tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19373221061922410832024-03-13T11:49:05.811-07:00sallieohsallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-36307820481933070832017-12-14T10:36:00.000-08:002017-12-14T10:36:04.152-08:001890s Walking Suit<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27217879379/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4579/27217879379_717e0e0f99_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Well <i>hello</i> there, friends! Long time, no blog! I've got to be honest, I've got a lot I'm excited to write about in this post, and making apologies for my blog absence is pretty darn low on that list! Also, my resolution for 2017 was to apologize less, especially for things like going AWOL on my own stupid blog! So! Ignore the cobwebs and dust bunnies that have collected in this space, shoo the raccoons out of the attic, flick the daddy-long-legs out of the dishware, grab yourself a beverage and get ready for a loooooooong post!</div>
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I may have been silent on the blog front, but I have been more than active on the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sallieoleta/">Instagram</a> front, so for many of you, this post is no surprise. For the past several months (really since August) I've been working on my <a href="https://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2017/01/historical-costume-part-ii.html">second </a>- ever - historical costume. Like last year, this costume was made for Dickens on the Strand, a Victorian themed Christmas festival here in Galveston, put on each year by the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20data-flickr-embed=%22true%22%20%20href=%22https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27217875399/in/photostream/%22%20title=%22Periwinkle%20Silk%20Dupioni%201890&#x27;s Walking Dress"><img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4544/27217875399_aecfa6e2cb_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890&#x27;s Walking Dress"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>">Galveston Historical Foundation</a> to celebrate and honor the historic architecture on the island, much of which dates from the Victorian era (1837 - 1901, the years of Queen Victoria's reign in England). For the past three years I've been asked to be one of the judges for the historical costume contest (which is honestly the most fun thing ever, and I'm simply tickled that I get asked!) so I'm really on a quest to up my Victorian dress-up game!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38108306785/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4633/38108306785_cec9a94aa6_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Like <a href="https://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2017/01/historical-costume-part-ii.html">last year</a>, I was mostly drawn to the Late Victorian styles for my dress - specifically the 1890's. I'm not totally sure why I like the 1890's so much! I think part of it has to do with the fact that, at least the Dickens event here in Galveston, <i>no one</i> wears the 1890's! No one wears the 1830's or 40's for that matter, either, which, if we're being picky, is more appropriate for Charles Dickens. No, nearly everyone in historic costume wears the 1850's through the 1880's. Well, really most people wear steampunk, the rest dress as pirates (<i>pirates! </i>I ask you...) a good number are in shorts and t-shirts, and <i>then</i> the rest are 1850's - 1880's. So I guess I have a bit of a soft spot for 1890s simply because no one else seems to care for it!</div>
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It's not just that though - some of my favorite literary and cinematic heroines are from the late victorian years, like Anne of Green Gables (<i>puff sleeves, Anne?!</i>) Also, some of my favorite guilty pleasure artists, like John Singer Sargent, and Edouard Vuillard. It's also the decade when the women's suffrage movement really took off. I see it as a bit of a transitional time period in fashion - gone are the stuffy, frou-frou looks of the "true" Victorian era, but we haven't yet ushered in the elegant, femininity of the Edwardian era. There's a sense of practicality to the clothes (as practical as one can be in a long gown, 3 dozen petticoats and a corset!) Skirts you can walk in. Separates. Suits. For the first time in <i>history</i> tailoring methods are being used in women's wear, and the smart jackets and masculine details are representative of a new kind of woman - a woman who leaves the house, who goes and gets things done, who (<i>gasp</i>) works!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27217938369/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="429" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4532/27217938369_188b5e3f7f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Oh yeah! There's also <i>those sleeves! </i>I freaking love a good sleeve! Historical fashion that features a strong shoulder line are always some of my favorites (1830's, 1890's, 1940's, 1980's...) And, 2017 <i>has</i> been called "the year of the sleeve" by... whoever says those kinds of things.</div>
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I could probably write a whole blog post on my personal and cultural fondness for the turn-of-the-(last)-century, but as I said earlier, I've got a lot to write, and I suspect some of you might be interested in the <i>actual</i> making of this baby. So I'll move on!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38108303225/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4524/38108303225_429a7795e1_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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After settling on the 1890's I set out to find some patterns to work with. I had an idea of what I wanted in my head, and even made a few sketches early on, but definitely did not feel confident enough to draft something from scratch - despite the numerous books on historical costuming I've pored over in the last year. One of my little disappointments with my costume last year is that the time period is somewhat vague - it takes a little from the early 1900's, a little from the 1890's, but it doesn't feel firmly rooted in one particular style. Not being a particularly confident historical costumer (it <i>was</i> my first time making one, after all) I simply followed the Butterick pattern and crossed my fingers it would come out looking like the pattern envelope, and it did! (I'm not dissing on that pattern, or my dress, I'm simply saying that I learned from it, and I wanted to grow). This year I wanted something that felt firmly historically accurate, and perhaps reflected more of my own vision. And I knew to get that I was going to have to frankenpattern.</div>
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I used Simplicity 4156 (OOP) as my starting point. This pattern seems to be rather beloved in the historic costuming world, perhaps because it so unabashedly screams EIGHTEEN NINETY FIVE!! With its beach ball sized gigot-sleeves and standing Dracula collar. But I think the real reason is that it has good bones. Change the collar, change the sleeves, change the waist shaping, and this bodice could work for a wide variety of eras. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqc84dt-gyBhmYVDuJbzWJBHs9ByR54wVKlR1lWYvsK3w0lnYjMQz7vkwq2RURfvOV0NS60D1XGwpmEAxku7tClFRLOiuIdX30C9JC7e6hJV0e-QrYkxfoVnzJ889j8sQvB2zpmkHnWul/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-11+at+8.12.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="429" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqc84dt-gyBhmYVDuJbzWJBHs9ByR54wVKlR1lWYvsK3w0lnYjMQz7vkwq2RURfvOV0NS60D1XGwpmEAxku7tClFRLOiuIdX30C9JC7e6hJV0e-QrYkxfoVnzJ889j8sQvB2zpmkHnWul/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-12-11+at+8.12.18+PM.png" width="271" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNr0AJ_Y8xbOCV76Q1O-pAQDJy2b-GsxInr1SfqbgqRjyxPxK7-fKPZOWHnVxyZbdCWxXg6bB98woYXektKnHfntYagTo6pa23Ci3lUdGeXUA7It2tLDlqXBsOvOCkjRs2GkbDQ_zQeuZ8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-12+at+4.23.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="378" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNr0AJ_Y8xbOCV76Q1O-pAQDJy2b-GsxInr1SfqbgqRjyxPxK7-fKPZOWHnVxyZbdCWxXg6bB98woYXektKnHfntYagTo6pa23Ci3lUdGeXUA7It2tLDlqXBsOvOCkjRs2GkbDQ_zQeuZ8/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-12-12+at+4.23.19+PM.png" width="244" /></a></div>
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I'm not going to lie, the version on the pattern envelope left a lot to be desired for me personally. In fact, the only thing I was really down with even in the line drawing is that chick's hair! But I had seen versions online of people doing wonderful things with this pattern, so I had hope!</div>
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I knew right off the bat I wasn't going to use the gigot sleeve. While I know <i>nothing</i> says 1890's like a ridiculous poof ball of a sleeve, I felt like there were other sleeve options out there with similar silly proportions that would look better and feel more balanced. Like the leg o' mutton sleeve! You can quote me on this: Leg o' mutton trumps gigot any day of the week! For my sleeve I purchased the <a href="https://www.trulyvictorian.net/1898-eton-jacke.html">Truly Victorian 1898 Eton Jacket</a> (I had considered making this jacket early on in my costume plans, so the pattern purchase wasn't <i>just</i> for the sleeve, though it did come in handy).</div>
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After finishing my Victorian corset (more on that later) and petticoat to get a sense of the skirt girth, I set about muslining the Simplicity pattern with the Truly Victorian sleeve, and <i>boy</i> am I glad I did! (Please excuse the quality of these photos, many of the 'in-progress' pictures were taken with my, or my husbands, cell phones).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot the Molly photobomb!</td></tr>
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In order to get the bodice to fit my boulder shoulders I had to cut the largest pattern size in the envelope - which was a 12 (it was one of those patterns that grouped sizes into two different patterns). This pattern definitely suffered from the tell-tale Big Four excessive pattern ease. According to the pattern measurements I shouldn't even be able to fit in a size 12. Instead, the 12 fit my shoulders, chest and back perfectly, and had somewhere between 4-6 inches of excess from my bust to my waist. Granted, I was wearing a corset, which reduced my waist measurement by 2 inches, but still! In the picture I'm pulling back the waist to get a sense of how it will fit once I take it in. So I set about pinning out the excess (with the help of Nick) evenly around the bodice. I was also unhappy with the sleeve fit. It's hard to tell here but the forearm was very loose and I felt it looked kind of frumpy. I pinned out the excess from the elbow down to the wrist, and basically ended up redrafting the sleeve entirely. I also completely redrafted both collar pieces. </div>
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I marked all my changes on the muslin, removed the pins and resewed the seams and this was what I ended up with. Much better! I had to true up some seams, and make a few more changes before I unpicked half the muslin, ironed the pieces and traced them to make my pattern pieces. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27217904069/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4638/27217904069_766ea67418_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38994786481/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4550/38994786481_2a9d1f5dc2_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The majority of the bodice is constructed from 4 layers of fabric, with spiral steel boning in every panel. For my fashion fabric I used this beautiful <a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/light-periwinkle-solid-shantung-dupioni-fs36003-1308">periwinkle silk dupioni</a> from Mood Fabrics. I was drawn to this fabric because I wanted something light and crisp enough to hold the sleeve shape without needing some kind of internal support, and silk dupioni with its dry, papery hand is perfect for that! The color is also really special, and changes depending on the light - sometimes more purple-y, sometimes more blue. For the underlining I used <a href="https://www.dharmatrading.com/fabric/cotton/combed-cotton-lawn-56-inch.html?lnav=default.html">white cotton lawn</a> I bought in bulk from Dharma Trading company. And for the lining and center front insert I used this <a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/orchid-hush-and-white-candy-striped-stretch-cotton-woven-314139">orchid and cream striped shirting</a> fabric, also from Mood.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38958564382/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4569/38958564382_7a48c36c5c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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For each section of the bodice I basted a layer of the silk to a piece of cotton lawn, then a layer of the striped shirting fabric to a piece of cotton lawn, with a channel sewn in for the boning. I then basted these 2 sections (4 pieces of fabric thick) to each other and treated the whole thing as one, sewing all major seams with right sides facing. The raw edges were stitched and pinked, which is both historically accurate, and expedient. I also happen to love the way a pinked seam looks! One of my favorite things to come across when I was researching historical garments was documentation of the interior. As a sewist, these are the things we live for - sure it looks great on the outside, but what does it look like on the <i>inside</i>?! Many Victorian garments are surprisingly messy on the inside, with the main reason being that since women owned so few gowns they were meant to last a lifetime. Seams are easily accessible so they can be let out and taken in frequently (which they were), and there is often evidence of visible mending, sweat stains, and extreme wear. Another thing to take into account is that women in the 19th century (and earlier, and even well into the 20th century) wore much more substantial undergarments than we do today, so lining clothing for comfort really wasn't as much of a thing. </div>
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After handstitching the velvet ribbon trim to the peplum (which was purchased locally - and a freaking pain in the ass to sew on to such a curved area (can you put a parenthesis inside a parenthesis? Probably not, but I've never been a die-hard grammar fanatic (as you can probably tell) Anyway, my digression within my digression is this: hot tip for sewing annoyingly straight trim onto a curved section of fabric - gather the one long edge with a basting stitch and use small slipstitches to evenly distribute the excess) End digression...) I faced the peplum with more of the striped fabric. That's it. That's all that paragraph was about. <i>I'm a freaking fantastic writer!!!</i> Is anyone still reading this?<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38994791091/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4584/38994791091_1c1b921e43_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24130696857/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4550/24130696857_a2f5932dcc_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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All those layers and boning made for an extremely substantial garment - it almost feels sculptural! </div>
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The sleeves were also underlined with cotton lawn, then lined with a fitted sleeve cut from the striped fabric, so when you wear the bodice you don't feel like you're wearing this giant sleeve, rather it sits quite close to the body. The outer sleeve head was gathered and sewn to the bodice by machine, then the lining sleeve was slipstitched into the armsyce, creating a neat finish. Because I removed virtually all the wearing ease from the lower half of the sleeve it was necessary for me to insert a placket so I could get the darn thing on and off! This was a great opportunity for me to add the sweet little detail of covered buttons and fabric loops. There is something extremely dainty and ladylike about doing up all those little buttons at your wrists as the finishing touch of getting dressed. </div>
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The bodice opens and closes by hook and eye tape sewn into the center front, and the high collar closes on the sides with snaps. The lace trim (which is actually 3 separate trimmings - the beading, lace edging sewn to each side, and velvet ribbon run through the beading, because I couldn't find an all-in-one trim that I liked!) and velvet bow at the throat conceal the openings.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27217892119/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4598/27217892119_d794cf6d59_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The skirt was a much more straight forward sew, but perhaps equally as time consuming simply because of the sheer volume! I drafted this skirt based on instructions for an early 1890's skirt in one of my historical costume books. It consists of seven gores, with the two back panels cut extra wide then gathered into the waistband to give the rear a little extra "oomph"! Each panel was underlined with cotton lawn, and the bottom third was interlined (sandwiched between the silk and the underlining) with cotton flannel to help weigh down the skirt and to give the trim some support.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27217901399/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4692/27217901399_b1a148a9d9_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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For the hem I cut a 3 inch bias facing of navy cotton velveteen with some gathered lace sewn to the inside. This helps the skirt stand away from the body, and acts as a kind of "dust ruffle" for the skirt. All of this was catch stitched to the underlining so it's not visible from the outside. This might seem like a random little step, but I have to admit that one of my pet peeves whilst judging the historical costume contest at Dickens on the Strand is flimsy hems. I know, <i>I know!</i> I sound like such a bitch! But guys, this is why they ask me to judge! No one else is side-eyeing the hems!! I know it's much simpler to just sew a skirt and hem it any old way, but a skirt with weight and heft and <i>body</i> to it just moves so much nicer! It's not going to catch the wind and show your ankles (<i>god forbid!</i>) it's going to swish while you walk, and you might even be able to get away with the fact that you're only wearing one petticoat (<i>gasp!</i>) rather than the de-rigeur two or three, because, <i>guys</i>, your weighty hem has got this one <i>covered</i>. Yur good.</div>
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The velvet trim was sewn on by hand over a long Thanksgiving weekend. I feel like I should complain about it, but I actually found it quite lovely. Well except for the part where I was staring down a deadline and starting to worry I wasn't going to finish in time! The skirt closes in the back with a hook and eye placket, which is concealed by deep pleats and the back gathers.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24130671257/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4636/24130671257_0efbaa9ca1_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38994827171/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4560/38994827171_c7de582a80_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24130693387/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4582/24130693387_45b336d587_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And now... let's talk about the underwear! Undergarments have got to be one of my favorite things to research and make for these historical costumes. It is my belief that a period look is built from the ground floor up. Can you wear a historical dress without all the undercrackers? Sure, but if you wonder why you look kinda rumply and limp and not like the ladies in the tin-types, well! I got news for you, sister: <i>the devil is in the details</i>! </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Obviously I'm joking here! Historical dress-up is about having fun and indulging in fantasy. If doing everything by the book sounds like fun to you, go to town! If 'fun' is just digging through your current wardrobe to find something that looks vaguely period appropriate, that works too! This is a judgement free zone. I want you guys to have fun.</span></i></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24130705597/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4572/24130705597_b0f278abb2_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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As I mentioned previously, I made a new corset for this costume, as my <a href="https://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2016/11/and-now-for-something-completely.html">previous corset</a> was an Edwardian S-bend corset dating from 1903 and gives a completely different and unique shape that wasn't seen in the Victorian years. I also made a petticoat, which was incredibly straight-forward and kind of boring, and hopefully I will add more exciting petticoats in future years to expand my petticoat wardrobe, because, as we've already established, one petticoat is just not going to cut it! The most exciting thing about this petticoat is that the ruffle at the bottom is a full nine yards, yes <i>nine yards</i> of fabric! Thank goodness my past self bought all that cotton lawn with no idea what I was going to use it for...</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38108387265/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4531/38108387265_08e0c92316_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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But let's talk about that corset, because that's where the <i>real</i> fun began! I started this corset back in August. All the specialty corset materials - the coutil, and boning, and busk, and lacing - were purchased from <a href="https://www.farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/">Farthingales Corset Supply</a>, whom I cannot recommend enough if you're looking for high quality corsetry materials. Originally I planned on making the <a href="https://www.trulyvictorian.net/tv110-1880-late-victorian-corse.html">Truly Victorian 110</a> which is described as an 1880 Late Victorian Corset. I used a Truly Victorian pattern for my Edwardian corset and really don't have anything bad to say about it. However when this pattern came in the mail, for some reason I began second guessing my choice. I really wanted a corset that would create a dramatic, curvy shape, and many of the versions I was seeing of the 110 online appeared a bit straighter than the look I was after. </div>
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A quick aside here about corsets (actually, I could say <i>a lot</i> about corsets, their history, who wore them and why - they are a fascinating article of clothing, but I'll spare you) but achieving a dramatic shape isn't solely the job of the corset. A corset is a piece of cloth with some bones and lacing. It can only do so much. That dramatic look I was after was always going to be hindered by, well, <i>me</i>. True story: the more you've got to squish, the more dramatic your curves will look in a corset. The less you've got to squish, well... there's only so much that can happen! Women with a more muscular core aren't going to be able to lace down as small, since muscle isn't as happy being squeezed as soft flesh. I'm not saying I'm the most muscular, but, well, I've never been the curviest either, and no corset was going to give me the hourglass I was after. <i>sigh</i>. Once again, my buxom, rubenesque dreams are dashed by reality!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38994875461/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4686/38994875461_4a48b113eb_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I did have dreams however of perhaps creating the <i>illusion</i> of curves (and therefore a smaller waist) by padding out my bust and hips, and so I happily (and ignorantly) started adding bust and hip gores into the TV110 pattern, only to quickly discover I was wasting all my coutil on something that was virtually unwearable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QPgRYY1UjjUn5UvnbsretqOTSf_C5zKsfgYhXTq0IirPJvg4QE7-EpOT2BgIlUqCuJyRP4KwJSlAQosP5vUMxtwgdqUtaCo-RNhePfHQ_JmicHqR_CeP3Cfha75qKFRdzI3vkfTCAwg7/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-14+at+12.13.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QPgRYY1UjjUn5UvnbsretqOTSf_C5zKsfgYhXTq0IirPJvg4QE7-EpOT2BgIlUqCuJyRP4KwJSlAQosP5vUMxtwgdqUtaCo-RNhePfHQ_JmicHqR_CeP3Cfha75qKFRdzI3vkfTCAwg7/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-12-14+at+12.13.48+PM.png" width="504" /></a></div>
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At this point I abandoned the TV110 pattern and went searching for something with a more built in curvy look, and I landed on the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/53499204/ref-s-paper-pattern-and-pictures-for?ref=shop_home_active_31">Atelier Sylph Ref </a>S pattern. The Atelier Sylph corset patterns are all drafted from the owners own collection of historical corsets, so they are one size. This pattern seemed sized close to my measurements, was from the correct time period, and looked fabulously curvy. So I gave it a go!</div>
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Unfortunately I think I may have done something wrong, as my corset ended up being able to close completely in the back, and the waist measured 26 inches, which is... my natural waist measurement. (cue sad trombones). So no fabulous corseted waist dimensions were achieved, and even worse, it flattened my boobs out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1exhyn44Tf9hqb908sc973VWlXr-iwctyAVcLk_qnAOqxde2s1Cp69Kh1-q_GegtkGRU55b5Ubuh6L36m9HYYf7rqJIEekTZicmIysC-z41sedmiAS0MV1pQFSz9XmF22k-fE0WeM9Q0K/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-14+at+12.13.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1exhyn44Tf9hqb908sc973VWlXr-iwctyAVcLk_qnAOqxde2s1Cp69Kh1-q_GegtkGRU55b5Ubuh6L36m9HYYf7rqJIEekTZicmIysC-z41sedmiAS0MV1pQFSz9XmF22k-fE0WeM9Q0K/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-12-14+at+12.13.08+PM.png" width="560" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">At this point I had gone through a lot of cotton coutil - which isn't the cheapest of materials - and it was now well into October, and I hadn't even begun to muslin the rest of my costume. But! I believed a wearable corset was in my near future (and I'd also got much faster at sewing the damn things together) so I decided to give it one more shot. I adjusted the pattern to remove a total of 4 inches in circumference all over, then added a bust gore to help with the bust shaping. I actually had planned on adding two bust gores, but the memory of my first fail with adding in gores willy-nilly was fresh in my mind and at the last minute I bailed on the second gore. I wish I had left it in. The result is the corset you see before you! This gives me, I think, a very Victorian silhouette, complete with curved Victorian lower belly! Yes, I wish there was more room in the bust, and </span><i style="text-align: justify;">yes </i><span style="text-align: justify;">I wish my waist was smaller, but this laces a full inch smaller than my Edwardian corset and, if I'm being honest, I don't think I could take much more!</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38994858391/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4564/38994858391_cb104fe116_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Before any of you ask - yes I can breathe! And eat, and drink (just not in large quantities, and no carbonated beverages please!) and no, it's not comfortable. At least not when you're comparing it with leggings and a sweatshirt! I am not 100% happy with this corset, and I do think I will continue tweaking the pattern. I learned a lot (like, do not place your boning on your hip gores...<i> ouch!</i>) and I think I can continue to improve this pattern to get something I'm really happy with in the future. </div>
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What I <i>am</i> pretty happy with is the look of the whole thing. The mustard flossing (a type of functional embroidery used to protect the fabric from the bones rubbing through) and bias binding paired with the light pink dotted cotton coutil makes for an adorable combination, if I do say so myself!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3_OJUxGQEbao38MJrm2X_IH2j12-5vIbnXZAgue0nv48e20W1uViemt_3MCcwjkDv7cSOhcBVHQvUbh5aINLc40oaAYEYC8Eqaw_CSglZpNXJkLC3McdxTKufB58-b-ObWHhJ1qc_Oup/s1600/image1+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3_OJUxGQEbao38MJrm2X_IH2j12-5vIbnXZAgue0nv48e20W1uViemt_3MCcwjkDv7cSOhcBVHQvUbh5aINLc40oaAYEYC8Eqaw_CSglZpNXJkLC3McdxTKufB58-b-ObWHhJ1qc_Oup/s640/image1+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZyuSG0zwldTIKpfT4iWq97bUn0_c9-f4xDpfyPV4u_oyEiJusUW-F3oLUDe9LKo6H2JL1aRDYWkVRTD4ycV1JjFlRkMkOR6zI2K9m5Z0m0mGLyakVCu0ZlKj_2b0Ljq-fRAvCkRc9v81/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-14+at+11.54.15+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZyuSG0zwldTIKpfT4iWq97bUn0_c9-f4xDpfyPV4u_oyEiJusUW-F3oLUDe9LKo6H2JL1aRDYWkVRTD4ycV1JjFlRkMkOR6zI2K9m5Z0m0mGLyakVCu0ZlKj_2b0Ljq-fRAvCkRc9v81/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-12-14+at+11.54.15+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIessS_Eq5rKi672L3vgRq1Lnox6-azrQ7Go_CNkZEhTRLZm2S-DxgeFEIZe1KHleycKhgCvrNMKtHsDSH7vrZpOCtYlIaZM1qHgu5VugkS5ahbZb6CGv8FRqLVA4wM2ZAK6FFb9hmdakv/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-14+at+12.12.30+PM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIessS_Eq5rKi672L3vgRq1Lnox6-azrQ7Go_CNkZEhTRLZm2S-DxgeFEIZe1KHleycKhgCvrNMKtHsDSH7vrZpOCtYlIaZM1qHgu5VugkS5ahbZb6CGv8FRqLVA4wM2ZAK6FFb9hmdakv/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-12-14+at+12.12.30+PM.png" width="512" /></a></div>
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For the final version I used the coutil as the outer layer, and used some leftover salmon pink taffeta (from last years historical costume) for the inner layer. I then used strips of the taffeta to create boning channels which I stitched onto the inside of the corset (sadly I don't have a view of the inside of the corset once it was all boned and finished). For the boning I used white spring steel bones throughout. This is something else I think I will change in the future, switching out the spring steel bones for spiral steel bones through the sides of the corset, because they offer more flexibility. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38994863521/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4559/38994863521_5417e35bfc_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38994872961/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4587/38994872961_43e011ccc6_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/38994852851/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4633/38994852851_57d1d34dfe_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The rest of my undergarments - my chemise and drawers - are all the same ones I wore last year. They are technically Edwardian patterns, but I think they are so beautiful, and for heaven's sakes! No one sees them but me! So if the prettier Edwardian underthings make me happy, then so be it! I do think I might make myself a lower-cut chemise with a smaller shoulder strap one of these days, just to have options (you know, in case I decide to do an evening look... *rolls eyes*)</div>
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Oh yes! And I made a hat!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygkcQ8gVhaMOH8-C1FLs_D65J1tsGd-x9dWRWlYXPqKF36jIHo1XQETC69VwNX5Wd3feUODzcbU5MH2sideY5_bG8XCuGqF0_tLo5lEY3wZxkGdd8LWITbJrf-pCcD40gFPyJ2oMi6SP1/s1600/image2+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygkcQ8gVhaMOH8-C1FLs_D65J1tsGd-x9dWRWlYXPqKF36jIHo1XQETC69VwNX5Wd3feUODzcbU5MH2sideY5_bG8XCuGqF0_tLo5lEY3wZxkGdd8LWITbJrf-pCcD40gFPyJ2oMi6SP1/s640/image2+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I wore this the first day of Dickens, but on the second day I was looking to remove anything that could potentially make me uncomfortable - so the shoes were switched out, and the hat, with its pointy hat pins, and all those bobby pins in the updo, were <i>out</i>. Instead I wore my hair half-up with the navy velvet bow like you see in the rest of these photos, and I actually thought it was more flattering! It's a bit of a juvenile look for the time period, and seeing as I'm 32, and <i>married</i>, I'd probably never be seen in public with my hair down, but I thought it looked really charming, so I'm sticking with it!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24130667377/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4731/24130667377_d32cfc8c21_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27217875399/in/photostream/" title="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress"><img alt="Periwinkle Silk Dupioni 1890's Walking Dress" height="428" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4544/27217875399_aecfa6e2cb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<i>Phew!</i> There you go guys! Did I leave anything out? Let me know in the comments if there's something you're dying to know that I didn't cover! </div>
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All in all I'm incredibly pleased with this costume. It was a real labor of love from start to finish, and I enjoyed every second of the escape it gave me into my fantasy life. The thing I'm perhaps most pleased with is that this dress feels much more seamless to me than last years costume, like it's one step closer to making an actual historical recreation, rather than just a costume. I also feel like it somehow manages to reflect my personal style in some crazy way! When I look at these pictures I don't think I look odd wearing these clothes. They seem to fit me! In the same way that my favorite pair of Morgan jeans feel like they just <i>fit me</i>. I don't know what this says about me, but right now I'm digging it!</div>
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But these types of projects can be all consuming for me, and it is definitely time to move on, to turn my attention to the many areas of my life I neglected over the past few months. To <i>clean up my goddamn sewing room</i>! But that doesn't mean I haven't still been thinking about next year! I'm curious to hear your thoughts, should I do 1890's again? I do feel a real kinship with this decade. Or should I challenge myself and try another decade? I'm toying with the idea of doing an 1870's natural form mourning dress.... think lots of black in various textures... silk, velvet, lace... maybe a veil... and creeping long train... very Victorian gothic.... Of course it would require an entirely new set of undergarments... thoughts????</div>
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And finally, <i>thank you</i>. Thank you guys so much for reading this post (if you made it this far). Thank you to everyone who supported me and cheered me on through Instagram. And the biggest of thank you's to the Galveston Historical Foundation and Nick Barbee for giving me access to the historic 1859 Ashton Villa to take my photos! I think we can all agree that they make for a stunning backdrop! Extra thanks to Nick for putting up with me the last few months (xo). And A final thank you, once again to GHF for putting on Dickens on the Strand, inviting me to be one of the judges for the costume contest, and fueling this new passion for historic costume making! The best friends enable my most crazy of rabbit holes! Thanks guys!</div>
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sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-57105219882808861682017-07-01T12:43:00.000-07:002017-07-01T12:43:06.101-07:00let's give them something to talk about<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/35578338785/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4260/35578338785_6d08d29f8a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hello there! My goodness it's almost the end of June. I can't believe it's taken me so long to photograph this dress and write a blog post about it. I had been saving it to do a <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood post</a>, but kept pushing it back because I was having trouble getting it photographed. Between battling the weather (rain, rain, and more rain) and camera batteries I thought I'd never get this thing documented! But finally I decided I was going to get a photoshoot done, no matter what the weather, and I'd just have to pretend I'm cute with my umbrella as a prop and the rain was all part of my plan from the start. Spoiler alert: I didn't need the umbrella after all and managed to sneak these photos in during a couple dry moments between passing clouds. But the insane greenery of the background is proof that, indeed, it's been a rainy June!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/35410204342/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4216/35410204342_497b1c4ee7_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I've shown this dress a few times on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sallieoleta/">Instagram account</a>. I made it quite awhile ago now, while I was taking my blogging break this past spring. And I've worn it quite a bit also, which is actually kind of nice because I can really give an honest review of how this dress and fabric works for me.</div>
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But the inspiration for this dress goes back even further -- to the beginning of the year. It was such an unusually warm and pleasant winter here, even by Texas standards. The sun always seemed to be shining and there were long stretches with low humidity and just the most pleasant spring weather you can imagine. Everything seemed to stay green and go on blooming. It was really almost magical. This also coincided with a stretch of time that I was without my trusty steed -- my bike, and so rather than biking the 2 miles to and from work each day, I went by foot. I've never been a fast walker (or really, fast <i>anything</i> -- one of my husband's earliest nicknames for me was <i>Tortuga Sal</i>) and walking upwards of 4 miles a day brought out the daydreamer in me, <i>big time</i>. And of course I was daydreaming about sewing -- because, obviously.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/35410197752/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4225/35410197752_0b6592054a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Specifically, I was daydreaming about the kind of outfit I wished I was wearing to saunter down sidewalks in a crumbling southern city in the U.S.A., shaded by drooping live oaks and palm trees, heavy hibiscus bushes, oleanders, and fragrant jasmine and gardenia. It doesn't take much for my brain to meander off to the romantic, the literary, and cinematic, and so I cast my leading lady for the movie in my head. She was someone who owned few nice dresses, or shoes, or hats, but each item was <i>her</i> dress, or <i>her</i> shoes, or <i>her</i> hat. The kind of objects that are as much a part of her identity and expression as her eyes, or nose, or hands. She was effortlessly feminine, and sensual, and she took her time walking across the uneven pavement, relishing the heavy scent of the southern greenery.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/35539502376/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4258/35539502376_b30538f15b_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'd like to say she was me, but really, she was the version of me I aim to be on my most 'put together' days! So really, not me at all! <i>Ha</i>! But this is the magic of clothes, you guys. I imagined this alternate reality "me" (as seen through a soft focus lens, of course) and I imagined her dress, and her shoes and her hat, and then <i>I made</i> her dress (and found her shoes on Etsy, and her hat from an online store) and when I put it all on, I <i>felt</i> like that character I had created in my mind. This is not to say that I'm using clothes to hide my authentic self, rather that my authentic self likes to play dress-up! It's a fun little game I like to play with myself -- <i>"He he he... they all THINK they're talking to normal Sallie, but what they don't know is they are ACTUALLY talking to Future Sallie!" </i>(Or Desert Sallie, or International Spy Sallie, or Witch Sallie, or...)<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/35578369895/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4217/35578369895_002f8bdb8f_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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A much simpler way to say all this is that I like to have fun with my clothes, guys, and I think you should too. </div>
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But you're not <i>just </i>here for the inner ramblings of a 30-something woman whose inner world is <i>far</i> more colorful than her reality! So let me tell you about this dress. This is <a href="https://images.patternreview.com/sewing/patterns/simplicity/1880/1880.jpg">Simplicity 1880</a> - an OOP pattern, but one that I'm sure many of you have in your stash, if, like me, you bought it way back in 2012 when <a href="http://www.afashionablestitch.com/">Sunni</a> did her sewalong of this pattern (so long ago that there aren't even images on her blog posts about it anymore! Yikes! Have I been sewing and blogging <i>that long??</i>) Perhaps, also like me, you haven't pulled it out or thought about it since! Well pull it out again guys, because it's a trooper of a pattern!</div>
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The <a href="http://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2012/07/nicks-dress.html">first version</a> of this dress I made was in a purple linen blend and featured the faux-wrap bodice (also, I used to have boobs... awww! <i>Memories...) </i>I loved that dress then, and I still love that dress. It's one I still reach for on the odd occasion. At the time I made that dress I remember being supremely disinterested in this version, the faux-shirtdress variation with notched collar and button-opening that ends at the waist. Funny how things change!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/35578365295/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4288/35578365295_34f1a0be8b_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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When I was imagining this dress I had this sort of mish-mash of 40's and 70's styles in my head, but any searching for vintage shirtdress patterns from either of those eras turned up looks that I was <i>definitely</i> not into. In frustration I rummaged through my pattern stash and turned up this beauty -- with it's released pleats at the waist, gathering at the yoke, cap sleeve, flat collar, and swishy bias skirt it was exactly what I was looking for -- vaguely, but indefinably <i>vintage</i> inspired. I especially love the skirt on this pattern - it's cut in 4 pieces and just utilizes the bias in the most flattering way. Both this dress and my purple dress have a way of skimming my tummy and hips, making me feel very womanly. The dress has an invisible zip on the side, for ease of getting on and off, since those buttons only open to the waist.</div>
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The fabric is also a major player in my love for this dress. This is the <a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/american-beauty-nightshadow-blue-and-tinsel-digital-flowers-printed-on-a-viscose-woven-313999">American Beauty, Nightshadow Blue and Tinsel Digital Flowers Printed on a Viscose Woven </a> from <a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/">Mood Fabrics</a> online. I love that this floral print is pixelated, making it look like a needlepoint cushion, or cross-stitch sampler. It's a nice nod to hand craft. It's also kind of grandma-ish, but in a really fun way, and I think it works really well with this pattern.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/35539510716/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880" height="428" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4211/35539510716_7e08499b92_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This viscose woven is very similar to a rayon challis - lightweight, breathable and drapey. It also frays easily like rayon challis so any seam that wasn't concealed in the pattern construction was either bound with bias binding (the front facings) or run through the serger (sleeves, waist and skirt seams). </div>
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I agonized a bit over the button choice for this dress. Originally I was planning on covered buttons in self-fabric, but the plethora of covered button kits I <i>thought</i> I had in my stash was a total fantasy. I made a few attempts to go to the Houston fabric stores -- one of which has an extensive and really fantastic button selection -- to see if I could find something really special, however I kept getting the hours wrong, and after an hour drive I'd show up to find them closed (no no! Not still salty about that wasted gas <i>at all</i> *eye roll*). In the end I only scuttled up the highway a little bit to go to Joann's where I was just going to buy the covered button kits and call it a day, but I came across these dark fuschia and black beauties that were just such a perfect match I would have felt like an idiot <i>not</i> to use them!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/35539507906/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Printed Rayon Challis | Simplicity 1880" height="958" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4239/35539507906_043eb6e68c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I can report, with full confidence, that I <i>love</i> this dress. I actually reach for this exact look about once a week these days. It also happens to be the kind of dress that, when I'm wearing it, I get a lot of compliments (always a nice confidence boost) -- but not <i>necessarily</i> on the dress itself. More just... on me. And that's a thing I love - when clothes reveal the person who's wearing them, rather than hiding her. And that's the magic that I was talking about earlier.</div>
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I'm going to end this post by encouraging you to play a little game of fantasy with your clothes and see how it works out for you! Life is so full of the mundane, and I'm actually very grateful for this, but it's a nice balance when you can find small, personal joys in things like getting dressed.</div>
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Happy sewing, and dressing, my friends!</div>
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P.S. If you want to see this fabric in action in absolute glorious fashion - go check out <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/a-raspberry-wine-maxi-shirt-dress">Oona's make over on the MSN</a>! I love when this happens -- two sewists working with the same (or similar) fabric and even a similar idea (shirtdresses) and having the outcomes be so different and so uniquely <i>them</i>. This is one of the things I love most about this community!!</div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-10948217961542186592017-05-26T06:00:00.000-07:002017-05-26T06:00:17.515-07:00indigo days<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/34834058146/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress" height="428" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4245/34834058146_781556b30d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hey guys! It's been a hot minute. Or maybe more than a hot minute? Lately I've definitely fallen prey to the instant gratification of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sallieoleta/">Instagram</a> over the longer format of a blog post, but I'm trying to make myself sit down and actually blog, because, quite honestly, I've got a lot to say, and there's only so much one can put into an Instagram caption!</div>
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I took a break from blogging for the Mood Sewing Network for a couple of months this past spring to get my "life" into some semblance of "order"... whatever <i>that</i> means. And if I'm being completely honest, to find my way back to enjoying fashion again. My love for sewing and creating hadn't really waned, but my interest in clothes was just... not there. I've felt a bit off in my personal style, and really <i>meh</i> about current trends. I feel like my body has changed, and keeps changing, and day in and day out it was just so much easier to wear gym clothes than try to come to terms with what looked the best, and (more importantly) felt the best on my body.</div>
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Honestly, I feel like what's finally kicked my butt back into gear has been participating in Me Made May! There's been a lot of Me Made May action happening over on Instagram, and I've felt very inspired by what many of my online girl crushes have been putting together for their daily outfits. In particular, I've been getting major wardrobe envy from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ebonyh/">Ebony H</a> and Sophie of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adaspragg/">Adaspragg</a>. If you don't already follow those two, go and follow and let me know if you similarly want to wear everything in their closet!</div>
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The other really great benefit of Me Made May has been documenting my own outfits. It's no challenge for me to wear handmade everyday, at this point, and so the past few years my participation in Me Made May has been very half-hearted, at best. But this year -- perhaps because it hit during a time that I was feeling some major wardrobe doldrums -- seeing my own outfits has really helped me to get a handle on what I like wearing, and where my personal style might be going. In my mind, this is really the benefit of doing these online challenges.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/34030594034/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4170/34030594034_16dd4a532b_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And so, as we're rounding out May, I'd like to introduce you to one of the things I've made recently that just felt so <i>so</i> right for me at the moment. This is the <a href="https://store.closetcasepatterns.com/products/kalle-shirt-shirtdress-pattern">Kalle shirtdress</a> from <a href="https://closetcasepatterns.com/">Closet Case Patterns</a>, sewn up in a <a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/65oz-blue-textured-tencel-denim-310155">tencel denim</a> from<a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/"> Mood Fabrics</a>.</div>
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Many many <i>many</i> moons ago, when I still used Pinterest, I pinned an image of a woman wearing an oversized denim shirtdress. Apparently it was in another lifetime, because for the life of me I can't find that image anymore, or login to Pinterest, but that's another issue! But trust me - this woman was the definition of chic. It's funny the things that stick with us. I hadn't thought about that image for years, but when Heather released her Kalle pattern, and I started nosing around in my stash looking for a fabric to make it out of, that image came back to me and I knew that this pattern, and this tencel denim that I had bought for an entirely different project, had to come together to make my very own oversized denim shirtdress.</div>
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It's not exactly a novel idea. Denim shirtdresses are classics, and can be found, in varying silhouettes, pretty much every season in RTW. Still, it felt like a total <i>eureka</i> moment to this humble sewist, alone in her sewing room, in her crappy apartment, in her broken down beach town, on a spit of land in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. I'll take my props where I can, okay?</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/34710810802/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4245/34710810802_9d0ee911ec_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The tencel denim was perfect for this pattern. A pure denim, or even chambray, wouldn't have had the drape that the tencel provides, which I think is key in making this oversized silhouette feel effortless. Sewing it was pretty drama-free. I enjoyed the fact that it was basically just a large shirt, with many of the fun shirtmaking techniques - like button plackets, collars, pockets, topstitching, burrito-method back yokes... you know the ones. But the drop-shoulder, kimono sleeve meant that fitting was basically a non-issue, and the construction stopped just short of that point in making a shirt (sleeve cuffs and tower plackets...) where I start to feel like it's getting a bit tedious. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/34742343861/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4274/34742343861_040c5f1eae_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The only time I started cursing was while doing the bias binding on the hem. This mostly had to do with my blood sugar being low (you can ask my husband, my boss, my mom... strangers on the street... I turn into a monster when I'm hungry) sewing non-stop for too many hours on end, the fact that this fabric didn't like to hold a crisp press on the bias (has anyone else ever experienced this? It pressed fine on the straight grain, but on the bias it just kind of wanted to <i>bounce</i> back...) and just my ongoing feud with bias binding (curse you bias binding... <i>curse you!</i>). However, it really provided a nice finish for the hem in the end, so it was worth it. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/34030643054/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress" height="428" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4179/34030643054_89a785d658_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/34873965485/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress" height="428" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4195/34873965485_33628da562_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Some of my favorite features of this dress are the dropped shoulder, the topstitched sleeve cuff, and that deep box-pleat at the back, which billows out when the wind catches it. I also love the exaggerated curve of the hem (even if I am still a bit sore about that bias binding...) </div>
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I kept all my topstitching subtle by using a navy thread. It's a touch darker than the beautiful indigo blue of the fabric, so it gives a hint of definition, but still keeps everything in the blue family so there isn't much contrast going on. </div>
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I'm pretty obsessed with this dress right now. I actually sent Heather a text after wearing it for a day that went something like "DUDETHEKALLEDRESSOMG" (I may or may not have been drinking, and Heather may or may not be my friend that I drunk-text. Mind your own beeswax, people. Sheesh). It's so incredibly wearable, and it makes me feel put together, yet relaxed. Perfect for my very casual lifestyle. Also, it's a godsend to have dresses like this when, for whatever reason (you've lost weight, you've gained weight, you're on your period, you're sick, you've put on muscle, you've aged, you're hormones are shifting... the list goes on and on...) you're body is changing and you can't quite get a handle on how to dress it. This dress just works, and yet I don't feel like I'm wearing a sack. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/34030645784/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Tencel Denim Kalle Shirtdress" height="428" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4181/34030645784_fcb893294a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I feel fairly refreshed from my sewing and blogging break, and I'm hoping that some of my renewed enthusiasm for clothing will stick with me through the summer. Summer is always the most difficult month for me to get excited about clothes in because wearing clothes is, basically, disgusting. Ha! But I'm feeling optimistic! I got big plans, people! Big plans! </div>
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Okay. Medium sized plans.</div>
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<i>Small plans</i>? Look, we're just gonna try to keep trucking! Thanks, as always, for following along. Love you guys!</div>
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xx</div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-61855178678736188352017-03-27T17:35:00.000-07:002017-03-27T17:35:27.142-07:0032<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/33560901801/in/dateposted/" title="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt"><img alt="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3923/33560901801_b9b8f56078_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Hi guys! It's definitely been a hot minute since I've written a blog post! Thought I better put my phone down and dust off the old keyboard before I forgot how!<br />
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2017 has been sort of an odd year for me mentally. I feel like my energy is scattered between many creative pursuits - sewing being one of them - and I don't particularly feel like I've been performing any of them well! Not to get too heavy on here, but the politics in the U.S. have really affected me. I've been trying to channel my anxiety and anger into something productive and learning how to become involved in my local politics, where I feel I can be most effective, but I can't pretend that I don't often feel overwhelmed, depressed, and helpless. And those feelings can take their toll. I'm not writing about this to open up a big political discussion, but simply to explain why I've been pretty quiet on the sewing and blogging front. Quite simply, I've had other things on my mind!<br />
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But this past weekend was my birthday. I turned 32. And I had a long weekend to not only finish up some sewing, but take my camera for a walk and document what I've been wanting to wear lately for y'all. Normally I make something a bit frivolous for my birthday sewing, but what I really wanted, and needed, this year was some practical separates. So that's what I got!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/33560905961/in/photostream/" title="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt"><img alt="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2875/33560905961_36086a8c50_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Variations on this outfit have been somewhat of a uniform for me, lately. In fact, I made these jeans last fall and have been wearing them pretty much nonstop. I'm not really sure what I'd call this style. I have no idea if I'm even "in style"! What are the kids wearing these days? I have no clue. At this point I'm just making and wearing whatever feels right. And this sort-of 70's, kinda ranch-hand, a little bit sexy, but also buttoned up, and maybe a touch prison-uniform, look feels right. Like, I'll probably wear this to work at least two days this week, kind of right.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/33533889202/in/photostream/" title="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt"><img alt="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2821/33533889202_6994d7efeb_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/33690271325/in/photostream/" title="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt"><img alt="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/655/33690271325_03cef39970_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Like I said, these jeans were made last fall. I actually made them as sort of a palette cleanser after all of my historical sewing. They are a bit of a mish-mash of the <a href="https://store.closetcasepatterns.com/products/ginger-skinny-jeans-pattern">Closet Case Files Ginger jeans</a> pattern and the <a href="https://shop.deer-and-doe.fr/en/sewing-patterns/33-safran-pants-pattern.html">Deer and Doe Safran pants</a>. Basically I just put the Safran front welt pocket on the Ginger jeans high waisted pattern. Then added a flare leg. However I didn't really measure my inseam correctly and didn't add as much length as I originally would have liked. Generally I like my flare leg jeans to be floor-dusting. That's why I left the hem of these raw, because had I hemmed them they would have <i>really</i> been an awkward length! Now, however, I kinda love the raw hem, and the awkward length feels sort of fresh. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/33560911871/in/photostream/" title="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt"><img alt="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2943/33560911871_c8f33a9f4d_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/33560916731/in/photostream/" title="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt"><img alt="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3849/33560916731_26b7dec55c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The fabric is some Cone Mills s-gene stretch denim that I got with one of the original Ginger jeans kits, and it's so freaking lovely. I made these jeans <i>suuupppppper</i> tight through the hip and thigh, and that Cone Mills denim just gives and gives and gives, and never gives up! I will never make jeans using another denim. End of discussion. I'm a convert. As I said, I've been wearing these jeans for a few months now, and my typical pattern is to wear them many many <i>many</i> times before washing. And they never get baggy! They just seem to get better with more wear!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/33690253155/in/photostream/" title="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt"><img alt="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt" height="428" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3755/33690253155_0fef23caaa_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The top is the <a href="https://shop.deer-and-doe.fr/en/sewing-patterns/29-melilot-shirt-pattern.html">Deer and Doe Mélilot shirt</a>. I've had my eye on this pattern for awhile, and finally bit the bullet this winter. I made it in this super lovely <a href="https://threadbarefabrics.com/collections/shirtings-etc/products/4-oz-light-blue-tencel-denim-shirting">light blue tencel denim shirting from Threadbare Fabric</a>. I adore this fabric! The color, weight and drape makes it feel way more ready-to-wear than the typical chambray fabrics that seem to be available to home sewists. I have a bit more and I'm debating what else to do with it - I'm wondering if I can squeeze an Archer out of it - because a girl can't have too many denim blue button-up shirts, right? So far this is number three...</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/33533881372/in/photostream/" title="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt"><img alt="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt" height="428" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2817/33533881372_34c475f970_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I really love this pattern too. I cut the size based on the finished measurements -- which I pretty much always do, because I like to be the master of my own ease -- and I think it makes it a little more feminine. I feel like oversized, drop sleeve blouses are all the rage right now (maybe? I don't know... like I said, I'm not really sure <i>what's</i> in style, but last time I checked...) and I might make one of those in the future, but for this one I wanted something that I could easily tuck into high waisted pants and skirts and not have a ton of fabric pillowing over the top. One thing that I always underestimate though when I cut by my finished measurements is that while my bust and waist measurement may work with a smaller size, often times my shoulders <i>don't</i>. This is especially true for Deer and Doe patterns, who I think design for a different shape than me (i.e. not women with weightlifting shoulders and backs!) I think I'm able to get away with it on this top because there's no armsyce, but it's a lesson I really need to learn, because this isn't the first time this has happened!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/33306217090/in/photostream/" title="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt"><img alt="Flare jeans and Chambray shirt" height="429" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2880/33306217090_a57493fe16_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's been such a warm winter and spring here in Galveston, I pretty much completely skipped any sort of winter sewing and this is probably going to be about as 'transitional' as it gets! The next few projects I have planned are summer dresses, however I should really try to bang out a few more practical separates! Especially tops. </div>
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Does anyone have any good pattern recommendations for tops? I'm feeling very 70's these days (and should probably cut my hair, but, you know, <i>fuck the man</i>). And since I've been sort of out-of-touch I'm not really sure what's out there! Tell me your favorites! What can't you wait to sew and wear this spring/summer?</div>
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sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-43097620304334378232017-01-09T11:58:00.000-08:002017-01-09T11:58:49.182-08:00historical costume part II<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31551627326/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="853" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5671/31551627326_f41d5ba786_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Wow. Does anyone else fall into a well of old Christmas cookies, prolonged sleep and shuffling around in bathrobes post New Year? Sometimes I feel like it's the pressure of "New Year, New You" jargon, or perhaps its the fact that I'm suddenly staring down all the things that I put off right before the holidays, but I often find myself feeling supremely unmotivated come January. I know all the tricks to help me out of such funks - chip away at the to-do list, exercise, don't neglect self-care, etc. - but sometimes holing up with the heating pad and shooting resentful looks at the dog because she can't take herself for walks comes more naturally to me!</div>
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So it is in this spirit that I bring you this long-overdue post, which I totally intended to write before we jetted off for our East Coast Family Holiday Bonanza. Hopefully it's not <i>too</i> anticlimactic!<br />
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Even though I posted many pictures of my finished historical costume on Instagram, and even wrote about it for my December Mood post, I really wanted to give it its full due with a proper, long, overly wordy post here on my home turf. This costume was many months in the making, and I'm quite proud of it. If you're new here, or are reading this post without much context, I suggest reading the <a href="http://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2016/11/and-now-for-something-completely.html">post on my historical undergarments</a> first, as I explain <i>why</i> I ventured into historical costume making to begin with!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30779342073/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="958" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5811/30779342073_f652be882a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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As I mentioned before, the Victorian era was an extremely long one, spanning Queen Victoria's reign in England from 1837-1901, and within that features some truly spectacular fashion movements. In trying to decide what era I wanted to "personify" with my historical costume I took my personal tastes into account, but I also wanted to consider the time period itself and what it signifies. I completely agree that playing historical dress-up should, first and foremost, be fun. It's about indulging in fantasy, because we can't, after all, go back in time. However I also think it's important to observe that, in doing so, we are romanticizing a past which often doesn't deserve romanticization. </div>
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One of the most recognizable silhouettes in Victorian fashion is the <a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/88/91/c0/8891c0d4799546c12979fc9cf20ca6dd.jpg">giant hoop skirts of the 1850's and 60's</a>. In other areas of the world, this look may not seem very loaded, but here in America it defines the Civil War era, and there is something about dressing in Civil War era clothing as a white woman living in a previously slave-owning state that does not sit right with me. That is not a past I have any interest in romanticizing.</div>
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The other most iconic silhouette of the Victorian era is the <a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/59/31/b7/5931b7674ecf9418dcbdd03798fc7306.jpg">bustle gown of the 1880's</a>. These fashions are beautiful, elaborate, and extremely feminine. They also remind me of curtains. And sofas. In fact, call me crazy, but doesn't it seem as if the well-to-do Victorian lady practically <i>became</i> a piece of furniture herself during this time period?</div>
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All politics aside, my other, more pragmatic reason for eschewing these two iconic Victorian looks was that they are <i>very</i> well represented at the event I was making this costume for, and I wanted to give a nod to a lesser appreciated fashion era, and, let's be real, stand out from the crowd. Show Pony wins again!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30779409853/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="428" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/256/30779409853_95d71eee91_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And so, I turned my attention instead to the later Victorian era. I've <i>always</i> had a soft spot for this era. Honestly, my true love is Edwardian fashion. So I attempted to get as close to the Edwardian era while still keeping a toe in the Victorian. For my gown I used <a href="https://butterick.mccall.com/b5970">Butterick 5970</a> from their "Making History" line. Since this was my first time attempting a historical costume, and I really didn't give myself <i>a lot </i>of time to make it before the deadline, I decided to go with a Big 4 pattern to have the comfort of modern instructions and sizing to work from. I also just thought this dress was very pretty.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30779419223/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="428" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/637/30779419223_41a2cf0a11_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31589326605/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="428" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/762/31589326605_0aabfb87d1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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In general, this pattern was pretty easy to work with. It was a crap-ton of pattern pieces, and sourcing all the fabrics and trims and bits and bobs was time consuming, but once I actually started motoring along with the construction it wasn't anything too foreign to me. </div>
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No, my one main complaint with this pattern - and, I'm assuming, <i>all</i> the "Making History" patterns - is their smudgy historical accuracy. They do not date their patterns, nor even give them a general name like "Edwardian Dress" or "Flapper" or "Regency Era gown and jacket" or whatever... I know, <i>I know</i>! If I am going to be such a stickler about historical accuracy <i>why</i> didn't I go with a pattern company, like Truly Victorian, or Past Patterns, that prides themselves on their historical accuracy? Well, I didn't <i>know</i> that I would be so bothered by the smudgy time period of this dress when I set out to make it! As I got deeper and deeper into this project my interest in historical fashion grew, and the more research I did, the more I wished I had been more rigid in my choice of costume. Does that make sense? So while I think this dress is lovely, and is general enough to fit into my murky vision of "Late Victorian/Early Edwardian" - it is precisely that generalness that bothers me.</div>
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Because I'm a nerd, I attempted to find fashion illustrations and historical examples that would help me date details of this dress.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA148pyZeChpXPKxgn1naq5edxNUayE7LBJahs0U8A3za_9aVPwzIsCPWvzodj8MurpW3D2pqXTvy_0XTxD8c2ZYXlMQMn44VtPAecN3XMgTLw1VtJExbcni-yCF3ErSmxenrXoO-Wrml/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+9.09.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA148pyZeChpXPKxgn1naq5edxNUayE7LBJahs0U8A3za_9aVPwzIsCPWvzodj8MurpW3D2pqXTvy_0XTxD8c2ZYXlMQMn44VtPAecN3XMgTLw1VtJExbcni-yCF3ErSmxenrXoO-Wrml/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+9.09.11+AM.png" width="458" /></a></div>
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I was able to find examples of the full, gathered bodice as early as 1893, however many of the 1890's silhouettes are defined by the large sleeve or shoulder, which the Butterick pattern does not have quite as pronounced.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxp522_4E4hwTznA-h-wrQcWli_UNupl12XsAGcWxjTrXFN1C4kiEW6S6s_gNBFg5eFLWQmm_VIsZP1Phteafc26QrzwUUT2eYgGTxr6i_YHllKIsUTc7c9FHeG8_gCOV-a0Hfjh7vka1/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+9.08.56+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxp522_4E4hwTznA-h-wrQcWli_UNupl12XsAGcWxjTrXFN1C4kiEW6S6s_gNBFg5eFLWQmm_VIsZP1Phteafc26QrzwUUT2eYgGTxr6i_YHllKIsUTc7c9FHeG8_gCOV-a0Hfjh7vka1/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+9.08.56+AM.png" width="442" /></a></div>
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The skirt, with it's slimmer front and full, pleated back, with minimal trim and adornment definitely seemed accurate for the 1890's.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Mi3ZKN-e8PdQyFE8uznWwx1cGA_RwCUbHs14QhBENZkuCpLnVdOAElCPv8Dw7151cwoyvuzNkOd-vryyMdXe4gst7hCmcbLYVZpagrB9UUsw6oj2lXJ7pPnPr6F8mqT4ShUlCsZe_4T6/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+9.17.27+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Mi3ZKN-e8PdQyFE8uznWwx1cGA_RwCUbHs14QhBENZkuCpLnVdOAElCPv8Dw7151cwoyvuzNkOd-vryyMdXe4gst7hCmcbLYVZpagrB9UUsw6oj2lXJ7pPnPr6F8mqT4ShUlCsZe_4T6/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+9.17.27+AM.png" width="452" /></a></div>
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Here is an example of a day dress from the late 1890's which features a similar skirt style, as well as the more narrow sleeve and lacy shoulder adornment of the Butterick pattern.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUuVjDKhyphenhyphenS9apbF4Y6vo9LkvNxFKg7DLzsw5Exut2cEK9AEm7xZYtrtSNFJvID8qpga4aY0T0ozqqscyLaqYTwMNX814fqziw-thPbYZthiZtEWjrqq4DsIqva_F1Cj4k3q2OqFXNunkV/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+9.11.04+AM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUuVjDKhyphenhyphenS9apbF4Y6vo9LkvNxFKg7DLzsw5Exut2cEK9AEm7xZYtrtSNFJvID8qpga4aY0T0ozqqscyLaqYTwMNX814fqziw-thPbYZthiZtEWjrqq4DsIqva_F1Cj4k3q2OqFXNunkV/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+9.11.04+AM.png" width="512" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1RUf8qRCjW25jTvpRdOi3CJNld1Xzn4HEk0yFHSOkU8Hs0A02cdy4tV6r9aydTSlWkKixB1axKZ1VDE5i6bJ_gLRlUYyl7XakKH_3zcHQ9EevxREFspI0x9dH9eRV_d61nXauAnsIDmA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+9.21.34+AM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1RUf8qRCjW25jTvpRdOi3CJNld1Xzn4HEk0yFHSOkU8Hs0A02cdy4tV6r9aydTSlWkKixB1axKZ1VDE5i6bJ_gLRlUYyl7XakKH_3zcHQ9EevxREFspI0x9dH9eRV_d61nXauAnsIDmA/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-11-07+at+9.21.34+AM.png" width="420" /></a></div>
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However the droop of the gathered bodice - the "pouter pigeon" breast - is really iconic of the early 20th century Edwardian look.</div>
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One detail that seemed to elude me was the ruffled sleeve. I was ready to write it off as just a pretty detail that the pattern designer, Nancy Farris-Theé, thought looked nice, rather than having a real root in fashion history. But then (Oh you guys... how deep into the rabbit hole I did delve!) my husband gifted me with this book - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Costume-Detail-Womens-Dress-1730-1930/dp/0896762173">Costume in Detail 1730-1930</a> - for Christmas. This book is fascinating! It is full of illustrations of actual garments, detailing how they were made, what type of closures they use, measurements, etc. And lo and behold! What should I find, but this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMDfVYZjUUJkgVrYQe3qxDaNYzCDCGCNH-0o119UOjG8SzgG0pmzqJh2P3V5P7m7c7OrZ4wcuopuCHChFH-0el1gmqhNBxmlYNnOEHOC0gBlqgK8pJkXo1YWlG3xyQxxdDd2hyphenhyphenjGroTxI/s1600/IMG_4697.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMDfVYZjUUJkgVrYQe3qxDaNYzCDCGCNH-0o119UOjG8SzgG0pmzqJh2P3V5P7m7c7OrZ4wcuopuCHChFH-0el1gmqhNBxmlYNnOEHOC0gBlqgK8pJkXo1YWlG3xyQxxdDd2hyphenhyphenjGroTxI/s640/IMG_4697.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwCUk8KvJQ2CRfnRseTqBYWhA0-KGUJJECwOlotC6O4GPPCvoP7D8VcK9ui_XSIDBmG3MPhz70JsBn5Nr5Resivbegx1ydbME17jtHLg0pRhbWbMxylZpeTZ1jBALw5qkvxtygsdAjZoa/s1600/IMG_4698.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwCUk8KvJQ2CRfnRseTqBYWhA0-KGUJJECwOlotC6O4GPPCvoP7D8VcK9ui_XSIDBmG3MPhz70JsBn5Nr5Resivbegx1ydbME17jtHLg0pRhbWbMxylZpeTZ1jBALw5qkvxtygsdAjZoa/s640/IMG_4698.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGCV13wcXY12kEgWAzq_wd2fA7ZnfP-x5zjOFOOzF66y5tvDl0yu2m7Icdv54CfT322eTfC2Xvh6Hu7MyVTQEo11gLA8moliWMDcCrwTwQv-tq2ZWJXTXsRtwV72YBSQOWFgRN0Nmsnnx/s1600/IMG_4699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGCV13wcXY12kEgWAzq_wd2fA7ZnfP-x5zjOFOOzF66y5tvDl0yu2m7Icdv54CfT322eTfC2Xvh6Hu7MyVTQEo11gLA8moliWMDcCrwTwQv-tq2ZWJXTXsRtwV72YBSQOWFgRN0Nmsnnx/s1600/IMG_4699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGCV13wcXY12kEgWAzq_wd2fA7ZnfP-x5zjOFOOzF66y5tvDl0yu2m7Icdv54CfT322eTfC2Xvh6Hu7MyVTQEo11gLA8moliWMDcCrwTwQv-tq2ZWJXTXsRtwV72YBSQOWFgRN0Nmsnnx/s640/IMG_4699.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Look out, Nancy Farris-Theé! Your secret is <i>out</i>!! This illustration details the <i>exact</i> sleeve pattern - dimensions and all - from the Butterick pattern! And looking at the gown as a whole, it would seem that Butterick 5970 is really just a simplified version of this gown from 1903-07 belonging to a certain Miss Nora Hawker!</div>
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And a detail of that sleeve, as recreated by yours truly...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZRCELQwSHwv9ntNHYQXe68JCWWLlRQWFDFvU6m4oxM918XSgcu0EOJacGObfN7E6pOAogyEjySfngTAQIb0GHB942Plhsj3Tq3UjH5cJkv4bayX4kq_-Xm1AxLPe6zfyQYvitZ2sJNwW/s1600/IMG_4539.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZRCELQwSHwv9ntNHYQXe68JCWWLlRQWFDFvU6m4oxM918XSgcu0EOJacGObfN7E6pOAogyEjySfngTAQIb0GHB942Plhsj3Tq3UjH5cJkv4bayX4kq_-Xm1AxLPe6zfyQYvitZ2sJNwW/s640/IMG_4539.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course this kind of bungles my whole "Late Victorian" thing I was trying to go for, as these dates place this gown <i>firmly</i> in the Edwardian era, but <i>hey</i> who's counting?!?! Just me, you guys, just me. </div>
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Okay, let's get back to my dress...</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30779334923/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5537/30779334923_b569df5aa5_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The fashion fabric for this dress is a beautiful <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/fashion-fabrics/silk/taffeta/donna-karan-peach-silk-taffeta-fs23360.html">peachy-pink silk taffeta from Mood Fabrics</a>. It's no secret that historical costumes are fabric hogs. I desperately didn't want to break the bank with this project, so I tried to limit myself to fabrics I could get through my partnership with Mood. I really lucked out with this silk taffeta, which is both lovely, and was a really great price for such wide yardage of silk. I've never worked with taffeta before, but I really enjoyed the crisp, dry, almost papery hand it had. It made constructing this dress feel almost sculptural.<br />
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The taffeta bodice is built on top of a fitted and boned lining, made out of <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/dusty-peach-japanese-pima-cotton-lawn-308466.html">cotton lawn in a similar peach colorway. </a> Most women's clothing from this time period - even robes - were constructed on top of a boned inner structure, no matter how loose the outer silhouette. This reflected women's preference for clothing that shaped the body into the fashionable look of the time, but it also gave the clothes a structural integrity that is rarely seen in contemporary clothes.<br />
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The skirt is completely underlined with the same cotton lawn, and about two feet or so, around the hem, is interlined with cotton flannel. This gives the hem a really nice structure and also supports the weight of the lace trim. As I mentioned in my post on my undergarments, I didn't create any petticoats to wear with this costume, and I think I was able to get away with it because of the natural sculptural hand of the taffeta, the additional support of the underlining, and the added weight of the flannel interlining.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31442658352/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="428" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5630/31442658352_396b05c335_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31472960451/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="853" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/668/31472960451_d6aff16b6d_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The bodice closes up the back with hooks and eyes on the inner layer. Much to my annoyance, it wasn't until I saw these photos that I realized the flaw in this design was that, if I wasn't careful, the outer, taffeta layer would gape open to reveal the lining. How unladylike!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30747494424/in/photostream/" title="IMG_3258"><img alt="IMG_3258" height="853" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5562/30747494424_7ec9317958_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The cream overlay on the yoke and the sleeve flounce is point d' esprit that I picked up locally. It is actually a stretch fabric, most likely used for dance costumes, but it was the softest, and drapiest of this type of netting I could find. The gathered lace trim is from <a href="http://www.cheeptrims.com/store/item.asp?Category=31&SubCategoryID=132&GroupID=&SKU=LNRUPR-509804">Cheeptrims</a>. Finding the right kind of lace was actually the most difficult thing for me to source. I wanted a netted lace with embroidered details, and it had to be gathered, preferably with a pointed edge, and I needed almost 11 yards of it! I admit that I ordered a few duds before I found one I liked. The machine gathered edge of all the lace trim had to be concealed with <i>more trim</i> and for this I used cream petersham ribbon.</div>
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One of my biggest pet peeves with the way this costume turned out is actually the collar. For some reason the circumference of the neckline ended up much larger than the collar piece. It would be easy to assume that my neckline stretched with sewing, but I actually had this problem with a lot of the pattern pieces where I was attaching two circumferences - like the waistbands.Which leads me to believe it's a drafting problem with the actual pattern. I even measured the pattern pieces and they don't match up. Anyway, I redrafted the collar to fit the neckline opening, and I'm not a fan of how big it is. When you look at fashions from this time the collars were quite tight, so my loose collar makes me feel like a dork.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30747582404/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="853" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/428/30747582404_d7a624c4fe_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The belt was made with pleated, <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/avocado-luxury-lyons-velvet-312807.html">avocado green rayon velvet</a> that I interfaced with horsehair canvas to give it structure. I've never worked with velvet before either and, oof! What a bear! This fabric shifted around like no one's business under my presser foot, and I got so annoyed (it was also one of the last things I worked on, right before the deadline) that I ended up just sewing the whole thing by hand! Here's some details of my questionable process. My backstiching leaves much to be desired...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBH6L4A4aHMim2edeCavGbMj0pUU3V2tIDrxpKJTMqXRi5jEFtTCv13wR_Qbd-4-Az5Un7y5Ar6Lxe62pRVHOvl0KrZRVOK-FkbYvbZ_spQ43WtXJNvG73mpNwicUWccUjwxxlpq68xpvz/s1600/IMG_4554.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBH6L4A4aHMim2edeCavGbMj0pUU3V2tIDrxpKJTMqXRi5jEFtTCv13wR_Qbd-4-Az5Un7y5Ar6Lxe62pRVHOvl0KrZRVOK-FkbYvbZ_spQ43WtXJNvG73mpNwicUWccUjwxxlpq68xpvz/s640/IMG_4554.jpg" width="480" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPnXKxb5Qey2nyuCYsnxwNN1wdi1kxRjzpChzEtqCZ6u00PuFHOIzYg2eJh57iSVHhpct8rgWeDSw8zGtr-_PrAhDYpRyw-S5W8Y2yNB6dT2f8CccdeyozOnrX5UkdhCtF2gvSmQUxiBa/s1600/IMG_4555.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPnXKxb5Qey2nyuCYsnxwNN1wdi1kxRjzpChzEtqCZ6u00PuFHOIzYg2eJh57iSVHhpct8rgWeDSw8zGtr-_PrAhDYpRyw-S5W8Y2yNB6dT2f8CccdeyozOnrX5UkdhCtF2gvSmQUxiBa/s640/IMG_4555.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Oh! And let's not forget the hat!! Completed at the eleventh hour...</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31551506166/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="853" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5571/31551506166_5078c541ba_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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For this I used the <a href="http://lynnmcmasters.com/LaBelleHat.html">La Belle Epoque hat pattern</a> by Lynn McMasters. This hat uses a double buckram for the structure. I could only find single buckram from my local Joann's so I fused together two layers with iron-on adhesive. The brim, crown and tip were all wired, then covered in flannel, then covered in the fashion fabric. I used the taffeta for the outer brim, crown and tip, and the peach cotton lawn covered in gathered point d' esprit for the underside of the brim. <br />
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Here's some photos of the hat, in progress:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARaBJKJrMN8iqu3YMViupreNd2bTehgyqmOmOuccjzjnbRn02oQNd7UTg0QOJyrzpDVUAjopsGKQlrd9SVnyJUwwToTuNQVJB5RdNHtayrNM-PWKaDNivN3TK4nVqOLtdGps86Si-5SxL/s1600/IMG_4559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARaBJKJrMN8iqu3YMViupreNd2bTehgyqmOmOuccjzjnbRn02oQNd7UTg0QOJyrzpDVUAjopsGKQlrd9SVnyJUwwToTuNQVJB5RdNHtayrNM-PWKaDNivN3TK4nVqOLtdGps86Si-5SxL/s1600/IMG_4559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARaBJKJrMN8iqu3YMViupreNd2bTehgyqmOmOuccjzjnbRn02oQNd7UTg0QOJyrzpDVUAjopsGKQlrd9SVnyJUwwToTuNQVJB5RdNHtayrNM-PWKaDNivN3TK4nVqOLtdGps86Si-5SxL/s640/IMG_4559.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Attaching the crown and tip by hand, after the wire was sewn on all the edges by machine. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKOHEbADO7D-M3MJdn0MI5eyYntfs2EAxhsSyS_LMCcNo5kaQSLnM2cpaI3JYMoxvsaEfN_pKe30p7NtkSmuNLPaY_YcsGqaQuXi9Q2BxguA6BK6wHeq3LY4dSoHHDpvIviojZ7gxj5po/s1600/IMG_4561.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKOHEbADO7D-M3MJdn0MI5eyYntfs2EAxhsSyS_LMCcNo5kaQSLnM2cpaI3JYMoxvsaEfN_pKe30p7NtkSmuNLPaY_YcsGqaQuXi9Q2BxguA6BK6wHeq3LY4dSoHHDpvIviojZ7gxj5po/s640/IMG_4561.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The wired buckram form, waiting to be covered in flannel.</div>
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I've never made a hat before, so all this was learning on the job. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I anticipated. It was more crafty than anything else. Of course the real fun was decorating the hat. I had lots of inspiration ready for my hat decoration:</div>
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZxxslMzZy2bWdjNQIHGk_2wQj4EVEElvPtjKUIOzgL42HqLk1TZFYHcJ1HNvpRY3asjG7c-RG2aQPpH_e7yU9AMwj0ahtuKlKn5SnatY2HzzNdzwDbUPv4UNIGJb9zng75o0L-JPCAUX/s400/IMG_4568.PNG" width="224" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ34a73qASj1ZShfo4d7PzOES1XF_ltKSszbGbpqtvT3xLVNgmeOZYc1bsFTUAPiwTFQ5i-xAgfSc8dFpU_mS0nkowvoW4HTN000d7l1ZLIiJ5PMvKVFBYmXB57VVtHcXDdLVF9OzdSgj/s1600/IMG_4567.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ34a73qASj1ZShfo4d7PzOES1XF_ltKSszbGbpqtvT3xLVNgmeOZYc1bsFTUAPiwTFQ5i-xAgfSc8dFpU_mS0nkowvoW4HTN000d7l1ZLIiJ5PMvKVFBYmXB57VVtHcXDdLVF9OzdSgj/s400/IMG_4567.PNG" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpbnvdUjirSSjWcVOVizHDEvP1-QaboOwKcwX1pr45UJKtAmZ9rdkXmHSR8sHLFn7O7RkHbEM8txIskQJ6zrj3xggRCyO6RyX6XSBd7wQFP0XqT-cBnKEGSGfmp7vECkcGTi9xqo5KdtJ/s1600/IMG_4566.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpbnvdUjirSSjWcVOVizHDEvP1-QaboOwKcwX1pr45UJKtAmZ9rdkXmHSR8sHLFn7O7RkHbEM8txIskQJ6zrj3xggRCyO6RyX6XSBd7wQFP0XqT-cBnKEGSGfmp7vECkcGTi9xqo5KdtJ/s400/IMG_4566.PNG" width="225" /></a></div>
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But as it turns out, decorating a hat is <i>hard</i>!! Also, I was feeling incredibly burnt out by this point, so unfortunately, I don't think my hat turned out <i>quite</i> as fabulous as I would have liked.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31551496506/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="853" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/502/31551496506_6c61712235_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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But still! <i>I made a hat!!</i><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31551602996/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="958" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/576/31551602996_712abdd00a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Working on this project was such a wonderful challenge, and wearing it was beyond fun! As I said in my post on my undergarments, I tend to think of myself as a thoroughly practical sewist, but it was a wonderful adventure to make something purely for the fun and imagination of it. This whole project, from start to finish, took me three months to create. Three months for just a few days of wear! I know many of you will say, but you can wear it next year! </div>
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... You guys... you should know me better than that! Yeah, I am already scheming a totally new costume for next year! I'm really feeling gigantic sleeves... what do you think?</div>
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And now, I'm going to photo dump all the pictures that I put old-timey filters on, because it's my blog and I say so.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31551633276/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="898" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/362/31551633276_2db9d390f6_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31589164705/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="898" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/656/31589164705_88b4c864af_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30779273583/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="853" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5605/30779273583_026a02d7e3_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31589196415/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="898" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5566/31589196415_5f56d5a2ac_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/31589200225/in/photostream/" title="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume"><img alt="Turn-of-the-century Historical Costume" height="958" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/294/31589200225_4c0af3aa78_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Many thank you's to Nick, for being my photographer and putting up with my Victorian airs. Many thank you's to everyone over at the Galveston Historical Foundation for putting on such a great event and giving me an excuse to indulge my fantasies. And many thank you's to you, my sewing friends, for following along and supporting me with all your kind comments on Instagram and the blog. You guys are the best!<br />
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Happy 2017, everyone!<br />
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xxsallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-75526435405863048932016-11-06T08:11:00.000-08:002016-11-06T08:11:44.686-08:00and now for something completely different...<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30712408501/in/dateposted/" title="DSC_0343"><img alt="DSC_0343" height="428" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5529/30712408501_db838cbdd2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>What is going on?!?!?! </i>Why am I dressed like this?? But more importantly - <i>why am I taking photos INDOORS?!?!?!</i><br />
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Has Hell frozen over?<br />
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Is it the End of Days?<br />
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Clearly I have some explaining to do... Get ready for a long post. Grab some tea (or a beer). I'll wait.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30800893255/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="958" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5512/30800893255_a15c014eb2_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Okay, I get that this post probably comes as zero shock to anyone who follows me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sallieoleta/">Instagram</a>, but for those of you that don't, let me introduce you to my historical costume. Or at least the beginnings of my historical costume. There will be more, because what you see here is just my underwear. And while this involves more clothing than I wear in the middle of January, as a proper old-timey lady I wouldn't be caught dead in public while so scantily clad! </div>
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So let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start)...</div>
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My husband, Nick, works for the <a href="http://www.galvestonhistory.org/">Galveston Historical Foundation,</a> who every year hold a large event in December called <a href="http://www.galvestonhistory.org/events/dickens-on-the-strand/dickens-on-the-strand">Dickens on the Strand.</a> Perhaps you're wondering why on earth there is a celebration of Victorian England in Galveston Texas? A very good question. And one I don't have a great answer for. But as I understand it, the Strand in Galveston, which boasts some beautiful buildings from the mid 1800's, was basically abandoned and neglected and there was a big push in the 1970's to save some of the old buildings from demolition. So one of the things they did to raise awareness of preserving Galveston's historical architecture was to hold a Victorian celebration downtown, which was Dickens on the Strand. Galveston is home to many festivals and celebrations, and they are particularly fond of ones where you get to dress up, so Dickens is right at home. People come from all over dressed in their Victorian finest. Also their Steampunk finest. And their Pirate finest... the definition of "Victorian" is very blurry here...<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30800900805/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="958" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5569/30800900805_bd383d1fdd_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Last year, I was asked to fill in as a judge for the costume contest, a role I was more than <i>happy</i> to take on, as I've always had a soft spot for period clothing, and I <i>LOVE</i> judging people! (Just kidding. Kinda...) So at the eleventh hour I borrowed a costume from the Historical Foundation and attended my first Dickens on the Strand. And it was a <i>blast</i>. However the entire day I felt like a fraud in my borrowed costume. </div>
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I know I'm not alone when I say that I grew up reading Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters, Henry James and, well, Charles Dickens, that I'd rather spend my Saturday nights watching a period film - <i>any period film</i> - simply to ogle at the costumes - than go out and socialize with <i>real </i>people from <i>my own</i> time period, and the only reason I held on to <i>Downton Abbey</i> for as long as I did was to see Maggie Smith as Lady Violet. Basically, my love for fashion stems from my love for historical fashion. As an art student I always loved Art History for its ability to bring History to life, to literally put a picture to a historical moment, a political movement, to revolution, to cultural shifts. I feel that fashion history does something similar in such an intimate way. We all have a connection to clothing. </div>
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What I'm trying to say here, is that I was more than a <i>bit</i> excited to have an excuse to make a historical costume! </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30800906415/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="958" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5785/30800906415_46914b9a6a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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But let's be real. Historical costuming is uncharted territory for me. I've always been thoroughly practical with my personal sewing. The goal has always been to build a handmade wardrobe, which I will continue to do. Historical sewing is rather a different niche from the one I'm used to occupying in the sewing blogosphere! So I knew I had to proceed with caution. </div>
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First, I did my research. I learned about the fashion of the Victorian period. And I honed in on what interested me. I found I was much more drawn to the styles of the 1890's through the turn-of-the-century. Queen Victoria died in 1901, however she had really ceased to be a fashion icon before then. The styles I was more interested in were early Edwardian, or very <i>very</i> late Victorian. This is also an era that I found to be very underrepresented at Dickens on the Strand, which definitely prefers the bustles of the 1880's (which I always think makes everyone look like a pair of curtains) or the hoop skirts of the 1860's. These are also more <i>true</i> Victorian examples. </div>
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But here's the thing. Making a historical costume is <i>a lot of work</i>. So I decided if I was going to put in all the work it <i>better damn well be something I loved</i>. Which meant no curtain dresses for me! I found a pattern to work with which was a nice mish-mash of late Victorian and early Edwardian styles (more on that to come) and decided on Edwardian undergarments to accentuate certain features of the design.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30165684513/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="958" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5823/30165684513_72a271b0d2_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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All of the patterns for my undergarments are from <a href="http://www.trulyvictorian.net/">Truly Victorian</a>. I bought their <a href="http://www.trulyvictorian.net/edwardian-underwear.html?category_id=24">Edwardian Underwear set </a>- which came with a pattern for a chemise, drawers, and a corset cover - and the <a href="http://www.trulyvictorian.net/1903-edwardian-corse.html?category_id=24">1903 S-bend corset</a>, which is based off of an actual corset from 1903. </div>
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The Edwardian silhouette was quite singular, and just as it is today, undergarments were <i>key</i> in achieving the desired look (don't believe that this is still true today? Take a look at a push-up bra). Towards the end of the 19th century, women's bodices started to show a pronounced, full, low bust, called the 'pigeon-breast' or 'pouter-pigeon' which was accentuated by a nipped in waist (usually highlighted with pointed and arched belts) and skirts which were slimmer over the hips. This silhouette became more exaggerated into the early 20th century, with bodices becoming even fuller and 'poutier' and skirts becoming even more slim, and featuring a trumpet flare.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30500048910/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="958" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5579/30500048910_5c695607d0_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The foundation for this silhouette was the S-bend corset. This style of corset differs greatly from the traditional hourglass corset of the Victorian era. It features a straight front which subtly shifts the wearers posture so the bust pushes forward, and the hips and rear push backwards, creating an 'S' shape from the side. </div>
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There is much to be said about the history of corsets and the politics surrounding them. I doubt there is a single item that gets pointed at as the symbol of women's oppression more than the corset. Personally, I've always viewed corsets as rather democratic. It's not like once they fell out of fashion so did unrealistic expectations of women's bodies! Instead, the post-corset era demands that women strive for an unattainable ideal through fad diets, exercise, or (perhaps most frustratingly) "good genetics" (#iwokeupthisway). Which seems way more oppressive, and ultimately soul-crushing than saying "Here, strap this thing on your body, hold your breath, and pull these strings. You'll look great! Sure, you might get indigestion and constipation, but at least you can take it off at the end of the day."</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30165679913/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="958" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5632/30165679913_927cf3dfa6_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The s-bend corset was actually marketed as a "health corset" as it was designed to not compress the stomach or lungs as much as the Victorian hourglass shape. When worn correctly, the s-bend corset nips in the soft part of the waist, then flares out over the ribcage and bust. As I mentioned previously, the bust and hips would have been padded out to exaggerate the wearers shape, giving the illusion of a much smaller waist. </div>
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When you look at images of women from early photography and the turn-of-the-century it's important to distinguish between photos meant for fashion, or fetish purposes, which are almost always altered (images like <a href="http://www.staylace.com/gallery/gallery07/graphics/dw.jpg">this</a>, or <a href="http://66.media.tumblr.com/bd8cdf9424fd2237c537a9f7873f6832/tumblr_inline_ngn0wfJrF71t2gxe8.jpg">this</a>) and photos of <a href="http://www.notorious-mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/sartD.jpg">actual</a> <a href="https://rbkclocalstudies.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/lsl19-kensington-26-jun-1906.jpg">women</a> <a href="https://rbkclocalstudies.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/lsl47-cromwell-road-26-jun-1906.jpg">going about life</a>, or having their <a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/93/1e/16/931e16da4c7e91b099154d7a37e6ecc9.jpg">portrait</a> <a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/63/46/c3/6346c33c05947fd4a6f960f4a5f08580.jpg">taken</a>. When you look at the latter images it becomes clear that the average woman wasn't lacing her corset to extremes. Sure, many factors contributed to women being on average smaller than women today (in both height and girth) but you also see a variety of proportions and body types that has nothing to do with corsets.</div>
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I obviously do not wear this corset with any regularity or for long periods of time, but I have found it to offer quite a lot of flexibility with size. In the photos here my waist is about 1 inch smaller than my natural waist measurement. I think it might look like more because of the way the corset distributes the width around the body, making it appear smaller head-on, but actually thicker from the side. This is actually quite comfortable for me. I've also laced it with <i>no </i> reduction in my measurements, letting it just be a foundational layer that creates an exaggerated shape, and I've also pulled the laces as tight as I can, reducing my waist measurement to about 2 inches. More than that just wasn't going to happen! I found that the 1 inch reduction was my happy place, where I feel comfortable enough in this to wear for longer periods of time, and so I've used this to base my measurements on for the rest of my costume.</div>
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I also haven't padded out my bust or hips, therefore I'm not <i>really</i> portraying an actual ideal Edwardian silhouette. But honestly, there is just a lot of details to consider when making a historical costume that some of the elements had to be overlooked or else I'd never get this done on time! Perhaps I will add to it in the future...</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30165707903/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="958" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5532/30165707903_d40fd41608_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I had a <i>blast</i> making this corset! From a strictly engineering standpoint it is a fascinating garment! I have no prior experience with corsetry, and this particular design is suggested for experienced corset makers. Whoops. Well, all I can say is that I generally do best when I dive headlong into a project!</div>
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All the materials for my corset were bought from <a href="http://www.farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/">Farthingales Corset Making Supply</a>. The fabric is a <a href="https://www.farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/Herringbone-Coutil-blue-grey-55-inch-wide-p/74-1140-80.htm">blue-gray coutil</a> and I used a <a href="https://www.farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/Busks-regular-straight-w-silver-hardware-p/91-8550.htm">13 inch busk.</a> For boning, this corset calls for <a href="https://www.farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/Spring-Steel-Corset-Bones-p/50-8206.htm">1/4 inch spring steel bones,</a> which bend front-to-back, but not side-to-side. Two bones are placed side to side in <a href="https://www.farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/3-4-inch-wide-Bone-Casing-Tape-p/34-7234-01.htm">3/4 inch bone casing</a> which I stitched down the middle to create two channels. The corset is unlined, with most of the raw edges concealed by the casing, or else pinked to prevent fraying. I bought my <a href="https://goldstartool.com/Nickel_Grommets_Standard_Washers_CHOOSE_SIZE_-100_sets.html">grommets</a> from Gold Star Tools and I used their <a href="https://goldstartool.com/Grommet_-and-_Snap_Press_Machine_-_One_Set_Of_Dies_-snaps-_buttons-_rivets.html">heavy duty press</a> to both punch holes and set the grommets. This worked well, however I think the hole punch was just a <i>tad</i> too big for this size grommet, and for this particular garment which needs to withstand a lot of strain. There doesn't seem to be quite enough fabric for the grommet to "bite" into, so when I pull my corset tight the fabric strains around the grommet. I don't think this will prevent me wearing it for costume purposes, however if I ever make another corset I think I will use a smaller size cutting die, or simply an awl to make the holes.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30169299394/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="428" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5564/30169299394_0b0fe08645_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Typically, corsets from this era would have been adorned with lace and ribbon at the top, but I kind of liked the look of it plain, and I was also looking to cut corners where I could. I did, however, make time to apply flossing to the bones, which are those little pointy embellishments you see along the bottom of the corset. Flossing is a type of functional embroidery, meant to provide additional strength to the garment to prevent the bones from wearing through over time. Again, this is really unnecessary on my corset as I'll probably only wear this <i>maybe</i> once a year, but I thought it was a pretty little detail and it provided an opportunity to learn something new, as I've never embroidered <i>anything</i> before! Flossing could get quite elaborate, particularly on Victorian corsets. I went with the most simple design I could, as I was literally learning on the job.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30165712273/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="428" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5331/30165712273_67d8c25399_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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My chemise was actually the very first component that I made for my costume. A chemise is like a long undershirt that was worn directly next to the skin and protected the corset, and the gown, from sweat, and body oils. Women would have owned more chemises than gowns, and they would have been washed much more frequently than the rest of their wardrobe. During the Victorian era, chemises were quite simple and very simply adorned, or completely plain. However, underwear in general became frillier and frothier into the Edwardian period, so this was an excellent opportunity for me to learn my way around applying trims and lace insertion -- two techniques that I have never done before. <br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30165716003/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5824/30165716003_0e66122241_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I used a cotton-viscose blend batiste for my base fabric because it was incredibly soft and lovely and it would feel nice next to my skin. Viscose obviously wasn't available as a fiber during the time period, but I had this fabric in my stash, and it does lend a lot of softness to the fabric. Just as I occasionally had to cut corners with certain details, I also tried to source as many of the supplies from my stash as I could, because historical costumes ain't cheap! </div>
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The blue ribbon is a cotton petersham. As you can see, I have a bit of a blue and white color scheme going on here! There are three types of lace on my chemise. The wider, pointy lace edging is soft and made of cotton, and I chose it because a) I thought it was pretty and b) I thought it would feel nice, as sometimes lace can be scratchy. This was my first time doing lace insertion, which is those strips of lace interspersed with fabric that you see on the yoke. This was one of those techniques that I had always assumed involved some kind of witchery, but is actually really straight forward. You simply stitch the lace down on top of the fabric using a zig-zag stitch along each edge. Then you slice down the center of the fabric underneath it, press is open, then zig-zag over the lace edge a second time, and finally trim away with raw edge of the fabric on the wrong side. The raw edge of the fabric is prevented from fraying by the zig-zag stitch. Witchery it is not. Tedious? Yeah, a bit. It wasn't too bad on the chemise as I was only adorning a small area. </div>
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I should also mention that the instructions for this pattern don't really tell you how to do any of this. They simply say something like "decorate as desired" or "finish with trim". So I had to do some Google image searching to see examples of chemises. Then some more googling to find tutorials on how to do lace insertion, how to miter a corner when applying ribbon trim, etc. Try googling "heirloom sewing techniques" and you'll find a lot of great tutorials for lace insertion, piping, tucks and other such old-timey embellishments.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30165694913/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="428" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5506/30165694913_76ea06fd3b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I love this photo, as it seems so scandalous, and yet I'm still wearing multiple layers of clothing!</div>
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These are my French drawers. Again, they differ from Victorian drawers as they have a much fuller, and shorter leg. Often times the drawers were attached to a corset cover on top, making for a set of "combinations". Spoiler alert: I didn't make a corset cover. Nor did I make a petticoat. Again, maybe next year. The French drawers feature a split crotch, to allow for the Edwardian lady to visit the outhouse without taking off <i>fifteen layers</i> of clothing in the process. I suppose the split drawers also allow for easy access for other activities...? Still, I'm not looking forward to using the toilet in this getup, as it's quite a lot of fabric to maneuver...</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30165689483/in/photostream/" title="Edwardian Undergarments"><img alt="Edwardian Undergarments" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5731/30165689483_abdc680bec_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I used a cotton lawn for these, also from my stash. The drawers are, once again, embellished. These drawers feature a curved hem, finished with a pointed flounce. To highlight the style lines I used cotton faggoting insertion, applied in the same way as the lace insertion described above. The flounce is finished with a row of faggoting insertion again, and then lace beading, and a wider lace trim. </div>
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These. Were. A. Pain.</div>
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Yeah, that was a lot of insertion. It took me forever. The lace edging was actually two separate trims that I had to stitch together <i>first</i> then apply to the hem. The shaped leg and pointed yoke meant that I was having to get fancy with mitering the trims, which took some trial and error to get right. And none of this will actually be visible in my finished costume...</div>
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Sigh.</div>
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But isn't it <i>pretty?!?!</i></div>
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On that note, perhaps you're wondering... <i>Why???</i> Why go to all this trouble for something I'll only wear once, <i>maybe</i> twice? Why go to all this trouble for such an impractical garment? Especially when it's So. Much. Work.</div>
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Well, I've had a lot of time to think about this (while cursing over cotton faggoting). The main reason I'm doing this is quite simply -- because it's <i>fun</i>. Honestly. This has been the most engaging, challenging sewing I have done in awhile. This is not to say that I don't love making modern things, but it's actually really liberating to sew something simply because you <i>want to</i>. With no practical concerns whatsoever. Not to mention, a privilege. I've always loved indulging in a few fantasies, and making this costume has appealed to that side of me ten-fold.</div>
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The other reason is, as I said, for the challenge of it. I've had to learn new techniques, research materials and methods, not to mention the historical research that has gone into it. While some of those new skills probably won't translate to my modern sewing, some have already got my wheels turning for how I can incorporate them into something more wearable everyday. I'm particularly enamored with the lace insertion. This is a detail which crops up a lot, as Victorian elements are always coming in and out of style. I am envisioning making some poet sleeve blouses with lace detailed yokes...</div>
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So, if you've ever had a desire to make a completely impractical garment - Cosplay, a ballgown, a wedding dress - I highly encourage you to do it. If for no other reason than to remind yourself why you love this craft to begin with.</div>
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And THAT, my friends, concludes this mammoth of a post! If you made it to the end, bravo! Obviously I had <i>a lot</i> to say on the subject of historical costumes, and I hope I didn't bore you all to tears!</div>
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But, before I go I would be incredibly remiss if I didn't extend a few thank you's for this post.</div>
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First, a huge thank you to the Galveston Historical Foundation for granting me access to one of their properties, <a href="http://www.galvestonhistory.org/attractions/architectural-heritage/bishops-palace">Bishops Palace</a>, after hours, to take these photos. I don't usually spend my days swanning about in such luxurious interiors, so it was a treat to play dress-up and make-believe for a bit on this sunny Saturday afternoon. If you're ever in Galveston, make some time to tour this gorgeous mansion. Everything in here has been preserved to the original decorations, and all the furniture you see in these photos is original to the house. And these photos only show a small sliver of its beauty.</div>
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And finally, many <i>many</i> thanks to Nick for taking my photos, for getting me permission, for unlocking the doors, framing the shots, and only jumping out at me to scare me out of my boots a handful of times. And, of course, for not laughing at me when people on the street were looking at me like I've lost my marbles. </div>
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That's all folks! Stay tuned for <i>Historical Costume Part II: The Attack of the Taffeta Skirt!</i></div>
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xx</div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-22258267251946457112016-10-29T13:32:00.000-07:002016-10-29T13:32:05.418-07:00high visibility<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/30450811691/in/dateposted/" title="Safety Orange Ponte | Named Beatrix Skater Dress"><img alt="Safety Orange Ponte | Named Beatrix Skater Dress" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5833/30450811691_2af8c434e9_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hello from glorious Galveston!! This is truly my favorite time of year here on the Gulf Coast. Surviving our summers is like an extreme endurance sport, but once you're into October the humidity breaks, the breeze has a cool edge to it, and days are clear, bright and comfortably warm. I really do miss the defined seasons of the northeast, but there is a silver lining to every region, and I feel like these blissfully perfect Autumns are ours. </div>
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So... this dress. Where to begin with this dress? I'll be honest, I think I've written this post about 3 times and every time I keep erasing it. This dress drags up a lot of conflicting feelings about my body for me. And every time I sit down to write about it I find myself enumerating all the things I don't like about my figure, and it's just insane. No one wants to read that! Least of all me! So I will just say this -- wearing this dress puts me way outside of my comfort zone, but also kind of makes me feel like a badass. It's a silhouette that I think I'd normally tell myself was "unflattering" on me and that I should avoid, but I liked it. So I made it. I made it in an arrestingly bright colored fabric that makes it impossible not to be noticed. And I wear it. On perfectly ordinary days. When I was feeling a bit bloated I wore the dress. I ate lunch in the dress. I slumped over at my desk in the dress. I wore normal undergarments and breathed like a human being. And it was fine. I even got compliments on the dress from random strangers.<br />
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I don't like being told what I can do and what I can't do, what I can wear, and what I can't wear. It's why I've never lasted very long at any job that required a uniform or had a dress code. And I especially don't like it when <i>I'm the one</i> telling myself I can't do or wear something. Oh yeah, Self? <i>Watch me.</i><br />
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This dress may not be the most flattering on me in the ways that women are told we should look in order to be desirable - curvy (but only in certain areas), narrow (but only in certain areas), toned (but only in certain areas). But you know what? I think my shoulders and arms look awesome in this dress. I love this color on me. I love the opposing style elements of the mock turtleneck and the cut-away sleeves and the gored skirt. I love that I love this dress and I'm wearing it despite my insecurities. And that's all there is to say about that!</div>
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Well, obviously that's not <i>all</i> there is to say about it! This <i>is</i> a sewing blog and I should probably talk about the sewing! This dress came about because of a couple inspiring makes I'd seen by two of my favorite sewing bloggers: <a href="http://www.ericabunker.com/">Erica Bunker</a> and <a href="http://www.nobleanddaughter.com/">Noble & Daughter.</a> <a href="http://www.ericabunker.com/2016/09/review-vogue-9184-wear-now-and-later.html">Erica made a dress</a> out of <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/mandarin-red-light-weight-stretch-ponte-knit-308860.html">this bright orange ponte</a> from <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/">Mood Fabrics</a> and the color and cut of it just really caught my eye. Never mind that Erica looked positively fierce in it (but doesn't she always?) It was one of those makes that looked so good it deluded me into thinking <i>I </i>could look just as good if I copied her! Haha! So I did! Kind of. I bought the same fabric, and I was tempted to use the same pattern, the most outstanding feature of which was the mock turtleneck and cut-away sleeve.</div>
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But then I remembered this <a href="https://www.namedclothing.com/shop/beatrix-skater-dress/">Beatrix Skater Dress</a> from <a href="https://www.namedclothing.com/">Named Patterns</a>, which had a similar sleeve/neckline action as Erica's dress, but with the addition of the fun, swishy gored skirt. I've never made a Named pattern before, but I know they are well loved among the blogosphere. However, I couldn't recall if I had seen many versions of the Beatrix dress out in the wild. So I googled it. True to my suspicions, not many came up in the google image search, but one definitely caught my eye - the <a href="http://www.nobleanddaughter.com/blog/beatrix-skater-dress">lovely Charlie's</a>. I'm so glad I searched for this dress, because I seem to have missed this post when she first wrote it, but it's such a wonderful post! Not only does Charlie look amazing in her dress, but her musings on "age-appropriate" dressing really hit home with me, as I was trying to sort out my own concerns with "figure-flattery" dressing. </div>
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The actual construction of this dress was a breeze, as knit garments often are. Especially with such a well-behaved ponte. The instructions weren't too hand-holdy, but they were clear and concise, which was all that's needed, really. The only place where I deviated from the instructions was with the armholes, which instructs you to use bias binding to finish, but I simply turned and stitched using my sewing machine's triple stitch stretch setting. There were a few places where some of my knowledge and experience with sewing garments made me think "but shouldn't we be doing this..." like with understitching the collar facing, or adding elastic to the waist seam. Neither of these were mentioned in the instructions, and despite my instincts I decided to follow the instructions as written to see how the dress turned out without these construction techniques. Turns out, the dress is fine, but I still stand by my gut sewing instinct that understitching the collar would help it look a bit sharper, and that elastic in the waist seam would prevent the weight of the skirt from dragging down the bodice. However I hate the way elastic in waist seams <i>feels</i>, and understitching knits can be a chore. So, do it whichever way you want. The dress will still turn out wearable either way.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/29905040933/in/photostream/" title="Safety Orange Ponte | Named Beatrix Skater Dress"><img alt="Safety Orange Ponte | Named Beatrix Skater Dress" height="958" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5626/29905040933_21c0f31135_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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So, as is so often the case with making things, this dress was really the love child of two other women's fabulous creations, smooshed together in my brain to make something that feels unique to me. Thank you to Erica and Charlie, and all you wonderful makers out there for continuously inspiring me!</div>
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And if you've ever saw a design and inwardly sighed because you loved it so much, and felt instantly transported into a daydream where you were swanning about in said design, only to have the breaks slammed on your little fantasy by a nasty voice saying "but <i>you</i> could never pull off that look. That style is not for <i>you." </i>Then I implore you to give not two, not one, but <i>zero fucks</i> about that voice and wear what makes you happy, not what you think you should.</div>
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Happy Halloween, all you Queens.</div>
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xo</div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-63183215475976863522016-09-06T17:55:00.003-07:002016-09-07T17:30:10.002-07:00sallie from the block<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/29197866750/in/dateposted/" title="Safran Jeans"><img alt="Safran Jeans" height="958" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8168/29197866750_e10978a855_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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When I put on this outfit I wasn't totally sure if it was working - like, I wasn't sure if what I <i>thought</i> I looked like was representative of what I <i>actually</i> looked like. Far too many times I've left the house thinking "hell yeah, I am one fine-ass lady" only to see a photo of myself, or a reflection in a window and realize "what the hell was I thinking?? I can't pull off a crop top..." or whatever. To be fair, that false sense of confidence has gotten me through life pretty well - I think I do a pretty good job of fooling myself and, to a lesser degree, the people around me into thinking I am <i>way</i> cooler than I am. But sometimes I need a reality check. So I do what I normally do and turned to Nick (note: while this <i>is</i> an outside opinion, it's a pretty biased one as a) he truly <i>does</i> think I'm a fine-ass lady and b) he might be a bit generous with the truth in order to, you know, avoid hurting my feelings, tactful guy that he is. But this still serves my purpose because, as I've noted above, I've been pretty happy in my self-delusion, and a biased outside opinion is <i>really</i> what I'm after). So I asked him if I indeed looked as hot in reality as I thought I did in my head. He told me that my shoes were unbuckled and flopping about and that made me look silly (I hadn't totally finished dressing when this conversation took place). Then he told me that if I had a pair of Timberland's I could pull off a "Jenny from the block" look, which basically told me all I needed to know. Any reference -- no matter how skewed or distant -- to JLo and her butt is good enough for me! </div>
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And <i>that,</i> my friends, is the long-winded explanation of this post title! Don't you just love my ramblings? Isn't this what you come to this blog for? No? It's not? See, there goes that self-delusion again!</div>
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Fine, fine, fine! Let's talk sewing! Let me introduce you to my <a href="https://shop.deer-and-doe.fr/en/sewing-patterns/33-safran-pants-pattern.html">Safran jeans</a>! This is the newest pattern from <a href="https://shop.deer-and-doe.fr/en/12-sewing-patterns">Deer and Doe</a>. They reached out to me, along with a few other ladies, a few weeks ago to see if I would be interested in making up the pants and blogging about them in exchange for an advanced copy of the pattern. I always love a good pants pattern, and sewing jeans is actually one of my favorite things to make, and this pattern has some really fun details, so I said of course! And eagerly gathered my supplies.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/29496856056/in/dateposted/" title="Safran jeans"><img alt="Safran jeans" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8493/29496856056_9d71c7acee_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28864548243/in/photostream/" title="Safran Jeans"><img alt="Safran Jeans" height="428" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7530/28864548243_d4a64f7a24_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I really love the high waist of these jeans, the cropped length, and the angled faux-welt front pocket. Those were the details that really sold this pattern to me. Overall they are pretty light on classic "jeans" styling, and could easily be made into a cute pair of cigarette trousers should that be your inclination. Me? I love a healthy dose of topstitching, so I went the whole hog with gold topstitching thread, which I think really pops on this <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/periwinkle-stretch-cotton-blended-denim-109511.html">periwinkle blue stretch denim</a> I got from Mood. <br />
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The actual construction of these jeans was pretty easy and straightforward for me, having made a fair few pair of jeans in the past. I followed the instructions for those front pockets, and from there I just sewed according to my own preference. I glanced at the instructions for the fly front and wasn't too impressed so I followed my usual method - which at this point is a combination of <a href="http://closetcasefiles.com/ginger-sewalong-pt-8-sewing-a-fly-front-zipper/">Closet Case Files </a>fly front instructions and <a href="https://www.grainlinestudio.com/2012/09/19/sewing-tutorial-inserting-a-fly-front-zipper/">Grainline Studio's</a> (I prefer Grainline's order for attaching the fly facing, but like Closet Case Files' for getting the topstitching right).<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/29406862341/in/photostream/" title="Safran Jeans"><img alt="Safran Jeans" height="958" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8541/29406862341_21a257f8f1_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28864554233/in/photostream/" title="Safran Jeans"><img alt="Safran Jeans" height="428" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8538/28864554233_bcfa078f5d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I had a few issues with the fit of these jeans, however after looking at these pictures I'm wondering if its all in my head...?</div>
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First of all, let me just say that I am <i>not</i> a perfectionist when it comes to fitting anything, but especially skinny pants made in stretch fabrics. Some wrinkling and pulling is part of the territory. Also, as a second disclaimer, my body has changed in the past year and I haven't totally got a handle on the fitting problems I might be encountering as a result. And finally, I'm not a fan of picking apart my makes on my blog - nothing is ever perfect, and I'm okay with that. But since I encountered various fit issues with this pattern I thought I would tell you about them.</div>
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Before sewing these together I basted them to test the fit, as it was a new-to-me pattern, <i>and</i> a new-to-me pattern company. As I said, I can ignore some pulling and wrinkling on this type of pant, but what <i>does</i> bother me is obviously curved or twisting side and inseams, excessive bunching at the knees and waistline gaping. I was experiencing all three. Even though I feel like these pants are cut to accommodate a curvier rear end, I was experiencing a significant amount of gaping at the back waist. That was easy to fix by taking a wedge out of the center back seam (although I still think I'm getting some excess fabric back there - those horizontal ripples are actually being caused by the waist being too loose and the waistband wanting to slide down). But the real head scratcher here was in the legs. My side seams were <i>very</i> curved towards the front of my thighs, and at the ankle the side seam wanted to twist towards the front of my ankle. My first instinct was that I must have cut the pants off grain, but on further inspection I noticed that the inseam was perfectly straight -- if the pants were off grain the whole leg would be twisting, not just one seam. The knee area was particularly uncomfortable as there was an excess of fabric bunching up and sort of rotating around my knee. I'll tell ya, friends, I was stumped as to what was going on! I did what any modern sewist would do and took to Instagram to let my smarter sewing friends diagnose my problems for me. The overwhelming consensus was that it looked like I needed a full calf adjustment (<i>what?!</i> that's definitely not a problem I've ever had before...) and also that the front thigh was too tight. As these pants were already cut, any adjustments I was going to make had to happen within the 5/8 seam allowance. So I let out the back calf area and the front thigh area and it seemed to make some difference, but I still feel that slight twisting along the side seam, and it annoys me.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/29197905970/in/photostream/" title="Safran Jeans"><img alt="Safran Jeans" height="428" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8308/29197905970_c6d1b3bc8e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/29197915190/in/photostream/" title="Safran Jeans"><img alt="Safran Jeans" height="428" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8082/29197915190_2a94d4774c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Just for comparison I laid my Safran jeans pattern over top of my Ginger jeans pattern (which fit me well) to compare, and the entire cut of the leg is totally different. The Safran jeans are based on a much straighter block, where the Ginger jeans angle inwards from the hips to the ankles. Not to get all anatomical here, but I think the more angled cut of the Ginger jeans mimics the natural angle of the femur in most women -- from a wider pelvis to a narrower knee -- than the straight cut of the Safran jeans. This, I think, makes for a straighter side seam, and less twisting and bunching at the knee. I don't think of myself as having full thighs or calves, but my body is undeniably more muscular than it was a year or so ago, and so my thinking is that while the Safran jeans are cut to accommodate a rounded rear end, they may not take into account a muscular thigh - particularly a developed quadricep. Again, I don't think I have killer quads, but compared to the rest of my proportions (i.e. my waist measurement) they are fuller than this pattern allows for. Frankly, I think my booty to waist ratio was a bit more than this pattern was prepared for too! But thank goodness for stretch denim!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/29406851411/in/photostream/" title="Safran Jeans"><img alt="Safran Jeans" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8122/29406851411_ec193a8144_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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All in all though, these pants have been getting their fair share of wear. As I said before, I love the high waist and the angled pockets, and the bright blue of this denim feels very fresh to me right now. The denim does stretch out after a full day of wearing, and it's most noticeable in the waist which starts to slide down, giving me the dreaded "load in her pants" look that can happen with high waisted jeans. However, after a quick wash they are back to making me feel like a babe, so I'm ok with that! I think with a few tweaks to the shape of the leg this pattern could definitely see some future iterations. I love it in colored denim, and I just so happen to have some <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/purple-orchid-stretch-cotton-blended-denim-112574.html">purple orchid colored denim</a> sitting in my stash... Purple pants, anyone??</div>
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Hmmm... that might be that self-delusion talking again....</div>
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xx</div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-5812179598109189732016-08-26T12:32:00.000-07:002016-08-26T12:32:28.315-07:00common welsh green<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28570120133/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Viscose Crepe | Sewaholic Lonsdale Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Viscose Crepe | Sewaholic Lonsdale Dress" height="958" src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7510/28570120133_2aafbe2981_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Probably my dorkiest title to date. If you're not well-versed in the Potter-universe, this title refers to the species of dragon that a certain Miss Fleur Delacour had to pass in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament (Goblet of Fire). And yes, that is just a random fact that I am able to pull out of my brain at a moment's notice. I often wonder what other things have been squeezed out to make room for all the Potter trivia I possess in my noggin. This is probably why I can't deal with fractions...</div>
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In case I've never mentioned it before -- Hi, my name is Sallie Barbee, and I am a complete Harry Potter fiend. Please don't tell me you are a Potter fan if you've only watched the movies. Please don't tell me you are a Potter fan if you've only read the books <i>once </i>(pshaw!) If you've read the books more times than you can count, regularly have Harry Potter movie marathons (even if your heart will always belong to the books) and feel that the best parts of your personality have been shaped by Albus Dumbledore ... <i>THEN</i> we can talk! Just kidding. All types of Potter fans are welcome here. (That's a lie. Movie-only fans, please exit stage right, thanks).</div>
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I blame my recent trip to Universal Studio's Wizarding World of Harry Potter for my recently inflamed Potter madness (I say <i>inflamed</i> rather than rekindled, because, as a true fan, the flame never goes out). Honestly, I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. But as soon as I saw Hogwarts and turned the corner into Hogsmead I was overcome with emotion. It really hit home what a huge influence those 7 books have had on my life. They are what I (continue to) turn to when I feel stressed, or lonely. They've got me through breakups and grad school and moving across the country. I listen to the audio books on repeat in my sewing room (I prefer Stephen Fry's reading over Jim Dale). I'm not ashamed to admit that in certain situations I've thought to myself "this is like that time that Hermione did this..." or "that's like when Ron said..." or pretty much anything Dumbledore said to Harry - ever.</div>
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Okay, I can see you guys slowly backing away from my blog, smiling and nodding... But don't go! I swear I'm not crazy! Or completely lame. I just really love Harry Potter. So when I came home from my trip to Florida and began working on this dress, all I could see in its pretty chartreuse and white pattern was dragon scales. And it will forever, in my mind at least, be my dragon dress. (See what I did there? See? Yeah, bet you didn't think I was ever gonna turn this back around to sewing, huh?)<br />
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This is the <a href="http://www.sewaholicpatterns.com/lonsdale-dress-pdf-sewing-pattern/">Sewaholic Lonsdale dress</a>, view B, made up in <strike>Limeade/White Tribal Leaf Print Viscose Crepe</strike> <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/limeade-white-tribal-leaf-printed-viscose-crepe-310753.html">Common Welsh Green Dragon Scale Print Viscose Crepe</a> from <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/">Mood Fabrics</a>, and it is this month's contribution to the <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood Sewing Network</a>. I've always loved the Lonsdale Dress. Honestly, I couldn't tell you what has taken me so long to make this pattern! Every time I see a version of it pop up online I inwardly sigh - I don't think I've seen a version of this dress that I <i>didn't</i> love. I think I'm always a bit hesitant to make Sewaholic patterns because I don't typically identify with the pear-shaped body that the patterns are designed for. The funny thing is, though, that while I <i>mentally</i> don't identify as pear-shaped, and I think <i>physically</i> one wouldn't call me pear shaped, my measurements would suggest otherwise! Just an example of how sometimes labeling our bodies as one thing or another can put us out of touch with the very real, uniquely proportioned body we live our lives in (<i>me?!</i> A <i>pear??</i> But I always thought I was an apple!!!) Our bodies are not fruit, ladies, nor are they some other inanimate object (<i>ruler</i> anyone??). <br />
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I'm stopping myself before I go on a longer rant about that. You're welcome. So for my Lonsdale dress I made a straight size 4 (truth be told my hip measurement <i>does</i> actually put me in a size 2, but the dress skims the hips so I wasn't too worried about it). It actually ended up a bit loose in the bodice, particularly through the bust, but the fit is so forgiving because of the knotted front and adjustable ties that it's easy to just hoist the dress into a place that feels comfortable and go with it! I decided to use a lapped zipper insertion for the first time in, oh, forever. Sometimes it's nice to pull out underused techniques, if only to remind yourself that you can still do them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please excuse all the bruises on my upper back! I had no idea they were this bad till I saw the photos. Believe it or not, they are from loading barbells on my back...</td></tr>
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The fabric was an utter delight to work with. Viscose is quickly becoming a fiber I keep an eye out for. Like rayon, it makes for a very breathable summer garment, and it seems to add a certain softness and drape to whatever fabric it's worked into. This particular viscose crepe has a beautiful weight to it, while still maintaining a lovely fluid drape. Perfect for a long, swishy skirt. The crepe texture gives it an almost spongy hand and it has the softness of brushed cotton against the skin. Plus, it's opaque! Hooray for no linings! </div>
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It was a bit of an odd purchase for me, because I would normally have steered clear of chartreuse-y greens, under the assumption that they would look heinous with my skin tone. What possessed me to buy 4 yards of this, I'll never know! Perhaps it was some <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=gf0hVNmoklsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=color+me+beautiful&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwin4dnW6N_OAhVCkh4KHTbwDA4Q6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=color%20me%20beautiful&f=false">"Color Me Beautiful"</a> era deity whispering in my ear, or maybe I was already subconsciously responding to it's dragon-scale charm? No matter, I'm so glad I gave chartreuse a go! Not only does it not do heinous things to my complexion - I actually think it's rather flattering! Especially with a punchy orange-red lip!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/29111914251/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Viscose Crepe | Sewaholic Lonsdale Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Viscose Crepe | Sewaholic Lonsdale Dress" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8098/29111914251_3bc5d1e33e_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This shoulder-baring style, and throw-on elegance feels so right to me for the sweltering late summer days. The truth is, nothing is going to make you feel cool in this kind of weather, so the least you can do is throw on a bit of color, show some skin, and make the best of it! And this dress has that magic quality of making me feel feminine and flirty and put-together, even if I feel like I'm more ass-crack-sweat than girl at the moment...</div>
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And on that happy mental image, I think we'll call this blog post done and dusted! I hope you're all having a glorious August! And to keep with the Potter love of this post, I'll leave you with a few of Albus Dumbledore's choice words:</div>
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<i>"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"</i><br />
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xxsallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-83839226264167539832016-08-01T09:06:00.001-07:002016-08-01T09:06:59.355-07:00post-vacation grays<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28584339806/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates" height="958" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8887/28584339806_f08c60e71a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Phew! Is it just me, or has July really flown by in a steamy wave of hot, sticky, summer days? Seriously you guys... It's already August?! Honestly, I can’t complain, I spent a whole week of this past month vacationing with my family in Disney World – Mom, Dad, sister, two brothers, a sister-in-law, a brother-in-law, and </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">six nieces and nephews all under the age of 8!!! </em><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">It was the absolute best kind of chaos imaginable. Of course, me being me, I decided I had nothing to wear for said vacation and that I needed a whole new summer wardrobe a smooth 5 days out from my flight. And I <i>had</i> to <i>make</i> my dream capsule wardrobe because... duh! Completely rational. </span></span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28617153105/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates" height="958" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8155/28617153105_de2d1bb02c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">This is where I'd normally insert a little anecdote about how I drove myself crazy up until 4am the night before my flight, manically serging seams, and accidentally snipping holes in the crotches of shorts or something, but, actually, the whole thing went pretty smoothly. I finished all my sewing a day or two ahead of me leaving. I know. Totally undramatic ending to <i>that</i> tale. Either I'm getting better at this whole sewing thing, or I just hit a pretty good patch of dumb luck, because that scenario <i>should</i> have been a recipe for disaster!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I <i>did </i>have a few requirements for my last-minute mini vacation wardrobe, which I think helped make things go a bit smoother – it had to be comfortable, it had to be cool (temperature-wise, though I wouldn’t turn my nose up at attitude-wise either) </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 18px;">I had to be able to get on rides in it, and (most importantly) <i>no shmancy new patterns!</i> I</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">t either had to be an uncomplicated pattern, or a TNT pattern. Basically something that I could go on autopilot and whiz through without a lot of fussing with instructions or figuring out complicated seams, etc. This meant that I wasn’t making the most exciting of clothes, but, man, have they ever been getting a lot of wear!</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28510343752/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates" height="428" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7512/28510343752_d38f9c3f42_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28000732243/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates" height="428" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8709/28000732243_e145e0b7dd_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">I already shared this outfit on the <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood Sewing Network</a> blog, but I'm hoping to share a few more of my vacation makes in the coming weeks. First up was another </span><a href="http://shop.grainlinestudio.com/products/penny-raglan" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Grainline Studio Penny Raglan</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">. If you’ve seen me in the last three weeks, I’ve probably been wearing one of these tees! I am the proud owner of four already, and I just plan on adding more! They are truly my perfect casual top, plus they are dead easy to bang out factory style, so busting out 3 in one go was just about as time consuming as making one. The version pictured here is made in some lovely, drapey </span><a href="http://http//www.moodfabrics.com/heathered-gray-stretch-viscose-jersey-308742.html" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Heathered Gray Stretch Viscose Jersey</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">. This fabric makes such a lovely casual top. It’s more opaque than tissue-weight jersey, but still has the same weightless, fluid feel. It was the perfect pairing for the Penny Raglan.</span></span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28510285112/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8761/28510285112_b2ac1e17e0_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28538183191/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates" height="958" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8744/28538183191_7d91a75ecd_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">I had been wanting a loose, casual woven pant to wear on those days when I not-so-secretly resent having to put on clothes (which is, like, everyday). I’ve seen so many cute styles on blogs and social media, but for some reason I just couldn’t quite commit to a pattern or fabric. Then one day, I don’t know what happened, but it was like something finally clunked into place inside my brain and I realized I already had the pattern and fabric sitting at home. With a few minor adjustments to the shape of the leg, the </span><a href="http://shop.truebias.com/product/hudson-pant" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">True Bias Hudson Pants</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> made the perfect casual pant I was looking for. The true icing on the cake was this </span><a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/rag-bone-off-white-black-striped-cotton-woven-310087.html" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rag & Bone Off-White/Black Striped Cotton Woven</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> from </span><a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mood online</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">. This is essentially a double gauze fabric, and if you’ve never worked with double gauze </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">what are you waiting for?!</em><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> It’s so stupidly soft. If I look a bit rumpled in these photos it’s because I’ve worn and washed these pants several times since making them, they are just </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that good</em><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">.</span></span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28510295902/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates" height="958" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8569/28510295902_9a8ed623b9_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/28538203971/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Summer Casual Separates" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8593/28538203971_9a72198747_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">True story: I actually bought a few yards of this fabric months ago, and then just last month, while perusing the Mood Fabrics site again, I saw it, forgot that I had already bought the same fabric, and bought some more. And I don’t regret it. You can really never have enough of such a great fabric. To add visual interest to these pants I cut the pocket bands on the bias, and the waistband, and back pocket on the cross-grain to break up the vertical stripe. The back pocket I actually added on whim, as it’s not an actual feature of the Hudson Pants, but I wanted something to break up the back view.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I usually have a strict “no pants” rule between the months of June through September, but these pants are so light and airy that they’ve been getting a lot of wear during these steamy days.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Hopefully if I can get my picture-taking and blogging act together I will have more of my quick vacation-wardrobe makes to share with you guys. I won't bore you with <i>every iteration</i> of the Penny Raglan that I make (you can tune into my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sallieoleta/">Instagram</a> for that) but I'll try to throw together another post on the more interesting stuff. No promises, though, it <i>is </i>the end of summer, and the beach <i>is</i> calling my name...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">What have you guys been sewing to keep cool? Is anyone thinking about Fall <i>*shudders</i>* ? I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I've been daydreaming about some knitting projects - a sure sign that my brain is coming to the end of summer, even if the hot weather will be sticking around for a few more months!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">xx</span></div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-84515281769633137382016-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:002016-07-01T06:00:24.363-07:00hot fun<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27877745792/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7408/27877745792_06d3a224d0_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hello friends!!! First of all, I want to thank everyone for your kind words on my post about Lucille leaving us. I'm sorry I didn't respond to each of you individually, but please know that your thoughts and condolences were deeply <i>deeply</i> appreciated. It is such a comfort to know that so many of you can relate to the very real feelings of grief that we go through when a beloved pet passes. I know it might seem silly, but writing that post helped me immensely to mourn my sweet girl and move ahead with her memory in my heart.</div>
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And as promised, I have been able to get back to what I love and what makes me happy - making and sharing my creative pursuits with you all! And first up is the <a href="http://store.closetcasefiles.com/products/sophie-swimsuit-pattern?variant=21323762118">Sophie Swimsuit</a> from <a href="http://store.closetcasefiles.com/">Closet Case Files</a>! I've already shared this suit over on the <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood Sewing Network</a>, but I'm excited to write about it here because I have <i>lots</i> of thoughts on it! So grab yourself a cup of tea (hot or iced) and get ready for a long post!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27979525455/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7414/27979525455_8dfa7a8c12_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I had actually volunteered to be a pattern tester for the Sophie Swimsuit, so the version I'm sharing is from the beta files. However, I ended up backing out of the testing process after my dog died because I just wasn't feeling up to it. Heather mentioned she made some changes based on the testers feedback but I feel like the version I made is close enough to the finished pattern that it is safe to share. I made View B - the high waisted bikini, and before you all ask, <i>yes</i> this version is supposed to have straps, and mine did, but I will explain the saga that led me to photographing it strapless a little later. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27877734602/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7078/27877734602_07752b90f9_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'm just gonna come right out and say that I love this suit. Especially the top. Can I get a little TMI here for a second? Of course I can... it's my blog... <i>I do what I want!</i> As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I've been committed to working out regularly for the past two years or so now, and while it's been an overwhelmingly positive change in both my life and my body, one thing that I haven't quite been able to get a grasp on is my boobs. My boobs have majorly shrunk in the past few years and I'm totally flummoxed as to what size bra to wear. I know I could go to a little lingerie boutique and have myself measured, but the truth is boutique bras are just <i>not</i> in my budget. And yes, I could make my own bras, but my experience has been that the trial and error of getting a good fit with a bra pattern is a bigger waste of time and money than just buying a slightly ill-fitting bra off the rack. So I've been buying my bras from Target, in the smallest size they have - a 34B. I know I'm not a 34B but the fit isn't <i>that bad</i>, so I get away with it. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27365985743/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7446/27365985743_1985ecb405_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Enter the Sophie pattern... this is essentially a bra you can go swimming in, guys. It is <i>so supportive. </i>And the sizing - while not the traditional <i>A, B, C, D</i> cup that you get with bras - is essentially the same. There are 5 separate cup sizes for every size. I can't even imagine the nightmare it was to draft this, but I'm so glad Heather went the extra mile because it <i>really</i> pays off. You get the band size by measuring your underbust, so around your ribcage with all the air exhaled, then you take a comfortable measurement of your full bust (around the widest part of your back and over the fullest part of your breasts, usually the nipple) while wearing your best fitting bra. Subtract the difference between the two and you get your cup size. So for me, my underbust measurement was 28" and my full bust measurement is 33". That is a 5 inch difference which put me at a size 2 with a size 5 cup.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27366476904/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="959" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7672/27366476904_73d13ac467_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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This definitely gave me pause because it is <i>so much</i> smaller than my normal size in CCF patterns - I usually wear between a 6 or an 8, but I decided to trust the sizing and I'm so glad I did. This is the best fitting swimsuit, bra <i>whatever</i> I have worn in recent memory! It's even more flattering with the straps as they help give that extra <i>oomph</i>, but even without it, this top wasn't budging. I'm really hoping Heather does some tutorials on turning this into a bra because I need this in my life! Now you might be thinking that with my chest size support isn't really an issue, but guys, it <i>is.</i> Now obviously I do not have the experience that my larger chested sisters have, but what I do have is a rack that used to be pretty spectacular, but is now kinda deflated and saggy. Yes. TMI. Get over it. I need all the help I can get to hoist those girls up!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27366451494/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7631/27366451494_06b6edf845_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27979615225/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7296/27979615225_61c33d6654_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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By now you're probably wondering what the heck happened to my swimsuit bottoms... Is this some lame action flick where the leading lady's clothes get artfully ripped throughout the movie to reveal more skin? No, no it's not. I drafted an alternate pair of bottoms for my Sophie swimsuit, and while I completely understand that these are probably not to most women's liking I decided to share them nonetheless. Surely I can't be the only lady out there who has a weird nostalgia for those high-cut legged bikini bottoms from the late 70's and 80's? You know, the kind that make you look like you have legs for days, and conjure images of a healthily athletic Christie Brinkley cavorting on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition? Or a fierce Grace Jones? No? Only me? The rest of you are just remembering the perma-wedgie that said swim bottoms induce? Ok fine then... *<i>takes teeny weeny swim bottoms and goes and plays at her own sand castle...*</i></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27979515475/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7433/27979515475_e4a97a46c9_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27366377214/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7422/27366377214_a782d41d1c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27365991663/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7565/27365991663_d79e64a1aa_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Honestly, I think both bottoms will have their place in my swim wardrobe. The high waisted, fuller coverage bottoms will be awesome for pool parties, and family time, and the teeny bikini bottoms will be great for my alone time on the beach.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27366480744/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7307/27366480744_2db17facbe_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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As far as construction goes this swimsuit is really no different than making a bra and panties. My one major tip is to label your two bottom cup pieces because they look super similar and it is easy to get them confused. Ask me how I know... After making two left cups (somehow... I'm still scratching my head about that one...) I cottoned on to this and cut a second pair marking the outer cup with an "O" and the inner cup with an "I" and also drawing arrows to signify which way was up. I did this on both my foam pieces and my fabric pieces and construction went <i>much</i> smoother. </div>
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With the shaped, three piece foam cups, the underwire channeling and all the elastic, this is most definitely the most complicated suit I've ever made, but it's totally worth it. Honestly, none of it is that <i>hard</i>, it's just a touch finnicky at times. If you're at all nervous about making this suit I highly suggest getting Heather's <a href="http://sewingworkshops.closetcasefiles.com/courses/sew-your-dream-swimsuit?product_id=117420&coupon_code=BEACHBABE&preview=logged_out">swimsuit workshop</a>. I'm actually thinking of picking it up just so I can feel like I'm sewing with Heather by my side...<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27979604435/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7699/27979604435_7673e6e3a6_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Sewing swimwear <i>does</i> require some special materials, so let's talk about those for a bit. My awesome, graphic, <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/black-white-broken-glass-digitally-printed-tricot-jersey-310338.html">broken glass print fabric</a> is from, where else, <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/">Mood Fabrics</a>. It is 95% polyester and 5% spandex, making it great for swimwear and activewear. I liked it so much I chose to use it all over, but the Sophie swimsuit definitely lends itself to color and print blocking. My swimwear lining, underwires, underwire channeling, swimwear elastic, and G-hooks are all from <a href="https://www.bramakerssupply.com/site2009/cart/shopdisplaycategories.asp">Bra-makers Supply</a> (the foam for the cups was in my stash, but I think originally it was from Bra-makers Supply too... or SewSassy...?). Overall I'm really happy with the quality of all these things (especially the swim lining... it's <i>niiiiiiice</i>) EXCEPT for the plastic G-hooks. Oy vey...</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27366486724/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="958" src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7471/27366486724_052bb00310_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Let me tell you a little story of plastic hardware, a handmade bikini, a sewing blogger, and the hot, hot Texas heat... After finishing my Sophie bikini two weekends ago I decided to take it for a test drive to the beach, like you do. No sooner had I set myself up in my beach chair, book in hand, the Gulf of Mexico stretching in front of me as far as the eye can see (and a thunderstorm brewing behind me, but let's forget about that part right now) when I bent over to get my water bottle and felt the back of my suit come undone. I reached around and realized that my plastic G-hook closure had actually snapped off at the joint. My straps on the suit criss-crossed in the back so the suit stayed on pretty well, and I actually sat back in my chair and read for awhile until the brewing thunderstorm, and my busted swimsuit top resigned me to call it a day. Back at home I replaced the G-hook with one of the other several I had ordered, and decided to be more careful putting the suit on and taking it off, thinking that I may have bent the plastic in my behind-the-back struggling...</div>
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Fast forward to last weekend when I wanted to go to the beach, again, and shoot some blog photos while I was at it. I put on my suit and, wouldn't you know it, one of the small G-hooks that attaches the strap to the suit front broke at the same joint. I had extra so I quickly went into my sewing room and replaced it. I had the car so I decided to drive out to a more secluded beach to take photos. After lugging all my beach gear, and my camera and tripod, out to the spot in these photos I bent down to set everything down and <i>pop</i>! There goes the back G-hook I had already replaced! I was frustrated, but determined to get these photos, so I went back home, replaced the stupid plastic G-hook, examined the others for weak spots, then drove back out to the same beach, set all my stuff up, turned on my camera and.... no battery. Nearly in tears, I drove <i>back home</i>, got the camera battery from the charger, grabbed another bikini top <i>just in case</i>, and drove <i>back</i> out to the beach. Lugged all my shit to my spot, set up the camera and tripod and <i>pop!</i> One of the G-hooks on my other strap broke! So at that point I said <i>fuck it, </i>removed the straps from the bikini and shot the photos strapless! Thankfully the back hook lasted through the photo shoot and a quick dip in the water, but I've learned my lesson. <i>No more plastic hardware</i>! The only thing I can think is that these were just not equipped to deal with the amount of sweat, sunscreen and heat that I require from my swimwear. I certainly wasn't putting them under undo stress!</div>
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Needless to say, I have an order for metal hooks already placed...</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/27366365334/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - CCF Sophie Swimsuit" height="428" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7126/27366365334_05b8e221c9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Well alright cats and kittens! I think that's enough cheeky pictures of my bum and my cheesecake posing and rambling on about boobs and swimsuits and teeny plastic pieces for one blog post. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to leave them for me in the comments! And I'll be back soon with a recent quick make!</div>
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sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-63288113133803877472016-06-10T06:57:00.000-07:002016-06-10T06:57:59.450-07:00sweet lucille<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26970705294/in/dateposted/" title="lucilleandmuscles"><img alt="lucilleandmuscles" height="428" src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7375/26970705294_3ffef83770_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Hey there friends. This is a sad post to write, but I wanted to share a little of what's been going on behind the scenes the past few weeks. As much as I like to try to keep this blog about my creative pursuits and focus on the good things in life, I also feel like I can't really get back to those posts until I talk about this first.
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Nick and I had to say goodbye to our dog, Lucille, a few weeks ago. I know many of you have shared when your pets have passed away and so I'm sure you can understand the heartache we've been feeling. Lucille was 10 years old, but her death was sudden and unexpected. She was her usual happy self when both of us came home from work, but began acting funny around 8 or 9 pm - not eating dinner, breathing heavy. She continued to decline throughout the night and by 5am she was gone. There was nothing we could do. The only bright side is that we were both there with her in the end, and though she was in pain and scared, it wasn't prolonged. And I think we both feel somewhat grateful that we didn't have to make any hard decisions about putting her down.</div>
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Lucille was 2 years old when I met Nick. He got her as a puppy while living in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. She was a mutt and the runt of the litter, and she stole his heart by constantly untying his shoes. She was no bigger than a loaf of bread. When I met Lucille for the first time I remember thinking "wow, that is a <i>good dog."</i> I've always loved dogs, but Lucille was the first dog I ever met who was truly a <i>good dog</i>. She was amazingly sweet tempered with everyone and everything - even when we brought our shitty cat, Mister Muscles, into the house (Muscles <i>looooved</i> Lucille, by the way). She was also incredibly smart and well behaved. She was just easy. And she had nothing to give but love. I always joked that Lucille resented me showing up in Nick's life - that she was Nick's #1 girl, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. She was my #1 girl, too. </div>
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I've never thought of myself as the type of person who considers my pets "my children" or "my furbabies". But Lucille was my family. It's amazing how much she was a part of the fabric of our lives - in ways I've never thought about until she's gone. I miss the sound of her nails <i>click clicking</i> on the hardwood floors. I miss her heavy sighs, and her snores. I miss the weight of her head in my lap and the constant presence of her at my feet. I miss her velvety ears and soulful eyes. I miss having an excuse to go for walks. I miss that there is no fanfare - no one visibly excited - when I open the drawer to get the 'poo bags'. I miss her toys and her food bowl and I even miss her shedding. Thunderstorms take me by surprise (Lucille <i>hated</i> thunderstorms and would begin panting and shaking well before we were aware that it was even going to <i>rain</i>). I still pause every time I open the front door, thinking she's about to run out to me. </div>
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I feel a bit like a crazy person that my feelings of grief and loss are so shockingly profound, but I know those of you that have loved and lost an amazing animal will understand. I wish there was more decorum allowed for the loss of a pet. Lucille deserves better than a blog post, but sadly, that's all I have to give.</div>
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Thank you for letting me share my little heartache with you all. I'm hoping that in sharing this sadness I can get back to posting about what I love and what makes me happy without feeling like a fraud. I just didn't feel like I could gloss over this like it never happened.</div>
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I miss you, Sweet Lucille.</div>
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sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-72050468626190683612016-04-30T06:00:00.000-07:002016-04-30T06:00:07.692-07:00flower bomb<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26098806623/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1521/26098806623_91caac6ae9_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Well hello there everyone! I hope you've all had a great April! Around here we've been truly living up to the old saying "April showers bring May flowers". Well, at least the bit about the showers. The flowers we get all year round. In other words, it's been wet! I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I'm ready for summer. Yes, summer, and all it's triple-digit, 100% humidity, sweaty, stifling, sunburnt, nastiness. Bring. It. On. You northeners can keep your spring (and your bad tacos, but that's a rant for another day)! I'm ready for the heat! Maybe it's because winter was such a joke this year, and I have no patience for this in-between bullshit, but I'm really looking forward to the days when I can throw on a dress and sandals, put my hair up, and sweat. We're <i>almost</i> there. almost. We just need the sun to decide to make an appearance...</div>
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And on that note, let me introduce you to this backless beauty! This was my April make for the <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood Sewing Network</a>, and, again, you've probably seen some sneaky peeks on my Instagram all month as I slowly chipped away at it. I feel a bit weird calling this thing a "shirt" or even a "top" as its open-back, voluminous, apron-style design makes it feel as if I'm wearing nothing at all. But it <i>does</i> cover the essentials, and after wearing it to work for a whole day I can attest to the fact that those essentials (somehow) <i>stayed</i> covered. Phew. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure if that would be the case. This also isn't the most bra-friendly design, so if the goods did come out, they would be <i>alllll</i> out! But thankfully (for both myself and my unsuspecting coworkers) <i>we good</i>.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26098624873/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1621/26098624873_8e4337afba_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Okay, so what is this, you ask? (What? You didn't come to hear the gripping tale of how I did or did not flash the entirety of Galveston Island?) This is <a href="https://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v1507">Vogue Patterns #1507</a> made up in some <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/italian-black-blue-green-floral-printed-cotton-batiste-310298.html">Italian Printed Floral Cotton Batiste</a> from <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/">Mood Fabrics</a> online. I was super <i>super</i> excited to see that Rachel Comey had released a few more patterns for Vogue this season. Her designs always delight and excite me, and I feel like the resulting garments are truly one-of-a-kind pieces. This top was my favorite out of the recent bunch (although I also love <a href="https://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v1501">this dress</a>) so it was the first one I wanted to sink my teeth into. While I think the plain green version on the pattern envelope is great for seeing this top's interesting style lines and features, in my head I always imagined it in a bright, exuberant print.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26675971426/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1670/26675971426_88e21be1c5_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This cotton batiste was everything I could have hoped for this make: a large scale, painterly floral print, easy to handle during construction, and light and airy to wear. The whole top is double layered, so despite the fact this fabric was somewhat sheer, I didn't worry about a lining. I really love how the print of the underlayer actually peeks through the sheer areas of the top layer. I didn't bother with print matching, or even give much thought to print placement with this make (I may have been print placement-ed out from my <a href="http://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2016/04/cat-lady.html">last make</a>!) I really love the resulting sporadic feel of the top. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26098654863/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1586/26098654863_217b973be7_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26676147286/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1584/26676147286_9aba4fb79d_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I took a few indoor shots on my dress form because the gusty winds during my photoshoot were doing this top (and my hair) no favors! Hopefully these help give you a better idea of the lovely intricacies of this design. I have to say, it was truly a pleasure to work with a pattern where the actual pattern pieces were practically unrecognizable and how it was all going to come together seemed like a mystery. Often times when I see a garment I have a pretty good visual idea of what the flat pattern pieces will look like, but this one was completely wacky! Definitely a good project for pulling me out of my sewing autopilot! </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26096886694/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1617/26096886694_ba719c94e3_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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That being said, the actual construction really wasn't all that difficult once you figured out what went where. The trickiest part was that just about every major part of the garment - both the top and bottom layers of the bodice and the sleeves - called for a teeny, tiny 1/8" hem. And those hems were <i>verrrryyyy loooonnnnng</i> and <i>veerrryyyy cuuurrrrrvyyy</i>. This probably would have been no big deal if I had a rolled hem foot for my machine, but I don't. I also contemplated doing it all by hand, but I wanted to finish it before <i>June</i> so I followed the instructions. First I sewed a line of stitching at 1/2" then I used that stitching line as a guide and folded the hem up once, trimmed close to the line of stitching, and folded again at 1/8", edgestitching that in place. By the time I got to the sleeves I was pretty pro. Or at least there was much less cussing.</div>
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The back neckline is finished with a small bias facing and the back yoke edges are bound in bias binding. The instructions had you finish the armholes with bias binding as well but I had run out of red bias tape and actually thought that might be a bit bulky, so I used my serger instead. No regrets.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26098838793/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507" height="428" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1588/26098838793_7c4a7b02cc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And here's a closeup of those cursed teeny hems. Honestly this was at least 70% of the sewing! Choosing a thread color for this project was a bit of a head scratcher, because no matter what I went with it was going to be in contrast with the print at some point. I decided on off-white, however I'm sure an invisible hand-rolled hem would have been the more elegant option. But I don't think the visible stitching detracts from the finished top at all.</div>
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I'm quite happy I chose such a well behaved fabric as cotton batiste for this top, because while it wasn't a <i>difficult</i> sew, a lot of the pattern pieces fall on the bias, and I could see that, coupled with the teeny hems being a real headache in a trickier fabric!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26609757592/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1442/26609757592_f1cb12742f_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Fit wise I'm fairly pleased with how this turned out. There was, frustratingly, no finished garment measurements printed anywhere on this pattern so I had no idea how much ease was built in. I decided to play it safe and go down only one size since I find, in general, Big 4 patterns tend to go crazy on the ease, with the occasional exception of these Vogue designer patterns, which sometimes actually have spot on measurements. I figured if I went down one size I could counteract any built in ease, but that the top was also voluminous enough that if there wasn't a whole lot of ease built in it would probably still fit me anyway.</div>
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In retrospect I think anyone making this top could probably safely go down two sizes. I find the shoulders to be quite wide, even on me and I have good, wide, linebacker shoulders. From an engineering standpoint the shoulders are really the only thing holding this top on the body, so if you've got narrow shoulders you might find yourself with a garment that simply doesn't stay on. I would also suggest reinforcing the front neckline with some staystitching or even some light interfacing or organza to help prevent it from stretching out during construction. The instructions don't call for this, but that's my two cents for anyone thinking of making this up in the future.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26609749812/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Floral Cotton Batiste | V1507" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1504/26609749812_38d89f78dc_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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As I mentioned, I wore this top to work yesterday and felt like a total superstar! It felt so unique and special, and as I was getting ready at the gym in the morning (yes, I shower at the gym most days - glamorous, I know) women kept sending their friends in to see my outfit. Not that I base the success of a make on how many compliments I get on it, but it's always really nice when other people like your work as much as you do. </div>
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I'd really like to make a pair of black linen <a href="http://katyandlaney.com/product/tap-shorts-pattern/">tap shorts</a> to pair with this little topper for the ultimate breezy ensemble once the dog days of summer really hit. Nothing like pairing a little volume on the top with some long legs on the bottom! </div>
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Obviously my wardrobe planning is all about summer. What about you guys? Anyone else ready for a heat wave?</div>
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sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-81268628029985371462016-04-06T04:39:00.000-07:002016-04-06T04:39:02.684-07:00cat lady<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/25518299054/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCalls6696"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9W3juCrbQXMXtesI_CSuvFAFT8r4LrvdquOLLy1WSqQPGsDckO1SWcOwSL2qNKdriPKN5t4mSnLXR164utYOm2I8ooanL0YB5xxDpeqECQlEO4IS4pDsmDS7Awckqktuz-hYwwhSQDGvw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-03-29+at+6.35.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1"></a><img alt="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCalls6696" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1570/25518299054_12d3e0d35d_b.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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Hellooooo friends!! <span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> Please excuse my frizzy hair and general unkempt-ness in these photos. The week I took these photos the weather was truly the worst - mild, but sticky, overcast, and permanently threatening rain, but never delivering – like living inside a cloud. Good for the plants, but not so great for looking polished and put-together! Of course since then the sun has decided to come back out and I feel like all is right with the world again! I don't know how you northeners do it, my tolerance for lack of sunshine has definitely gotten <i>worse</i> since living in Texas! A few weeks of cloudy weather and I'm alternately whining and throwing a tantrum, shaking my fists at the sky, or else despondent and unable to move, because what's the point of moving if you can't see your own shadow?</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26123056145/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCalls6696"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCalls6696" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1660/26123056145_410ec0e48e_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;">I was actually half tempted to re-shoot these photos in this glorious, sparkly sunshine, but then I figured I'd probably never get this post up and you'd all think I had abandoned this space, and no one wants that! So you'll have to deal with Soggy Sallie. And anyway, frizzy hair and melting makeup can’t put a damper on my enthusiasm for this new dress! Those of you that follow me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sallieoleta/">Instagram</a> have probably seen sneak peeks of this buddy coming slowly together this past month. March is my birthday month and I always like to work on something a little extra special as a bit of a gift to myself. So this month for the <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood Sewing Network</a> I put together this little puzzle of a dress in Mood Fabric’s </span><a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/famous-designer-yellow-green-kitty-cat-border-printed-bamboo-twill-panel-309921.html">Famous Designer Yellow/Green Kitty Cat Border Printed Bamboo Twill Panel</a>.<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"> That’s right, there are fat little kitty cats marching all over this dress!</span></span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26123057725/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCalls6696"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCalls6696" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1710/26123057725_e0bf06dbbc_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This fabric was pretty much too cute for me to resist (there’s even a <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/famous-designer-purple-red-kitty-cat-border-printed-bamboo-twill-panel-310228.html">purple colorway</a> that I’m thinking of snatching up so I can make an identical twin dress!) But I have to confess that when it arrived I really had to give it some thought as to what I could turn this fabric into. I don’t really have any experience working with border prints, so that alone was a bit of a headscratcher. However this print is also a panel print, with the printed areas being fairly narrow rectangles. It’s not a whole lot of real-estate, print-wise, to work with, so I knew whatever I decided to make would have to have lots of pieces.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes when I’m feeling really stumped about one of these designer prints I like to try to hunt down the fabric online and see how the designer originally intended to use it. Luckily for me, I knew the designer – Anna Sui – because the name is printed all along the selvedge. Some quick googling gave me a few clues, most notably this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszXnWNK307qWxo4Ss-Fns8G9EHyEjYqKp-tG4_8jkn-8QxiuhHe4Tux7DRW2KnHQUcPkeTnrRrBA-R6SzRi3DwmtVxtUE7o1o12wqUytFWjUqEYC8NvWNgMeafcVg5N8I-PHfnR0xdK-c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-03-29+at+6.35.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszXnWNK307qWxo4Ss-Fns8G9EHyEjYqKp-tG4_8jkn-8QxiuhHe4Tux7DRW2KnHQUcPkeTnrRrBA-R6SzRi3DwmtVxtUE7o1o12wqUytFWjUqEYC8NvWNgMeafcVg5N8I-PHfnR0xdK-c/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-03-29+at+6.35.12+PM.png" /></a></div>
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this...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpuHI4WfDQRYwPr0o0cY8-xI9rR9vCoHkQ3OBLwJlkpi87v1QutLnACjGdKfpjYiwm6-o5vQ5TrEIejdX13ZohCVkRGIUE82NTVZHvbdJiFGUZxDDYGk6HMaicOBcNKr8g38zjmoWkB6R/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-03-29+at+6.35.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpuHI4WfDQRYwPr0o0cY8-xI9rR9vCoHkQ3OBLwJlkpi87v1QutLnACjGdKfpjYiwm6-o5vQ5TrEIejdX13ZohCVkRGIUE82NTVZHvbdJiFGUZxDDYGk6HMaicOBcNKr8g38zjmoWkB6R/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-03-29+at+6.35.23+PM.png" width="256" /></a></div>
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and perhaps most intriguing to me...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzW6N54aMT13KCW0gm6WeeHvSj9zwEPWq8KfGVoUQdkIGOgjv01jJ4EqE1a9gMeW-6TmK95yXTCdday-SXBe212ZcZQq1HsEZQZP7NZtj-N2gAv45MOJptdcMRg11ykqXMZHgcFvqOBewT/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-03-29+at+6.35.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzW6N54aMT13KCW0gm6WeeHvSj9zwEPWq8KfGVoUQdkIGOgjv01jJ4EqE1a9gMeW-6TmK95yXTCdday-SXBe212ZcZQq1HsEZQZP7NZtj-N2gAv45MOJptdcMRg11ykqXMZHgcFvqOBewT/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-03-29+at+6.35.50+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was the last image which gave me the idea for a shirtdress. I had bought 4 yards of this fabric, so I had a decent amount to play around with, which was good, because I certainly made some mistakes along the way! This was one of those projects where cutting took almost twice as long as sewing! Not only did I have to consider print placement, and how best to utilize all the parts of the print – the small, closely spaced cats, the larger border cats, and the solid stripes of color – but I also had to attempt to print match as best as I could, which was no easy feat! See, these kitties like to change direction throughout the print, making something as simple as cutting out a left and right bodice front a brain tease! And, just to really up the ante, the bamboo twill is deliciously lightweight, and devilishly shifty, not to mention it wrinkles up if you simply </span><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">look</em><span style="font-family: inherit;"> at it! So it’s no exaggeration when I say that I spent three separate weekends simply cutting and puzzle-piecing this dress together!</span></div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/25520434083/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCalls6696"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCalls6696" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1589/25520434083_0f7b2dfeb8_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">For the pattern I used </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.themccallpatterncompany.com/m6696-products-44752.php?page_id=96">McCall’s 6696</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> – a most beloved pattern among the sewing community. I’ve had this in my stash for awhile and was glad to have a reason to finally pull it out and give it a go. I ended up cutting my size based on the finished garment measurements rather than the size chart, because as we all know, Big 4 patterns </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">loooove</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> their excess ease! So I cut a 10 (with a B cup) at the shoulders and bust, tapering to an 8 at the waist, and a 12 at the hips. Having sewn my fair number of shirts, and, for that matter, dresses, I didn’t really follow the instructions, but rather used my own method of construction. I’m very happy with how the dress fits, however if I do make the dress again I might make a few small adjustments. The biggest thing I would change is how full the back is. I’ve read this about this pattern before, but thought I’d try sewing it up as is to see the results, and, sure enough, the back is indeed poofy! So I’d probably try to either reduce the gathering at the waist or convert it to darts.</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26030609292/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCall's 6696"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCall's 6696" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1685/26030609292_cdce9df2a1_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">It was pretty much inevitable that I would need to do some creative piecing </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">somewhere</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> on this dress, and the back of the skirt ended up getting the treatment, but more as the result of a mistake than actual planning and consideration! See the back skirt is supposed to be cut on the fold, but the print panels are much too narrow to allow for that, so I intended to add a center back seam. Of course once it came time to cut the back I completely forgot to add a seam allowance and decided to make up for it by sewing a strip of plain yellow down the center to make up for the missing width. The sad thing is, I actually made this mistake </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">twice!</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> I cut one skirt panel, realized I forgot to add a seam allowance, then proceeded to cut </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">another</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> skirt panel, and promptly forgot </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">again</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> to add the seam allowance! *head slap* Such a waste of good fabric! But of course, it all worked out in the end.</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/25520497883/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCall's 6696"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCall's 6696" height="428" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1576/25520497883_15c1cd2718_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Another change I made was to round the collar, simply because I thought these kitties suited a rounded collar more than a pointed one!</span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26097198816/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCall's 6696"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCall's 6696" height="428" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1595/26097198816_1e4a610a45_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/25537151384/in/photostream/" title="DSC_0051"><img alt="DSC_0051" height="428" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1673/25537151384_0972d12020_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;">Apologies for the bad indoor lighting (my apartment has the </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">worst</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"> light for photos!) but I had to get a shot of the innards because I lined the bodice and skirt in </span><a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/ivory-china-silk-habotai-pv2000-125.html">ivory silk habotai</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"> which is, in my opinion, one of the loveliest fabrics to wear next to the skin. It’s truly like having an air conditioner installed </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">inside</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"> your dress! Which is important when your climate is akin to a damp dishrag. This was also necessary for modesty, as the kitty cat print was a bit on the sheer side.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because this fabric is so lightweight and shifty I made sure to interface areas that I felt would need a little help in order to hold their shape, like the pocket openings. This really helps them from stretching out and looking droopy.</span></span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/26030617262/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCall's 6696"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Anna Sui Cat Print Panel | McCall's 6696" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1441/26030617262_006303142d_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m really happy with my new shirtdress! The kitty cats are such a cute surprise when you notice what they are, and I’m really happy with the way I used all areas of this tricky border print panel throughout the dress to enhance the design elements. Do you guys have any tips for working with border prints?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">xx</span></span></div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-37382801808093748682016-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:002016-02-19T07:00:15.319-08:00kaleidescope<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24780888350/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1659/24780888350_e35c5f1eaa_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hellllooooo Nurse! Ugh. It's the end of the day you guys and my humor has reached <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6-bmhoulCM">Animaniacs</a></i> level... It happens. Clearly I can't think of a proper introduction for this post so we'll just... You wanna talk about the weather? Let's talk about the weather! When in doubt, right? Winter, man! <i>Sucks</i>. *she says as she basks in the 75F degree sunshine* Please don't throw things at me! Truly this has been an oddly mild winter. If I let my thoughts stray too apocalyptic I'd say it was a sign of The End of Times and that we should all head for the bunker, but I'm feeling optimistic today and just enjoying the <strike>apocalyptic</strike> pleasant weather with a smile. I'll tell you what, though, all this warm weather has put a <i>real</i> damper on my winter sewing plans. Oh! The things I had planned! Somehow it just seems strange to sew a quilted <a href="http://shop.grainlinestudio.com/products/tamarack-jacket">Tamarack</a> jacket or a <a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&product_id=586&flypage=flypage.tpl&pop=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=47">faux leather biker jacket</a> when I feel like I need to start preparing for the impending doom of summer, like, <i>now</i>. Don't even get me started on the <a href="https://www.brooklyntweed.com/shop/riptide/">chunky wool sweater</a> I've been spending my evenings toiling away on... Ah well. There's always the, like, three cold days of winter to look forward to next year...<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24445804784/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1684/24445804784_3417f20e44_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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But enough of that! Despite the unseasonably warm temperatures I've still been on a mission to add a few new long sleeve dresses to my wardrobe. Sometimes you just don't want to do the whole dress/cardigan layering jig. Sometimes you just want to put on one piece of clothing and have it be appropriate for the cooler seasons. <i>I don't care what fashion blogs tell me, sometimes layering is for the birds! </i>This dress is for those days. And lots of other days too.</div>
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This is my February make for the <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood Sewing Network</a>. I'm still working through my <i>blah</i> feelings I wrote about in my last post, and so whipping up quick-sew knit garments is still sounding very appealing to me. This time I went for a wrap dress silhouette. If I had to wear one type of garment for the rest of my life it would be a wrap dress. So comfy. So flattering. So sexy-yet-work-appropriate. If you haven't gotten on board with wrap dresses I urge you - I <i>implore</i> you - to give them a try.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24780854040/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1467/24780854040_6fd62acccd_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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But this is obviously no ordinary wrap dress. Okay, I'll just call out the elephant in the blog post - <i>DAT FABRIC, 'DO</i>! Isn't this a spectacular print?? This is the <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/fashion-fabrics/stretch-and-knits/jersey-prints/deep-forest-abstract-viscose-cotton-jersey-knit-panels-309012.html">Deep Forest Abstract Viscose-Cotton Jersey Knit Panel</a> print from Mood's online store, and though I'm usually flummoxed by panel prints I just had to give this one a go! It looks simultaneously organic and futuristic with a heaping helping of Art Nouveau thrown in for good measure. The hand is really interesting too - it has a moderate amount of stretch in both directions and is a good medium weight. The face of the fabric is actually looped, like the wrong side of terry cloth, and the back is smooth and white. The texture adds some visual interest, but it feels really nice against the skin. I ordered three panels and only had to do a small bit of piecing on the upper back (I created a yoke) to make this dress work.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24449590303/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1500/24449590303_fd565275fe_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24958340292/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1463/24958340292_0dc85a6eee_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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By far the most interesting and challenging aspect of making this dress was in figuring out print placement. I figured out early on that, given the flared shape of the skirt, matching the side seams on this print was not going to happen. Instead I concerned myself more with placing the pattern motifs so they would be most flattering when the dress was worn. My original idea was to use the faded out black areas at the waist in order to create a slimming effect, however when I draped the fabric on my dress form I quickly realized that this was not the best idea.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24485684474/in/photostream/" title="FullSizeRender (1)"><img alt="FullSizeRender (1)" height="640" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1583/24485684474_bd991bdb3b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24748677119/in/photostream/" title="FullSizeRender (2)"><img alt="FullSizeRender (2)" height="640" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1562/24748677119_10a50e8b14_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Here's my tip for you guys - when you're trying to decide on print placement drape the fabric over a form, or yourself, in roughly the shape of the garment you're trying to make and then <i>take a picture of it</i>. I find that looking at a photograph helps give me some distance on the fabric so I can see the bigger picture and not get lost in details like I do when I'm looking in a mirror, or trying to shuffle pattern pieces around on a length of fabric. Even better, make the photo black and white so you're not distracted by color and can see how the larger shapes are playing out across the figure. I find this is helpful in avoiding mishaps like the good ol' flower-on-boob mistake we've all made!</div>
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Or just in determining the best use of a print, like in my photos above (please excuse my messy sewing room!) The first photo shows my original idea for the print placement, which you can see is still nice, however it really wasn't as flattering as I was hoping for, and the best parts of the print were underutilized. In the second photo you can see that the swooping lines of the print actually creates the waist-flattering lines I was hoping for, and is a much better showcase for this print. Plus, the first placement may have left me with some unfortunate crotch and butt vortex-ing going on! A lucky save!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24449627893/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1567/24449627893_2a639d01e1_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/25076476765/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress" height="428" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1452/25076476765_9fb711b6a5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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For the pattern I simply traced an old American Apparel wrap dress I've had for literally ages. I have two of their wrap dresses, and despite the fact that I've trashed a good portion of my AA crap from my undergraduate days, I've always hung on to these wrap dresses. I'm pretty happy with the way the pattern turned out, however I have a few minor complaints. There's something slightly off with the shape of the armhole, which never bothered me in the originals (isn't it funny how we can totally overlook wonky fit in RTW garments, but we're <i>so picky</i> about it in our handmades?) and I wish I would have flared the skirt more (because swishy skirts are fun). I might explore using my CCF Nettie pattern as a base to draft my own in the future. Or just stick with this one. Who knows?! </div>
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Construction was straight-forward - mostly serged seams with finishing done on my sewing machine using my trusty triple-step stretch stitch. One construction detail I did that I am very happy about was adding a piece of 1/4 inch elastic along the inside of the neck binding to help the neckline hug nice and tight and prevent gaping, and also to keep the neckline from stretching out over time, which is a problem I've had in previous knit wrap dress makes. </div>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24958316562/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics - Deep Forest Abstract Jersey Wrap Dress" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1716/24958316562_666b34b146_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I've already worn this dress for several work events and am quite smitten with it! The print makes it a real show-stopper, but the wrap-dress and comfy knit fabric allow for me to feel good in it all day. Nick has let hint that he thinks I "look sexy" in it, which is never a bad thing in my book, either! I'm pretty sure this will be a dress I reach for again and again! </div>
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Well, friends, that about <i>wraps up</i> (yuk yuk) *head slap* this post! Until next time...</div>
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xx</div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-35136348665482988862016-01-27T15:11:00.000-08:002016-01-27T15:11:06.448-08:00january blues<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/23986565494/in/dateposted/" title="DSC_0531"><img alt="DSC_0531" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1622/23986565494_4d3593f7ea_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Wow you guys! It feels like it has been FOR. EV. ER. since my last post! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! So much belated happiness! My holidays were lovely, with a nice long visit with family on the East coast. Since coming back to Texas (and real life) I've been a bit slow to find my groove. If you follow me on instagram I've been trying to give little peeks at what I've been up to, but honestly my life feels pretty boring right now! I started a new knitting project (the <a href="https://www.brooklyntweed.com/shop/riptide/">Riptide</a> pullover from Brooklyn Tweed's new Winter 16 collection - and I'm in <i>luuuuurve</i> with it). And I also joined a local gym which feels like a big step since my <a href="http://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2015/10/pumping-iron.html">last post</a> on my fitness journey. I decided I really wanted to lift heavier weights, which just isn't feasible in my apartment. So far it's been good! I've never been so sore, or hungry! Seriously, I'm like an eating machine... I also got a new lens for my camera (Christmas present from Nick, he's good to me) - a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-AF-S-NIKKOR-Focus-Cameras/dp/B001S2PPT0">Nikkor 35mm</a>. I love having my camera back in action, but I'm still getting used to the new lens, so forgive me if some of my pictures are a little out of focus. But when the focus is right - <i>oh it's good!</i><br />
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And now we're all caught up! You will note that I didn't mention too much about my sewing plans in the above paragraph. That's because my sewing room has felt a bit stagnant as of late. Perhaps it's the winter <i>blahs</i> and the fact that they really promote couch time and knitting, or that I feel like I'm constantly schlepping from home to gym to work (a choice I willingly made) but I've been feeling a bit uninspired in that department. It's happened before and I know I just need to ride it out and it'll pass, but it's always disconcerting when the sewjo plummets, <i>ya know?</i><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24532696811/in/photostream/" title="DSC_0550"><img alt="DSC_0550" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1532/24532696811_0b12540372_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24247238299/in/photostream/" title="DSC_0556"><img alt="DSC_0556" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1447/24247238299_ffe9583b80_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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However I did manage to pull these two pieces out for my latest <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood Sewing Network</a> make (I can always count on those MSN posts to get me into my sewing room!). They're not going to set the world on fire or anything, but they are comfy, cozy, adaptable to my wardrobe, and together look quite chic. </div>
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The sweater jacket uses Mood's <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Italian Black and White Double Cloth Blended Wool Slubbed Knit</a> (phew! that's a mouthful...). I bought a yard and a half of this stuff back in the fall with the intention of making just such a garment. It's really lovely and thick and because of the wool content it's very warm, however since it's a blend it's not scratchy at all. Basically an ideal snuggly layer. After seeing <a href="https://blog.colettehq.com/free/free-pattern-hack-the-oslo-sweater-coat">Sarai's Oslo cardigan hack</a> over on the Coletterie I knew that I wanted to use this fabric to make my own. However for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to cut the pattern pieces out of my yard and half! I'm actually still scratching my head about how <a href="http://lladybird.com/2015/12/07/completed-cozy-loungewear/">Lauren managed to do it</a>. Granted she did not do the kimono sleeve variation but still... clearly she's a wizard. <i>Anywho</i>. Long story short I had to order another yard. It was worth it. Even if it did mean that this garment got pushed back into the new year.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24247229979/in/photostream/" title="DSC_0557"><img alt="DSC_0557" height="428" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1703/24247229979_36bc971f21_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/23986817364/in/photostream/" title="DSC_0558"><img alt="DSC_0558" height="428" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1564/23986817364_f218b7f553_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The <a href="https://www.seamwork.com/catalog/oslo">Oslo cardigan</a> is from Seamwork magazine. The variation that I did involved a little bit of pattern manipulation to create the cut-on kimono sleeve, but nothing too difficult. And rather than the buttons in the front I added belt loops and a tie. The only thing that I'm slightly bummed about is that I forgot to add width to the sleeves to get that cool kimono look that Sarai's has. I thought the kimono sleeve looked kind of dumb at the regular slim sleeve width so I chopped them off at the elbows. I say this was a happy accident as the shorter sleeve is kind of cool and makes for an interesting layering option.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24506634632/in/photostream/" title="DSC_0576"><img alt="DSC_0576" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1481/24506634632_1c7ab4cabf_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Construction wise this was pretty straightforward. I used my serger for all the seams and my sewing machine's 3-step stretch stitch for the hems. The only place where I got a bit creative was in attaching the collar. The way the instructions have you do it would have involved me running three layers of fabric through my serger. Since this fabric is quite thick I didn't think that would be the best idea so instead I used my sewing machine to sew the right side down, then attach the underside by stitching in the ditch. Which was really a breeze on this fabric because the stitches just sank right in! No one can tell how accurate (or, <i>ahem</i>, <i>in</i>accurate) I was.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24532747581/in/photostream/" title="DSC_0562"><img alt="DSC_0562" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1569/24532747581_f5ddc3d768_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/23986842324/in/photostream/" title="DSC_0565"><img alt="DSC_0565" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1718/23986842324_eee7eef50d_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The dress I'm wearing is a <a href="http://store.closetcasefiles.com/products/nettie-pattern?variant=3106915075">Closet Case Files Nettie dress</a> made up in Mood's <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/black-cotton-viscose-jersey-305766.html">Black Cotton-Viscose Jersey.</a> <span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"> I used</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> this same f</span>abric previously to make leggings and I love it. It’s very stretchy and soft. This dress feels a bit revealing when I wear it alone because of the negative ease (I’m not comfortable in skin-tight dresses) but I love it as a layering piece. I added length to the sleeves to make them nice and long so they bunch up at the wrists. Construction wise, this was the same as for the sweater jacket – serger for the majority of the seams and a 3-step stretch stitch for the cuffs and hem. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I love that stitch for stretch fabrics. It's really the only conventional machine stitch I’ve found for knits that doesn’t pop with wear. For some reason my machine’s zig-zag stitch never really seems to have any give, but the 3-step straight stitch does. Plus it looks super clean and professional. I highly recommend you give this stitch a try for knits if your machine has it. I'm sure most do. I have a very rudimentary machine.</span></span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/24318987260/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics | Italian Black and White Double Knit"><img alt="Mood Fabrics | Italian Black and White Double Knit" height="958" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1623/24318987260_cb7345a60f_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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As a whole, this outfit works pretty well as secret pajamas. Especially because they're like pajamas <i>and</i> a robe! And when the winter blues come a-knocking it's really all I can do to <i>not</i> wear my bathrobe to work (I wish I had my life together enough to own actual pajamas but...) This is a decent second best in my opinion. And both pieces work really well with the rest of my wardrobe. So even if I'm not blowing anyone's mind with these makes, I give them an A+ for wearability and the kind of thing I'll reach for again and again.</div>
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And there you have it! My first post of 2016. Feels good to dust off the cobwebs. I missed you guys. Anyone else in the midst of the January blues? Let's all hang out on the couch underneath a heating pad and commiserate...</div>
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xx</div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-53449807819030652722015-11-10T16:48:00.000-08:002015-11-10T16:48:54.862-08:00momma's got a new pair of jeans<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22712244782/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover"><img alt="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover" height="898" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/755/22712244782_a9119dc3c6_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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What the <i>What?!?! </i>Two posts in one week?!?? No need to check for air born piggies, dear readers, and no, it is not The End of Days. I'm just getting caught up on a few posts here on the old blog. I've actually been fairly productive behind the scenes this past month or so and am wrapping up multiple projects in fairly quick succession. Nice to breathe some new life into this space!</div>
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I was about to title this post "Canadian Tuxedo" but then I stopped myself... why is denim on denim called a Canadian tuxedo? If recollection serves me correct, the implication was that wearing denim on denim was trashy, or redneck-y, neither of which are things I associate with Canadians... All the Canadians I know are chic as hell! So my friends, if you have more insight into this particular slang phrase, please, do enlighten me! </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22104687933/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover"><img alt="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover" height="898" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5782/22104687933_eb5504b666_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Regardless, this is my take on the denim on denim look and I think it's pretty darn sharp! This chambray popover was my most recent make for the <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood Sewing Network</a>, however what I'd <i>really</i> like to talk about today is my new jeans. I thought to spice things up a bit I'd split the sewing talk between both sites, that way I'm not posting the same rigmarole twice. Well... it keeps things interesting for me at least!<br />
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So just to give you the quick rundown on the chambray popover - I used <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/blue-denim-like-cotton-chambray-308653.html">chambray from Mood </a>(obviously, <i>duh Sallie</i>) and altered my <a href="http://shop.grainlinestudio.com/products/archer-button-up-shirt">Grainline Archer</a> pattern to a popover style rather than a full button front shirt. this was a pretty easy alteration to make, I just cut the front on the fold and then inserted a partial placket. To read the full details, <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/a-chambray-popover-for-fall">head on over to the MSN site</a>!<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22537884890/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover"><img alt="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover" height="898" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/619/22537884890_a4813c9151_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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But my <i>jeeeaaannnnzzzz!!</i> Guys, I think this might be my favorite pair of jeans that I've made yet! So many things came together for me for this pair! But let me back up real quick here... This fall I've been pretty focused on fleshing out some fresh wardrobe basics. Jeans and shirts get worn pretty hard around here, and I feel like I can never have too many. And what with all the exercising I've been doing I didn't really feel like my old jeans were fitting me quite the same. They felt very tight through the thigh and bum, and were gape-y at the waist. The jeans that fit the best were my high-rise <a href="http://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2014/11/my-gingers.html">white Ginger jeans</a>, which I adore, but sometimes you don't want to wear white jeans! So a classic, dark-denim pair of jeans was quickly rising up my sewing queue.</div>
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As much as I love the high-rise version of the Ginger jeans, I really wanted something with a more casual feel. So I decided to give the low-rise version of the <a href="http://store.closetcasefiles.com/products/ginger-skinny-jeans-pattern">Ginger jeans</a> a try. Ugh. You guys. I freaking love this pattern. I didn't even make a muslin, and I barely did any fitting. It just works for my body. I made a straight size 6 with no alterations except to sew the waistband a bit snugger. I was initially thinking I might peg the ankles a bit because, well, I've been a die hard skinny jean wearer for the past... oh... ten years? And yes, I suppose these would still classify as skinny jeans in the grand scheme of things, but to my swaddled ankles they feel downright bootcut! But after doing a test fit I decided I really liked the silhouette. It seems to work for both dressier occasions and casual ones... or maybe that's just the secret of a good looking pair of jeans?</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22712232062/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover"><img alt="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/731/22712232062_b169fdc8dc_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I would be remiss if I didn't wax poetic about this denim. This is the Cone Mills s-gene denim that I got in the Ginger jeans sewing kit Heather and Jen were selling after the pattern launch. <i>(fyi - they just did another sale of denim kits about a month ago - supplies go fast so I think they're all sold out now. I have no idea if they'll be doing it again, but it's worth it to follow them on Instagram if you don't already so you can get the heads up in case they do) </i>You can't really find Cone Mills denim sold by the yard as it's really only available for wholesale, so if you happen across it somewhere, definitely jump on it! I think the "s" in s-gene stands for <i>sorcery</i>. This fabric is... sigh.... <i>ah-mazing</i>. It's soft, and has an amazing amount of give - perfect for comfy, close-fitting jeans that flatter and hug your curves, but it also has incredible recovery, which means that you don't get baggy knees and a saggy butt after wearing your jeans for a day. Honestly, I wore these jeans for a week straight without washing them (because that's how I <i>do</i>) and every. stinking. day. they looked fresh and crisp. I just can't even. You've probably heard the hype before about this denim, and guys, believe it. It's seriously that good. It's spoiled me. I don't know how I'll ever go back to other denims. I don't want to, that's for sure! Thank goodness I still have another bit of yardage of the lighter weight denim for me to love on!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22699781116/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover"><img alt="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover" height="425" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5733/22699781116_4cbb8c0852_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22699777896/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover"><img alt="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover" height="425" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/745/22699777896_d42518940d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22104658013/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover"><img alt="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover" height="425" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5753/22104658013_c8815751ab_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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One of the most fun things about sewing your own jeans are the myriad of ways you can customize them. I generally err on the side of classic finishing with my jeans, but I couldn't help getting a bit creative with the topstitiching for this pair. As you can see I used a standard copper/gold thread for all the topstitching, but then I used red for all my bartacks. I remember on a recent pair of <a href="http://lladybird.com/2015/10/09/completed-fancy-cone-mills-ginger-jeans/">Lauren's jeans</a> she made a little "L" on the side seam bartack that holds the pocket in place and I thought that was so cute! Since bartacking an "S" would absolutely be beyond my skills I decided to create a bit of a theme with these diagonal red bartacks. They're used on the back pockets, the coin pocket and the front fly, and again at the base of the side seam topstitching for a little extra flair. The little red touches make me super happy, and the jeans still have that classic look that I like. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22737000501/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover"><img alt="Mood Fabrics | Chambray Popover" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/638/22737000501_3a9c3a334e_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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That's it for jeans talk! They've already been in heavy rotation, so that must be a good sign!</div>
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Before I head out I'd thought I'd just mention that perhaps you guys have noticed that my photo setting has been the same in the last two posts. That's because I sadly broke my camera lens and am saving up money to replace it. In the meantime, my boss has been kind enough to let me shoot blog photos with the work camera, but it means I have to keep it at work. Luckily, my "office" is a pretty lovely setting in itself - including those two little white kitties that are hopping around in my photos! Allow me to introduce you to our work cats - The Ghost and The Darkness (who I'm holding in the picture above). They're brothers. If you don't have cats at your work I highly encourage you to bring that up at the next staff meeting. Sure, they may not be great for productivity, but they're a huge morale booster, and they pull their weight in the pest control department too! </div>
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Okay lovelies, until next time!</div>
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sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-26000965902829401952015-11-07T07:30:00.000-08:002015-11-07T07:30:00.802-08:00Knit Fix<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22443635949/in/dateposted/" title="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper"><img alt="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/721/22443635949_2a91937abf_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hey guys! I hope everyone is having a good start to your November. This month is actually going to be crazy busy for me at work and as much as I like to appreciate the moment and all that jazz I'll be <i>extremely</i> grateful to see the back of November! But enough about my <i>"real life"</i> (my "Clark Kent" if you will) let's talk about something equally as fascinating - <i>the weather!</i> In case you're wondering - yes, it's totally still warm enough to wear this getup! <i>Summer 4eva!!!</i> Actually this warm weather is putting quite the damper on my Fall/Winter sewing plans. Eh. Who am I kidding? It's putting no damper on my sewing plans, only on my <i>wearing-what-I-sew</i> plans. But, like, it's gotta get cold at some point, right? Lifelong Texans don't answer that...</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22822277602/in/photostream/" title="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper"><img alt="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper" height="425" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/773/22822277602_5ba568c002_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Well now we got the chit-chat out of the way, let's move onto the good stuff - <i>this romper</i>! Do you call it a romper or a playsuit? Or just a short jumpsuit? Well whatever it is, it's pretty freaking fun to wear!</div>
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A little while ago <a href="http://www.girlcharlee.com/?gclid=CjwKEAiAvPGxBRCH3YCgpdbCtmYSJABqHRVwrMDOiipqjvFTvEp7rhJyi5HBnlnJzx6qgVIy2tZA0BoCoa3w_wcB">Girl Charlee</a> contacted me to see if I would be interested in doing a sponsored post with them. Y'all know that besides my deal with Mood I don't really do that sort of thing. I get approached a lot, but often say 'no' because I'm just not really interested. But, like Mood, I always liked Girl Charlee and it's been one of the places that I've bought fabric from in the past. I think they have a great selection of affordable knits. They carry woven fabrics too, but I'll always think of them as the place to pick up knits in cute patterns. So I said yes because, duh, free fabric! And for the sake of transparency I'm just gonna put it out there that, yes, this post is sponsored. I received free fabric in exchange for making up something of my choosing and writing about it. Obviously all opinions are my own.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22444524609/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_2802"><img alt="IMG_2802" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5700/22444524609_24cc2569f9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22847859111/in/photostream/" title="IMG_2803"><img alt="IMG_2803" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5801/22847859111_73436e003f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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So what did I get?! Okay, this is why I was really intrigued about this particular idea. It wasn't just "hey pick some fabric and we'll send it to you and you make something". The lovely people at Girl Charlee wanted to send me one of their monthly <a href="http://www.girlcharlee.com/girl-charlee-knitfix-c-187.html">KnitFix</a> bundles. This is a selection of fabrics that they cull each month and send to you in a very cute tote, and it's totally a surprise! You don't know what you're gonna get! But chances are, you'll like most of what they send you, and the element of surprise itself is kind of awesome. It's really like receiving a present in the mail. I'll admit I kind of had a fear that they would just send some bolt ends and odd things they were trying to get rid of, but after receiving my bundle I can vouch for the fact that what you receive is a thoughtful curation of knits in a variety of fibers and prints, and all in a very useable 2 yard cuts.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22823137482/in/photostream/" title="IMG_2805"><img alt="IMG_2805" height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/756/22823137482_367fe8fb42_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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In my October bundle I received (from left to right) a fuschia and teal floral jersery rayon spandex, a blurred magenta print jersey rayon blend knit, a brown and white stripe cotton jersey, a red and blue plaid jersey rayon spandex, a floral on black baby hacci sweater knit (which I turned into the romper in this post), and a multicolored and metallic dot jersey rayon blend. Out of the bunch I think there's only one that I'm kind of like "nope, I'll never use that" and two that I'm like "these are nice but I'm not quite sure what to do with them" and then there were three that I was really pretty excited about. The metallic dots and brown stripes are going to be used for sure - perhaps to make some <a href="http://shop.grainlinestudio.com/products/lark">Grainline Lark tees</a>. And I think the red plaid could make a really cute pair of knit <a href="http://www.store.closetcasefiles.com/products/carolyn-pajamas">Carolyn Pajamas.</a></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22443637499/in/photostream/" title="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper"><img alt="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/614/22443637499_8c1b0432e4_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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But my favorite fabric, and the one I chose to focus on for this post, was this pink, blue, and black floral baby hacci sweater knit. This stuff is so drapey and soft! It lured me in immediately with it's fluid drape, super stretchy hand, and the floral print which felt very 90's-in-a-good-way to me. I had one of those moments where, upon meeting a fabric for a first time, you know exactly what you want to turn it into. And for me it was this romper.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22214662523/in/photostream/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper"><img alt="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper" height="958" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5771/22214662523_c6a3d8144b_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Excuse my bra band!</i></td></tr>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22213086794/in/photostream/" title="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper"><img alt="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper" height="958" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5806/22213086794_0d40559956_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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For the pattern I used (what else?) the <a href="http://www.store.closetcasefiles.com/products/sallie-jumpsuit-pattern-maxi-dress-sewing-pattern">Closet Case Files Sallie Jumpsuit.</a> I've been meaning to revisit this pattern ever since my <a href="http://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2015/06/sallie-in-sallie.html">first dress version</a> and this was a great excuse to pull it out again. This fabric was quite sheer so I knew that the only way for it to work was if I doubled up the bodice and the pants. The Sallie pattern calls for a self lined bodice anyway, but I didn't have enough fabric to cut a lining for the wide leg pants, so shorts it was! And I actually think this is crazy cute as a little shorts set. To do this I simply measured down the inseam two inches from the crotch curve and drew a horizontal line across. Then I eyeballed a little curve at the side seam because I think that's such a cute, flirty little detail on shorts. And this romper is nothing if not flirty!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22417460588/in/photostream/" title="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper"><img alt="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper" height="425" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5626/22417460588_1acb4245e2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The shorts are finished with a little self-fabric binding. In retrospect I kind of wish I would have interfaced the hem and done a standard folded hem. The binding got a bit wavy, and no matter how much pressing and steam I gave it, it still doesn't want to lie completely flat. </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22835783605/in/photostream/" title="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper"><img alt="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper" height="425" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5725/22835783605_c7bcf3ef0b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And speaking of my less-than-perfect sewing skills, I really <i>really</i> wish I would have listened to Heather Lou's instructions about interfacing that v-neck! Total sloppy error. The neckline (of course) gapes. To fix it somewhat I gathered the excess at the point of the "v" and sewed a little dart. You can't really see it in these photos, but it looks <i>kinda</i> intentional.... yeah... that's it. It was <i>intentional</i>. But, you know, I'm certainly not perfect, so this garment is just proof that sometimes I rush through things and ignore important steps. But hopefully it's also a lesson in shaking off your mistakes, and wearing your me-mades proudly regardless of their flaws! I mean... I still got he wolf-whistle-of-approval from Nick so... <i>that's</i> something!</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/22822280242/in/photostream/" title="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper"><img alt="Girl Charlee Knit | Sallie Romper" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/617/22822280242_2aaa428c25_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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So all in all, what do I think of Girl Charlee's KnitFix? I think it's a really fun idea! I especially think it would be a nice idea if you're sewing for kids, because kids can always use some knit cozies, and, at least in my bundle, there were a couple of those prints that I thought would make adorable kids clothes. And chances are there will be a couple of fabrics in the bunch that you'll want to keep for yourself too. I also think it's a great way to beef up your knit fabric stash. Sure, there are bound to be one or two fabrics you're not crazy about, but those are great to trade with other sewists. And, I have to say, the surprise of receiving a package you have no idea what it contains was novel and... well... <i>fun</i>!</div>
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If you want to get the November KnitFix it'll be going on sale this coming Tuesday - the 10th. You can find out all about it <a href="http://www.girlcharlee.com/girl-charlee-knitfix-c-187.html">here</a>.</div>
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That's it from me guys! I'll be back in a few days with another post (I know! two in one week?! Well, let's not count our posts before they, er, hatch) but until then, Happy Sewvember!</div>
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xx</div>
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<br />sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-73648908670509215012015-10-01T16:57:00.001-07:002015-10-01T17:26:25.350-07:00pumping iron<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21796341266/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="958" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5636/21796341266_a686e23bb3_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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'Sup dudes! It's the first day of October (as I'm writing this)... how did that happen? September, where did you go?</div>
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This post is going to be a bit different for me. I'll just be talking about sewing briefly before I begin quite the ramble... This past month I've been experimenting with making my own activewear.</div>
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I go into a good amount of detail on the construction of each of these 4 makes over on the <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/an-athletic-inspired-mini-wardrobe">Mood Sewing Network blog</a>, so I thought it might be nice to change it up a little bit over here and talk about making fitness a part of my life. Hopefully this doesn't send you all running for the proverbial hills! As I said, there's lots of sewing talk going on over on the <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/an-athletic-inspired-mini-wardrobe">MSN site,</a> so no hard feelings if you click over now and skip what's to come! I promise I'll be back with more shop talk next time.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21201407833/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/758/21201407833_6c7d4b9cf7_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21201349683/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/669/21201349683_0fed1a9a2d_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I began working out in earnest a little over a year ago and it's become a pretty important aspect of, if not my life than certainly my daily grind! I know a lot (erm.... <i>all</i>) of you come here for the sewing talk, but I thought today I might talk about my fitness journey and a few of the tips I've picked up along the way, as well as my philosophy behind the whole 'fit' lifestyle. I'm always nervous to tread off the beaten path and talk about my other interests on this blog, but I've also received so much inspiration, knowledge and even comfort from reading about others fitness journeys this past year that I thought it might be nice to share my own.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21635610279/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/597/21635610279_8e6e6b0265_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Okay, so let's get <i>physical!</i> </div>
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It was around this time last year that I decided I wanted to do more than the occasional, half-hearted attempt at yoga, and my daily bike commute in terms of activity. This decision was brought on for a number of reasons, but mainly I just wasn't feeling great. And I also realized one day that I had sort of decided the whole 'working out' thing was not for me without ever really giving it a chance - like really <i>really</i> committing to it and seeing how it goes. I had been scarred by a childhood of always being picked last in PE and being the benchwarmer in every team sport I ever played. I just thought I was un-athletic and that was that. But with the distance of adulthood I realized that I always approached physical activity as a <i>chore</i> rather than a privilege, or - god forbid - something I could <i>enjoy</i>. And somehow this didn't seem fair. I figured if I was going to write something off as being 'not for me' I had to at least give it the good ol' college try.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21831984971/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/630/21831984971_4ecebd0f21_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21201370133/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/641/21201370133_46dc64cddc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21635579829/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/741/21635579829_c47b9c45be_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="text-align: start;">So I started working out. Every </span><i style="text-align: start;">single</i><span style="text-align: start;"> day. I started small, doing a little circuit I made up around the house that involved me running up and down the stairs and doing a series of bodyweight exercises. I vowed to work out for at least 20 minutes every day. Slowly I upped my game to more intense workouts. I discovered <a href="https://www.fitnessblender.com/">Fitness Blender</a> (I'm probably going to mention them a lot in this post - please know that I am in no way associated with them, other than the fact that they have helped me </span><i style="text-align: start;">immeasurably</i><span style="text-align: start;"> in this past year) and began incorporating HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and weight lifting into my workouts. By Christmas I was hooked and I even asked for a set of dumbbells from Santa. Now, a little over a year later, I work out, on average, 1 hour 5 days a week with two days of 'active rest' (yoga, stretching, walking the dog, going on bike rides etc.) I now know (</span><i style="text-align: start;">oh</i><span style="text-align: start;">! how I know...) what a burpee is (it's not what happens after you chug a beer...) and the proper form for deadlifting, and </span><i style="text-align: start;">I look forward to leg day!!!</i></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21634588908/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/751/21634588908_bfdc2b0cf0_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I workout <i>hard</i>. And, at the risk of sounding evangelical, I've seen changes in my body that I didn't think were possible. But I also have to admit that I've struggled internally about feeling good about all of this. See, I'm a proud feminist, and I believe vehemently in body positivity and that size does not dictate beauty, worth, or health. I spent many years trying to undo the damage of my teens and early 20's and the near starvation I put myself through in order to be... <i>what?</i> More worthy of love and respect? And I was very proud of myself that even though my weight might creep up on me, I still felt beautiful. That was a <i>huge</i> mental hurdle for me. So why was I now throwing myself headlong into this exercise thing? If I can be beautiful at any size, than why do I want to lose weight? I asked myself if feeling good about your body, and wanting to be more fit could coexist together?</div>
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<i></i><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21832052721/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/597/21832052721_cfeeec2949_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21832061411/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/565/21832061411_0ec6958909_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Prioritizing your health is always a good thing, but I wanted to be sure I was really doing this for my <i>health</i> and not my vanity. The fitness world is strange. It's easy to go from affirming, body positive sentiments like "You can do this!" "You're powerful!" to body shaming stereotypes like "Bikini Body Workouts" and overly cheerful trainers yelling at you to "Banish the Jiggle!" And then, oh god, there's the diets. <i>So. Many. Diets.</i> How does one navigate all the bullshit without losing their sense of self - and finding yourself, mid jumping jack, thinking about how if you do this you'll be skinny and isn't that the ultimate goal?</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21634646618/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/777/21634646618_99c9a05bd3_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I realize I'm rambling now, but these have been real concerns of mine! And I suspect I'm not alone. Here in the sewing community we're a beautiful, diverse bunch and I'm proud to think that we foster a sense of body positivity. In fact, I know I've been part of many discussions about how sewing has been a major factor in helping women feel good about their bodies, mine included. I didn't want all the good that the last few years being a part of this wonderful and supportive community have brought me to slip away for the sake of toned arms.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21796357586/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/670/21796357586_d7c26594c1_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21634485790/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/742/21634485790_d9f209d486_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Obviously I needed to work on my own mental hangups surrounding exercise. For so long I've thought of exercise as a punishment, not a reward. Something you have to do because you ate too many oreos. <i>Again</i>. So when I decided to really give fitness a place in my life, in a healthy way, I had to change the way I thought about my body and movement. Over the past year I've come to see it like this - our bodies are like dogs (stay with me here). Dogs love to have a job to do, and the more physical that job the better. We show our dogs that we love them by taking them on walks and letting them run and jump and play. The worst thing you can do to a dog is ignore it. Bodies aren't so different. They were made to move, and by letting them move, even challenging them, you make your body happy and are showing it that you love it. Essentially, exercise is a form of self love. And I'm all about the self love. I also don't mind a good belly rub.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/21201396123/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Mini Athletic Inspired Wardrobe" height="958" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5833/21201396123_462be6fe39_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<i>SO!</i> Now I got all <i>that</i> off my chest, I thought I'd share a few of the exercise tidbits I've picked up in case anyone else is thinking of taking the plunge! Clearly I am not an expert, nor a professional, just an enthusiast who would like an outlet to talk about some of this stuff!</div>
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In no particular order, and accompanied by a few progress pics, because - what can I say? I'm proud...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>9 months in</i></td></tr>
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<b>1) Exercise doesn't have to be expensive</b></div>
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The fitness industry is just that - an industry. If you want to spend money there are a myriad of ways to do it. Me? I'm cheap. And broke. I used to love yoga but couldn't afford to go to a studio and never felt like I pushed myself very hard on my own. When I decided to commit to a fitness routine I needed it to be cheap. No gym membership. No personal trainer. When I first began I had an old pair of sneakers and I wore the rattiest, oldest stretch pants and t-shirts and mismatched socks. And it worked. Eventually, once it became clear that this wasn't just a passing phase I decided to invest in a few new things. First up were 2 good sports bras. Then for Christmas I got a new pair of running shoes and a super nice set of weights. Oh and socks (because no one deserves blisters - no matter how thrifty you think you're being). Over the past year I've added a few legitimate workout clothes (besides making my own as you see here) and a pair of ankle weights. And that's it! I work out 100% at home (besides going on walks and the occasional run) with Fitness Blender. As I said, I can't recommend these guys enough. All their videos are available for free (theres over 400), but they also have 8 week programs for an insanely reasonable $10 and 4 week programs for $6. Once you buy a program it's yours forever and you can repeat it ad infinitum. And the programs are <i>good</i>. My favorites are the 8 week fitness program and the 4 week mass building program, although I haven't tried them all.</div>
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<b>2) I don't believe in dieting</b></div>
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I know that diet and exercise seem to go hand in hand, but I try to avoid diets like the plague. This is because a healthy relationship with food is something I value and I feel like diets completely undermine that relationship (for me). And at the end of the day, weight loss isn't my goal, living a healthy life is, and food in all it's glorious forms is part of that. This doesn't mean I haven't seen changes in my body composition - I have - but those changes happened very <i>very </i> slowly. So slowly that if I didn't have pictures as proof I probably wouldn't even know it. But slow and steady does win the race. </div>
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<b>3) Make it a habit</b></div>
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This is that thing that everyone says and it's <i>so much easier said than done</i>. But it's true. When I first began working out I decided I was going to work out every day. In the past I had tried to commit to a 3-days-a-week schedule and I always gave up after awhile. It's just too easy to put it off if you give yourself those extra days in between. Working out everyday got me in the mindset of "this is just something I do" - it was part of my day, like showering or breakfast, or feeding the cat. Once the habit was established I began working out harder and doing more intense exercises (like weight lifting) that require some recovery time. I give myself one full day off a week, and one light workout day. And you know what - I kind of miss working out on those off days!</div>
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<b>4) That being said... it never gets easier</b></div>
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Anyone who tells you differently is a crazy sadist! (Unless you're one of those people, then high five man! You go git em!) I still have to talk myself into working out everyday. My body still whines during my warmup "<i>Why are you doing this to me?!? We were just sitting on the couch! What was so wrong with that???</i>" If it's the weekend I'll still spend all day procrastinating on my workout. But <i>every. single. time.</i> I realize that I've spent 3 hours being unproductive and avoiding my workout which would only take up 45 minutes of my day. It's always a better use of your time to just get it done. It takes longer to come up with excuses.</div>
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<b>5) Come up with non-appearance-related goals and focus on those</b></div>
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The first, oh, 3 months I was working out I saw no physical changes. As a matter of fact I even felt bigger for awhile. It would have been <i>so</i> easy to get discouraged and give up. But I was determined to make working out part of my life regardless of my physical appearance. I took on a "come what may" attitude and decided to accept whatever changes, or not, that my body decided to deliver. Instead I made myself small, performance related goals to judge my success. I worked on upper body strength. I worked on cardiovascular endurance. My current goal is increasing weight for my lower body exercises. These things keep me going. And occasionally I'll poke my head up, look in the mirror and go "Hey, that muscle wasn't there 2 weeks ago... cool!" It's fine to have appearance related goals but remember...</div>
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<b>6) If you want to work out solely to look better, stop right there</b></div>
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In the past I would work out to lose weight for an event, like a wedding, or because it was swimsuit season, or to make my ex regret he ever let me go. If you've ever been in a similar mindset my advice to you is to forget about working out and work on being comfortable with where you are. Buy (or make!) a beautiful dress that fits you as you are right now. Wear your dream swimsuit, whatever it looks like, and whatever you look like, and forget about your body and have fun at the pool or the beach. And your ex is dumb. Exercise is a beautiful thing, and as I said, can be all about self love. But in order for it to be that you have to get the basics of self love down, otherwise you'll be coming at it all wrong.<br />
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<b>7) Weight lifting is awesome</b><br />
This is my final bit of advice, and it's one of the things I've really taken to heart from my Fitness Blender workouts. When I used to go to the gym I would spend the majority of my time on the treadmill. When I vowed to lose weight for whatever reason I would go for a run. I hate running. <i>Hate it.</i> For a few years there I got deep into yoga in search of that mind/body connection, but I always lost steam when I saw no physical change. I've weighed less than I do now, but didn't look it, if that makes sense. It wasn't until I started lifting weights - like <i>really</i> lifting weights, not doing 50 reps of bicep curls with 2 lbs - that I began to see any change in the way my body looks. Don't get me wrong, cardio is important and yoga is wonderful, and I still incorporate both into my weekly routines, but weight lifting is where it's really at for me. And when it comes to building a stronger, more capable body that ages with grace, the importance of building muscle mass can't be overstated. It's also a great way to stay curvy while you lean out - should those be things you care about. This is why the only "investment" into my fitness routine has been a set of adjustable weights - so I can lift heavy. Obviously 'lifting heavy' is relative - my heavy is not Rhonda Rousey's, is not Arnold Schwarzeneggar's! But you get the idea.<br />
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Oh! And one last thing! Don't look at the scale! In fact, stop weighing yourself altogether. It's not an accurate depiction of fitness. I only weigh myself when I go to the doctors. Besides, we sewists know to put our trust in our measuring tape!<br />
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Okay everyone. If you've made it to the end of this ramble, thank you for sticking with me. I hope for some of you it was interesting and not just a bunch of navel-contemplation! And if you feel like it, please leave a comment telling me about your own fitness journey - sharing is caring, afterall!<br />
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xo</div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-24452592190381599192015-08-29T08:00:00.000-07:002015-08-29T08:00:03.520-07:00the dust that pancho bit down south<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/20749115030/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Liberty of London Burdastyle Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Liberty of London Burdastyle Dress" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/682/20749115030_3381330102_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hey everyone! Long time no... <i>post?</i> Can you believe that summer is winding down? The mornings and evenings have cooled off slightly around here which has my brain thinking about Fall - even if the weather is, by all accounts, still sweltering! </div>
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I felt like I've been in a bit of a weird place with my making this summer. Blame it on a lack of sewjo, or what have you, but I've been feeling pretty uninspired. What's worse, is that I wasn't even enjoying wearing my handmade clothes either! Between the heat, and some gritty tasks for me to tackle at work, my uniform became the same old pair of cut off jeans shorts and my grungiest of tees and tanks. Not only did the people around me notice my lack of usual polish (and by "people" I mean Nick and my boss, because let's be real, that's about the extent of my social circle!) but after a while it started to do a number on my head! I was questioning my identity - was this sun-bleached-frayed-hem-sports-bra-Sallie <i>the new me? </i>While I certainly fit in with my lazy island surroundings, the thought depressed me. So I resolved to try to kick myself out of my rut in the only way I knew how: by making something so darn pretty I couldn't <i>resist </i>wearing it!</div>
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This dress came about sort of slowly. I bought 2 yards of this <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/liberty-of-london-tresco-purple-multicolor-silk-cotton-voile-307506.html">delicious Liberty of London silk-cotton voile</a> using my Mood allowance a few months ago with no plan for it. I had never touched Liberty of London fabrics before and I feel like it's the stuff of legends among the sewing community, so my interest was certainly piqued when <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/">Mood</a> started carrying a <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=&q=liberty+of+london">selection</a>. This particular print really stood out to me. It reminded me vaguely of a certain period of Disney animation - like the Sleeping Beauty era - where everything is highly stylized and you kind of suspect all the animators were experimenting with hallucinogens... I believe I described it in my <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood Sewing Network</a> post as a "fantasy garden on acid" which I still feel is an apt description!<br />
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Well my 2 yards sat while I pondered what to do with them - I thought maybe pajamas, but it's so pretty I wanted the world to see it. Meanwhile I was trolling some of my less traveled haunts on the internet looking for a pattern or a look that would get me excited about sewing again and I came across this dress on <a href="http://www.burdastyle.com/">Burdastyl</a>e. I don't know why I always forget about Burdastyle - maybe it's because they release such a deluge of patterns, many of which are just variations of the same rectangle, that it's easy to forget that there are some honest to goodness gems in amongst that deluge! I consider this dress (<a href="http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_store/patterns/midi-dress-072015">07/2015 #110</a>) to be among those gems. The only problem was this pattern called for <i>5 freaking yards of fabric</i>!! So I waited until my next Mood allowance rolled around and picked up the remaining 3 yards. I have to be honest, this is definitely a project that would not have happened if it wasn't for my partnership with the Mood Sewing Network! No way in hell could I have afforded 5 yards of Liberty on my own dollar! So thank you Mood!<br />
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Working with the Liberty silk-cotton voile was at times both heavenly and oh-my-god-gouge-my-eyes-out-with-seam-rippers awful! If you've never crossed paths with these fabrics, let me try to describe it for you. In weight, this is somewhere between a cotton voile and the finest silk habotai. It is silky smooth and fairly sheer with a lovely drape that I would describe more as "floaty" than the fluidity of, say, a silk charmeuse. Basically it was the kind of fabric that if you bat your eyelashes at too hard it might flutter away! It does have the "stickiness" of cotton, so it didn't slip all over the place, but it could get kind of limp and wimpy when you wanted to get a crisp press. I found that to get any kind of structure, like throughout the bodice, I had to utilize a liberal amount of interfacing, which I did. It also frayed pretty terribly with handling, so serging the raw edges was a necessity.<br />
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But oh my goodness if it doesn't make an exquisite finished garment! For eating up 5 yards of fabric this dress is remarkably light weight and easy to wear. I self-lined the bodice for opacity and left the sleeves and skirt as a single layer. This means that I have to wear a half-slip with the dress, but I'm okay with that.<br />
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There are so many details about this pattern that I absolutely adore: The slightly raised, cut-on collar, the deep, curved v-neck ending in the sweet button placket, the little fabric button loops, the yoked waist, the raglan sleeves, and <i>oh my god that skirt</i>! I had actually debated switching out the skirt for another pattern because I was worried it would be "too much" but I'm so glad I didn't! Yes it ate up yards of fabric with all that gathering, but the effect is a little bit Stevie Nicks, a little bit 70's folk singer, a little bit Little House on the Prairie, and a whole lotta stuff I love. Let me put it to you this way, after finishing this dress I put it on to get the good ol' nod of approval from Nick and then proceeded to spend an inordinate amount of time swaying around the living room listening to Emmylou Harris sing "Pancho and Lefty".<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/20316186903/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Liberty of London Burdastyle Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Liberty of London Burdastyle Dress" height="958" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/612/20316186903_5f8712f298_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/20314606624/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Liberty of London Burdastyle Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Liberty of London Burdastyle Dress" height="428" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/593/20314606624_9231cd3c99_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Working with the pattern was the usual head-scratcher that most Burda patterns are. I've learned not to trust the Burda sizing, but since the patterns don't come with seam allowances it was very easy to measure the waist and bust (the only measurements I needed for this pattern) and I ended up cutting a size smaller than my measurements on the size chart. The instructions were... an adventure... In retrospect, there wasn't anything in particular that tripped me up, but I'm grateful that I have a few years of sewing under my belt to help decipher the cryptic descriptions. Par for the course with Burdastyle, really. But again - the result is utterly lovely so I'm willing to forgive any moments of confusion I might have had! In fact, this pattern is most definitely going into my "to make again" pile. The pattern came with pieces for a long poet sleeve - <i>you guys</i>! Can't you just picture the ultimate fall boho dress?!? Perhaps not in Liberty... but in a more affordable fabric I might even be tempted to make it maxi length...<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/20910942586/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Liberty of London Burdastyle Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Liberty of London Burdastyle Dress" height="428" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5619/20910942586_b895c86019_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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You guys. I love this dress. It was just what I needed to fall in love with my sewing room again. Give me a good romantic design and delicious fabric with a complex floral print and I'm happy as a pig in shit!! </div>
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Now excuse me while I go sway around my kitchen barefoot...</div>
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sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-42316334249551771232015-07-17T09:07:00.000-07:002015-07-17T09:07:04.895-07:00abstraction<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17840228545/in/dateposted/" title="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress" height="958" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7730/17840228545_78fea04f11_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Whew! Where does the time go, <i>amirite</i>? This dress was finished back in May for my <a href="http://www.moodsewingnetwork.com/">Mood Sewing Network</a> make, but due to one thing or another it didn't get posted until June. Then I went on vacation and shut myself off from all things internet-related, so now we're almost in mid-July and I'm just getting around to posting it here on my home turf! I suppose I could have just skipped it and moved on to the next project, but it's just too darn pretty of a dress not to get it's proper dues!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17652661830/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress" height="958" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5337/17652661830_ccc3f243e1_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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One great thing about waiting so long to post a make is that you can really give an honest opinion about it as part of your wardrobe. So you can believe me when I say, with no reservations, that this dress has become one of my favorite warm weather outfits! I reach for it <i>at least</i> once a week - if not more - and it's taken me from a regular old day at work, to fancier gallery openings, to picnics. Really, I'm beginning to think that there is no occasion that this dress <i>wouldn't</i> work for!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17653957479/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress" height="958" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7789/17653957479_5d3a6807fa_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This dress came about because I was looking to make some summer dresses that were both easy to wear, and easy to care for. I'll always worship at the altar of All Things Silk, but there's something to be said for a dress that you can wash, throw in the dryer, shake out, and it's ready to walk out the door with you! I think my poor overloaded drying rack will agree...</div>
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So the first place I started to look for some easy, carefree fabrics was the cotton selection from <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/">Mood online</a>. I grabbed this <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/gray-multicolored-abstract-cotton-poplin-print-306483.html">Gray Multicolored Abstract Cotton Poplin Print</a> (<i>joy of joys! It appears to be back in stock!! If you're at all intrigued by this fabric I encourage you to grab some! You won't regret it!!)</i> earlier this year with the intention of turning it into a summer dress. I just can't resist a good abstract, painterly print! <span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">This cotton poplin has a smooth, soft hand, a nice soft cotton-y drape, and best of all, when I removed it from the dryer post pre-wash, </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">no wrinkles! </em><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> Consider me sold! And you really can’t get a fabric more well-behaved than cotton. It’s just so precise to cut, sew and press. A true joy to work with.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17653984909/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress" height="958" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8889/17653984909_aa76b0d753_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">I always planned on turning this lovely cotton with it’s abstract, painterly print into a </span><a href="http://shop.grainlinestudio.com/products/alder-shirtdress" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Grainline Alder</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">. I bought this pattern last year and somehow never got around to making it up last summer. I wasn’t about to make the same mistake this summer! I actually really surprised myself with this pattern by going for View B which features a gathered skirt inset across the back and sides. I’ve always thought of myself as someone who, when given the option, usually gravitates to the more streamlined look – but maybe that’s changing! Good to know our personal styles aren’t set in stone.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17840491775/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress" height="428" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8784/17840491775_31986b7d8e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I cut a straight size 4 based on my measurements, and I think the fit is pretty good right out of the envelope, however I did add 2″ to the length. I’m getting a little bit of pulling across the chest, but not enough to make my buttons span. And speaking of buttons, I used little black buttons in the hope that they would stand out from the print. I also just love the petite little collar on this dress. Styling wise, I surprised myself again by really liking the way this dress looks all buttoned up to the top.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17813979456/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7794/17813979456_e834c5c39c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17652464868/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7722/17652464868_929776d4b8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;">It’s hard to see, but there is actually a cute little pocket on there. The print is so busy it gets totally lost (especially in photographs) which is a shame, because it might be some of the prettiest edgestitching I’ve ever done! I also think this might be the nicest my gathers have ever looked. I think the trick might be to put a line of basting </span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">below</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"> the stitching line that prevents the gathers from shifting during sewing.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17239448963/in/photostream/" title="DSC_0272"><img alt="DSC_0272" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7672/17239448963_13242a0a2c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17833514566/in/photostream/" title="DSC_0279"><img alt="DSC_0279" height="428" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8813/17833514566_2342efb079_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1c1c; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I kept the insides simple. A lot of the raw edges got enclosed in the yoke, button band, collar or bias facing for the armholes, but for the side and waist seam I simply serged. I didn’t even bother to match my thread!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17653933599/in/photostream/" title="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress"><img alt="Mood Fabrics Abstract Cotton | Grainline Alder Dress" height="429" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7750/17653933599_fcf78495fd_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Now that I'm getting all settled after my little summer travels I'm looking forward to getting back in the sewing room. I have so many things I want to make that I'm having a difficult time figuring out where to start! Time for me to take stock of my fabric and look through my patterns and see what calls to me first. This is always the most overwhelming part of making something for me - just making the decisions you need to make to get started - but it's also the most creative. So many options!!</div>
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What are you guys sewing this summer? Any go-to summer looks you've been favoring??</div>
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sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-35882608761580646772015-06-25T07:21:00.000-07:002015-06-25T07:21:33.244-07:00sallie in sallie!<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/19107881656" title="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3838/19107881656_1c8ff26cf4_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Ok, you guys had to know this was coming... <a href="http://store.closetcasefiles.com/">Closet Case Patterns</a> just released her newest pattern <i>and it's named after meeeee</i>!!!! <i>SQUEEEE!!!! </i>I'm a sewing pattern!!! And not just any pattern, but a JUMPSUIT!! Seriously friends, if I had to pick an article of clothing to personify me, I can think of no higher compliment than to say I'm a jumpsuit. It's just... *tears*... it's just too much for words! When I think of all the high kicks and funny lunge-y walks and disco grooves that women around the world will be doing in their <a href="http://closetcasefiles.com/the-sallie-jumpsuit-pattern-and-maxi-dress-sewing-pattern/">Sallie Jumpsuits</a>, well let's just say I can die happy. But the Sallie isn't <i>just</i> a jumpsuit, it's also a maxi dress, as you can see in this post. That means <i>options</i> you guys. And as much as I love pants that are directly attached to tops in my sewing patterns, I think I love a pattern that gives you options even more. But I'm getting ahead of myself here...</div>
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<i>Deep breath.</i></div>
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Hey! How are you? Summer going good? Or is it winter where you are? That's nice...</div>
<i><br /></i><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/19107890296" title="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/326/19107890296_65e28991e2_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Alright, let's get back to Sallie! When <a href="http://closetcasefiles.com/">Heather</a> told me she was going to be naming this pattern after me I was <i>so</i> excited (can ya tell?!?! Can ya tell I'm excited!!!!?!?) And then I saw the pattern and I <i>Lost. It.</i> Heather designed the <a href="http://store.closetcasefiles.com/products/sallie-jumpsuit-pattern-maxi-dress-sewing-pattern">Sallie Jumpsuit and Maxi Dress</a> with the sexy disco vibes of 70's Studio 54 and glamour girls like Bianca Jagger in mind. Basically everything I want to embody. And best of all, it's designed for knits, so not only do you get that 70's glamour girl look, but you get it while wearing something that essentially feels like pajamas! I mean... can you see why I am proud to have it be my namesake?? <br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18947955029" title="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey" height="428" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3864/18947955029_879506320a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18946439358" title="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/359/18946439358_db58c8b230_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I of course jumped at the chance to test this pattern. As excited as I am about the jumpsuit version of this pattern (and you better bet your britches I'm excited) I opted for the maxi dress for my test. The reason for this being that it is approximately a-million-dee-ba-jillion-dee degrees outside these days and about the only clothing I can wrap my head around at the moment are dresses. So the maxi dress won this round. I also thought that this gorgeous <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/fashion-fabrics/stretch-and-knits/rayon-jersey/magenta-stretch-rayon-jersey-107926.html">raspberry rayon knit</a> from <a href="http://www.moodfabrics.com/">Mood</a> would look exceptional in a floor length dress. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18513409723" title="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3903/18513409723_4184c2c66a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Construction-wise, this thing went together without a hitch. I cut all the pieces one evening, and sewed it up in a few hours the next day. I've loved every pattern I've made from Closet Case Files so far, but I have to admit, I have a soft spot for Heather's knit patterns. Her instructions always teach me a little trick for working with knits I never knew before, or a better way to do simple things, like create an elastic casing, from how I had been doing them. Admittedly, as much as I love them, working with knits has never really been my strong suit, so I appreciate the opportunity to learn. This pattern can pretty much be sewn entirely on a conventional sewing machine. The bodice is a double layer, so all seams are enclosed. I sewed the long side seams of the skirt, and the waist on my serger, but a zig-zag stitch would have worked just as well, and maybe even <i>better</i> for the side seams because of the split sides.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18511497004" title="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/542/18511497004_ce73eeb68a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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In terms of fit, you really can't get any easier than a knit! The Sallie calls for a knit with a good amount of 4 way stretch, which makes it <i>oh-so-comfy</i> and <i>oh-so-easy-to-fit</i>! I made a size 6 based on my measurements, and then measured the elastic for the waist by pinning the elastic and wearing it around for a bit to make sure it was comfortable. One of the things I love about the maxi dress is that it's actually pretty darn adjustable! You can adjust the waist elastic to what's comfortable for you, and you can adjust the shoulder ties for a comfortable fit. Seriously, does it get any easier? In my drapey rayon knit, the single layer skirt is a bit clingy on the rear, which doesn't bother me, but could bother some. A thicker or less drapey knit (or a slip if you don't live in the fiery furnace of hell and can stand an additional layer) would totally solve this.</div>
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I should also note that while I'm showing you the tester version of this pattern, Heather ended up not changing too much to the maxi dress after testing besides altering the hem curve slightly, so this version is pretty close to the finished pattern.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18947933359" title="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey" height="428" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3811/18947933359_61db8f63eb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18946482628" title="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Closet Case Files Sallie Maxi in Raspberry Jersey" height="428" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3818/18946482628_24449a3d3f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Well guys, thanks for letting me gush! I'm so excited to have such a fun pattern named after me (HAVE I MENTIONED I'M EXCITED?!?) And I wish I could convey the little giggle I get at the thought of a bunch of beautiful ladies "wearing their Sallie's" or "sewing up a Sallie"... Hmm... upon further reflection that kind of makes me think of people making freaky skin-suits of me... <i>Scratch that</i>!!! Let's just say I'm excited for people to get their jumpsuit on! And try the maxi dress version too!! Your sweaty legs won't regret it!!</div>
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Heather my love, <i>THANK YOU</i>. I know I had absolutely ZERO to do with all the hard work that went into making this lovely, but consider me a Proud Papa all the same. </div>
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<i>Now everyone, go forth and make some Sallie's!!!!</i></div>
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sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-61130921288180068822015-06-02T13:51:00.000-07:002015-06-02T13:51:18.883-07:00the simplest of swimsuits<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18177476849" title="DSC_0346 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0346" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/284/18177476849_f1182f49ce_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Well friends, here we are, another summer of sewing and blogging and once again I can't believe that I'm <i>actually</i> posting photos of myself in a bikini on the internet. *<i>Sighs</i>* oh well... (shoves her shame into the same box where she keeps her pride and stuffs it back under the bed) here we go! </div>
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As most of you probably know, <i>I love the beach</i>. It's been well documented. I believe there are scientific studies that show a shocking increase in 'good mood vibes' and 'general sense of well-being' as a result of spending a day on the beach. Those studies were conducted by me. On myself. So... you know... cold hard fact, people. But seriously, I can't think of another environment that makes me feel quite at home in my own skin. Plop me in the sand near a large body of water (preferably the salty variety) with a good book (preferably the mystery variety) and I'm one happy little mermaid. In fact, these photos were taken after spending just such a day, which explains my rather salty appearance and my whole "oh hey camera, let's take some nearly-naked-photos" confidence. <br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18175904630" title="DSC_0351 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0351" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/529/18175904630_5cfd7ca548_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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A few weeks back I woke up one Sunday morning, saw the sun shining, and knew it was gonna be a <i>perfect</i> beach day. I also decided right then and there, as I was laying in bed watching the sun stream through the curtains, that I needed a new swimsuit. <i>Now</i>. So I popped out of bed and went straight to my sewing room and began making this little guy. A few hours later my brand new swimsuit was on my body and I was on my way to the beach! Talk about a fast make!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17741010234" title="DSC_0344 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0344" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/529/17741010234_36412e2efc_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18363660635" title="DSC_0357 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0357" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8813/18363660635_e5a485e977_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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If you're looking to make your own bikini, there are options out there for patterns, but quite frankly, I just wanted something classic and simple. Call me crazy, but I kind of think string bikinis are the perfect bikini. They're adjustable so they fit a wide variety of shapes without digging into your skin, they give good tan-lines, they're sporty and sexy at the same time, and (remember, I spend a lot of time on the beach and see <i>a lot</i> of bodies in swimsuits) they look good on everyone. Sure, they're not the most supportive of swim tops - they're not going to hold you in, or push you up, or pad you out - and they <i>certainly</i> don't offer a lot of coverage or modesty, but that's kind of the point. They simply cover what needs to be covered and leave your body to do it's thing. And bodies are beautiful. So there.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18337261846" title="DSC_0383 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0383" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/494/18337261846_6d545edae9_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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String bikinis are also one of the most simple, expedient swimwear designs ever created. We're literally talking about two triangles attached to strings. Simple enough that I didn't feel the need to go hunting for a suitable pattern. Instead I traced a RTW string bikini top I already owned and started from there. The cups are actually a sort of curved triangle, with more roundness at the center front than the sides. My RTW bikini is nice because all the seams are enclosed within the lining - I think it's technically reversible, although I've never worn it as such. I really wanted to figure out how to do the same for my bikini top because it makes for a very comfortable design. It was a bit like a puzzle figuring it out, but with my usual finagling and manhandling I was able to pull it off. One thing I did was to cut the lining 1/8" smaller all around so that all the seams rolled to the underside. And if/when I make one of these again I think I will add some swimwear elastic to the front and sides - not pulling it taught, but just to help prevent any gaping when wearing. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18177538949" title="DSC_0384 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0384" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/376/18177538949_c48401ab40_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The suit bottoms are from <a href="http://papercutpatterns.com/collections/pdf-digital-print-at-home-patterns/products/soma-swimsuit-pdf">Papercut Patterns Soma Swimsuit</a> bikini. I was pretty happy with the fit of these when I made <a href="http://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2014/07/beach-babe-in.html">that bikini last year</a>, but I wanted to make a few tweaks to suit my personal tastes. I'm realizing that I'm just not a full coverage bottom kind of gal. Not that I think I've got a great bottom, I just don't like the feeling of them when they get wet. A lot of wet fabric hanging around my bum makes me feel like I'm wearing a diaper. There. I said it. (The exception to this might be the <a href="http://www.store.closetcasefiles.com/products/bombshell-swimsuit">Bombshell</a> swimsuit, which, while a lot of fabric, I actually think is a very flattering cut, but for me that suit is more of a poolside suit than a beach suit). So for these bottoms I shaved about a half inch off of the leg, tapering to nothing at the crotch. This makes them a little more leg-lengthening, as well as pretty darn cheeky. I'm really happy with these bottoms, but I'm wondering if I could go even narrower at the hip/side seam next time.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17742996033" title="DSC_0352 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0352" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8883/17742996033_9e86c6e9a9_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This fabric is some navy matte milliskin I bought when I made <a href="http://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2013/06/bam-im-dropping-bombshells.html">my Bombshell</a> swimsuit. It's been a while but I think it's from Spandex World...? It's pretty hefty for a swimwear fabric, and I probably could have skipped the lining altogether, but you never know with homemade swimsuits! I figure it's always better to air on the side of caution. No one wants to come striding out of the waves, channeling her best Ursula Andress circa <i>Dr. No</i>, only to find that her bikini turned translucent on her when wet! Both the suit top and bottom are lined with a nude swim lining from Bramaker's supply, which is also where I got my rubber swim elastic. All this stuff has been in my stash for a few years, so this was a virtually free make as well!</div>
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All in all, construction on this was pretty straightforward. I switched between my serger and a zig-zag stitch on my sewing machine for the bikini top, and my bottoms were done completely with a zig-zag stitch. As I said, I threw this whole thing together in a morning and still had time to spend the afternoon at the beach. Since then it's been my go-to suit. I have lots of extra bits of swimsuit fabric lying around from past makes, and since this uses such little fabric I think I'll make a bunch of these this summer to rotate out. </div>
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And now... time for some lady bodybuilder poses!!!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18359618992" title="DSC_0369 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0369" height="958" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7747/18359618992_381933a873_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18365231741" title="DSC_0371 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0371" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/507/18365231741_6b859a8973_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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YOUR WELCOME!!!<br />
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And no, this was not a deserted beach...<br />
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xx<br />
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<br />sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-13358678849448281352015-05-28T07:01:00.000-07:002015-05-28T07:01:30.633-07:00sherbert<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18113458816" title="Brumby skirt & tank by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Brumby skirt & tank" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7751/18113458816_67ffd0a14d_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hey Gang! How's everyone's May been going? It's been pretty dreary here the past few weeks - there's been a lot of rain and flooding throughout Texas (I hope my fellow Texans are safe and dry and on high land! Y'all are in my thoughts!) but it hasn't quite been able to make it across the bay to this island I call home. Instead we've just had endless clouds and suffocating humidity. Gross, but I'll take it over devastating floods... Yesterday the clouds decided to thin and allow some weak early evening sunlight through so I took the opportunity to shoot some pictures of my newest outfit.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17951993468" title="Brumby skirt & tank by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Brumby skirt & tank" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7792/17951993468_fa104141b2_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Earlier this month, the lovely <a href="http://blog.megannielsen.com/">Megan Nielsen</a> sent me a note to tell me about the re-launch of her paper patterns and the release of her <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/megan-nielsen-patterns/id984953876?mt=8">new sewing app</a> and asked if I would be interested in reviewing the app along with her newest pattern - the <a href="http://megannielsen.com/products/brumby-skirt-sewing-pattern">Brumby Skirt</a> (note - throughout the entirety of this post autocorrect kept trying to change "brumby" to "crumby" and it. is. driving. me. <i>insane</i>!!! end note). I thought the pattern was cute and I have to admit to being more than a little curious about the app - so I said "sure" but there is of course more to it than that.</div>
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It's hard to imagine that there was a time when my blog roll wasn't stuffed to the gills with sewing blogs. In fact, it's hard to imagine that there was a time when I wasn't even really aware that such a thing as a sewing blog existed - but as incredible as it may seem, dear reader, <i>there was such a time</i>. In this younger, naive-er plane of existence I was the voracious consumer of the <i>Personal Style Blog</i>. I loved to click through the images of women putting together outfits from their own closets. Even if my own wasn't nearly as extensive or creative, I found the different looks, the signature way these women wore clothes, and watching the evolution of trends emerge to be both aspirational and inspirational. Fashion blogs (along with a myriad of other, much more personal circumstances) led me to sewing my own wardrobe. It was through this channel that I discovered a certain Megan Nielsen. I remember when Megan released her first ready-to-wear collection, and I remember when her business began to evolve into sewing patterns at practically the same time that my thoughts were turning towards a handmade wardrobe. It was zeitgeist! I think it's for this reason that I will always feel a special kinship with Megan. As a reader, I made the evolution from the fashion blog world, to the sewing blog world in tandem with Megan, and for both of us it was here that we found our home.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18113426296" title="Brumby skirt & tank by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Brumby skirt & tank" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8825/18113426296_29bf659318_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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So it's with great pleasure that I present to you my Brumby Skirt! The Brumby is a gathered skirt with a wide waistband, an exposed zipper, deep pockets on versions 1 and 2, and three lengths - above the knee, knee length, and midi. I made version 2 because I can't say 'no' to a midi skirt and I love a good statement-making pocket. The fabric I used is some lovely cotton voile that I bought with my monthly Mood allowance in a cool, hand-drawn chevron print. The colorway of the pattern feels very summery to me. Even though this fabric is somewhat sheer, because of the volume of this skirt I left it unlined and it works really well as a single layer.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17953682579" title="Brumby skirt & tank by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Brumby skirt & tank" height="958" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7740/17953682579_eeec6a3573_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I think this pattern would be a really wonderful first make for a beginner. I never really understood why people recommend learning to sew by making things like pillow cases or curtains when there are such cute patterns like this one out there that are easy and have a really impressive, wearable, and stylish result. Plus, you'll learn a few tricks, like gathering and setting in a zipper. I mean, if you really love pillow cases and curtains, than <i>you do you</i> friend! But this isn't all that much more difficult, and - <i> look how cute</i>!! </div>
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For my purposes, I could see myself wearing the midi version just as I'm wearing it here - as a casual summer look. I really prefer dresses and skirts in the summer, but I don't always want to feel like I'm dressed to the nines, so this is a nice medium. I can also see myself using this pattern to swap out with other dress bodices from my stash. So even though I feel like a gathered skirt might be the kind of thing I could draft up myself, it's always nice to have the option of a professional pattern ready to go.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17953655079" title="Brumby skirt & tank by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Brumby skirt & tank" height="958" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8815/17953655079_bfaee05148_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18113477246" title="Brumby skirt & tank by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Brumby skirt & tank" height="428" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8841/18113477246_53b73fb970_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I feel like a big part of Megan's re-launch has been about thinking about the way sewers actually <i>use</i> their patterns. Her new paper patterns are not all that different from the Big 4 patterns we're all familiar with - they're printed on a thin white tissue and come folded in a paper envelope along with a page of instructions printed on a slightly heavier newsprint. I know this is highly subjective, but I actually really like this type of packaging. It's certainly not made to look pretty on a shelf, but it's unfussy and functional, and quite frankly, both of those things are more important to me in my sewing patterns than designer packaging. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17573346744" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_2232 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2232" height="640" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8756/17573346744_2392d9b98f_z.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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The one thing that I do feel sets a brand above the rest is the quality of the instructions, and the extra information (sew-alongs, tutorials etc.) that they provide the home sewer, and this is where Megan's approach is pretty interesting. The instructions that come with the paper pattern are certainly sufficient and straight forward, but she's also released her sewing app which acts as a companion to all her patterns. In the app you have access to all the pattern specs, fabric requirements, and a neat little shopping list you can check off as you go, cutting layouts, instructions and other fun things like ideas for customization, and links to tutorials and sew alongs. <br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18192331332" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_2230 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2230" height="640" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7767/18192331332_5a7d856b44_z.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/18008232470" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_2231 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_2231" height="640" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7760/18008232470_fd4e82f086_z.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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For this review I just used the sewing app rather than the instructions that came with the pattern (although I gave them the once over just to see what's what). I have to confess, I'm not the most technologically advanced person, and I wasn't quite sure how much an app could bring to my sewing experience. But what this really made me realize is how often I <i>do</i> tend to look up instructions, tutorials, or pictures of finished garments on my phone as I sew. I'm sure I'm not the only one. The fact that it was all right there in one easy to access place, rather than doing a million different google searches, was definitely convenient and really pretty cool. I think the app is going to be especially handy for those who purchase the PDF pattern. I don't know about you guys, but I always feel really guilty printing out instructions and whatnot <i>after </i>I've just printed out 50 pages for a pattern. It always feels really wasteful to me, so knowing that all that information is easily accessible on my phone is a big bonus. I have to say, I viewed the app with some skepticism at first, but it really won me over. Megan may have just discovered the future of sewing patterns!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17952082108" title="Brumby skirt & tank by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="Brumby skirt & tank" height="428" src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7734/17952082108_924488e994_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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I wanted to make a quick little something to go with my Brumby skirt so I had a look through my stash and found this white cotton jersey of unknown origin - probably one of those things I bought thinking it seemed like a practical thing to have around and then promptly forgot about because... boring. But it's really a pretty nice quality so I decided to do a rub-off of an American Apparel tank I've had for years and don't necessarily <i>love</i> but for lack of anything better seems to get a lot of wear. I tried to fix some of the things that bother me about the original tank, while still keeping the sexiness of the deep scoop neck and armholes. All in all, I'm really pleased with how it turned out! I especially love it tucked in like I'm wearing it here. The original tank just had serged edges for the neckline and armholes, but I wanted a more finished look for mine so I used a binding. I think it's an improvement on the original for sure!</div>
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Well guys! I think those are all my thoughts on this one! I hope wherever you are you are enjoying some early summer weather and sunshine! And what do you guys think - does a sewing app seem like the future to you? </div>
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xx<br />
<br />sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1937322106192241083.post-46185706684207078142015-05-04T18:12:00.000-07:002015-05-04T18:12:49.136-07:00tutorial: removing gathers from the minoru jacket<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17162454297" title="DSC_0138 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0138" height="958" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7781/17162454297_308388bc2a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Well it's finally here! This is my tutorial for how I removed the neck gathers from my <a href="http://www.sewaholicpatterns.com/minoru-jacket/">Sewaholic Minoru Jacket</a>, as seen in <a href="http://sallieoh.blogspot.com/2015/03/oh-snap.html">this post</a>. This was probably the most dramatic change I made to this pattern, but for a full outline on what I changed, please see the original post. </div>
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Before I begin I just want to mention that while this tutorial is specific to the Minoru pattern, it can actually be used for any pattern where there are darts or gathers used for shaping. The principles are the same, we're just rotating out the excess fabric. </div>
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Also, these are pretty major changes to make to a pattern, so I <i>highly</i> recommend that you make a muslin after making these changes to make sure that the fit still works for you. Obviously, these were the changes I made and they worked for my body, but, you know, we're all unique little snowflakes, and what works for me may not work for you.</div>
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Okay! Let's begin!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/16747446164" title="DSC_0163 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0163" height="958" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7763/16747446164_1f6c9c84c8_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Materials you will need for this tutorial:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Your Minoru pattern front, back, sleeve, and collar pieces, as well as all your lining pieces (For the sake of brevity I will only be showing you how to adjust the Minoru front and sleeve in this tutorial, but the steps are the same for the back and lining pieces).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">A roll of tracing paper or parchment paper or some other sort of see-through paper for tracing</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Tape (I'm using electrical tape because it's what I had on hand... don't ask)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Scissors</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">A straight edge/ruler</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Measuring tape and Seam gauge</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Pens/Pencils </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">French curve (not pictured)</li>
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Note: Most of my measurements for this tutorial are in centimeters. I just find it easier when I'm doing pattern adjustments.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17183749919" title="DSC_0164 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0164" height="958" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8760/17183749919_c802df7830_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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1) Start out by tracing your Minoru front and transfer all the markings, including grainline, guide for waist elastic, notches etc.</div>
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2) Using a seam gauge or ruler mark the stitching line along the side seam, raglan seam, and neckline. The Minoru uses a 5/8" seam allowance so you'll want to measure in from the cutting line 5/8". No need to mark the seam allowance on the center front. Transfer all markings as best as you can to this new line.</div>
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3) Cut out your pattern on the stitching line, all the way around.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17182400850" title="DSC_0166 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0166" height="428" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8850/17182400850_c9f40d19b9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17369647561" title="DSC_0172 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0172" height="428" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8855/17369647561_e15a20c388_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Now we have to use some math to figure out how much fabric the gathers pull in, and therefore how much to reduce our neckline by. This next part gets a little tricky. Please note that all my measurements are for a size 8. You will have to do your own measuring and math for your own size, unfortunately!</div>
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4) Measure from the large circle at the neckline to the center front. On my pattern that measurement is 4.3cm. This is the part of the neckline that does not get gathered.</div>
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5) Measure from the large circle to the raglan seam. On my pattern that measures 8.5cm. This is the area that <i>does</i> get gathered, and therefore the area that we will focus our adjustments on.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17344028296" title="DSC_0171 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0171" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7670/17344028296_3a9d5d1f3b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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6) Now do the same thing for the sleeve, measuring the distance on either side of the notch at the top of the sleeve, omitting the seam allowances. You can see I drew little dashes for where the seam allowances are. Also note that you can tell the front and back of the sleeve based on the notches on the raglan seam - there is one notch for the front, and two notches for the back. So the front half of my sleeve measures 10.5cm at the neckline, and the back half measures 8cm.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17182405320" title="DSC_0170 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0170" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7756/17182405320_b57c83d54f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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7) Now find the pattern piece for the collar. There are three notches on the bottom of the collar. One at the center back, one in the middle, and one towards the front. The notch in the middle corresponds to the notch at the neckline of your sleeve. Measure in from the center front (the side <i>not marked</i> "cut on fold") the same distance as the ungathered portion of your jacket front (4.3cm) and make a mark. Now measure the distance from that mark to the sleeve notch. On my pattern this is 12cm. This distance is the distance that we have to get the gathered portion of the jacket front and the front of the sleeve to fit into.</div>
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<i>Note: you will be doing the same thing for the back measurements, but as I said earlier, I'll only be showing you the front.</i></div>
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8) Now comes the math part: </div>
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<i>gathered part of jacket front + front of sleeve = total length of front gathers</i></div>
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8.5cm + 10.5cm = 19cm</div>
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<i>total length of front gathers - distance between sleeve notch and mark from step 7 = amount that needs to be removed </i></div>
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19cm - 12cm = 7cm</div>
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<i>divide by 2</i> = 3.5 cm</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17369649891" title="DSC_0174 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0174" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7662/17369649891_8fcca4f0f1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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You will need to remove this figure (3.5cm) from both the jacket front and the sleeve front. </div>
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Fun (sorta) fact - I found that the gathering ratio was exactly the same all around the Minoru. So for me, 3.5cm was the amount that I removed from the jacket front, back and both sides of the sleeve. Of course I have no idea if this is true for all sizes, so to be safe, do the math (<i>I'm sorry!</i>)<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17368035922" title="DSC_0179 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0179" height="958" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7664/17368035922_e322fb7ee4_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Okay! No more math! I promise!</div>
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9) Draw a horizontal line just slightly above the guide for the waist elastic. This line should be perpendicular to the grainline and the center front. Cut this line so you have an upper portion and a bottom portion for your Minoru jacket front. Set the bottom portion aside for now.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/16748050684" title="DSC_0180 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0180" height="958" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7698/16748050684_5d6649d1f8_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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10) Find the halfway point between the large circle and the raglan seam (or half of the measurement you made earlier). On my pattern this was roughly 4.3cm. Make a mark.</div>
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11) Draw a vertical line from this mark to the bottom of your pattern piece. This line should be parallel to the grainline.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/16748054694" title="DSC_0181 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0181" height="958" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8855/16748054694_bc6eecafd1_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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13) Okay, I'll admit that this step is not the most scientific. Basically you want to 'guesstimate' the position of the bust point on your vertical line. I just kind of eyeballed this, but if you want a guideline, measure down from the underarm about 1 inch or so and draw in a horizontal line. Make a mark where the two lines intersect. Honestly, I don't know that it makes a huge difference how accurate this point is.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17183003390" title="DSC_0183 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0183" height="958" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8873/17183003390_7c76ebdc8b_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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14) Now cut along the vertical line from both directions <i>to</i> the point, but not <i>through</i> it. This should create a little hinge where you can swivel both sides of your pattern piece.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17370245351" title="DSC_0184 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0184" height="958" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7760/17370245351_aa9287b32a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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15) Using the numbers we came up with earlier, figure out the new length of this side of the neckline, and overlap the pattern until it measures the new length. So for my pattern I did 8.5cm - 3.5cm = 5cm. So I overlapped the pattern until that side of the neckline measured 5cm. Secure with tape. Notice how this opens up a dart at the waistline.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17344634516" title="DSC_0185 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0185" height="958" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8835/17344634516_e5dc0e957c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17370596025" title="DSC_0186 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0186" height="958" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8749/17370596025_b163e0be58_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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16) At this point I like to re-trace the pattern piece, smoothing out the neckline with a french curve. Make sure to transfer all marks including the grainline, and your new dart at the waistline.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17183021660" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSC_0187 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0187" height="958" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7717/17183021660_b63338ec5f_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I flipped the pattern piece over so it would lay flat. It is still the same jacket front we have been working with.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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17) Draw a new set of dart legs from the base of the dart to a point at the underarm. I noticed after I photographed this tutorial and went back and looked at my original pattern pieces that I actually ended my dart at a different spot on the underarm than I have shown here. Originally I ended the dart about 1inch into the curve of the underarm on the raglan seam. I don't know that it really makes a difference, but you may want to do it the way I'm describing rather than what I have shown because I know that to be successful. Sorry for the confusion! The rest of the steps are the same.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17370604785" title="DSC_0188 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0188" height="958" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8782/17370604785_c69d00d62e_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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18) Cut along one of the new dart legs <i>just to</i> the point at the underarm, but not <i>through</i>, creating another little hinge.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17183030270" title="DSC_0189 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0189" height="958" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7743/17183030270_f4374f12cb_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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19) Swivel the side seam so the dart closes. Tape in place. Notice how the horizontal "waistline seam" we created earlier is now uneven. We've essentially rotated all the excess fabric from the neckline, into the waistline, and we're now going to blend it out.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17368888892" title="DSC_0190 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0190" height="958" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8832/17368888892_5c0e1c2271_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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20) Grab that bottom portion of the front jacket pattern that we set aside earlier and reattach it to the upper portion at the waistline, matching up the grainline. There is an obvious gap of fabric along the side seam now, but we're just going to ignore that and retrace our new pattern, blending the side seam between the upper portion and the lower portion of the pattern so it's smooth. There will obviously be a little bit of extra length now at the side seam, but since we'll be doing the same thing to the back pattern piece they should match up. Also, because we did not alter the markings for the elastic at the waist you can still use these as is. Since the waistline of the Minoru is fitted with elastic (or in my case, a drawstring) and not very tailored, I think this is a good place for the excess fabric to end up.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17163391537" title="DSC_0191 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0191" height="958" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8850/17163391537_8eac4881e8_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This picture shows the new pattern piece overlaid with the old pattern piece (ignore some of those strange lines at the side seam. This is actually one of my original tracings I used for my coat and I made a few notations along the side). You can see how everything below the waist stays exactly the same, and how the raglan seam lifts up and in.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17370861025" title="DSC_0192 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0192" height="994" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8782/17370861025_bc93e5c414_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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21) The very last step for the jacket front is to add back in those seam allowances we removed back in step 2. Remember that the pattern uses 5/8" seam allowances. Make sure to transfer the notches, grainline, and the markings for the waist elastic. The pattern piece pictured above is my actual pattern piece used for my jacket and reflects a few of the other changes I made to the pattern.</div>
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<i>Don't forget to do the same thing for the jacket back, and both of the lining pieces!!</i></div>
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Now let's move onto the sleeve. This is far less complicated than removing the gathers from the jacket front, since we're just going to be converting the gathers to a dart. When I first started making adjustments to this pattern I tried to swivel out the gathers from the sleeve in much the same way that I did above. However this resulted in a sleeve with very little "corner" for the shoulder to fit in. Using a dart may not seam as neat as having a dart-less sleeve, but with a raglan sleeve like this it's really the best option!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/16750580903" title="DSC_0197 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0197" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7798/16750580903_696f9c8da9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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1) Start off by tracing the sleeve and removing the 5/8" seam allowances, just like we did with the jacket front. Transfer all notches, and grainline. You'll notice that I only traced the upper portion of the sleeve here. That's because the top is really all we need.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17184646649" title="DSC_0198 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0198" height="428" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8848/17184646649_67fd7f25bc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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2) Now draw a vertical line from the notch down about 6 inches or so. This line should be parallel to the grainline. Make a mark about 4 inches (or so... I just kind of eyeballed this) down on this line.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17184651319" title="DSC_0200 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0200" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7712/17184651319_1f9ed4c552_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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3) Measure out from the notch on either side the amount that you deduced should be removed when we were doing all our math earlier on and make a mark on either side. For my pattern this is 3.5cm. Remember how I said that the gathering ratio was the same for all areas of the Minoru? This means that I'll be reducing the front of my sleeve by 3.5cm, <i>and</i> the back of my sleeve by 3.5 cm (and the back neckline of the jacket). But as I said, do the math anyway just to be sure.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17183071928" title="DSC_0201 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0201" height="428" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7662/17183071928_eaefd0d3b8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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4) Using a french curve, connect the marks you made in step 3 with the mark you made along the vertical line in step 2. Yay! You've made a dart!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68357016@N08/17370865405" title="DSC_0195 by Sallie Barbee, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_0195" height="958" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7747/17370865405_cfe9a948af_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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5) Now retrace your sleeve pattern, adding the seam allowances back in, and making a little bumped out 'v' shape at the base of your dart legs. This is so that when you fold your dart back it meets up with your seam line and gets sewn down flat, rather than flapping about inside your jacket! This is the actual pattern I used for my Minoru. You'll notice that I elongated and changed the shape of the dart. This was a change I made after making a muslin, and was done so that the tip of the dart ended at my shoulder point, and also so it had a nice curved shape. I also make a note to "add more height" at the base of the dart. You really do need a lot of height up there to allow for the dart to get caught in the seamline.</div>
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<i>Don't forget to do the same thing for your sleeve lining too!!</i></div>
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Okay guys!! <i>THAT'S IT</i>!!! </div>
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Phew. I never said it was easy!! But it's definitely do-able. I hope that it was helpful to all of you out there that have been holding off on making this pattern because of those neckline gathers. And I hope it's inspired some of you to really make this pattern your own! </div>
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If there are any parts that you find confusing just give me a holler in the comments and I'll do my best to clarify things.</div>
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xx</div>
sallie oleta barbeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00184217699471081340noreply@blogger.com10