All This Useless Beauty

I have so many things to be thankful for. Rob. The love of our families. The home we've made. The fact that that home is, literally, located on an island of sanity in the middle of an upside down world, an island that so many artists call home, so many who have made it their life's work to simply create beauty.

Over the weekend, we saw the Ethan Iverson Quartet play at the Village Vanguard. I closed my eyes through the first three songs, so grateful for the sounds, so grateful to have a respite. However (though you couldn't tell by the music) the musicians were having a difficult time. It was hard for them to come into work that week. Ethan admitted this after a couple of tunes, in a short impromptu speech in which he dedicated the rest of the concert to Billy Higgins: a drummer, an American, and a Muslim. The set was sublime. It was beauty.

Artists are struggling with beauty right now. Beauty feels ridiculous and ignorant right now. Useless. But for the audience, it is supremely needed. 

Each morning, we wake early (well, one of us earlier than the other), and try to start the day with something beautiful. As I search the screen for a small distraction, I think about my own small distractions, queued up to publish, becoming increasingly more ridiculous with each minute. By the time photos are taken and (hamhandedly) edited, there's some new atrocity that makes everything else... unimportant? Undone.

But Rob reminded me that this is exactly the sort of the thing we're looking for in that early morning hour, and when we find that thing, we don't consider the author to be either ridiculous or ignorant. We're thankful to sit on the couch and gaze at a bit of beauty for a moment. We're thankful to sit in a small jazz club and be surrounded by the sound of beauty.

It doesn't seem enough to create beauty, but it is not possible to fight without it. So, I'll continue to post these bits of cloth, and I'll continue to make beautiful armor that transcends at least my demeanor, if not the climate.

Will every post come with a disclaimer that I can't stand what is going on? If things continue as they are, then yes. I'm not okay with this. None of us should be. This is not America.

The sewing details.

Top: Simplicity 1099, hacked into a hi-lo top, added sleeves, & pleats to the hemline

Skirt: By Hand London's Charlotte skirt, with an added back vent

Fabric: Wax print from Mood Fabrics, using my January "fabric allowance"

I had a 6 yard cut of Supreme Wax Osikani to play with, which was extremely freeing. My immediate thought was to make a matching ensemble, full of pleats and frills and larger pattern pieces that wouldn't break up the print. I then fought myself for about an hour, thinking I should probably make something a little less "out there."

Then I reminded myself that "out there" is where I want to live.

Sewing Bread: BHL + Birkins.

Jeans are the Gateway Drug to Separates.

My closet is filled with all manner of sugary cake, frosting, and every treat in between, with very little bread. But since forcing myself into sewing up the Birkin Flares as a holiday sew, suddenly I want stuff I can wear with my jeans. I have heard that this type of garment, that pairs with another garment, this thing is called a "Separate."

SEPARATES. EGADS!

I wasn't going to test the latest BHL pattern, because, Not A Sparkly Dress. Not only Not a Sparkly Dress...a top. I'd go so far as to call it a BLOUSE. A quick check of my closet reveals that in eight years, I've made about a dozen things that can be counted as some sort of top. And none of them can really be called a blouse. Plus, I don't own blouse material! I haz brocade, and velvet, and gazar...so, I thought I'd pass.

And then this Liberty of London silky cotton, meant for a maxi length copy of Sallieoh's bohemian midi dress, screamed at me from its place on my party shelves:

HEY I KNOW IT'S WINTERTIME AND YOU WANT TO SEW ME UP INTO A CURRENTLY UNWEARABLE BOHEMIAN TRAILING DRESS BUT WOULDN'T A BLOUSE BE THE WAY TO GET ME ON YOUR BODY RIGHT THE F NOW?!

Mouthy fabric, that Liberty. I finally get what y'all have been hollering about. This print, Anna's Garden, is a reissue from the 70s. The flowers are large format and organically placed, which is what sold me. The fabric is whisper soft and floaty, the kind that you don't want to prewash for fear of changing the hand. But prewash I did, and dried it in the dryer, because I like to be honest with myself: I'm not laying my separates out to air dry. I will mistreat about 90% of my separates. Mainly because 90% of my separates are RTW, so maybe that will change now that I'm hooked on the Bread Drug...at the moment though, I'm mistreating. I mean, check the snaps I hammered into this poor stuff. Those snaps are too heavy for such a delicate fabric! Lookit how they're pulling the organza interfaced placket! I will forever have to daintily pry them open with a fingernail! 

But I do not care. I like the look of them.

Also not caring: that my second pair of Birkins still do not have rivets, or back pockets, or a proper button. I liked how this wooden guy paired with the deep indigo, so I went with it.

A deep indigo which incessantly rubbed off on my hands. If Marc Jacobs actually stocks this yardage in RTW, it definitely comes with a warning tag: do not sit on light colored furniture in your new jeans. Ever seen that tag? I used to think it was BS before I started to sew.

I added two loops on the center back, because, well, where the yardage for my first Birkins did not have enough stretch, this fabric has way too much stretch. Perhaps I will Goldilocks myself into the proper denim for my third pair, but I'm not holding my breath. I had a little war with the waistband, when I had to take everything in to account for the stretch factor, which you can see in the front shot.

This denim would be better suited to a pair of skinnies, and I should have just hung onto it for the release of the Kendalls, but I couldn't wait. I really was frothing at the mouth to sew another pair, so I considered it a science experiment. They wrinkle at the front and absolutely need a belt-- and hey. They need pockets. To be honest, I was so tired of washing dye off my hands, I abandoned ship on pockets. Let me get my strength back, imma add them in, and take about a quarter inch off that back hem, too.

Let's talk more about the blouse! When I test, I try to sew up a straight size with as little modifications as possible. So, this is a straight size 8/12, with no fit modifications. My short waist wasn't an issue with this swingy shape. And, it is a beautiful swingy shape! WHICH YOU WILL SEE NO EVIDENCE OF HERE! I will never wear this loose. I SAID NEVER. Something about the equation of my big hair + my badonkadonk + a wide shirt hem just doesn't equal good. However, I'm thinking about lengthening it to summer dress length and wearing it full swing. 

Remember Summer? Yeeeeeah. Like right-above-the-knee breezy summer dress, strappy flat sandals, a couple bangles, triple scoop of gelato around 4pm in the park...

I digress. Changes I made: the pattern has two collar options, neither of which are my style, and unlike the swingyness of the shirt hem, that's not so easily changed by a tuck-in. So, I measured the neckline at the SA and freehanded a standing collar, which fully encases the button placket. And instead of buttons, just three snaps on the front, since I only want to wear it tied or tucked.

Changes I made, not so much on purpose: the sleevehead is actually supposed to be a bit gathered, but some testers (me) thought it was supposed to be a smooth application, and some testers (ME) reset the sleeve 4 times trying to get all the puckers out. The gals at BHL have changed the main illustrations to reflect the gathers that should be there, but the instructions only note that it's a fuller sleeve, so keep that in mind if you're sewing it up. However, I like my mistake, so I'll probably remove a bit of ease from the sleevehead when I go for that summer dress.

Summer.

Sorry, I gotta go think about Summer now.

Pattern: BHL's Sarah Shirt, final PDF pattern provided to me in exchange for testing

Fabric: Liberty of London (sold out, another colorway) and Marc Jacobs Denim, both from Mood Fabrics.

now THAT'S class.

I have decided that we need to bring parasols, fans, and fascinators back. This is a lot to bring back all at once. As the golden rule of accessorizing clearly states you should remove one object before walking out the door, I have abandoned the fan for this ensemble.

Brilliant Chica and I are actually the co-authors of this movement. During an early summer visit, I was showing her some beautiful fascinator supplies, sent to me by Vibes and Scribes, and that set us on our adventure. We always have some sort of crafty and/or treasure hunt adventure when we're together, that involves hours of yelling and searching and hypothesizing. And always accompanied by fist shaking! Why have we abandoned the parasol?! PARASOLS ARE WONDERFUL! Why are fascinators not part of our daily ensemble?! WHY IS EVERYONE ON THEIR CELLPHONE?!!!! WHO ARE THESE CLASSLESS PLEBES SURROUNDING US?!

I, without a bra or accompanying bra stays, am clearly the definition of class.

I could use a little boning as well.

The dress dates back to 2005. Not, not really. But I made it so long ago I can't remember! It's the BHL Kim dress, so we can chart its birth from sometime around that release. As you can see, the back bodice would benefit from the recent steel boning kick I've been on. So sad. I should remedy that.

But I'm loathe to rip out that handstitching! This poly was treated with such care! Well above its station! 

Cinderell-y flowers are underlined in some mystery blend with a delicious hand, both are from Janky store, hence the mystery. 

You know, I think I should add that to the Classy List: A Sense Of Mystery.

AND SPARKLY BUTTERFLIES. SPARKLY BUTTERFLIES ARE EVER SO CLASSY.

I really enjoyed knocking this fascinator out, and wouldn't have went near the idea had Vibes and Scribes, a small indie shop in Ireland (and online too), not reached out to me. When they asked if I'd like to try a few goodies my eyes immediately went to millinery. MILLINERY! A whole new level of class, itching to be learned! I positively devoured the screen!

Oooooorrrr...... maybe I could just go with a fascinator, which seems to be the scrappy, slightly tipsy chick of the millinery world, where the only rule is more is more.

{INSERT CLASSY CAPTION HERE}

I'm totally serious about the Call to Class. In fact, three gorgeous gals donned handmade fascinators for some birthday festivities last week, all created in a mere sixty minutes, and mostly by Brilliant Chica. She has an EYE for this stuff, yo!

(I'm sorry, "yo" should probably be off my list. At least for this post.)

I'd like to thank Vibes and Scribes for sending me down this classy path. Really, these goodies have sparked a whole new section of accessories. Expect more fascinators, and fans. Oh yes, there will be fans...

What's your favorite classy accoutrement? Have I missed something? GLOVES!!! A LADY NEEDS GLOVES!

the supplies for this fascinator were sent to me by Vibes And Scribes, who have unwittingly opened a new door of horror for Ruggy. 

a poly party anna

 Hey Oona, what's up with the Steven Tyler impression?

A. I'm wailing Happy Birthday to Elle of Laura Loves Pugs

B. I'm trying to get the camera to focus on my face

Answer: BOTH!

Summer Birthdays! The best! (I might be biased.) At this very moment, there's a birthday celebration going on for Elle, a virtual party conjured up as a solution to the problem of three friends living miles apart. Elle met Ute (she of the most beautiful instagram shots ever) and Pips (she of sixteen Annas!!) via instagram, and it was Elle's wish that they celebrate her birthday together on the platform they met upon. It was also her wish that all party guests wear an Anna, of By Hand London fame. 

One must always obey birthday girl wishes. The birthday girl is much like a bride in that respect (yes, I take it that seriously. Weep for Ruggy). And yet! And yet! My gold metallic linen Anna, embarked upon for this very shindig... she sits in pieces still! Egads! Tardy to the party! THE DEVIL YOU SAY! I will not stand for it!  Luckily, I have myriad unblogged Annas in my closet and can dress appropriately! PARTY FOUL AVERTED!

This particular Anna was stitched last September, but has remained un-snapped for various reasons...

Hey Oona, whatcha smirkin' at?

A. My self inflicted uber high waistline

b. Ruggy's idea of a close up shot

Answer: BOTH!

Although I can say this floral frock was made well, she wasn't made wise. When I traced the pattern for a V neck version, I went a little too nutso on a short waist adjustment... the waistline sits right on my natural waist, not the sweet spot I've come to love of about 5/8ths below. Therefore, belt.

And let's talk about the hemline. A gathered rectangle with a romantic touch was what I wanted, but not so much what I got. You might not be able to spy it in the shots (see; question #2, answer B) but...

Pretty pretty scallops! Scallops for DAYS! Scallops that get TOTALLY LOST in the drapey poly blend! SCALLOPS THAT HANG UNEVENLY BECAUSE I DIDN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE EXTRA INCH OF LENGTH I ALWAYS NEED AT CENTER BACK FOR LE PROTRUDING DERRIERE!!!

Sigh. 

Actually, looking at these shots, there's all kinds of wonk going on in that there hemline. I didn't consider the dip in the back at the bodice, or where the scallops would meet at side seam...really, I need to amputate and get in there with a level. Good god, woman.

Also, gathered waist, not so much my favorite on me. But I'm so attached to those scallops, I don't know what the fix is! Anyone?? 

Hey Oona, why the side eye?

A. Oh, just wondering if the photographer is shooting me straight-on... like I asked him to

B. Oh, just listening to the photographer barking some nonsense about these shots being "BORING AS HELL"

Answer: MOST DEFINITELY BOTH. Byproduct; permission granted for artsy shot...

Okey dokey Ruggy.

(Actually that is pretty cool how he incorporated the wave of the hem into the wave of the wall. Mad props, Rugster. Thanks for finishing the bathroom.)

Hey Oona, whatcha lookin at?

 MY OWN BIRTHDAY ROARING DOWN THE STREET LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN

No, no, let me calm down, that's another twenty days away. Not that I'm keeping count or yelling about it on the hour or anything. Luckily for Ruggy I'll be distracted for a few days by all of Elle's party guests over on Instagram! Annas are about to blow up your feed, yo! Search #internationalannaparty, and if you're really feeling it, don an Anna and get in there. There's even party prizes to be had! (I'm taking my hat out of the ring for a prize, having both an embarrassment of hemline and riches going on at the moment.) The party officially starts at 6pm BST, which google tells me is 1pm EST. Thanks google, you rock.

Happy birthday Elle! And might I add, an equally stupendous birthday holler to Megalicious the Grand! I hope you're both eating cake and swathed in the yardage of your dreams! 

butterfly brain

My man is so good at making me look tall, I went for my annual physical last week, and almost slapped the nurse when she told me I was barely 5'2. Surely there's something wrong with their equipment.

I MEAN, LOOK AT ME. I'M GIGANTIC.

You know, I do so enjoy my delusions. Like the belief that I can keep track of multiple sewing projects. I cannot. As my beloved Nan always used to say, I got a head like a sieve.

Actually my noodle is pretty good at multitasking. I'm at my most happy place when I'm infatuated by multiple projects. But not so much when I'm so entranced by the fabric at hand that I can't decide what to sew it into, and want to sew ALL OF THE THINGS.  Two projects and two prints were filling up any available space in my brain during the making of this combo. When I couldn't choose a straight course for either of them, I decided to crossbreed Vogue 9075 of the current culotte craze, and By Hand London's Holly jumpsuit. Here we have Holly pants and Vogue top (and the rest of this pattern monster will make a very colorful appearance shortly). Indecision at its best!

Ruggy tells me this is "monkey brain." I prefer a prettier handle. My brain floats like a butterfly from fabric to fabric! AND WHEN IT STINGS ME IN THE BOOTY I MAKE UP A SOLUTION! 

Sometimes. Not so much here, per se. I judiciously decided to wait to cut out the sleeves, in case I had to mess with the (non muslined) bodice fit-- well, I did mess with it, I shaved 5/8s off the back shoulder, then floated and flitted like a drunken butterfly over to my other whimsical crossbreed, then floated and flitted back DAYS later and went and cut out the dang sleeves without accounting for the 5/8s. I was working on fumes of fabric at this point, having played with the border print until it could take no more. 

Cue me wagging an unearned finger at Vogue's pattern drafting.

NOOOOOOOOPE, THAT'S ALL YOU, SIEVE GIRL.

Speaking of my forgetful noggin, this top zips from north to south and slips right over my head. That was my solution to making this colorful non-separating zipper work...that, and scooping out a wider bateau-ish neckline. I have a surprisingly large noggin for 5'2 of woman.

And let's not forget the derriere. She fits nicely in the back, yeah? NO WEDGIES! I'M STOKED! This is Holly without any pattern adjustments, I  just decreased the seam allowance in the crotch curve when the first try-on showed frown lines. Or was it smile lines? Lines, either way. I decreased the SA to 1/4 at the crotch and turned my frown upside down.

However, as you can see here, the front crotch length is still a little long, which is noticeable in certain positions and totally disappears in others. Since then I've played with shortening the pattern at the hip line (as you would shorten a bodice pattern for a short waist) and wow, is that better! 

How do you deal with pants fitting? So many areas to play with!

I think my weirdo decision to crossbreed these patterns worked out in the end--this stretch cotton is glorious but kinda heavy, so making it up into a full length jumpsuit and walking out to dinner in it would have felt like a workout. Which only would have served to double ordering of post workout libations. So yeah, actually, on second thought, maybe not the best decision. Some regrets.

Butterfly brain. Toldja.

this is my mood sewing network project for april, made with my monthly fabric "allowance." sadly, and you know what I'm gonna say, this bad boy sold out shortly after I tweeted about it...

I like to enable so I'm TOTALLY taking credit for that!  

running my mouth.

Okay so here's the thing. I'm sort of worded out at the moment. And I'd like to let the pictures do the talking for me, but my camera is imaged out at the moment. It no longer wants to play. It has taken its toys and it has gone home. This may have something to do with the fact that I dropped it from the top of a fully extended tripod height, popped the jammed lens out as one would a dislocated shoulder, and left it with a squinky eye that no longer closes.

(Sarah, recognize the story? This is exactly what I did to your camera.) 

But semi blurry pictures be damned, I MUST TELL YOU ABOUT THIS DRESS. This is my tester version of By Hand London's newest party girl, Kim. Normally I don't parade my test version until I've sewn it up again from the actual released pattern, but this gal was such a joy to stitch, I took maybe three notes on the test run. I've heard tell most testers had this experience, so I'm shouting now.

DO YOU LIKE THE CRAZYFACE LUREX?!!! I got it at Hancock's like 4 years ago. And the burnout velvet is a major 3 year old score from an unintentional LA sale! Both had been cut into and set aside when previous plans went wrong. I dug them back out for this.

YAY FOR ALMOST RUINING, STUFFING IN A DARK CORNER, AND ULTIMATELY SAVING PRETTY FABRICS!

I chose the sweetheart neckline with faux wrap skirt. Traced her up in a straight size 10/14, took 5/8s off the back shoulder to account for le back du sway, and pegged the skirt in 2 inches. I took another 5/8 off the back shoulder during sewing, and probably should do those extra eighths at the waist next time. 

I've been thinking about back length on me. The size and shape of my booty obviously creates a peak, right? So that peak makes my back measurement shorter. This is news to no one. Like I said, words.

Please do grab a magnifying glass and check the print matching on the center back zip. Camera was exacting its (justified) revenge on me, and this is the best back shot I gots, yo.

The skirt is underlined with a satiny burgundy viscose (not per pattern instructions; the velvet is sheer), and the bodice is lined (per instructions) with the viscose as well. Even with grading, that's a lotta bulk in that poor waistline seam. But the insides are purty.

At the last minute, right before cutting the skirt panels, I decided to take two inches of length out of the skirt. You know, accounting for the BHL temptresses being of tall stature and all. I SO DID NOT NEED TO. While the back hits the sweet spot...

The front, she is not made for a breeze. Of any sort. Like, a gnat could sneeze and it's R rated up in here. Since then I've added the inches back.

Well, listen. I wish I had a better story to share, and better pictures to boot, and I wish these things 'cause that's the kind of ship I prefer to sail around here, but the Kim dress is quickly reaching Anna heights on my sewing desk, and as the festive season is upon us, spreading the word trumps my self imposed post quality control.

FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF WORDS THAT SURE IS A RUN ON SENTENCE.

'kay bye!

teachable moments

I love it when I'm able to teach myself something, sans aid. Of course I understand the value of learning from someone with actual knowledge, but I had glorious great big gobs of fun knocking around in photoshop, finding out through trial and error how to blend a new layer under myself. I have given myself all of the gold stars.

Equal amounts of gold stars are ripe for the taking when I am presented an opportunity to bestow my Great And Powerful Wisdom upon others. In a quandary over what to sew, I turned from my stash to Ruggy. Babe, what should I do with this drapey silk cotton? Ruggy stood back and gave this serious question its due diligence. How about a African-y Wrap-py Dress.

Oh Ruggy, I began professorially, this is silk cotton. Do you mean wax print? THIS, I said, holding up a glorious birthday treat from my girl Latrice (you rock!), is wax print. And wax print is actually Dutch in origin, you see.

Oooooookay, look,  he said, with a roll of his eyes and a flash of his keyboard, just make something like this. At the speed of internet, a hundred googly-imaged cuties in all manner of technicolor popped up. The silk cotton was set aside for another day, and I was off to the races.

And an exhilarating race it was! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! The vehicle: By Hand London's Charlotte, extended, and avec thigh high slash slit.  I couldn't worry about print placement, other than center front, not if I wanted the length. AND I DID SO WANT THE LENGTH. My Anna scraps came in to join the party.

Contrast facing on the triple topstitched slit, done on my beloved, holy cow I literally kiss her every day, Pfaff 1171. The guts are serged with my hated, holy cow I curse her every day, Elna. With each passing moment, I expect her to die trying to kill me.

Speaking of those scraps. Both of these wax print makes get a lot of attention. One gal spied me in my Anna and immediately turned misty eyed, a big grin breaking out on her face. That print! Is it from Ghana? 

Behold! A teachable moment! Professor Oona stepped up to the mic to school the young lass. Well, actually, I believe this print is from Holland, the label said Verified--

GHANA?! She broke in, loudly and with great hope. G-H-A-N-A? That is my home!

Nooooooo... I began, watching her face deflate, and yet, continuing my Dutch origins mini lecture. She said my dress was pretty, and walked away sadly, clearly homesick. HEY GUESS WHAT. Next time, I'm going to say yes. Not everything is a teachable moment. In fact, the entire time I was stitching this skirt, I was formulating a plan to find her again and lie straight to her face. MY FRIEND! Do you like my Ghana skirt? How long have you been away from home? How are things going here? Let's go get you an ice cream!

I mean let's face it. Everything came from somewhere. Origin of rock n' roll, anyone? Sometimes the facts take the joy out of it. Better to listen to the music.  

The happy, happy music.