28 posts tagged “sewing”

I thought I needed a reminder about why I don't buy, or even look at, babydoll/empire waisted clothing.  Most of the time, they just make a person look pregnant.  I'm no different.

The biggest problem was that the gathers at the waist seam didn't just flow/fall straight down, they kind of bunched OUT.  Which, needless to say, isn't flattering.  Well, the picture on the pattern looked cute.  Maybe I'll save this as a grocery-shopping dress or something :P  Or a house dress.  It is really comfortable.  Maybe it'll grow on me, who knows.

I have quite a few projects going right now, always one thing left to do, I need to buy a zipper, or I need to hem, etc etc, but I feel like I dislocated something in my left back/neck/shoulder blade area and I don't really feel like sitting at a machine.  I made the mistake of cutting something out, where I sit on the floor bent over the fabric.  Not the best idea I had.  Anyway, I'm sure it'll go away soon.  In the meantime, I'll use 'in need of health insurance' as another motive to find a job.  I applied to like, 3 earlier today.  One that I was really excited about turns out to be an internship.  A paid one, but I'm going to leave that till the end in case I'm desperately in need by the time September comes around.  Which, holy crap, is fairly soon seeing as how 2 weeks of August will be spent wasting time in Massachusetts (without a sewing machine!)

Anyway, that is enough rambling.  I may watch Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna again tonight :P

~Nikki

Nothing terribly exciting.  I finished this about a week ago.  I haven't got around to hemming it....and I may not.  That fabric is a pain to hem.  I may just zigzag a bit around the bottom....Maybe make it a teeny bit shorter also...
But, other than that, I'm happy with how it turned out!  It fits very well, so I'm happy :)

I've had this fabric, already sewn into quilt squares for, no joke, over 10 years.  From a sewing class I took eons ago when we first moved to Texas.  Anyway.  It was meant to be a quilt, obviously, but who the hell would use that?  So, I took some of the fabric and made a kitty bed :)  I've got a bit of the fabric left, and still have a sheet that is supposed to be used as a quilt (you know, printed pictures, border, etc, already made type quilt fabric), but at least some of it is gone.

Figured I would post these as well.  I wasn't terribly happy with the way they turned out.  I finished them quite a while ago but never posted them.  Couldn't hurt.

Maybe I never posted because the pictures turned out so horrible?  Even though I wasn't happy with how it turned out, the dress doesn't look this bad in person.  The fabric was a nightmare to work with, but the side that I used as a DULL satin, not as shiny as the pictures make it out.  The only shiny thing were the dots.  Since it isn't as shiny in person, it doesn't look quite a messy.
Still, I used this pattern and I blame most of my problems on the pattern.  After the first bit, I noticed my fabric stretched A LOT, so I stay stitched the edges, so it wasn't that.  The pattern pieces were just so awkwardly shaped and sized that NOTHING fit (notice the elastic in the back?  My addition)  Just....nothing fit were it was supposed to, the neck was about 5 inches too long, the back gaped, but if you tried to bring it in it stretched everything across the bust really awkwardly.  It as just a disaster.  I didn't give up on it though.  Until the hem.  I finished the dress and after I spent AGES putting up the hem, I realised what a disaster the hem was.  It was all puckered and bubbly.  It needs some hem tape very badly but I'm not really willing at the moment to work on it.  Maybe when I need something to do during a movie.  Anyway, This is my disaster of a Monroe dress.

Here is another one that didn't turn out so hot, another repro vintage pattern from butterick.  I'm almost unwilling to try the other ones that I have.  Anyway.  This is after I took it in about two inches on both sides around the waist.  The stupid thing fit like a mumu. And while I know wiggle dresses may sort of look like shift dresses, they aren't supposed to FIT like them!   The fit ended up being a little better, but it is still a little awkward and doesn't really fall like it is supposed to.  I tried taking it apart and ruching it on the side, but that didn't work either, though it would if I made my own pattern for it.  This one has the possibility of being wearable, but I'm not sure.  Eh.  Oh well, they don't all turn out.

I'm fairly certain those are all the disasters I have for now.  I'm working on a shirt that may end up in that category too...


~Nikki

I've been wanting to make these for years.  Seriously, I bought the pattern even before I began sewing, before I bought I pair of silk ones in China, just, way forever ago.  FINALLY made some!  Probably the easiest project I've ever done.  There was some gauze in a colour I loved for sale at Hancock, so I picked some up and also bought some chiffon-weight material as a lining (1/2 sheer+1/2 sheer=opaque?).  I stuck in Bride and Prejudice, started and finished it!

I'm not clever with names :P  It's one of those Butterick repro patterns.  I made it out of a teal linen, fantastic fabric to work with.  Wearing it with a belt it absolutely necessary (I may make one from the pattern instead of the store bought one) as well as a petticoat.  Excuse the petticoat poking out in the pictures, it was made for a longer dress and I haven't taken it up enough yet.  I will though, before I wear it out :P

Anyway, not much to say on this one, fairly quick construction, only hiccup was that I ran out of fabric and had to run around trying to find the same one at all the Joann's stores in the area.  It all turned out in the end though!

And she said I think I remember the film and as I recall I think we both kind of liked and I said, well, that's the one thing we've got

This was my inspiration.  I'm going to a reunion in Chicago and there is a cocktail party.  Would you believe it, I don't own a black dress.  Anyway, I've been planning on making this dress even without a reason for MONTHS.  This was the perfect opportunity.  And, going with tradition, I wait until the last minute to finish it :P

Okay, well, this was the first ANYTHING I've ever made without a pattern.  I've spliced patterns together, altered patterns, but this started with absolutely nothing.  It was rough, let me tell you.  Kind of exciting though!  It took me a lot of mock up fabric to get things right, but whatever.  I enjoy it.  It isn't perfect, and I wanted to make it shorter and less formal, but I'm enjoying it.  I'm wondering what length it should be though.  Most of my dresses are vintage and therefore longer, but my mom said I was too young for that.  I'm thinking it can be made shorter without cutting off the length so I can change it later, but I'd have to sew the hem up probably while I'm in Chicago.

The reason I waited so long to post pictures was because I was having a VERY unphotogenic day yesterday, but nothing can be done about it.  Excuse my stupid face.

Realisation::

Man, I was really having picture issues yesterday, you don't know how many I had to take to get these few.  Anyway, that last one is with the dress quickly pinned up to a shorter length.  I'm not sure I have time to change it, but let me know what you think!
Some construction notes: The fabric is much more textured and much less shiny than it looks, it has a horizontal noticeable grain (think dupioni - esque).  There is a side zipper, one of the shoulders unlatches and there is a semi-high slit up the left side.  I didn't line the bodice or the skirt, since it is to be worn in summer, but there are obviously facings.

Anyway, that is it!

Oh!  And guess what!  I'm going to be in Chicago an extra day with no one to hang out with and dude, I found like, a motherload fabric store.  VOGUE fabrics!  From Vogue pattern company?  I'm so excited :)  It may be too expensive, but I'll let you know how it goes :)

~Nikki

Since my partner and I both received our stuff, time to post it!
For those who don't know, on Craftster there are 'swaps' with different themes that people create and you sign up for.  There is a set number of projects (and the sizes of the projects) and then you send them to the person the swap mod set you up with! 
So, since it was the beginning of summer, I signed up for a Vegan/Vegetarian swap!

Here is the stuff I SENT

One of my market bags, inside all fused plastic as usual.  'Too Cute To Eat' on one side, and 'Powered by Tofu' on the other.  Then, the box is a recipe box, with recipe cards inside, double happiness on the top in gold paint.  I had fun painting that :)  And then little magnets, ideally, to hold the cards up while cooking.
And no, I didn't send my cat.

Next post: What I received!  Really awesome stuff, so prepare yourself :)

~Nikki

Finishing the pile because this was one of the first dresses I made but I hated the way it was turning out so I never finished it.  Some advice?  Wait until you are more experienced sewer before you attempt boning a bodice.  Also, make sure it FITS before boning over seams.  I had started it and the bodice, as always, was too big.  I did what I could, taking it in where I could without having to tear the entire thing apart, but the top still gaped a bit and the halter neck was about 6 inches too long.  So, into a pile it went, 'finish at later date if ever' pile, we all have one ;)

Well, I've been going through some of this pile.  Fixing a broken zipper, taking in the back of things because of my (apparently) freakishly small back, etc.  So I decided to finish this one up.

I had previously shortened the halter strap by pushing it further into the bodice and then sewing it on.  This was a problem because the strap flares out towards the bodice and looks bizarre when those ends are cut off.  So, I sewed them to the bodice where they were supposed to go (thank god I hadn't cut them off!) and ripped apart the back and sewed it up to the almost right length and then threw in some elastic (thank god for elastic) in the back.  It'll be covered by my hair :P  This was probably the most difficult thing, sewing the damn straps back into a bodice with a lining that had already been stitched down and placing the straps right, etc.

Lo and behold, the front STILL gapes.  So, I decided to scrunch it up and make a sweet heart neckline.  Probably the best thing I did.  Makes it slightly less obvious.

Then, I sewed in the hem.  DONE.

Still not overly happy with it.  The construction isn't up to par with what I do now, the brocade design doesn't match up, something I would have done if I had thought of it.  And it looks like I don't have a waist when, in fact, I have a very defined waist.  Instead of worrying about taking it in, I have the feeling it would look better with a belt anyway.  So, To Do List: Make/Buy belt.
I don't know if I would make this pattern again.  It was too much trouble and didn't really turn out.  I doubt it would have turned out if I was making it now.  I haven't had a good run with Vogue patterns at all.

Anyway, there we go.  Off to work on another of my many projects.

~Nikki

I have to say, I love the D onna Karan spring/summer collection.  So, I've been seeing this dress in all my magazines and had to make one similar since I KNEW I had a pattern with those pockets :) 
Well, this is a melding of two patterns, this vogue pattern and the vintage pattern I used for this dress.  Next time, I'm going to use a different bodice (the vogue pattern).  It just didn't work out.  I love the style, but the way the back was made was just....not working.  I had to rig up this complicated thing to attach it to a strapless bra so the back doesn't just drape.  It doesn't stay up on its own.  Now, this could be a pattern problem or....again....my freakishly small back !?
Annoying all the same.  Well.  I finally put the hem up today since I am done with school.  It needs a few more buttons :P  I'll get around to that.  I love it :)  It looks better on my mannequin than on me, but I'll blame that on the fact that I didn't do my hair or anything.  I had myself a little photoshoot all the same.  Hat and belt and all.  Be warned.

Inspiration:

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Donna Karan S-S 2008 Kate Moss by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott

Realization:

  

Off to do some Mother's Day and Swap Crafting :)

~Nikki