Saturday Sewing: Seahorse Charlotte Mini

I don't think there's ever been a time when I've been able to walk out of Grey's Fabric and Notions without something new, be it fabric or a pattern.  This past Wednesday I went to my first Crafty Foxes Sewing Club at the store and had a great time working on my sewing projects and chatting with other local sewists.  One of the girls that night was wearing a Charlotte skirt and it kind of sealed the deal for me on making one - it  really is the perfect high-waisted pencil skirt and I HAD to make it.  And of course, what's better than a skirt with seahorses???

I'm Teaching! Sultry Sheath Dress Class and Seam Finishes

Last weekend I started my first project from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing - The Sultry Sheath Dress.  It's coming together nicely and I've only had to do some minor alterations to get the fit right, such as lowering the armholes.  But there's a reason I'm making this dress all of a sudden...

Which brings me to my exciting news - I'm teaching sewing classes next month!  I'm offering two classes at Grey's Fabric and Notions in Boston:

June 1: Seam Finishes - Want a more professional, finished look inside your garments but don't own a serger?  Me too!  In this two-hour workshop, I'll cover different types of seam finishes, from easy to more complex, and we'll discuss what types of garments and seams to use them on.  We'll practice applying different techniques and by the end of the class, you'll have samples to take home with you in a cute little embroidered book.

June 8, 15, 22: Sultry Sheath Dress - Are you a Joan or a Betty? Using the Sultry Sheath Dress pattern, I'll show you how to alter necklines and change skirt silhouettes to create the perfect "Mad Men" style dress, whether you're looking for a slinky, body-conscious shape or more of a full-skirted number.  This class is a three-session class with sewing homework in-between each session.

Come sew with me in Boston!

Me Made May 13 - Week 2

"I, Lucinda of Sew Wrong, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear at least one me-made item three times a week during May 2013."

So far, so good for Me Made May '13.  This week I seemed to have a penchant for my black and white printed garments, which I've made a lot of - I ran into this last year as well.  I guess I was also hung up on blue and added some blue garments in to give my outfit a pop of color.  I will admit: the "three times a week" thing is challenging me to figure out a way to incorporate a me-made piece into my work wardrobe or at least to put something me-made on when I'm home from work during the week (for those of you who don't know, my work dress code is all black, but I can layer a black cardigan or jacket over a colored top).

From left to right -

Look 1: Jasmine blouse, Beignet skirt
Look 2: Simple knit top (same pattern as this one)
Look 3: Cape Cod cardi, Three Hour dress

Inspiration - Flappers and the 1920's

Last month on Sewcation, my mom and I visited the local art museum to see an exhibit of flapper dresses from the 1920's.  I love seeing historical garments in person - you can really see the details up close and begin to understand all of the time and labor that went into creating clothing long ago (so not the case today).  The timing seemed pretty appropriate since The Great Gatsby (one of my favorite novels) is coming out this weekend; I have a feeling we'll be seeing fashions inspired by the movie in the near future.  Plus, have you seen Miss Crayola Creepy's Great Gatsby Sewing Challenge?  I may jump in late and make a summer dress - frankly, this straight style of dress is easy for me to wear.

Here's a fun fact: flappers got their name from the boots that they wore unbuckled, which was considered in style.  When they walked, the boots made a "flap-flap" noise.  Crazy, right?!

Here's some photos I took of the exhibit (shhh photography wasn't allowed but I used my iPhone):




Because of the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922, many apparel and jewelry designs reflect the interest in Egyptian culture at the time: colors such as Nile green and lotus motifs were predominant and pharoah-like headbands were in vogue.  I found this green dress interesting - the closure was on the side of the dress and consisted of only a few snaps.  I guess since it's sheer and is worn over an underdress, the closure doesn't have to be that secure?


That dress is 100% all hand beading.  Yeah.  That's hardcore, man.






I loved seeing these McCall's sewing ads.  These were for garments inspired by current Paris fashions that could be copied at home.


More crazy hard-core hand beading on that dress!


This dress was for a day-time party.  The edges on the scallops were turned under and slip stitched with navy blue thread, not a matching color thread, surprisingly.



And of course, an obligitory wedding dress.  The train on the veil was incredibly long!

The next time I go home to visit my family, I'll be seeing the current exhibit: bodices of the Tolouse Lautrec era!  I love costume history so much.

Pattern Review: Blue Beignet Skirt [Colette Patterns]

Pattern: Beignet from Colette Patterns
Fabric: Blue cotton twill from Metro Textile in NYC
Size: 6

Top: Jasmine

This skirt was a long time in the making.  Back in January I attempted to make a Beignet skirt from some luscious green wool I bought on a shopping trip to New York.  There was my first mistake - the wool was way too heavy/bulky for this kind of skirt.  It was a matter of romance with the color: I envisioned a sleek, sophisticated moss colored skirt with light green buttons.  Sadly, the skirt looked like a big sack and the buttonholes were a nightmare, mostly because I wasn't using the right techniques for sewing buttonholes and buttons in place.  Twelve buttonholes are not for the faint of heart.

Fast-forward to early April - I'm visiting my parents during Sewcation and using my mom's sewing room to try my hand at this skirt again.  I omitted the lining (didn't feel it was necessary and didn't want to risk the bulk issue again) and sewed the skirt together pretty easily.  And then, it was just me and the buttonholes...

I'm laughing because I conquered those bastards!

The automatic buttonhole feature on my mom's Bernina has now forever spoiled me.  Helloooo...it remembers the buttonhole length for all the buttonholes you need to sew!!  No guessing or crossing your fingers (bad to do when sewing anyway), just press the button, guide the fabric, and voila.  Perfect freaking buttonholes.  It's hard to go back to my hand-crank four-step buttonhole sewing machine after that little bit of sewing heaven...

I also learned the hard way that it's more exact to make tailor tacks rather than use chalk to mark the holes.  I think that also helped out a lot in getting nice, straight, even buttonholes.

And then there's the cutting open of the buttonholes.  I posted a video tutorial on the best way to open buttonholes when I made this skirt and really, it's pretty great if I do say so myself.  There were no seam ripper nightmares on this skirt!



Overall, I'm pretty happy with this skirt.  The fit isn't as sleek as I'd like and seems to stand out more than other Beignet skirts, like Rachel's from House of Pinheiro.  If I had been more concerned about the fit at the time, I would have taken in the seams a little bit in the front (it dips in slightly) and sides.  I feel like the waist should fit a little tighter...maybe it would fit better if I paired it with a belt (I didn't like how it looked with the fabric belt at all).

Would I make this skirt again?  Maybe...it was a big time investment in making the buttonholes and sewing the buttons down (a trick I'll try to share on here sometime).  I like Andrea's version with no buttons - that seems more like a realistic repeat to me. But there's other button skirts on my radar, too...(hello Kelly skirt). Only time will tell!