Category Archives: sewing

February 25, 2008 · 10:18 pm

new skirt

Okay, I swear, I still have plans to sew Butterick Retro ’52 B4790 before Spring settles in. BUT FIRST… I finally found the black, stretchy twill-like fabric that I’ve been looking for to make into one of the knee-length skirt options of Simplicity 5259. Now, while this might be easy-peasy for some of you sewers and seamstresses* out there, it’s still a bit of an endeavor for me. I only have two completed skirts under my belt, uh, no pun intended, and this will be the first one that I don’t plan to shortcut, and will actually use the interfacing on.

Once I’m done with the skirt, wouldn’t those capris look sweet in a red-and-white gingham, with patch pockets?

*I was going to make a joke about seamsters, but it turns out to be an actual, though archaic, word for a tailor.

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February 6, 2008 · 7:04 pm

ow ow ow ow ow

I’ll blame it on the 60mph wind gusts we’ve been getting today. Because I swear, I did not POKE myself in the eye, although it’s felt like that all afternoon. I have spent the last few hours with tears streaming down my face, and my nose running in sympathy, because I did not have a contact lens case and my glasses with me. I took out the lens, cleaned it, popped it back in… nope, didn’t do the trick. By the time I left the office, I was starting to get concerned that I had done some real damage somehow, but now that I’ve been lens-free for the last 20 minutes or so, it’s starting to feel better. Whew!

Okay, let it be heard here first: I am going to sew, or at least start sewing, a dress this weekend. There, now I’m obligated to do it. Because I also have to make Key Lime Pie #5, attend a birthday party, and accompany my mother to her Artist Trading Cards meeting. I am planning on starting Butterick Retro ’52 B4790 (as seen in this post) because I happened to pick out very dark fabrics for it when I bought the pattern, solid black and a black-and-red chrysanthemum print, and if I actually get it done I can throw a cardigan on and wear it now. So yeah, that’s the plan.

Also this weekend, I will potentially be making ten, count ’em, TEN personalized ID tags for a SINGLE CUSTOMER, assuming she gets me her list of names by then. Shout out to Cindy for ordering tags for all of her friends! CPBR thanks you.

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December 30, 2007 · 11:02 pm

something rad this way comes

A couple of times, I mentioned to people that I was delusional for thinking I could sew a dress in time for a New Year’s Eve party tomorrow night. But I did it! It’s not 100% perfect, but I’d give it a 95% 90% for accuracy. At the very least, it looks good.

The opening scene outfits from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, my inspiration.

I even found gorgeous red satin pumps at the last minute, AND they were on sale. With that kind of omen, who am I to give up on the dress? ;) Unfortunately, the hours I spent sewing were hours that could have been spent straightening up the house, which was still in the throes of Gift Wrapping Explosion and generic I’m A Slob in addition to Hey, I’m Trying To Sew Here. Erin, bless her festive soul, came over for a few hours to help me sort things out and she did an AMAZING job of decorating the living room. That girl is a wiz with a spool of ribbon and a string of fairy lights. Also, she has developed a spring cleaning plan for organizing my basement with SHELVES instead of my “method” of scattering everything on the floor in vaguely organized piles. Shelves. Who’d have thought? I’m excited to get that room back as living space.

I’m also excited for tomorrow’s party. Even if the house isn’t perfect, even if I forget to serve some of the food (or if I can’t find enough serving platters/space for all the food), the best part of a party is the guest list. And, hopefully, the spendy Champagne (because the party has a Vintage Hollywood theme, and “sparkling wine” just wouldn’t do).

I think it’s safe to assume that I won’t be posting again before next midnight, so best wishes to all for a safe, festive holiday and an auspicious new year!

A few more sewing patterns

After posting yesterday’s blog regarding dress patterns (and doing just about anything EXCEPT sewing them), I realized that I also have a few vintage patterns that I don’t actually have any plans to sew at all. I bought them because they’re pretty, though not necessarily in my size. If anybody can share information about the manufacturers or years where I don’t have them posted, I’d appreciate it.

loose threads

Inspired by a holiday-festive circle skirt I sewed the other night, I bought two new dress patterns today.

McCall’s ‘Easy Stitch ‘n Save’ M5292 and

McCall’s ‘Evening Elegance’ M5319. Which looked much prettier as an actual sample dress in the fabric store than it does on the package. These patterns will join my growing stash of unsewn patterns, which include:

and the oldest of the bunch,

I have fabric for all except the “evening” dress, which I grabbed on an impulse while I was waiting in the line to check out. I also have fabric for a no-sew bathing suit and two no-sew skirts (both patterns downloadable from Blueprint magazine) in addition to fabric for a number of handbags that I haven’t gotten around to stitching up.

The ONE pattern that I’ve managed to complete is for a simple, A-line skirt:

Butterick ‘See & Sew’ 4710, which I bought specifically for a lovely (and expensive) animal-print fabric, but I first did a “test-sewing” in a more affordable skull bandanna print called Baddanna. The test skirt is cute and wearable, but technically too big. I still haven’t made the “finished” version with the expensive fabric. I haven’t yet decided whether or not to adjust the pattern, or to save the fabric for a pencil skirt instead.

But, to make fabric cutting easier for all of this sewing that I should be doing, I bought a gigantic 36×60 self-healing mat (on sale for $30!). I will now be able to cut out whole pattern pieces without having to cut/shift mat/cut/shift mat the way I have been doing.

I would pick a pattern to start with tomorrow, but I’m heading with friends to “Créme de la Chrome,” the annual Rocky Mountain Rod & Custom show. And then I’ll find numerous other distractions to keep me from sewing. Okay, fine, I’ll leave the patterns out and allow them to give me dirty looks until I finally break down and start one. Which, if successful, should lead to another, and another…

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