Sewing For My Man

Is it just me or are men's clothes of medium quality and very expensive or terrible quality and kind of expensive? I was sick of Pete's clothes falling apart or pilling so bad they were translucent that I decided to make him a new sweater. He liked Thread Theory Newcastle Cardigan and I am a loyal fan of The Fabric Store's merino wool.

My handsome man! He says the sleeves are too long besides me having him try it on to confirm so I'll have to take the cuffs off and recut sometime. 

Pattern was fine, I do really like the way they put together their patterns. I'm not the biggest fan of Thread Theory's armscye drafts, they always seem to be puffy, almost feminine, which can be seen even in some of their samples so I fought to keep this one looking good. I think I did ok.

Required booty shot. There's a tiny bit of pilling where his backpack rests, but that's expected.

To jazz things up a bit I quilted the front and back yokes in a light-shade and weight merino. I quilted the yoke pieces then sewed them to the body, rather than quilting everything together, which turned out really well. Even the undercollar is quilted because I'm fancy like that.

I made him put on his sweater inside out in an airport to the confusion of a couple watching us

The insides of this garment are gorgeous if I do say myself. The shoulders are stabilized with twill tape and I am so proud of them! I've made Pete take it off to show people the shoulders. My machine couldn't make it through the layers of the button placket for buttonholes so I took it to a tailor in the city. It was $10 a buttonhole! I was ticked it was so expensive, but the sweater had languished closure-less in the closet for two months so I went ahead and paid. The buttons are lovely things from Stone Mountain and Daughter.

Little tack to keep the facing from flapping around and ticking off the wearer who gets ticked off at clothes easily

The weight of this is absolutely perfect for the Bay Area's constant chilliness. Pete overheats really easily and merino wool is perfect for regulating temperature. I want to make him another one, but the Newcastle is a fairly specific garment so we'll see what else I can do with the pattern.

The Pants of Many Mistakes

I love these pants, but let's just start with: I made so many mistakes on these that I'm lucky I ended up with a waist and two leg holes. I've been wanting some of those trendy, fancy sweatpants for a while and what's more ridiculous than merino wool sweatpants.

I went with Named patterns Alexandria Peg Trousers and my favorite merino wool from The Fabric Store, previously seen here and here. That was the first mistake. The Alexandrias have front pleats and are really better suited for a thin fabric with all those layers that build up. The pattern says if you're going with a knit, use sweatshirt jersey, whatever that is, but from the sample it looks significantly thinner than what I used. So there, that was mistake #1.

Mistake #2 was a doozy and it all started out right with me making a muslin. I'm not about to cut into my favorite fabric in the whole world without knowing the pattern works on me. As printed, the Alexandria is really really high on my body, like very low crop top-high-waisted. Knowing that I shortened the waist, cut into my precious merino, and started sewing along merrily. Apparently I lost my mind because I did not redraft the crotch curve or the pockets into my altered pattern.  I was happily sewing along and went to put the pockets in and was terribly confused as to why the pocket curves were so small. Do you see where this is going yet? So the crotch on these pants are actually the shortened pocket curves. I figured it was close enough in shape after comparing them. Then I recut my pockets from my shortened crotch curves. And finally I had to true up the waist because that was all sorts of screwed up, what was supposed to be the middle of the pants was now the sides. Dude, I almost gave up sewing altogether.

Mistake #3 was small, but still silly. When I sewed by muslin, I used a thin jersey so the pleats were compact little things and I didn't think anything of it. With my merino these were like 9 layers and my machine hated sewing through them. Turns out when I actually sat down and studied the directions, I was folding the pleats wrong, it was only like 4 or 5 layers. Still, use a thin fabric!

One fun thing I did was I actually dyed the black pieces as I wanted some contrast, but I'm too cheap (and I hate waste) to buy 1/2 yard (minimum cut) and only use a fraction. The dye took fantastically and hasn't faded a bit. I recut the waistband so could insert the contrast piece and I added some cuffs.

Anyways, I love these pants. I wear then ALL THE TIME, so much so that the crotch is actually significantly pilled, damnit, so I don't really wear them to last minute grocery store runs anymore. The fit is a bit wonky, but that's 100% my fault as the crotch are pockets and the sides are the middle. I'd love to make another pair in a suitable fabric, silk twill maybe, without totally screwing everything up.

Ms. Morris and the Quilted Sleeve

So I moved to the San Francisco area back in November and no lie, the temperature has changed by at most 10 degrees that entire time. My body still thinks its sometime in February. My wardrobe made for Boston and then Los Angeles weather, either hot or really, really cold is just not cutting it. I need a max 75 degrees and windy as f--- wardrobe.

Enter my new Morris from my pattern soulmate Grainline. Ms. Morris is perfect, I can throw her over my large collection of sleeveless blouses and wear them to work and through the wind tunnel that is San Francisco. The fabric is an amazing merino wool, nylon, lycra blend from my fabric store soulmate, The Fabric Store. This fabric is probably stretchier than what Jen recommends, but the nylon and lycra content give the fabric an amazing recovery and there has been absolutely no bagging whatsoever. I interfaced the facings, but not any of the body.

The pattern went together beautifully, minus some changes that were completely my fault. I did a combination FBA and general lengthening and even though I thought I transferred all changes to the facing, I did not and didn't have enough fabric to recut them. I then removed the added length from the front, so the general shape of the hem is not as angular as the original pattern.

My favorite part of this blazer is the double layered and quilted sleeves! I love them! (they are also the reason I didn't have enough fabric to recut the facings) The wrong side of the fabric is kind of nubby so it needed to be lined in some way and quilting them like this was by far the most badass. I used quilting adhesive to keep the sleeves together and my walking foot so that everything would be nice and smooth. Love that walking foot. The only problem is that the sleeves are now a bit too heavy for the jacket so I used some black twill tape on the shoulders to keep the sleeves from pulling them down.

If I could change something about this blazer, I would probably line the fronts instead of facing them. When the SF winds blow my jacket open and then catch the facings, this literally turns into a parachute. Also the added weight of a lining would hold the sleeves up better.

Blue, Drapey Blouse: Lilith and Eve 101

I really liked this shirt before I took these pictures. Great way to start a post right?

Jeez, look how happy I am.

This pattern is the Drapey Blouse L101 from Lilith and Eve, which I completely and totally fell in love with when it was released. Isn't the long sleeve version great? That's what I wanted to make, but when I got it, I realized there was no collar stand and I didn't want to mess around making my own, so I went sleeveless, no collar. I got the PDF pattern, everything went together great with perfectly fine instructions. There's a bit of gaping at the neck and underarms, but I'm sure this fits someone else perfectly. I really wish that since the drapey part pretty much requires a sheer fabric, this came with a pieces drafted for lining that was fitted so the shirt wouldn't always require wearing a second layer.

The fabrics are from Mood and are the result of experimental pattern mis-matching, which I still really like. The shibori is a favorite, though it is fairly loosely woven and I was worried about it would stand up over time, but with gently handling when washing, its perfectly fine. This combination was a blast to pick out, especially since the Mood employees had zero faith in the outcome.

The problems are when this pattern, my body type, and the fabric all come together and everything is just a little bit off. The shibori fabric just a tiny bit too stiff to hang right, but I think anything other than the most diaphanous chiffon would work here. My man was making me crack up while we took pictures of this saying it looked like a giant vagina was on my back. Personally, I think it looks like a gaping mouth. Still, neither are body parts I will to be recreated in fabric on my back. Secondly this shirt has a lot of drape and the front just falls off me. Will someone please remind me that fitted is best for my body type? Seriously, tweet it to me. Everyday. Anyways, I look bigger than I am in these pictures and I don't like that so much.

ROAR!!!!!

I still think this is a super cute pattern, just maybe not for me.

The Watson Set!

Making my first lingerie set gave me the same "oh my god I made that!" feeling as when I first started sewing a million years ago. Thank you Watson!

OMG I MADE THAT!!!

Let's start from the top down. I used stretch lace from Hart's Fabric, but I don't think I'd recommend it. It catches on EVERYTHING!!! I lined the cups in stretch mesh from Bra Maker's Supply and lined the band in cradle in powernet from BMS. I read the instructions like a 1000 times before I made it and I didn't catch that I was supposed to line in cradle in something with no stretch. The elastics I used were also from BMS and they are nice, so soft and strong.

I cut a size 34E but found that the cups are too small. Maybe this is due to the combination of lace and lining, maybe I suck at measuring myself. I'm going bigger next time. I thought the pattern was great, pretty clear, I love that I'm given stitch length and width recommendations. Being new to lingerie sewing, I don't know the lingo yet so I had trouble with figuring out which elastic went where and I that's where the cradle lining debacle came from as well. A big-ass arrow saying "This part of the bra needs this treatment and is called (enter lingerie specific term here)" would have helped, but I think I have it all now. Other than choosing the wrong cup size, the bra fits well, the band is angled to my body just right and the straps hit my shoulders just right so they don't slip and slide. But man, getting the hooks and eyes on are a BITCH!

The undies are pure undie perfection. Completely true to size, even though when I put the pattern together they look like enormous paper diapers. Great coverage and feels secure.

I'm not sure how I feel about making more of these yet, once I figure out the right size I'll have a better idea if this type of bra can be worn on a regular basis with a larger chest. Its so pretty, I hope so!

Winter of Wearable Shirts: #2

The Boston shirt! The pattern is the Geometry Top by Katy & Laney, two cool Boston ladies. The solid black silk is from Gorgeous Fabrics, close enough to count as Boston and bought while I lived there. And the ship fabric, oh the ship fabric, that's from Fabric Place Basement, also close enough to be called Boston. I love the tall ship print because my favorite touristy thing I ever did in Boston was tour the U.S.S. Constitution. Its amazing something so old can still float and sail, let alone be in the condition its in. Seriously, check it out, unless your British, that might be treason against the Crown. I kid, I kid we're all friends now.

I was pleasantly surprised that the Geometry Top was not paraded around blogland. This is a great pattern, good lines, trendy, but not fleeting in style. I'd been looking for something to use with my ship fabric that didn't break up the awesomeness of print and this pattern made my little sewing heart pitter-patter. The pattern is great everything fits beautifully together with good instructions. The only thing is that some of the cutting lines are a bit thick, I'd prefer a bit more precise lines over super bold ones.

I agonized over the placement of the 'stripes' and it ended up being about as perfect as perfect can be. I underlined the main fabric as its a bit sheer and then hemmed them separate from each other because I worried hemming them together would cause the shirt to bubble. I french seamed everything. For some reason that makes absolutely no sense, I like french seaming the armscye more than just sewing it in normally. I'm super weird.

I left the side and shoulder panels as a single layer cause I don't care if you can see my shoulders or my side. I sewed through paper (medical exam paper) for a lot of the shirt to keep things from puckering and it worked pretty well.

The dipped hem in the back is the perfect dip amount. Maximum flatteration.

Pattern Review: Briar by Megan Nielsen

I've always wanted a red t-shirt, isn't that cute? I was 9-or-so and I went to a birthday party and one of the other girls had a red shirt and I thought she looked so cool. I tried to make a red-T in high school, but it was one of the first times I worked with knits and the pattern was all wonky, so I tossed it. Not before trying to pawn it off on my BFF because I was hoping it was just my body being wonky, but it was wonky on her too. So I'm 28 and wearing my first successful red t-shirt. What a novella about a silly little shirt!

Well aren't I too hot to trot? Briar is a fairly trendy top, but its been out for a while I don't feel like a fashion victim in it, so maybe it isn't actually too trendy. The pattern is really nice, well done. I like the font on the pattern pieces, like Megan drew the pattern just for me. The instructions were well done too, very clear, but it is just a T so there's nothing complicated. I actually reduced the hem by a couple of inches all around and now it hits the perfect spot in the front and and the mullet isn't too long. 

Seeing how this shirt was nearly 20 years in the making I went all out and bought red serger thread since my serger was going to be prominently featured in sewing the knit together. It looks really nice on the inside, EXCEPT I was worried about ripply hems so I interfaced the hems. Now the hems flip out all the time and all you see is white interfacing. The best laid schemes of mice and men.....

That's my short hair after a nap.

So how do you keep twin-needle hems from flipping out? I'm thinking I need wider set twins, any ideas?

The fabric is organic cotton jersey from Mood, here. It has no lycra and in my opinion not enough drape for the mullet style. Can you see how it sticks out from my hips? Briar needs something drapier. Also I think some lycra content would be better because over time the neckline has stretched out and rippled something fierce. 

I now have the power to make all the red t-shirts in all the world. If my 9-year-old self could see me now.

Archer #2

Archer #1 is totally jealous of Archer #2. I told him to be the bigger Archer and accept it. He said, I am the bigger Archer, you made the new on one size smaller. Touche, Archer #1, touche.

The one size smaller experiment shows that I need the smaller size in the shoulders, the waist, and the back. I love the way the shoulders fit here. Also the back is way more manageable while still having plenty of flowy, blousy fabric. The bust on the other hand neeeeeds to be cut at the larger size. See the button gaping up there? Not a problem in Archer #1.

Oh man alive, I put that pleat in backwards! I couldn't remember which way it went so I guessed. Guess I guessed wrong? Those instructions are really good, totally my fault. The fabric is cotton voile from Fabric Place Basement, the green is, um, not the best quality.

I love my new gas station attendant/bowling league uniform. All the seams are finished as french seams, EVEN THE ARMHOLE. I never understood the physics of how one could attach the sleeves with a french seam, but bygolly, it worked! Damnit, this shirt is sturdy!

 

Unfortunately, it attracts cat fur like a muthah.....

Pattern Review: Archer Button Up Shirt

Excuse the sweaty face, its hotter than a chicken's feathery undercarriage around these parts.

I have been in desperate need of an Archer since the handsome beauty was released. The pattern is really really fantastic. Tons of what I call precision sewing though, as in lots of top stitching very very close to the edge. I confused myself with the instructions, but that's totally my fault. I was going back-and-forth from the printed instructions to the sew-a-long and messing myself all sorts of up. The sew-a-long is really really great though.

These are a lot of really great details in this shirt, and guess what?! You can't see them because I choose the loudest, busiest fabric I could find. And I love it! There are pockets, plackets, a collar, pleats, buttons, but who would know? Its a cotton voile (my absolute favorite fabric to work with, easy to deal with yet drapey) from Fabric Place Basement near Boston. I did see the fabric online from Hart's fabric about half what I paid at FPB, wtf, but in white, not the minty blue-green here. This is also my first animal print article of clothing, how terrible is that?!

Irish descendent legs.

This pattern takes a lot of fabric. When I was getting it cut and the lady found out it was a button down, she and the other women around the cutting table was convinced I was getting too much and didn't know what I was doing. Ye of little faith.

Anyways, I'm pretty passionately in love with this shirt. I even for the first time bought a buttonhole cutter, scalpel style, because I only wanted perfect buttonholes! I called one of the local small stores in Boston to see if they carried buttonhole cutters and the response, "You can just use a seam ripper for that." I've used a seam ripper for that my entire sewing life and I hate the results. Anyways, the cutter is amazing, no threads fraying or pulled, loved it.

(do not) Pop thy collar.

I want another one of these in a black textured voile with the butt ruffle. Strike that, I need one of these in a black textured voile with a butt ruffle (one size smaller).

Melted feline with a newly shorn belly.

Guess who's back!

I'm back, I'm here, hallelujah! I passed both my classes (I love how once you get into grad school, you don't care much about the grades anymore), but still have my big oral exam coming up. Early July is the new goal, here's hoping.

I finished my final exam on a Wednesday a couple weeks ago and came home with what my boyfriend called an excess of creative energy. I HAD to sew something. So what did I choose? Something simple and familiar. Hells NO! How about something I've never ever done before.

Jersey. Slippery, slidey, stretchy craziness. A Mission Maxi.

Not high in this picture, just in case you thought so.

And it turned out sooo well! What a return to the game. Check out those matching side seams.

Ok, maybe not the matching above the waist, but below the waist it flawless! The jersey is from Gorgeous Fabrics, and they still have it here! I followed the instructions and they were great. Everything is serged (wow, was the serger a rockstar on this fabric!), except for topstitching the neckline binding. I ever so slightly stretched out the armhole binding on one side, but its only noticeable to us, right? I also serged the hem but didn't hem it in any way because I wanted as much stretchiness as humanly possible. Also, the pattern is true to size, what a concept!

Closer look at the binding. The neck binding is cut with primarily the yellow color and the arm bindings are cut with primarily the blue color, a detail only the maker could love.

Funny story, but promise not to tell my landlord, mkay? I finally bought some tracing paper (ok, exam paper, but the same thing). I traced this pattern because I know my mom wants one of these someday and I wanted to preserve the pattern. Little did I realize that permanent marker goes right through exam paper onto the wood floor below. Ruhroh. It'll wear away by the time I move out? Right? RIGHT?

I feel pretty.

AND I'M BACK, BABY!

New Papercut Patterns: Spring 2013

Update: They added all important information (fabrics requirements, line drawings, etc.) to the Papercut site!

I love Papercut patterns and again, I don't have any, its a darned shame. Their new release for the season is up and its really very beautiful.

La Sylphide

Super cute and oh boy oh boy short. This might be to cute for me, but wouldn't Princess Kate wear this if it were a little longer? The people at Simplicity patterns are (paper)cutting themselves for not doing this pattern first. Also, this one isn't terribly new, the pussy bow is very popular lately, but its still terribly adorable. Love the buttons on the skirt.

Coppelia

We'll let go of the diaper shorts for a minute to focus on the top which the pattern is for. Very nice wrap around top with a tie in the back. Again, not life changing, but beautiful, very flattering and current. Is it a knit pattern or a woven?

Why don't models smile? My job makes me sit in front of a computer for long periods of time cursing to the heavens, I deserve to frown once in a while. She wears pretty clothes and doesn't need to frown.

Peter and the Wolf Pants

I almost love these pants, but I can't really see them! What happened to line drawing and multiple angles of view? The only other front view of these pants is this:

And that's more of a side view than the previous one! Not to disparage an independent pattern designer with great ideas, but this makes me frustrated. The description describes center front seaming, but I'm worried its going to look like the seams outline my underwear and that is NOT cool. I'll wait until someone else makes these to decide, but then it'll be past the free shipping time and shipping from NZ to 'merica has got to be a bitch. (The model is wearing an orange version of the Coppelia pattern here, loving it even more!)

Midsummers' Night Dream

A wrap dress (or camisole)! I love wrap-things that are actually wrap, faux wraps are disappointing. The only problem I have with this is the fit at the top is a little wonky and makes me concerned about how real boobs fit in there.

Petrouchka

I love you Petrouchka, marry me? This is really perfect and totally on trend. I like the swoop of the peplum, but would like to see it on others to address if it makes non-model body types look pregnant. Also, is this knit or woven with a zip? Fabric isn't mentioned in the description.

Rite of Spring Shorts

I really can't see myself near this, but I will say something. The younger girls, 16-21 who live in this city would eat these up.

Also let's look at some of my favorites from previous Papercut collections.

Watson Jacket

Ok how could you not love this, its freakin' fantastic! You know I love capes and what a perfect everyday cape! Love the pop of lining, how fun! This is the reason I first paid attention to Papercut.

Sloppy Joshephine Tee

 Ok, so there's not that much going on here, but who doesn't need tons of easy tees? Might want to bring in that neckline though, its about to fall off. Love the bands at the arms and the (I think) slightly contoured hem.

Pleated Pants

And finally, the perfect pleated pants. I love these, I want a million. I recently realized I need an arsenal of nice pants, jeans all the time is starting to get a little boring.

Here they are in floral.

Love them love them! But have to remember that fit on this is sooo crutial to stay away from any diaper connotations.

I conclusion I love Papercut patterns. I know it may seem like I ragged on them more than say Vogue or Simplicity, its because her ideas are a lot fresher and there's more stuff to talk about than the boring big 4.