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Completed: Magnolia Dress

I finished this dress much earlier in the year (like, January!), took photos a month ago, and am now finally getting around to posting it! I should not be this proud of myself considering how much of a slacker I am, but here we are.

This is the Magnolia Dress from Deer & Doe patterns. I’ve had my eye on this off and on since it was released. The design is pretty similar to this vintage Simplicity pattern that I cannot seem to stop making, but with some slight changes and a better overall fit (for me, anyway!). I love both options – one of these days I want to make that long-sleeved maxi with the big ol’ front slit, YES PLEASE – but for now, the short view with flutter sleeves has totally been my jam.

Also, fun fact – the Magnolia is my favorite tree. Just so you know!

ANYWAY. Earlier this year, Workroom Social was gearing up to release a new line of fabrics and Jennifer asked if I’d like a piece to try out. Obviously I was immediately sold, and was sent 2 yards of this Fleur design in navy from the Bantam line designed by Kelli Ward. As soon as I saw the fabric – I mean even before it was in my hands, but definitely after, too – I immediately thought of the Magnolia pattern as I felt like it would be a great match for this floaty and colorful rayon. I’ve sewn with Workroom Social fabrics a few times and I really cannot give them the full amount of praise that they deserve. Super high quality, beautiful rayon that is surprisingly easy to sew and comes in a range of really, really fucking cool designs.

So… the short answer is, yes, this fabric (or any fabrics from the Workroom Social fabrics line) was a great match for this pattern. However, I was skimping on yardage as the pattern calls for closer to 3 yards, and I only had 2. Not one to be defeated by something as silly as fabric requirements (pfft), I spent a couple hours one evening working on a giant puzzle of fitting every single pattern piece on my fabric. I shortened the sleeves by 1″ to get them to fit, and ended up cutting the waistband facing, bias facing, and tie facing all out of a nice lightweight navy cotton fabric – but I eventually made it fit! Go me!

After I had everything cut, sewing was pretty simple and fun! I decided to sew the dress entirely with French seams, as I love a good French seam in rayon. My quick muslin showed that I did not need any fitting adjustments, however, this rayon is much floatier than the cotton muslin I used and required a little bit of extra tweaking as I sewed. I ended up taking about 1/2″ from the center back, and pulling in the side seams at the underarm by another 5/8″. I started with a 36 bust grading to a 38 hip; this makes me wonder if I might have been better off cutting a smaller bust size. Whatever, it fits great now!

I also came into a little surprise when I realized that I didn’t have a long enough invisible zipper for the side seam! The pattern calls for 16″, and mine was 9″ long (not that I bought the wrong size, it’s just that I had this perfectly coordinating pink zip in my stash that was DETERMINED to use, shortness be damned). I figured that since the bodice has a cross-over front, it allows just *barely* enough room for me to wriggle in. Generally I don’t recommend using a zipper that is that much drastically shorter than what you need, but in my case it worked out pretty well.

Speaking of that invisible zipper – I’m gonna toot my own horn here now and say LOOK AT HOW GOOD IT LOOKS! After finishing the entire dress with beautiful French seams, it felt lazy to throw in a zipper with serged edges. So I used my remaining bias facing pieces to add Hong Kong seams to either side of my zipper opening, creating a very lovely finish that reflects the rest of the interior of the dress.

The only downside to making this dress when I did was that I had to put it in the closet for a few months before it was warm enough to wear! (yes, I realize sweaters and tights and layering exists but that does not change the fact that rayon itself is not a very warm fabric!) I actually didn’t wear this at all until last month for Easter Sunday brunch with my family! But it was worth the wait, because I really love it. The fabric is beautiful and hangs with a gorgeous drape, and I like that the neckline sits close to my body and stays well in place. The length is the same original length from the pattern, and while it feels a smidge long on me (I’m used to showing my knees, and then some), I’m trying to get used to it!

By the way, I took these photos in my new front yard! Isn’t it super cute!

I’m gonna leave you with this photo that we got on Easter! That’s my mom, my brother Mikil, and my sister-in-law Sarah (I know y’all are dying to know so I’ll just say, yes, Sarah is wearing a Sew Over It Penny Blouse). Love these nerds so much!!

** Note: the rayon fabric used in this post was given to me by Workroom Social, with no requirement to post a review or finished product.

Tags: camp workroom social, completed, deer and doe, dress, magnolia dress, rayon, workroom social, workroom social fabrics

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Categories completed projects - new

Completed: Marlborough Bras

26 Sep

Happy Monday, everyone! Let me help you kick-start your afternoon with some underwear photos 😛

I made these Marlborough bras a couple of months ago. Nope, I haven’t branched out to new bra patterns yet; this particular pattern suits me just fine! I love the way it fits and I’m happy with the shape it gives me under my clothes. I prefer this soft cloth bra over a foam-cup bra (although I do like those, too!), even if it does mean that people can totally tell when I’m cold. Whatever. I’m always cold and we all have nipples and I’ve just learned to deal with it.

Can I just say – I’m so happy that making my own bras has given me the options to choose what sort of underwear I get to wear. Those big non-seamed foam cup bras that everyone is pushing right now – you know, the kind that make your boobs look like half of a grapefruit – just don’t fit me right. I don’t have the breast shape to fill them out properly and it always drove me nuts when I had to wear them. I do much better with a seamed cup – and I’m even happier when I have no foam, or very very thin foam – it just fits better and looks nicer. I am accentuating my own breasts, instead of covering them up to create new ones. Plus, I have the option to make my bras out of anyyyyy fabric I choose – which, if you’re any size that is outside the very small “standard” size range (like, basically 34B / 34C), you know how hard it is to find pretty bras that come in more than 3 colors. My underwear drawer makes me so happy now! 😀 haha!

Since I’ve already made these pattern multiple times (seriously, just look at my Marlborough tag), I’m not going to talk much about sizing and fitting. I’ve definitely already covered that! This is a size 30D with some minor adjustments to the band and upper cup, to fit my body better. I love this pattern and it was the first underwired bra I sewed, so yes, it’s a good pattern for a first-time bra maker. Might as well start big! For more tips on bra making, check out this post I wrote.

First Marlborough is this one with glittery black stars!! If the fabric looks familiar – it’s cos I’ve already made a bra with it! I loved that little soft bra so much, and I had so much of this sparkly mesh left over, that I figured I’d made an underwired bra with it as well 🙂 The mesh was originally given to me by my friend Carolina, who bought it for me a couple of years ago in the Garment District. It’s a sheer mesh with a 2 way stretch and sparkly glitter stars. Whenever I wear this bra, I end up covered with glitter haha.

The entire bra (minus the band) is lined with black sheer cup lining, and all the elastics and channeling are from the depths of my stash. The hook and eye, bra straps, and gunmetal rings and sliders are from Tailor Made Shop, which is my favorite online resource for bra making supplies (especially her kits!). I will note that I finally figured out a way to completely encase all the seams with lining so you don’t see any serged seams – if you leave the seam that connects the bridge to the frame (right under the cup) so that it’s not encased, it will eventually be covered with elastic and underwire channeling. That way, you can encase the frame to band seam and not have to serge it (I hope this makes sense). It does require making your sewing steps slightly out of order, but I think it’s worth it!

Sorry in advance for all the photos, as well as the cat hair that is included. I am very proud of how this bra turned out!

My second Marlborough is a bit more practical – a soft pink that almost exactly matches my skin, which means it works great as a nude bra. I wear a lot of shirts that border on sheer in the summer, so this is a definite need in my wardrobe. Sewing (and wearing) nude bras is so boring, so I’m happy to have one that’s actually really pretty 🙂

The blush lace is from Mood Fabrics; it is a very soft and sheer lace with pretty scalloped edges that have “eyelashes.” $20 a yard isn’t cheap for lace, but it is when you only need 1/2 a yard to make a bra (honestly, you only need like 1/4 yard… but Mood Fabrics only sells in half yard increments online, wah. At any rate, this is a good nude color for me so I can make more when I wear this one out!). In my experience with this pattern, most any fabric works as long as it has a very small amount (like 10%) mechanical stretch in one direction. Like, the same amount of stretch you’d get from cutting something on the bias. Once I line the fabric with sheer cup lining, it has the perfect amount of stability and stretch and almost guarantees a good fit. I really stressed a lot about finding the right fabric when I first started making bras, but this discovery has made things soooo much easier!

As with the black glitter star bra, this whole bra (minus the band) is lined with sheer cup lining in white. The scalloped edge of the upper cup is stabilized with a strip of selvedge from the Power Mesh, which I’ve learned I like better than using clear elastic. All the elastics are from my stash; I tried to stick with nudes to complement the blush. The hook and eye, strapping, and rose gold rings and sliders are from Tailor Made Shop – the strapping in particular is pretty cool, it’s not like regular elastic strapping… it’s almost like a stretch petersham ribbon. It looks really beautiful and delicate with this bra, and the color match is spot on. Oh, and the bows are actually pulled of an old bra that I wore out and tore up – I think it was originally a Betsey Johnson bra. It makes this one look extra frilly and girly, which I love!

Here, you can see the eyelash edge. It’s very soft and pretty, and makes for a really smooth line under tshirts.

Just a few more things – upcoming workshop and class related!

I am getting ready to head up to New England for a sewing retreat next weekend, in Exeter, NH! I will be running a 4 day open sewing workshop at Pintuck & Purl, which I am super excited about! I’ve heard that Exeter is gorgeous (I mean, can you really beat New England in the fall?!) and I am so pumped to spend 4 days sewing with my amazing students – on Bernina sewing machines, no less! There are still a couple of spots left if you’ve been considering and are on the fence – you can sign up here! Seriously, it’s gonna be so much fun! This is an open-sewing concept, which means you get to work on whateveerrrrrr you want! I’ve been emailing my students and they are already all planning some great projects.

Then the following week, I’m heading out to Camp Workroom Social to assist Amy in her bra making class! I just got my hands on the pattern we will be using, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Camp is already sold out for this year – are you coming? Raise your hands if you’re attending the bra making class!

I’ll be back in NYC the first weekend of November to teach two back-to-back workshops at Workroom Social – the Jeans Making Intensive (which has already sold out!) and the ever-popular Pants Making Intensive (I think there are still a couple spots left for that one, but it also tends to sell out so I’d suggest snapping it up if you’re considering!). It’s been a few months since I’ve been to the city, and I’m excited to go back! I’m actually staying an extra day so I can visit the Science Museum + blow my wad(of ca$h) in the Garment District 😉 YAY.

One last thing – I have a new class series at Craft South! I am bringing the open-sewing workshop to Nashville – Yay! Tailor Night (I can’t take credit for that name, my co-workers suggested it haha) is select Thursday evenings at Craft South from 6-9PM. It is similar to a regular class – except YOU get to pick the project that you want to work on! As you know, I’ve pretty much covered it all when it comes to garments – so I can help you with whatever your little heart desires 🙂 Jeans, coats, tshirts, first-time pattern users, general fitting, seam finishes – I got you! Or you can just use our big cutting tables and awesome Janome sewing machines, and socialize with other people while you sew. There are always snacks and drinks and I definitely encourage some wine to tag along as well 😉 The best part is that you don’t have to commit to a whole weekend – or a big expense. The classes are 3 hours in the evening (which you don’t have to stay for the whole time if you don’t want to – remember, it’s *your* open sewing sesh), and they cost $35 a pop. If you’re visiting Nashville and want to get crafty for a couple of hours, this is a great way to spend a Thursday evening 🙂 And if you’re local – well, this is also a great way to spend a Thursday evening, and get to know other sewists in the area! If you’re interested, you can sign up here on the Craft South website and choose which date you prefer.

All right, I’m out! Here’s a picture of me and my dad, taken a couple of days ago. As silly as this sounds, I was pretty upset that I didn’t have a recent picture with him – so as soon as he felt up to it, I made him take one with me! Love my daddy so much ♥ He’s doing great and my mom is by his side 24/7! Already getting lots of PT and OT, eating solid foods, and we are hoping he can go home as early as this week!

Tags: bra, camp workroom social, classes, completed, craft south, lace, marlborough, nashville, nude, NYC, pintuck and purl, starz, workroom social, workshop

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Categories completed projects - new

OAL2016 Winners // Camp Workroom Social // Fabric Stashin’

5 Aug

Ok, seriously, LAST OAL POST for this year!
(OAL-skippers – there be more to this post at the bottom! Scroll on down!)

As with previous years, I had SO much fun co-hosting the OAL this year with Andi, and I loved seeing all the participants and their completed outfits! SO MUCH has been added to my to-make list as a result, ha! Thanks to everyone who participated! Y’all are the best! ♥

While we don’t necessarily consider this a contest (~we all have finished outfits, we are all winners~ etc etc haha) – that doesn’t mean we can’t still have prizes, yeah? 🙂 We had two sponsors this year – Indie Stitches and StyleMaker Fabrics. Our winners get a free pattern of these choosing from Indie Stitches, a $20 gift certificate to StyleMaker Fabrics, plus a free knitting pattern of their choosing from the Untangling Knots shop. For the drawing, we compiled a list of all the posts on the OAL Finished Outfits thread that were submitted on or before the deadline on 7/31 and included a full outfit. The names were put on a numbered spreadsheet, which we used random.org to pull the winning numbers.

So, onto those 3 winners!

Meg’s sparkly Hetty cardigan, purple Hollyburn skirt, and Eyelet Collared Top

Yep, right off the bat we have Meg here, making us all look bad 😉 (kidding!) She managed to not only sew her skirt and knit her sweater, but also sewed up that adorable little top with an eyelet collar to really pull the whole outfit together. I love everything about this, but ESPECIALLY the pretty ribbon she used for the button bands on her (sparkly!)sweater. Go on, look at it!

Irene’s Wiggle Dress + My Poodle is Blue cardigan
I love the combination of this wiggle dress with that incredible cardigan! The cabling is beautiful, and the dress almost makes me sad that I don’t work in an office anymore 😉 (I could really only get away with dressing like that if I’m gonna be sitting all day – which I don’t do anymore haha). My favorite part about this picture, though, is how happy Irene is! She KNOWS she looks good 😀

Helen’s Agatha and self-drafted dress
I have a massive soft spot in my heart for the Agatha pattern – it was the first cardigan I ever knit (a whopping 2 months after learning haha), and I still think it’s the best pattern! So maybe I’m extra biased, but I just LOVE Helen’s version! The color is perfect and it looks fantastic on her. I also love the self-drafted dress – hell, I’m just impressed whenever people draft their own instead of following a pattern! I definitely do not have the patience to learn that particular skillset hahaha 🙂

Congratulations again to our lovely winners, and thank you again to everyone who participated! I always look forward to the OAL every year, and so far I’ve yet to be disappointed 🙂 Thanks again to everyone who played along, I hope you had as much fun as we did! To see all the finished outfits in all their glory, check out (lurk, oogle, drool over, etc) the OAL Finished Outfits Ravelry thread, and the hashtag #oal2016:)

* * * *

Ok, couple more things while I’m here!

Y’all remember Camp Workroom Social, yes? (if you don’t, here’s a refresher highlights video to get you excited about it again!) Well, it’s back this year – and not only that, I’m tagging along! YESSSSSS!!! I’ve been matched up with Amy (of Cloth Habit fame), who I will be assisting in her Bra Making Workshop! I have been following Amy’s blog for a long time now, and have sewn the hell out of her Watson Bra pattern, so I’m pretty excited to finally get to meet her and bask in her lingerie-sewin’ glory 😉 Plus, talking about boobs all day? SIGN. ME. UP.

The bra-making class is already sold out at this point, but there are still a couple spots left for other classes – such as Surface Pattern Design, which is taught by fabric designer Elizabeth Olwen and sounds amazing (aaaaand I’m a tiny bit sad that I don’t get to take it! Anyone want to sign up for me and show me what they learned? :P). If the videos and photos from last year were any indication, Camp Workroom Social 2016 is going to be ridiculously fun. Not to mention, I am majorly excited to check out the Catskills in the fall! I can’t wait – October seriously can’t come soon enough! 😀

* * * *

Last thing! A fabric stashin’ app!

I am sure most of y’all have heard about this since it’s launch last month… but for those who haven’t, there’s a new fabric stash app making the rounds, and her name is Cora. I actually started using this app during beta mode (I was a tester) and it surprised me at how useful it has been. I don’t normally do well with digital filing – I’m a pen and paper kind of girl – but this app was designed by someone who actually sews and you can definitely tell. The app is very intuitive and easy to use – you take a photo of your fabric, and there are spaces to include where it’s located (should you be the kind of person who stores fabric in more than one place ;)), the yardage and width, the type/weight/content, where it originally came from – you can even designate whether or not it’s been prewashed! Once everything is loaded, it displays your whole stash in a really beautiful way that’s easy to scroll through and check out at a glance (see the above screenshot for a little slice of my personal stash. Yes, fake fur. Yep.). Like I said, I am not normally one for digital filing – but this is INCREDIBLY useful when you’re fabric (or pattern) shopping and can’t remember what you have or if you need to buy more yardage of something. I have been sharing this app with everyone who comes into Craft South because it’s that good! Again, her name is Cora and you can find her in the app store!

I believe the app is free for the first 5 fabrics you upload, so you can see if it will work for you – and then after that, it’s $6.99 to add unlimited fabrics. There *was* a promo when it first launched where you could upgrade for cheaper, but I’m an ass and didn’t get my shit together in time to mention it here. Sorry about that! I do think it’s worth the $6.99, but, again, I got mine for free because I was one of the testers. So take that as you will! At any rate, you should definitely download it and try the first 5 freebs to see if it works for you – personally, I cannot WAIT to take this shit with me next time I hit up the Garment District 😀

* * * *

I think that’s all for now! Tell me things:

Did you participate in the OAL? Did you make a bomb-ass outfit that you love? LET ME SEE.
Are you coming to Camp Workroom Social this year?!
How do you organize and keep up with your fabric stash? Don’t be smug and tell me that it fits in a small bin. Nobody likes a liar 😛

Tags: bra making, camp workroom social, cloth habit, cora, oal, OAL2016, workroom social

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Categories misc

Come Make Pants With Me in NYC This November!

20 Jul

SUP GUYS. Just dropping in real quick to let you know that we’ve got another Pants Making Intensive at WORKROOM SOCIAL planned for this upcoming November 7-8, 2015! I’ve had a few people email me and ask when the next one would be scheduled – well, here it is! Mark your calendars, get them plane tickets, and let’s have a pants party!

The Weekend Pants Making Intensive is exactly what it sounds like – one full weekend (8 hours each on both Saturday & Sunday) dedicated to the making of pants. We will go over pattern alterations, basic fitting, prepping/cutting, as well as all the techniques needed to complete a pair of pants – the front fly, waistband insertion, pockets, seam finishing, all that good stuff! Making pants is one of those sewing jobs that seems super intimidating until you actually do it – and then it’s actually really fun (and pretty freaking cool, I might add, to be able to make all your own pants!).

The class is held at WORKROOM SOCIAL, which is located in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, NY, in the cutest little sewing studio I’ve probably ever set foot in. The class fee includes all the machines & tools that you need to make your pants – all you’re required to bring is the fabric and necessary notions. The class fee ALSO includes snacks and a catered lunch for both days, as well end-of-day cocktails! Not to mention, it’s LOADS of fun. Don’t live in Brooklyn? Neither do I! Did I mention that this is a great excuse to plan an NYC getaway? Oh yeah!

But wait, there’s more! On November 6, the Friday before, Jennifer & I will be leading a shopping trip around the Garment District for a lesson in bottom-weight, pants-appropriate fabrics (which is perfect if you don’t know what fabric to get for your pants, and/or want to be able to buy it while you’re in NYC! Or if you just want a lil’ tour of the Garment District!). This 2 hour trip will take you to all our favorite shops, where you’ll learn about the best fabrics for the best pants-making, and there will be discounts on your purchases as well. Afterwards, we will group at a nearby bar for happy hour! The shopping trip a separate cost from the weekend workshop, but it is open to students as well as non-students (so if you don’t want to take the class but want to join the trip, that is totally ok!). I REALLY love the Garment District and I’m super excited that we’ll be able to offer this in addition to the class! Unfortunately, I’m not able to do any more big meet-ups when I come to the city (mostly due to time restraints, but also because the size can get out of hand when it comes to those tiny little fabric shops), so this is a good compromise. We are going to cap the shopping trip at a manageable number of people, so that we’ll actually have a chance to get to know each other and talk and all that fun stuff 🙂

Pants-Making Intensive at Workroom Social

Photo credit: WORKROOM SOCIAL

For more info on the Weekend Pants Making Intensive or the NYC Garment District Shopping trip, check out the WORKROOM SOCIAL website. You can also sign up there as well. Traditionally, this class tends to sell out pretty fast so get it while the gettin’s good 🙂 For a recap of the first pants class I taught, check out this blog post. Seriously, though. It’s gonna be an awesome pants party and I’m already sooo excited (and, um, planning my ~NYC Winter Wardrobe~ in anticipation haha. Nevermind that it’s 95*+ here this week; I have WOOL PLANS to make!). This will be the third time I’ve taught this class, and it’s always been a massive amount of fun for everyone involved. I love making pants, and I want y’all to love it too!

And while we’re on the subject – Camp WORKROOM SOCIAL is nearing the sign-up deadline and very close to selling out! If the idea of a summer camp combined with a sewing retreat sounds like it would be right up your alley, then you’re in luck because there is still room for a few more sign-ups!

There are still a few spots left in the Dressmaking class as well as the Sewing Fashion for Kids class. In addition, a couple more spots were added to Fit Your Body & Style and Patternmaking, so if you were thinking about signing up but then got bummed out with the seats filled up, here’s the second chance you have been waiting for! Personally, I’d love to take either the fitting or the patternmaking class (or… both…?), but I’ve had an expensive summer this year (all I can say about that is – car a/c work is a necessary evil for me in 2015, wah.) so I’m just gonna have to stay here and live vicariously through someone else. Could that someone else be you?

Photo credit: Jadel Photography

For those who are hovering on the fence, I’m just gonna leave this camp photo here. Ahh!

Finally, my epic sewing weekend retreat at A Gathering of Stitches is just around the corner, coming up September 24-27! There’s still time (and a tiny bit of space) to sign up! The event will take place in Portland, Maine, and it’s a choose-your-own-project sort of deal. Which means you get to work on whateverrrr you want, with no set class curriculum or project. I really love doing these kinds of classes because it’s super fun to see what everyone brings to work on, and I can’t wait to finally check out Portland (and New England, for that matter)! I hear it’s absolutely beautiful and that I’m going to totally fall in love with it 🙂

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In other news, I had to work an event over the weekend, so I’m taking an impromptu day off today. I plan on spending all of it down here in my sewing room (well, I spent about 15 minutes this morning replacing the broken latch on my truck’s tailgate – so I feel like I’ve done enough “work” for today haha). Yay! Happy Monday, y’all!

Tags: a gathering of stitches, announcement, camp workroom social, class, classes, NYC, pants making intensive, travel, workroom social