New Look 6067 done: my $1200 dress.

My batman shot....

I am so used to blogging in the dark...it is rare for me to blog in daylight!

So...New Look 6067 is done!

I first saw this dress at the American Sewing Expo in September.  I wasn't wowed by the picture on the pattern envelope in the Simplicity booth, but when I saw it on the model on the runway, I *had* to have it.  I mean, it has a belt with an incredible contrast piping opportunity and you know I love piping!!   and the dress had a lot of movement, too.

Then it started popping up on the blogosphere, and when I saw it on Elizabeth (who then lead me to Sheila who made it in a double knit) I *had* to make it and make it soon.  It moved way up in my sewing queue.

As you know, I spent 5 hours on this dress on Sunday, and "just" had the facings, hem, evening up the darts in the back, and finishing the armholes (sleeves or no sleeves).  I thought, oh, it will take about 3 hours more.  It took 7.

In the poll I took last Sunday, there were 2 votes for cap sleeves.  I decided to go for it, as it's been a while since I've made a dress with cap sleeves.  I just love the way they are constructed.  They are lined with a very thin stretchy knit that I bought on Thursday from Joann's.

(I also bought a new, smaller rotary cutter and it cuts like a hot knife through butter, it's amazing!  I don't ever remember my old rotary cutter ever cutting that way....)

Here's a shot before the sleeve was attached to the dress.  The lining is sewn to the sleeve edge first, then the lining is understitched (can you see the line of understitching?).  This creates a nice effect and eliminates the need to hem the sleeve edge.  Then the underarm seam of the sleeve is sewn.  I was also pressing all the way during this as per Ann of Gorgeous Fabrics, which really does help!

Here's the inside of it again, but sewn in:

I hadn't set in a sleeve for a while, and these set in just fine! Lately I've been sewing sleeves in flat.

Then it was time for the facings. I had asked last weekend, slit neckline or folded over collar?   The votes came back, 11 for the slit and 9 for the fold over collar  (thanks for voting!!!).  I actually went for the slit. I don't have any dresses with this kind of neckline. Now I do! But it was a struggle!

Some of y'all expressed concern about the the neckline being too high. When I took the pix last week, that was without the SA on the neckline. But even with the SA, it felt too high. AND the slit felt too short, also like y'all mentioned. I also had HUGE issues with getting a crisp corner.

So I fixed the problems via the following...

I played with some test samples! The top two samples are where one side is interfaced and the other isn't (like the facing is interfaced but the exterior fabric isn't). The bottom two samples are where both sides are interfaced. The left-hand samples are where I stitched with 90 degree angles; the right samples are where I stitched almost to the corner, then rounded the corner, and continued stitching, as I had read that method would produce a nice crisp corner.

I used this wooden corner-turner thingie my mom gave me last year.

I preferred the sample where both fabric and facing were lined, and I had stitched a 90 degree angle.
Then I ironed on interfacing to the front of the bodice in the slit area, then, using my French curve,  drew a new, lower neckline, and wound up not stitching a 90 degree angle after all...  and I also lowered the slit by 3/4.


And this is how it turned out after trimming, turning and pressing:



Could be better, but it is an improvement!
Interfacing the front in the slit area also eliminated the drag lines.

Then I cut 1.75 inches off the bottom and  hemmed it 3/4 with a stretch twin needle (my fabric is double knit, so no need for the kick pleat nor a zipper.  I also didn't line the bodice like the instructions stated.)


And now it is done!


Tights, Mary Janes....the whole 9 yards!

The side view is pretty good:

The back could be better, but I'm not tweaking it more. I eliminated the kick pleat as it doesn't need it.


I think it might need bra strap holders because the neckline is a little wide.  In fact, what looks like diagonal drag lines is actually my bra straps, pushed out of the way of the neckline.

It's supposed to be 55F tmw so I will wear it to work as styled above, and with a cardigan. 

I didn't make the belt with the piping because I like the look of the purchased belt a LOT!

On Emma:


In the style of Elizabeth, my dress is $1200.  Elizabeth called this her $3300 dress (33 hours at $100 an hour). I was flipping through the January Vogue magazine this morning and saw prices like that for high end designer dresses--sounds right on for a custom dress! Mine was 12 hours so it's $1200. It took less time than Elizabeth's dress because mine does not have the zipper, lining, hand-stitched hem, or obi belt that hers has, and I didn't make a muslin either (a muslin was included in her 33 hours of sewing time.)  You want details like that, it's another $2200!!!

And thanks again to New Look for featuring it on their Facebook page before it was completed--very cool!


And here's your food for the week, chicken piccata on spinach, another Rocco recipe, totally delish:

Be well everyone!!

Quick sewing and cooking

Thanks for your comments and suggestions for blind hemming.  Very much appreciated.  I will blog when I actually try it...and also thanks for your kind words about being the Member in Focus on PatternReview.com.  I was SO excited about it.

Here's my first sewing of the new year.  I haven't timed how long it takes me to make these now, but it's probably an hour and a half?  I'm much more careful with my sewing now, though I could have done a better job with the purple pair.  With the striped pair, I lined up the stripes on the side.

Boyshorts.
Fabric: TexStyles in Austin during PR Day Austin, Nov 2011. Left over scraps from the StyleArc shirt inset.
Elastic: Pacific Trimming in NYC, during the NYC shopping day in Sept 2011.

Kinda have a nautical or French style to them, no?


Purple UW.
Fabric: Metro Textiles, NYC, while shopping with Antoinette, June 2011. Left over scraps from the Burda crazy ruffle dress.
Elastic: TexStyles in Austin during PR Day Austin, Nov 2011.
Definitely could have done a better job with them.



This New Look pattern has been popping up in the blogosphere. I think I will sew it tmw, but the question is, in navy or gray?? Also there is a marvelous piping opportunity there and you know I don't like to pass up piping.



It is National Soup Month and ironically I'm getting a bit tired of soup. I've been making quesadillas lately, using the recipe in Now Eat This Diet by Rocco DiSpirtio as a guide. I make mine with spinach instead of mushrooms, and with full fat mozzarella instead of reduced fat cheddar.  Here I served it with cantaloupe which was actually decent, especially for this time of year.


Here are the books for this week. Just one library book, the cookbook.

I read Food Rules in January last year from the library but bought a copy this year. I highly recommend it; it's a fast read and nicely summarizes what I should be eating. It's beautifully illustrated.  I plan on reading it each January to renew my commitment to healthy eating.

In Austin I discovered the puzzle called KenKen. I just got my first KenKen book and am enjoying it!  I've also been doing the Daily Jumble online again.  I haven't been into a puzzle phase for years but right now I'm into it.

It's getting late.  I need to remind myself once again, sleep is a gift I can give myself.
Be well and good night!

Simplicity 3673, retro 50's jumper, done

Thanks for all your comments about S3673, the Simplicity 1950's retro jumper.  :)
I had asked how to handle the situation where I had mistakenly cut the CF on the fold, so I had an extra 1.25 inches in the front panel.

According to peer review, there was one vote to redo the front skirt panel, and many votes to just leave it as is (it's fine!) and one to tweak the darts (there are 8 darts after all).   Concern was expressed for having a CF seam in corduroy.  I generally don't like CF seams as I think they break up the garment.  And the last time I had a CF seam in a dress, it resulted in the Star Trek dress.  And we all know what bitter memories that dress contains. Ugh.

I wound up undoing just the skirt side seams, and letting the front panel lie "flat".  You can see the front panel is sticking out a bit on each side.


Then I sewed down each side.
And I hemmed.
And I wore it with a purchased boat neck shirt (maybe someday I'll make a Peter Pan shirt to wear underneath).
This is what it looked like after wearing it a good part of Sunday:

Somehow I didn't take a picture of the side view, but I took 2 of the 4 back darts a bit more.

It has a short back vent since I cut an inch off the bottom and then folded under twice, by 1.25 inches or so. I wore it to work on Tuesday, kind of concerned it might look like a kindergarten teacher. My coworkers assured me it doesn't look that way? I'm still on the fence. But it was totally comfy since my version is not as form fitting as the envelope picture.

And as you see I didn't add the bow. I think it's more adult-like that way.

The pattern envelope:


So, food. This is a new-to-me recipe, from the Prevention "30 Minute Chicken Dinners" booklet. It's supposed to be "Italian chicken, artichokes and rice" but I didn't have instant rice so I used orzo instead. and I didn't have oregano after my dried spice cleanout, so I used basil instead. I also used fresh parsley from my parsley plant outside, which is still going strong in this colder weather (and even after it was under snow!)

My library books. I haven't started reading either of them; maybe on the plane to Austin?

Here's some fall color from my back yard:

Do you know what this tree is? I don't.  I call it the "prickly ball tree"

I don't know what I'm sewing next. Maybe one of these? But it won't be this weekend. It's PR Day on Nov 19 and I will be in Austin to celebrate it. I'm flying out this afternoon. Leslie has a packed schedule for those attending. It will be so much fun!
Be well!!

Simplicity 2154 view D: 60's retro pencil skirt done

hello!
I was inspired by Elizabeth and her orange skirt over at Sewn, and decided to sew up a corduroy skirt of my own.  Joann's didn't have any orange corduroy, so I went with this blue number instead.  I can't wait to wear it to work tmw, albeit with a long sleeved shirt and maybe stockings.  (The shirt is from JCPenney 2 summers ago)

It's Simplicity 2154 view D, the pencil skirt from their 1960's retro collection.  I picked up the pattern at the ASE in the lower size range, then thought I'd need the 16 for the skirt, so I bought it at the 99cent pattern sale at Joann's on Columbus Day (a nice little post-work excursion).

I made it out of a beautiful blue corduroy from Joann's, which I also purchased Monday night.  This fabric never hit the stash closet!

I wanted to show you the skirt with my shoes, but the lighting here is bad...but you get the idea.  (I happened to go back to Sears today and buy the shoes in the other 2 colors):

This skirt is a simple pencil skirt but I love it because it actually is at waist level.  It also has 8 darts and while I'm not a dart-lover, I do like the shaping it provides....no swayback fitting problems here!

Bad back shot. I realized after taking this picture that the zipper was not zipped up all the way.

I moved the zipper to the center back seam.  I did this mainly because I wound up having to take in the side seams and it's easier for me to do that without the zipper in the fitting way.  So the skirt is more like a 14 now.   I also used an invisible zipper. I was so afraid of them before but now I love them.  This is my third garment with an invisible zip.

I also had this idea that back vents were hard to do?  This was actually pretty easy.  I cut three inches off the bottom of the skirt, so the vent isn't as long as it could have been.

 On my monitor, the picture above is the truest to the actual fabric color, a very pretty blue.

I did the hem twice, and as I used my surgical seam ripper to efficiently rip out the seam, it also efficiently ripped a hole in my skirt, which I think I salvaged with some fusible interfacing.  Otherwise this skirt will get shorter by another 5/8 or so....

I also cooked today.  Here's chicken cordon bleu with a honey mustard sauce from Cook This Not That, and cantelope chunks (my dinner).  The sauce is made with 1/2 a lemon, which I forgot....went back to the grocery store tonight for the lemon.  I love using the lemon squeezer:

I also made the summer vegetable soup.  All was looking ok-ish here:

But I guess the milk curdled!   That's the first time that's ever happened to me.  I think it's still edible? Any thoughts on that?

Farmer's Mkt flowers for this week:

I went to my favorite bakery yesterday for some treats. YUM.

I think I'm writing my 100th pattern review tonight, about Simplicity 2054, both the articulated and unarticulated versions.
(ETA:  My 100th pattern review is posted now!)

Be well and good night!

New Look 6000 view C in progress, and food & flowers

OH, it's got a ways to go, but here's New Look view C now in progress.


Here's the pattern envelope:


I first saw this pattern at the American Sewing Expo last year, during the Simplicity Fashion Show.  So yes, I saw the actual red dress on the envelope, walking down the runway!!  Ok, maybe that wasn't worthy of two exclamation points, but it was pretty fun, especially as New Look/Simplicity and I are BFFs.  Then I saw Shannon from MushyWear make it, and then Kristy from Lower Your Presser Foot made it and said it's swayback friendly--NO swayback adjustment needed.  Woo-hoo!!

I put in my second invisible zipper ever, not too bad.  However, somehow this one is making like a hump on my upper back.  I'm hoping when I put in sleeves, it might mitigate some of that.  But here you can also see the lovely pleat/tucks/whatever you want to call them.

The back so far--the hem is haphazardly pinned up


Here's a closer view of the collar.  I haven't put the collar facings in yet.


The fabric has been fermenting in my stash; it's from Joann's and is synthetic and has stretch WITH the grain, and sort of looks like denim.
Here's what it looked like as a 14:


A bit too big. I sewed it down to what I think is a 12, which is all the other pix in this post, which is probably too tight in the hip. I'm probably going to grade it out to a 14 at the hips and downward.

What it needs:

• sleeves
• sleeve cuffs
• neck facings
• buttons
• hem
• fit fixed hip downward
• somehow fix that weirdy hump on my back?
• open up the back vent
• hook and eye half way up collar in the back

Here's some food I made Monday night!  Lemon chicken orzo again

Summer vegetable soup.  It looks weird (to me) but it tastes great!  It has fresh corn, chicken, onion, tomatoes, zucchini, red pepper and milk in chicken stock.  It's from The Food You Crave.

Are you craving it?

Oh, I already got guacamole on my new Vogue 1247 but it came right out in the wash today.    The fabric washed up beautifully.

Here are some gladiolas from the Princeton Farmer's Market:




I'm feeling pretty good. Numbness/weird feeling comes and goes. It was on the right side briefly Thurs night this week but switched back to left side. I don't know what's up with that but I'm able to do everything I want to do even if it feels weird. Back pain has been 0 many days or just slight discomfort. YEAH!

Hope you are all healthy-healthy-healthy! Be well!