Cool for the summer

It's getting hot, y'all.

We had really, really pleasant weather this winter (sorry, northerners).  But it looks like it's over.  All of a sudden we're back in the 80s, and I assume the humidity is not far behind.  So it's time for me to focus on summer clothes.  And like I mentioned on the post about my last Alder, it is the perfect pattern for hot summers.

I bought this fabric at my favorite fabric store last summer.  It's seersucker in a pretty navy with a lovely print of little apples.  Although fruit prints are totally in right now, this is actually a vintage fabric.  They only had about 1 3/4 yards of this left, and I snapped it up.

Because of fabric limitations, I knew I was looking at a sleeveless or short sleeved blouse.  But I wanted something with a little interest.  This fabric deserves it!  So I decided to shorten the Alder dress into a top.  I also made it a v-neck as I didn't have enough fabric for a collar and stand.  I didn't even have enough for pockets!  I ended up having to piece the inside yoke together from two pieces and used another fabric for the armhole binding too.  This was some serious pattern puzzling.

I wanted to exaggerate the high-low hem on the Alder a bit.  It turned out that I exaggerated it a little TOO much, as I ended up chopping about 4-5 inches off the back once I tried it on.  It's still a big difference, but the before was almost costumey.

I.  Love.  This.  Shirt.  This is my favorite thing I've made in a while.  Alder is such a fun pattern to sew.  I love doing the back yoke, I love turning the corner on the gathered section, I love the button bands.  It's just an all around great pattern.  I finished this one up on Friday afternoon, and I've worn it 3 times in the last 4 days.  So I'd say it's a success!

Project:  Apple Seersucker Alder Blouse
Pattern:  Grainline Alder
Fabric:  vintage seersucker print

One Sweet Blouse

I'm back!  After a looooong and wonderful vacation, I'm back home and slowly emerging from my pile of e-mails.  I had an amazing time and so enjoyed seeing the differences in fashion between the US and UK/Ireland (Super short skirts, leggings as pants, madness all around).  But now that I'm home, I'm excited to get back to sewing!  I have a project for this weekend already picked out, and I'll be working with legit expensive silk for the first time.  Here's hoping I won't fuck it up!

And now for a project that I finished right before we left.

There were two things driving me to make this blouse.

First, a recognized need for more solids in my wardrobe.  I actually didn't own a white blouse before I finished this one.  Second, I bought these crazy adorable vintage milk glass buttons on Etsy and needed to make something with them.

I chose a plain seersucker because let's be honest, it's real hot where I live.  And I think this will work perfectly throughout the summer.

This is not something that I would reach for in a store.  I tend toward brighter colors, prints, and usually avoid button downs.  But that's exactly why I needed it in the first place.

I am really, really happy with how this turned out.  I muslined it first, and was super frustrated by the sleeves.  They fit, but it was really uncomfortable to move my arms up/to the front.  After a lot of research, I was able to figure out the issue.

Basically, when you look at a shirt laying flat (or a pattern illustration), the more severe the angle between the sleeve and the shoulder, the less room you'll have.  So a t-shirt where the sleeves basically stick straight out?  Lots of room to move.  A blouse where the sleeves are set in at a low angle?  Fat man in a little coat.

With that in mind, I redrafted the sleeves with a much more flattened sleeve head.  I was skeptical, but it totally worked.  It's WAY more comfortable and flattering.

This is SUCH a good basic.  I love how it's pairing with all of my skirts and bottoms.  I do wish it had just the tiniest bit more length so I was more comfortable wearing it with jeggings.

The best part, though, is the detail.  The seersucker is just so sweet, and the little detail of the glass buttons makes it.  This is one of those items that really doesn't "seem" handmade in person, and it looks pretty expensive.

I am going to use this pattern to make a blouse with some gray/white stripe shirting, and I'm really excited about it.  I think I can make some improvements in the fit at the high bust, and I'm going to add a cute bias detail on the back yoke.

I am really proud of the quality of my work here.  This was the first collar I've made, and I think it turned out pretty darn good!  These are by far the best buttonholes I've made.  And I'm proud of the finishing as well.

So, the stats:

Project:  White seersucker blouse
Pattern:  Colette Violet
Fabric:   Plain white seersucker, bought at High Fashion Fabrics in Houston (my fave fashion fabric store)
Notions:    thread, interfacing, 7 buttons (I had 6 so I just redid the spacing)
Skills involved:  setting sleeves, gathering, buttons/buttonholes, attaching a collar
Changes made:  Changed the button spacing to eliminate one button, redrafted sleeves for freer movement of arms.  I don't remember exactly the sizing changes, but I know I cut at least 2 sizes smaller at the shoulders than at the waist/hip.
Fuckups: None, actually!  I concentrated on taking my time here and I think it paid off.

See ya later, alligator

The Christmas sewing is done. I hadn't planned to do any sewing past that this weekend, but my husband is sick and spent yesterday evening in a niquil coma. So, I was happy to get a couple of projects cut and ready to go.

After I got home from the office today, he had fallen asleep again! So I took advantage and did a quick little project.

I can definitely see myself using this pattern a LOT since I've figured out the fit issues. I read a lot of reviews of this one online, and heard that it was extremely boxy, with way too much ease in the waist. So I kept those thoughts in mind and compared the pattern to a shirt I had that fits me well. I ended up cutting roughly two sizes smaller than what I measured in the waist and bust. In the hips, I stuck with my normal size, which I think worked really well. 

I also lengthened the sleeves a bit. I cut them the same, but I just did a very short hem so they were a little bit longer. 

I think my favorite thing about this make was that it used facing to finish the neck opening. I like the clean look here, and I think it works really well with the style.  The sleeveless versions of the top also use facing instead of bias tape. 

The star of this project is really the fabric. It's from spoonflower and the designer is andrea_lauren. She has her shop set with limited selections right now, but she has some really lovely designs. I am totally crazy about the color here. 

This is the first project I've made that ended up exactly as I envisioned it. I think a lot of that is due to the fact that I really planned out my steps, took my time, and paid attention. 

I absolutely love it. And I am super psyched about the rest of the projects I have coming up!

Project: Alligator woven tee

Pattern: Simplicity 8523

Fabric: Alligators by andrea_lauren on Spponflower, 2 yds

Notions: nothing but thread! You will need a tiny bit of interfacing

Overall, I really enjoyed this make and will definitely use this pattern again, maybe with a different neckline?