Try, try again

This is one of a few projects that I made before our trip but never got around to writing about.  All of my computer time in the weeks leading up to the trip were spent researching weather, backpacks, tours, and if I would want to barf at the thought of eating Scottish food (I didn't.  Actually the food was pretty great, except the seafood wasn't nearly as good as it was hyped up to be.  Says the girl from Louisiana, I know).

So, after hating my first attempt at this pattern, mostly die to the weirdness of the fabric, I decided to try again with something more structured and less clingy.  I decided on a cotton twill, and found this pretty navy at High Fashion Fabrics in Houston.

Side note:  if you're in the Houston area, I love this place.  My home base in Houston is completely on the other side of the city (Energy Corridor) but I make the trip often, because it's so worth it.  They have every type of apparel fabric you could want, and their prices are fair, in my opinion.  Plus their selection of zippers, thread, and buttons is pretty great.

ANYWAY, this twill was great.  I don't remember how much it was but it wasn't expensive.  Under $10/yard and I used two yards.  I love the color, definitely a navy but not too dark or black.

I added pockets, but I think I'll remove them next time.  Just not necessary and they add bulk.  I also need to take this in a tiny bit at the hips, but I think it's a really great basic.

Side note:  sweater is from J. Crew last season.  It was a gift from my mom and I'm crazy about it.

Close up of the waistband (and the cat hair)

Although I cut this on the straight gran, I used the waistband from version three.  I didn't want the shaped waistband, although I may try that next time.

I hemmed it with yellow grosgrain ribbon.  These little details are one of my favorite things about home made clothes.  I also used an old blouse for the pockets so there is a fun little print in there (it's a pretty floral with blues and purples).

I was happy to have this second chance at a good pattern.  It kind of erased my frustration at the first attempt.

Project:  Navy a-line skirt
Pattern:  Colette Ginger
Fabric:   Heavy navy cotton twill
Notions:    thread, interfacing, invisible zipper
Skills involved:  Placing a zipper.  There is a really cool technique for finishing the zipper that is explained will in the instructions too!
Changes made:  Used a straight waistband instead of shaped.
Fuckups: None that I can remember

And a final note:  RIP red leather flats.  I shouldn't have pushed you so hard on the cobblestone streets of Belfast.  You were a good friend to me....

My spring/summer capsule wardrobe

So here it is, the culmination of the Wardrobe Architect.  A capsule collection of clothes that fit my style, my needs, and that I can reach for again and again.

I ended up with what was a fairly long list, so we may not see all of these pieces this season.  But when it comes to needs, wants, and budgets, I think this is a really good compromise.

So, for spring, I chose a few silhouettes to keep in mind.  full skirts, slimmer skirts, cardigans, skinny pants, and blousey tops were all featured.  And ballet flats with every outfit.  Which is fitting since I have about a bazillion of them.

So I made a list of each item, how many I had (and love wearing) and how many I would need to have a mixable wardrobe.

In the end I decided on my needs

• 3 blousey tops with short or mid length sleeves
• 2 full skirted dresses
• 2 slimmer dresses
• 1 easy knit dress
• 2 full skirts
• 1 slimmer skirt
• 1 knit blazer
• 1 terry sweatshirt

So, make or buy?  The only thing on the list I'm buying is the blazer, because I'm not confident enough in my skills yet to try a structured knit.  I actually already bought it, and really love it.

Next, color.

I thought a lot about this one, and tried not to just go with my first instincts.  I thought about the colors I've been wearing a lot, the fabrics that I've bought and love, and what is flattering on me.  And this is what I came up with.

It's arranged with bolder colors at the tops, nearly neutrals in the middle, and neutrals at the bottom.  At first this image gave me a little pause.  Shouldn't I be choosing crazy bright colors?  It's spring!  But this is colorful without being over the top, and I think entirely mixable/matchable.  I'm also including cream/white even thought it's not shown here.

So from here, I was able to plan specific pieces.  12 pieces to make (and one already bought) that I think will really work for me.

So back to the list above

• 3 blousey tops with short or mid length sleeves
• A loose fitting tee shirt in blush colored silk
• A silk georgette blouse with a neck tie in ochre
• a short sleeved blouse with peter pan collar in a charcoal and white stripe
• 2 full skirted dresses
• A white seersucker dress with tiny embroidered crabs in a poppy red
• An eyelet dress, color TBD but would love it to be poppy or coral
• 2 slimmer dresses
• Button front sleeveless dress in a cat print - aubergine with pink and poppy accents
• A shirtdress (I think) in a different cat print - very light putty and white
• 1 easy knit dress
• Black knit dress with a full skirt and elbow length sleeves
• 2 full skirts
• pleated flowy skirt in a dark olive silk georgette
• print skirt in black and gold - done!
• 1 slimmer skirt
• Slim skirt in a bright coral floral
• 1 knit blazer
• black and white striped blazer - bought!
• 1 terry sweatshirt
• cream terrycloth sweatshirt for lounging

So, that's a lot of colors/prints.  But when I put them together, I think it really works. This combination feels very "me." So I think this exercise was definitely a success. Now I just have to put this into practice!

Crazy cat lady

I'm steadily knocking off items from modcloth like it's my job.  This is the third garment I've made in a few months that is almost identical to something on their site.  The quirky prints in classic silhouettes is just right up my alley, so it makes sense.  But when something is so simple to make (like a dirndl), I just can't resist.

So, apart from the spinster part, I am quickly approaching the definition of a crazy cat lady.  I'm obsessed with my cats.  These are my babies, and I love them so much.  I even have a tattoo of one of my cats (who we lost about a year ago and dude, still not even close to over it).

So, when I saw this skirt on modcloth, I knew it wasn't optional.  I had to have it.

But $60 for a novelty print skirt seemed... excessive.  And I am really trying hard not to make unnecessary clothing purchases right now.  But I wondered if I could find the fabric, and I suspected it was quilting cotton.

Low and behold, I found it.  I think I googled cat frame quilting cotton.  I found it at Hart's Fabric and bought two yards.  This all went down about midweek last week, and I got the fabric delivered to me on Friday or Saturday.  Super quick!

I washed it Sunday morning (along with some other cat themed fabric I'm psyched about) just so it would be ready when the mood struck.  And the mood struck that evening around 5, so I just went with it.

I'm actually in the middle of another project, a silk crepe Colette Zinnia.  I am really happy with how it's turning out, but I still have to attach the waistband (and hem!) and the instructions have me stumped.  I feel like the hard part should be over, even the zipper is done, but I'm just at a loss.  So Sunday afternoon I decided to put it aside and take my mind off it for a few days.  Googling tells me this is a problem for a lot of people.  I may just put the waistband in the way I usually do it and skip the confusing instructions.

ANYWAY.  After I gave up on that skirt I still wanted to make one, so I set about making something quick.  And what's the quickest, easiest garment to make?  A dirndl.

Three rectangles and just a few seams.  It's perfect and cute.  This fabric was even easier because I could use the cats as reference when cutting.

And dude, I LOVE how it turned out.  I think this skirt is the most "my style" thing I've made.

And an advantage mine has over the $60 version?  No partial cats.

No cat left behind (excepting the waistband).

I'm just butt crazy in love with this outfit.  I thought about wearing a bright red sweater but I thought that might be a little TOO Claudia Kishi.

Side note about this project.  After one too many replacements, I finally broke down and bought a legit invisible zipper foot.  Do it.  Do it now.  It is so much better than those little multi-machine plastic pieces of shit you can get at Joann's.  I've used it twice and marveled at how easy it was.

See also:  Clover marking tools.  Every Dritz thing I've bought (tracing paper, pencils, and markers) has been shit.  Just go with Clover and save yourself the money.

So, the details

Project:  Cat portrait skirt
Pattern:  None, just a n easy dirndl.
Fabric:   Cats in Frames from Hart Fabric
Notions:    thread, interfacing, invisible zipper (I just shortened one I already had, hence a black skirt with a lavender zipper!), hook and bar or a large-ish button.
Skills involved:  Geez, this one is so simple.  Almost none.  Gathering and putting in a zipper?  And if you were really worried about the zipper you could do an elastic waist.
Changes made:  N/A.  Actually I was planning to do a button closure but changed my mind at the last minute.
Fuckups: None!  The perks of not working with a pattern I guess

BRB, scouring modcloth for another piece to copy.

Being my Wardrobe Architect

Anyone else been following the Wardrobe Architect on Coletterie?  I thought it was cool at first, but wasn't really following until my great closet purge of '14.  I realized I want to be waaaaay more intentional about my clothes, both purchased and made.

So, although there have been ten "assignments" so far, I would break it down into 4 categories (excluding the beauty post, because I don't think that one really helped me).

Defining your style, Identifying silhouettes, Identifying your colors and prints, and creating a capsule wardrobe.

Defining my style

I'll be honest.  Reading the first questionnaire (Making Style Personal) is what turned me off this whole thing in the first place.  It just seemed...over the top?  I didn't think my family or culture really had an affect on my style.  And while I'm still not sure they do, I think this step helped inform the weeks to come.

But while my style is very, very different from my family and friends, I do think my personality, which is what draws me to certain items, is informed by them.  I come from a big extended family.  There are a lot of us, we are loud, we like to have fun.  Our last Christmas celebration was a night of karaoke, booze, food, and love.  I love us.  Between that, and growing up in the performing arts, I am not afraid to be expressive with my clothes.

I have also found that my mental health affects the way I dress in a huge way.  Dark, neutral, knits = low.  Bright, structured clothes that take a bit more effort = high.

Some other things that I think affect my style

• Climate.  It's hot, y'all.  I think the biggest effect this has is the lack of seasonal changes.  I don't have seasonal clothes.  The addition of tights, cardigans, and light jackets is really enough to handle our winters.
• Comfort.  I don't wear heels.  I won't wear heels.  I don't really like to wear pants.  I like to be comfortable.
• Animals.  I really, really, really love animals.  A lot of the prints I choose reflect this in a big way (this is also evident in my house.  LOTS of animal themed art).
• Philosophy.  This is something that is relatively new, but I'm trying to focus a lot on limiting my consumerism and being an intentional consumer.

For the second week, we had to choose style icons and words that described clothes we like, clothes we hate, how we want to feel, etc.

My icons had a lot in common.  Feminine, comfortable, easy.

Zooey Deschanel, Taylor Swift, Alexa Chung, Dianna Agron

I had a lot of words, but these are the five I eventually narrowed it down to.  This is how I'd like my style to be described.

Identifying Silhouettes

This section was really pretty simple for me.  I know what shapes I like.  Fuller skirts with slim tops and cardigans.  Skinny pants with slouchier tops.  Slim dresses with cardigan.

And sometimes boots, but nearly always - ballet flats.

Here are a couple of mine, but there were no surprises for me.

Identifying Colors and Prints

The most fun part of this whole thing has been the colors.  I love color, I love coloring, I just loved this.  I made my color chart on my iPad using the Paper app, which makes it really fun and easy to mix colors.

I have three of those colors on today (poppy, royal, and putty).  So I think it's a pretty good indication

Now, I love bright colors, but I also love prints.  Like most beginning sewers, I went crazy buying a bunch of novelty prints when I first started sewing.  Some of these were really great purchases, and things I'll get a ton of wear out of.  But it makes putting separates together a real challenge.  Still, I love a good novelty print and I'm not giving them up (I actually bought two more yesterday, and am psyched to put them to use!).

So I put these together to illustrate the types of prints I love.  Yes, novelty prints, especially involving animals (and especially especially involving cats).  But I also love florals, stripes, and abstracted geometric shapes.

What I'd like to focus on soon is what I call "effective solids."  So, not a solid, but something I can mix with other prints easily.  Keep in mind, one of my words is loud, so this may not be everyone's cup of tea.  But I would consider the stripe, the polka dots, and probably the watercolor floral in this group to be effective solids.

And talking percentages, I would say at least 50% of my wardrobe is prints, and that's how I would like to keep it.  I wear prints almost every day.  They make me happy, and the clothes I reach for over and over again are prints.  The sheep print in the bottom right, that makes up my very favorite dress, that I grab as soon as it comes out of the wash.  I have another novelty print coming that I'm going to make into the same pattern (which is very similar to the yellow dress above).  I just love it.

Creating your Capsule Wardrobe

So this is the next step.  It came up while I was on vacation, so I haven't really started yet.  but I do have a lot of plans for clothes to make this spring/summer.  Too many really.

I'll probably do another post with those plans, but I'm starting this weekend with a dark olive green silk pleated skirt that I'm SO psyched about.  I think, now that I'm nearing the end of this process, it is really cool how all of the steps came together to help plan a wardrobe.  It's really helping me to think about things in an intentional way.

I have 16 pieces in the planning stages.  All are perfectly suited to our weather (including a cream terry sweatshirt that will be great for the air conditioned tundra that is the Southern movie theater).  5 are solids, 5 are effective solids, and 6 are prints that range from the novelty-est of novelty (the cat portraits above) to a small scale floral that's not quite so bold.  And many of them can work well together and work with things I already have.  I'm really excited about the plan coming together like this!

Look what's new at ModCloth!

Great minds, I guess?

ModCloth version:  $79

My version:  I'd say under $15

I haven't worn this one in a while.  I've found that my skills have increased so fast since I started making clothes, and when I go back to the first few things I made, I they just don't feel as good as the newer stuff.  Maybe I'll wear it tomorrow!  Still, it makes me want to take mine apart and make it gathered instead of pleated.  I think it would be way more flattering than the irregular pleats, which I was never a huge fan of anyway.

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.

A $5 dress

Don't you love these projects that come in at crazy cheap prices?

I bought this fabric at the weirdest store in my parents' town.  They have the most random stuff.  Gift bows, dishes, tinsel, tools.  I don't even know what to call it.  But my grandma told me I should go there for fabric.

I didn't have a ton of luck.  They did have a lot of old fabric, but I felt like for the most part their prices weren't great.  Once I went to get the two things I did find cut, I figured out that the prices are merely a suggestion.  Also they're terrible at measuring.  I told her I wanted 5 yards of this but I would take whatever they had.  She said they had under 3 yards and charged me like $1.50/yd for it.  Grand total $4.50 plus tax.  But after making this dress I still have over 1 1/2 yards.  I think it probably was closer to 5 when I started!

Anyway, as soon as I saw this dress I knew what I wanted to do with it.  Well, I knew I wanted to do one of two things.  Either a vertical striped bodice with a horizontal circle skirt, or a bodice cut on the bias.  I decided to try the bias since this fabric was so cheap, and if I couldn't figure it out, so be it.

Well, it took me quite a bit of time, mostly because these stripes are not totally consistent and don't match exactly.  But after an hour or so I had the bodice pieces cut.  The funny thing is, I was looking and looking for a pattern that would work, and I thought I would have to really alter one I already had.  Then I noticed my halloween costume balled up in the floor of my closet and realized this pattern was PERFECT.  It was made to be cut on the bias, and I love it.  This made the cutting a lot easier for me, although there was still a bit of work to do to match up the stripes.

So here it is!  I was happy when I looked at the weather and realized it would be perfect for today.  I didn't line this as I wanted a cool, breathable summer dress.

I am having some unfortunate issues with dart bubbles, which is usually not a problem for me.  I'm going to try to fix it tonight.

Check out those perfectly lined up stripes though!

The back is also a vee, which is really cute.  I love how this pattern sort of slopes off of the shoulders.  It's perfect for this fabric.

I only used the pattern for the bodice, and just did a dirndl skirt.  The pattern also calls for a dirndl.  But it's LONG and FULL which I wasn't looking for.  This silhouette is much nicer for me.

I'm trying to decide what to do with the rest of this fabric.  It's pretty distinctive so I'm not sure I want another real piece of clothing.  It's SO soft though.  Maybe pajamas?  Or I might say fuck it and just do a shirt.  Everyone knows I sew a lot of my clothes anyway, so it wouldn't be a shocker.

I'm a big fan of this dress.  Weirdly, none of the stripes are colors that I particularly love (or love on me) but I'm really drawn to it as a whole.  Brett said it looks like a grandma's couch.  "Not your grandma, but A grandma." I like how he clarified because he knows my grandma is too cool to have a couch like this.  I'm not sure he's converted yet.  But he'll have to get used to it, because I can see myself wearing this a LOT this summer.

Project:  Bias stripe dress
Pattern:  Vintage Vogue V8789
Fabric:   Some old soft cotton?
Notions:    thread.  It calls for a 12" zipper at the side.  I eliminated this because there's enough ease to pull it over my head
Skills involved:  Cutting on the bias, matching patterns, gathering, putting in a zipper if you're not shaped like a triangle!
Changes made:  Eliminated zipper, self drafted (too strong a word. I cut out some rectangles) the skirt to eliminate some fullness.  I was originally planning to put the zipper in the back, so I split the skirt in the back and sewed it all together with the back open, which I think made the gathering of the skirt quite a bit easier!
Fuckups:  I originally sewed the skirt on inside out.  That was fun to unpick!  Other than that, no mistakes!