The Seven Year Stitch: Leaving MSN

Last December, I said a fond farewell to the Mood Sewing Network. That's seven years' worth of stitching you see above (and it took me roughly seven years to make that dang poorly laid out collage!).

MSN helped me to level up my sewing game. At the time I'd only been sewing three years, on dollar-a-yard kind of stuff, so getting to play with fabric that was out of my wallet's reach was an absolute gamechanger. Especially as a beginner! Though I'm not scared of the scissors, I wasn't playing with silk and brocade and velvet and what-have-you until that fabric allowance came along. And let's face it, it's easier to cut with wild abandon when the yardage costs you nothing but your time, if you have the time to spend.

And I spent some time, yo. Save for a weird little stint in which I tried to sew everyday separates, I was attempting Extra right out of the gate.

The Anna Sui dress up top, my first MSN post, is due for a better zipper insert now that I know more (said zip is faced with lace, why I do not know), and this blue chiffon gal was my last MSN post. And man did she take forever, and man do I ADORE HER. 

However, many of my Mood makes didn't survive the years. In fact...lemme white out what didn't make it...

HAHA WHAT?!! 

I'm not surprised or even regretful of all that white space--some things went to live in other people's closets, some things got repurposed for other garments, and some things were just flat out fails to learn from. And some survivors are in the midst of being refashioned! All good things in my book.

The joy of playing with (and sometimes murdering) fabric aside, what really kicked me in the butt was sharing a space with some truly amazing sewists. Sewing with that inaugural group lit a fire under me. I was determined to level up to my sewsisters. The crew has changed over the past seven years, still full of awesome--yet every time someone left, I thought, HOW?! It's free fabric!! But eventually, the trade-off of sourcing, planning, stitching, shooting, editing, writing and posting on someone else's site then reformatting to share here, for several yards of cloth, just wasn't working out for me personally. (And sometimes, you gotta close a door yourself to see what window opens ;)

And how 'bout y'all? I remember when MSN was announced, it was the first sewing blogger network--now that networks and collaborations are everywhere, how do you feel about them? Would you join one, if the fit was right?

eta: hey Chris, thanks for your comment-- here's a side by side of what was made/what was kept for ya!

Hot Time! Tocca in the City!

GREETINGS, EARTHLINGS. I HAVE COME FROM KALKATROONA IN MY GIANT DRESS TO BRING YOU GREAT NEWS OF SUPREME JOY:

SUMMER IS HERE!!!!!

What's that you say? It's technically still Spring? And drizzling outside? I'm sorry, you're mistaken. When you get six months of Winter, you get six months of Summer. I see nothing but blue skies. Them's the rules.

In celebration of this New World Order, I've finally made myself another maxi-fied Derby Dress, a pattern that hails from my summer-in-the-city girl Christine Haynes. It was high time to give my beloved rayon version a partner in Summer Crimes (read: drinking boozy cold things in hot sticky temperatures).

I maxi-fied this pattern for the first time about six years ago, for my birthday Promaballoona, to surprise Christine (she was one of the party hosts!). Then, pretty much immediately again in vintage rayon from mizz Lladybird Lauren, so this pattern has heaps of fond memories and good vibes in it. I honestly can't believe it took me so long to make another! I DO SO LIKE GOOD VIBES.

You can see more pics over at the Mood Sewing Network (aka the reason I missed posting a #wednesdaywip, as I had to get my monthly jam in over there. Also, yes, I've officially decided that posting a WIP every Wednesday is a silly rule. I know, it was worrying you. Shhhh. It's okay.)

The Trees for the Forest

Heeeeere's to the LAAAAYdies who LUNCH, Rob crooned when he caught a glimpse of my getup. I hollered back laughter. Yep. Not my style, is it.

I don't know how to explain my fascination with this fabric. It's my Mood Sewing Network April offering, a scuba print from Anna Sui, found in-store. The more I looked at it, the uglier it got, and the uglier it got, the more I had to have it! Do you know what I mean? I truly can't explain it!

Making something for yourself that ultimately turns out to be not your style can be a bummer. And, in the middle of #fashrev week, it also points out the waste that we sewists can produce. But I like to look at the flip side of the coin. I enjoyed every minute of making this--I tried new techniques, and I made it well. Is that wasteful?

Everyone has their line in the sand. Leaving aside the myriad (important, ethical, needed) reasons for the focus of this week, my personal #fashionrevolution is about taking the reigns of my style, and making beautiful (or in this case, INSANE) armor with my own two hands. Do I save every scrap and try my best to use every inch of what I have? Just ask the bags of remnants waiting for their purpose in life. But my revolution also leaves room for discarding the things that keep me from moving forward. It leaves room for guilt free "failures." Creating, and trying, and succeeding, and failing, are all part of constant growth--the positives of creating something almost always outweighs any final outcome. As far as waste goes, time well spent isn't a waste.

What's more: the fact that I made it with my own two hands means it isn't going anywhere soon. Had I bought this piece RTW (likely at a fast fashion, cheap store, because that's what my wallet allowed when I shopped), it would be so easy to discard it. But when you know by execution the amount of work that went into it, it's not so easy. Luckily so! Just last week, I did a 180 and fell in love with a silk shirt dress that had languished unworn in my handmade closet for a full year.

Maybe a year's time will change my mind. Maybe this weirdo jacket would look exceptional on someone else! Who knows. It's not going in the bin, at any rate. There's too much thought in it for that. You can see it in a more sensible photo setting over at the Mood Sewing Network, including detail shots of the fancy bits that gave me hours of such tremendous glee.

What's your line in the sand for your Fashion Revolution?

A Tree Skirt.

Suddenly, and without warning, the city tore itself out of hibernation mode. There was a furious need to do something before 2017 rolled in. 

In "the business," the space between Thanksgiving and New Years gets progressively more chill, winding down to a dead stop by December 15. So, although this flurry was a welcome change, we suddenly found ourselves racing everywhere, and I suddenly found myself racing to get ALL OF THE THINGS SEWN, having previously decided to sew a gift for pretty much everyone in my life. Over a dozen items in under two weeks--and I'm talking lined jackets. I finished. I do not know how. As I wrangled wrapping four evening jackets in the car ride to our NYE celebrations, Rob cautiously inquired, so, what will you be sewing next in the new year?

I pulled myself out of a tornado of tissue paper and ribbon. WHY DO YOU ASK.

What will I sew? Well, I think it's going to be a mohair coat fashioned from a vintage blanket, featuring a horse head with a glass eye. I'm not joking. I know I'm going to take my time and enjoy it, because the moral of that car conversation was one I already know: NO MORE RUSHING ALLOWED. Rushing helps nothing. Take, for example, the skirt pictured above. This was my December MSN project, and I raced through it, desperate to have a Diane Keaton-esque ensemble to swan about in on Christmas Eve. It suffered for the pace: the pleats don't quite match, forget about print placement across the side seams-- and although I faced the hem, and gave the waistband a petersham treatment, I am 99% sure I'll be pulling this apart and putting it back together again. 

A lot of seam ripping? Yes, but I actually don't mind. It's wonderful to create better things from botched projects.

Hope you're easing yourself into this new year...may we create better things from botched! 

Silk Holidaze

Things have turned crazyface around here! Alongside the ramp up to the holidays, the business side of life suddenly woke back up and I'm a little (happily) swamped. So, I'm just going to dive right in. On my last Mood Sewing Network post, I talked about the fabric, now I'll tell you about the pattern...

This is McCalls 7387, which I've sewn up twice, and failed at twice, if you consider the fact that I lost a good foot and a half of fabric on each make a fail. I DO. Cuz I did it twice. Twice, people. That's three feet of fabric. THAT'S LIKE A SHIRT'S WORTH OF FABRIC.

I lost said footage from the hemline. That damn hemline is supposed to be far more dramatic, but each time it came out looking like a Beta Fish tail. Which actually sounds much cooler than it looked. Don't let the description fool you. After a time-out to mull over the fact that I had repeated my error, I lopped it off. (It originally hit just below my calves, the side seam hitting right about where it is now.)

I omitted the front fly facings after reading several pattern reviews about how wonky those directions were. Maybe I had been influenced by the general opinion, but after one glance at the fly instructions, I decided to bail on it. Instead, I cut an extra 5/8ths, using the selvage as the edge of the shirt. I then interfaced & folded it under once to the back, and once to the front, accordion style, to create a placket. The selvage is the front edge of the shirt. (There's also plenty of triple-stitched fuchsia rayon topstitching, but did I get a shot of that? I did not. Here, squint at this next shot, mebbe you can spy it...)

As for those sleeves. HEY. Can someone tell me why a dropped sleeve would have so much ease? You don't need the extra movement, since the seam isn't on your shoulder, right? Also: why do we press the seam towards the sleeves on a woman's shirt, but towards the bodice on a man's? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. 

After inserting the sleeves, I pressed the seams this way and that, trying to figure out which draped best (man's way did), but still, they hung a bit...poofily. That extra ease at the "cap" on my bicep just wouldn't lie flat. I hacked the sleeves off, losing about 5/8ths from the armsyce, and added the fold over band option instead. Those little interfaced suckers stick out like I'm a silk crepe de chine'd line backer. Football and silk. I'm down.

They really do wing out! I love them. Finally, I went haywire on the neckline (which does indeed hang straight) and encased it in bias, rather than adding the collar. I didn't see the need for buttons on this go, it feels more artsy this way. 

Oh yeah! One last thing, I did a center back pleat, rather than the diagonal, swooshy, très artsy pleat in the pattern. Because there's only so much art I can take.

Well y'all, hopefully some of this sew-speak makes sense to you. I'm mainly sharing the details in case you want the same outcome! Although I love my new topper, I'm still looking for that perfect, open shirt-dress pattern, with no waist seam. Got any suggestions?

this silk crepe de chine topper was made with my fabric "allowance" as part of the mood sewing network.

Blame It On The Sun

I blame this dress on Stevie Wonder, and my inability to keep dates straight when it's SUMMERSUMMERSUMMER.

Last weekend, I suddenly realized it was the end of July, and I with no MSN project for the month! I mean, I'd planned not one, but two projects for this Hotter-Than-July, and hadn't touched a scrap of fabric on either. Both were panel prints--I do like a theme--and both were jersey. This gal is an Italian Poly, and her mate was Italian Cotton. Again, themes.

I went for the cotton first, as the fabric content was a bit higher brow. BECAUSE I'M CLASSY. However, the Cotton jersey went south quickly. Welllllllll...not quickly...more like a marathon day of sewing's worth of south. It ended up in the What Was I Drinking bin, which mainly holds cooler weather projects at the moment. Glad to have something summery to stagger down memory lane with! It'll be coming up shortly.

I gnashed my teeth and stomped my feet a bit, loaded all of Stevie's albums, and cut into the second panel print to the tune of "Did I Hear You Say You Love Me."  By the time I got to "All Day Sucker," I was shaking my booty in front of the bedroom mirror like I was at a barbecue with seven spritzers in me, slight heat exhaustion, and my all time favorite song on.

THEN I TURNED AROUND AND REALLY STARTED BOOGEYING ON REGGAE WOMAN.

YEEEEEEAH PRINT PLACEMENT!!!! You know I love those (intentionally) placed cascading flowers, right?! YOU KNOW RUGGY CAN'T STAND THEM, RIGHT?!!!

He’s not a fan of the back. But it makes me laugh so hard it hurts. One could almost say I am exploding flowers! (Or, one could say I am "farting flowers." And that one would be Ruggy. Hey man, Everybody Poops.)

Shall we talk about the sewing for a minute? OH LET'S DO. After the botchery of my first panel try, I needed something quick that would make good use of the second print. Burda Magazine 07-2009-124 Halter Tie Dress to the rescue. It’s supposed to have a wrap back, but to make it even easier on myself, I modified the pattern into 2 on-the-fold pieces. I just used the CB placement marking as my foldline. Two pattern pieces, two panels, add slits, make a tie, whambamthankyama’am, July project saved!

I also used a good bit of Steam-A-Seam Lite in this jammy. This poly wasn't about to keep a crease on its own! Which reminds me, I need to get another Sewing Goodies post up in here. For now, here's the link to my favorite size, a two pack of 1/4" Steam-A-Seam Lite. (That link is affiliated, so cut & paste if you're not into that!) I'll have a proper review up soon, but I've already had three orders of this stuff--I love it. It's a reposition-able double stick tape that sets permanently with steam and heat--like Wonder Tape, but I prefer SAS! You don't lose the stretch of the fabric with this stuff. I used it on the side slits, hem, and neckline of this dress. I suppose you could heat set it and forget it, but I use it to keep the fabric nice and flat for topstitching. If you don't have a serger or coverstitch, this really helps in keeping things looking professional. Make sure you get the "Lite!"

(Side note, anyone else hate the new Miller Lite commercials? Being the inventor of the phrase "Lite Beer" doesn't make light beer any more palatable.)

Nothing Lite about this panel print, that's for sure. I find panel prints not only make you think out of the box, they almost do the work for you. And this one sure saved my tuchus this time around! Ever tried one?

this dress was made with my monthly fabric allowance as part of the mood sewing network. thanks for the (wonderful) stevie earworm, mood!

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making harem pants

Ruggy had one word for me when he caught an unexpected eyeful of these pants:

NO.

I responded in the only way I could: I began to croon "The Girl From Ipanema" (Frank Sinatra version), and gave him a nice, leisurely sway of my viscose clad hips, rotating sloooooooowly around for the full 360 view....

At which point he really started hollering: STOP IT NO STOP NOW I'M GOING TO ASSOCIATE THAT SONG WITH THOSE THINGS

He really likes that song. Not so much the pants. These pants are not the droid for Ruggy. Actually, I'm not a fan of the look of this shape either. But the first time I made a pair of harem pants and tried them on, the feel of them was like...the heavens opened up and started singing. Or maybe it was just the musical kids at rehearsals, since I only wore them in Texas, when I was away for work, far from Ruggy's pained eyes. I reserve my Ruggy Repellant for when miles separate us, kind of like a consolation prize, I guess. See: here; and here.

Joyously, the only thing separating us at the moment is our odd hours at the gym. When his workout time rolled around, I took the opportunity to don these and shoot them by myself, because I love my man, and I know which ensembles are better done solo. Alas! His workout was truncated, and upon my return, he was greeted with an image that apparently seared his retinas.

Sound drastic? Y'all, he REALLY loathes them. And listen, it goes both ways, there are plenty of items in his closet that make me want to go postal. I am thinking in particular of a dusty mauve, hole ridden, oversized T shirt that gives him a...pallor..like all the lifeblood has been replaced with antifreeze. Not a good look. But we bear each other's eccentricities.

This little eccentricity started out as an off-the-shoulder peasant dress. Those colorful side panels were center front and center back of a voluminous, gathered alien swath that looked like it was trying to swallow me whole. (Maybe it still does... but at least the mouth of it is only getting as far as my hips.) Would that I had photographic evidence of said dress. It might make Ruggy feel better about the pants. Basically, I succumbed to a trend which does not look good on me, realized my mistake, and then turned to another trend that does not look good on me as the solution.

When things went south with this Mood Sewing Network make, I couldn't bear giving up on this paneled beauty. (I'm shocked it's still on the site, considering the price and the print!) WARNING: NONSENSICAL EXPLANATION AHEAD. To "save" it, I laid the dress out flat, dissected the raglan off-the-shoulder sleeves, cut it open at the side seams, and made a new, longer seam from hem to top, creating a trapezoid shape. Then I googled "make harem pants" for an approximate shape, and sewed them back together. It's basically a trapezoid with a wide curve on the bottom edge, from leghole to leghole. I used the original, truncated shoulder elastic casing for the waist. Yessssss, again, pictures would help. But when I get on a stubborn roll, I just keep the freight train rolling. 

I think that a lot of my garments get finished because I'm far too stubborn to take No for an answer. Ironic that Ruggy's answer to these are exactly that.

I tell you what though: they are SOOOOOO comfortable. I don't care if the final product gives me junk on both sides of my trunk!!! But, these might be reserved for Girls Night and Rehearsal Wear.

I'm okay wth that. I LIKE specialty clothing.

these extra special pant were made using my mood sewing network fabric allowance. ruggy does not join me in thanking mood this time around.

Braid Brain

As I happily hacked my way through editing these pictures, I realized I like messing with photos as much as I like sewing. Indeed, I go about my amateur editing a lot like I go about sewing-- pushing buttons and trying out tools until I get what I want, with only a vague idea of a plan. Hence, the glitch-in-the-matrix backdrop of buildings. 

Maybe if I spent as much time learning about editing as I do stitching, I'd level up. Yeah. That's not gonna happen.

And so I call myself LIAR! STOP LYING OONA! Obviously I like sewing better. But hacking photos is still fun. AND I LIKE FUN MOST OF ALL.

I yammered on about the sewing of this viscose jersey maxi dress over at The Mood Sewing Network-- well, there wasn't much to say, actually, as there's no pattern-- it's a draped job. It began life as a column dress, then I sliced it up center front & back to add seams for the insertion of godets from mid-hip height to hem. There are four in all, at CF, CB and side seams.

That was partly for swishability, and MOSTLY because there was a very interesting piece of print placement going on, right smack dab on my hoohaa. Can you make it out in the picture above? Something in a glowing shade of deep orange? Something longish, something...ribbed? I mean, I don't really shy away from reproductional organ print placement, but this particular shape made my eye twitch for about a week, until I finally sliced it in half with that first godet, then kept the swishability train going.

I don't normally go for godets at CF, I feel like it's the Georgia O'Keefe of fabric placement...but it's better than a schlong.

The braided straps were made out of those godet scraps, and the placement came about after much hemming and hawing.

Hemming and hawing. I wonder if that phrase has anything to do with sewing? What is hawing, exactly?

WELL. I'M A VERITABLE HUMMINGBIRD BRAIN OF THOUGHTS TODAY. I have so many summer sewing ideas in my head, I can't think straight! That's me, looking off into the hot city sky, imagining ALL THE DRESSES!!!!!

How 'bout you? Got any perfect summer dress patterns planned? Do tell, I'm stocking up!

Vogue 1482: The Apartment Dress

If you come to Kalkatroona for dinner, I will most likely greet you with a shriek, possibly a fan, and very little on. IT'S ALWAYS HOT IN KALKATROONA.

I'll be wearing something vaguely dressy, and vaguely roomy, the better to eat everything in. And I will probably be hopping around on my toes en relevé, because when I am happy, I hop around on my toes en relevé. Obviously, I'll be happy because you're coming over for dinner. And we'll all kick our shoes off and lounge on great big fuchsia pillows while Ruggy mixes cocktails and Al Green makes us boogie.

It wasn't all boogying with this jammie, though. You guys, I was on the road to failure with this silk jersey for so long, I thought the trip would never end! It started at Mood, when I turned from the cutting table and came face to face with this beauty. She was in my arms within seconds. Foot on the floor, I screamed north with my new companion, racing to Drapey Town. But I made a wrong turn at Cuttersville, and when I found myself at the junction between Maxi Skirtland and Tank Top Turnpoint, there just wasn’t enough lane for Waist Line.

The trip was bad, yo. Probably because I left no time for rest stops. ALWAYS LEAVE TIME FOR REST STOPS.

Ruggy was thrilled that my trip went awry, since he loved the print and wanted me to use it for myself anyway (I was selfless sewing with this beauty. My first wrong turn!). Sadly, the new route I chose was a man repeller pattern. My bosum buddy Suzanne just happened to drop Vogue 1482 in my lap, an artsy ditty with lots of seaming and little pieces. Her note cautioned: One of those patterns your husband will hate but all your lady friends love…

But the note ALSO said: very cool construction, fyi.

SOLD.

I needed a good road map after all that botched traveling! And she was right, the construction IS really cool… but I only followed the directions for the front left pocket. UGH FOLLOW DIRECTIONS OONA! WHY DO YOU THINK YOU GET LOST SO MUCH?! Listen, I had to veer off course, mainly because I jigsawed the center back out of the carnage from the draping, and had to cut it on the fold, losing two inches of width, and then had to account for the stretch of the jersey, and then add sleeves, and then remove sleeves, and then change the neckline, and then taper it in to make it slightly more Ruggy friendly, and then shorten it to make it even more Ruggy friendly, and then gnash my teeth certain that I'd basically botched 4 yards of silk jersey, and then throw it on for one more peek...

...and then DANCE AROUND LIKE A DOOFUS when I realized that, in taking the scenic route, I had suddenly stumbled upon THAT DRESS that you can wear out to summer dinners, or wear in to winter affairs hosted in your blazing hot NY apartment.

Sorry, I'm still shaking my booty here. BOOGIE BOOGIE! In our 15 years of living in this little slice of the sun, I have only one other handmade garment that can pull this kind of all-seasons duty. As it is mandatory that I greet my guests in handmade, more options are always a bonus.

And even more bonus, I finally have the perfect match for this beauty from Tweak! I love big bold necklaces, have oodles of them actually, but they seem to need a soul mate. This one has been waiting over a year for its perfect partner!

Hopefully my perfect partner will come around on this dress, because it's a keeper.

So listen, if you decide to partner up with this pattern, keep in mind that I did a LOT of hacking! The pocket and the diagonal front seam are as-drafted. The pattern as-is has a much longer hemline, sleeves that come in two parts, neckline facings, and a CB seam with a neck opening. Recommended fabrics include both wovens and jersey, which is fun and all, but you ought to consider the stretch factor if you go for jersey. I went down to the smallest size (even more, really, with all the fabric jigsawing and tapering), and you really won't need that back neck opening unless you like the look of it. The instructions call for french seams, which you also won't need on a jersey--I abandoned that once my brain switched on and realized what was happening. Directions are great, but sometimes the scenic route is the way to go!

this apartment dress was made with my monthly fabric allowance as part of the mood sewing network.