The Science Of Sui

If I were a dog, I would be one of those mutts that sniffs out truffles. DESIGNER TRUFFLES.

Guess who ran into some more Anna Sui at Mood. I hunt around, I pull out a bolt, BOOM, it's The Sui. It’s not like she has a specific named shelf or anything. Sure, I find her in the “Designer” section…but this yardage was lounging on the bottom floor, in a colorful little bin of medium weight cotton & linen bolts. Next to shirting. NEXT. TO. SHIRTING.

No offense, Shirting. You’re just not my cup of tea.

But this craziness was right up my alley! My first thought was a maxi skirt, like my last dance with Sui, yet in the end, it wanted to be short. It told me so, in very loud tones. And luckily (tragically?) the weather is playing nice… I had zero problems wearing this out on the street last week. Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we have arrived at that period in humanity’s history where the closet needs to be All Seasons All The Time. Like an All Skate for temperatures!

(Just imagine Fall and Summer, clumsily careening hand in hand, a couple of awkward teenagers…makes it way less apocalyptic, no?)

Oh, would you like to know about the dress? ME TOO. Let’s just get full armageddon here, and talk about how fast time is flying. Time is literally fleeting at a hopped up rate! Something about the earth's rotation slowing down, and hertzs, and Einstein's calculations of the speed of light and whatnot. SCIENCE! PHYSICS! THINGS I CANNOT COMPREHEND! Go on, google it. Like Climate Change, this is an Actual Thing Happening Now. (Sewing Scientists, I invite you to holler, elaborate and/or refute in the comments.)

Too much fleeting time has passed for total recall. My brain has just enough space for the twelve things I’m working on at any given moment. When something is completed, GET OUT. NO VACANCY!

I do recall using the By Hand London Polly Top, and the bottom portion of the Salme Yoke Dress. It was intended to be a playset, but I didn’t like the proportions. I ripped off the skirt waistband, and used the box pleats as a guide to cinch in the top, attaching it to the dress. With 8, 5 inch long pleats spanning my waistline, it feels as if I’m wearing a super comfortable belt– which, actually, I probably would do, when wearing in “real life.” Do you find that you don’t accessorize as much when taking blog shots? Gotta see the sewing!

GOTTA SEE THE CRAZY TOO. Changing the playset up on the fly meant adding a side zipper in the eleventh hour. It's lucky that I have a penchant for off-the-wall zippers, because I was inserting this weirdo plastic job about ten minutes before I needed to get pictures and post to MSN. October was half over and I full on forgot to have this month's post ready! Time flying for real, yo.

I did a semi-exposed, upside-down zipper insertion, which I like to employ when the zipper head is some gigantic piece of machinery that would feel uncomfortable under the arm.

My favorite part of this dress is also the part that gave me the most headache: the hem. 

It started out well. Banging out that decorative stitching in neon thread was super fun! On both this skirt and my Dad's Guayabera, I used wash away stabilizer under the stitching, to support the fabric as the wing needle made its merry holes. Mrs Mole, whose blog is chock full of detailed examples and techniques, asked for some sample shots on the decorative stitching, which I was on my way to happily providing. BUT HEY GUESS WHAT. Incorrectly done, yo! I used the plasticky, slicker wash-away stabilizer, rather than the more papery vilene wash-away. It still worked out, but I'll be hitting pause on those detail shots in favor of getting you correct information :)

Still, it worked out. The real problem with the hem came when I fringed the edges of the linen. It hung so stiffly, I looked more vintage Cher than trendy Bohemian. So I cut off the fringe, turned the (unseen) third row of diamonds under, and added two more rows of stitching. The hem stands out now, almost as if I had inserted horsehair. I love it!

Also loving: 80s remakes of Dionne Warwick songs. Ruggy & I were at a hipster coffee shop, and all these 60s girl groups were crooning hits that we only recognized from the 80s counterparts. Check it out! Ruggy DJ'ed breakfast, and I shimmied to the tunes in my head, to feel a little less odd in front of this parking garage. 

Because odd on top of odd equals normal. Mathematical fact. WHOAH. I've got science, physics, and math, all in one post! Truly, the world is as upside-down as my zipper.

this dress was made using my monthly fabric "allowance" as part of the mood sewing network. no actual scientific, mathematical, or physics-type (physical?) facts included. 

sui-za sui-za

Sometimes I daydream: I'm designing an outfit for Pretty Grievances' Wearable Wednesdays. Have you read her roundups? They're amazing, I cackle at the witty repartee as much as I covet each insane design. In fact, the wacky looks often send me running to my sewing machine.

In this daydream, it's Oonaballoona Does Sui. SO MUCH SUI IN MY LEEETLE STASH! I had such great plans to go full on Wearable Wednesday with this yardage... I'd intended to make a matching crop tank top with the one flower I had left, but ran out of steam on the silk bias binding. 

I might still get around to it.... oooooh maybe if I do some witty gal out there will make my daydream come true! COMPLETE WITH COLORFUL AND/OR OFF-COLOR REMARKS! HUGE NUDGES AND WINKS AND OFFERS OF BRIBERY IN THE FORM OF LIBATIONS!!!

Of course, that would also require that I finish and/or begin ALL of the current Sui projects I have in mind.

By the way, are you shocked to see me in blue? With a black tank top, no less?! Me too. A warm toned gal, I am I am, so obviously the wall needed to bend to my fiery will.

This blue bolt of luscious linen positively leapt out from the shelf at Mood NY and punched me in the heartstrings. Of course, an inspection of the selvedge revealed The Sui. Over at MSN, LalaSews suggested that Anna Sui might be my spirit animal.

I THINK SHE'S RIGHT!!

If memory serves, I grabbed 2 yards, and immediately kicked myself when I got home and got to thinking. I wanted a maxi skirt to make the most of the print, but didn’t consider all those lovely shapes and lines and buds– I had just enough for a skirt, but not enough to cut side seams and leave the print undisturbed.

That is, not enough to cut proper side seams…

Where are my side seams anyway?! Those white chevron-y arcs descending from my waist have a pleat in the center, where the side seam would normally fall. After pleating the skirt on my dress form, I cut right down mid-booty to create my front panel. So instead of side seams, I have mid-booty seams! There are two of them, one for each cheek.

(I suppose you could also call them princess seams, but let’s face it. I am no princess.)

I cut those mid-booty seams, then used the remaining fabric to make up the center back panels. Three seams in all, and two slits up to the backs of my knees– the skirt doesn’t have a large sweep, and I’ve learned the hard way that walking ease is actually important.

Eating ease could have been considered as well. That exposed zipper does indeed close, but not after delicious pizza. Them’s the breaks.

Pizza and Anna Sui tho. Zipper fail. Life WIN.

this was made possible with my fabric "allowance" as part of the mood sewing network...enabling my sui obsession since 2012! yowza!!

so sui me

Anna Sui. You temptress. You magician. Queen of Kaleidoscopic Prints! Even when I don't know I want you, I WANT YOU! YOU CONSUME ME!

In a totally platonic way, of course.

When I saw this famous designer border print silk chiffon at Mood Fabrics online, I weirdly pounced. Weird, because let's face it, she is black, cream, and pastel. WHO AM I.

Upon arrival, the selvedge revealed that the famous designer was Anna Sui circa 2012, cue angels singing, and suddenly I was all oh THAT'S why. One of my very first (and still favorite) MSN projects was a draped silk panel print maxi dress by that luscious lady. I'm like a moth to a flame for that minx!

I ordered 3 yards, not knowing what it would be, and once again I was left with fumes of fabric. But playing with this border print was SO much fun. Which way should the cascading roses go? Black diamonds pointing up or down? Cut on the cross grain? Color or cream near my face? Both print and pattern delighted my brain and my peepers the entire weekend I sewed it up!

OOO YEAH let's talk about that pattern. I knew I wanted Vogue 9076 the minute I saw it, and it did not disappoint. I will point out, for you short waisted sewists out there: you'll want to reduce the length of the bodice. And you'll want to do it before you cut out the metallic gold lace that you're planning on layering over pale sea foam green leather (leather from FIT, lace from Paron, I think, as they've both been languishing on my shelf for years). 

I added an l/s line about 2 inches above the waist, and shortened by 1 1/4 inches. So, out of the package, this section is longer. Also didn't use the placket, opting for a leather strip on the reverse to enclose the leather loops for these EXQUISITE vintage buttons, a giftie from Pandora Sews. LOOK AT THOSE LITTLE TREASURES! Thank you girl! These were meant to be together!

And I went AWOL on the skirt as well, going maxi length with rectangles of gathered yardage to make the most of the print. The sweep of this baby is glorious! One of those fabrics that requires constant fondling. I decided I wanted a layering piece, and so left the front skirt open… any little breeze catches it and sends it flying...

In the final moments, the initial hem was giving me Little House On The Prairie. I had one long strip of selvedge left, which I reattached with a french seam at the hemline to create a double border.  

Speaking of prairies, over at MSN I bemoaned the janky corner of NY I minced about in for pics, and the choice of ensemble (the detail shot of the yoke is circa my solo shoot, all of which you can see at MSN). Though we could not find the southern french field I had in mind, Ruggy's reshoot still made me feel like a spring prairie princess. 

Which has everything to do with having my guy's eyes on me, and nothing to do with the active driveway.

this sweepy floral whatchamacallit was made, in part, using my monthly fabric "allowance" as part of the mood sewing network.

keep this train rollin'

nope, no derailing in the here and now, although i have derailed in blogland in order to stay on track!!  this eve is opening night in dallas...ruggy is by my side, and oh by the way we were apart for FIFTY TWO FRIGGIN DAYS HASH TAG NEVERDOINGTHATAGAIN.  

ahem.  in the middle of the usual madness surrounding this sort of event, ruggy and i found some time to vintage shop hop.  gotta get the man looking right for the par-tay tonight.  as for me, i'm choosing between this silk and this bombshell.  it's a big decision, 'cause i'm gonna go ahead and say it: this show is the most magical, beautiful performance i've ever been so lucky to be part of.  and as y'all know, we show our love and respect in the cloth we wear.  hash.  tag.  truth.

happy weekend to all!  see you when the train slows down next week!

in a blue mood and loving it

ooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOH!!!  I AM SO HAPPY WITH THIS DRESS!!!

I'm not lying to you when I say I sang songs to this dress. I cooed and petted it. Diane Reeves and I serenaded it many an evening. The three of us harmonize quite well together, if I do say so myself.

When she is quiet (or, at least, as quiet as this print can be) she looks like this. But when she gets frisky...

PEEP SHOW YO!

I adore this panel print. She is silk. She is Anna Sui. She is from Mood, los angeles locale, I haven't been able to find her online, but she's still available there. I defy you to stand in front of the Anna Sui section there and not choose something. DEFY.

I first spied this delicacy rolled up in the remnants box. Misha (my mood LA muse) happily unrolled it for me, then, upon seeing my dismay at the lone panel, pointed me to the actual bolt. I walked out with 4 yards (16 dollas a yard!) and another 6 yards of feathers.

Yes, feathers. The feathers did not make it to their final destination of le hem. I was vehemently voted down, several times. More on that to come.

And she is completely draped!  had 4 yards.  hat equaled 4 panels.  My remnant amputee panel was lonely, so after a good swig of courage (whiskey), I sliced the remaining 3 panels into separate squares, then box pleated each square once to hide the smaller design. The middle of each pleat became center front, side seams, and center back zipper (a slash zipper insertion right down the middle of the box pleat). I sewed the 4 pleats down to about mid hip level. Each panel was then reattached, making pretty much a large tube, which I then took in until I had the shape I wanted. Makadesense? No? I could whip up some drawings if you desire...

the side seams open and close at will as well.

And the panels ended up to be just right for my desired length. Well, I mean, there were supposed to be 5 inch long feathers which would have made it floor length...  but apparently that would have made the dress "tacky". Again, evidence and arguments to come.  However, I could not be stopped from using a leatherish bias tape along the neckline (which you can see in the first shot).  

I don't know how to end this post. All I can think to do is holler THIS DRESS ROCKS AND I AM A GOLDEN GOD but somehow that has an air of pomposity to it. That said, this dress rocks and I am a golden god. 'kbye!

this creation was made using my monthly fabric "allowance" as part of the Mood Sewing Network.