i’ve been working on my second v9668, aka the summer version. what should have been a fairly straight-forward project (i mean, i JUST finished the first one pretty recently, so the construction is very fresh in my mind) has turned into a huge headache and a lot of wow-i-sure-made-this-as-difficult-as-possible-huh.
this is the fabric i’m using.
it’s a lovely stretch cotton with a touch of sateen. GORGEOUS.
i love this dress so much, i now have two of them!!
here’s a fabric refresher, in case you forgot!
i’m done with the cranberry wool dress! i would like to declare this dress responsible for both killing and reviving my sewing mojo. as i stated before, i am really really pleased with how this dress turned out. so pleased, in fact, that i already bought fabric to make a spring/summer verison 🙂
review, pictures & the fabric in question after the jump!
i’ve lost my sewing mojo. i can’t bring myself to bother – partially because i prefer to sew in my underwear (makes fitting easier), and my sewing room is freeeeezing. and our gas bill was over $300 this month! double bummer!
anyway, i’m already dreaming of my spring wardrobe – nice, because i’ve barely made a dent in my winter wardrobe EL OH EFFING EL – so wasn’t it nice of vouge & simplicity & mccalls (but not butterick, shame on you!) to release their spring 2011 lines?
at least they don’t suck as bad at the winter patterns did. i mean, honestly now.
i know what you’re thinking: “ew! shoulder pads! the one element that should stay in the 80s forever!” and i guess, for the most part, you’re probably right. there’s nothing like a giant shoulder pad to make you feel like an out-of-place linebacker. in my defense, though:
– i bought a really neat dress on a recent thrift day with lauren winter and it was clear that someone had removed the shoulder pads and that they needed to be put back in asap – the shoulders were too big and doing this horribly wrinkly/puffy thing that ruined the otherwise sleek lines of the dress. considering how many shoulder pad dresses i buy on a regular basis, you’d think i’d have a discarded shoulder pad or 8 laying around somewhere but noooo
anyway, that’s not as fun as what brings us to my second reason…
i have this pattern, and i wanted to try it.
hee!
hi everyone, i finished my coat over the long weekend!
then i discovered my camera is jacked up, the flash doesn’t work, and it’s been gross and rainy and gray. soo no pictures, sry sux 2 b u, etc etc.
i’ll get some up as soon as i can!
in the meantime, i’m working on my newest dress – vogue 9668.
i cut a 6 for the bust size and an 8 for the waist and hip. spent most of my saturday chopping the tissue up to allow for a full bust adjustment. i would link y’all to an online tutorial, since FBAs really are a lifesaver (and they are kinda fun, if you are into chopping up pattern tissue and retaping it a zillion times), but it looks like my favorite one was deleted 😦 i consulted my copies of fit for real people (aka the book my roommate saw laying on the counter and laughed at me for buying it, bc the clothes on the front are so awful) and the perfect fit (bc… idk, i guess i like having multiple fitting books or something).
this is what my pattern piece looks like now:
i need to shorten that side dart just a pinch, but i wasn’t in the mood.
my muslin is finished and it fits perfectly!
i only made a muslin of the bodice bc, honestly, the bottom is a bias circle skirt and that doesn’t really require fitting.
oh, and that’s not really muslin, it’s some horrible 60s green and white polyester monstrosity. and it is wrong-side-out, bc i drew my pattern markings (IN SHARPIE HEH HEH goddd i’m such a rule breaker) on the right side and just flipped the pieces over and ughh whatever have another picture:
looks good, y/y?
i’m waiting to cut out my fabric pieces. i need to stay the neckline with silk organza, but the tutorial i am following says it needs to be done before i actually cut out the bodice.
in the meantime, i went to the store on my lunch break and bought a bunch of skinny headbands, so i’m gonna spend my (possibly snowy? ew)evening making some cute little bow headbands a la casey brown.
vogue released their winter line of sewing patterns today – pretty early, if you ask me, since most of us are just dipping our toes into fall weather clothes (it was 100* here in nashville last week!). normally, i loove vogue sewing patterns. i love the extra touches that are included to make your finished garment more “handmade” than “homemade,” like french seams and foundation corsets and fun things like that. i love that they make patterns based of major designer’s looks so you can rip them off and save yourself $1000 in the process. i love the smug satisfaction i get from sewing an ~advanced~ vogue pattern because it makes me feel smart and knowledgeable.
I DO NOT LOVE VOGUE’S NEW PATTERN LINE, THOUGH.
i hope you are not eating when you proceed.
haha you guys… i actually finished this *almost* a year ago. why didn’t i post it? BECAUSE THIS PATTERN IS SERIOUSLY FLAWED, THAT’S WHY.
anyway.
vogue 7313, circa 1988
i *love* how dramatic this pattern is. eventually, i would like to try the full skirt with the suspenders (too much? oh well). the pants i could live without, but clearly the previous owner was all about them. i bought this pattern at my favorite secret thrift store for 25¢ are you jealous
well that’s done and completed now. i actually started this pattern over a month ago, got frustrated when it was 3/4 done and threw it in a drawer to stew and think about how bad it had been. i’m still not happy with the outcome, but i am happy with the fact that it is finally finished and i don’t have to look at it anymore.
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vogue 1086, a tracey reese design
it only took 2+ weeks (i had a lot of distractions, k), but i’m finally done! yay!
LLADYBIRD 