let's give them something to talk about

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 Mood post, 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!

I've shown this dress a few times on my Instagram account. 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.

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 anything -- one of my husband's earliest nicknames for me was Tortuga Sal) and walking upwards of 4 miles a day brought out the daydreamer in me, big time. And of course I was daydreaming about sewing -- because, obviously.

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 her dress, or her shoes, or her 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.

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! Ha! 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 made her dress (and found her shoes on Etsy, and her hat from an online store) and when I put it all on, I felt 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 -- "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!" (Or Desert Sallie, or International Spy Sallie, or Witch Sallie, or...)

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. 

But you're not just here for the inner ramblings of a 30-something woman whose inner world is far more colorful than her reality! So let me tell you about this dress. This is Simplicity 1880 - 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 Sunni 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 that long??) 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!

The first version of this dress I made was in a purple linen blend and featured the faux-wrap bodice (also, I used to have boobs... awww! Memories...) 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!

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 definitely 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 vintage 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.

The fabric is also a major player in my love for this dress. This is the American Beauty, Nightshadow Blue and Tinsel Digital Flowers Printed on a Viscose Woven  from Mood Fabrics 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.

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). 

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 thought 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 at all *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 not to use them!

I can report, with full confidence, that I love 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 necessarily 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.

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.

Happy sewing, and dressing, my friends!

xx

P.S. If you want to see this fabric in action in absolute glorious fashion - go check out Oona's make over on the MSN! 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 them. This is one of the things I love most about this community!!

indigo days

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 Instagram 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!

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 that 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 meh 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.

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 Ebony H and Sophie of Adaspragg.  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!

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.

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 so right for me at the moment.  This is the Kalle shirtdress from Closet Case Patterns, sewn up in a tencel denim from Mood Fabrics.

Many many many 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.

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 eureka 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?

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.

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 bounce back...) and just my ongoing feud with bias binding (curse you bias binding... curse you!). However, it really provided a nice finish for the hem in the end, so it was worth it. 

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...) 

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.  

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. 

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! 

...

Okay. Medium sized plans.

...

Small plans? Look, we're just gonna try to keep trucking!  Thanks, as always, for following along. Love you guys!

xx

common welsh green

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...

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 once (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 ... THEN 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).

I blame my recent trip to Universal Studio's Wizarding World of Harry Potter for my recently inflamed Potter madness (I say inflamed 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.

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?)



This is the Sewaholic Lonsdale dress, view B, made up in Limeade/White Tribal Leaf Print Viscose Crepe Common Welsh Green Dragon Scale Print Viscose Crepe from Mood Fabrics, and it is this month's contribution to the Mood Sewing Network.  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 didn't 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 mentally don't identify as pear-shaped, and I think physically 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 (me?! A pear?? But I always thought I was an apple!!!) Our bodies are not fruit, ladies, nor are they some other inanimate object (ruler anyone??).



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 does 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.

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...

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! 

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 "Color Me Beautiful" 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!

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...

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:

"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

xx

kaleidescope

Hellllooooo Nurse! Ugh. It's the end of the day you guys and my humor has reached Animaniacs 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! Sucks. *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 apocalyptic pleasant weather with a smile. I'll tell you what, though, all this warm weather has put a real damper on my winter sewing plans.  Oh! The things I had planned! Somehow it just seems strange to sew a quilted Tamarack jacket or a faux leather biker jacket when I feel like I need to start preparing for the impending doom of summer, like, now. Don't even get me started on the chunky wool sweater 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...

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 don't care what fashion blogs tell me, sometimes layering is for the birds! This dress is for those days. And lots of other days too.

This is my February make for the Mood Sewing Network.  I'm still working through my blah 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 implore you - to give them a try.

But this is obviously no ordinary wrap dress. Okay, I'll just call out the elephant in the blog post - DAT FABRIC, 'DO! Isn't this a spectacular print?? This is the Deep Forest Abstract Viscose-Cotton Jersey Knit Panel 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.

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.

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 take a picture of it.  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!

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!

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 so picky 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?! 

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. 

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! 

Well, friends, that about wraps up (yuk yuk) *head slap* this post! Until next time...

xx

momma's got a new pair of jeans

What the What?!?! 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!

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! 

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 Mood Sewing Network, however what I'd really 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!

So just to give you the quick rundown on the chambray popover - I used chambray from Mood (obviously, duh Sallie) and altered my Grainline Archer 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, head on over to the MSN site!

But my jeeeaaannnnzzzz!! 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 white Ginger jeans, 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.

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 Ginger jeans 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?

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. (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) 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 sorcery. This fabric is... sigh.... ah-mazing. 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 do) 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!

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 Lauren's jeans 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. 

That's it for jeans talk! They've already been in heavy rotation, so that must be a good sign!

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! 

Okay lovelies, until next time!

xx

Knit Fix

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 extremely grateful to see the back of November! But enough about my "real life" (my "Clark Kent" if you will) let's talk about something equally as fascinating - the weather! In case you're wondering - yes, it's totally still warm enough to wear this getup! Summer 4eva!!! 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 wearing-what-I-sew plans. But, like, it's gotta get cold at some point, right? Lifelong Texans don't answer that...

Well now we got the chit-chat out of the way, let's move onto the good stuff - this romper! 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!

A little while ago Girl Charlee 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.

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 KnitFix 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.

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 Grainline Lark tees.  And I think the red plaid could make a really cute pair of knit Carolyn Pajamas.

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.

Excuse my bra band!

For the pattern I used (what else?) the Closet Case Files Sallie Jumpsuit.  I've been meaning to revisit this pattern ever since my first dress version 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!

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.

And speaking of my less-than-perfect sewing skills, I really really 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 kinda intentional.... yeah... that's it. It was intentional. 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... that's something!

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... fun!

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 here.

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!

xx