Washi Dress V 1.0

I'll interrupt this regularly scheduled sewiversary programming to bring you....

my NEW WASHI DRESS (version 1)!!

Ok, lets be honest here. I was VERY reluctant to buy a PDF pattern for $16. I prefer the ones that cost $3- $8 dollars, with the Colette PDFs at the top (and well earned) end of the range at $14. This pattern first caught my eye because its very similar to a ready to wear dress that I own but don't wear as frequently as I would like to because its just a tad bit too short. I resisted buying the pattern due to my deep seated cheapness thriftiness, but once it started warming up I totally caved and clicked the purchase button. 

Did I have a little buyers remorse? Only until I made my first version! I LOVE the dress and its nice to be able to support an independent pattern maker. Made by Rae has patterns for different types of sleeves on her blog, plus this can be made sleeveless, in longer or shorter lengths, and the pattern included pieces for a different type of neckline. I know I will make several version of this pattern and probably one or two for my sister or friends, so I think I'll get my money's worth. Also, I made it out of three dollar sheet, so there is that! 

Ooooooooooof cooooooourse, I made some changes. The pattern is sized from and XS- XXL (32- 44 inch bust), which I greatly appreciate! I love it when pattern companies accommodate a wide range of sizes (though, of course, this isn't all-encompassing by any means). Though the bust measurements should have just barely fit, I was concerned the waist would be too small and I did want it to be a bit loose fitting, as inspired by my original ready to wear dress. So, I added .75 inches to the center front of the bodice and skirt pieces. I meant to add .75 inches to the center back but I forgot and it worked out just fine. I suspect that my back is smaller than my front, though I'm not sure how to figure that out. Sorry I'm standing to so wonky up there. 

I love, love, love the cute little cap sleeves. I'm not a huge fan of going sleeveless, so these are the perfect compromise for those baking southwestern summers. I was a little hesitant about the pleats since I just don't really have any clothes with pleats, but I really like them. On the inspiration dress, the skirt is gathered in both the front and back and I may try that on a future version. Also- POCKETS!! And the pockets are not a separate pattern piece, but rather are just included as part of the skirt pieces. This was SO MUCH easier than my last pocket making experience (the Tiramisu).

For a sheet, I think this is some pretty awesome fabric. I actually bought it at a friend's grandparents' estate sale, so thats kind of awkward. But seriously, they had the BEST linens. And my friend appreciates a good upcycle so she isn't offended by my usage of her grandparents sheets. Ok, this is getting a bit creepy... no?

So yeah, the serger hasn't gotten old yet. This dress finished up so quickly and nothing frays! Its practically a miracle! This was (I think) my first facing experience and I'm a bit on the fence about it. Obviously I could do some bias binding on the next version... something to consider. There was also this weird thing in the pattern where you cut out the darts before you sew them up. I was a bit confused at first, but it worked out pretty well. 

Also, I kind of hate shirring, which is what this pattern calls for to give the dress some shape in the back. Its hard to do, I think it looks kind of cheap (don't hate me!), and its fails pretty easily when the elastic thread inevitably snaps. Plus, the shirring goes pretty far up the back, which I didn't think would look to good on me. I just did a simple piece of thin elastic stretched across the back using a zig zag stitch at the same latitude as the waist seam. I'm not 100% sold on this looking much better, but it does the job and was significantly easier and will hopefully last longer. 

So, thats my Washi story. I've already made another. Out of a sheet. I think this is the perfect pattern to showcase a bold print, and there is nothing quite as awesome as a bold print in the summer! Go forth and make one for yourself! And speaking of going forth and making stuff... can someone please chastise me for not even having ordered the patterns or fabric for the quick dry skort and possibly tops and sports bras I want to take on my big river trip that is LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AWAY? I seriously need to get on that. 

 

Six Month Sew-iversary! THE TOPS

Thank you all for your kind comments on my last post. You guys may have to scale back your shock and awe after you see the rest of the garments, though. I'm counting some super easy tops and even two slips and some leggings in the count, so I think the number sounds more impressive than it really is. However, I will admit that I have definitely become a sew-aholic. The urge to sew is strong with this one!

Onwards and upwards to the things I've sewn that are loosely qualified as TOPS, including but not limited to tunics, t-shirts, sweaters, tank tops, and things only suitable for layering under other things. Here are the ones you have already seen on the blog:

Cake Patterns Blank Canvas Tee V1 // Grainline Studio Scout Tee V1

Grainline Studio Tiny Pocket Tank // Blank Canvas Tee + Alabama Chanin

And here are the newbies:

Grainline Studio Tiny Pocket Tank V2 (in jersey) // McCalls 6398 V1

 

Alabama Chanin Fitted Tank V1 // Alabama Chanin Fitted Tank V2

 

McCalls 6658 V1 // McCalls 6566 View D V1

Ughh, I can think of at least one sweater I forgot to photograph (Dixie DIY Hot Cocoa Sweater)! I'll try to update that at some point... maybe....

UPDATE! Here it is.

Dixie DIY Hot Cocoa Sweater V1

Up next: things that cover the bottom half of my body.

 

6 Month Sew-iversay!?! THE DRESSES

Hear ye!  Hear ye!

Its my six month sew-iversay! 

Is that thing? I don't care! Champagne and cake all around! 

Basic Tank Dress V1 // Dixie DIY Ballet Dress V3

Tiramisu V1 //  Stretch and Sew 305 V1

Above, you can see the stuff that has already been blogged (like software, the V's refer to the version number). Below, you can see the other stuff. I'd say these photos pretty well illustrate the fact that I have grown a little... uninspired trying to back blog all the garments that I've made. I feel like I'm trying to play catch-up and it makes it hard to focus on the new stuff. Plus, some things just don't deserve a whole blog post, though I do want to keep a record of most everything I've made just so I can keep track of the evolution of my sewing through time. So, here is a major photo dump of things unblogged thus far: THE DRESSES. 

 

Dixie DIY Ballet Dress V1 (muslin; now wearable for festivals!) // Dixie DIY Ballet Dress V2 (muslin; now wearable with shorter sleeves!)

Self Drafted Everyday Dress V1 // Tiramisu V2

 

Basic Tank Dress V2

I had a major photo session this weekend (lots of wine and some quality time with the self timer on my camera) and I think I've got everything photographed that  I've made up until the six month point. Today, the dresses. Tomorrow, the rest of it. I did full photo sets for all of the garments so some (if not all) will get their own blog posts at some point. Let me know if you would like to hear the details on anything specifically, otherwise I suppose I'll just choose at random. I'd also like to make sort of a "projects" page that would have a thumbnail photo of each garment and a link to that garments full write up. This would be mostly for my reference, but might be useful for others as well. Anyone have any clue how to do that in blogger?

And for the SIX month grand tally:

29 finished objects for ME

3 finished objects for OTHERS  

I'm only counting the wearable stuff here, there have been a few wadders. And trust me, the wearable stuff gets worn most days.  I'm quite pleased with that fact, since I started sewing so that I could create the garments that I've always looked for in stores but have never been able to find. For example, jersey knit dresses with sleeves? Now I have seven (seven? wow!)!

 

Also, don't forget to drink your champagne! Bottoms up, ladies. 

 

Blank Canvas Tee + Alabama Chanin

Sweater: Woman Within

Tunic: Made by me, Blank Canvas Tee pattern + Alabama Chanin modifications

Jeans: Target

Shoes: Uggs

Sorry to be MIA for a couple of weeks there, things got crazy at work and I had some house guests. Blah, blah, blah. Let's just say I'm relieved to have the time to get back to sewing and blogging! I have SO MUCH on my to-sew list. 

I completed this project back in January (I think), right after I bought myself the very exciting new Alabama Chanin Studio Style book for my birthday! The birthday presents that you give yourself are always the best, aren't they? You always get just what you want!

 I wouldn't say the creation of this tunic was exactly intentional, but thats ok! I like how it turned out! I was trying, mostly unsuccessfully, to make a second version of the 3 Hours Past Blank Canvas Tee. I think the pattern is just drafted for someone that is much more well endowed in the boob-al region than I am and I can't for the life of me figure out how to fix it. I've downloaded the Maria Denmark Kristen Kimono Tee in hopes of further investigating this kimono tee thing. I really kimono sleeves- in theory. In actuality, they haven't treated me that well yet. 

Anyways, I had dyed up about a yard of the nine yards of white jersey fabric I bought for a steal of a deal in Dallas over Christmas vacation and was trying to make it into a tunic length Blank Canvas kimono sleeve tee. I had the reached the point of wadding up the project and leaving it on the floor for the dog to chew desperation when my Alabama Chanin book arrived! Inspiration struck! I cut the failure of a tunic down the front and used the center front seams and neckline of the Fitted Top pattern to remove a large chunk of fabric from the center front and create a much more fitted silhouette through the bust. Of course, it required a bit of grading. 

I can go into the details later if anyone is interested. I seriously think that this pattern is SO FLATTERING and have made up a tank top since and am currently working on a dress. I finished the seams on the machine, since I had already started the tunic that way (all Alabama Chanin stuff is supposed to be hand sewn), and then figured I would add some more Alabama Chanin flair in the form of some hand embroidery on the neck and sleeve bindings. 

After much consulting with the book, I managed to do a passable job. I seriously had zero experience with embroidery, especially on a knit fabric, so if I can do it you can too! I used one of the illustrated stretch embroidery stitches on the neckline and sleeve bindings and top stitched the front and side seams with embroidery thread. Surprisingly, the top stitching added a nice bit of heft to the entire top, making it much less clingy than it would have been otherwise, considering the cheap fabric that I used. 

The neckline is a bit big and gapey due to the fact that I didn't approach this tunic with even the faintest idea of how it would turn out, but its fine for causal wear or with a tank top underneath for the office. 

Anybody else working on some Alabama Chanin stuff? Want to compare notes? I have to say that I am fully obsessed but am still a bit terrified of tacking the applique/ reverse applique section, not to mention the beading! Plus, nothing makes you feel better about spending all your time watching season two of Game of Thrones very intellectual TV than hand sewing using heirloom techniques. 

 

Finished: Grainline Studio Tiny Pocket Tank V 1.0 (and bonus V 2.0)

Sweater: Anthropologie
Shirt: made by me, pattern: Grainline Studio Tiny Pocket Tank
Skirt: made by me, self drafted
Leggings: made by me, self drafted from Etsy tutorial
Boots: Vintage, Etsy
 

Whoa, this is a blast from the past. Don't worry, we don't have this much snow on the ground now!! I'm playing catch up here. This shirt was the second thing I made and now that I've blogged about it, I've covered the first, second, and third me-made items and the progression of things is a bit foggy after that so you can expect any sense of order to get thrown out the window!

Being the second thing I made, this one was fairly straightforward. Plus, I don't really remember what happened! So just enjoy the photos.....

I had this fabric in my stash for a while. I think I bought it in the clearance bin with the intent of recovering the throw pillows on my sofa, but never did it because it was really just too lightweight for pillows. That made it perfect for this shirt! It almost has a linen like texture and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the print. Seriously. Love. 

I cut a size 18 on this one, and like the Scout Tee pattern, it was a little small through the hips. Thats ok, I still wear it all the time anyways. Because I love the print. Obviously. Next time I think I will grade it out a little through the hips and make it a tiny bit longer. This fabric tends to wrinkle up pretty badly while I wear it, causing it to get shorter throughout the day and causing me to have to iron it before I put it on in the morning. Ironing is really NOT one of my favorite morning activities. In my list of favorite morning activities, it falls significantly behind enjoying a shower, drinking tea, and sleeping an extra 5 minutes because I don't have to iron.

I botched the neckline a bit, I think I had seen too many Sorbetto's with the visible bias binding and thought that was what I was aiming for even though the directions in pattern were very clear. The next time I used bias binding on a neckline I consulted Jen of Grainline Studio's tutorial, and it went much more smoothly (though trust me, I'm still working on this technique). Speaking of the second time I made the Tiny Pocket Tank....

Here is an awful photo of the version I made for my sister for her birthday back in November. She swears that she loves it, but I haven't seen her wear it yet. But maybe that's because she lives in Florida. 

All in all, I count this pattern as  win and I see quite a few more in my future. I don't wear a lot of things without sleeves (until it gets unbearably hot in the summer and I throw my sleeves required rule out the window), so I was skeptical about how much use this would get. As it turns out, its a FANTASTIC layering piece!

 

Stretch and Sew V 1.0 a.k.a the Sweatshirt Dress

 

Dress: Made by me, Pattern: Stretch and Sew 305, Fabric: French Terry

Leggings: Made by me, Pattern :Etsy blog DIY leggings tutorial, Fabric: Jersey

Boots: Honey Blossom Studio on Etsy

 One of the items of clothing that I have been searching for FOREVER is a sweatshirt dress. I mean, a sweatshirt dress sounds awesome, right? You can wear it around the house on Sunday when you are doing your cleaning and its almost respectable enough to wear to the grocery store. Its great for long car rides in the winter and lounging around the ski chalet shack when on ski vacation with friends. Its probably even great for the airplane! And yet, for some reason, NO ONE makes a sweatshirt dress. Or rather, if they do make a sweatshirt dress its too short or too small or sack-like (and literally a thousand dollars) or too ugly or actually just a sweatshirt that someone is trying to pass off as a dress. Trust me, I have been looking for the elusive sweatshirt dress for a VERY long time. 

But now... now I can make one! Hurray! And when is stumbled upon this dated, ugly ass retro pattern at the local thrift store for 30 cents, I figured I would give it a shot. Its the 1977 special: Stretch and Sew 305 and I haven't found any reviews or info about it on the great, wide interwebs. And if I can't find it on the interwebs, that means I'm the only person who has ever sewn this pattern, right? That's what I'm telling myself, it makes me feel adventuresome and special. And helps me excuse my mistakes!

Sorry for the shoddy photo, here is a scan from Vintage Patterns Wikia.And, if you are so completely green with envy over my dress that you need your very own NOW NOW NOW, there are conveniently a few patterns for sale on Etsy right now.

 See, this pattern contained everything I wanted, but not everything I wanted all in one version! I NEEDED a pouch pocket on the idealized version on my sweatshirt dress that was currently only residing in my brain, and I definitely did not want a cowl neck. I am not a cowl girl. Also, it needed a bit of grading up (story of my life). So, I added about an inch at the center seam (since the pattern is cut on the fold, this is the easiest way to add just a bit of width to the pattern: just line the pattern piece up on the fold then move it over an inch). Unfortunately, as is common with many 70s dresses I saw in my vintage clothes selling days, the top and the bottom are all one piece with an elastic casing around the waist. This means that to accommodate my badonka donk, I had to grade up the entire pattern piece, rendering the top section of the dress way too large. I guess it would have worked if I was going to for that late 70s blousey look the lovely ladies on the pattern envelope are sporting, but that didn't end up working too well with my fabric of choice. Lets keep track here: Mistake 1.

Speaking of my choice of fabric, did I tell you about this ridiculous mound of white french terry that I purchased in the discount fabric district in Dallas for $3 a yard while visiting my parents at Christmas? No? Well, here it is (with some of it dyed orange). Its even too large to fit in one photo!

I'm not entirely certain what I thought I was going to do with 9 yards of french terry, but $3! per yard! what! I couldn't pass it up. And I am slowly trying to work my way through it. Turns out it doesn't hold dye as well as I thought it would, though. This dress was supposed to be navy. Yeah. Mistake 2.

Anyways, back to the sewing saga. Well, in the process of distracting myself with the VERY CHALLENGING grading, I accidentally cut the front neckline on both the back and front pieces and quickly realized that I was screwed. Mistake 3. Fortunately I wasn't planning on using the cowl neck anyways. 

Following the directions, I applied the binding to the edges of the pocket and stitched, folded over, and top-stitched the top part of the the pocket. The directions only allow for the pocket on the shirt version of the pattern, with the edges of the pocket being sewn up in the side seams and the waistband. I figured I could top stitch those down later, using a regular old sweatshirt as a guide for construction, but I had to apply the casing first to avoid creating a catastrophe. At that point, I serged the shit out of the side seams (it still feels very dramatic when I use my new serger) and tried the thing on. Yeah, way too big on the top half ( a result of Mistake 1) and the back neckline was way too low (a result of Mistake 3). Here is where I started fixing things. I sewed a massive dart (about 2 inches wide at the top) down the center back to the waistline. Hopefully it just looks like a center back seam. It helped massively with the fit through the shoulders and removed some of the blousey-ness through the bodice. Its still a little big in the front, but trust me, its a MAJOR improvement. 

I applied the casing and elastic as directed and then finished up the pocket by sewing down and top stitching the sides of the pocket and then the bottom of the pocket. The pocket is pretty wide and I would venture to say it would look better if it was a bit less wide, but I was OVER it at this point. I tried the dress on again and guess what? It was WAY too short! Mistake 4. 

Well, at this point I was ready to embrace the "make it work" moment. I was out of the pre-dyed "navy" fabric, but fortunately I still had at least 6 yards of that white french terry laying on my floor. Good thing color blocking is trendy right now! I cut out a nice long panel, sewed it on to the bottom of the dress, and then hemmed it up to a length I liked. My serging skills are a bit lacking so the side seams at the the intersection of the panel and the dress are a bit wonky. I finished things up by applying knit binding made of the white french terry to the sleeves and neckline and the put a fork in it and called it done!

 

By some miracle clearly contrived by the sewing fairies, I managed to end up with a wearable finished project that ticks most of my sweatshirt dress boxes! I have indeed worn it to clean the house and go to the grocery store and will be certain to wear it on my next ski vacation. I haven't washed it yet, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the dye job doesn't run or fade too badly. 

And that, my friends, is the saga of the sweatshirt dress. Whew!