How to break your mother's heart

I must admit that I was surprised when my darling DD chose sequins for her formal.  She is not a  girlie girl, very pragmatic about clothes and from next year will commence studies for a career that requires hob nailed boots rather than heels.

I should have offered caution about the bling factor.  When she started to make comments that she felt the sequined top was too much, I thought that she would come around eventually. But she persisted and stubbornly taking piece of black silk from my stash, threatening to wear it unsewn, wrapped around her.

I've got to admit, I admired her creativity and tenacity, but couldn't allow the inevitable wardrobe malfunction.  So two nights before the event, I stopped crying over my couture work and gave in.

I cut the same design in the black silk. The workmanship is sloppy and it breaks my perfectionist heart. But my DD is happy and confident.  After all it was her night!

I wore a new silk Satuki from Victory patterns to the pre-party.  It is a great pattern and the perfect party frock for Sydney summer.  I'd already worn it to a cocktail party the week before but don't have any proper photos yet.  Highly recommend the pattern if you need to whip up a quick dress.  My fabric width was narrow so made the flounce as a separate piece.  This works very well.  As you can see from our smiles, I am speaking to my daughter again, who promises to wear the top to a party soon.

 

 

 

by blingo!

 The top half of the bling 'dress' is completed (except for a closure at the back of the neck) and mother and daughter are very happy with our progress.  There is something so luxurious about the quality of outer fabric - randomly shattered sequins on a double layer of deep grey silk georgette.  The bottom half is made in sheer silk organza, to avoid bulk when tucking the top into the skirt and to create a different look if worn out over jeans.  The lining is grey silk.

I've included a lot of couture finishes on the inside including handpicked under-stitching of the lining and the hem on the organza skirt also has been hand finished.  Thanks for the advice about providing extra support for the neck band.  I ended up using horsehair lining and using tiny tailoring tacks to hold in place.  The layers of thickness resisted turning so only the top and ends were machined and bottom held together with tiny slip stitches.

I've removed all the sequins from the seam allowances - hundreds of sequins coming off with my snip scissors.  Four more long skirt lengths to go...and I'm almost crazy.  There is a lot of love in this outfit!

The bling dress taking shape

 A completed muslin, a happy teen...and a secretly relieved mother.  With Anita's help my drafted pattern needs very little adjustment. I will take 1 centimetre from the underarm seams.  I also had an issue with constructing the neckband which is proved too narrow to turn while it was attached to the centre front.  Just love the bra straps which won't feature on the evening...

It is still inside out in this picture.   My  plan is to sew the outside edges, clipping where it joins the front, machine the front seam, then hand stitch the facing in place.  Does anyone have a better idea?    I will use stretch interfacing on all of the outside edges of the top and skirt split to avoid stretching or sagging that might cause 'wardrobe malfunction'.

 

This weekend is a long weekend in Sydney, a great window to commence construction. I'm excited, are you? 

Pattern pyramid winner and THE frock

After another long absence I'm happy to announce Rhonda from http://rhondabuss.blogspot.com.au/ as the winner of the pattern pyramid.

I've been working on the 2013 big event dress - my daughter's high school formal - inspired by this fabulous gown worn by Lea Michele.  Actually given the likelihood of her wearing her formal gown again, we have agreed on a floor length sequinned split skirt and a halter top that can be worn later over jeans or a mini skirt.

Sunday afternoon was spent in a studio session at Studio Faro where I learnt more about pattern drafting and worked with Anita to create the pattern.  If you are based in Sydney or can visit, I can't recommend Anita's classes and workshops more highly.  She is an extremely knowledgeable and generous teacher.

The muslin was cut last night and I sewed the top. Magic fit first go.  It just needs a small gape dart in the section directly above the bust.  Hopefully I can finesse the skirt muslin this week to be ready to start sewing the 'real deal' on the weekend.  Working with $80 a metre, totally fabulous Tory Burch sequins the old adage of measuring twice, cutting one rings true.  Nay, make that measure THREE times!  

The skirt factory has been in full swing with two completed skirts - this geometric print ponte which I wore to my sewing guild meeting last Saturday and a plain black unlined pencil skirt that is wonderfully practical, lovely to wear but way too boring to post.  I've also made a cropped jacket that I don't love and is awaiting the right buttons that may change my opinion. 

Meanwhile...happy sewing!

Grey pencil skirt

 It has been a long, long day but I reckon my new grey wool pencil skirt has stood up to it better than the Ponte jacket.  This is the first of my self drafted pencil skirts which I'll be wearing as part of my corporate 'uniform'.  The drafting instructions from Studio Faro  include a zip guard - photographed below.  At first I was worried about how to insert a zip guard behind an invisible zip but it was really very easy.  You simply stitch the fashion fabric side of the guard to the seam allowance for the zip then fold back the seam allowance of the lined side and hand stitch to the lining.  The advantage of having a zip guard is a zip that glides up and down easily and a luxurious, comfortable garment finish.

I didn't use a zip guard on the lace skirt as it has no waist band.  In retrospect this was a mistake as I have to be extra careful not to catch the lace in the zipper teeth.  I used two layers of lining - one as underlining catch-stitching the seams to ensure that they sit flat and the second inner lining, which creates a clean finish with no visible seams.  I plan three more of these skirts - the geometric Ponte print from my original print, one plain red and one basic black.

So happy sewing and don't forget to make a comment on my previous post if you are interested in receiving the Pattern Pyramid.

Valedictory victory and something for you!

The sewing fairy has been active at my house, but the blogging fairy flew away while we celebrated high school graduation, valedictory dinner, Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement.

 

So what has the sewing fairy been up to?   Drafting pencil skirts based on a block being sold online by the lovely Anita McAdam at Studio Faro.  

 

So far I've made one in  pale grey wool and this yellow and blue guipure lace skirt for my daughter's valedictory dinner.   The fabric was a roll end from the Fabric Store in Sydney.  I love the skirt but I lost some of the tapered effect through ensuring that the scallops matched at the hem line. No biggie.

 

I am very pleased with my daughter's dress - a 'frankenpattern'.  The bottom half is from Vogue 8928 and the top half from vintage Vogue 9539.  I changed the back view to mirror the cutaways in the front.  The fabric - a cotton sateen - was bought a few years ago for about $3 a metre from the Remnant Warehouse in Sydney.  I lined the skirt with the same fabric and the top half with navy silk, creating a very clean finish and super comfortable  against the skin.  I'll post some interior photos of each of these outfits along with my grey skirt soon.

I also have to tell you about it the pattern pyramid I've won and must pass on.



This pyramid of patterns has had quite a journey down under travelling via Karen at Did You Make That? to dottie doodle to jessie kay makes to Down the Retro Rabbit Hole  to Rachel of House of Pinheiro to Almond Rock to Oanh of Unique Schmuck to the curious kiwi  to The Perfect Nose, and finally to Clio and Phineas where I won it. 
The idea is that you take one item and add at least one item before sending it on to the next winner.  Clio took the shirt pattern in the original group picture and added these two great patterns.
I was torn between the Burda magazine and one of Clio's  additions - the Anne Klein pattern. 
So I decided I would take both and add three patterns.  A great coat pattern Vogue 8862 and evening wear New Look 6401 and a vintage offering (pictured below) which I think still has resonance today.

To win the pattern pyramid just post a comment on this site.  I'll draw the winner in a week.

Slow and steady wins the race

Despite my best efforts sewing hasn't featured highly on my radar this month.  My six piece wardrobe comprises just two pieces - my dress and my new jacket (Patrones 298).                        
 
But I've run my first marathon - not a great time but better than 49% of the competitors in my age bracket.  I've helped my DD get through HSC trials (Americans think SATs, Brits A levels) and visited some remote Aboriginal communities for my work.  All interesting, character building exercises.

I made a muslin of the jacket for last month's sewing guild workshop with the lovely and talented Anita McAdam at Studio Faro. She suggested reductions in the shoulder width that I hadn't really noticed.  Her workshop on altering commercial patterns was excellent and I can't wait for the two drafting workshops I've signed up for at her studio later in the year.

Now my new jacket is by no means perfect, but I love the fit and the easy feel of a stretchy ponte outer with an equally stretchy jersey lining.  The cut is very flattering and I like the angled seams from the arm towards the lapel.  I inserted a welt pocket just below the seam which isn't visible in this photo.

As for the rest of the planned wardrobe it goes like this:
1) the graphic print skirt in the same fabric as the dress will be underway shortly.  I've recently trialled a pencil skirt drafting instruction sheet for Anita. I've cut and half sewn a test garment in grey wool (a charity shop remnant) which  looks very promising. 
2) the Burda rouched cardigan.  I've gone off this idea as I think a plain long sleeved tshirt will work better as it can be worn alone or under the jacket.
3) the black tshirt - will definitely happen but it can wait.
4) no nobody noticed this, but my original 6 pack only included 5 items!

I'm also working on our "special events outfits''.   I've made a muslin of my daughter's Year 12 formal dress and her valedictory dinner is even closer - 4 weeks!!!  I need an outfit for the dinner too, but have options if I don't manage something new.   Extremely excited about the formal dress - 3mtrs of Tory Burch gun metal grey sequins side split floor length skirt with halter neck top (with sheer chiffon below the waistline so that it tucks into the skirt without bulk and looks cute worn over jeans for a party.  Still negotiating designs for the VD dress.

So happy sewing ladies...and the odd gent.