Me Made May

I ran across this post on the Colette Patterns blog, and I thought it would be super fun to join in!

Click here for full details, but the short version is that for the month of May, I'm going to attempt to dress only in clothing (other than underthings, shoes and socks) that I have crafted myself, and document my progress here on the blog.  I might even get the kids in on the fun.  Obviously, I'll still be crafting new things, so there will probably be quite a few quick photo posts and combo posts, but I think this will be a great way to get some of my handmade goodies out of the closet, not to mention encourage me to Be Cute Everyday!  Want to play along?  Click on the link and sign up on Zoe's blog.  You know you want to...

Vintage sewing video

I found these adorable videos on Laura's blog, It's Sew Chic.  They were produced by Simplicity in 1948!  They actually have excellent sewing information, and they're so fun to watch!  You'll laugh at the intro to the first one where Betty waxes philosophical about her Home Ec. class...  The first video talks about laying out patterns and how they are produced.  The second shows basic dress construction, including stay stitching, constructing a dart and setting a sleeve, then ends with a drool worthy fashion show.

BWOF 04-2009-112

I've wanted to make this top for some time, but several factors stopped me.

Looks simple enough, doesn't it?  Well, this pattern comes from my very first issue of BWOF, which my sister brought home from Switzerland for me.  She's a wonderful enabler and I love her for it!  It began my love affair with burda.  But, the issue is in French, and while I took some French in High School, it's been a few years.  I also really wanted to use this striped slinky knit to make it.  Stripe matching + slinky knit = definite swearing.  When Mom was here last weekend, she gave me some slinky sewing tips that she learned at Expo, so I just decided I was going to throw caution to the wind!

And check out the mad stripe matching!!  Across the sleeve seam and across the body!  And can you even see the side seam in the top pic?  Now, this pattern is made up in a stripe in the mag, so you'd think it would work well in a stripe, wouldn't you??

What happened to my raglan seams????  There was no possible way to match them.  There are 4 stripes on the body and five on the sleeve.  What's going on, burda??

Of course, the back is mismatched as well, although I did get the bottom stripe to match.  Grrr.

Well, I still like this top, but if I make it again, it won't be in a stripe!!  And I'll lengthen it.  It was way short, so I had to add the band at the bottom.  I actually think it works with the cuffs and neckband.  I think this ends my string of navy.  Maybe I'll actually have to *gasp* thread my sewing machine!

As for the sewing of slinky, I actually didn't think it was all that bad, although I wouldn't recommend it for your first knitwear!  I used the recommendations from "More Fabric Savvy" as well as these great tips.  I used a 130/705 H-S stretch needle with poly metrosene thread and a narrow (0.5 on my machine) but long (3 for me) triple zigzag for the seams.  I decreased the presser foot pressure significantly and used a Teflon foot to reduce stretching in the seams.  A walking foot or serger with differential feed would have been great, but I don't have either of those things, so I made do, and it worked out fine.  Since I ended up using a band at the hems, I didn't need to hem it, but from my reading I had decided that I was going to use the steam a seam lite with twin needle method.  Since I didn't I can't really comment on that.

Despite my stripe mismatch, I'm happy with my first foray into slinky.  You should give it a go, too!  It's such a great fabric to wear!

Butterick 5042

I know I said I needed a white skirt, but apparently I am on a navy blue sewing jag.  Besides, I started this skirt before the burda style blouse.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

The skirt is Butterick 5042, view A.  It is made of navy Italian linen from Fabric Mart.  I added some white topstitching because I really wanted to emphasize the style lines.  My mother came down for Easter and wore a skirt with similar circular gores, which reminded me of this pattern, and I just had to sew it!

Here you can see the shape that the gores give it.  It is a lot like the Studio Tantrum Redondo skirt, but a bit slimmer in the body, and for grown ups.  The pattern is only two pattern pieces, the skirt panel (of which you cut four) and a straight waistband.  Deceptively simple!  The skirt panels all have to be cut single layer, and since they are basically circular flounces, they are serious fabric hogs!

The pattern calls for a hook and eye closure at the waist, but I went for a cute white button.  You can also see my fist ever lapped zipper here!  Yes, in a curved bias seam.  I don't do anything by halves, do I?  I read on PR that several other sewists had trouble with the zipper ending up lumpy, so I interfaced the seam allowances to keep them from stretching.  It seemed to work, as my zip is nice and flat.  I also used the Reader's Digest directions for the zip, rather than the pattern's.  I love that book.
Next up - more navy!  Then maybe I'll find another color of fabric in my stash...

burda style 04-2010-102

While square and boxy isn't my usual aesthetic, I wanted to make this blouse as soon as I saw it in this month's burda.  I'm not sure why, but I'm all about random whatever I want sewing right now, so I decided to just make it and see...

I had this navy rayon/poly "linen look" in the stash that wasn't too dear, so if I hated it, I could call it a muslin and get on with my life.  I actually really like it!  I'm not sure I love it untucked with jeans, but I actually like the simple shape.  I love the double breasted button placket and the sleeves with the tabs to hold them up.

From the back, not so great.  It pretty much looks like a scrub top.  You can see that there is truly NO shaping.  The side seams are straight lines.

Love that button tab!  Isn't it cute?!

Inside I made french seams.  The shoulder seams were supposed to be felled, but I forgot and didn't put on enough of a seam allowance, so I just frenched them and topstitched them down.
In the magazine it is styled tucked in.

I think it looks better this way, but Mitch disagreed.  He suggested that I wear it over a white below-knee a-line skirt, cinched with a red belt and with blue and white shoes.  No, he really did!  I do love my hubby.  I guess I need to make a white skirt...