just dye already...

This post is a public service announcement. To all you Sewists out there - I Want You to Dye.

Fabric. That is. I want you to dye fabric. Not just flat colors, either (though that's an acceptable place to start) but crazily unique and fabulous prints that come out of your own gooey head!

As you guys probably know already, I kind of have a thing about hand painting/dyeing fabric. And while I'd love for you all to think that I have been entrusted with some mysterious artistic knowledge (the kind that is passed down by word of mouth in hushed voices during clandestine initiations performed to a full moon wearing all white... so you can dye it... obvs.) that would just be a darn lie. Dyeing fabric is easy. And I'd like to share my secrets with you.

My first foray into hand dyeing (posts here and here)

So why dye your own fabric?

1. You know how awesome it feels when someone is like, "Omigod where did you get that??" and you get to be all like, "Ohgeethanks I made it!" and they're all like "Whhhaaattt??? Girl. No you di'int." ? Yeah, now imagine adding in "And I made the fabric too." Minds. Blown. 
2. It's like wearing a painting - except not weird.
3. After the initial cost, it's cheap! And even the initial cost isn't too bad compared to what you'd be spending at the fabric store. (This is not to say that this should replace your fabric buying addiction. Ohhh hoho no! I'm all about enabling. Consider this more as a little eccentric jewel in your handmade wardrobe.)
4. It's analogue.  I'm going to reveal something about myself here.  For someone my age, and a blogger to boot, I'm utter crap with technology. I've tried, but I just can't wrangle Illustrator into doing what I want.  I'm far more at ease working with my hands. I can't be the only one, right?
5. You get to feel like a crazy mad-scientist mixing up your concoctions in your kitchen sink. And who doesn't love a little bit of role-playing, right?
6. The results are awesome. Nuff said.

My second attempt at dyeing - post here. Also, I always think this picture looks like I'm trying to grow a unicorn horn!

Third dyeing project, and one of my favorites. See posts here and here.

And this little number is for a secret special project that I won't reveal just yet. 

Do I have you convinced? Good! Then let's do this thing! This is bound to be an extra long post, so feel free to bookmark it for later, or go ahead and make yourself some tea and grab a snack. I'll wait here....

Back? Okay! Then let's just jump in... The first thing I want to tell you about dyeing your own fabric is:

It's unpredictable. Perhaps this is where fabric dyeing gets it's intimidating reputation...? But I don't really see this as an obstacle. I'm putting it out there in the beginning because I think it's a good reminder of what sort of head-space you should try to be in when you embark on your dyeing experiment.  There's always a little bit about the dye process that is out of your control, and that's the fun part.  You can't totally predict how a color will turn out once you wash it out, or get the full picture of how a pattern will look repeated over 4 yards of fabric, and most likely you won't be able to get your pattern to look perfect.  But remember, you're dyeing by hand, it's not supposed to look manufactured! Oftentimes I'll begin painting my fabric with one idea, only for it to slowly shift as I work down the yardage, and I might have to go back and add little bits to create a more cohesive overall look, but I'm okay with that, it's part of the process. Also, some of those little unpredictable quirks (the subtle shift of a color once it dries, an unexpected texture, color bleed, lack of symmetry...) can be the things that make your fabric extra cool.  

Supplies:

Now, let's look at what you need to dye.  I'm going to say right off the bat that my main source for dye supplies, including fabric, is Dharma Trading Co. They have a great, informative website, and their products are really quality. But you'll need other odds and ends too, many of which you may already have laying around the house. I've broken this into categories based on where you're most likely to find these things.

A word about Dye & Fabric

These instructions are only for procion dyes - which come in powder pigment form and are great for dyeing all natural (cellulose and protein) fibers - that means cottons, rayons, hemp, silks, linens and wools.  You can use any white, natural fibered, fabric for your project - but, as I said, I recommend the ones offered from Dharma because they are meant to be dyed, and they're a decent price.

Hardware Store Stuff 

• A large bucket (I highly recommend one with measurements along the side, it makes knowing when you've got a gallon of water soooo much easier!) 
• A few smaller buckets for mixing dyes (optional - you can also reuse glass jars, yogurt containers, etc.)
• Dust masks (dyes are loose chemical pigment, which are harmful to breathe in).
• Large sheets of plastic for protecting the floor and for rolling up wet fabric in to let cure

Household items / Grocery store stuff

• Plastic measuring cups and spoons (I recommend not using the same stuff you use to cook, buy a separate set just for dyeing) 
• Long plastic gloves
• Empty jars (optional - can also use small buckets - see above)
• Blue Dawn (or synthrapol, but this is cheaper and works just fine)
• Tea kettle or some other container for heating up water
• Regular old kitchen salt

Art Supply Stuff

• A variety of medium to small paint brushes. Realistically, I only use about three.

Dye Store stuff

• Procion Dyes (you can start with any colors that tickle your fancy, but if you're looking to build a "palette" of mixable colors, you'll want 2 shades (warm & cool) of your primary colors: red, yellow, and blue, as well as a few secondary colors like a good purple, green and orange, and maybe some neutrals like black, brown and tan. Although, really, I just bought the colors I liked.
• Soda Ash fixative - this is a necessary chemical to get the dyes to "fix" or become permanent. 
• Urea - this is an optional additive, but I like to use it when I paint fabric because it keeps the fabric moist, and since it is important for the dye to stay wet in order to "set", and painting fabric can take awhile, I think this is an important additive for the process I'm going to show you in this post.
• Sodium alginate - totally optional. This is a thickening agent that can be added to dye to make it more 'paint'-like and reduces the watercolor-y, bleeding effect of the dye.
• Fabric - cotton, rayon, hemp, silk or wool. I recommend working on continuous yardage - although you can dye a finished garment (just remember that the polyester thread will not take the procion dye).  I do not recommend cutting out your pattern pieces and then  dyeing, because you will be handling the pieces alot, and quite roughly, and they're bound to stretch and warp in the process.

Now you have everything you need to dye! This next section will walk you through getting set up to start painting your fabric, including mixing your chemical water and your dyes.

Getting Started:

Pre-wash and dry your fabric.  Even though you may have bought fabric that is good for dyeing, it's always a good idea to wash your fabric with a little bit of blue Dawn (or synthrapol if you prefer) first to get off any residue or oils that may be stuck to it.   

Protect your work surface.  Even if you are going to be dyeing fabric in your garage, or on the roof of your building or something, it's a good idea to lay down some plastic first.  This will protect your floors (and keep your landlord happy) and also protect your fabric from any dirt that may be on your floor (although I always recommend a quick vacuum before starting, but this could just be because I have two constantly shedding animals in my house). I like to lay down a thinner piece of plastic on top of this one, and then lay down my dry fabric.  Then once my fabric is painted I'll roll it up in the thinner plastic and let it "cure" for awhile.

Mixing the Chemical Water:

Chemical Water just describes your water all prepped for dye.  We'll use this as the base to mix our dyes.

1. Put the kettle on to boil.  These instructions will make a gallon of chemical water, which is what I make every time. (If you are good at the maths then you can adjust these water/chemical ratios to make smaller or larger batches of chemical water.)
2. Pour the boiling water into your large bucket.  Then double the amount of water with warm water from the tap.  You want to end up with a gallon of hot, but not scalding, water.
3. To the hot water add: 1/2 cup of salt & 1/3 cup of soda ash.  Important! Do not put the soda ash in the bucket, then add water, it forms a solid rock at the bottom of your bucket!
4. Mix with your begloved hand. Watch out for sneaky photobombing kitties.

Mixing Your Dyes:

I swear I'm wearing shorts in these photos!!

1. Make sure you put on your dust mask and keep your gloves on before you open any dye containers! Safety first!
2. Scoop about 2 cups of chemical water into a smaller bucket or jar.  It doesn't have to be exact. For this sample I used 1 1/2 cups of water.
3. Add Urea.  The ratio I'm familiar with is 3/4 cups of urea for every quart of chemical water (for direct application, i.e. painting, like we're doing here).  Since I'm only making 1 1/2 cups of dye I had to do some maths (actually, my husband had to do some maths) to figure out how much to use. I used just under 1/4 cup. Stir it up real good so all the little urea beads dissolve.
4. Using your measuring spoons, measure out about 1/4 teaspoon of dye.  The rule of thumb here is that for every gallon of chemical water, you use about 2 teaspoons of dye to get the maximum vibrancy.  You want to adjust this for using a smaller amount of water, however you can play with this too.  If you want a darker color, use more dye.  For lighter, more pastel shades, use less dye. I generally just eyeball this, no maths involved.
5. To mix your own colors you just want to sprinkle a small amount of your dye into the chemical water at a time.  Start small and add slowly. It's easy to make a dye darker, but damn near impossible to get it lighter once you go too dark! Unfortunately there are no hard and fast rules for this sort of stuff - you just have to use your eye.
6. If you want to thicken your dye to make it more of a 'paint'-like consistency, and so it doesn't bleed as much you can add a little sodium alginate to it.  (Bonus! This also acts as a very light resist.) For my sample I did not add thickener to it. But basically you just sprinkle some into your dye mix and let it sit for a bit. It will take on a slightly gel-y consistency. Don't add too much, it thickens with time.
7. Do this for as many colors as you think you are going to use - hence, creating your "palette", so to speak.

Painting Your Fabric:

While you might want to just get started on your white fabric, it's sometimes nice to dye your fabric a base color first.  If you want to do this - I recommend using the leftover chemical water bucket as your dye bath, and dunking your fabric directly in there. Wash it again (following the instructions below for washing out your dye) and dry it before preceding onto the next steps. For the sake of simplicity, I'm just doing a simple, direct design in one color on my white fabric.

Unfortunately, I can't really give you any cold hard facts about painting your fabric! This is where your own creativity comes into play.  I can say this, though, if you are nervous about just going to town all willy-nilly on your fabric, then don't.  Come up with a plan.  It's much easier to work off a system than it is to just start throwing dye around and seeing what happens.   Mentally create a grid on your fabric (you could even draw one out lightly with pencil, or a washable marker) and start from there.  Geometric prints like stripes, dots, squares or diamonds are great places to begin - and they will still look totally unique and special because they are made by hand.

Additionally, if this is your first time with this, start with only one or two colors.  Something like colored dots on a white background can be a great, fast and easy place to start, and anyone can do it. The more colors you add, the longer you'll be dyeing and the  more complicated your pattern will become.

If you are using multiple colors, it's easiest to work one color at a time, like you're legitimately a fabric printer.  Think of your pattern as building layers of color.  Work from the lightest color to the darkest color.

Once you finish, roll your fabric up in the plastic and store it for at least 4-5 hours, up to a day.

Washing Out Your Dye:

After you've let your dyed fabric sit for at least 4-5 hours (I usually leave mine overnight) you can unroll your fabric and rinse it.  Rinse it first in cold water without soap. I do this right in the sink.  The cold water will stop any chemical reaction that may still be happening with the dye.  You may see some color bleed out, that's totally normal.  Rinse your fabric until the water runs clear-ish.

Then you want to wash your fabric in hot water with another squirt of Dawn or synthrapol.  This will get out any remaining loose dye molecules and you're dye will be set! I do this in the washing machine, but you could also do it at your sink - just be really thorough.  Yes, even silks can take the hot water (protein fibers are tough y'all!) Hang or tumble dry, and that's it!!

If I'm doing multiple layers of color - like one flat base color and then a design on top of it - I wash the dye out after doing the flat color.  I don't wash the dye out after each layer of color in the design. Does that make sense?

Clean-up:

I've never had a problem with my dyes staining anything, but as you can see, I'm pretty thorough about making sure my work surface is protected, and I never take off my gloves until I'm done with the whole dye process.

I generally pour any unused chemical water or dye down the sink. I'm not sure if that is entirely environmentally sound, but I think there are worse things I could be putting down my sink.  Then I rinse my sink, so the dye doesn't stain the porcelain.  All brushes and containers just get rinsed with water.

You can save your chemical water if you have a lot left over.  You just need to add hot water to it again to bring the temperature back up, then adjust the soda ash and salt levels to compensate for the added water.  This might be a good idea if you think you'll be doing a lot of dyeing, but for my purposes it never really made much sense.

Additional Resources:

I really learned a lot about dyeing from Dharma's website. I hate sounding like a broken record, but they just have a plethora of information packed on there.  Also, their customer service people are brilliant.  If you have a question about a technique or product, or just need to trouble shoot, you can call and talk to someone, and they are super knowledgable and helpful.

I think, like many people, I was really intimidated by the prospect of dyeing in the beginning. It seemed like everything needed to be so exact or else, I don't know, you'd blow up your kitchen, or something! So when I decided to take the plunge I signed up for The Art of Cloth Dyeing with Jane Dunnewold on Craftsy. This class is really great if you're the kind of person who needs to know the why behind the how.  Like, what exactly chemically speaking, is going on here.  Jane covers all that in a really, really down to earth way.  This class also taught me that dyeing actually doesn't have to be exact. You can still get great results if you just kind of fudge it. Truth. It also covers a lot of really beautiful shibori-esque dye techniques, which are really popular right now.

And finally, you can give me a shout out! I'm far from being an expert, but I'm certainly enthusiastic and I've had my fair share of trial and error.

Well, friends, I hope I've piqued your interest in fabric dyeing, and that you found this to be an informative post! A huge thank you to my husband for being my lovely assistant in getting this process photographed. And now, stay tuned to see what I'm going to make with that kooky blue diamond pattern up there!

xx

devil with the blue dress

Stop the presses, hold the phone, and all that jazz! You guys... I took these pictures in the morning. That's right. I'm packing my woolies for the afterlife,  because hell just froze over.

You see, I am not a morning person. Like, I've been known to breathe fire, speak in tongues, and spew green shit if I'm addressed directly before 8am. It should also be known that I'm not a night person either (person of the night? lady of the night?) rather, I think of myself as a day  person.  Between the hours of 9am and 9pm I'm golden, an utter joy to behold - anywhere beyond that and it's really a gamble.  But for some inexplicable reason, today I was literally champing at the bit to get out of bed! I made myself wait until 6am, for the sake of decency and so I wasn't blowing too many minds, but once 6 rolled around I was up and at 'em as they say.

So I made it my business to take some blog photos! Everyone knows that the best times to take photos outdoors is when the sun is at an oblique angle (late afternoon/early evening - or, as the case may be, morning).  So I did my morning routine, ate my breakfast, got myself gussied up and tramped out with camera in tote to pose in someone else's garden. And here I am! Home before 9am! Is this what it feels like to be an adult...?

This dress was one of those makes that sort of happened a bit unexpectedly.  Lately I've been trying to take care of some projects for other people, and as every selfish seamstress knows, there's only so much of this one can take before ohmygodihavtamakesomethingforMEEE happens. This also happens to be the time of year when I can often be found crawling on all fours, sweat pouring from my brow, my trembling hand reaching out for my sewing machine, gasping to no one in particular (but usually the cat) "need.... more.... summer... dresses...." And it was in this frenzied, heat stroke induced state that I made this dress.

This is V8810 that I purchased during one of the awesome $1.99 sales, not really all that sure what I'd do with it, but thinking it might make a nice basic summer dress. I haven't really seen this dress around on the sewing blogs, and while I know there are plenty of people out there that sew and don't choose to parade around on the internet for all the world to see, something about this dress' absence in blogland tells me that it's not particularly popular.  And I can kind of get why. It's a little meh. I mean, a drawstring waist dress...? It sort of says "potato sack". But I've also been known to be a sucker for a tie waist, and the gathered shoulders were definitely my thing, and I liked the skirt options, so I went for it! 

The fabric is some weird rayon that I think is trying to imitate a summer-weight wool.  It's slightly scratchy, but not uncomfortable, it has a nice drape and is lightweight but still opaque.  And I love the color. Like really really love it.  I used those Dritz fabric covered buttons, which I've had so-so luck with.  I actually think they look quite nice, and are surprisingly easy to make, but I've found that they don't last very well. The tops tend to pop off after a wear or two.  But since this is really such a plain dress I wanted to make sure the buttons were immaculate so this time I pulled out one of my favorite sewing tricks - some glue and a hammer! I glued the top and base together and then pounded the shit outta them with the hammer.  I'll let you know how they hold up...

After I finished the dress and put it on I felt a wee bit lackluster about it. I was kind of expecting this, but it was still a bummer to actually see it. Something was just off. I loved the color,  but I felt like the shoulders were just too wide, despite the gathering.  So I decided to make these shoulder tabs for it to pull up the excess fabric and make the sleeve sit at a more flattering place on me.  I could have just gathered the sleeve more, but after trying on the dress I felt that it had a sort of uniform-y feel to it (not quite sure what kind of uniform... waitress? airflight attendant? armed forces...?) so I decided to kind of play up whatever utilitarian vibes I was getting from it by adding the little shoulder tab touch. Now I feel like the whole bodice is more flattering.  

All in all, this dress has been a pleasant surprise! I don't feel like the pattern envelope or drawings do the collar justice - it really has a lovely, almost mandarin-type, stand to it which I find really elegant and becoming as a neckline (necks can just be so lovely, can't they?) It was quick and easy to make, and while it may not be the most amazing thing I've ever made - I think it will serve me well as a great casual dress for work during the long hot summers.

Have you ever gone into a project with low expectations, only to be pleasantly surprised? I love it when it happens!

xx

and the bombshell goes to....

(I swear I'm actually trying to flex in this picture... my muscles just seem to be made of marshmallows)

Wow guys!! I am just totally blown away by the response to the bombshell giveaway! Of course it shouldn't come as that much of a surprise, because this is literally the swimsuit pattern to end all swimsuit patterns! I wish I could give you all bombshells, and then we could live out Heather's fantasy to have one, giant, beachy bombshell meetup! Imagine what a glamorous bunch we'd make!! But enough pussyfooting around! Let's make the announcement, shall we?

Ladies and Gentlemen (if you're out there) the moment you've all been waiting for has arrived!! Can I get a drumroll please?!

According to that friend of all blog giveaways - the random number generator - the bombshell pattern goes to...

LAURA!!! Congratulations Laura! Send me an email at sallie(dot)forrer(at)gmail and let's make this bombshell happen! 

If you didn't win, don't worry, you can still snag the pattern here, and I hope you will! And remember! Heather's about to start her bombshell sewalong - so those of you that are nervous, and I know there's some of you out there, have no fear! You, too, can rock the summer in your glamorous hand made swimsuit!

And! Because I know some of you are simply dying to know what sort of spirit animals we have in this here sewing/blogging community (no? no one? that's just me, eh?) I am happy to oblige you!  Turns out we have a lot of dolphins among us! Who would've thought?! Cats came in a close second, proving that cats really do rule the blogosphere (after dolphins, of course...) followed by a franticly nut-hoarding bunch of squirrels (!!) 

Honorable mentions go to: penguins, whales, sea otters, mermaids, chipmunks, Kate Bush, moose, bunnies, raccoons, owls, lemurs, sloths, unicorns and panthers! 

Apparently I'm alone in the reptile camp...

But what a fun menagerie we have!! Until next time, lovelies...

xx

bam! i'm dropping bombshells...

You guys, I love the beach. Have I told you that before? Surely I must have. I love it so much, sometimes I go there straight after work. Hell, sometimes I go there during  work! (You know, to clear my head... don't hate...) I love thrashing about in the surf, I love the sun and the sand, and I love people watching... and I have this theory that a visit to the beach is an instant mood uplifter - good for the soul... something to do with clearing away the negative ions...

But here's the thing - for someone who loves the beach so much, and spends a great deal of her time in her swimsuit - for the past however-many years the state of said swimsuits have been utterly tragic! Tragic, I tell you! My swimwear has been mostly comprised of assorted mismatched bikini tops and bottoms that I've amassed over the years, probably discarding the matching half when it got too faded or the elastic gave way... or I just lost the other half... You see, as someone who loves the beach so much, I wasn't terribly concerned about what I wore to the beach... it was more about just getting my ass onto the beach and having a good time! A philosophy which I still stand by, but as my interest in owning well made, stylish clothes (made by my own two hands) grew, it only stands to reason that this desire would bleed into my swimwear attire as well.

So what exactly am I getting at here? I'm getting at this little purple number! Dudes!! I made a frigging swimsuit! And it's awesome and flattering and makes me feel like a million (dollar mermaid - cheers to those that get the reference)! 

This is Closet Case File's Bombshell Swimsuit, view A.  When Heather asked me if I would be a pattern tester for this I literally jumped at the opportunity. And maybe did a little chair dance too. You see, in my secret, self-centered brain I like to think that Heather made this pattern just for me because I once let slip in a comment on her blog the shameful state of my swimwear. I described how saggy my drawers were that every time I got hit by a wave I came up baring my ass to the entire beach! I like to think that it was this gruesome visual alone that drove her to literally work her ass off making this swimsuit pattern available to me all of us.

You can thank me later (wink).

I feel like I have so much to say about this beauty! First of all, it's ridiculously flattering - just ask any of the women who've tested it (so far I've seen Lauren's, Novita's, Carolyn's, and of course, Heather's - but I'm sure there are more out there that I've missed).  While I might be the type to roll up to the beach in the skimpiest, most ill-fitting bikini, and to hell with anyone that might give me even the slightest side eye - that doesn't mean that I'm without my own set of body issues - or that there aren't times that I wished I had arrived looking more covered and respectable (pool parties, anyone?) And this suit totally puts those anxieties to rest. I feel covered, supported, flattered, shapely, etc. etc. etc. ad infinitum....  Basically, this suit has all the qualities of a good lover!

And, as a total swimsuit-sewing-newbie, I felt like it was really pretty painless to make. Heather's instructions are clear, well illustrated, and hand-holding.  I took everything one step at a time and didn't run into any mishaps.  I was nervous about inserting all that elastic, but it was actually a total breeze.  I'd say the pattern is best suited for intermediate sewers, but it would also be a great learning experience for a beginner.  Especially since Heather will be hosting a sewalong for the pattern and I think we can expect even more tips and tricks. 

And, yes, it can totally get wet!

So here's the nitty-gritty! As I said, I made View A. I cut a size 8 for the bust and waist (because those matched my measurements) and then graded between an 8 and a 10 for the hips/butt area because I was in-between sizes. I may have been able to just rely on the stretchiness of the swim fabric to deal with that extra inch of butt, but since the whole point of this swimsuit is to flatter the curves, I decided to give myself the extra room. And I'm super happy with the fit - so it worked! And that's great news for those of you that might also be in-between sizes - this is an easy pattern to work with! 

I used a matte milliskin spandex from Spandex World (bonus: getting a phone call regarding shipping and being greeted with "Hi Sallie, this is so-and-so from Spandex World!" I don't know why I thought it was so funny... but I nearly guffawed into the phone!) and a nude swimwear lining (also from Spandex World... teehehee) I ordered rubber swimwear elastic and swim cups from SewSassy.  The swim cups are great - just enough to give light shaping without looking weird. All of these materials were super high quality and I'd recommend them to anyone nervous about buying swimwear supplies. 

And here's the exciting part! Think of it as your reward for getting all the way to the end of the post (truly, I always try to keep my words to a minimum... but I just can't help myself!) Heather has agreed to offer one Bombshell Swimsuit Pattern as a giveaway! I've never done a giveaway before, and somehow I think it's totally fitting that this pattern be my first one (after all, Heather made it for me... right... rright?!?) So this is what we'll do:

To enter just leave a comment on this post! You can tell me about how much you love the pattern, or the beach... or what your spirit animal is... you know, whatever you feel like!

The giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere since the pattern is downloadable.

I'll close the giveaway next Sunday at 8pm US Central time, which gives you a nice little window of time to get it before the sewalong starts (and enough time for those of you that don't win the giveaway to still get your patterns)!

UPDATE! The giveaway is now closed - thank you to everyone who entered!!

So let's do this thing!! Oh! And in case you were wondering - my spirit animal is a smallish lizard (think chameleon or iguana)... don't ask... just trust...

xx

desert dessert

Hey guys! So about a week ago Nick and I packed our car and headed out west to Marfa, TX for a little desert excursion.  I go out there once a year for work, to give the resident artists a break from the humid Gulf coast and to become oversaturated in minimalist art.  It's always great to get away, even if it is for work.  I become a bit militant about sneaking in hotel pool time, a hike or two and lots of staring off into sunsets in between the tours and the meetings and the dinners (I know, it sounds awful, right? hehe...) 

During one of our last nights there, Nick and I snuck off into the desert to snap some blog photos.  It was super windy, and I had been on a long hike earlier that day, so please excuse my slightly sun-dazed and less-than-polished appearance in these photos! I've been meaning to get photos of this little shimmery skirt for literally months now. This is Grainline's Moss mini skirt that I made up, um... back in March...? Yeah... and it's now almost June... bad blogger!!! But this was really the pattern that made me decide that Jen was a genius. I'll try to keep my pattern-romanticizing to a minimum with this one (if you'd like to hear me wax poetic about Grainline patterns, then look no further than this post) but let me just say that, once again, the fit is spot on, the design is both modern, streamlined and classic, and the drafting of the pockets show that subtle attention to detail that makes a sewist like me go all gooey on the inside. 

The fabric is a linen from Tessuti fabrics (no longer available, but isn't is beautiful??) that I bought last spring with the intention of making a pair of shorts.  The shorts never happened, summer passed, and this pretty gold-flecked linen sat in my fabric pile for far too long.  Fast forward to this spring and all of a sudden I became obsessed with highly wearable, casual separates that could easily be incorporated into my wardrobe (hence the sudden interest in button-up shirts like my Archer, or this guy).  Not that a pair of shorts wouldn't have fit the bill, but my closet is decidedly lacking in this sort of versatile skirt.  Or really any skirts. At all. And that's just a shame, isn't it? I'm glad I went with the Moss mini skirt because it has been getting some serious wear ever since!

I don't really have too much more to say about this make! It was a dream to sew up - everything from the pattern to the fabric just seemed to marry perfectly.  Once again, Jen's tutorials were a huge help - this time to hold my hand through her fly front zipper insertion method, which was different from the method I've used in the past.  While the skirt might look like a bit of a wrinkly mess on me in these pictures (blame it on the linen, the long day, and my 'I-don't-care-I'm-on-vacation' attitude) it's really a very flattering little guy! It's definitely a mini skirt, which made me feel a tiny bit exposed at first, but I swiftly got over it once I realized just how darn comfy and practical it is! And, also, I mean... I think I've posted far more risqué things than this... so what's with all the false modesty all of a sudden?

I'm excited to use this pattern for more makes - I've been envisioning some variations in bright wools (like chartreuse or fuschia...) for fall and winter...

And now... since I'm all out of things to say... some gratuitous vacation instagram shots!

 

xx

crescent

Lucky Me got to be a pattern tester for Megan Nielsen's Crescent Blouse! How lovely is the new line of patterns, you guys? So lovely. I've gotta get my hands on that Cascade skirt - I was all ready to pounce on the sewing kit because I'm literally dying over the fabric used in the look book, but they're all sold out!!  I'll just have to put my fabric dyeing pants on and get crafty...

But anyway! Here is my Crescent Blouse!! I was super excited to test this pattern - it's such a fun, unique design.  As soon as I saw the line drawing that Megan sent me I knew I wanted to try some sort of color-blocked scheme with it.  In my mind's eye I was envisioning a gradation of blue-y-turquoises, but of course those colors didn't exist at my local fabric store (why does that always happen??) so I just had to start playing around with what was there until I found three colors that I thought worked well together.  All three are a medium weight silk crepe, which worked really well for this pattern.

I really wanted to make this blouse sort of feminine and 'date-night-ish'.  Typically I shy away from sweet little collars like this one, but there was something about pairing it with the bare shoulder, and the echoing of all the curves throughout this design, that made me feel like I just had to go for it.  There's a nice balance of sassy and sweet in the Crescent Blouses' design. So I decided if I was going to do a feminine collar, than I was gonna do it up!  I decided to try my hand at beading.  You know, because I'm sure that's something you can just pick up... (wink) I bought purple and silver seed beads, did a "how to: beading" google search (which, surprise surprise... turned up some very strange things...) and went to Bead Town!

And then I left Bead Town. Because, turns out, beads are heavy! Even these teensy tiny seed beads! The three rows that I did already started to pull the collar down, showing the grey binding on the inside.  Also, it was time-consuming, and a bit boring. So I stopped. I figured it was fancy-fied enough!

This was my first time working with one of Megan's patterns, and it was an absolute joy.  Her instructions were thorough and easy to understand, and she was full of useful little tips (like trimming all those curved seam allowances with pinking shears instead of clipping/notching to get a nice, smooth line). This blouse may look a little intimidating at first with the shoulder cutouts and all the bias binding, but it's actually quite simple to sew.  Megan did a wonderful job of making this an accessible pattern for less-experienced sewists, and even those who suffer from bias-binding-phobia, like me!

I only have one, itty bitty complaint about this top - and it's a really curmudgeon-y one, at that. It requires me to wear... a strapless bra (looooonnngggg suffering sigh...) And anytime I'm required to wear a strapless bra I'm reminded that the only one I own is way too big for me (thus the odd lumps and pulling apparent in my boob region in these photos) and I really need to buy a new strapless bra.  I'm sure this is not an issue for anyone that has a relatively grown up underwear drawer, but the general state of pathos that my underthings have been in for, oh, I don't know, the last seventeen years means that me and strapless bras are not on good terms...

Also... I wish I would have made the top half some other color besides this dusty-rose pink. While a lovely color all on it's own, it's not exactly pleasing to my complexion... But! That's why there's always a next time, am I right?!

I coerced my husband to take these pictures of me the other night since our camera remote has decided to go it's separate way... Nick's always a sport about taking my blog photos, but I always find myself more self-conscious about posing when he's behind the camera!

As we were walking around the neighborhood trying to find decent light (and, you know, the perfectly disheveled looking abandoned house - because there's so many to choose from!!) we walked by our little neighborhood handmade ice cream joint.  Gotta love beach towns! Ice cream is never too far out of reach! So I suggested an impromptu ice cream date. After all, I was wearing my 'date-night' top... I mean... how could he resist this face?

Until next time!!

xx

summer linen

Wow. Where did I go?

So sorry for disappearing on you guys like that! Unfortunately I don't have a really great reason for it, just, ya know, the usual... Life got super hectic this spring and there was just no time for sewing! And when there's no time for sewing, well, what is there to say on this here blog-o-log? Unless you wanted to hear about how busy and tired I was, how I had no time to sew, and how my couch and Girls became my new besties... Which, lets be honest, I don't think you do! So let's just forget about those dark, dark days and chat about some recent makes, eh?

Meet my new summer uniform! What is it about this time of year that always makes me gravitate towards blue and white? Is it something subliminal? Can I blame Pinterest? (I love to blame Pinterest) well whatever it is, here I am, once again, decked out in blue and white.

I made the shorts last year, but the shirt is a new make, a Grainline Archer. What seems like, oh, eons ago now, the lovely Nettie sent me this pattern basically on a whim (have I mentioned how much I love our corner of the Internet? Seriously you guys, you're just the best) it was such a lovely surprise. Like everyone else I fell in love with Archer upon first sight, and literally kicked myself for buying the McCall's pattern I used for my polka dot shirt. I wasn't sure I could justify two button-up shirt patterns in my "carefully curated" pattern stash (read: broke and stingy). However, after making both shirts now, I can safely say that they differ pretty greatly, and I think they've both earned their distinct places in my pattern drawer.

To me, the Archer is the ultimate "boyfriend" shirt. It's roomy, and comfortable, but with just enough feminine touches that you don't feel like you're drowning in it, or, you know, like you actually raided a man's closet. I love the subtle details on this shirt: the angled cuffs, the petite collar, the slim button bands... They feel very current and modern to me. The McCall's shirt has a much more "lady-like" vibe with it's bust and back darts.

This is actually the second Grainline pattern that I made this spring (I'll reveal the first later - yeah, we're a little out of order here, just bear with me...) and I have to say, I'm really really impressed. As someone who mostly sews with Big Four patterns I've generally come to expect that level of quality and fit from my patterns.  But Jen's patterns prove that there is an art to pattern drafting.  Her designs are classic and oh-so wearable, but with these misleadingly simple nuances that make them a cut above. I think I remember Sonja once saying that Jen's patterns are "beautifully drafted" - and I just can't put it better myself.

I made my Archer in a straight size 4 (for once all my measurements were in one column!! I'm telling ya... it's true love...) trusting that the ease would be just enough for it to be roomy, but not sloppy.  I did add 1 1/2 inches to the length because I liked how long the McCall's shirt was on me and wanted the Archer to have the same booty-cloaking ability. Sewing it up was pretty easy-breezy-lemon-squeezy with the help of Jen's awesome sew-along posts, which were just so chock full of awesome tips and tricks for sewing shirts (like that ninja-like move you make with the front of the collar stand and facing... any one know what I'm talking about?)  The fabric is a linen from Mood that was described as having a "chambray-look" - and, well, who doesn't love chambray? And a chambray-look-linen = perfect for summer! Also perfect for looking cooly disheveled (right? right??) with all the wrinkly glory that's going on. You will note I did not deign to iron the shirt for you after a day of wearing at work... because that would take away some of the cool... obviously...



Overall I'm really happy with how the shirt turned out. There was minimal cursing involved during it's construction (always a good sign) and while my topstitching may not be the thing sewing wet-dreams are made of, it still is pretty darn passable! Not to mentions almost completely invisible due to the white warp threads (as opposed to weft - not like... of the time-warping variety... that would be weird!) in my fabric...

Now I just need to get my blogging act together and show the rest of the stuff I've been hiding from you! I've got a couple of beauties up my sleeve...

xx