10 years ago to see what they actually looked like — wonky seams and all. Maybe my mom will weigh in on that one. I was so excited to have something new to put on, I wore it *gladly*.

BWOF 9-2003-134, Betty Shopper Bag

Tonight, copiuous amounts of tracing in preperation for the all-sewing weekend!

Can it be done?

16 May

First, thanks everyone for the great comments on the vest. I’m fairly pleased with my little foray into tailoring and look forward to improving each time. I actually think I would make this vest again. But, not before I get to the other three on my list.

Some good news, I have just scored free tickets through work for the Hootie and the Blowfish concert in August. The lead singer is my boyfriend Darius Rucker. Well, he doesn’t know he’s my boyfriend and his wife might have a problem with it, but whatev. The last time they were popular, so were vests. The good thing about this is that the request list at the office for their tickets was comprised of me.

I look a little bleary. It was about 3:00 a.m. on a school night
This was actually my Christmas and Hanukkah card two years ago. It said, ‘Have a Hootie Hanukkah’ or ‘Have a Hootie Holiday’. I crack me up sometimes.
As I mentioned, I want to make matching pants for the vest. I wanted to pick something really simple because I feel like a lot of style lines are lost in the seersucker and in the black. I also wanted something wider legged but not billowy. And, I’m still getting over my fear of the fly front. So, I’m going with BWOF’s 5-2007-112. Leslie in Austin had beautiful results with her version on PatternReview.com last year.

Simple. No pockets, curved waistband. I’m not doing a muslin for these. Instead, I’ll make up my lining with a protruding seat adjustment a la “Sewing Pants That Fit” from the Singer Sewing Reference Library.

This is done by making a 1/2 wedge at the hipline (and sometimes extending the crotch point). I added 1/4 – 1/2 inch to the crotch point because, I have, er, *full* thighs. This seems to work against the ‘chub rub’ I got when I made knickers back in December.
The darts in back are teeny, but should allow me to take from there and the CB in case I need a bigger sway back adjustment.

I’ll construct the lining tonight with muslin for the waistband and make any changes needed to the pattern based on how that fits. Then, I’ll try and get the pants made by tomorrow night. Try.
Finally, did y’all know it’s Preakness Weekend here in Baltimore? It’s funny, because I got this Vogue hat pattern with the thought that I was going to Preakness again this year. But, I bailed. I think it’s going to rain and I’m too cheap to bet. I just wanted to wear the hat! Maybe next year.
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