wool weather

 

Howdy Y'all! Well, it's finally sweater weather here in East Texas. Sorta. Off and on at least! Which means that it's time for me to do what I do every year around this time: freak out about my utter lack of cold weather clothing and start eyeing the blankets on the back of the couch maniacally, wondering if I can quickly drape and belt them into some passable semblance of clothing! Every year I feel completely taken off guard when the mercury decides to dip below 60 degrees (that's about 15C to all my non 'Merican friends).  I think having 9 months out of the year with triple digit temps does something to your brain...

That's why this month my Mood Sewing Network makes are all about quick, but warm, wooly dresses. I needed something warm, and I needed something warm now.  (Before the weather decides to return to balmy temperatures in a few days time!)

My first dress was made using this thick and fuzzy Designer Wool Sweater Knit from Mood Fabrics online, which is, of course, no longer available. Those wool knits go fast dudes - my advice is if you see one you like, pounce on it, like a tiger, regardless of the seasonal appropriateness of it.  For example, I spotted this fabric back in early August - when just blinking put one in danger of overheating - and I think I must have been daydreaming about cooler weather because I had to have this fabric then. At that moment. I think Nick was a bit concerned when the box came and I proudly pulled out my yardage and started crooning over it's springy, scratchy, wooly goodness. Of course, maybe it wasn't the fact that I was buying wool sweater knits in the middle of August that caused his brow to furrow, but rather the fabric itself. It's a little bit like an 80's Cosby sweater thrown in a blender... I mean, what is with those colors?! And why am I kinda obsessed with them?

Despite my love for this fabric, I had a bit of a hard time deciding what to do with it. It's quite thick, and scratchy, which means that whatever I made had to be roomy enough to wear something underneath, but not so big that I end up looking like the Michelin Man rolled in mud. I settled on variation 2 of the Saiph Tunic from Papercut Patterns because I had made one last year out of a medium weight black wool knit that I loved, but that sadly died a tragic death in the dryer (*sobs* R.I.P.) and I felt that this pattern worked well with heavier weight fabrics with a stiffer drape.

Because this fabric was pretty lofty, I ended up changing a couple of things about the Saiph Tunic in order to keep bulk to a minimum.  First I left off the neck facing and instead just simply turned the neckline in 5/8" and topstitched it with a double needle. This made for a slightly wider neckline, but I'm okay with that.  I also left off the front in-seam pockets, which I'll admit was partly because of the bulk issue (4 layers of this fabric is a lot) and partly out of laziness.  Although I'm regretting not trying to find a thinner substitute fabric that would have worked, because I keep trying to dip my hands into non-existant pockets! I also omitted the back neck button closure because I remembered from my last version that the dress was plenty big enough to slip on and off over my head.

Despite the thickness of this wool sweater knit, I had no problem zipping through it with my serger, which I used for all the major seams.  The cuffs and hem were stitched in place using my double needle on my regular machine.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this dress, but after wearing it around the house and for pictures, I have to admit I'm fairly smitten! I love that the boxy shape is tempered by the short hem, and the horizontal seam at the drop waist does wonderful things visually to the crazy print.

But, you know, sometimes you just don't want to feel bulky all winter long! In which case, let me introduce you to my second wool knit dress for this month! This was made using a smooth, mid-weight wool jersey, with a nice amount of crosswise stretch, in a bitter chocolate color (I'm also not seeing this exact knit online anymore, but this gorgeous deep maroon jersey is catching my eye!)

Unlike the first sweater knit, this wool jersey was soft enough to wear against bare skin, so I thought a body-hugging silhouette might be really flattering. It's also thick enough and completely opaque so I don't have to worry about every little lump and bump showing through.  For this dress I used Closet Case Files Nettie Bodysuit & Dress pattern.  This pattern has so many great options for variations.  For this version I decided to make it a dress (obviously) and went with the high neckline for both the front and the back, and the long sleeve.  I was hoping the modest neckline might add a counterbalance to the curve-hugging silhouette.

This dress came together in no time at all. Of course it's a very simple design, but still, I think I wound up sewing the majority of this one morning before work! And I love the results. This dress is just so easy to throw on and yet still look like you tried. It's also warm, which was my main motive, and I think the bitter chocolate color is a nice, unexpected alternative to the usual black. I'm already eyeing more appropriate wool jersey to make more of these, because I could basically live in them all winter long.

The only downside is that it attracts fuzzies and hair like it's its job! So please excuse all the lint in these closeup shots.  As far as construction goes, I just zoomed all the major seams through my serger.  The neckline was finished with self fabric binding, and the sleeves and cuffs were once again hemmed using my twin needle.  Easy peasy!

And that's it! Two quick and simple wool dresses to keep me warm... for as many weeks as winter decides to last! Best of all, both of these dresses go really well with these mulberry colored tights I pulled out of the depths of my sock drawer the other day, and immediately proclaimed them the perfect colored tights for Winter 2014/2015! Okay, okay... maybe they are just the only tights I still own that haven't been shredded to bits. Yet.

What are you sewing to keep warm or cool, depending on your hemisphere?

I hope all my friends here in the States have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving week, and for all my international buddies, Happy Sewing, as always!

xx

beach babe-in'

Hi Ya'll!! I hope all my buddies here in the States had a great holiday weekend - maybe you got out of the house, made your way to a nearby pool, or park, or beach, maybe there were some hotdogs involved? Some beer? Or maybe, like me, you spent your holiday holed up with your sewing machines and your newest pattern obsession! Nothing like a long weekend for churning out a few handmade goodies! Which of course culminates in an uber awkward photo session, this time on the beach, in a bikini, with some very curious onlookers!

Some of you that have been around here for awhile might know that I am currently calling the little beach town of Galveston, TX "home". And while it doesn't boast the classiest or most scenic of beaches, there is still a freaking ocean (okay... gulf - smaller waves, but still salty, and a heckuvalot warmer) just a mere 5 blocks from my front door. And I am not one to turn my nose up to sand, sun, and surf. Actually, I luurve the beach. And living here has taught me that fleshing out my beach (and pool) attire with some new, stylish, non-stretched-out-elastic-saggy-butt swim duds is not only fun, but necessary, as these little garments get quite a lot of wear in a season. Which is why I'm always super psyched when I hear that a new swimsuit pattern is on the market! Last year I got my first foray into sewing swimwear with Heather Lou's Bombshell swimsuit (the suit that made waves across the sewing blogosphere!) And this year I felt ready to take on some more swimwear sewing.

This is Papercut Patterns newest addition to their collection - the Soma Swimsuit (bikini, variation 2). I was pretty intrigued by this pattern when I saw the release of their newest collection, TRI, but I really fell in love, like, hard, when I saw Lauren's adorable stripe-y version.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't seriously tempted to copy every. single. thing. about that suit! Right down to the yellow trim (and Lauren's hot bod!) But, alas, I begrudgingly made myself muster an inkling of originality and began searching the internet for some fun swim fabric of my own.

My search didn't last too long, however, and I ended up landing on this nylon spandex from none other than Girl Charlee.  For the contrast triangle I went with a light coral tricot.  Looking at the fabrics online this seemed like it would be a fun color combination, but once I got them together I wasn't so sure - maybe black would have been better? No matter though, I still thought they looked good enough to forge ahead, as you can see! I also decided to get the most out of the different color shifts in this floral-y print by cutting the bust cup pieces out of two different areas. I like how this really highlights the style lines of the top. Otherwise, I thought they might get lost in this busy fabric.

I ended up having to draw in my size for this pattern, because my measurements landed me squarely in between an XS and a S. In retrospect, I probably could have gone with the XS, as drafted, for the top - which was only a half inch off from my bust measurement, but you just never know! After all, there is nothing worse than a swimsuit that pinches your fleshy parts too tight! And almost equally as bad is a swimsuit that is so big you lose it altogether every time you dive into the pool or get hit by a wave! So I wasn't taking any chances. And, as a matter of fact, I am grateful for that extra inch I added to the bottoms!

I was also a bit worried about bust support with this top. Let's get a bit TMI... I have a pretty average sized bust - I wear a 34C (or a 32D, depending on the bra) however, when left to their own devices, my ladies like to point towards the side, or perhaps I just carry most of my breast tissue towards the sides. So my yearning for bust support wasn't so much about lift (although that's welcome too) but more about keeping my lovelies front and center. After reading Lauren's review of this pattern I gleaned that it would be a bit awkward, or down right impossible, to add swim cups. So I started looking for another route and ended up buying some poly laminate foam from Sew Sassy. This is basically the same stuff that swim cups are made out of, just in one giant sheet instead of formed into boob domes. I cut the two bust cup pieces out of the foam, minus the 1cm seam allowance, then constructed my bust cups as indicated in the instructions - which basically leaves you with the cups and lining connected at the center, horizontal seam (all seam allowances neatly enclosed) but the edges all free. Then I slipped the foam pieces in and topstitched them in place along the horizontal seam. The instructions tell you to only topstitch the bottom cup, but I found that without the topstitching the foam created a little 'ridge' - so both the upper cup and bottom cup got the topstitching treatment.

Once again, in retrospect, I probably could have left it out and I would have been fine - or done as Lauren did and just triple the layers for the bust cup - but this does give a nice, defined boob area, and no chance of nipple show through.

I also bought black lingerie elastic from Sew Sassy, and used some leftover rubber swimwear elastic that I had from last year's swimsuit sewing for all the edges. However, the lingerie elastic was a bit flimsier than what I was expecting (I saw later that they sell bra straps separately, and that probably was more along the lines of what I had in mind, and what the pattern calls for - this elastic is more like what you might use on a camisole) so I decided to get creative and use multiple straps to help hold the top in place. It does the job, and looks like a cool design feature, even though it was a total spur-or-the-moment, 'make it work', kind of decision.

I love the cut of the bottoms on this suit! They're actually pretty substantial, but they're just a touch cheeky! Sexy!

After taking these photos I discovered that my swim fabric totally changes colors when wet - in this case with under-boob sweat! So classy. Ah well, I've already embarrassed myself about as much as I can by even posting these pictures on the internet, what's a little boob sweat to top it all off?? 

But seriously, if you would have told me a few short years ago that I would be making my own swimsuits one day I would have called you crazy pants. But here I am! And it feels awesome! Also, when I think about how much I spent on materials for this (and I have a TON left over) and how fast it was to sew, and then I look at the price of a good portion of the swimwear out there, I feel like I just cheated the system. Affordable, handmade, swimwear for all!! 

Now to (safely) get to work on my tan... let the beach bummin' commence!

xx

go go girl

Seasons Greetings from Galveston, TX! This week I'm preparing to make the yearly trek back East to spend the holidays with family, which means putting in long hours at work, doing ass-loads of laundry, cleaning the house, boarding the animals, and trying to eat up anything perishable in the fridge.  Thank goodness I got all my holiday shopping/gift-making finished up this weekend! Truthfully, I've been on a bit of a holiday roll as of late, which is quite odd for me. Usually I have absolutely zero Christmas spirit until I step foot in my parents bedecked house a few days before Christmas.  But this year I'm starting to feel it, and it's kinda nice! 

I think part of the reason for all my holiday cheer has to do with the fact that it's actually been cold enough in Texas for it to feel like winter.  Yes, yes, I know I'm sporting bare legs in these photos, and that's because, well, it warmed up again... but believe me when I say that it was actually and truthfully legitimately cold just a few short days ago! And since 90% of my wardrobe is warm weather garb, I found myself in the same position I always find myself in when the cold finally decides to strike in these parts - with nothing to wear! 

I've often joked that I'm part reptile because it seems that whatever the temperature is outside, that's the temperature of my body (and that's why I'm most comfortable at, oh, say 90F). I have seriously got to be the most cold-natured person I've ever met! My husband will back me up on this since he has been subject to my alarmingly cold feet and hands (and legs and arms and...) for quite some time now. So you can imagine me, a few weeks ago, feeling completely unprepared during our first cold snap, huddled in a blanket in front of my computer, numb fingers scrolling through pages and pages of online fabric stores and muttering to myself through blue lips and chattering teeth "woooollll.... neeed woooool"...

As soon as my paycheck was in I was ordering this dense, smooth, medium weight, 100% wool knit from Mood. And, oh man, did this stuff deliver! It was exactly what I was looking for - comfy like a knit, but oh so cozy. Some crosswise stretch, but pretty stable (no lycra), it doesn't wrinkle, but it pressed like a dream, and zero itch. Truthfully. I'm pretty sensitive to itchy wool, and I can wear this stuff against bare skin all day without wanting to claw it off me (although I like to layer, because, see above - re: reptilian blood). And it's black. I don't know what it is, but I have been feeling very 'black all over' with my clothes lately, so expect to see more black on this blog before the season is over!

I knew exactly what I wanted to make with it too. This is the Saiph Tunic from Papercut Patterns' new Constellation Collection - a gorgeous group of patterns with some really standout pieces.  I was pretty tempted by a few of them, but then my eyes clapped on this simple, beginner pattern, and well.... it was love at first sight. I mean, a boxy, shapeless shift of a dress?! Be. Still. My. Heart! It had "Sallie" written alllll over it!! 

Actually what really drew me to this dress was some of the pretty details, like those French darts at the bust, and the inseam pockets.  There is actually some subtle shaping in the dress, making it much more elegant than wearing a giant rectangle. And while I'm not super passionate about pockets in dresses (I can go either way) I do love when they are a design feature like they are here. 

I made this in a size XS, but I did a real mental dance about whether I should go down a size or not because of the roomy fit and the knit fabric.  In the end I decided to go with my measurement size because I didn't want those bust darts to end at my collarbones, and I was too lazy to lower them.  The fit is definitely roomy, but I don't regret making this size. Honestly, if I were to make it again I would probably cut the same size, but maybe narrow the shoulders. The only alterations I made to the pattern was to add 1 inch of length to the bottom hem band piece because I wanted to be able to wear this as a dress, not as a tunic (as the name suggests) and I took about 1/4 inch of height out of the sleeve-cap to reduce the ease, because I was using a knit (otherwise the sleeve-cap ease would have been perfect as drafted).

This was super easy breezy to sew up.  I finished the cuffs and hem by interfacing them first with some knit fusible and then using my twin needle to topstitch them - makes for a really neat finish.  And I alternated between using my sewing machine set to a long-ish (3.5) straight stitch and using my serger to sew the seams.  Most of the major seams (side seams, hem band) were done on the serger. I used a random white button I had in my stash for the back closure (I think it gives a subtle 'Wednesday Addams vibe') but, really, you don't need it - this is one that can slip right over your head. I stabilized the shoulder seams with a bit of clear elastic, but if I were to make this in a knit again I would also stabilize the front band seamline/pocket openings.  I don't mind the way they droop a bit here, but I dream of them sitting nice and flat and giving a really crisp, architectural feel.

I've already blabbed to my husband, my boss, and anyone else who I can get to stand still long enough to listen, about how I need, like, three more of these dresses in my wardrobe and then I would be a happy (winter) camper! It's just as cozy for curling up on the couch as it is for sitting at a desk, or gardening, or doing the myriad of other things that I do in my day to day life.  I just wish Mood had this   wool knit in other colors (like a bright red! or ivory - like the sample garment on Papercut Patterns website!) but I'm thinking of trying it out in a ponte next. Does anyone have experience working with ponte? What's the cozy-ness factor?

As you can see, I had a little helper with me while I shot these photos.  I thought the presence of Lucille might mitigate some of the weird comments and stares I tend to get when I take blog pictures. It's been my experience that people do not mess with you when you're accompanied by a large black, menacing looking dog, even if she is a big softie. I tried to get a good picture of the two of us, but unfortunately poor Lucille wasn't feeling so good. Shortly after this she started eating grass and vomiting! Poor puppy! Better out than in. (Don't worry, it was nothing serious, just random dog barfs...)

So here's a picture of me posing like weirdo, and sweet Lucille, looking rather green around the gills, to wish you and yours a very happy holiday! I hope your days are filled with lots of good food and even better company! (And perhaps a little sewing-related giftie or two to close out 2013?) See you in the New Year!

xx