Ripoff!

Today's ripoff is a bit old, I'm getting slow!

Vogue 8805

Vogue 8805 is a super popular, super cute dress. Its also pretty basic, so maybe, just maybe its a coincidence that its look a lot like....

Preen

This Preen dress! I mean for heavens sake, they choose a similar color story, its not a coincidence.

New Patterns: Butterick Winter 2014

I wasn't going to post these until I say B6151 so let's start with that one.

Butterick 6151

OH

MY

GOD

The neck brace, the straps, what the hell is that zipper thing? This pattern seems to think that boobs are dangerous velociraptors plotting to break out of their cage and devour their handlers. Why else would someone think that four straps or two layers of zips are necessary?

Butterick 6128

Butterick's trying to get some of that wrap dress fairy dust that is floating around the blogosphere. The magic of the wrap are the curves it gives (or enhances on) the body but this one isn't giving her anything. The maxi-wrap is a bit first-lady (not Michelle, she's too cool) -esque.

Butterick 6127

Comeon, just call it the Princess Kate line.

AKA, the knock-off of LK Bennett line. 

Butterick 6131

Heavens me that's cheap. Please don't put your bridesmaid in this.

Butterick 6143

Hips gathers? Maybe if you're a twiggy twig-person.

Butterick 6130

Just stop making jumpsuit patterns. Its been done and done better.

Sashiko!

Sashiko has shown up a few times in blogs, but its so crazy beautiful its not getting the love that it deserves. I picked up preprinted sashiko fabric, some thread, and needles while on vacation in Hawaii thinking I'd have something to do on the plane back. Instead I drank way too many mai tais in celebration and spent most of the flight focusing on not projectile vomiting on the poor people three rows in front of me. Take my mom's advice because I didn't: being on a plane while hungover is something you will strongly regret. Sashiko waited until I was comfortably back in the mainland.

Now I want to make beautiful garments with sashiko accents. This has been done in sewing blogland a couple of times, notably by Kyra Clark's beautiful Archer and Reves Mecanique jacket. Sashiko also showed up at Balenciaga in 2010. While not traditional sashiko stitching, it appears as if the designer was inspired by it.

Balenciaga Fall 2010

Quilt #4

Quilt #4 is done. Jesus, it went faster than that last behemoth of 1000 pieces. This would have been a better a third project, but I'm a cocky little garment sewer and have no time to worry about silly little things like difficulty ratings. I've sewn silk, bitch!

The pattern is Hanami from quilty, Winter 2012. I wanted something that would feature the large patters and the pattern also worked perfectly with the amount of fabric I bought. The patterned fabric is Lizzy House Constellations and the solids are Kona cotton. Comparing these fabrics to the fabrics from the last quilt (which were all random Joann tone-on-tone prints), the quality is totally noticeable. Feels better, doesn't burn, you know, quality-ness.

I bought the fabric on a whim from Grey's back when I permanently lived in Bostontown, but have since realized that it isn't my style. I decided once I pieced the front that this is going to a children's charity so I quilted the living crap out of this puppy for longevity. This was the first time quilting with my walking foot (and after starching it, starch smells gooood) and it was amazing. It went so so so smoothly. Go buy a walking foot if you don't have one, they are worth their wait in gold and on top of that, just plain fun to watch! Next time I want to try out basting spray as well, but I'm not terribly comfortable adding chemicals to the world so it would have to be amazing.

The binding is also machine sewn on but from the control the walking foot gives, you can't see the stitches. Also, my corners are damn sharp! I am already feeling my preferences for various quilting methods and I like 2.25" binding whereas this is 2.5". I used bias binding because its stronger and I want it to last, but I also really wanted to try out the method for making continuous bias binding. It was a blast! And pretty easy, although I drew the cutting lines on wrong at first, whoopsie. Easily fixed!

All corners met pretty well and I had to press seams open because of all that white fabric. Pressing open made my garment sewing heart happy. You might notice the fabric framing the light blue, constellation fabric is uneven. I didn't have enough fabric to make those blocks as large as they were supposed to be and I didn't want to make them smaller because the fabric is so doggone-it-stinking cute, so I just adjusted the border to compensate.

I hope someone will enjoy this!