Contemporary Kimono...The Time Has Come To Start...

Fall will be here before we know it.  So, that makes it time to get started on the planned kimono.  Here are the previous posts on the subject:

1.  Inspiration...Kimono Jacket
2.  Comtemporary Kimono...The Planning

As previously stated, the gray will be the main body of the jacket along with the sleeve cuffs.  The inside and pockets will be black and I may edge the seam side of the pocket in gray.  That decision doesn't have to be made until the jacket is ready to stitch.  I'm going to leave the front band as a decision for later.

Originally I was going to do a muslin but after seeing the pattern pieces, I decided that I would just go for it.  This may be a big surprise in the end.  Hopefully, it will fit and I will like it.

There were a couple of decisions that needed to be made before I can actually stitch the pattern.  The stitch length will be approximately 1/4-inch with 1/2-inch between the stitching lines.  I think this is doable.  It may take a bit to do the handwork but I can do it.  That is, unless my fingers get sore from all the stitching.  Here is a couple of samples:

This is the black thread on the gray.  I'm thinking that the stitches and the lines are too close together. 

I think this sample is a little better and a little closer to the inspiration picture.

The jacket front, back, and sleeves have been cut out.  If you haven't worked with this kimono jacket pattern before, make sure that you follow the fabric layout or you may not have enough fabric.  The layout is unique.

Happy Stitching!

Inspirtion...Long Sleeve Floral Shirt

Who can resist a floral shirt?  Especially when the colors fit right into the color theme of your wardrobe.  Check out this shirt:

This is the Eileen Floral Long Sleeve Shirt by Frank and Eileen.  Price tag: $228.00.  Details: spread collar, button front, chest patch pockets, long sleeves, button cuffs, oversized silhouette, shirt-tail hem, cotton.  Be sure to head over to Neiman Marcus to check out the details and "how to wear it".

There are lots of shirt patterns out there.  This one is in my stash:

This is the Grainline Studio Archer Button Up pattern.  You can find it here.  Another option might be this pattern:

This is the Classic Shirt pattrn by Liesel & Co.  You can find it here.

Both of these patterns get good reviews at Pattern Review.  If you a shirt pattern that works for you, use it.  Save the pattern dollars and apply to the fabric.

Hope you're inspired to sew something beautiful.

Happy Stitching!

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe Week 4...

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe marches on.  It's already Week 4.  On the introduction chart, this was to be a dark accent top.  It's not mentioned in the week 4 information.  I would say do what works best in your wardrobe.

My choice of color for this will be a teal.  This happens to be a t-shirt color that needs replacement in the wardrobe.  I do have a knit fabric in the stash that was original earmarked for a twin set or something along those lines.  I will double check that it is appropriate for a t-shirt and it may end up being used for that.

It will be a couple of weeks before you see this item appear as I will be too busy to machine stitch over the next 2 or 3 weeks.  Yes, this will also put me behind on weeks 5 and 6 as well.  We'll discuss them as we get to them.

So, I will do an update on Week 4 in about a month.  Are you following along with the Vivienne Files on the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe?  Can you plan your stitching so that you are ready for the next season?

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Geometric Silk Blouse

Fall will be here before we know it.  Here's a beautiful long-sleeve blouse to consider:

This is the Lafayette 148 New York Scottie Printed Silk Long-Sleeved Silk Blouse.  Price tag: $498.00.  It has a spread collar, concealed placket, yoke seamed back with box pleat, and a relaxed fit.  For a closer look go to the Neiman Marcus website.

For a similar look, try this pattern:

This is the Grainline Studio Archer pattern.  It is a little different than the inspiration photo but I already have this is my stash.  You will need a concealed placket instructions.  Here are some from Threads.  Obviously if you have a shirt pattern already fitted,  use it!  Use those dollars on fabric.

Hope you are inspired to create something beautiful.

Happy Stitching!

Weekly Wardrobe Caughtup....

Did you read through last week's post?  If not, go check it here.   I try to stick with the following color families - black, gray, pink, navy/blue, teal.

So this is my promise catchup post on the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe:

Week 1 - Light Neutral Top   - I choice to purchase this top.  It is the Lands' End Women's Shaped Cotton Crewneck T-shirt.  I purchased it in classic gray heather:

It's a pretty boring basic but it should be fairly versatile.

Week 2 - Dark Neutral Top -  I chose to shop the wardrobe for this one.  I really don't have a shortage of black short sleeved tops.  It's a Christopher and Banks Essential Tee in black:

Again, this is another boring basic but it will be very versatile.

Week 3 - An Accent Top - I chose to shop the wardrobe for this one again.  My top is similar to this Christopher and Banks top:

Another very basic top.


Are you following along with this series from Vivenne Files?  I know some folks are trying to sew along with this series.  I don't think I could keep up with the amount of sewing to be done.  Any thoughts on the series?  Which group do you belong to?

Happy Stitching!

Ariel - My First Seamwork Pattern...

In May, I purchased a dress that I thought would be perfect for hot summer days.  It is but the fabric is a little more sheer that I'm comfortable with.  So I decided that Ariel would make the perfect little slip/underdress.  Here's Ariel:

Can't get much simpler, can it?  There are five pieces.

Here's my version:

Sorry, not my best picture but I'm happy with this little slip dress.  It does exactly what I want it to do.

Details:

Fabric - 100% cotton lawn from fabric dot com.
Pattern - Ariel from Seamwork.

Pattern changes:

1.  I shortened the dress to knee length.
2.  Put the center front on the fold.  Don't forget to remove the seam allowance.
3.  Increase the cup size.  I only added length here.  I chose the dress to fit my circumference.

That's all the changes.  The dress fit.  I really expected to need to change the strap length but it was perfect.  A total shock.   I spent more time putting the pattern together, figuring out the cup alteration, and cutting it out than I did stitching it.  A bonus - if it's really hot I can wear this around the house.

Check out Seamwork.  It may be just what you need to get a jump start on your own sewing.  Here's a link to get $3.00 off your first month should you decide to join - Seamwork.  I ready to try another pattern.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...V-Neck Tunic

Here's a nod toward cooler weather, I think. 

This is the Lafayette 148 New York V-Neck Open-Sided Linen/Viscose Tunic.  Price Tag:  $448.00.  For a closer look, check Neiman Marcus.

Here's a pattern that gives a similar look:

This is the Loes Hinse Design V Neck Tunic.  It can be found on the Casual Elegance here.

If you want a complete outfit, add a tank top by Silhouette Patterns and the Oxford Pant by Loes Hinse Design.

Hope you're inspired to sew something beautiful.

Happy Stitching!

Wardrobe Thoughts...

How much thought do you give to the items in your closet?  Do you find yourself purchasing or making items that don't get worn?  Have you given thought to why the item isn't being worn?

Personally, I really dislike having items hanging in my closet that do not ever get worn.  I worked on different programs to try to get a manageable wardrobe that is neither too much or too little nor too casual or too dressy.  I've decided that it is very hard to stay on top of this.

At one point, I worked through the Starting From Scratch wardrobe planning on The Vivienne Files.  That was very helpful but I think you need to work through once or twice a year for it be to really beneficial.  Deciding on colors is the hardest part of this type of planning.

Now, The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe planning has started at The Vivienne Files.  This is a 52 weeks of looking at your wardrobe and deciding on needed items.  It is meant to get you prepared for the next season.  To look ahead at what you may need or what to add to the core items in your  wardrobe.

As a sewist, do you ever plan your sewing a season ahead?  I think I'm more of a sew now kinda of person.  It's a different concept for me to sew for fall or winter now.  What are you thoughts on sewing for the future?  Frankly, retail kinda forces us to purchase ahead of the season.

I will start posting weekly on what my choices are for that weeks suggestions.  The first post, next week, will be a caught up post for the first three weeks.

Happy Stitching!

Life Upside Down...

Life is full of changes and the last two years have been full of them - purchase a new house 1000 miles away, ankle surgery, getting my old house ready to sell, selling the house faster than a blink and agreeing to being out of the house in four weeks, moving the 1000 miles, and losing my beloved kitty. 

The lose of the cat was very hard.  We decided that there would be no more pets.  For two years, helping my neice with her kitties when she went out of town was fine.  I was plenty happy with that.  Then a couple of weeks ago, we started hearing strange sounds in the evenings.  Last week, we realized the strange sound was a very small kitten.  It took two nights to catch the kitten.  He was wild which I will label scared.  The birds had been chasing him.  My husband caught him and I took him thinking I could calm him down.  Nope.  He drew blood.  Lots. Of. Blood.  I didn't let go though till I got him to the box that I had brought. 

We got him home and put him in the main bathroom.  I had to leave.  When I returned an hour later, my husband had him mostly calmed down and was playing him.  This kitten was 1 lb and 2 ounces which put him about 5 weeks old.  We posted on our neighborhood site that we had found a very small kitten.  We didn't get any responses from the post.  We asked a few neighbors.  People had been trying to catch the kitten but hadn't been able to hold on when he started scratching and biting. 

You know what I'm going to say right.  The little kitten is now part of our house hold.  Here's the sweet little face that broke the resolve of no more pets:

Isn't he cute?  This is a picture from the first night we had him.  He has gone from a little wild demon cat to a super sweet little kitten.  The first name I had for him was TROUBLE.  When we took him to the vet on Monday, we changed the name to Rocket.  He loves to play and equally loves to snuggle.

We've had him for one week now.  He has kept me very busy.  Leaving me very little time to sew.  I'm actually a little afraid of getting my sewing stuff out as he may very well think that they are toys. 

Happy Stitching! 

Inspiration...Zip Front Blouse

The Pre-fall fashions are showing up.  So, here's a cute top that could be a basic:

The is the Lafayette 148 New York Durham Finesse Crepe Zip-Front Short-Sleeve Blouse.  Price Tag: $398.00.  Details:  Crew neckline, partial front zipper, short sleeves, back yoke, box pleat, side slits, and relaxed silhouette.  The blouse also has a darted front. Check out the details on the Neiman Marcus website.  This blouse is dry-clean only.  I think we can do better than that.

I recently fitted this blouse:

The silhouette of View B is very close to the inspiration.  To do the zipper, I'm sure that I would need to draft a facing but that is pretty easy to do.  As far as other patterns, I haven't noticed anyone doing the 1/2 zip on the front of the blouses.  Let me know if I've missed a pattern and I will reference it.

Hope you're inspired to create something beautiful.

Happy Stitching!

A Look Toward the Past - Threads Issue 1

With my announcement a couple of weeks ago of eliminating my Threads subscription, I decided it might be fun to take a look back at the beginning of Threads.  Here's a look at the first magazine cover:

The first issue was Oct/Nov 1985.  The front cover shows a tapestry in progress.  The very first ad was for the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina.  I checked and this school is still going strong.  It looks like there are several workshops year round and they have three year residencies.  It looks like an interesting place for someone to get immersed in their craft.  The ads are just as interesting as the articles.

Articles included in the magazine are:

1.  Freestyle Embroideries by Caroline Dahl.  Illustrations are of the small embroideries. Ten embroidery stitches are included along with a pattern for making an embroidered purse.

2.  Dying Gold and Yellow by Edna Blackburn.  The article discusses the basics of dying.  The plants needed to create gold and yellow along with using onion skins for dying.

3.  Resisting Dyes by Wendy Northup.  This article discusses three different ways to resists dyes and fabric painting.

4.  The Basic Knitting Machine by Susan Guagliumi.  This article discussing the knitting machine and parts.  It also has a pattern to knit a sweater either by hand or machine.

5.  Inside an Expensive Outfit by Mary Galpin.  In the article a New York tailor took a Geoffry Beene three piece outfit and explained what made it elegant outfit.  The outfit retailed at $1800.00.  The tailor explained that there are three things that made the outfit - design, materials, and workman.  All three must work together.

6.  A Versatile Jacket by Joyce Hannah.  The article is about the Japanese Hippari Robe.

7.  Bringing Tapestry into the 20th Century by Joanne Mattera.   The article includes resources and apprenticeship information.  I checked to see if the apprenticeship information was still good but unfortunately it isn't but you can find lots of information regarding the studio.

8.  Chilkat Spinning by Alena Samuel.  This article discusses a specific type of spinning in the Pacific Northwest.

9.  Dazzling with Sequins by Barbara Shomer Kelsey.  This article talks about adding sequins to knitting and crochet.  Resources are also included in the article.

10.  All That Glitters Shisha by machine by Robbie Fanning.  The article explains how to add the mirrors to your item.  It also includes additional reading materials and supply sources.

11.  Designing the Warp by Jeanne Criscola.  This article discusses weaving.  It includes several charts.

12.  Fabric About Fabric by Deborah Cannarella.  This article refers to jacquard loom and computers.

Then it returns to the many ads that once was included in the magazine.

This was an interesting run through of this magazine.  There are a couple of articles I'm going to return to and re-read.  I love the idea of dying things.  I don't know if I would actually have the patience for it.

Hope you're inspired to create something or try something new.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...Trucker Jacket

There is nothing like a nice jacket.  Here's the latest find:

This is the Theory Herringbone Melange Trucker Jacket. Price tag:  $455.00.  This jacket is a linen/viscose blend with your typical jean jacket styling.  Be sure to head over to Neiman Marcus to see the various ways it is styled.

As for the pattern, let's try this one:

This is #900 Carol's Jacket/Top pattern by Silhouettes.  You would need to lengthen a bit, add pockets, and change the sleeve a bit.

This is Butterick 6390.  It is similar to the inspiration picture.  The yokes are a little bit different but you have bust pockets. 

Kwik Sew has a nice jean jacket pattern that is out of print. If you can find that, it would also be a good option.  Of course, if you already have a similar jacket pattern that is already in the stash and hopefully fitted, that would be the best option.

Hope you're inspired to make something beautiful.

Happy Stitching!