Navy Blue Dress

It's been a very relaxing weekend, though I must say I have not completed as many projects as I had hoped.  All that remains to be done on my navy chiffon dress is a hand-finished neckline and hem.   I have snapped some photos to show my progress on the dress, but will take proper ones once it is finished. 

One other tiny detail is that I don't have a proper slip to go with this dress.  That is why I bought this lovely slip pattern: 

This plus 2.5 yards of nude colored silk satin from Gstreet Fabrics, and I should have a practical silk slip to go with my (growing collection) of unlined dresses.  While the idea of making a practical foundation garment like this one may not seem strange at all, I should mention that the original idea was born when I decided that I could afford to make more dresses if I didn't put a separate lining into each one.  I would be interested to know what you think-- is making one multi-use slip a practical idea, or will this just enable me to buy fabric for three more dresses instead of one?

I have been slowly chipping away at the other projects mentioned last time, and should be able to show my finished skirt later this week.  In addition, I have been gathering inspiration for a new jersey tunic, and was rather taken with this Vivienne Westwood number found at netaporter.com:

From what I can tell, it looks like an asymmetrical dolman top, with ruching on one side.  It also looks like the front and back are cut from the same pattern piece.  I'm still working out the details in my head and on paper, and hope to have more direction for a project by the end of the week.  I really can't wait to work with the violet-hued jersey I have in mind for this tunic, though.  I finally broke down and purchased 4 yards of jersey from highendfabrics on ebay.  The name and storefront of this seller are not terribly impressive, but they sell some leftovers from LA designers like Rachel Pally, for a mere $5.90/yard.  Priority shipping was really fast too, even though I live on the opposite coast from LA.  If you're looking for some basic modal jersey in nice solid colors, I recommend checking this seller out.  Just leave some for me, please!

Also, in the spirit of crafting, check out this WSJ article about truckers who are taking up knitting and quilting.  I always like to see more men taking up knitting!

On my mind...sewing progress and turbans

Currently making:

 

 Skirt 111B from Burda 4-2010 in rust poplin

Trousers 111 (muslin!) from Burda 11-2009 also in rust poplin

Dress 113 from Burda 8-2009 in navy dotted chiffon

Last but not least, I am putting the finishing (hand-sewn) touches on a dress made from floaty navy chiffon.  It will make a nice addition to my nautical spring wardrobe, if I can just make myself finish it.  The challenge of this pattern is that it was designed in an awful crushed velvet, so I've had to make a few tweaks here and there to create the dress in chiffon.  Once I hand stitch the hem and insert elastic at the waist, it will be ready to wear with a sweet slip.

Currently dreaming about...turbans!

1. blue turban color - Catparty 2. Nice Girl? - Miss Retro Modern 3. war turban - Stella Mask 4. Women become skilled shop technicians - Library of Congress

Follow the links above to see more vintage goodness.  I really love catparty's interpretation of the 1940's 'housewife' turban.  Oh how I long for a proper topper!  So perfect for keeping hair out of your eyes while sewing-- or while working on airplanes ;)

Now for a break from our regularly scheduled sewing...

I finally feel like I am recovered from jet lag and the daylight savings time change.  For the past week the most I have managed in the evenings is preparing and eating diner before sleep sneaks up on me.  Needless to say, I have not gotten much sewing in at all.  Since I don't have any new projects to share, I thought I might share a bit of my non-sewing life.  The reason for my jet lag is that my beau and I took a short trip to California last week.  The sunshine offered such a nice respite from the wild winter we've been having in DC.  We had so many fun times on our little vacation-- here are my most favorite:

LA's Union Station - I pass through Union Station each time I fly into LA.  The architecture in the main hall is very lovely (and hard to photograph!) but I also love the facade and the well manicured courtyards.

CBS Seafood - We stopped here for a dim sum lunch upon our arrival in L.A.  The hostess was very kind and seated us at a corner table-- the better to stash our bulky bags in!  I had not had dim sum for several years, so this lunch was quite a treat.

[Shrimp dumplings and chinese broccoli]

[Egg tarts]

Joshua Tree National Park  - Even though it was raining the day we visited, the panoramic views  were fantastic.  Really, words alone can't do it justice.  I'm hoping to return again for an overnight visit.

Disneyland - We also spent a day at a very different type of park, and took in very different sights there -- everything from singing pirates to dancing animatronic animals.  It's true, I really am a child at heart, and still get excited about the teacup ride, also known as Mad Tea Party.

On our last day of vacation, we headed into LA for some serious sight-seeing.  So serious I forgot to take photos.  Here's where we went:

FIDM Museum - Checked out costumes from recent Hollywood productions.  I was especially excited to see some outfits from Amelia and some figures from Coraline.  Both movies that are on my list to see!

Michael Levine  - Did some fabric shopping here, but kept control of myself, as there were plenty of other stops planned for that day.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art - Here we took in Magritte's Ceci n'est pas une pipe.  There were also some very dedicated docents on hand to help bring the collections to life for visitors.  I was surprised to find myself enjoying the Pre-Columbian collection, but learning the stories behind pieces always draws me in.

Petersen Automotive Museum - Ok, I'm not a huge car fan, but my beau is.  We stopped in here, as it was conveniently located near LACMA, and I must say it was quite fun.  If you are fascinated by history you will enjoy Petersen.  I especially recommend one of the current exhibits called "What Were They Thinking"  If you're in LA before July 5 you should check it out.

Whew...well that was my vacation, in a nutshell.  I hope at least some of this post has been informative, if not entertaining.  And I promise my next post will include sewing projects!

Layered Ensemble

It's a drizzly evening, and I'm curled up on the sofa with a big mug of hot cocoa.  I'm about to put the finishing touches on my Destroyed Cowl, and then hopefully sneak in some work on the two trouser muslins I cut out this weekend: a pair of high waisted pedal pushers and carrot pants from Burda 11/2009.  Before I launch into projecting, though, I wanted to take a moment and share photos of the layered cardigan I finished last week:

The bottom layer is a top I purchased some time ago that was a bit misshapen for my tastes.  Enter the jersey ties-- you can't tell from the pictures, but they are stitched on to the sides of the yellow top.  The top layer is a little dolman sleeved cardi that I cut out and stitched together before I realized that it was a tad bit too small.  Then one day I spied both pieces at the bottom of my sewing pile, and realized they belonged together.  

[ Back View. ]

[ Close Up. ] 

The chartreuse & teal color combination is so cheerful.  And the teal cardigan is made of bamboo knit that is both soft and resilient.  Such a happy accident that these two pieces ended up together!  I might just have to make more tops like this-- maybe even some Norma Kamali inspired ones.  And now back to my regularly scheduled scheming...

My Little Mod Sundress

I am just getting around to posting about my weekend sewing.  One of my goals, as i mentioned in my last post, is to work my way through my unfinished projects.  Last Sunday I completed the first of those projects, a little dress called Shari from Burdastyle:

(Please excuse the poor picture quality-- it is too cold to photograph outside!)

The floral print is from the $2.97 table at Gstreet Fabrics.  It's a pretty sheer batiste-like cotton, so I lined it with white cotton voile from fabric.com.  For the midriff section I used some electric lime linen that my Mom gave me awhile back.

I really liked sewing Shari, and I am happy with the results.  The under bust gathers are a nice detail for those of us with smaller busts ;)  

The skirt is cut on the bias, so the trickiest part was making sure not to stretch the pieces while stitching them together.  And hemming!  I always try to remember to hang up bias cut dresses for a day before setting in the hem.  

More pictures here.

Stash overflow and ambitious sewing

The wall behind my sewing machine is meant to display projects that I am presently working on.  Due to my lack of sewing ambition over the past few months, it looks more like a holding pattern.  Today I am determined to fix this.  The floral dress in the middle?  That's a half-finished Shari.  I wasn't sure how to finish the middle section of the dress, as I had originally wanted to add piping at the edges.  Over a year later, I think I'll be happy just to finish.

Hmm...and here you see the antique rocker adjacent to my sewing niche.  It is covered in fabric — fabric that should be in the fabric cabinet pictured below:

These pictures were taken after this morning's cleaning spree.  I either need to do a lot more sewing before my trip to LA, or start giving fabric away.  Hopefully the latter option won't be necessary.  

Time for a quick lunch break (Vegetarian chili with oven-broiled tomatoes with a side of skillet cornbread), a cup of tea and then... Shari time!

Burda Blouse 117 From 8-2009

Here is the result of my day off- I finished a wearable muslin of Burda 117 in metallic poly chiffon.  We will call it a wearable muslin because fabric came from the 75% off table at Hancock Fabrics about two years ago, and I only bought it for the colors.  Without the bits of ochre and rust in there, this might well have been the ugliest fabric I ever laid eyes upon!  The blouse was a dream to stitch up, even though my lack of a serger necessitated flat-felling to ensure that the seams don't unravel.  I am already planning a second blouse in silk chiffon.  Maybe even in a springy hue.  A couple fabrics I have my eye on for the project:  this lovely iridescent chiffon in seafoam, currently my favorite color, and also this bright yellow print- what a jaunty summer topper that would make!

And now, dear friends, I'm off to sleep.  Must get lots of rest, as there is another full day of projecting ahead of me!

Snowed In!

Pretty sure no one is going to park here.

Side street near Ft. Reno park- treacherous indeed!

By now I'm sure you've heard about DC's little snowmageddon. The inclement weather led to an early dismissal from work on Friday as well as a day off today. Despite the city's attempt to dig out, the driving situation is still not the best. While these conditions have left many DC residents with a case of cabin fever, I can't help but think that I have fared much better. After all, what could be better for a sewer/knitter than three whole days inside? Nestled in my little apartment-cave, I have been on a steady diet of coffee, tea, fabric and yarn.

Life has been stressful the last few months. While I nearly lost the will to sew, I did not stop buying fabric. So while home owners have spent the weekend digging out from under the snow, I have spent the weekend digging out from under my ever-expanding fabric stash. I am proud to say that I can almost see my ironing board again.

Aside from the fact that my sewing "room" takes up half of our living room, the other reason I am taking pains to clean up my stash is that I have plans to visit my Aunt in LA again this spring. Visiting LA means I will have to stop by the fashion district. Which means I will most certainly be coming home with more fabric and will need someplace to put it. Last year I purchased 1 yd of silk georgette, 2 1/2 yds of lime green voile, 1 1/2 yds of printed silk habotai, 1 1/2 yds of white cotton/seacell shirting and 3 yds of border print cotton voile (made into a tank dress, last seen here). My goal is to use each of these fabrics before heading back to LA. I will keep you updated on my progress- look for some finished pieces later today!

End of Summer Mini Wardrobe

August did its best, and all it took was a couple major stressful events to derail my best-laid sewing plans. Thankfully, I made it through, and even completed a mini wardrobe while I was at it!

I stayed up all night before a 6am flight to make these high-waist trousers from Burda 3/2009 in bright cherry red:

And I patterned this skirt after a much loved vintage wool plaid skirt (it needed a summer counterpart) The top is from Burda 2/2009, in rayon jersey:

Summer seems to be coming very quickly to an end this year. It is already getting chilly in the evenings, and I am already planning which cozy sweaters I want to knit, and which yummy yarns I need to buy to make them. I've been looking at Rowan's Swaddle for quite some time, but am not convinced that there is an affordable substitute for their Kid Silk Classic yarn. I have been eyeing some angora blends over at Colourmart for awhile--hopefully my favorite colors won't be gone by the time I make up my mind to purchase! In terms of autumn sewing, I am imagining slim sweater dresses, and elegant blouse and high-waist skirt combos. Especially inspiring was this feminine blouse in the September issue of Burda.

Thank you for stopping by to take a look! I hope to be posting more than just once a month from here on out, so please stay tuned. Happy sewing!

I'll admit, I just haven't been doing that much sewing lately. I have, however, been planning a lot of sewing projects. I finally signed up for Polyvore the other day. While playing around with some outfit ideas, I stumbled upon a new inspiration resource. Or is it a danger zone? All I know is that I like nearly every piece of clothing I see on yesstyle.com. Especially the offerings from Click. Scroll on for a tour of my favorites.

What a cute ruffled blouse.

I was struck by how similar it looks to this pattern in the 8/2009 Burda WOF

A cute, but not overly prim spin on the 2fer dress craze-

I also really dig the dirndl waist.

It's a basic linen shirt dress.

The pockets are what make it wearable.

Classic a-line skirt, in linen.

I love the twisted detail at the top of the pockets.

It's also great that so many of these styles have elastic-back waists-

who cares what the waistline looks like when you're just going to throw a belt on over it?

Cute flutter sleeve dress with elastic neckline.

Could there be an easier project than this?

Simple. Pockets. Ballet cardi.

Ruffled front tunic.

It looks nice on her, right?

And my favorite piece of all-

the tie-neck blouse.

I really like how the ends of the tie come to a point.

I also dig this because the turned back sleeves give it a bit of a retro feel.

More pictures here.