SOS! I Need Your Help!

I'm officially putting out the SOS for help on my wedding dress.

A little over a month ago I wrote this post, which shared some of the inspiration for the dress and since then I've been MIA on the blog front. I promise I haven't forgotten about you my dears but I've been in the throws of working on the dress, moving everything in our house to replace all the carpet, moving everything back, and then finding a gorgeous new house that we're closing on in exactly one month. I'm in love. Also I'll have a huge attic sewing room. CAN'T WAIT to tell you more about that, but first I need some help...

So where we last left off I was pondering draping options for the bodice of my dress. I finally decided on a swoopy pleat thing (obviously an official term) like the dress below that I tried on last summer. I saw this tutorial on Burdastyle that seemed pretty do-able so that's the road I started down.

 

 

I first made a muslin of the Bombshell Dress from Gertie's Craftsy course with measurements to fit the crazy corset thing from the bridal shop that I'll be wearing under the dress. Below is a picture of how the muslin turned out. After I made a few fitting adjustments I remade the bodice, with underlining for structure, out of a mid weight cotton but I didn't sew the side seams together so I could drape the front and two back pieces separately.

 

 

 

 

This is the lace I'm using for the overlay, which I'm totally in love with and was cheap from JoAnns. (because I am not the girl who needs to spend a million dollars on fabric for a dress I'm wearing once) The one downside is that it's a little stiff, which might be the problem.

 

 

Once the bodice base (not sure that's the right word) was done I pinned it to my dress form and started draping. This is what it looked like when I finished. I love the way it looks on the dress form, but when I got down to actually sewing all of those pleats on to the bodice the trouble began. Because the fabric is a little stiff it doesn't hold the pleats without tacking them down every few inches. (hence all the pins on the dress form to hold them in place) I basically was doing a running stitch down every pleat with a stitch every inch or so. I got about half way through the process and I realized that I didn't like the way it was turning out. All the pleats looked really flat and smushed and not as

3-D and swoopy as they did on the dress form. I don't have a picture of how this looks because in a moment of stress and desperation I pulled the whole thing apart.

In the midst of this, the March BurdaStyle came in the mail and included this darling wedding dress which is similar in idea to what I was going for in that it's a strapless, sweetheart bodice with pleating. However, although you can't see it in the pictures, (here's a link to the line drawing so you can see it better) this bodice consists of two long panels that are cut on the bias and gathered on each side and sewn together, resulting in a seam down the middle of the bodice and no swoopy effect like my first version. The Burda dress has a different set up for the bodice underneath but I think I could make it work with the bodice I already have so I don't have to re-fit. I haven't pulled the trigger on it because I still like the way the original draping looked on the dress form and I just can't decide if the fabric will do any better with this plan. Plus, because this pattern is cut on the bias, I'll be using up a lot of the fabric I have left, which will limit my options should it not work out.

So I guess the question is, is there some secret to draping that I'm missing? Is there a way to make the pleats pretty and not flat looking? Or should I give up and use the Burda bodice? I've already traced and cut out the pieces, which is the most daunting part of using BurdaStyle patterns in my opinion, so it would be pretty fast to put the bodice together.

HELP! And also, thank you in advance for your sage advice. Y'all are the best :)

Wedding Dress: The Inspiration

I spent the weekend before last beginning the work on my wedding dress and I'll continue to work on it this weekend, so I thought I start to show you what's going on. This post will be about my inspiration for my dress and the next few posts will show you "the plan" and the beginnings of the process.

From the beginning I knew I wanted a short dress for several reasons.

One, the style of the wedding will be pretty casual and the reception will be outdoors in hot Texas so I knew a ballgown wouldn't really work.

Two, I'm a pretty simple girl who doesn't wear a lot of jewelry or like a lot of embellishments or accessories, etc and because I was planning on making the dress myself, I didn't want to attempt something super elaborate with a bustle or detailed beading or anything that would be really complicated and not feel like me anyway.

PS The guiding principle of all my wedding planning thus far has been "does it feel like me?" Is this a slightly fancier, white version of a dress I would wear to a party? Is this the kind of food I would serve if I was having people over for dinner? Does this look similar to the style my house is decorated in? etc. It makes trimming down all the options a lot easier!

Three, the fiance and I love to dance and we would both be annoyed by tripping over a long dress.

Four, I love shoes and I bought fabulous ones for the wedding and I don't want to hide them under a huge skirt.

So it's a short dress for me, and a strapless one. (again because of the heat factor)

       

  

Here are the exact shoes I'm wearing, which are fabulous, and obviously the reason for a short dress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only thing I'm still slightly undecided about is the drape of the bodice. I'm planning on using a bodice pattern with a sweetheart neckline and draping lace over it (more on the lace in my next post), but I'm not sure how exactly I want it to look. Here are some ideas...

       

So that's the inspiration! We'll see how it works out!

All images from this pinterest board

2013 Planning

First of all, Happy New Year! 2012 was a big year for me and contained a lot of the major milestones in life (aka buying my first car, getting engaged, starting a new job and moving in with my fiance), but I feel like 2013 will be even bigger!

My sewing room is officially unpacked and I actually started sewing a dress Tuesday night, the first thing I had worked on in at least 2 months. I can't believe I went that long without working on a sewing project, it had been so long that I was going through serious withdrawls. Anyway, I'm back in the saddle and planning my sewing goals for this year. Without further ado, here are my 5 sewing goals for 2013.

1. Make my wedding dress.

I'm actually starting this project tomorrow! I'm really excited to make my dress and so far I really don't have any anxiety about it, although anytime I tell someone I'm making my dress they act like I've completely lost my mind. These are some inspiration pictures but I'm planning a full post to explain what look I'm going for and get everyone's advice/approval on the methods I'm planning on using.

 

2. Try some new independent pattern companies.

Specifically Papercut and Deer and Doe. I helped proofread the English version of one of Deer and Does patterns, so now I'm even more excited to try them! Below are the ones I want to order first.

                      

        

3. Actually make the jackets/coats I was planning to in 2012.

I had grand plans of making the Lady Grey, the Anise and Gertie's Starlet Suit Jacket last fall. I even bought all the shell materials, lining, interfacings and tailoring supplies but between switching jobs, moving and general laziness I never got around to it. I'm obsessed with learning to hand tailor so I want to start these jackets right now, even though by the time I finish one jacket it will probably be so hot in Texas I'll barely want to wear anything more than a bathing suit.

                      

4. Expand my pants wardrobe.

I've made 2 versions of the Clover pants and I have one more cut out but I'd like try out a few other pants patterns this year. First, I'm in love with Sunni's coral Burda pants! I've had that pattern for a while and I've always wanted to attempt it so her version has definitely motivated me to pull it out. Also, I'd love to make a pair of Juniper trousers in a pretty grey linen I could wear in the spring and fall.

                      

5. Make something with leather.

I'm really excited about this goal because I just found out (thanks to my mom and dad) that the best leather store in town is just a few blocks from my house! I visited it for the first time the other day and bought 2 gorgeous skeins that I can't wait to work with. I'm thinking something simple initially, like this clutch, then hopefully I can build up my skills to something more intricate!

I've spent the last few days reading everyone else's resolutions and I must say, I think 2013 is going to be a great year for sewing!

All images from my Pinterest.

Bad Blogger Award

Source: google.com via Forrest on Pinterest

I've been practicing this thought a lot lately. Perhaps to my detriment...

Sewing machine acting up? Give up and have a margarita.
House/sewing area dirty? Give up and have a margarita.
Take a bunch of pictures of a bunch of things you've made for your blog and then realize they all turned out fuzzy? Give up and have a margarita.
Feel guilty about not blogging for forever? Give up and have a margarita.

So basically, sorry I've been a big jerk and have ignored my blog for a while. I've been busy drinking margaritas. And sometimes red wine. And sometimes home brew beer. (yes, we brewed our own beer using this kit! it's awesome!)

Also, it's going to get worse before it gets better. The fiance and I finally decided to move in together, so I'm spending the next 1.5 weeks packing and moving and not sewing. Then a trip to Dallas that will hopefully include fabric shopping. Then unpacking and organizing my new sewing room! Then maybe I'll get over my laziness and retake all the pictures I mentioned above? The point is, give me a few more weeks and then I'll hopefully have oodles to show you! In the meantime, I'm still reading all your blogs and drooling over their greatness. Definitely inspiring me to pack faster so I can get back to sewing soon!

XOXO

Fall Sewing Plans

If y'all know anything about me by now it's that I am not an organized, thoughtful blogger who plans out posts, takes beautiful pictures and creates lovely graphic designs. I'm mostly just a lazy girl who occasionally likes to have people appreciate her sewing (or at least know that she made what she's wearing), since no one I see regularly really cares.

So rather than show you my fall sewing plans in some beautiful way (like those ladies who take the line drawing from a pattern and add in the fabric in photo shop so you can see what the piece will actually look like), I just dumped the fabric on the floor of my living room last night and took pictures with my iPhone. Also, the lighting is terrible. I'm amazed you people put up with me!

So this (with the addition of these two coats) is my fall sewing plan. Or maybe it's more like a wish list. There's a lot of projects and I'm pretty sure I won't complete them all, but this gives me plenty of options depending on my sewing mood (aka: do I want to sew something difficult or easy, a dress or a top or a skirt or a pair of pants, do I want to make something to wear to this weekend, etc.).

First up are PJ's. I've actually already made pants (view F) out of all three of these fabrics from Joann's,

but 2 of them were close to the end of the bolt so I got extra fabric and I think I'll make the short sleeve top (view A) from the same pattern with the extra fabric.

These will become Anise jackets. A mustard one with black and white polka dot lining and a black one

with a red and black polka dot lining. (not sure you can tell there are polka dots on that fabric, but there are). Both of these outer fabrics are medium weight suiting. I know that the suggestion for the pattern is for wool but it's not often cold enough here for too many wool jackets.

Medium weights are better for South Texas.

These will also become jackets. A light grey blazer, view A (with enough fabric left over for maybe a pencil skirt) and something else with the black and white stripe.

Maybe a blazer, maybe another Anise, not sure yet.

Skirts, all pencil skirts, except the grey, which will probably become a Beignet.

These will be tops. The butterfly print on the left will be a tunic like this, the grey/blue polka dot

will probably be this button down, the black/white polka dot something like this,

and I'm still not sure about the fabric on the far right. It's from my New York fabric buying binge and I've never been sure what to do with it...

Next up are dresses. This pretty teal will be a Nicola wrap dress, the grey plaid a simple pullover dress, 

the grey and black floral will be a wrap dress like this, and finally, the pretty mustard floral will be a remake of this dress, probably with a dirndl skirt.

These 2 will be pants. The plaid will be these Vogue trousers and the hot pink corduroy (this stuff is BRIGHT PINK in real life) will be another pair of Clovers.

Finally, these might end up as some combination of suiting pieces. They're all pretty large pieces, so I think I can get a few garments out of each. The left piece might be a dress and maybe a pencil skirt. The grey linen in the middle might be a pair of wide legged pants with a matching vest and the black wool on the right will probably be the Starlet Suit Jacket from Gertie's Craftsy course, (I can't find the link to this class on the main website! wonder if it's no longer available?) with a pencil skirt rather than the one from the course...

I would like to add this last piece of fabric to the project list, but I'm not sure what to do with it. It's a really loose weave knit, that has pleats ironed into it. It's pretty see-through, so it would have to be lined if it was going to be a dress or something. I bought this from Joanns a few months ago. Anybody buy the same fabric or have any ideas?

Oh yeah, I'm also making a quilt but this crazy cat keeps sleeping on it so it's slow going!

So that's my fall/winter sewing plan. I'm sure it will change, things will be added and subtracted, but it's definitely enough to keep me busy! The cutting out starts this weekend...

Cynthia Rowley Take 2

I'm finally getting around to posting the last of my summer dressmaking! Now I have 4 or 5 "fall-ish" dresses I need to photograph and post. Yikes.

This is take 2 of Simplicity's 2250, yet another Cynthia Rowley pattern! I do love my Cynthia Rowley! I've already made this dress once, but something always felt a little off about that version of the dress. I think it had to do mainly with my fabric choice and the length. I used a really light weight broadcloth for my first dress and it always felt a little too wispy and young. Plus the bodice never looked totally right to me because the fabric didn't press well. I ended up giving the dress to my sister though, so I won't talk to much trash about it ;) Hi Allie!

This time I used a heavier weight teal cotton, which pressed much better and even though it might not look like it, the hem is a little longer. Those 2 things have made all the difference, this time around I really love this dress! (PS this has a weird pleated skirt like the dress in my last post. Seriously, check out the line drawings. Not normal...)

Alright, now I'm done with bad pictures and unseasonal clothes! My lovely boytoy has moved back to Texas officially so he can become my permanent photographer! Hopefully next week I'll have some better pictures of my fall sewing!

Happy Weekend!

Polka Dot Dilemma

I'm just going to come out and say it. I think I look like a child in this dress.

This is the dress I was originally going for(on the right), from the Spring/Summer Clarks advertisements...

Source: thestyleconfessions.com via Forrest on Pinterest

And here's what happened...

I used a white with pink polka dot quilting cotton I thrifted a few months back. I also used Simplicity 1873, a Cynthia Rowley pattern. Here's the good news. It fits really well in the bust and I think I did a pretty good job making it, if I do say so myself. It's fully lined with white cotton and I think that, combined with the thickness of the outer fabric and the pleated skirt, is my one problem with the construction. The skirt feels a little heavy and I think the pleats hang a little funny because of the weight. I probably should have just gathered the skirt, instead of using the typical, weird Cynthia Rowley pleated skirt. (is this just me? I feel like every dress I make with her patterns has a weird pleated skirt, either asymmetrical pleats, or just a lot of them. It's never just a gathered or simply pleated skirt. I'm not really complaining though, I usually think they're cute, just not with this fabric)

So, when I comes to the pattern, I will most likely be using it again. In fact I think I already have some fabric in mind for a fall version. I like the shape and I think it fits well. But with this specific dress, something (maybe the polka dots?) makes me look like a little girl. It just feels sort of juvenile, so I haven't actually worn it yet. I was hoping it would be a great work dress but, I'm already pretty young for my field and my position so I usually try to dress a bit older and I feel like this has the opposite effect. I can't figure out why it looks so cute in the advertisement but I don't love it in real life...

What do you think? Mid-20's working lady or 5 year old going to a birthday party?