Vogue 1282

I made a top and skirt last week:

Calvin and I had to go to a bar mitzvah on Saturday, and of course I needed something nice to wear. I decided on Vogue 1282, out of a grey knit I've had in my stash for, oh, 8ish years. It's some sort of synthetic, and is spongy. I made a size 12 (for reference, my measurements: chest 33.5", bust 39", waist 31", hips 40.5", I'm 5'2"ish and wear a 34E). Both pieces went together really quickly.

The top is only one pattern piece. I added about 1.75" to each side of the CB seam at the hip. I didn't need to add that much -- it fits fine but I think I'd like it a bit snugger so that it bunches up more. The pattern calls for the top to be cut on the bias, which is stupid, because it's out of a knit. I ended up cutting it cross grain, as my fabric was only 45" wide. Since it's a 4 way stretch, cross grain isn't a problem.

After stitching up the CB seam, I tried it on, and needed to take the neckline in. I took it in about .75".

See how nice it lays with that adjustment?

The armholes are finished off with a straight grain strip of fabric. I used a .25" seam allowance, as they would have been a bit low with the standard 5/8" one. I'd heard the neckline was low, so after trying it on I stitched it up another inch. It's still low, but hey, when life gives you curves, flaunt them.

I put lingerie guards to keep the top sitting correctly all the time.

The skirt went together very quickly as well. It's only 2 pieces, 3 if you count the straight grain strip for the elastic waist casing. I shortened it 3" above the split, and I'm thinking I might take it up an inch or so more. There are 4 tucks in the front of the skirt along with multiple tucks in the side back seams.

One more picture of Calvin photobombing me:

Brown/Aqua Skirt

I finished the second skirt in my Spring Line (yeah, I know it's July) this weekend. I used New Look 6596 again, this time adding a ruffle on the bottom. The fabrics are leftover from this bag, and I had only 8.5 usable inches left of the stripe! I cut 3 2.5" strips, stitched them together and hemmed one edge. Then I put 2 rows of gathering stitches on the other edge (I use a medium length stitch, about 3.0). I divided the strip and my skirt into eighths and pulled the gathers to fit. The skirt is lined in aqua.

One Hot Skirt (#2)

My One Hot Skirt review is up at Sew, Mama, Sew! There are lots of detail pictures, including how I bound the bottom of this skirt, and how I prickstitch my facings down. After you go look, read all the other reviews -- it's Skirt Month in May, just in time for summer!

I wore this one on Saturday with a cute white top, but didn't get a picture. Maybe next time. :)

One Hot Skirt (#1)

I know I've been quiet, but I have been sewing! I made and reviewed a skirt for the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog. Here is the first one, and the review, with oodles of pictures should be up on Monday. (It's the One Hot Skirt from Betsy Ross Patterns) I'll let you know, along with pictures of the second skirt.

Yesterday Calvin and I saw I Henvry IV (the production that I built some costumes for) and it was FANTASTIC! Today I'm dropping in on the Canvasbacks sale. Hopefully I'll get another Jalie 2449 stitched up (it coordinates with the skirt pictured) too.

Asian Linen Skirt

Here is the first of at least 4 summer skirts I have planned. I used New Look 6596 , which I made last summer. I've admired Beki's various skirts that she made using the Favorite Things pattern, but didn't want to pay $10 for a new pattern, so I just whacked my pattern into gores. :) I made this a 6 gore skirt, and added 2.5 inches to the length of the original pattern. I flat felled all the seams (because I ran out of black serger thread), and lined it in ambiance. This particular skirt will be quite versatile, as it looks good with my boots, my wedge heels, and some black sandals I have.

I wore it today to a Nancy Erickson lecture on jackets that was held at Bigsby's (that's also where I bought the fabric). It was a lot of fun to see all her Chanel jackets -- the construction on some of those is just gorgeous. I came home with a new copy of her 1945 jacket pattern (my pink tweed jacket is from that pattern) because the boys ruined my original one. I also came home with some beautiful fat eighths of some asian cottons. Those fat quarters and fat eighths are like crack cocaine!

Connor was not happy that I was gone all afternoon and has been on me like glue since I got home.

New Look 6596

I don't like to wear shorts, so I made a new skirt last week, while the boys were in Vacation Bible School. This pattern is so fast and easy! According to the size chart and my measurements, I should have made a 16 (30" waist, 40" hips). After some flat pattern measuring, I felt that was a bit big, so I cut a 14 instead. The front and back are the same piece, and then the waistband, so cutting and sewing were really fast. Once I got the skirt together and wore it for a while, I felt the 14 was still too big. Last night I cut it down to a 12, which you see pictured here. Click here to see the 14 on me. The 12 is 2" smaller than the 14, and I am much happier with it.

In April, Carolyn wrote about post on her blog about techniques that turn her on. I have some of the same feelings. Yeah, I can whip out a skirt like this in an hour or so, and it'll look nice and be quite wearable, but isn't it so much nicer to have it lined and finished like this? THIS is one of the reasons I sew: I can have what I want, and it's pretty both inside and out.

Not a bad looking skirt for 1.5 yds of an Amy Butler print (cost: about $8), 1 yd of Ambiance (cost: about $8, though in my stash for ages so it's really free), and 1 yd of 1" elastic (cost: 95 cents). I have two more AB prints in the queue for more of these skirts. David doesn't know if he likes it -- says it looks "June Cleaverish", but if I glam it up with some wedges and a pretty blouse, I'm sure he'll change his mind. ;)