tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62834328931823148402024-03-05T01:30:53.091-08:00The Sewing LabPerforming experiments in dressmaking, pattern drafting, and other crafts. Some experiments more successful than others.Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-4451205068481010952015-06-28T16:54:00.000-07:002015-06-28T21:18:24.648-07:00Wedding Dress Construction Details<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi everyone! In my last post, I showed pictures of my finished wedding dress. This time around, I'm showing the construction process. The post is fairly picture-heavy - there were a lot of steps. In case you missed the last post, here is the dress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIU_xgngwFtEMYTnXMe8QHiPYXm8yLmRS9PoOGhxaX7y_ObM2WPfbk3Yl33r9k5j6uecaS0XLovaaBYLxyKAsVYP0THSZxHjHg8S7MCGE6JTIwB5qoRXqLm-eQ01HyKmJJu4gvpnma6do/s1600/post92-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIU_xgngwFtEMYTnXMe8QHiPYXm8yLmRS9PoOGhxaX7y_ObM2WPfbk3Yl33r9k5j6uecaS0XLovaaBYLxyKAsVYP0THSZxHjHg8S7MCGE6JTIwB5qoRXqLm-eQ01HyKmJJu4gvpnma6do/s400/post92-3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
This is a picture right before we got married. We waited in the hall and took a deep breath before going outside to the back yard where everyone was waiting. I didn't want to walk out all by myself with him waiting, so we went together. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0iwNrpXmr3XSwFX0DeP0GU6fbF2T7BEkE8SgBFbAESSu7y3KFKxKzZpon1aUYtFzE58lTw1b7xGKoiVVjhs3z3X0_4M-ShJeOqhLuo6lH5i98xGl4831u3QU6J3TrMxIKaIVH91h-V24/s1600/post92-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0iwNrpXmr3XSwFX0DeP0GU6fbF2T7BEkE8SgBFbAESSu7y3KFKxKzZpon1aUYtFzE58lTw1b7xGKoiVVjhs3z3X0_4M-ShJeOqhLuo6lH5i98xGl4831u3QU6J3TrMxIKaIVH91h-V24/s320/post92-12.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>
I was really nervous about wearing a dress that looked homemade. I think the worst compliment you can get about any homemade item you have is from (probably) well-meaning strangers - "That is nice - did you make that?". That one always makes me feel terrible. It is the one that says - "Yes, it is clear to me that you have made this yourself." Ugh.<br />
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This dress is in three parts. <b>Part one - the petticoat.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIJ5YVQ7qcop5li3_NM4YHqC2OSM6ErfQagSGloCorXwDdcA_Rv21yZCzsYN_BsoFMA3PMXxEXEqUU_p9XjDPeXkQdB7MxLcpETanlD0Ks9tlOaMnJ2S1pKzWkDglvhyphenhyphen-QCFsJDHwUsQ/s1600/post92-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIJ5YVQ7qcop5li3_NM4YHqC2OSM6ErfQagSGloCorXwDdcA_Rv21yZCzsYN_BsoFMA3PMXxEXEqUU_p9XjDPeXkQdB7MxLcpETanlD0Ks9tlOaMnJ2S1pKzWkDglvhyphenhyphen-QCFsJDHwUsQ/s400/post92-4.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
This is the largest petticoat ever. I felt so round and fluffy. It was an upcycled petticoat that I picked up at a thrift store. It was a floor-length with three tiers but the waist is a nice elastic and I'll bet it was expensive when it was new. All I did was take off the bottom two layers to make it tea length and re-sew the tulle. I used a serger for the bottom hem. It was a lot faster than making it all myself.<br />
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<b>Part Two - the satin under-dress</b>. The pattern is <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2015/05/dress-mash-up-vogue-8943-simplicity.html" target="_blank">Simplicity 1194</a>. I made it in ivory with a am showing it here with a champagne sash.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7rRv8wzCs2AUKpta7ys8BPPkuaMtyX9t_7d1xTqqoO4jXwQDL4TdHMsDBUa6Q8hyIRaAZZ5F0WJ_A95txhIRkPyM58Z-ClJBKmqMESaizaHwXU0D_Y7jpCuz6RN-k1YslW0iyuDcokU/s1600/post92-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7rRv8wzCs2AUKpta7ys8BPPkuaMtyX9t_7d1xTqqoO4jXwQDL4TdHMsDBUa6Q8hyIRaAZZ5F0WJ_A95txhIRkPyM58Z-ClJBKmqMESaizaHwXU0D_Y7jpCuz6RN-k1YslW0iyuDcokU/s400/post92-5.jpg" width="293" /></a></div>
I made four changes to the pattern.<br />
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<li> I added an inch to the bodice and made it longer. My torso must be long because I find myself doing this to a lot of patterns.</li>
<li>I took off the straps and made it strapless.</li>
<li>I made it fully self-lined instead of using facings. I don't usually like using facings and seem to find ways to avoid them.</li>
<li>I added boning and some light-weight interfacing layer to the inside.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBqMiogByM9bxHqZ5gWlveUfPfl6k091fwG1Sz8uSI4OGYI7xGV9V9VsQUF1cENdPIzpLeVTBdNmCiYe4PW-tXaNaeTiTDsZAdLDfDsYWv7Dr2psJ9TkVfer6cHTr4mACzq566EY_bbI/s1600/post92-7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBqMiogByM9bxHqZ5gWlveUfPfl6k091fwG1Sz8uSI4OGYI7xGV9V9VsQUF1cENdPIzpLeVTBdNmCiYe4PW-tXaNaeTiTDsZAdLDfDsYWv7Dr2psJ9TkVfer6cHTr4mACzq566EY_bbI/s400/post92-7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of the dress</td></tr>
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The dress has a lapped zipper (thanks to the <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=472576&u=1125951&m=29190&urllink=&afftrack=" target="_blank">Craftsy Mastering Zipper Techniques Class</a>) and I added n silk covered button and loop.<br />
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<b>Part Three - the lace layer. </b>The lace layer is a mix of <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2015/05/dress-mash-up-vogue-8943-simplicity.html" target="_blank">Vogue 8943 and Simplicity 8470</a>. For the skirt, I wanted to avoid pleats and gathers and love the look of a circle skirt. But to be able to use the edge on the lace, I had to cut the skirt in panels. I did use the Simplicity 8470, but then added a couple of inches on either side toward the hem of each panel for a fuller skirt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQQN2PafvDBCuAFdIzE5nWJMdizqmSbAxlOCaDLav-m_uHaeJLy_4tLOku_Ms1H7XVirLmRZJftPuFAuA1aEPvIZ83CsGSxAr-okJ9n8lCGJ8KL5_wL23YGwO97FQnkQ0E4wgm52ys6k/s1600/post92-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQQN2PafvDBCuAFdIzE5nWJMdizqmSbAxlOCaDLav-m_uHaeJLy_4tLOku_Ms1H7XVirLmRZJftPuFAuA1aEPvIZ83CsGSxAr-okJ9n8lCGJ8KL5_wL23YGwO97FQnkQ0E4wgm52ys6k/s400/post92-1.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIU_xgngwFtEMYTnXMe8QHiPYXm8yLmRS9PoOGhxaX7y_ObM2WPfbk3Yl33r9k5j6uecaS0XLovaaBYLxyKAsVYP0THSZxHjHg8S7MCGE6JTIwB5qoRXqLm-eQ01HyKmJJu4gvpnma6do/s1600/post92-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
It ended up being about a half circle skirt. Luckily, through no special effort, the lines on the skirt panels lined up perfectly with the darts in the bodice. Below is the skirt before I sewed it on the bodice. All of the panels are sewn, then finished up with a serger.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4vah68A_E80Ndh_kyPocCKYO0PZtimGSnP6DUWPO7XjO_aTLH_QNBykGb-9Y-tdV35CzCAzeRObA2U-0yyzLTOKTT-UuDqGg8y4YIm2vj9Cw6JL-HzItKCqWG11jTYqMbVMdJVJ5L9A/s1600/post92-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4vah68A_E80Ndh_kyPocCKYO0PZtimGSnP6DUWPO7XjO_aTLH_QNBykGb-9Y-tdV35CzCAzeRObA2U-0yyzLTOKTT-UuDqGg8y4YIm2vj9Cw6JL-HzItKCqWG11jTYqMbVMdJVJ5L9A/s400/post92-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I made three changes to the bodice of Vogue 8943 - once is that I added an inch to it (shown in red below). In the past, I have been known to ignore the "lengthen or shorten here" directions and just adding more to the bottom of the piece. But on this, I even followed instructions. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjG3zS7kjmPMBjtQEMhMtQqJamW18NYcWKmh6LMuVr9HdQk-rtBfwvmA8XIi7f7RgDE3ggdOKwWGtyQii8UOl6n-LdnjjJVFOuTaLW93xv4R12pks1btVVyi1QoANBcpQXrZz4N3fiJOY/s1600/post92-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjG3zS7kjmPMBjtQEMhMtQqJamW18NYcWKmh6LMuVr9HdQk-rtBfwvmA8XIi7f7RgDE3ggdOKwWGtyQii8UOl6n-LdnjjJVFOuTaLW93xv4R12pks1btVVyi1QoANBcpQXrZz4N3fiJOY/s320/post92-13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also shortened the sleeves to 3/4 length and changed the back of the bodice to a V shape instead of ending at the neckline.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHpjehZJfkFbgktwwdQ2vwg23i_zpXzcaybnSPV0SxEcbRprvyVmjqIygqcpe818b2bz6doLh0QCkvPqYeK_j4jcc4DHSk7Yh8gqYl_irBPl5qCldOldLey5I2t0zj5vnYlqycG5KGtI/s1600/post92-9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHpjehZJfkFbgktwwdQ2vwg23i_zpXzcaybnSPV0SxEcbRprvyVmjqIygqcpe818b2bz6doLh0QCkvPqYeK_j4jcc4DHSk7Yh8gqYl_irBPl5qCldOldLey5I2t0zj5vnYlqycG5KGtI/s400/post92-9.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of lace dress</td></tr>
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The hardest part about the dress was figuring out what to do with the edges around the neck and the zipper. I had never sewn lace before, so I wasn't sure. The edges of the sleeves and the skirt hem were easy... use the edge of the lace. <br />
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I ended up cutting the edge off of leftover lace and attached it all around the neckline - front and back right up until the zipper. You don't end up seeing the stitches of the ivory thread to sew it on - it all gets lost in the lace.</div>
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The zipper is actually three layers. I first sewed on some bias tape to stabilize the lace so I could sew a zipper on the back. Then, on the outside, I covered the bias tape with the same edge of the lace as the neckline, but cut narrower.<br />
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I am sure there are other ways to get it done, but I was at a loss. I spent a lot of time Googling and looking at lace wedding dress backs, but didn't find much. I even made a trip to a bridal shop to look at their dresses. In the end, this looked nice against the satin under-dress.<br />
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Here are the facts:<br />
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<ul>
<li>$200.00 - Satin and lace fabric from SAS Fabrics in Phoenix. ($30/yard for the lace which feels like a steal compared to prices I have seen online for lace)</li>
<li>$30.00 - Fabric for three prototype dresses at $1/yard, also from SAS Fabrics</li>
<li>$10.00 - Tulle for petticoat from JoAnns.</li>
<li>$10.00 - Upcycled petticoat from a thrift store. </li>
<li>$10.00 - Satin for sash (not yet blogged about)</li>
<li>$10.00 - Tulle for veil (not yet blogged about) </li>
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TOTAL $270.00 - Petticoat, veil, dress, sash and extra fabric for prototype dresses. <br />
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It
wasn't necessarily the cheapest option. I am sure I could have found a
dress on sale at some bridal shop for less money, but I am glad I made
mine.<br />
Thanks for reading! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=592367&u=1125951&m=43745&urllink=&afftrack=" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://static.shareasale.com/image/43745/5-WeddingPlus__728x90.jpg" /></a>Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-24993931647995776832015-06-09T08:07:00.002-07:002015-06-19T15:43:08.387-07:00Wedding Dress Finished!Hello everyone! I finished my wedding dress. Oh, and I got married! Here is what I found out about the wedding: Not one person I have talked to had a romantic wedding night. Without fail, everyone says that they end up giving each other a peck on the cheek before falling over from exhaustion. If you had a romantic wedding night, I bet that you ran away to elope or something.<br />
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We cooked all of the food ourselves. I enjoyed the fact that we had total control over ingredients and I liked setting up the backyard wedding ourselves, but I see the appeal of running off, eloping and having a really great vacation with the money you would have spent on the wedding. I see it clearly NOW, that is.<br />
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I'll post again soon to talk about making the pattern for the dress, but I wanted to show photos of the finished dress. I was really nervous about it, but I am happy with the end result.<br />
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What about anyone else? High stress or stress-free wedding? Did you sew your own dress? Would you do anything differently?<br />
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More on the construction on the next post. Talk to you soon!<br />
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Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-69017782337810039722015-05-07T14:31:00.000-07:002015-05-07T16:05:11.402-07:00Tilly and the Buttons Arielle in ProgressI am currently sewing the Tilly and the Buttons Arielle skirt. I couldn't resist ordering it because it is so cute in all the photos. And Tilly is adorable. Look
at it. Swoon.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RdFH3FsX3ay6R0wuAGGWgS45x9jVkWL7bbGwOMpaNlPLkTMLujS86dZcZ3RPA_LYG_24ZZhhRIAB-RWrnsv9qiPhg5kH7fBTc-q_28VZen-sV4B_6HhiOK_8KMDPBmM5L9AN5aQThm8/s1600/post90-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RdFH3FsX3ay6R0wuAGGWgS45x9jVkWL7bbGwOMpaNlPLkTMLujS86dZcZ3RPA_LYG_24ZZhhRIAB-RWrnsv9qiPhg5kH7fBTc-q_28VZen-sV4B_6HhiOK_8KMDPBmM5L9AN5aQThm8/s320/post90-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo owned by Tilly and the Buttons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I just love how this skirt looks. On these people. I am struggling a
little with the fit for my body type. The pattern allows for a hip that is 9 inches
larger than the waist. Uh-oh. I am something more like 13 inches
larger at the hip than the waist. And 13 feels so nice, I usually do
about 14 just for good measure. There is a significant amount of junk
in that trunk to deal with.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieceh-m_sMF_o_FSXfgCAPPvAXPfDyjZcdFaXzuhEqdanaerZcwcV1c5xRPB_HpnES9p3KMGS86RYsjWj_ehQM8B-J7n4nHJEm220HldaXSEhn6ZiHiqujeCjU93o5Tnaumc465mCiAV0/s1600/post90-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieceh-m_sMF_o_FSXfgCAPPvAXPfDyjZcdFaXzuhEqdanaerZcwcV1c5xRPB_HpnES9p3KMGS86RYsjWj_ehQM8B-J7n4nHJEm220HldaXSEhn6ZiHiqujeCjU93o5Tnaumc465mCiAV0/s400/post90-2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arielle skirt piece</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I redrew the pattern to combine sizes to
get the correct hip and waist measurements without an issue. The
problem is that the skirt falls straight down from the widest point on
the hip. When I choose the longer length, it ends up looking
very, very matronly due to the wide fabric at the knees. Noooooooo! Where is my cute skirt? It is so frumpy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJjMQm6M6CYTHzGVzIVTIJRf1hZ2BC36MzoqHw_e_93jvT0GGHQZfLZOttR5mALRQQRyqZwsCtOIi7M7x2xTS3U5_zUVgGG0MWtUy2jjr0YYJGB2mnmWrnfOwPSum2ihX71JbMCk0XCE/s1600/post90-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJjMQm6M6CYTHzGVzIVTIJRf1hZ2BC36MzoqHw_e_93jvT0GGHQZfLZOttR5mALRQQRyqZwsCtOIi7M7x2xTS3U5_zUVgGG0MWtUy2jjr0YYJGB2mnmWrnfOwPSum2ihX71JbMCk0XCE/s400/post90-5.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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It hasn't been hemmed yet, but this work in progress picture does give an idea of the shape. I also put in a zipper, but only really because my buttonhole function on my machine is currently acting up. I'll put at least fake buttons on it because I think it is part of what drew me to this skirt.</div>
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To be clear, I think this is a great pattern and there are great instructions. I would recommend it. But for my body type and there need to be some adjustments to make the skirt less bulky because I made sizing changes. Specifically, I think I can bring the skirt in a bit like in the wiggle dress from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-Mdq7O9sTa67KNZWovxlCfGoLTaHKO9Mecn7yYHTYDRsxxnNHSDqjk3GNRJBAL2oj7bRsBV7e1z2gD0XK_oZDyEA8cPmH8B-_6EcO3O7r_4eQtGxi2VdO0SKDgS8IlieAj7DOB7Xj0I/s1600/post90-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-Mdq7O9sTa67KNZWovxlCfGoLTaHKO9Mecn7yYHTYDRsxxnNHSDqjk3GNRJBAL2oj7bRsBV7e1z2gD0XK_oZDyEA8cPmH8B-_6EcO3O7r_4eQtGxi2VdO0SKDgS8IlieAj7DOB7Xj0I/s320/post90-6.jpg" width="152" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from http://www.blogforbettersewing.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Here is the pattern piece for the wiggle dress. After the fullest width at the hip, it tapers in. I may not make Arielle as tapered, but it does give me adjustment ideas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIDZI1GLvI8hbPOMOPqhY94rpp2CT5fcSMU9DbZJ_6lGULFEhW97h5C2tObG80hF9M9Nt3e12DsQaoVFXbdH2uR-P9O5gCbH96McoZGqkrRGvKetLp_rBLEUU8HPG4HMBOY_nXlwDrF4/s1600/post90-4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIDZI1GLvI8hbPOMOPqhY94rpp2CT5fcSMU9DbZJ_6lGULFEhW97h5C2tObG80hF9M9Nt3e12DsQaoVFXbdH2uR-P9O5gCbH96McoZGqkrRGvKetLp_rBLEUU8HPG4HMBOY_nXlwDrF4/s400/post90-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photoshopped full skirt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Above, is the wiggle dress I made unretouched on the left, then I photoshopped a fuller skirt on the right. It is an ok look, but more matronly than I am looking for. If I adjust the skirt pattern to taper in like the wiggle dress, I think I will get what I want.<br />
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In other news, when I am not sewing, I read a lot. I have gotten some great recommendations from blogs I read, so I thought I'd pass one on. Right now I've started The Mortal Instruments book one City of Bones by Cassandra
Clare. I am well aware that I am not likely their target demographic
since this is young adult fiction, but it hasn't stopped me from
enjoying the first half of the first book. I am excited that if I like
it, there are 5 more books in the series to read.<br />
<br />
I only have one
complaint about the book so far. The author has her characters biting,
chewing or gnawing on their own lips a lot. So much so that it is
distracting. "She bit her lip and answered him." "He chewed his lip and stood up." It
must have happened about 30 times in the first half of the book. Get these people some chapstick.<br />
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More on the Arielle skirt in the next post - so.. until next time! Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-63592572136245487562015-05-03T16:42:00.000-07:002015-06-07T15:54:05.691-07:00Dress Mash-Up: Vogue 8943, Simplicity 1194 and Simplicity 8470I tried a mash-up of three different patterns:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWVAHAXIRl-D_obgr_M8F8_HB73Fx_MKeXKExp9Mci6etgH1Oduqb_7ITOqfBRbhp8dIsZkki87xN-r4jGGF0_d_wHf4AqVyzyZZMK47BQq1zQ_CGv4ux2fmXyb_kdljYikP6zMrFgNo/s1600/post89-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWVAHAXIRl-D_obgr_M8F8_HB73Fx_MKeXKExp9Mci6etgH1Oduqb_7ITOqfBRbhp8dIsZkki87xN-r4jGGF0_d_wHf4AqVyzyZZMK47BQq1zQ_CGv4ux2fmXyb_kdljYikP6zMrFgNo/s1600/post89-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Simplicity 1194 ( a re-issue from the 50's), Simplicity 8470 (a vintage pattern) and finally, Vogue 8943 (currently available).<br />
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Why all of the mashing? My goal has been to create a pattern for a wedding dress. Here is my inspiration. <br />
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Isn't it lovely?<br />
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I picked up some lace that has a beautiful edge on it and I want a full
skirt (tea length) but it can't be a circle skirt or the edge of the
lace would be lost. I tried pleats, but they didn't look good with my
lace. I also tried to make a mock-up of a gathered skirt, but no matter
how much I try, each time I make a gathered skirt, I hate it. I like
gathered skirts on other people, but on me... so very bad.<br />
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This is the mash-up with some cheap black satin and black lace. My idea was to make a dress I could wear again, but it really looks more like a costume. (Black Widow Bride!) <br />
<img border="0" height="561" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_agsoEMjhnUeWSsWdbNcHAV0SGhxV3JmeHC6Fq9x1T6iaD5vYsUtKSuJk_nwEZFu-ga2O-SLl_9QoaojAJydlYt1BzNZcCITcJAIP4XEVp39_TAjCC_WE9dh61rfUZakBSB3Q8tKmtH0/s1600/post89-2.jpg" width="640" /><br />
I can't tie a decent bow. Not even after watching YouTube tutorials. Don't judge.<br />
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This dress is actually two separate dresses. The first is a satin dress with Simplicity 1194 for the bodice. The only modification I made was to remove the straps and make it strapless.<br />
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For the skirt, I used Simplicity 8470 because it has panels for the skirt like pie pieces... which allow for a straight edge on the hem but no gathers or pleats. Yaaaaaayyy! I had thought of this before, but it wasn't until I saw it in the pattern that I really believed it would work.<br />
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Taaa daa. I won't need to do this with my final satin skirt - I can just make a 3/4 circle or full circle skirt with it the normal way, but it was nice to see it work.<br />
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For the lace layer, I also used Simplicity 8470 for the skirt and Vogue 8943 for the bodice without any modifications. Without much work at all, the darts in the bodice and the seam lines in the skirt panels lined up. Huh. <br />
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(I drew the red lines with Photoshop. The photo makes it look like they might be part of the fabric.)<br />
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For the final version, I think I will make two changes - I'll make the two wide center front and center back panels into two pieces each and make them even wider towards the hem so that the skirt is fuller. I'll be wearing a crinoline for it so I can get my fairy tale princess on. I wasn't going to, but when else will I get to wear a huge dress without inviting stares and pointing? <br />
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Only two three more weeks until the wedding. It is sneaking up on me. Dresses! Favors! Photographer! Guest list! Menus! Plates! Wine! Table rental! I don't actually talk about much else these days. I have a friend who assured me that I would be interesting again after the wedding. <br />
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For no good reason, here is a picture of a bunch of different flavors of panna cotta that we made. We invited people over for a tasting party to see which one they liked best and we will serve the winning combination at the wedding. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CZ4yq2wbFpD3gpqB_Gekyw-a66Kl_9mWwdI2V9llp69IPkfYweBJ_qoLTy_xBF9l4TSdURrSbycayVLJnHsub__gvYG69V5Ac74KF1F9a71JrnGrB-fr5xmadvHt9avtR-BYzZrjYFY/s1600/IMG_2260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CZ4yq2wbFpD3gpqB_Gekyw-a66Kl_9mWwdI2V9llp69IPkfYweBJ_qoLTy_xBF9l4TSdURrSbycayVLJnHsub__gvYG69V5Ac74KF1F9a71JrnGrB-fr5xmadvHt9avtR-BYzZrjYFY/s1600/IMG_2260.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After seven little mini-desserts each, the winner was lemon panna cotta with tart lemon jelly, a square of sweet raspberry coulis jelly and candied orange peel on top. </div>
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I learned that pistachios and flowers are terrible on panna cotta (bad texture combination), candied ginger tastes good with passion fruit but not lemon and that spun sugar melts in the jelly and only looks cool for a couple of minutes. Which makes sense, but I wanted that to not be true.</div>
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Thanks for reading. I swear, I will talk about non-wedding stuff again in the future.</div>
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Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-6882588323964959702015-04-09T18:50:00.000-07:002015-04-09T18:50:40.998-07:00Vogue 8766 with Some ModificationsThis is my first attempt at a trial for a wedding dress pattern. I found some seriously cheap fabric (like a dollar a yard), so I thought I would give Vogue 8766 a shot as a possible pattern. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR2yLxqi-ClOG5ENDLxE0LZ1mjqvMaQaCxeRSJ7ly1L7xuPkCsOoCVkzg1yqRV-wuW5-UXw5tmOwXbeTEG98E4Dsrf83JjoVUZZ332oRI9qIpNaTf8yw5itzLJAgrC-Kk1KIAFkugmp8/s1600/post88-8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR2yLxqi-ClOG5ENDLxE0LZ1mjqvMaQaCxeRSJ7ly1L7xuPkCsOoCVkzg1yqRV-wuW5-UXw5tmOwXbeTEG98E4Dsrf83JjoVUZZ332oRI9qIpNaTf8yw5itzLJAgrC-Kk1KIAFkugmp8/s1600/post88-8.jpg" height="320" width="239" /> </a></div>
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I made it out of two layers. One was a white satin and the other was a see-through material with some pretty black flowers. The original pattern has a round neckline at the front, but I decided to make mine square.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPYuOFCcVsb9fcV2m2JPrEacNSqKCm3Fgyvt4LDTQKT5WGxAxjby-VlQg9FVzZfGbLM9MHQ_TOmtkG8967q6MAc1bnBteyIk2MvOqInKNiErimhB60Cb25GK0IeMPpYWv0ViaoLM5pc0/s1600/Post71-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPYuOFCcVsb9fcV2m2JPrEacNSqKCm3Fgyvt4LDTQKT5WGxAxjby-VlQg9FVzZfGbLM9MHQ_TOmtkG8967q6MAc1bnBteyIk2MvOqInKNiErimhB60Cb25GK0IeMPpYWv0ViaoLM5pc0/s1600/Post71-5.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
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And I also have a nice piece of lace that has a beautiful edge that I want to show, so I have to make either pleats or gathers, so against my better judgement, I made gathers. Which is basically just taking a rectangle of fabric for the skirt. And once again, I hate gathered skirts. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6byI4Nv09PQFWSXObbnFKk0lZopdFqW9j7uZmWgM5QxCItDR-E6E1bP6cb_v9ncKY87MncBT1WK0OyYZZ2uLlLz113TAJPlVvq9CIqnFmge24Og5H7GDf49rvzC0vpG2_Y7jxSARXqc/s1600/post88-9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6byI4Nv09PQFWSXObbnFKk0lZopdFqW9j7uZmWgM5QxCItDR-E6E1bP6cb_v9ncKY87MncBT1WK0OyYZZ2uLlLz113TAJPlVvq9CIqnFmge24Og5H7GDf49rvzC0vpG2_Y7jxSARXqc/s1600/post88-9.jpg" height="320" width="239" /> </a></div>
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I had to put a large gros grain ribbon on the waist just to make it look ok. If The ribbon wasn't there, it was just too puffy right around the only feature I usually want to highlight - my waist. I drown in the fabric and it feels uncomfortable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyhmT4TJnDnvIApzdcfxFh_80cK_y_utvKF6C6Rq3zLgeIqKGracy-linPB8im9DynOk0SfRlZHsj3zyxHcdpYFWCl8G4_ALJWjuTJn9PzAKkuc-cB55Ou4pxlv-0bXbRfdebCZ-WG6g/s1600/post88-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyhmT4TJnDnvIApzdcfxFh_80cK_y_utvKF6C6Rq3zLgeIqKGracy-linPB8im9DynOk0SfRlZHsj3zyxHcdpYFWCl8G4_ALJWjuTJn9PzAKkuc-cB55Ou4pxlv-0bXbRfdebCZ-WG6g/s1600/post88-6.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
I wanted the ribbon to be fairly tight and smooth, so I made the band with some heavy-weight velcro instead of tying it, then made the bow separately and made it attach with more velcro. In hindsight, maybe just a simple sash would have worked, but it was a fun project and the bow always stays perfect. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9pH-R9s3vtNpGrie4ndan57uYzJTIIT2F10V5Uw9tly8IJbI0hOqABIU_PQMwN5DBFQo2kz4FAelD1kheC4HHdiQ6qoS1nWLQmAdTq1yfR9_FCVK80nJt-YVDGliseAodJI_xGcKS3k/s1600/post88-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9pH-R9s3vtNpGrie4ndan57uYzJTIIT2F10V5Uw9tly8IJbI0hOqABIU_PQMwN5DBFQo2kz4FAelD1kheC4HHdiQ6qoS1nWLQmAdTq1yfR9_FCVK80nJt-YVDGliseAodJI_xGcKS3k/s1600/post88-7.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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<b>The bottom line</b></div>
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This is not the pattern I will use for my nice lace. I want to show off the edge of the edge, but gathers aren't going to be a solution. I don't really love this dress. Back to the drawing board. I love the waist seems of a circle skirt, but that won't work for the edge. Pleats may have to be a solution.</div>
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I did manage to wear the address for some photos we took for our wedding Web site. Not really engagement photos, but something for people to see as the RSVP. A friend of ours is a photographer and I was lucky enough to find out she wanted to try out a new lens. These photos are taken in downtown Phoenix. Message me if you need a wonderful photographer - I especially love what she did in the last photo. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtlFqpe51ybfbAnk36UiNJ7dXNTT55AoR_qjaFSFgN69GFAlNquTFV7oh1F1BSOP4lyoHQgBfvwLXClL5Da8Kp6KI_J0XtVa-w50DlRdHYteqTCBGaNmc7ld0kq-x89nVYzPf47xKfmI/s1600/post88-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtlFqpe51ybfbAnk36UiNJ7dXNTT55AoR_qjaFSFgN69GFAlNquTFV7oh1F1BSOP4lyoHQgBfvwLXClL5Da8Kp6KI_J0XtVa-w50DlRdHYteqTCBGaNmc7ld0kq-x89nVYzPf47xKfmI/s1600/post88-1.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQz8GZF1LiONR6XBfS5VcK9HzbAZKQt8NUGzyDaclNMzg4G-4uELfS2iAhH7tgkjk4JXMFqmFpxiyPQgOZWzYFzpLroZl5XpmXv9sbyvobXvgkMHpPMNbi0YuWkQwlzMVKFD2amA_Xeo/s1600/post88-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQz8GZF1LiONR6XBfS5VcK9HzbAZKQt8NUGzyDaclNMzg4G-4uELfS2iAhH7tgkjk4JXMFqmFpxiyPQgOZWzYFzpLroZl5XpmXv9sbyvobXvgkMHpPMNbi0YuWkQwlzMVKFD2amA_Xeo/s1600/post88-3.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_Mq1X_y5ibHyhs-GZOIJFKWlF_GSP1rTgPYhEvaLAYEoQc8PibQa8uXidKKxVhh7_edYmuyytA0Bj4kKBECn4PHVWNFOEB09ZchRVhiSWWRaclfzVWCAp2dBe97RjMIurYPgYeALQDg/s1600/post88-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_Mq1X_y5ibHyhs-GZOIJFKWlF_GSP1rTgPYhEvaLAYEoQc8PibQa8uXidKKxVhh7_edYmuyytA0Bj4kKBECn4PHVWNFOEB09ZchRVhiSWWRaclfzVWCAp2dBe97RjMIurYPgYeALQDg/s1600/post88-4.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywkwysxSp2dg6qZhyphenhyphenNu1FZcGp7x6BfUr7s8yQ0nPnMzRrjoGWWCMZOvv2vrtA0OPEaoplmCAdFcSKJdxS64gtsmxpci4zDxR_uGk5lqCuFamWj7p9WcI_saxKovWK7LtaVtyGl63G9q4/s1600/post88-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywkwysxSp2dg6qZhyphenhyphenNu1FZcGp7x6BfUr7s8yQ0nPnMzRrjoGWWCMZOvv2vrtA0OPEaoplmCAdFcSKJdxS64gtsmxpci4zDxR_uGk5lqCuFamWj7p9WcI_saxKovWK7LtaVtyGl63G9q4/s1600/post88-5.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKIzllFQkufeXH-Pg6MGyIkzLuz3BQLHIDJigO2sxlgT9P86haLwVQrHBX31I7s4p6vGphYi57eTGmVZVS77iidm5gr4A9UkFkYhfg1OpM6dFiHR4P_9bzjbaIH-2RXdieMIe6KUwQLw/s1600/post88-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKIzllFQkufeXH-Pg6MGyIkzLuz3BQLHIDJigO2sxlgT9P86haLwVQrHBX31I7s4p6vGphYi57eTGmVZVS77iidm5gr4A9UkFkYhfg1OpM6dFiHR4P_9bzjbaIH-2RXdieMIe6KUwQLw/s1600/post88-2.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-52724814083189234782015-02-26T08:50:00.000-08:002015-02-26T08:50:50.640-08:00Gertie's Sheath Dress Pattern ReviewI made a dress from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing. Here is Gertie's version. I love the color and the fit. This dress called to me!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoulvvulODnmy4juzmPm4feMZ45wMrHyLzQNvf-QA_mkBlBfVKNJYtlA3hROyCbz4cgeQMnKHbi_gBHPUX9ceoZGoOcXmZbJF28yA61234GdEw89BZhyDMTl6VjQ6trnrxNt-kz97sT8/s1600/Post83-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoulvvulODnmy4juzmPm4feMZ45wMrHyLzQNvf-QA_mkBlBfVKNJYtlA3hROyCbz4cgeQMnKHbi_gBHPUX9ceoZGoOcXmZbJF28yA61234GdEw89BZhyDMTl6VjQ6trnrxNt-kz97sT8/s1600/Post83-1.jpg" height="320" width="246" /></a></div>
I chose a stretch cotton sateen for my fabric. The fabric had been in my stash for a long time. I got it at Mood in Los Angeles almost two years ago. It was so precious to me that I didn't cut into it because I didn't want to ruin it, which was beginning to get silly. The fabric is no good unless you use it.<br />
In the book, she has a sweetheart neckline, which I am rarely a fan of. I modified the neckline to a square - she gives instructions on how to go about this, which I found very useful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHDcPEQCrs48geFResXnd3tapvVjc0yYag84OFp1EEHRqBO7uF3YeQMIQJxmB-MDnMLFMqGGeyUgTUxF9GhZXweatT0p-8HRAKwpSf5tmabZu5nJjzZ4Xpkg4tQaVk1xkFT043-K4qx4/s1600/Post83-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHDcPEQCrs48geFResXnd3tapvVjc0yYag84OFp1EEHRqBO7uF3YeQMIQJxmB-MDnMLFMqGGeyUgTUxF9GhZXweatT0p-8HRAKwpSf5tmabZu5nJjzZ4Xpkg4tQaVk1xkFT043-K4qx4/s1600/Post83-2.jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
I love the patterns in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1584799919/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1584799919&linkCode=as2&tag=thsela-20&linkId=IDMUCJRFDCMGGKTA" target="_blank">Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing</a>. This is the third dress I have made from that book. The first one was her <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2013/09/my-version-of-gerties-wiggle-dress-step.html" target="_blank">Wiggle Dress</a> and the second one was the <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2013/10/the-shirtwaist-dress-from-gerties-new.html" target="_blank">Shirtwaist Dress</a>. All of them are flattering and perfect for my body type. I know that some people have complained that if you don't have curves, the patterns are hard to fit, but since I have a fuller figure, I made almost no adjustments to get these to fit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKLGBhvszmd_b8yX3QLJG41di4AQADlm5-JcBIQNsl39f681TnUC8z0Mz0dojLoyff-njMkdoTh69WvHhJpi-y9NOrNX_TzP4oHdCli4lD2ZBJ2JPnO0DtU7UA2bBorSsm6NZZAKnMfA/s1600/Post83-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKLGBhvszmd_b8yX3QLJG41di4AQADlm5-JcBIQNsl39f681TnUC8z0Mz0dojLoyff-njMkdoTh69WvHhJpi-y9NOrNX_TzP4oHdCli4lD2ZBJ2JPnO0DtU7UA2bBorSsm6NZZAKnMfA/s1600/Post83-3.jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
I made a fabric belt from a belt kit I found at a thrift shop in my Grandma's home town. She volunteered there for years and it was nice to purchase and use something from it. It really finishes the dress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ypd4nT1zvjEpJ64xtYtFzy79nZfFgeuecR-ceYx2JvlI9hZxDASs4tqh9xopjIydYs6bOHPpxPmX5CyHORuMPMo_yTZMqqgfWVBtYcsrUtlql6MrRG1je_hJLNpEu7GKrBA4UJVwM3k/s1600/Post83-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ypd4nT1zvjEpJ64xtYtFzy79nZfFgeuecR-ceYx2JvlI9hZxDASs4tqh9xopjIydYs6bOHPpxPmX5CyHORuMPMo_yTZMqqgfWVBtYcsrUtlql6MrRG1je_hJLNpEu7GKrBA4UJVwM3k/s1600/Post83-4.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
I made a lapped zipper. There are lapped zipper tutorials everywhere out there, but the best one I have found is the free one available from Craftsy. It is <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/class/mastering-zipper-techniques/178" target="_blank">Mastering Zipper Techniques</a> with Sunni Standing. She uses a technique I haven't seen anywhere else and it is really great. Watching the video is also free!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiIIQ1wfHWhVdOYzWGrePYfELfKotqiei47WHCkuiupOPWttC8vkkDVTwvfulJLty2XG0yckr1attyJnFIRanX6pYIJsNfbalxn1Z8-U5H6Amby4kr3Ac36cGpf6j-wbFpVY3lWMaYlM/s1600/Post83-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiIIQ1wfHWhVdOYzWGrePYfELfKotqiei47WHCkuiupOPWttC8vkkDVTwvfulJLty2XG0yckr1attyJnFIRanX6pYIJsNfbalxn1Z8-U5H6Amby4kr3Ac36cGpf6j-wbFpVY3lWMaYlM/s1600/Post83-5.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
I lined the dress with 100% cotton. I wanted it to be breathable since it is a warm-weather dress. I only lined the bodice<br />
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Here is a side view. I matched the flower patterns completely on the back, but I didn't do that on the sides. My main concern was just not getting two white dots over my breasts. It's happened to me before and I didn't have enough fabric to start over.<br />
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Now for the pattern review.<br />
<b>The good</b>: I love this dress. I wouldn't change a thing about the pattern. The only thing about how it wears is the fabric. The cotton sateen grew a size or two when I wore it for a day. It was nice to have extra room after a large dinner, but overall, that isn't really ideal. I'll have to find a fabric with give, but that doesn't grow out of control. Suggestions welcome.<br />
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<b>The complaints</b>: Once again, I am not a fan of how the pattern
pieces are all drawn on the same pieces of paper. The pieces are
overlapping and it is sometimes difficult to follow the right lines.
Not impossible, but kind of a pain. Once you get through that, it is easy and worth it.<br />
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Here is Gertie's first book (which I highly recommend).<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1584799919/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1584799919&linkCode=as2&tag=thsela-20" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1584799919&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thsela-20" /></a></div>
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<b>Housekeeping</b>: I have been meaning to write a review of Gertie's newer book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617690740/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1617690740&linkCode=as2&tag=thsela-20&linkId=K4DYDM3TT3VWWU2Q" target="_blank">Gertie Sews Vintage Casual</a> for awhile, but have been hesitant. The sewing community is so positive (which is what makes you awesome) but this review isn't. I pre-ordered this book and was so excited to get it, but I couldn't have been more disappointed. She discussed on her blog that she lost weight and I suspect that it really made a difference in the type of patterns she produced. NONE of the patterns looked like they were flattering for fuller figures. Sure, there are some plus-size models in the book, but the clothes really looked terrible on these beautiful models. Only buy this book if you don't have curves. It would also be useful to be a size six. It could be that I am just experiencing the opposite of what less curvy girls thought of the first book.<br />
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I have also been procrastinating on another review... I ordered a lingerie kit from Gertie's Etsy store some time ago and was disappointed in the customer service. It arrived very late (four weeks later than promised) and several of my emails were never answered - when it was only a week late, I noticed a new color came in and asked if I could switch. Then a couple of weeks later I inquired again about the order. I never heard back at all. I understand if a switch can't be made, but customer emails should be answered.<br />
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I was such a Gertie fan and it is so disappointing to see. I am sad to say I am not in a hurry to get any more of her products. Has anyone else experienced any of this? <br />
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Thanks for reading - can't wait to hear what all of you think about the second book or if I am way off the mark about the customer service. Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-56711112596615064942015-01-14T06:49:00.002-08:002015-01-14T06:52:08.780-08:00Decorating with Four Kinds of Wallpaper and Why Anyone Would Do This to a RentalI haven't been doing much sewing in the last six months. We remodeled and sold our house and moved to an apartment and I have been busy doing some painting and wallpapering in our new place*. Wallpaper seemed to have gone out of fashion for many years and now it is back with some great new designs. I got the idea after watching Flipping Out with Jeff Lewis (available on Hulu and totally addictive even if you usually aren't into reality TV like me) and the <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/thesewinglab/wallpaper/" target="_blank">amazing paper they used</a>, I knew I wanted to decorate with it, too.<br />
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There are four different wallpapers that I worked with and I wanted to give an overview on what it was like to work with all of them. Hopefully, if you are looking at buying wallpaper, it will save you some research time. I used pre-pasted, paste the wall, self-stick removable, and lastly, used fabric as wall paper.<br />
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*see explanation below if you are curious about why anyone would to this to a rental.<br />
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<b>1. Pre-pasted Wallpaper</b><br />
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The pre-pasted wall paper is the first one I tried. As you can gather from the name, the paper has paste on it already and the idea is to dip it in water before putting it on the wall, kind of like licking a stamp before putting it on an envelope. It wasn't my favorite method. I had to get a shallow plastic container that was wide enough for the paper, fill it with water, dip it all quickly, drip all over the floor, then try and keep it from sticking to itself and everything else (including my hair and face) while trying to have it stick only to the wall. It was also difficult to keep the wet paper from folding over itself and making creases that marred the design.<br />
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The first strip was the hardest because I didn't know what to expect. That is the one with some of the folding blemishes that showed up in the black part of the design. Luckily, they were all in black areas, so I fixed those with some permanent black marker. After that I learned to control it a little better and you really don't notice the spots that were blemished. <br />
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I love how it looks. I got the paper at Amazon, but I can't find the exact paper any more. I see similar ones <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008BG53JI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008BG53JI&linkCode=as2&tag=thsela-20&linkId=5RBW6U6RBGU5Y2VN" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0060S8ZGC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0060S8ZGC&linkCode=as2&tag=thsela-20&linkId=L5XBRGODBKTJ4SLN" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Bottom line: a little tricky to install and messy.<br />
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<b>2. Paste the Wall Paper</b><br />
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I love this wallpaper. I can't say enough nice things about it. I also got it from Amazon and it looks like they <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JPZFZG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000JPZFZG&linkCode=as2&tag=thsela-20&linkId=G5S7EZRGMGMFVR36" target="_blank">still have the same paper in stock</a>. <br />
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As the name implies, this is not pre-pasted - you need to apply the paste to the wall, then apply the paper to it. I was a little apprehensive about the process since it required extra tools and I didn't know what kind of paste to get. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0019K914Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0019K914Q&linkCode=as2&tag=thsela-20&linkId=KPPYTMIUTL3W4HKJ" target="_blank">Here is a link to some paste</a> which you can get online, but I just went to Home Depot and got one they had in stock and it worked great and I avoided the shipping charges. I also saw special wallpaper paste brushes which <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008JBQFUQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008JBQFUQ&linkCode=as2&tag=thsela-20&linkId=R74YOMQA4KAEKRNC" target="_blank">look like small brooms</a>, but I bought a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IJGYCWO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IJGYCWO&linkCode=as2&tag=thsela-20&linkId=G6OILDO3BBYXVR4Q" target="_blank">cheap paint roller and tray</a> and they worked great - no special brushes needed. You can get the roller and tray at Home Depot or Lowe's for about the same price, which is handy if you are there for the paste, anyway.<br />
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I poured the paste in the paint tray, then rolled it on the wall in a generous layer with the roller as if it were paint. Then, after measuring and cutting, I put the first paper strip on the wall. I was pleasantly surprised at how much easier and less messy than the pre-pasted. <br />
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Bottom line: This was relatively easy and mess-free.<br />
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On a side note, I see that the same wallpaper has been seen in Mad Men. I didn't know until after I installed it. It is famous!<br />
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<b>*And now a little back-story...</b><br />
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As I mentioned above, I live in a rented apartment. And I feel like I need to give a little explanation about the fact that I am wallpapering a rental. We sold our house in October and it was hard to find a place to rent. There were plenty of apartments, but the choices were so corporate with no character. When we saw this place, it was the right price and location, but also it is the farthest thing from corporate cookie cutter as it gets.<br />
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The building was constructed in 1959 and many things haven't changed since it was built. We have original cabinetry, counter tops, sinks, bathtubs (powder blue and pink!), tile work (with atomic designs) and gorgeous wood floors. We also have no dishwasher and no washer/dryer in the apartment, so there are trade-offs.<br />
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We live in a hipster neighborhood with some seriously ironic facial hair everywhere. Our neighbors are artists and yoga instructors with names like Giovanni and Skye. They are pickers and thrift store resellers and wait staff at the local hip restaurants. And they have done some serious renovations on their rental apartments beyond what is wise. Far beyond.<br />
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The picture below is the art installation outside the window of one of my neighbor's apartment. That is a mannequin with a TV for an upper body next to a pink lion and flamingo. I am not sure of the message it is trying to convey, I just know I really, really like living near it.<br />
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Here is the inside one of my neighbor's places taken from the window. I was walking by his place and he had left the curtains open. (I am aware that I have no shame, for the record.) He has put in wood paneling and decorated everything like it is 1971.<br />
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I love the antique TV set and the lights. In the next photo you get a better view of the wood paneling and the deer head and bear skins. I could do without the dead animal menagerie, but, hey, it isn't my apartment.<br />
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Here you see his orange chiminea/fireplace hooked up to nothing. I hope he doesn't use it, but you never know.<br />
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Other neighbors have done equally crazy things to their places, including installing custom wall book cases and putting in a four foot high sculpture made of broken mirror pieces where the guest bathtub is because they "don't take baths, anyway". One neighbor mentioned his next task was to take out the popcorn ceiling... on his rental. These people are nuts.<br />
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I wondered how everyone could get away with these changes. I even made a quick call to the owner of the building and asked before making any changes. He just wants it to look "OK" after we move out, which seems scarily subjective to me, but apparently he has a wide range of what "OK" means. I even talked to the maintenance guy who said, "yeah, we never hold anyone accountable for anything around here." That was all I needed. They were beautiful words.<br />
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All this is to explain why painting and wallpapering our apartment did not seem so crazy. I just wanted to make it a little more homey during the time when we do not own our own home. My next post will be showing the removable self-stick wallpaper and how-to use fabric as wallpaper with pictures of the process. If I am lucky I will also be able to snap a quick picture of the bust my downstairs neighbor made out of an old typewriter he found in alley behind our building. He welded it together (in his apartment!) and didn't burn anything down which is always a plus. But definitely more wallpaper.Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-76945988099298602862014-11-30T14:25:00.000-08:002014-12-01T08:40:21.771-08:00New Project - A Wedding DressAfter 6 months, I am finally able to sew again. I had to pack up my sewing room while we were fixing up our house to sell it and keep it in storage while we were selling. It actually sold to the very first person who looked at it, but until the deal is finished, you still show the house, so the process took many months. It is exhausting to constantly be living in a showroom. I also completely underestimated how creepy it is to have strangers in your house when you are not there. I would see little stuff randomly moved around, lights left on or off, footprints in the carpet. Nothing dramatic, but still, people you don't know are touching your stuff. It has an ick factor for me.<br />
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We are now renting an apartment and are since it is no longer a showplace, I finally got my sewing machines out of storage and am focused on a new project - I am going to sew my wedding dress for our wedding in May.<br />
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I have been drooling over two different dresses. This one, I found on the Vogue Patterns Facebook page.<br />
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I love the champagne colored ribbon. It really makes the dress. It looks like there is a clasp at the front, which I think is a clever plan for not having to tie the ribbon by hand. You can sew a perfect bow and then just attach it like a belt. I am thinking I could add a little elastic to the sides of the knot under the bow, as well. You can find a picture of the dress on <a href="http://blog.mccall.com/?p=303" target="_blank">Vogue's blog</a>, as well.<br />
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It is so pretty. I love the lace sleeves and the buttons in the back. Apparently, the person who sewed it used this pattern from Vintage Vogue V1084. </div>
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And I can't find it on a blog anywhere, but it looks like there have been some serious adjustments to the pattern. The front neckline looks lowered, the back bow has been taken out and replaced with buttons and a slip underneath looks like it was made into a camisole and attached.</div>
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The next dress I saw online was this one from BHLDN. The price is listed at $1,300 (on sale!). It is a way above my price range and that makes buying it not an option, but just look at it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvX94v4ZxmxGLLMBQzeZF1xENS2opKWku4WRGDzZiWZjqBsU-mi7r5ICJO4kplMC8I9NUVPmS-oGj90E5z62cgtDTGEqvE5qdF73FyrwYmfrlm_DQsb-NuYhGztLD_pobW6uyB1axPYE/s1600/Champagne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvX94v4ZxmxGLLMBQzeZF1xENS2opKWku4WRGDzZiWZjqBsU-mi7r5ICJO4kplMC8I9NUVPmS-oGj90E5z62cgtDTGEqvE5qdF73FyrwYmfrlm_DQsb-NuYhGztLD_pobW6uyB1axPYE/s1600/Champagne.jpg" height="400" width="278" /></a></div>
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For the BHLDN dress, I think it is closer to V8766, which I have sewn twice - once in <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2012/04/strapless-black-and-white-dress-v8766.html" target="_blank">view C</a>, (the strapless version) and once in <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2013/11/v8766-retro-feel-dress.html" target="_blank">view F</a>, which I made from a stretch knit. The advantage to using this pattern is that I would only have to add some narrow straps for the slip, then sew the other view in lace and combine them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEgTessAtS2_6xTunz5joePMernrGk0PKQC1VB5AiWhMdezoTmBv2P0VlPLF52uprrgWvU-8NeKPltJYiEhfSJYM3zPLDNyguOuwbYrzo7TsSQFr5miq8dJQXpWtvmiPKcrje4-83uGI/s1600/Post20-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEgTessAtS2_6xTunz5joePMernrGk0PKQC1VB5AiWhMdezoTmBv2P0VlPLF52uprrgWvU-8NeKPltJYiEhfSJYM3zPLDNyguOuwbYrzo7TsSQFr5miq8dJQXpWtvmiPKcrje4-83uGI/s1600/Post20-1.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
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The BHDLN dress might also be close to B5748. I have sewn <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2012/05/retro-yellow-dress-butterick-5748.html" target="_blank">view B</a> before and was fairly happy with the results. With this one, I'd make some adjustments to the skirt, since a circle skirt won't work with the border on the lace. </div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-hG1gfHMN7sIa2BryCdaBfmrAiJrVkoOMReCkmXDauGftth2Qx6fEs8e2IkDus3yLT4DQkaYOYQAmEbtque2XL7ZJ0xTQxLaiE4m-x1YJysRkqpzAxCx5BsddUInT-zwvuWksg5ciqE/s1600/Post21-1.jpg" height="320" width="227" /> </div>
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I bought seven yards of lace with a nice border. I also bought some champagne colored charmeuse for the slip. It is so pretty in person, but the photo doesn't do it justice. I don't normally spend very much on fabric, but I had to make an exception for the lace. It was almost 30.00 a yard. It seems very reasonable for this kind of lace, but way above what I usually spend. </div>
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My next task is to make a trial dress in some much cheaper fabric. I don't want to cut into my nice fabric right away. I have a couple of different options that I picked up on sale. I can't decide which pattern I will start with - maybe it will be a combination of all three. With any luck, I could end up with a nice cocktail dress. To be continued...Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-62009248903693068502014-06-14T10:35:00.000-07:002014-06-14T10:35:19.594-07:00Destashing for a Good CauseThis is a short post today about de-stashing for a good cause. We are getting ready to sell our house and we are going through all of the stuff we have accumulated in 10 years. I had to come face-to face with how much fabric I had accumulated over the years. It was borderline "looks-like-a-hoarder-lives-here" territory. I got a lot of it I got when I was still learning what fabrics work best for the things I like to sew. It was a great deal or really pretty, but some of it, although it is great fabric, will never really work for me.<br />
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I was thinking about donating it all to Goodwill with some furniture and clothing we are getting rid of, but I was worried about it just being thrown away. I recently saw a report that mentioned a shocking number of items donated to thrift stores are thrown away. It isn't that the thrift store is being wasteful, it is that a lot of people donate junk. They just don't have the resources to clean or repair things to get it to a sellable state.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Donation - 12 bags worth</td></tr>
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I didn't want the fabric to land in the junk yard because the fine people at Goodwill might not sew or recognize it as anything but trash. I searched the internet and stumbled across fantastic charity called Stitches of Love. They are currently working on a <a href="http://www.backtoschoolclothingdrive.com/programs/stitches-of-love/" target="_blank">Back to School clothing drive</a> for children. They also have other charities they sew for, so they don't waste any fabric. I emailed them, and the coordinator, Juereta, responded right away. She even drove to my house to take the fabric! She was so lovely!<br />
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When we are done moving, I am going to contact Juereta again to volunteer some time. I'm glad I found them! If you are in the Phoenix area and looking to de-stash or volunteer, check them out! I am sure other cities have similar organizations, as well. Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-36215231351352888272014-05-31T16:03:00.000-07:002014-05-31T16:03:46.319-07:00Plus Size LabelsLately I have been thinking a lot about body image. It is a struggle when you are into sewing and fashion and you are over a size 6. And for the record, I am well over a size 6. I usually cut a size 12-14 for the top of dresses, and if it is fitted, I cut a 16-18 for the bottom - a full two sizes bigger for the hips. I am classified as plus size. For me, this has been a tough term to own.<br />
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Some of the issue is the models. They look like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwcNnk9svnu-zumAHkewoZvWGrzetfJp5QhyphenhyphenvU7gm9tB71RxAAB_fnmuiFDiOxhiDnpARFfvFIRicR5ScN_lrE9UhLvrxFfZPqQ6cvi3R-FygMM1IheztNteV2W5Wr4bIUvQpzVm-3fw/s1600/Post84-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwcNnk9svnu-zumAHkewoZvWGrzetfJp5QhyphenhyphenvU7gm9tB71RxAAB_fnmuiFDiOxhiDnpARFfvFIRicR5ScN_lrE9UhLvrxFfZPqQ6cvi3R-FygMM1IheztNteV2W5Wr4bIUvQpzVm-3fw/s1600/Post84-1.jpg" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
(I want to take them home and feed them, the poor, hungry things.)<br />
And I look like this even when some good lighting and clever angles are employed. <br />
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Which, when you spend too much time comparing yourself to, can set you down the path to some unnecessary and unproductive self-loathing. (This dress is Burda 7053, which I haven't blogged about yet.)<br />
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To make things more difficult, it seems like you have two choices - hate your own body and constantly be on a diet with the goal of being unhealthily thin and then hating yourself more when you always come up short, or in a state where you say "I'm ok.", which is totally frowned on. You can't embrace your size if you aren't a size 0. You can't win. <br />
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I do plenty of this to myself, but outside forces don't make it easier. These are all things that were said to me or about me in the past:<br />
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<li><b>That is a great outfit for a larger woman</b>. Read: It is really the best you can do given that you are dealing with all that fat. I mean, a thin woman would do something else better, but this hides you pretty well. </li>
<li><b>You have such a pretty face</b>. Read: the rest of you is kind of a wreck, but if I just look at your face, I can see something ok.</li>
<li><b>She is nice, but the thing is, she has a big butt</b>. I overheard this one when I was 17. For the record, I was 20 pounds thinner than I am now. A guy I went on a couple dates with but we decided we were just friends was talking to the guy I thought I was flirting successfully with. The second guy did an about-face after that conversation I overheard them having. I was hurt at the time. I found out 15 years later that the second guy is gay and likely looking for an excuse, but I didn't know that at the time.</li>
<li><b>Since you've had kids, this kind of jeans will work for you.</b> This one was from an employee at a clothes store when I was getting help picking out jeans to try on. For the record - I have never had children and didn't mention anything about it during our 15-second interaction when I asked for help. But apparently, my hips tell a story of multiple births.</li>
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I am hardly alone in my struggles. A lot of women struggle with the same kinds of issues. But I now officially am going to own the label "Plus Size". And I am also going to still exercise and eat clean and know that it doesn't mean that I hate who I am. Spending any amount of time hating our own bodies is destructive and I am not going to do it. I recognize that I may have to remind myself of this again. <br />
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I'll close with a shout-out to someone who I think is doing it right. It's Carolyn from the blog <a href="http://sewingfantaticdiary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Diary of a Sewing Fanatic</a>. In a world of very young, adorable and popular size 2 sewing bloggers, Carolyn is a plus-sized grandmother. She has posted about the unkind comments people have made about her size and it is so nice to see her get so much support from her readers. Plus, I love seeing her projects, reading about her obsession with Olivia Pope's wardrobe on Scandal, her positive outlook on life and her addiction to buying fabric that I totally relate to. She doesn't define herself by her size and neither should the rest of us. If you don't read her blog already, check it out. Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-7244936195252164162014-05-09T23:29:00.001-07:002014-05-09T23:29:49.778-07:00Upcycle: A retro dress from a thrift store curtain - V8789This dress was a curtain in a former life. Now it is Vogue 8789.<br />
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Lately, I've been reading blog posts about upcycling and refashioning. These are creative people who take a horrible dresses and make something great. A great example is Nout from <a href="http://sandpaperkissesblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/diy-denim-dress-refashion/" target="_blank">Sandpaper Kisses</a>. She says she doesn't sew, but I don't think the evidence supports her claim. This is her amazing dress transformation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture from Sandpaperkissesblog.wordpress.com</td></tr>
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She is completely adorable and this dress is so cute! (<a href="http://sandpaperkissesblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/diy-denim-dress-refashion/" target="_blank">Check out her blog</a>) It made me want to run out and do the same thing.<br />
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So I went to the thrift store and tried to find something to remake. I had a hard time. Don't get me wrong, I found lots of horrible clothes, but I must lack the ability to see the diamond in the rough. I found myself in the curtain section and saw a panel with pretty stripes for only $3.99. I bought it and made a dress. Which I am not sure even counts towards my refashion goal since essentially all I did was buy fabric and make clothes, which is exactly what I usually do and didn't require any great vision. I'm baby stepping into this whole refashion thing.<br />
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I sewed view A of Vogue 8789 with one modification.<br />
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Gathered skirts never look good on me. Ever. They just end up looking bulky and hide my waist. Since my hips are wide and my booty expansive, that ends up being all you can see. No bueno.<br />
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Instead, I used the Dirndl skirt pattern from Burda (<a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2012/04/bombshell-dress-part-2.html" target="_blank">the same one I used for the Bombshell dress</a>) and I can't seem to find it on the Burda site any more or I would include a link. However, it is a 3/4 skirt that is not gathered or pleated at all.<br />
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Using the limited amount of fabric (one curtain panel) and matching the stripes was a challenge. <br />
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Here is the back of the dress. <br />
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For the belt, I covered a bit of elastic with fabric and used eyehooks for closures. The dress is fully lined in a white cotton fabric because the curtain material is quite thin and made of polyester and the cotton is nice next to my skin. The zipper is an invisible zipper with the lining hand-sewn onto it on the inside.<br />
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<b>Final Details:</b><br />
Dress Fabric: 3.99<br />
Cotton Muslin Lining: 12.00<br />
Zipper: $3.00<br />
Elastic from another project -0-<br />
Eyehooks from another project -0-<br />
Total: About $19.00 USDCheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-34780136556745810572014-05-01T22:24:00.000-07:002014-05-01T22:24:07.206-07:00New Sewing Machine - Bernina 1008I got a new (to me) sewing machine a few weeks ago and I thought I would share how it is going. When I was deciding which one to purchase, I scoured the sewing blogs for recommendations, so maybe this will help someone else, as well. <br />
<br />
Here were my requirements: something that does a really great straight stitch, zig-zag and a button hole. And it had to go faster than my current machine. I realized that although the embroidery is really cool, I wouldn't really use it that much. <br />
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While I was looking for a good machine, I got a marketing e-mail from Burda advertising a partner company's machine on a great sale. I thought I would check it out, so I clicked the link in the e-mail... I shouldn't REFUSE to look at a good deal. The machine looked fancy, but the sale price was about $15,000. Really? For that price, I'd want it to do more than sew. I want it to also make really good coffee, clean my toilet, and insist that I look at least 10 years younger than my actual age. Flawlessly.<br />
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I ended up going with the all mechanical Bernina 1008. I found out new ones are expensive - over $1000. But I got obsessive about checking e-Bay and I got one that must be at least 10 years old for about 350.00. It came with the foot pedal/wall cord, but only one foot. Still, it seems like a decent deal. Here are the pros and cons.<br />
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<b>Pros </b><br />
<ul>
<li>It is definitely faster than my old Singer Confidence Quilter.</li>
<li>It does a cleaner stitch and is fairly easy to switch stitches. </li>
<li>The thread length is much easier to adjust than my older machine.</li>
<li> The easy-remove foot is very cool. If I had more than one foot, this would be even better.</li>
<li>I like the button-hole feature - it isn't perfect, but my old machine didn't do this well at all.</li>
<li>No computer, which may not be a pro for some people, but I like a lot. My old machine was fussy and the computer didn't always work right. This is all mechanical and from what I am reading, the machine should last forever. </li>
<li>It has a smaller arm so I can fit round sleeves over the arm to sew.</li>
<li>The light is really bright and makes it easy to see what I am sewing.</li>
</ul>
<b>Cons</b><br />
<ul>
<li>It takes a little getting used to the needle not automatically stopping at the highest point. It stops wherever you darn well stop. This caused me to have to re-thread the needle a few times at first when making the next stitch after cutting.</li>
<li>I do miss the needle threading attachment that drops down on my other machine.</li>
<li>Bobbin is front-loading, not top-loading. I liked being able to see the bobbin through the clear cover on top and seeing just how much thread I had left. Plus, it is a little more of a pain to load. Not overly horrible, but not as easy. </li>
<li>The clutch is stuck in the off position which means that the needle will move when trying to wind a bobbin. I will either have to invest in a bobbin winder or just keep my old sewing machine around for it. I googled stuck clutch on Bernina, but none of the solutions offered worked for me. I will have to take it in to get serviced and see if there is something that can be done.</li>
<li>Holy cow, the feet are expensive. 30.00 minimum per foot is what I am seeing. I regularly use the zipper foot, the blind hem and I was thinking about getting a walking foot since I am sewing with knits more.</li>
</ul>
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Next up: get some new feet. I looked on e-Bay and noticed that the feet are sold as Bernina old style foot and Bernina new style foot. Huh? How do I know? It turns out that the newer ones are square and have a notch at the back. Mine is rounded with no notch. Old style, it is.<br />
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Here are some of the different stitches that the machine does. They are pretty, but the reality is that I won't likely use most of them.<br />
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And the buttonhole. Not great, but better than what I had. And some of the problems are likely just me getting used to the machine. <br />
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Overall, I am happy so far. I got a decent price, and although the
machine is probably far from new, it should last for many more years. I
can't say that about many computerized machines- or at least not the
ones in my budget range. <br />
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Anyone else have any luck with a Bernina? Any solutions for the clutch that don't require taking it in? Or maybe there is another machine that you love and can recommend?Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-87349419612505535042014-04-06T11:01:00.003-07:002014-04-06T11:01:40.974-07:00Lovely Vintage Patterns for Sale - 140 of them all at once!I am selling <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/281303658010?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2648" target="_blank">140 lovely vintage patterns on e-bay</a> right now. If you are interested in picking up a lot of patterns for not much money, head right over. I have also pasted the link below if the link above doesn't work for you for any reason.<br />
These are lovely, but I have at least 50 more that I am keeping, as well. That is just a shameless number that my little sewing room can't hold. I really like these dresses. There is everything from the 40's to the 70's in this collection.<br />
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The whole pile.<br />
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Some examples of what the stash contains.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/281303658010?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2648">http://www.ebay.com/itm/281303658010?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2648</a> <br />
<br />Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-67742172155528455722014-04-05T11:15:00.000-07:002015-06-19T15:45:01.632-07:00Wild Ginger Cameo 5 Patternmaking Software Part 2A few people have contacted me to ask about how it is going with the Cameo 5 pattern drafting software after reading <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2013/12/wild-ginger-came0-5-patternmaking.html" target="_blank">my first post about it</a>, so I thought I would do a quick update... the truth is that it isn't going as well as I had hoped. I haven't produced a pattern with successful grading at this point. But, to be fair, I haven't spent an enormous amount of time on it. I spend about a Saturday every 3-4 weeks, during which time I have to relearn some of what I learned the last time, then become extremely frustrated at not getting any workable items out of it. So, it doesn't inspire me to rush back to tinkering with it.<br />
<br />
The software was expensive (around $2,000) and not being able to use it is disappointing and frustrating me. But not because the product is inherently bad... mostly because I am finding the resources to learn how it works are slim and the learning curve very steep. There are some tutorials that are included and I was excited to see there was a book for it that could be purchased for $35.00. I purchased the book, only to find that the information is exactly the same as what is available in the tutorials already, but just written out. I got the book to get more information and expected to find it for that price. I don't find the explanations provided sufficient to make this product work. I am a computer geek for a living. I know my way around a computer, but this is really tough.<br />
<br />
Here are some examples of what is frustrating me.<br />
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<b>1. Funky mysterious curves when grading.</b> This is a sleeve from the Project Peggy dress pattern I put up for free on Craftsy. (<a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2012/12/project-peggy-dress-free-pattern.html" target="_blank">Here is my post about making the pattern and pictures of the dress</a>)<br />
I drew the sleeve in the pattern designer and here are the results when trying to grade it. I have gone back to the original pattern piece so many times to try and correct whatever I can, but I can't see what might be creating this mess. It is also impossible to redraw the lines manually at this point. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WhizT9tVRrNtG2CYWh_oP5MbzMc1KtQiq5khSXiIZxPLirWBIbG-DszwGYCwvjaDBJVAP4E8ffUsZiQJJbQnllN3GSZhr3w6WGIgN4Bw6xrXZEVOaLD1VXPd_ufcHPf7sDzpWqO0Y-E/s1600/Post80-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKz1m3XG5TM4jEuU9m4nMYbreCm1bYFmsQJ6VU4o-Bs3Ap1FdxQ1Cm_Ym6PRFPyL1_mSTAMPkQKCapZAdUUhPE2C4CTA5yHfwwkZw8jinTDrcTlRdosNcbeatZRIXnkLShB-c6Pny2HM/s1600/Post80-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKz1m3XG5TM4jEuU9m4nMYbreCm1bYFmsQJ6VU4o-Bs3Ap1FdxQ1Cm_Ym6PRFPyL1_mSTAMPkQKCapZAdUUhPE2C4CTA5yHfwwkZw8jinTDrcTlRdosNcbeatZRIXnkLShB-c6Pny2HM/s1600/Post80-4.jpg" width="629" /> </a><br />
This is another example on some neck facing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsApwV3cf6VgsvrIZs8GrUQ3wwEibUinS5reo9Q-C_qjjcZwPZ5U99fKg60rWuoqzyjviOvcu-V5TFAP12IckxMr3zSSZdfJxaLw0mxK3KpnygbRkFt5PaRmukyaIyR0ASVP0Tkvr7Bw/s1600/Post80-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsApwV3cf6VgsvrIZs8GrUQ3wwEibUinS5reo9Q-C_qjjcZwPZ5U99fKg60rWuoqzyjviOvcu-V5TFAP12IckxMr3zSSZdfJxaLw0mxK3KpnygbRkFt5PaRmukyaIyR0ASVP0Tkvr7Bw/s1600/Post80-2.jpg" width="429" /></a></div>
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This is the entire dress when graded. It doesn't look too bad if you don't examine things closely.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WhizT9tVRrNtG2CYWh_oP5MbzMc1KtQiq5khSXiIZxPLirWBIbG-DszwGYCwvjaDBJVAP4E8ffUsZiQJJbQnllN3GSZhr3w6WGIgN4Bw6xrXZEVOaLD1VXPd_ufcHPf7sDzpWqO0Y-E/s1600/Post80-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WhizT9tVRrNtG2CYWh_oP5MbzMc1KtQiq5khSXiIZxPLirWBIbG-DszwGYCwvjaDBJVAP4E8ffUsZiQJJbQnllN3GSZhr3w6WGIgN4Bw6xrXZEVOaLD1VXPd_ufcHPf7sDzpWqO0Y-E/s1600/Post80-3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
But, then more trouble comes in and brings me to my second frustration point.<br />
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<b>2. Inexplicable sizing shenanigans.</b> Here is an example: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fi4Uiol-9GntZW18AhTe889QiMPLOFPzWBG8qigC-yXG-c4QstO7-nfucaQUfw3Ema0YEjaA5cqDhNgwTX2SzSMJaja2LIXCDmnxYV1wGLvxxceYWgZVoCin2asU1W0kGxrCtfT6SR0/s1600/Post80-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fi4Uiol-9GntZW18AhTe889QiMPLOFPzWBG8qigC-yXG-c4QstO7-nfucaQUfw3Ema0YEjaA5cqDhNgwTX2SzSMJaja2LIXCDmnxYV1wGLvxxceYWgZVoCin2asU1W0kGxrCtfT6SR0/s1600/Post80-5.jpg" width="264" /> </a></div>
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It is hard to see in the screenshot, but there are different colored lines for the different sizes. When I follow the bottom purple line, it is the last line at the bottom of the hem, so it is the largest size. It is also the top line at the top of the neckline. But wait... it is also... <i>the narrowest line</i> at the waist? If it were grading properly, wouldn't it be the widest one?</div>
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Here is what I am getting from this: Us chubby girls should wear the shortest skirts. You thin girls need to cover up. It is known.</div>
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I was thinking that maybe the issue is that I can't draw patterns correctly... so I tried again on a dress I created from the pattern library and didn't make modifications to it. Same issue.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifl-67KOrh9wxSQubp5sqrWqhzFBO5UHR6wLrZyUJzcPf8NcDuN6untn3Lnb1dM0E5wlKOo-JvfKY-XsK9hRkfUny4zVOitls14rWNPfpHLEk5pZF5WGHtrQ7AnGju4dzp17EmOMDZDEI/s1600/Post80-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifl-67KOrh9wxSQubp5sqrWqhzFBO5UHR6wLrZyUJzcPf8NcDuN6untn3Lnb1dM0E5wlKOo-JvfKY-XsK9hRkfUny4zVOitls14rWNPfpHLEk5pZF5WGHtrQ7AnGju4dzp17EmOMDZDEI/s1600/Post80-1.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>
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I contacted the support for Wild Ginger and they are quick to answer. Lisa Shanley is extremely responsive and when I mentioned that I couldn't get the software to work, she reiterated that there is free support and that to help me, she would need some files. She said she is sure there is a simple step I am neglecting and that she could help.<br />
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I have yet to take her up on it, but I am sure that she is right. I am sure it is something simple I am not doing that is also not obvious in the book or tutorials. The truth is that I don't have tons of free time to play in the sewing lab and most of the time it is far more attractive to make myself a pretty dress than it is to be frustrated by this software and not have anything to show for it. So, I choose the sewing.<br />
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I'll definitely work on this again, just maybe when I take a week or two off from work and can really get into it. They seem like nice people at Wild Ginger who really want the software to work for the people who purchase it and I am not ready to give up completely yet. But right now, I just want to sew something pretty.
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<a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=587578&u=1125951&m=42943&urllink=&afftrack=" target="_blank"><img alt="Pattern Drafting Course with Cal Patch" border="0" src="http://static.shareasale.com/image/42943/calpatch_FB_3.jpg" height="235" width="640" /></a>Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-14823829171469277222014-03-29T19:24:00.000-07:002014-05-05T19:49:55.781-07:00Sewing a Wedding DressI am on the lookout for wedding dress patterns for my wedding next year. On my search for dresses, I found a site from wedding dress designer<a href="http://www.lizzieagnew.co.uk/index.php" target="_blank"> Lizzie Agnew</a>. She is a wedding dress designer based in Belfast who does dresses with a retro theme. I was browsing and saw her concept of the "dress to go". This is the picture of the dress and when I saw it, I thought that it was lovely, but was confused as to why it was to go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBF7dC3mbkg5AVGAg2pmlBLzY9B8DBgzaQ3rbvMr8iIllzaxnXegPvpqh2D8WKDKGB1ge1acIf-qVtqwIhBlWxSIHwA4WR2vhmemg8_sWDOlLmOiQUb5UNiTVWcQeZs1ccfFIW4G2Nqk/s1600/Post79-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBF7dC3mbkg5AVGAg2pmlBLzY9B8DBgzaQ3rbvMr8iIllzaxnXegPvpqh2D8WKDKGB1ge1acIf-qVtqwIhBlWxSIHwA4WR2vhmemg8_sWDOlLmOiQUb5UNiTVWcQeZs1ccfFIW4G2Nqk/s1600/Post79-1.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a></div>
Then.... <a href="http://www.lizzieagnew.co.uk/dressestogo_and_things/" target="_blank">she has pictures of how the dress is assembled</a>. It is a high-waisted skirt with a scarf-tied around for the bodice. Brilliant!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-Ij8gQxcqUo-G6E8p3w1iM4Z2AeC5TdFA0f4XQhDgneyUiIAsSwiETfsKCuvnmGCZgL6bJHNul7P-DFdICBZGZGOG9dstYMM0qzSz9DbL9SfaKHuaVjHCsXtGfCGYLwsl8V_TmyNyLI/s1600/Post79-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-Ij8gQxcqUo-G6E8p3w1iM4Z2AeC5TdFA0f4XQhDgneyUiIAsSwiETfsKCuvnmGCZgL6bJHNul7P-DFdICBZGZGOG9dstYMM0qzSz9DbL9SfaKHuaVjHCsXtGfCGYLwsl8V_TmyNyLI/s1600/Post79-2.jpg" height="380" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqn2afNhNB33x4kbg7ThOxpEKb0Z2GOCleJTbjXzdSZI1pqXOmBFJczw3WVyH2VLOYMtykiNBcp-ETW-Cj3yCFGV-4vdRalXaGHS5unqK8gnsdyNiGxkqoEaAC8mYBlwTxEAcWby98oE/s1600/Post79-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqn2afNhNB33x4kbg7ThOxpEKb0Z2GOCleJTbjXzdSZI1pqXOmBFJczw3WVyH2VLOYMtykiNBcp-ETW-Cj3yCFGV-4vdRalXaGHS5unqK8gnsdyNiGxkqoEaAC8mYBlwTxEAcWby98oE/s1600/Post79-3.jpg" height="284" width="640" /></a></div>
How clever is that? If you have bridesmaids, you could avoid a lot of fitting sessions and risks of dresses that don't fit using this technique. And it looks so pretty!<br />
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As wonderful as that dress is, it is really the pictures of the other dresses that won me over. Look at this one:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjzvYCLdYmWxB2t7zevIkFKAUstVEpcMGvti9Km4O2CiSocD445Ab4o_eq_dfkZQ4e16KzO5MBZGedUvvYki-vmd37_7oK4DIe_dvcqofE8EXq-cyQoz1PIOwp6B_V4CJBZA-ClBhI5Q/s1600/Post79-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjzvYCLdYmWxB2t7zevIkFKAUstVEpcMGvti9Km4O2CiSocD445Ab4o_eq_dfkZQ4e16KzO5MBZGedUvvYki-vmd37_7oK4DIe_dvcqofE8EXq-cyQoz1PIOwp6B_V4CJBZA-ClBhI5Q/s1600/Post79-4.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
I love the sheer fabric around the shoulders on this one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymixgr-pyX4oA-mz2TAOoBPdavr_FfRbLiI7TS4H3LkbaAV5rFbvKHHw2zdxW4-Jsees8a810I6Ukpnm9r7wzJBwzKWtdpm9ayKeVLyFPYfLmF1uV_buaZHi9U2eU4jTjR3Hb28s5WkA/s1600/Post79-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymixgr-pyX4oA-mz2TAOoBPdavr_FfRbLiI7TS4H3LkbaAV5rFbvKHHw2zdxW4-Jsees8a810I6Ukpnm9r7wzJBwzKWtdpm9ayKeVLyFPYfLmF1uV_buaZHi9U2eU4jTjR3Hb28s5WkA/s1600/Post79-5.jpg" height="320" width="194" /> </a></div>
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The lace on this is so beautiful. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kFbSNrqKpKEqPabSlMf5ECj4JzXb8bo3Sayvo73rUMDIl4J28k5hgcM0HHPzfumr-7AKesdqqc5sQjMxU4oOQurGa2sj-GFg6KvlCuCzB8eCLyl1RrPzVj0ND3IhC9QuUIVhanrEQ0o/s1600/Post79-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kFbSNrqKpKEqPabSlMf5ECj4JzXb8bo3Sayvo73rUMDIl4J28k5hgcM0HHPzfumr-7AKesdqqc5sQjMxU4oOQurGa2sj-GFg6KvlCuCzB8eCLyl1RrPzVj0ND3IhC9QuUIVhanrEQ0o/s1600/Post79-6.jpg" height="320" width="208" /> </a></div>
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For this one, it is all about the bow in the front. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvcbbO-OAKgoIJQHl8XnbDKlu_BxIKuNwcPfORh-eoMTWJYOhxXdQxNQoyxCsNapyXMjt3NlycezE5DR4Oz_ryJiVwJsRd1hp8Ndpn5-idJ2iQ9pravhOmFWBk33R6PfdvTETixjDZk0/s1600/Post79-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvcbbO-OAKgoIJQHl8XnbDKlu_BxIKuNwcPfORh-eoMTWJYOhxXdQxNQoyxCsNapyXMjt3NlycezE5DR4Oz_ryJiVwJsRd1hp8Ndpn5-idJ2iQ9pravhOmFWBk33R6PfdvTETixjDZk0/s1600/Post79-7.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
I love this one with the slim skirt, too. The veil is a perfect fit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugW3YwiQSJn5w4ws90Qh9LY1R8aUFXJ-qxMltxsxvMioNBKd3FxoowpdyUx-xqixtdfzXgafwfJy0pZn_o0MazDK242qdEwkkwpLfCyN5Ky57BwmdKPSci7oHq0D5gYFmxhOzasVEoFM/s1600/Post79-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugW3YwiQSJn5w4ws90Qh9LY1R8aUFXJ-qxMltxsxvMioNBKd3FxoowpdyUx-xqixtdfzXgafwfJy0pZn_o0MazDK242qdEwkkwpLfCyN5Ky57BwmdKPSci7oHq0D5gYFmxhOzasVEoFM/s1600/Post79-8.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
I don't know Lizzie Agnew or get anything for having promoted <a href="http://www.lizzieagnew.co.uk/index.php" target="_blank">her site</a>, but I think her dresses are just beautiful and am excited to make my own version of a 50's cocktail dress for my wedding next year. Vogue just re-released one that looks promising, as well - V8999.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFOubBazwZ3-KHoq4o3ZN2UOYZkwh9o8BA33jw21FjEz6VfB56xGW0ut0GE7seGOZtlaF7-knInXkq15ApxqHzXFSVjvTrdZiZYJ2-IRcz1BE4Gj0H0SkRuQPvSB2gqEn3qRgkD30Sgs/s1600/Post79-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFOubBazwZ3-KHoq4o3ZN2UOYZkwh9o8BA33jw21FjEz6VfB56xGW0ut0GE7seGOZtlaF7-knInXkq15ApxqHzXFSVjvTrdZiZYJ2-IRcz1BE4Gj0H0SkRuQPvSB2gqEn3qRgkD30Sgs/s1600/Post79-10.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
I think I could definitely adjust it so that it will work. The back of the V8999 dress has a tie which I would remove, but otherwise, this would work well in a thick raw silk. Or maybe dupioni.<br />
Have any of you sewn your own wedding dress? Am I biting off more than I can chew or is it, in the end, just sewing another dress with better fabric than you usually use? <br />
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*All photos but the last one are copyright Lizzie Agnew. The last photo is property of Vogue Patterns.
Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-27671633553165253412014-03-09T18:03:00.001-07:002014-03-09T18:03:47.178-07:00Vintage Pattern Haul and New Pattern ProjectLast weekend I had a lucky find - a guy on Craig's List was selling his mother's old sewing patterns ranging in dates from the 1950's to the 1980's. I bought over 200 patterns for about 50.00 and out of that there are about 150 I am keeping. <br />
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Fifty of them were from the 80's.... and they don't appeal to me. I'll probably end up donating them. Nobody needs to see that fashion from the 80's remade. <br />
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Here is a picture of a few of the patterns I am keeping.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMtfOeJlo0K7Ykx1hwtD5xrkeosA5vdphcloSKgKIUUl8PevY8AqLASM8sIBh4a4sLOXmLtt4TUYIzXaQl5apzHVDpL3TXuuvBQuua8vb4wHxxQ8qeBKoEBOYAbPc2r1QRpns53TlN60/s1600/Post78-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMtfOeJlo0K7Ykx1hwtD5xrkeosA5vdphcloSKgKIUUl8PevY8AqLASM8sIBh4a4sLOXmLtt4TUYIzXaQl5apzHVDpL3TXuuvBQuua8vb4wHxxQ8qeBKoEBOYAbPc2r1QRpns53TlN60/s1600/Post78-1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I have opened up a few of them and feel like I am getting to know the owner a little. She really took care of her patterns. They are folded perfectly if they were used. Everything was put back with care. There are even some sewing notes about who the dress was for and if they wanted anything different done. Some aren't cut or used at all. It makes me wonder what happened. Did she change her mind? Never find the right fabric? Buy the wrong size? Would she be happy that someone is using her patterns now? I hope so.<br />
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I think she must have sewn for a family because there is a range of sizes. There is everything from an 8 to a 16. I saw some really great ones that are just a couple of sizes too small for me and I was really disappointed until I got an idea. I recently purchased some pattern making and grading software called Wild Ginger Cameo 5. I played around with it and used it to make a sample pattern and grade it. <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2013/12/wild-ginger-came0-5-patternmaking.html" target="_blank">I had some promising results</a>.<br />
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While I (obviously) can't take the pattern pieces and grade them to sell, I can try and put the pattern pieces into the software and grade it for my personal use. If this works, I would be able to buy a beautiful vintage pattern and use it no matter what size it is.<br />
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This is my first candidate. Simplicity 2959. I don't have an idea of what year it is from. I am assuming that it is from the early 1960's.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5ZZjszAVpiqkqNRSogAqEIv6LQ5w5Kab-XrIV6Jf3UbKHNEBdvjPUwCieDzTuUGy9lwM7i35m58RHor0cXNv5ZFq2wP4ycMEHkR6B9aMjVTI5j5bu012c7Eyd-p1VkUXF5kuPXr4tsw/s1600/Post78-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5ZZjszAVpiqkqNRSogAqEIv6LQ5w5Kab-XrIV6Jf3UbKHNEBdvjPUwCieDzTuUGy9lwM7i35m58RHor0cXNv5ZFq2wP4ycMEHkR6B9aMjVTI5j5bu012c7Eyd-p1VkUXF5kuPXr4tsw/s1600/Post78-2.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
I am not a size 11 with a 31 and 1/2 inch bust. But I am within a couple of sizes. <br />
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Next steps: take pictures of the pattern pieces, import them into the software and grade them to my size.Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-48469013467280837582014-02-21T18:38:00.000-08:002014-02-21T18:41:06.827-08:00A Cake for My Boss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No sewing news, but today was my last day at the company I have been at for 5 years... so I got my boss a cake. <br />
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When I ordered the cake last week I thought it was funny. When I picked it up, I still thought it was funny. But right before I brought it in, I had a twinge of doubt - IS this funny? It isn't like I wanted to stick my middle finger up when I left, I just wanted to make people smile and have an excuse to buy and eat crazy amounts of cream and chocolate. Luckily, my (now former) boss laughed and actually took this photo.<br />
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There are many reasons I am moving on to a new position - including a better commute (the new job is two miles from my house!), better pay, better benefits and a change of scenery in general, but I will miss the people at my old job. And starting a new job is always a challenge, too. It is exhausting hiding the real you for weeks on end. Basically, starting a new job is a lot of pretending you are better version of yourself that you were in the interview before the real you sneaks out. I must pretend that I am NOT the sort of person who brings an "I quit" cake on her last day. I am sure they will figure it out soon enough.<br />
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I didn't schedule any time off in-between jobs for reasons that now escape me. The new gig starts on Monday. Wish me luck!Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-32904400650564087512014-02-16T13:05:00.000-08:002014-02-16T13:05:31.939-08:00V8944: The Unintentional Logan's Run DressAfter a bit of a holiday break, I got back into the swing of sewing with an easy little pattern - V8944. While I am more drawn to retro dresses, I still need to make things that are more practical for work. Here is the result. Which I was mostly pleased with because it is really, really comfortable and really roomy. So, I wore it to work.<br />
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That is where the trouble started. I walked in the office and my boss said that the dress looked like the uniform they wear in Logan's Run. Oh. My. He has a point, but that news is less than awesome. <br />
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I probably should have chosen three colors like the pattern cover. One thing is clear - I can't imagine I will wear this dress again. <br />
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But my boss' comment isn't actually the only issue with this dress. I had to wear a cardigan with it because the back gapes at the neckline. It is actually worse than the photo shows. I have never had a dress do that. If I were going to fix it, I would have to put in shoulder darts to correct the issue, which would require me to take apart the fully self-lined bodice. I am just not going to do it for what turned out to be a Logan's Run costume.<br />
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I'll put this in the "mishap" file. It was nice to be sewing again, but for my next project I'll make a dress I have made before and I know fits really well. I need a surefire win and this isn't it. On the up side, if I want to make a Halloween costume with a movie theme, I already have a perfect pattern.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlODkdxrIJrexexk_Ho_IIH2L-YC6G0an1YiLeacDxHYM7c_vv8199q2Moel1gBzps65fVoM_Nj4IcBBDqDRiTXJyvkwYV1wlmQrZR-mBH_YchGTB38WxyQR_9XT32zdlq1We5lwI6NNo/s1600/Post76-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-66351216493159556972013-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:002015-06-19T15:30:57.775-07:00Wild Ginger Cameo 5 Patternmaking Software ReviewAfter a year and a half salivating over the idea of getting patternmaking software, <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2013/05/pattern-drafting-software-to-buy-or-not.html" target="_blank">doing some research and reviews</a>, I finally made a purchase about three weeks ago. After considering other products, I purchased Wild Ginger Cameo 5.<br />
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I thought I would be able to decide if I wanted to buy the software after downloading and playing with the demo. But, in the demo, all of the tutorials and help are either disabled or scaled down so that they were essentially useless. If that is all they had, I wouldn't have made a purchase. But the company offers a full money-back guarantee until 15 days after purchase, so I figured that would be the real demo. <br />
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I got three packages: the basic software, the grading tool, plus a women's pattern library.
There was a sale on Thanksgiving for 20% off and I got the whole suite
for about $2000.00 USD. Which is a lot of money, but there are three things this software can do that the other, less expensive packages don't seem to do (or don't seem to do well).<br />
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<b>1. The ability to sell the items you create</b><br />
Some patternmaking software has restrictions on selling the items you create from it. They are cheaper, but if I can't (eventually) sell what I make, it really defeats the purpose of creating anything in it. I wouldn't go through the trouble of creating something digital if it is just for personal use - that can be done on paper.<br />
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<b>2. Editing and creating patterns from slopers (easily)</b><br />
After following just a few tutorials, I was able to enter in my slopers, based on my own measurements.<br />
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While I am nowhere near fully functional in the program, I feel like I am making some progress. Thanks to the tutorials, I can slash and pivot, slash and spread, move darts, segment and make curved lines.<br />
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When I was making the curved lines on the sleeve cap, I was able to easily segment the lines, put in points and make arcs fairly easily. I have tried to do that with other pattern-making software and found it difficult.<br />
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The next step is to take them and make some other patterns out of
them. For example, I'd like to make an empire waist out of the bodice
and attach it to the skirt just like you would for pen and paper pattern
drafting, but since I was able to draw the sleeve cap, I am not worried about that.<br />
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<b>3. Grading</b><br />
I have only gone through the tutorial project for grading on Cameo 5, but what little I saw of the grading had me dazzled. Here is the result of following the tutorials and grading a skirt. Different sizes!<br />
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Making the measurement tables and entering in the data for grading is a bit of a process, but when it comes time to create the actual grading markings, it is ONE BUTTON. Grading by hand is so time-consuming, but this was so easy in comparison. Also, you can save the file as a PDF and it prints perfectly with markings and labels for taping the pages together.<br />
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To use the software, it is still essential have to know how to construct a pattern on paper. It doesn't replace that kind of skill, but it does make process easier. For example, I find that slashing a digital pattern piece is easier than doing the same thing with paper. Also, there tools for measuring lines and making sure pieces fit. I was able to click a few times to make sure I had enough ease in my sleeve cap. Measuring those curved lines is harder on paper.<br />
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The customer service seems good so far. I had one question about the purchase price, then again one about the
installation and they were both answered right away. Good customer
service is a big plus.<br />
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<b>Bottom line:</b> While I have yet to make my own graded pattern with this software (only the tutorial so far), I can see that I am not far from it. I am excited to keep using it and happy this is the software I chose. It is more expensive than PatternMaker Grading Studio, but this is already so much better and less clunky.<br />
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My next project is a clutch handbag that I will make into a PDF pattern and give away. I have some ideas and can't wait to try and make them into a pattern.<br />
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<a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2014/04/wild-ginger-cameo-5-patternmaking.html" target="_blank">Read part two of the review</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=587578&u=1125951&m=42943&urllink=&afftrack=" target="_blank"><img alt="Pattern Drafting Course with Cal Patch" border="0" src="http://static.shareasale.com/image/42943/calpatch_FB_3.jpg" /></a>Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-39871231172906360632013-12-26T15:40:00.001-08:002013-12-26T15:40:26.284-08:00B5235 See & Sew Jacket My last project of 2013 - was not successful. Boo. I made the jacket from See & Sew B5235.<br />
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I have only tried to make one jacket before and it was, unfortunately also less than a success. I took the Starlet Suit Jacket class from Craftsy. The class was less than great and so was the <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2012/06/starlet-suit-jacket-part-two.html" target="_blank">jacket that I never finished</a>. I gave up on that jacket, but here is my second try.<br />
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The result is.... meh. I don't like it. It looks blocky, I think I got the sizing wrong because it is too big. It doesn't look fitted like the photo. Also, it is too short. Jackets are longer now and a shorter jacket just ends up looking dated.<br />
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I made it out of the same fabric as the fabric for the <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2013/12/butterick-5813-dress-for-office-from.html" target="_blank">Butterick 5813 dress</a>, thinking that I could wear them together. But, I also should have seen that the collar on this jacket is all wrong for that dress. I would have needed a jacket without a collar for them to work together.<br />
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What ends up happening is that the jacket hides the only redeemable part of my figure - my waist. It isn't a good look for me.<br />
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<b>The bright side: </b><br />
I made a jacket and it wasn't a total success, but it certainly wasn't a disaster. This might work for someone, but it definitely doesn't work for me or for this dress, but I was still happy with the way the lining and facing looked together. It was good practice for the next jacket that I try.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of jacket</td></tr>
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I probably won't keep this jacket, but I will feel good about donating it because it is wearable and someone may get use out of it. Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-89267275053825887252013-12-25T16:26:00.003-08:002013-12-25T16:26:50.037-08:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpEzf0B0fsCWQWsNbXCma2Bhf1Jf24DFLssrh2uXewf1yAJz-gSdzHFhkX96kcgeSOzy9t924762Qw-iP4QaZ_SeBOG_xuG9C_E7MVmgG7AQ9_QfexBB0EXJmtXCBt3WJP1HLTycVjZ4/s1600/2013StartOver2_smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpEzf0B0fsCWQWsNbXCma2Bhf1Jf24DFLssrh2uXewf1yAJz-gSdzHFhkX96kcgeSOzy9t924762Qw-iP4QaZ_SeBOG_xuG9C_E7MVmgG7AQ9_QfexBB0EXJmtXCBt3WJP1HLTycVjZ4/s640/2013StartOver2_smaller.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Have a very imperial holiday season, fellow crafters and sewers. :)<br />
I am now going to return to my food-induced coma.Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-70036754148672158212013-12-10T19:44:00.000-08:002013-12-10T19:44:32.401-08:00Butterick 5813 - A Dress For the Office from 19561956 goes to the office. I like this Butterick pattern because it is retro but not in that "look at me and nothing else" sort of way. The result is a wearable dress. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU11Y-BIT5L6U3K2wg162fm8j6mnUQj9jgocJ_LF0whsgXgqnt8CEQbow3pBUqUUQEgqzprqbAnF5xB5fKsEnd5eHF3v8HSwJ4h9GROQptJBRIKNZ8xjuv_hLm0KEebbWNYLlVLujyCqA/s1600/Post73-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU11Y-BIT5L6U3K2wg162fm8j6mnUQj9jgocJ_LF0whsgXgqnt8CEQbow3pBUqUUQEgqzprqbAnF5xB5fKsEnd5eHF3v8HSwJ4h9GROQptJBRIKNZ8xjuv_hLm0KEebbWNYLlVLujyCqA/s400/Post73-1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
Here is the pattern cover. I made view B.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6XwORRUO_6on4jWp4K46P8mZ-RbfuRDVNP83HhNTp5cdcGOi-DlwpRkmgIAYMrjUtUDD4LHhS1XpwxmeS7zqAFgAp4ba5g5ymmJOHw9Gy9idqjjqLFxqS_m2hYx1zDc3w96iYNnTjpw/s1600/Post73-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6XwORRUO_6on4jWp4K46P8mZ-RbfuRDVNP83HhNTp5cdcGOi-DlwpRkmgIAYMrjUtUDD4LHhS1XpwxmeS7zqAFgAp4ba5g5ymmJOHw9Gy9idqjjqLFxqS_m2hYx1zDc3w96iYNnTjpw/s400/Post73-2.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
As the pattern is written, the dress has a zipper, but I left it out. The fabric I chose has a tiny bit of stretch and I made it with enough ease that I can easily put it on without the zipper. Part of me would have liked to make it tighter and involve foundation garments, but I needed to make it practical.<br />
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Here is the only thing I didn't like about the pattern. It is the front tie. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtofWsTEhIHFA8Ybmg19QjXTIQK_Rf4TXz50jkcxtScbYIflsy-QoT4vb53qABowMduzmI3S8NIxEjbD5AoRMKocLuZdowY3RGyempScpUdIi6FAUFBrUZ0Ke3dXWVN_tndqm07WY8kQ/s1600/Post73-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtofWsTEhIHFA8Ybmg19QjXTIQK_Rf4TXz50jkcxtScbYIflsy-QoT4vb53qABowMduzmI3S8NIxEjbD5AoRMKocLuZdowY3RGyempScpUdIi6FAUFBrUZ0Ke3dXWVN_tndqm07WY8kQ/s400/Post73-3.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
It looks terrible and I couldn't find a way to tie it nicely. It looked like five kinds of bad no matter how many you tube videos I watched on how to tie a bow. Clearly I am missing a skill I am aware I should have picked up in kindergarten. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-nBTswUqDoAO9NuErDMckQmXb0v_B1YB24jJS4OoLvNSnOW-ARrc8wA4f4qDvITHVZ6hxzPv8R8c16KugpoTHBZGox1PItIpqhK9f14mXZzI1ADfzSivY0dY7Gzykcdb-Wjf81yoxkQ/s1600/Post73-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-nBTswUqDoAO9NuErDMckQmXb0v_B1YB24jJS4OoLvNSnOW-ARrc8wA4f4qDvITHVZ6hxzPv8R8c16KugpoTHBZGox1PItIpqhK9f14mXZzI1ADfzSivY0dY7Gzykcdb-Wjf81yoxkQ/s320/Post73-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I ended up cutting the ends and making a fake bow. Much better. <br />
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The facts:<br />
Fabric 1.50/yard x 3 yards = 4.50<br />
Interfacing 1 yard = 3.00<br />
Total = $ 7.50<br />
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I think I will sew this again with a thicker wool for winter and in a smaller size so I have less ease. I'll back one notch or two looser than Joan from Mad Men "I can't sit down" level of tight, but tighter than the "I have to sit in an office chair all day and I want to breathe" level that it is.Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-67244217205654540252013-12-03T19:18:00.000-08:002013-12-03T19:51:49.626-08:00Fat Quarter Handbag Gift IdeaThanks to a great tutorial by Jennifer on Sew Mama Sew, I have made a handbag, just the size of an iPad, handy for going out to a coffee shop and bringing tech. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHimxfcPQwhmJMlMrmYl6MM4IPVreLsffBOf5NuC9F2zqveK_kGaUPhpim21x7hg5yHNYl3-_O0vGsHbLLbRnR4qa5hykA6dPx5MZPeO563ISpGm_jJVxsxxtFS-7UL1bPrWjTxd96pms/s1600/Post72-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHimxfcPQwhmJMlMrmYl6MM4IPVreLsffBOf5NuC9F2zqveK_kGaUPhpim21x7hg5yHNYl3-_O0vGsHbLLbRnR4qa5hykA6dPx5MZPeO563ISpGm_jJVxsxxtFS-7UL1bPrWjTxd96pms/s320/Post72-1.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
I like how it turned out and it was super easy. I am definitely making more of these in different sizes for Christmas gifts.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnd8ZkrzqKCF0rbFtpsQvi_x_n8jNz-K7jfzheUlAOxJ2lcabhaZ_QGlSJo3ZLjcZuHY5uh3PMJGyonid1qmyRD8LLu5GAXwUDUbPJmktVngFBtr0KOuarNjR-oR5rBCVBN8Xq_7GRUU/s1600/Post72-8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnd8ZkrzqKCF0rbFtpsQvi_x_n8jNz-K7jfzheUlAOxJ2lcabhaZ_QGlSJo3ZLjcZuHY5uh3PMJGyonid1qmyRD8LLu5GAXwUDUbPJmktVngFBtr0KOuarNjR-oR5rBCVBN8Xq_7GRUU/s320/Post72-8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from Sew Mama Sew Handbag Tutorial</td></tr>
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Here is Jennifer's version. The fabric is so cute. I am not ashamed
to say I went to three different fabric stores looking for it. I would have loved to copy this lock stock and barrel.<br />
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The steps Jennifer gives to make this are simple. Basically, it is just four pieces of interfaced fabric, four little tubes for attaching the handles, and some purchased handles. ( I put a snap in the photo, but I didn't end up using it.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvR__PB0TKyQ6xCReEAKqp-8WNjOamamjpV5IfawNsO6Z8QYZQpU97g3gKgxCbNWYtFSqRmq_QF1YamChhhkq8gdYXVo4E_H3-R9UAfI3E7AsoZELIrwO87RWPreszX1d4MXur4MbHg6s/s1600/Post72-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvR__PB0TKyQ6xCReEAKqp-8WNjOamamjpV5IfawNsO6Z8QYZQpU97g3gKgxCbNWYtFSqRmq_QF1YamChhhkq8gdYXVo4E_H3-R9UAfI3E7AsoZELIrwO87RWPreszX1d4MXur4MbHg6s/s320/Post72-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Line up the handles on the first piece.<br />
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Put the second piece over it, the sew. Then, sew the lining to the outer fabric. Jennifer provides step-by-step photos that cover the process.<br />
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The lining is the same material as the outer fabric. <br />
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Fits my iPad perfectly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWImP0MEkDXKtVD_Y36NagaJK6LI5zte7L8rbUVoUbC8DyY0QJAlLWMOmXTsTRc1-NUO-qJiOHrDBIJfgMuybQyYRkor8TF01c3KTMDESi8_jCOBpX4aZwqcEftpeQafAuDKrHf6Yu8c/s1600/Post72-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWImP0MEkDXKtVD_Y36NagaJK6LI5zte7L8rbUVoUbC8DyY0QJAlLWMOmXTsTRc1-NUO-qJiOHrDBIJfgMuybQyYRkor8TF01c3KTMDESi8_jCOBpX4aZwqcEftpeQafAuDKrHf6Yu8c/s320/Post72-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I already got the supplies I need to make a few of them for Christmas gifts. I think on the next versions, I'll put a little pocket on them to keep some cash or credit cards, too. If I line the bags with a different fabric, I'll have far more than enough for pockets. Quilting fabric prints are irresistibly cute and although I generally avoid them for clothing, I happily picked some out for this project.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sewmamasew.com/2009/02/fat-quarter-handbag-tutorial/" target="_blank">Here is a link to the tutorial</a> on Sew Mama Sew. It is fantastic and you should make one right now. Thanks to Sew Mama Sew and Jennifer!<br />
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Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-75723369711770834362013-11-17T12:58:00.002-08:002013-11-17T13:00:13.080-08:00V8766 - Retro-Feel DressThis is V8766. I made another dress in a printed Lycra. I am really gearing up for the holiday eating season. It is super-stretchy and comfortable. There will be no stopping me at holiday meals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_v0oDExhOAtDe99EJv-86u3a64I-9PIUYRFxkdqGXvtXEWAY_z9fSbaXTRT0-MfA6w1VojiaopundRSkVBI5M0ELDfRUMbmLl_N1v7-1y3m5GkdfGiBzQc15WEQAiYkF7wfZWF-4UsMk/s1600/Post71-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_v0oDExhOAtDe99EJv-86u3a64I-9PIUYRFxkdqGXvtXEWAY_z9fSbaXTRT0-MfA6w1VojiaopundRSkVBI5M0ELDfRUMbmLl_N1v7-1y3m5GkdfGiBzQc15WEQAiYkF7wfZWF-4UsMk/s400/Post71-1.jpg" width="295" /> </a></div>
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I have made V8766 before. <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2012/04/strapless-black-and-white-dress-v8766.html" target="_blank">I made the strapless version in a black and white print</a>. I love that version, but I have never worn it out of the house. I just don't go to a lot of events that would require a strapless dress. If we could reclassify going to work or the grocery store, I could say that I go to LOTS of those events. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iVmW4uuTuKzO2Cme5VRgM6fSbUa7DFHaYjhluD_4TfnZO6F7Eyt1WpawQEnVrUw05UqE4whDD0dgWvlD7Ncv_CwezOqyFyps9BLIfB6Le0Gbu6i2o1Lgnu2uRO6FCbuFwbnH0KUlh4o/s1600/Post71-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iVmW4uuTuKzO2Cme5VRgM6fSbUa7DFHaYjhluD_4TfnZO6F7Eyt1WpawQEnVrUw05UqE4whDD0dgWvlD7Ncv_CwezOqyFyps9BLIfB6Le0Gbu6i2o1Lgnu2uRO6FCbuFwbnH0KUlh4o/s400/Post71-5.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
I sewed view F from the pattern. It is unlined and all seams are serged. The only things I changed was to add a three and 1/2 inch band at the bottom of the dress, an inch and 1/2 band around the sleeves. I sewed a removable belt in the same fabric as the bands. <br />
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The belt is made of heavy-weight pellon stuffed inside a tube of the pink lycra fabric. I slip-stitched the open end of the tube, did a quick iron to stick the interfacing to the fabric and added some stick-on velcro. There are probably better ways to make a belt, but this was quick and has the look of a sewn-in waist band. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-gzg9Ee1uHI1pF5MMUKmHwJ8FXXJPmean5qbt2x-pOtCd2zL93YVM1lENgzwWsxBZRcsNfj3JZiz2RQTDR16_6ojiYYH9oDikp0D5AKbMM5dzFPckHhKc7D5Xg0rBZePtpIELycCkI4/s1600/Post71-6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-gzg9Ee1uHI1pF5MMUKmHwJ8FXXJPmean5qbt2x-pOtCd2zL93YVM1lENgzwWsxBZRcsNfj3JZiz2RQTDR16_6ojiYYH9oDikp0D5AKbMM5dzFPckHhKc7D5Xg0rBZePtpIELycCkI4/s400/Post71-6.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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The skirt is a half-circle skirt. The result is retro-esque without the miles of fabric that have made my past dresses so impractical for every day wear.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyu8K_7obYGOZazO1zgzlMqtm7vjTpyqWjkkZqz2jsD3TRvF9kiYsxXHO7qjJZ4Qqr0WD6-ZeYG3TYzQ_kPWohyphenhyphenaugizoCOy2sfMn4LSFmxF0V88nMnqoOVdR98CkrJ27sfFwMotLZpzA/s1600/Post71-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyu8K_7obYGOZazO1zgzlMqtm7vjTpyqWjkkZqz2jsD3TRvF9kiYsxXHO7qjJZ4Qqr0WD6-ZeYG3TYzQ_kPWohyphenhyphenaugizoCOy2sfMn4LSFmxF0V88nMnqoOVdR98CkrJ27sfFwMotLZpzA/s400/Post71-4.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
I actually wore this one to work already. I work in a male-dominated industry (I'm a computer geek) and my wardrobe doesn't generally get any attention or comments. Which is actually just fine. I don't want to stand out for that. Except this time, I got one comment from my boss who looked at me when I walked in his office and said, "Oh! That's pink!" then he changed the subject. WTF. I have no idea what that means. <br />
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Now I am paranoid. Is it inappropriately pink? It is an odd dress to wear to work? Who knows. I am not sure I'll wear it to work again, but it is still a good holiday eat-fest dress and I liked this pattern. It is quick and simple. Only the neckline on the bodice is different from a sloper, but I like the simplicity. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CKKtL0YnhP6Z6JNqNn4wixYLHwBSWoD6NMDMbH2wXakRVrNnhp1oI3ZjZ6zMbzJnZAsh5ILD-4lBuYmpICfXNY6hnFj8iu6W05Rlt-xefAigpy6zQTO-EtVmdjV4ODa7sU2JHD3Ftrg/s400/Post71-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="298" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh! That's pink!</td></tr>
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<b>Details:</b></div>
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3.5 yards of polka dot Lycra on sale = 10.50</div>
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.5 pink lycra = 1.50 </div>
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.25 yards heavy weight interfacing - 1.50</div>
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<b>TOTAL= $13.50</b></div>
Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283432893182314840.post-73955301744700089882013-11-10T14:03:00.001-08:002015-06-24T12:35:05.997-07:00The Weekender: Craftsy's Sew-Along Dress PatternI took the sew-along class by Craftsy a few weeks ago and made a <a href="http://www.thesewinglab.net/2013/10/craftsy-sew-along-review-weekender-dress.html" target="_blank">version of the dress with (most of) the fabric provided by Craftsy</a>. It was a really comfortable dress in a knit t-shirt fabric. Although the instructions in the sew-along were less than great, I really, really like the pattern provided, so I made another version in a lycra print.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisK8R2PMBfenSMn8qmMNAiGZQreinUoeL1ma6Xrztk4O49WLLC4tjP6vwczdOI2TosprL41kLoG54XvFoTWTIA1wrD29d6WpQr9FEjpfSdzigaq1EePdoTQz5GHriT5klkr4v5wGuPS_w/s1600/Post70-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisK8R2PMBfenSMn8qmMNAiGZQreinUoeL1ma6Xrztk4O49WLLC4tjP6vwczdOI2TosprL41kLoG54XvFoTWTIA1wrD29d6WpQr9FEjpfSdzigaq1EePdoTQz5GHriT5klkr4v5wGuPS_w/s640/Post70-1.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
I think I may have actually made something practical that I can wear to work. I usually go for 50's style large circle skirts made of miles of fabric that are super-flattering but can't be worn without looking like I'm headed to costume party. (Except for severe racism, horrible sexism and a distinct lack of iPads, the 50's seem like they were really great.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiziwWL1G_kmDv44D7zrf2427lkM_SOhzBlmsEL4b2YCzlLGHx8_tvySz9Ofoj-eF-UtBgFmX7zUGxdhAoV8oHS3zvgOOZktFZsFV8H2HvSZZOrs25Bb32l0XGIdX3o5KcjcdFdqrvWED0/s1600/Post70-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiziwWL1G_kmDv44D7zrf2427lkM_SOhzBlmsEL4b2YCzlLGHx8_tvySz9Ofoj-eF-UtBgFmX7zUGxdhAoV8oHS3zvgOOZktFZsFV8H2HvSZZOrs25Bb32l0XGIdX3o5KcjcdFdqrvWED0/s640/Post70-5.jpg" width="467" /></a></div>
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This is super stretchy. I like the fact that there is no pinching, binding or other discomfort when wearing it, no matter what I've had for lunch. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJPY-UMkVIGt_C7RImfho8-U8eUMe49RHvRy0m66XvGnXlUs69PJOFO4BnOToAWcrkABsriPDLjJenYnE_qX60KkZmalJvksfslnNsiHaz5neozIgCWMtAIC-ErjHCJwOO16QRrsizAs/s1600/Post70-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJPY-UMkVIGt_C7RImfho8-U8eUMe49RHvRy0m66XvGnXlUs69PJOFO4BnOToAWcrkABsriPDLjJenYnE_qX60KkZmalJvksfslnNsiHaz5neozIgCWMtAIC-ErjHCJwOO16QRrsizAs/s640/Post70-3.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lycra is stretchy.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I think this is the stuff the Incredible Hulk gets his clothes made out of. I could gain a serious amount of weight and still wear this dress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig56AQl1fj575wk944uJu4_ZEQ8uaFsaDCil5-zvop9QcvjPeuLUcXWUUok4i8TnGvSi1KwGK7tDnJJPIkYYtiyC1GsETm6nhqcjzIGUAN396en-1Ww3Uq472bW8JcRsEiUrPz1N2ovz8/s1600/Post70-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig56AQl1fj575wk944uJu4_ZEQ8uaFsaDCil5-zvop9QcvjPeuLUcXWUUok4i8TnGvSi1KwGK7tDnJJPIkYYtiyC1GsETm6nhqcjzIGUAN396en-1Ww3Uq472bW8JcRsEiUrPz1N2ovz8/s640/Post70-4.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
Maybe I'll wear it through the holiday season and eat... everything. I
would like that. Seconds? Yes, please. Dessert? I'll have some. Elevensies?
Yup! I've got the Lycra Weekender. I'm set.<br />
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I like this pattern. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHUTbjUbfbD4EXM_qZEf6b8X5L86s3w07SY5_vTdBTX52oaxoEKcTpHjEzaxavQmh8XZjZP6hi8Hkwxcva1aGmApWk4UcycisrruyCaYRq3M4_6PHibgcaYQncT9DMVJdILg_PwmjbB4/s1600/Post70-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHUTbjUbfbD4EXM_qZEf6b8X5L86s3w07SY5_vTdBTX52oaxoEKcTpHjEzaxavQmh8XZjZP6hi8Hkwxcva1aGmApWk4UcycisrruyCaYRq3M4_6PHibgcaYQncT9DMVJdILg_PwmjbB4/s640/Post70-2.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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Cheriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659088364165367101noreply@blogger.com3