tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1221757837417207752024-03-28T08:00:11.828-05:00PoldaPop DesignsThe thoughts, sewing projects, and fabric oglings of a dedicated sewist.PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.comBlogger207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-58689965705434750552017-12-05T16:29:00.000-06:002017-12-05T20:29:35.470-06:00Gifts for New (and not-so-new) SewistsLast year I published a post on gifts for young sewists to help out the parents of my tween students. You can find that post <a href="http://www.poldapop.com/2016/12/gifts-for-young-sewists.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This year, I thought I would focus on what to get folks who are fairly new to sewing. My guiding principle was, "What do I wish someone had gifted me when I first got started?"<br />
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<i>Note - if you click on the item name, you'll be linked to a place where you can purchase that item. And second note, I'm not affiliated with any of the websites and receive no payment for linking, I'm just trying to be helpful.</i><br />
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<b>#1 Good sewing scissors</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdY5xLuiJzIC2TUr7MLobYQyFXL52bp-hMRuRPqcS2RycfqZWuZUK6NA4w0PBMZQQY2qcgueuHw0edMxA4XyKFpA7bHEANli1sKGqtwSKdKUNeXiaA_3DM2d2Y2kvBcaX8J018pQqI3Ht/s1600/e38e1a5b766c48af873e0807cff3a235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="564" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdY5xLuiJzIC2TUr7MLobYQyFXL52bp-hMRuRPqcS2RycfqZWuZUK6NA4w0PBMZQQY2qcgueuHw0edMxA4XyKFpA7bHEANli1sKGqtwSKdKUNeXiaA_3DM2d2Y2kvBcaX8J018pQqI3Ht/s400/e38e1a5b766c48af873e0807cff3a235.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A good set of sewing shears will change your life. You can cut accurately, which makes matching up pattern pieces less confounding. You can cut easily, which protects you from hand cramps. Your scissors stay sharp, which saves you from having to find the time and money to get them sharpened. And there is something so pleasing about the heft of a decent pair of scissors that I just can't describe. (Well, I can - it's like the heft of a good rocks glass, but I'm trying to keep it family-friendly in this post.)<br />
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My favorite brand is Kai, and they have a great range of scissors available on <a href="http://kaiscissors.com/" target="_blank">their website</a> and at <a href="http://wawak.com/">Wawak.com</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-VpsUckTM5I9kXRY9lnjl_cPlrrA-iJVn0jCPKE7l7S1YELiqAI-u-G6UkjDD8HIfHziAe9AjFcU4Ma4uYIX8C6oBxMx0ufZ4tnF5vCrnAEQn1ocGj-9mVQwt2qucGNj2NHNfWBnoyAu/s1600/7250_v6__30485.1488300209.1280.1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1280" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-VpsUckTM5I9kXRY9lnjl_cPlrrA-iJVn0jCPKE7l7S1YELiqAI-u-G6UkjDD8HIfHziAe9AjFcU4Ma4uYIX8C6oBxMx0ufZ4tnF5vCrnAEQn1ocGj-9mVQwt2qucGNj2NHNfWBnoyAu/s400/7250_v6__30485.1488300209.1280.1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://kaiscissors.com/">kaiscissors.com</a></td></tr>
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I own a pair of <a href="http://kaiscissors.com/kai-7250-10-inch-professional-shears/">10-inch professional shears</a> and a pair of <a href="http://kaiscissors.com/kai-7250se-10-inch-serrated-professional-shears/">10-inch micro-serrated shears</a> (for gripping slippery fabrics). You'll want to buy something smaller for kids and teens (8 or 9-inch shears). The professional shears cost $60-$70, but if you are on a budget, they have a s<a href="http://kaiscissors.com/all-kai-scissors/kai-5000-series/" target="_blank">eries of non-professional blades</a> that are excellent value ($20-$30).<br />
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<b>#2 Thread</b><br />
Nothing is more annoying than having to wait to sew because you don't have the correct color thread. <a href="http://wawak.com/">Wawak.com</a> has some beautiful thread sets. My preferred thread is Gutermann Mara 100 - each spool has over 1,000 years, the thread is high-quality (so machines like it), and they have a huge variety of colors. This<a href="http://www.wawak.com/Gtermann-Mara-100-Thread-Variety-Pack-25-Spools" target="_blank"> 25-spool set</a> is a great one for beginners ($60).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYpSqyA1iE89v3bwXKchQWtEYzD3Q8y4wTf3P2qOTMoKf9w1LVQmDt1u8YjzoRxYi06Q6QRpV0bShB9kp40DO5iC1GMkYDnTJUuPdFbdiYA3OaHpdjjd8KI_FoPgoUvCSMok_SHjBmwCQ/s1600/Gtermann-Mara-100-Thread-Variety-Pack-25-Spools_MAIN-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYpSqyA1iE89v3bwXKchQWtEYzD3Q8y4wTf3P2qOTMoKf9w1LVQmDt1u8YjzoRxYi06Q6QRpV0bShB9kp40DO5iC1GMkYDnTJUuPdFbdiYA3OaHpdjjd8KI_FoPgoUvCSMok_SHjBmwCQ/s400/Gtermann-Mara-100-Thread-Variety-Pack-25-Spools_MAIN-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wawak.com/Gtermann-Mara-100-Thread-Variety-Pack-25-Spools" target="_blank">Gutermann 25-spool thread set</a></td></tr>
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Wawak also has a <a href="http://www.wawak.com/Tex-30-500-yds-All-Purpose-Thread-Dual-Duty-XP-S930-Assorted-20-Pack" target="_blank">50-spool pack of Coats & Clark Dual Duty</a>. The spools are much smaller (125 yards) but there is a greater variety of colors ($44). And if you want to indulge someone, check out the <a href="http://www.wawak.com/Gtermann-Mara-100-Thread-Variety-Pack-100-Spools" target="_blank">100-spool pack of Gutermann Mara 100 thread</a> ($238).<br />
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<b>#3 Instruction</b><br />
One of the things I love about sewing is how much there is to learn. But when you are starting out, this sense of all there is to learn can feel daunting. And while there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube and sewing blogs, not all of them are good (and when you are new, it's hard to tell the difference). I've found these sources to be consistently helpful, interesting and reliable:<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_748714825"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.craftsy.com/sewing/shop/sewing-classes?filters=%7B%22selectedFilters%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22selectedSearchScopes%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22sortBy%22%3A%22relevant%22%2C%22page%22%3A1%2C%22contentType%22%3A%22filter-gallery%2Fcontent%2Fkeyed%22%7D&showEnrolledClasses=false">Craftsy.com</a><br />
This site has hundreds of online classes for a wide variety of crafty pursuits. The website makes it easy to search by level or topic. I've taken a number of classes and I love the format, the teachers, the price, and the production level. They have a number of deals on this month.<br />
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<a href="http://www.threadsmagazine.com/">Threads Magazine</a><br />
This might be the only magazine I've subscribed to that doesn't seem to recycle articles. This is a great way to learn if you are interested primarily in garment sewing.<br />
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<a href="https://sewing.patternreview.com/">PatternReview.com</a><br />
Pattern Review is an online forum and social media platform for home and professional sewists. You can sign up for a free membership or a paid membership (gives you discounts on classes, fabric stores, etc). There are hundreds of reviews on patterns and sewing machines, you can ask questions from experienced sewists or just show off your latest make. This site is like a support system, therapist, an cheering gallery all rolled into one.<br />
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<b>#4 Basic Sewing Kit</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xxzcfxr_sk2JlBBc3onnkjvyZe44QJEySKYiHil_N2gsMQGu_N0oAI1oxRkUKn_8AjdOPAdd0BfAqzazYX9cxCuZxfUD7mOO-NHzgQl9eKiSdPK1qmGnB0kinVM20PrmyP8Bu7SwiKzP/s1600/il_570xN.1404305551_gipu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="570" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xxzcfxr_sk2JlBBc3onnkjvyZe44QJEySKYiHil_N2gsMQGu_N0oAI1oxRkUKn_8AjdOPAdd0BfAqzazYX9cxCuZxfUD7mOO-NHzgQl9eKiSdPK1qmGnB0kinVM20PrmyP8Bu7SwiKzP/s400/il_570xN.1404305551_gipu.jpg" width="376" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/559700846/luxury-large-sewing-box-basket-blue-red?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=sewing%20storage%20box&ref=sr_gallery_10">Sewing Storage Box from Etsy</a></td></tr>
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Instead of buying one of those pre-stocked sewing kits, I recommend making your own. Buy a pretty storage container and stock it with good quality notions:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.wawak.com/Quilters-Pins-1-3-4-Yellow-500">Long quilting pins</a> and <a href="http://www.wawak.com/Glass-Head-Pins-1-3-8-White-250">fine dressmaker pins</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.wawak.com/15x1-Schmetz-Regular-Point-Home-Machine-Needles?quantity=1&custcol6=12">Machine needles </a>(Universal size 80/12 is a good general needle) and <a href="http://www.wawak.com/Millners-Hand-Needles-Size-7">hand sewing needles</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.wawak.com/Magnetic-Pin-Holder">Magnetic pin cushion</a> or funky cloth pin cushion</li>
<li><a href="http://www.wawak.com/Wiss-Thread-Clip-Thread-Clippers-4-5-8">Thread snips</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.wawak.com/Frosted-Acrylic-Ruler-6-x-24">Quilting ruler</a> (okay, I know this won't fit in the box, but it is super handy)</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHUE9_MeyV8MX-ByYXQTL3qvG1ogwKDLxvsOCBZIs-qk4560TzqUqFsPX41n1P0ZSUtI5FGqb50flNV04dbI5NQtc7WSAisc93u1CrSAojCWMlNVby4he8QnsI6cjXelEoQX5PA27bhkL/s1600/il_570xN.1357401176_r2ip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="570" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHUE9_MeyV8MX-ByYXQTL3qvG1ogwKDLxvsOCBZIs-qk4560TzqUqFsPX41n1P0ZSUtI5FGqb50flNV04dbI5NQtc7WSAisc93u1CrSAojCWMlNVby4he8QnsI6cjXelEoQX5PA27bhkL/s400/il_570xN.1357401176_r2ip.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/558559634/pig-pincushion-floral-pig-pin-cushion?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pin%20cushion%20animal&ref=sr_gallery_1">Pig pin cushion from Etsy</a></td></tr>
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<b>#5 Fabric!!!</b><br />
Every sewist loves to shop for fabric. In the Chicago area, you might consider taking your loved one on a shopping spree to <a href="https://www.voguefabricsstore.com/">Vogue Fabrics</a> or <a href="http://www.fishmansfabrics.com/">Fishman's Fabrics</a>. Or you can buy them a gift certificate to one of the many great online fabric stores, like <a href="http://fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a> or <a href="http://moodfabrics.com/">MoodFabrics.com</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcpqnyk_XGgufIp_rpacStpW3W4PciKYWyOo42LXVPMZJXoGuu1sRn6YohEgyPor0lvCdx2gurjrQH4VvykdIMgIzo2I44RfnvU6bPS8fuzCmwkw5bwZPhyzBav8btawFoYNmpjgCQh_Q/s1600/medium-green-and-yellow-cream-abstract-printed-stretch-cotton-sateen-117331-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcpqnyk_XGgufIp_rpacStpW3W4PciKYWyOo42LXVPMZJXoGuu1sRn6YohEgyPor0lvCdx2gurjrQH4VvykdIMgIzo2I44RfnvU6bPS8fuzCmwkw5bwZPhyzBav8btawFoYNmpjgCQh_Q/s400/medium-green-and-yellow-cream-abstract-printed-stretch-cotton-sateen-117331-10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/medium-green-and-yellow-cream-abstract-printed-stretch-cotton-sateen-117331">Stretch Cotton Sateen from MoodFabrics.com</a></td></tr>
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#<b>6 Space to sew</b><br />
More than anything, new sewists need space to sew. At minimum, your sewist will need a table for cutting and sewing, good lighting, and a place to store all that fabric you gifted. This might be the best gift of all - a dedicated corner (or room, if you have one to spare) to be creative and focused. Your sewist will love you for it (you're welcome!).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1FDYqfN2sByB9zbUrBldDaJkWHjMmKVuw_C7mFtrau7ppL2qf9g9pbP0JQSjBTjZ2pjtqX6QxLmB7wL9Egn_r163VLRvgiq2eXsLehvkvTyUSMbHUPQlSoFTXsKljeD-DqQGpFyi4h0M/s1600/eb8769242a71f312ab80c619b2685aad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="564" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1FDYqfN2sByB9zbUrBldDaJkWHjMmKVuw_C7mFtrau7ppL2qf9g9pbP0JQSjBTjZ2pjtqX6QxLmB7wL9Egn_r163VLRvgiq2eXsLehvkvTyUSMbHUPQlSoFTXsKljeD-DqQGpFyi4h0M/s400/eb8769242a71f312ab80c619b2685aad.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://milkybeer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/around-house-sewing-studio.html?m=1">MilkyBeer Blog</a></td></tr>
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Please feel free to ask questions or post your own addition to this list. Happy Holidays!<br />
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I made a couple pairs using the Angela Wolf Angel Bootcut prior to this jeans-tornado, and while I was really happy with the fit, I wanted to see what I thought of the high-waisted style. I started with Ginger Jeans by Closet Case Patterns, because I've been happy with her patterns in the past, and her instructions generally seem very intuitive to me. I also wanted to give Baste & Gather's Birkin Flares a go.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLvLXsk6GZZOWaAij0mMntTkC2PZgbCwCSlvfWP7yRSis6X9QvODk0ktGmO5T0DtoN2xRjOUFCxt-Q2VzdauyYFm4aQTjPTnBKkzrd0NRK3brvMu6AIuHSo0TDtZ0ZR_W_XXXyrCrQ6_9/s1600/DSC00481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLvLXsk6GZZOWaAij0mMntTkC2PZgbCwCSlvfWP7yRSis6X9QvODk0ktGmO5T0DtoN2xRjOUFCxt-Q2VzdauyYFm4aQTjPTnBKkzrd0NRK3brvMu6AIuHSo0TDtZ0ZR_W_XXXyrCrQ6_9/s400/DSC00481.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela Wolf Angel Bootcut jeans<br />
StyleArc Jett Jacket and Jalie Twist top</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTYofbKaNRZrFWNxukc7L1XBvi3KV0FgjwhuekFFszNEM0F6mDpS_hFohrj4JfV_apdI5RY6W7bzy5A4BzSAWQijUUh6IsZQV8gTqfmwu0lRGtaYgxjhDvzjGBTtQEg1vSf-IScekn78Y/s1600/DSC00536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTYofbKaNRZrFWNxukc7L1XBvi3KV0FgjwhuekFFszNEM0F6mDpS_hFohrj4JfV_apdI5RY6W7bzy5A4BzSAWQijUUh6IsZQV8gTqfmwu0lRGtaYgxjhDvzjGBTtQEg1vSf-IScekn78Y/s400/DSC00536.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closet Case Ginger jeans<br />
Jalie tie top</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu0rlzWwlRj1uyCmlNmYQ-8fOY32OVnx0XOsu5PZOHDKpLPW4K_OfnnW2HFmWC-SPVMB2LLMHuGLfQ5YHMW62sAlj_VtCjIwitlcwry8hbHwSmJ7S_G5gzvOK2sm6j5kdF18T5_ekwG-8/s1600/DSC00552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu0rlzWwlRj1uyCmlNmYQ-8fOY32OVnx0XOsu5PZOHDKpLPW4K_OfnnW2HFmWC-SPVMB2LLMHuGLfQ5YHMW62sAlj_VtCjIwitlcwry8hbHwSmJ7S_G5gzvOK2sm6j5kdF18T5_ekwG-8/s400/DSC00552.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closet Case Ginger jeans</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baste & Gather Birkin Flares</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginger + Angel (Ginger waist/butt, Angel legs)<br />
StyleArt Jett Jacket, color block Jalie Twist top</td></tr>
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<b>What I learned</b><br />
1) You gotta get the correct crotch curve. The Angela Wolf Angel Bootcut is more of a J-shaped curve (gentle slope), and the Ginger Jean is more of a L-shaped cover (like a piece has been scooped out). The first pattern I tried was AW, and luckily that really worked for me. StyleArc uses a curve similar to Closet Case, and I was never happy with the way these pants looked from behind (a view I don't see much, but others, like my DH, have told me). I have a high butt, narrow hips, and the distance from my waist to hip is on the short side. If that describes your body shape, you might need a similar crotch curve. On the Ginger pattern, this means I have to add a patch before I cut - I imagine this would be difficult to fix once the fabric is cut.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzjiZniA4XkWrBJT-amIYFY_pIUTzAbLT7v9zt7UxkdQkHhXFdG7UEtpZyys9eguOZfO090e3ej-OJ6G_V3T3ekSSCFRsEzaMbS7sc3oWY5VnwjCXZo4I7uQdWYYrqMYmc8TwwtRnnFBJ/s1600/DSC00648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzjiZniA4XkWrBJT-amIYFY_pIUTzAbLT7v9zt7UxkdQkHhXFdG7UEtpZyys9eguOZfO090e3ej-OJ6G_V3T3ekSSCFRsEzaMbS7sc3oWY5VnwjCXZo4I7uQdWYYrqMYmc8TwwtRnnFBJ/s400/DSC00648.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The green line is the original on the Ginger. I traced the magenta line off <br />
the AW pattern, which is what works for me. Big difference!</td></tr>
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Oh! And pocket placement matters! The Angels were pretty good out of the box but I had to move the Gingers up and in about an inch.<br />
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2) Check your crotch length (wow, that sounds personal). I needed to shorten the crotch length in front. I didn't notice this with my first few pairs of jeans because it wasn't too far off, but I have certainly noticed this with RTW pants. This adjustment is super easy. I made this adjustment after the gray Gingers, and I think you can see the different on the dark blue and black Gingers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green line is original, magenta is adjustment.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green line is original, magenta is adjustment.</td></tr>
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3) I like tight but not too-tight. I knew that the Birkin Flares would be tighter than what I had made before but I wanted to see what I thought of something with negative ease. I've only worn this pair of jeans two-tree times since I made them, and only as "going-out-with-heels" jeans, never during the day. I feel a little self-conscious about the tightness, but my husband loves them, so they will likely stay in my closet.<br />
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4) Find the fly front technique that works for you. Sewing a fly front is not as difficult as you might expect - it's just a series of steps. I've now tried three basic methods: Angela Wolf (Baste & Gather uses the same or very similar method), Closet Case Patterns, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzv8N_31EpE" target="_blank">Silhouette Patterns</a> (one of my students sewed a pair in class). Silhouette patterns' method is definitely the easiest, but I found I preferred the method that Closet Case teaches. It just clicked with my way of thinking and I got the most consistent results using her method.<br />
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5) Get the good fabric. I made my first pair from some random denim in my stash, and it didn't hold up well. I got about a year out of those jeans, and after putting in the effort to make them, I want them to last longer than that. I bought some Cone Denim in a <a href="https://store.closetcasepatterns.com/collections/fabric-kit" target="_blank">Closet Case kit</a> and it is fabulous - great weight, recovers well (I can wear a pair for more days than I care to admit without bagging), and it distresses well if you are into that. Cone Mills I also available at <a href="https://threadbarefabrics.com/collections/the-denim-store" target="_blank">Threadbare</a>. and I just bought some beautiful denim in the <a href="http://gorgeousfabrics.com/product-category/wovens/denim/" target="_blank">Gorgeous Fabrics sale</a>. I made my black pair out of high quality denim from <a href="https://marcytilton.com/" target="_blank">Marcy Tilton</a> - a birthday present from DH - how did he know? ;). You can't see it in the photos, but it has a slight giraffe print to it.<br />
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6) Find the leg shape/leg length that works for you. I first cut my Gingers full length, but somehow they never looked right to me and I thought I just wasn't a skinny-leg-jean person. Then I rolled them up and it changed the looked completely, so I went back and hemmed them at ankle length. I'm sure that there is some visual trick that explains this (I suspect that full length skinny jeans are off balance on someone whose widest point is her shoulders), but it was helpful to see that something simple like hem length completely saved these jeans for me. I gravitate towards boot cuts & flares, but it's good to know that I can make skinny work.<br />
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7) Have fun with your pocket linings! I have a lot of quilting cotton scraps and I love having fun with these on the pocketses.<br />
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You'll see that I don't use traditional jean buttons for the jeans. I have done, and I like those, but I also like playing around with other metal buttons. And I don't like having traditional jean buttons on my back pockets - too pokey! I purchased these from Angela Wolf's <a href="http://www.angelawolfpatterns.com/sewing-notions/" target="_blank">shop</a> (I don't think she sells them anymore) and <a href="http://wawak.com/">Wawak.com</a>. And I found some cool metal buttons on eBay that I'm excited to use.<br />
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If you haven't tried making your own jeans, I highly recommend giving it a go. It's enormously satisfying work, and getting that perfect fit is worth it. It takes me 6-8 hours to sew a pair now that I have the fit worked out, depending on how much distressing I do along the way. I followed <a href="https://www.craftsy.com/sewing/classes/sewing-designer-jeans/35621" target="_blank">Angela Wolf's Craftsy course</a> the first time I made a pair, and it was very helpful. Closet Case also has a great <a href="https://closetcasepatterns.com/ginger-jeans-sewalong/" target="_blank">sewalong</a>, and I bet <a href="http://sewingclasses.closetcasepatterns.com/p/sew-your-dream-jeans?src=directblog" target="_blank">her class</a> is fantastic. Sew on!<br />
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<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 153px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 6778px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 153px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 6778px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-80588269679186998492016-12-19T16:46:00.001-06:002017-10-21T11:58:04.209-05:00Gifts for Young Sewists<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The mother of one of my young students contacted me over the weekend for advice on sewing related gifts. She specifically wanted to know if a dressform (which her daughter wants) would make a good gift. I advised against that (her daughters body will change so much in the next few years that the cost outweighs the value). But that got me thinking about what would make a great gift for a sewing kid.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Most of what I recommend here is available at your local Joann Fabric Store or whatever else you have in your area. I'll provide Amazon or store links for easy online viewing. These gifts are aimed at the late elementary/middle school age level, since that is who I mainly teach in my machine sewing <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">classes<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> for kids</span></span>. And I'm not receiving any compensation for these recommendations - just my personal opinions.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sewing Books</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are many wonderful reference and project books out there that can help your young sewist move forward with his or her sewing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For a general reference book, take a look at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sewtionary-Guide-Sewing-Techniques-Definitions/dp/1440238324/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1482168000&sr=1-1&keywords=sewtionary+book" target="_blank">Sewtionary</a> by Tasia St Germaine or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Sewing-Step-Step/dp/0888502478/ref=sr_1_2?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1482168111&sr=1-2&keywords=readers+digest+complete+guide+to+sewing" target="_blank">The Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ACb1DnxnOFEjHIxfguGbQUtkvImvVA1nuKHgs8cz4Y2cweIhHUsueRc456HJ8mInsGPdvRur6Cq63y1s6p7a9iGMzx7dKBlCF8-dIFXKkCvqVnLvkzpqIfaGqIB90HPP0BUIdyhRtyrb/s1600/Sewtionary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ACb1DnxnOFEjHIxfguGbQUtkvImvVA1nuKHgs8cz4Y2cweIhHUsueRc456HJ8mInsGPdvRur6Cq63y1s6p7a9iGMzx7dKBlCF8-dIFXKkCvqVnLvkzpqIfaGqIB90HPP0BUIdyhRtyrb/s1600/Sewtionary.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Project books often come with a set of patterns, or show you how to cut out the pieces with basic measurements.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1) <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Publishing-One-Yard-Wonders-Patricia-Hoskins/dp/1603424490/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1482168753&sr=1-1&keywords=one+yard+wonders" target="_blank">One Yard Wonders</a> - I used this book a lot when I first started sewing. It has a nice variety of projects (simple apparel, home dec, stuffed animals, handbags) that can be made with one yard or less of fabric.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2) <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kids-Guide-Sewing-Friends-Projects/dp/1607057514/ref=sr_1_6?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1482168204&sr=1-6&keywords=kid+sewing" target="_blank">A Kid's Guide to Sewing</a> - Basic projects and instructions. My daughter has this book and it has some interesting projects and good instructions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3) </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sewing-School-Lessons-Machine-Projects/dp/1612120490/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1482075628&sr=8-4&keywords=Sewing+book+projects" target="_blank">Sewing School 2: Lessons in Machine Sewing</a> - I don't know this book personally but the reviews are very strong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4) <a href="https://www.amazon.com/BurdaStyle-Sewing-Handbook-Patterns-Creative/dp/030758674X/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1482168358&sr=1-1&keywords=burdastyle+sewing+handbook" target="_blank">The BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook</a> - This book is more advanced, but it is a great way to see how you can make small changes to a pattern for a very different look.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1jS0r6_VZlBTMewHUwayG7idTMmXB4wQOiWgN3R3OxeRJEAcnBAJHDGiVGCGwS2ZOgNNjYxTyyMsNjSn8jb0HcmgkLi0q5tfUELsozfHrbb-IgSgNkAHG4wwU5Qm7xBCGhLEadOq0Ppd/s1600/61GXMdh5nbL._SX496_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1jS0r6_VZlBTMewHUwayG7idTMmXB4wQOiWgN3R3OxeRJEAcnBAJHDGiVGCGwS2ZOgNNjYxTyyMsNjSn8jb0HcmgkLi0q5tfUELsozfHrbb-IgSgNkAHG4wwU5Qm7xBCGhLEadOq0Ppd/s1600/61GXMdh5nbL._SX496_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And for those who can't make it to a sewing class and <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">but like "live" instru<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ction</span></span>, check out the online classes at <a href="http://craftsy.com/">Craftsy.com</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Sewing Patterns</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Finding <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">good patterns that match your child's skill level and have good instruct<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ions can be a challenge. I know <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the pattern lookbooks can be over<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">whelming if you are not a s<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ewist yourself. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here are a few places to get started.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.simplicity.com/our-brands/new-look/" target="_blank">New Look</a> has a good collection of "tween" patterns that are sized and designed for 8-1<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2</span> year<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-</span>olds and I<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">'ve found that my students really like these p<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">atterns. Unf<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ortunately, you can't search on their website for this collection - you have to <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">look for the patterns with a yellow band at the top <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">AND with the tag "tweens" <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">under the <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">yellow band. For newer sewists, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">look for patterns marked "easy."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBv2UehkHceFKiP-cDGfXI5dvhHLGt5MZpvFESXxWme_QMoN4amCwbgWpdwgjQOJ9Ng0HZEGJPmfZ504nz9t_TyoTb0e85OunuXm1v81RQmqIR7yLJvjs3bOXkFfEqpI8w5NFC5pZjPLP/s1600/newlook-girls-pattern-6339-envelope-front.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBv2UehkHceFKiP-cDGfXI5dvhHLGt5MZpvFESXxWme_QMoN4amCwbgWpdwgjQOJ9Ng0HZEGJPmfZ504nz9t_TyoTb0e85OunuXm1v81RQmqIR7yLJvjs3bOXkFfEqpI8w5NFC5pZjPLP/s1600/newlook-girls-pattern-6339-envelope-front.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.simplicity.com/new-look-pattern-6339-girls-skirts-and-knit-top/6339.html#sz=30&start=120" target="_blank">New Look 6339</a></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.simplicity.com/patterns/patterns-special-collections/project-runway/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Simplicity Project Runway</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">T<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">he designs <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">in this collection <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">appeal to younger sewists, and many of the<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">m are easier to sew. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Look for patterns marked for "girls" if your daughter is not yet <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">wearing</span> misses sizes.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbnS_EMiKsJnmiZjZsQyQ-O8CI242SVHAjEXPaXJMy3URHe_IwNuX-FgJQh44suSPjV5_p23RtsDPXrRUc1BoWOT6GL98qOogx5mL61ThyphenhyphenHHe7F7wm4K6XBLBa1psdzFjRRSDaaBUf_33/s1600/simplicity-girls-pattern-8026-envelope-front.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbnS_EMiKsJnmiZjZsQyQ-O8CI242SVHAjEXPaXJMy3URHe_IwNuX-FgJQh44suSPjV5_p23RtsDPXrRUc1BoWOT6GL98qOogx5mL61ThyphenhyphenHHe7F7wm4K6XBLBa1psdzFjRRSDaaBUf_33/s1600/simplicity-girls-pattern-8026-envelope-front.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.simplicity.com/simplicity-pattern-8026-girls-and-girls-plus-project-runway-dress-or-jumper/8026.html#start=20" target="_blank">Simplicity 8026</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In general<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">you want patterns with <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a small<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> number of</span></span> pattern pieces<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> as they will be easier to sew. This can be hard to identify <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">if you don't sew, but if you look at the line drawings on the back of the pattern e<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">nvelope, you can get a good idea of how many pieces a pattern will<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> involve.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Tools</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Scissors</i> - Good scis<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sors are essential. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">New sewists have to build <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">up their hand eye coordination when it comes to cutting, and poor sc<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">issors <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">make this process even harder. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's easier to put <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">together a project when you have nice straight edges, and <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">choppy cut<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ting make it harder to sew<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. I sew with <a href="http://kaiscissors.com/industrial/miscellaneous/scissors/" target="_blank">9" Kai professional she<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ars</span></a> and Gingher<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s are also<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> a great brand. I've been sewing for 3 years <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">with my pair w<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ithout needing to get the<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">m sharpened, and the cheaper pair I had be<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">fore that needed sharpening twice a year. Younger sewists will probably want 8" shears.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Ruler</i> - I<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">n addition to a m<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">easuring tape, a <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">transparent ruler is also helpful for measuring and cutting. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">favorite is the <a href="http://www.wawak.com/Frosted-Acrylic-Ruler-6-x-24" target="_blank">6" wide quilting rul</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.wawak.com/Frosted-Acrylic-Ruler-6-x-24" target="_blank">er</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Marking tools</i> - <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is imp<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ortant for marking and labeling pattern pieces.</span> I use <a href="http://www.wawak.com/Clay-Assorted-Tailors-Chalk-36-Count" target="_blank">clay Tail</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.wawak.com/Clay-Assorted-Tailors-Chalk-36-Count" target="_blank">or</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.wawak.com/Clay-Assorted-Tailors-Chalk-36-Count" target="_blank">'s chalk</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> and these <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clover-Style-Chaco-Liner-Yellow/dp/B0017G8Q3O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482187084&sr=8-1&keywords=chaco+liner" target="_blank">C<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">lover </span>Chaco Liners</a> (they come in yellow, pink, white, and blue).</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Thread</i> - <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It i<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s helpful to have a wide range of thread colors available. I know I would love it if someone bought me <a href="http://www.wawak.com/Gtermann-Mara-100-Thread-Variety-Pack-25-Spools" target="_blank">this </a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.wawak.com/Gtermann-Mara-100-Thread-Variety-Pack-25-Spools" target="_blank">set</a> or <a href="http://www.wawak.com/Tex-30-500-yds-All-Purpose-Thread-Dual-Duty-XP-S930-Assorted-20-Pack" target="_blank">this set</a>! </span></span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Fabric</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Who doesn't love the gift of fabric shopping? Get your sewist a gift card to your local store, or to one of the many online stores out there. My personal favorites are:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://gorgeousfabrics.com/">GorgeousFabrics.com</a> - quality apparel fabrics</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a> - huge selection of quilting, apparel, and home dec fabrics, plus free shipping over $50</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://moodfabrics.com/">MoodFabrics.com</a> - quality apparel and home dec fabrics</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://girlcharlee.com/">GirlCharlee.com</a> - specializes in knit/jersey, lots of modern prints</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sewing Machine</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you are looking to give your young sewist her first machine, I have a couple of recommendations. Both of these machines are good starter machines that will last for years. Please stay away from machines at the big box stores - the lower prices sacrifice quality by replacing metal parts with plastic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1) <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Janome-2212-FullSize-Freearm-Machine/dp/B00AKKM4GI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482167441&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=janome+2212+sewing+machine&psc=1" target="_blank">Janome 2212, $169 at Amazon</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pros: Great basic stitches, all metal parts (hard to break), vertical bobbin (also hard to break), decent with thick fabric, sturdy, lightweight, adjustable stitch length</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Cons: Poor light, some problems with breaking needles (buying Schmetz brand seems to fix the issue)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brother-Feature-Rich-Stitches-Auto-Size-Buttonholes/dp/B000JQM1DE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482167402&sr=8-1&keywords=brother+cs6000i+sewing+machine" target="_blank">2) Brother CS6000i, approx. $149 on Amazon</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pros: Speed control, adjustable stitch length, basic stitches, lightweight, good quality for price</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Cons: Poor light (you'll need an extra lamp), drop-in bobbin (my repair guy says that often beginners break the plastic in a drop-in bobbin and it's an expensive fix), not great for thick fabrics or many layers (handbags, heavy fabric), mostly plastic parts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you have any questions or if you have recommendations for this list, please comment below!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Happy Sewing and Merry Holidays!</span></div>
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PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-88579016264813420042016-11-23T17:36:00.000-06:002017-10-22T21:16:28.208-05:00Fall Wedding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7sVbVSCLUsFUmhyphenhyphenhqEJn4QOD_hQztcPogFhZws8uowoe6t3MwwUEDbQgy9Zmltw34xe780cMsUBfJBsaVPcIcWT5-KTIi0klM1ufS7cowmgTXBpSRcnnaQzTkSjQbBI_2n2Id2e9amd4/s1600/KMWedding-96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7sVbVSCLUsFUmhyphenhyphenhqEJn4QOD_hQztcPogFhZws8uowoe6t3MwwUEDbQgy9Zmltw34xe780cMsUBfJBsaVPcIcWT5-KTIi0klM1ufS7cowmgTXBpSRcnnaQzTkSjQbBI_2n2Id2e9amd4/s640/KMWedding-96.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Robert Gaona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In September of 2015, K contacted me about making her wedding dress. She had found a picture online of a dress that she loved but couldn't find anything like it in the shops. I poked around and finally figured out that the original dress was custom made by a woman named <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/penelopes-salt-lake-city" target="_blank">Penelope Perkins</a> in Salt Lake City.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXeSj3pLkyCiCvtH_Qn9LkAT8XWJymAFY-kF5NWkkFfABH-jRERVNrAgpzLGH0fl5HhP9-jwVS_5MSunSwUy9wbNCmSQjD7zJXCpY3XsK4OxLvmPn58JGEnnrapsrMB4NIVzu0vhYBBOQ/s1600/BlogLayout5x720.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXeSj3pLkyCiCvtH_Qn9LkAT8XWJymAFY-kF5NWkkFfABH-jRERVNrAgpzLGH0fl5HhP9-jwVS_5MSunSwUy9wbNCmSQjD7zJXCpY3XsK4OxLvmPn58JGEnnrapsrMB4NIVzu0vhYBBOQ/s640/BlogLayout5x720.PNG" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Alixann Loosle Photography</td></tr>
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K loved the layered look of the skirt but wanted some changes. I did a few rough sketches until we were both on the same page about what she wanted. Then came swatches and fabric choices and finding a base pattern. I decided to use <a href="https://kwiksew.mccall.com/k3929?page_id=3034" target="_blank">Kwik Sew 3929</a> because the neckline was close to what she wanted.<br />
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This was a very different experience from my first wedding dress, as almost everything I needed to do I had already done before. I didn't have the same nail-biting moments where I "knew" what I had to do (but I only knew it because I had read about it in a book or watched a video online) but wasn't entirely confident I could pull it off. So this time around I had much more confidence and much less terror.<br />
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The muslin revealed some fitting issues and I made the following adjustments to the pattern:<br />
<ul>
<li>Sway back adjustment of about 3/8"</li>
<li>Take in princess seams here and there</li>
<li>Lower center front section by 1 inch</li>
<li>Lower armsyche by 1/2"</li>
<li>Adjust front shoulder slope - not sure what to call this, but I had to slash and spread a little dart (you can see this in the photo below)</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6sDZroznR2Epsfw4brBuLvv63m_Z7_mBwHiOCPdd59JAFRq6TeurPfWapk4nFdml-tZ75jCkut_YaCnjdxA2vAYUJbOkfsqcrZZo7Zdo_JSr-azn5msI7FcDEssQT3kmhkr7uAFqSp4er/s1600/31060292622_bb76cf74e4_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6sDZroznR2Epsfw4brBuLvv63m_Z7_mBwHiOCPdd59JAFRq6TeurPfWapk4nFdml-tZ75jCkut_YaCnjdxA2vAYUJbOkfsqcrZZo7Zdo_JSr-azn5msI7FcDEssQT3kmhkr7uAFqSp4er/s640/31060292622_bb76cf74e4_o.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue lines are new stitch lines</td></tr>
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Construction details:<br />
<ul>
<li>The bodice and skirt were underlined with white cotton batiste</li>
<li>I used poly charmeuse for the base layer for both bodice and skirt, and the bodice has a lace overlay</li>
<li>I used the same poly charmeuse for the lining, and underlined the bodice lining with muslin</li>
<li>The bodice has boning at center, side fronts, side seams, side backs and just outside back zipper for a total of nine spiral steel bones (I later shortened the center bone by about 3 inches)</li>
<li>The skirt handkerchief overlays are alternating chiffon and lace - once I knew how long I wanted the points to be for each layer, I got to review high school geometry to figure out the size of each square</li>
<li>I cut the waist of the skirt overlays large so that I could add volume with pleats (you can see these in the picture below where K's mom is zipping up the dress) </li>
<li>I did not hem the lace overlay and I sewed a tiny rolled hem for the chiffon layers - about 13 yards worth of hemming</li>
<li>Neckline lightly eased to shorter twill tape to help it curve inwards </li>
<li>Waist stay added to help distribute the weight of the skirt</li>
<li>Wedding dress strength invisible zipper</li>
<li>Lining hand stitched to outer layer</li>
<li>Fabric was purchased from Fabric.com </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhyphenhyphenoZ7UgfAlp0bGJ0VpMoUko6VvWeR5IpDvVlZtyuGLDeZb-VxcEvBcK8xvDGbyYVg4n4FaDaFBuJceGfdzvPDfADqo6IPCuAwEy96B9tivOSERP14EHGtMiN3jCveWbj3bY3CE0Zs2tj/s1600/30396144533_7867bc42ae_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhyphenhyphenoZ7UgfAlp0bGJ0VpMoUko6VvWeR5IpDvVlZtyuGLDeZb-VxcEvBcK8xvDGbyYVg4n4FaDaFBuJceGfdzvPDfADqo6IPCuAwEy96B9tivOSERP14EHGtMiN3jCveWbj3bY3CE0Zs2tj/s640/30396144533_7867bc42ae_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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K's mom came to almost every fitting and her joy and excitement for her daughter was palpable. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP__X3C1sbAmsHyD96KeYLBgcjwyhQix3bQzKXnX1M9qVXhaKIr_XBp_n-s-I90j5O7dxrobZC5BH2fU2U7nJx01rerkd-ZtS5kPwEB_iRcRKwETFuW6dwcgd3CHUJeI7i1C-ddwZAYVR/s1600/KMWedding-56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP__X3C1sbAmsHyD96KeYLBgcjwyhQix3bQzKXnX1M9qVXhaKIr_XBp_n-s-I90j5O7dxrobZC5BH2fU2U7nJx01rerkd-ZtS5kPwEB_iRcRKwETFuW6dwcgd3CHUJeI7i1C-ddwZAYVR/s640/KMWedding-56.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Robert Gaona</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3E15YEyDulh-d9k5BAvcYh805Thg1ryFh3UIoMVXTyrawemsp9VeZ8qCxmWc429cQ2ipXTG95zHxuoTnqCYXARuVTx8feTDPju1kR2apx9BpQn4D84KV0_KqtSA4TK3sAcRT7Ww1Q-MCS/s1600/KMWedding-60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3E15YEyDulh-d9k5BAvcYh805Thg1ryFh3UIoMVXTyrawemsp9VeZ8qCxmWc429cQ2ipXTG95zHxuoTnqCYXARuVTx8feTDPju1kR2apx9BpQn4D84KV0_KqtSA4TK3sAcRT7Ww1Q-MCS/s640/KMWedding-60.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Robert Gaona</td></tr>
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K works for our local park district and she and her husband were married in one of the local parks. We've had a mild fall in the midwest, and their day was sunny and bright, warm in the sun and slightly crisp in the shade. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUmkFkbFOGMRRJta2wz7YwpVeU9KiW8kkeS0yDJeM33uH4LMZ6PyzTWGOHumhNnRIWcaSDi55ySaFwoLzkUA5oO3AG4PSsHwfDm1VSFhwSBDSROJnWea1zy5ViftZMEHO9hQRmg0y6Iva/s1600/KMWedding-97.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUmkFkbFOGMRRJta2wz7YwpVeU9KiW8kkeS0yDJeM33uH4LMZ6PyzTWGOHumhNnRIWcaSDi55ySaFwoLzkUA5oO3AG4PSsHwfDm1VSFhwSBDSROJnWea1zy5ViftZMEHO9hQRmg0y6Iva/s640/KMWedding-97.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Robert Gaona</td></tr>
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I love these kinds of projects: fun, challenging sewing on something that really matters to the client. I am so grateful for this work. Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers - may you all find projects that will you with gratitude for the gift of sewing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUXmQQFD5ujmZSffY6JY6DNS88jMqqRzR-b9H_QAwo1ENasBBzpNS-P_NMJ-sZi2R8TMA6iRqVIHDhMys5qQWlOu74CRTaHsPK_Vr0dkQ9mdiv_CL45HVhZ8FKQVBBPuJAp1qogF0FVW6/s1600/KMWedding-518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUXmQQFD5ujmZSffY6JY6DNS88jMqqRzR-b9H_QAwo1ENasBBzpNS-P_NMJ-sZi2R8TMA6iRqVIHDhMys5qQWlOu74CRTaHsPK_Vr0dkQ9mdiv_CL45HVhZ8FKQVBBPuJAp1qogF0FVW6/s640/KMWedding-518.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Robert Gaona</td></tr>
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PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-2116941377412402082016-06-21T22:10:00.000-05:002017-10-21T17:53:08.639-05:00My LatestHey! How are you all? It's been awhile since I posted here (not apologizing, just observing). I post a little more frequently over on Instagram, but I'm a bit downpour or drought when it comes to social media.<br />
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I've been working on some fun projects this year and I'll do my best to post about them at some point. Or not. We'll see! My latest is a partnership of two of my favorite Indie pattern companies: Jalie and StyleArc.<br />
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I found the inspiration for the trousers in a Sundance catalog that made it to the pile of reading material in the bathroom. When I saw them they reminded me of the Style Arc Lola pants, if you could imagine a few tweaks (which I could and did). I <i>should</i> show you a picture of the inspiration pants now, but they are no longer on the Sundance website and if I get up to go take a picture of the ripped out page, I'll likely get distracted and then this post will join the rest of the imagined posts in my mind. So instead, I'll just ask you to trust me. They looked like Lola pants with front patch pockets and a center seam down each leg.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Casual elastic waist pant with pockets & back hem detail" border="0" src="http://stylearc.com.au/stylearc/images/2013/LOLA-PANT.jpg" height="333" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Lola Woven Pant" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=2&product_id=584&option=com_virtuemart">Style Arc Lola Pants</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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So I made a muslin of the Lola pants. The only alteration I had to do was to add a 1/4 to each side seam from about hip level down. Now that I've made up the pants in a linen-rayon blend, I kinda want to take that 1/4" back out, but I'll see what happens after I wash them. Oh, and I also added about an inch to the length.<br />
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Design changes were to add the center front seam to each leg using the grainline as a reference point, changing out the pockets for patch pockets, widening the front flat waistband so that it lined up with the new center seams. I also ditched the elastic in the back hem, but I might try that if I make a version of these with a heavier weight fabric.<br />
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And it looks about like what I wanted.<br />
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I bought some of the same linen-rayon fabric (from <a href="http://fabric.com/">Fabric.com</a>) in a dark teal and I might make a few more tweaks before I sew up a second pair in my more favorite fabric.<br />
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The top is the <a href="https://jalie.com/twist-top-507">Jalie Haut Twist top</a> without the front ruffle. I love this pattern and the red version is the fifth one I've made since March. And I have an idea for a sixth using two different fabrics. You can see the whole parade of them in my Instagram feed. The fabric for this one plus all but one of the other four came from <a href="http://gorgeousfabrics.com/">GorgeousFabrics.com</a>. My changes to the pattern were to add an inch in length, omit the back tie, and finish the neck the arms with clear elastic (I didn't like how the fold under method in the instructions turned out).<br />
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So there you go, another two items off my summer list. Because I am trying to follow a list this summer so that I can stay focused. So far I've crossed eight items off my personal list so it just might be working!<br />
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What about you? What are you sewing and how do you stay focused?<br />
<br />PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-57811864419571956082016-01-04T14:26:00.000-06:002016-01-04T14:26:05.242-06:00Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016!It's here, a New Year. I'm getting back into routine after a lazy, lounge-y holiday with the family. I enjoy the break from regular routine and then I'm hungry to get back to it again, too.<br />
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I managed to get a little holiday sewing completed after I finished up the biker jacket for K. No fancy holiday dresses for me, but my handmade presents were well-received and fun to create.<br />
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<a href="https://jalie.com/jalie3244-footed-pajama-pattern">Jalie 3244</a> Footed Pjs <br />
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<a href="https://jalie.com/jalie3460-bella-dress">Jalie 3460</a> Bella Fit and Flare birthday dress for Mooper<br />
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<a href="http://butterick.mccall.com/b5822-products-27970.php?page_id=147">Butterick 5822</a> Coat for my MIL<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHCZ0NCUedYqWN5DZs11LzXYNw30BzfN-HGWwZgHE_OmEGDMlSWt0ftdeQtfjzy8icc5OtaucIjyZj16RK_c_kkZJrT5uOQX4VE-lPMsCl2-DWTPda1tHhvXyj-0X7mhPg8eh_urkUy9b/s1600/IMG_3007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHCZ0NCUedYqWN5DZs11LzXYNw30BzfN-HGWwZgHE_OmEGDMlSWt0ftdeQtfjzy8icc5OtaucIjyZj16RK_c_kkZJrT5uOQX4VE-lPMsCl2-DWTPda1tHhvXyj-0X7mhPg8eh_urkUy9b/s400/IMG_3007.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She picked out this pop of color for the lining - I like it!</td></tr>
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My sewing goals for the year are to make more jeans and outerwear. I'm sure I'll sew up a few jersey tops and dresses for myself in between the challenging projects, but I also want to stretch my skills. Yesterday afternoon I cut out a new pair of <a href="http://www.angelawolfpatterns.com/the-angel-bootcut-jean-aw4200-paper-pattern/" target="_blank">Angel Wolf Angel Bootcut jeans</a> and a muslin for the <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/class/the-carefree-fly-front-coat/273" target="_blank">Kenneth King Carefree Fly Front Coat Craftsy course</a> I'm working through, so I'm off to a good start! I've also got some fun client projects lined up for January and February and I'll do my best to share those on this blog. Come find <a href="https://www.instagram.com/poldapop/" target="_blank">me on Instagram</a> for more regular updates.<br />
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Wishing you all a Happy New Year!<br />
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<br />PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-41295717172167057352015-12-16T17:35:00.001-06:002017-10-21T17:51:51.747-05:00Wedding Dress to Biker Jacket Refashion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeJAybotPzrNN2pxvnRXJ0RBo8HeeymNWGUkSPOb2eIPy3NuBuSk8F9ZkV0yFz2xqihVdXfYtgBStHpk00KNp0kWhH469-osM3S29F2tUH63kqTRxp0uHGz7ANRXsPpdZiw-cmk3RMKMp/s640/blogger-image-391641923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeJAybotPzrNN2pxvnRXJ0RBo8HeeymNWGUkSPOb2eIPy3NuBuSk8F9ZkV0yFz2xqihVdXfYtgBStHpk00KNp0kWhH469-osM3S29F2tUH63kqTRxp0uHGz7ANRXsPpdZiw-cmk3RMKMp/s1600/blogger-image-391641923.jpg" /></a>Whew. Now this was a Project, capital P and all. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This was one of those projects that feels a bit like climbing a mountain or running a marathon. For a long time, you can't quite see where the finish line is and you have to stop thinking about it or you'll get too frustrated. One foot in front of another is the way to go. And even when you can start to see the finish line, it takes a long while longer to actually cross it - like the peak of a mountain can seem much closer than it actually is. But when you arrive? When the last stitch is sewn? Ahh, you are rewarded with such a sense of accomplishment. I need the quickie-jersey-top-done-in-two-hour projects as much as the next sewist, but I glow for days when I finish one of these challenges (and because I'm a little bit crazy, this one was a twofer).</span><br />
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If you have been reading my blog for a couple of years you know that back in 2013 I sewed a wedding dress for client K. And if you don't know than you can back track and read about it <a href="http://www.poldapop.com/2014/01/the-wedding-dress.html" target="_blank">here</a>. And since I love to show off pictures of it, here it is it all it's glory:</div>
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A year after the wedding, K brought the dress back so it could be shortened to cocktail length. </div>
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A year later after that, K had me use the remaining bits and pieces along with leather to create the jacket using Style Arc's Jett Biker pattern. I think this will be the end of the line, since there are very few pieces left (I had to piece together the front panels as I didn't have anything big enough - the lace pretty well hides the seam). The leftover scraps from the dress and three lamb skins (from <a href="http://gorgeousfabrics.com/shop/specialty-fabrics/leathersuede/soft-drapey-velvety-finish-lambskin-black/" target="_blank">GorgeousFabrics.com - still in stock</a>) fit in a quart size ziploc bag.<br />
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What made this such a challenge? Let me tell you!</div>
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It started with a muslin so that I could check fit and practice some of the steps. The fit was perfect out of the box and I'm close enough in size to my client that it fit me, too (bonus!). This is where easy ended.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The sheer number of pattern pieces was part of the challenge here. Each sleeve alone was comprised of five pieces (although the lining only had three). If I'm counting correctly, the outer layer was made up of 19 pieces while the lining involved another 15. Then I decided that everything needed to be underlined (I used twill for K's jacket because it needed a lot more body and cotton batiste for mine) so for each jacket I had to cut out 53 pieces of fabric. I just added that up right now (106 total!) and I'm no longer surprised that it took me two full days just to cut and mark all those pieces!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5caYp0aQh-uK52HkZqPFmlTDYOWBOLxVU8fVfJxXd7XYkeT9bAhcVXbokQdmbzDOmaJbQ-KQKL4wgNjXhOiuyqBrbA6cR-ArcoQM6qoU0bIAaWniVtNg0oS15LBLE3ljzRgASHeJYED1T/s640/blogger-image-1850972763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5caYp0aQh-uK52HkZqPFmlTDYOWBOLxVU8fVfJxXd7XYkeT9bAhcVXbokQdmbzDOmaJbQ-KQKL4wgNjXhOiuyqBrbA6cR-ArcoQM6qoU0bIAaWniVtNg0oS15LBLE3ljzRgASHeJYED1T/s1600/blogger-image-1850972763.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to cram as many pieces as possible onto one of the skins.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I decided to go full couture so I hand-basted the underlining to the main fabric. I have no idea how long this took me, except that I watched a season of </span><i>Broadchurch </i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">and a few </span><i>Miss Fisher's Mysteries</i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> while I worked my way through the 27 pieces that needed be be underlined (the leather pieces I basted with glue, so they went quickly). My eyes and fingers were sore by the end.</span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />At this point the meticulous side of my personality was in full reign so I decided that every seam needed to be top stitched with a double strand of thread, so each seam was sewn three times.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't even see the second set of top stitching but I know it's there.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;">The construction process was tricky, but luckily</span><a href="http://clothingengineer.com/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"> The Clothing Engineer</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;"> has sewn this pattern and provided guidance through her own blog and on </span><a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=714&category_id=6&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=41" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Style Arc's website</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;"> (see links). If you ever get stuck on a StyleArc pattern, check to see if TCE has help for you. The lovely thing about Style Arc patterns is that once you know what to do, everything comes together neatly because the patterns are so well drafted. The only change I made was to add a hidden pocket in the inside, since the jacket has no pockets and I was afraid that adding them on the outside would mess with the very fitted design.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm such a bad blogger that I didn't take very many pictures of my client's jacket - my giddiness fogged my mind. But I have some of the one I made myself. The are almost the same in terms of main/contrast fabric. </span></div>
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I used a stretch cotton matellasse for the black parts and a wool suiting for the black/light pink parts, both from <a href="http://gorgeousfabrics.com/">GorgeousFabrics.com</a> (sorry, both out-of-stock). I have worn my jacket almost every day since I finished and my client seemed equally pleased with hers. Oh, and those jeans I'm wearing? They are the Angela Woolf Angel Boot Cut jeans I made last spring - they've gotten tons of wear this fall, too!</div>
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Next up I've got some Christmas sewing to finish before I tackle my next big project, a winter coat. And I have another wedding dress order, so I have more mountains to climb in the new year! What about you? I'd love to hear about your latest sewing accomplishment (and feel free to post links to said accomplishment in the comments).</div>
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PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-20674523617484441552015-10-31T21:22:00.001-05:002015-10-31T21:30:28.596-05:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ErI9MjmUB6Gqk8q706Dvx9yacCOa6sHpohPflTrvQvdsUQdPqx5kRy3dlESA32alIR5732XJu2qUCQChNieQNK_aCaDgIkQYZ-In-gOk4n6akpzLfdpcmNJi0M4DwMbijR1Db-5DhpEw/s1600/DSC00153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ErI9MjmUB6Gqk8q706Dvx9yacCOa6sHpohPflTrvQvdsUQdPqx5kRy3dlESA32alIR5732XJu2qUCQChNieQNK_aCaDgIkQYZ-In-gOk4n6akpzLfdpcmNJi0M4DwMbijR1Db-5DhpEw/s400/DSC00153.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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My husband and I started using those pumpkin stencil booklets that you can buy at the grocery store a few years ago, and we got hooked. At first we just did fancy carvings for our own pumpkins, and the traditional circles and triangles for the girls, but of course the girls started to want the fancy ones, too. They don't have the patience to do them on their own, but they can help (and we are secretly happy when they lose interest and we get to take over).</div>
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We learned how to do the surface scraping thing this year and that opens up a whole new set of possibilities!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuxvQ2xbl1_7GjHYOLOv63d9l6zyFDoRp6XJt6OHbQzZO-zvxHi2XYyW7lyJvSfHWcEv7ukriTSrRuUgtf_0BHVlIq_nbiPfbWANVXVAE-O6P370Ega_gKSdl2Jv9do2brAiS1YYiq3eq/s1600/DSC00148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuxvQ2xbl1_7GjHYOLOv63d9l6zyFDoRp6XJt6OHbQzZO-zvxHi2XYyW7lyJvSfHWcEv7ukriTSrRuUgtf_0BHVlIq_nbiPfbWANVXVAE-O6P370Ega_gKSdl2Jv9do2brAiS1YYiq3eq/s400/DSC00148.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belly choose a skeleton hand with cocktail glass - <br />
I'm sure that says something terrible about us as parents!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJYfK9f8P-4ISX9sClkNrbFVugmo3NjqtN7VDA8Pk5GUKW6bN55v09h0IA6N5xsGSrBjVwgMcqxuvigdPirkm_nSdtgu5iHZPfsSBLo7QahqyCrMWt9al2hoahcAhqcI0J_ISsePZoBAb/s1600/DSC00150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJYfK9f8P-4ISX9sClkNrbFVugmo3NjqtN7VDA8Pk5GUKW6bN55v09h0IA6N5xsGSrBjVwgMcqxuvigdPirkm_nSdtgu5iHZPfsSBLo7QahqyCrMWt9al2hoahcAhqcI0J_ISsePZoBAb/s400/DSC00150.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mooper's cat</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUo0VSU_eT2irSzJkHejFJWeeQyCroldahN7vuLTvSiJbuZfM5e171FK284TRu9ftq7vHkRHKpXqDxCinQp8hSu-VRvwj_hZQD84hlsErMy607PrM8v9AJUuLLNOKqyaVR86hqmTvFI0tQ/s1600/DSC00152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUo0VSU_eT2irSzJkHejFJWeeQyCroldahN7vuLTvSiJbuZfM5e171FK284TRu9ftq7vHkRHKpXqDxCinQp8hSu-VRvwj_hZQD84hlsErMy607PrM8v9AJUuLLNOKqyaVR86hqmTvFI0tQ/s400/DSC00152.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Devon wanted the Eddie face but had to settle for this one.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSZ-Q8npy2tnVwHvwO10tqmXHrmF0aYRYOurtLICSOmUzwRM6FpgWakr4w38znccX6edt7ZTFhxySQ9D_i2sTRFAv_58m5fO_5fbWBNKM7v6PY2AAH2NELx2R0tZk_eP8lbHu1IXt8Dhd/s1600/DSC00156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSZ-Q8npy2tnVwHvwO10tqmXHrmF0aYRYOurtLICSOmUzwRM6FpgWakr4w38znccX6edt7ZTFhxySQ9D_i2sTRFAv_58m5fO_5fbWBNKM7v6PY2AAH2NELx2R0tZk_eP8lbHu1IXt8Dhd/s400/DSC00156.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkin family!</td></tr>
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I drew my own stencil this year because I couldn't quite find a Day of the Dead stencil that had all the elements I wanted.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FgymYuCbirYa7DbzaUvaRG6u9AeBTQ4YgNAz0KRmzxbrASL07ZKNP-0eFlIswTz4jeU_-mOpWjVelYWsCXh5byRC2Npu5RljFktVYXJqE8g3yqtuQIsL_l0DFeQ1Lza3_UFPyUv19BhY/s1600/scan0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FgymYuCbirYa7DbzaUvaRG6u9AeBTQ4YgNAz0KRmzxbrASL07ZKNP-0eFlIswTz4jeU_-mOpWjVelYWsCXh5byRC2Npu5RljFktVYXJqE8g3yqtuQIsL_l0DFeQ1Lza3_UFPyUv19BhY/s400/scan0008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can download it <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/75311189/scan0008.jpg" target="_blank">here</a>, but you will likely need to scale up.</td></tr>
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Back in August, Belly received face paints and a couple of face paint books for her birthday. This turned out to actually be a gift for me, since I love following steps (color-by-number sets were always my favorite as a kid). Mooper tried out two different designs for her fairy look (with skirt by me - see? I slipped some sewing in here after all!):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswzQSfBIJvBsgQ9L-CQ7xGFGJsTzZjuktd17KPljtoGCyo3y0evuKca8oF6d5LJKUm4CaZxtxD9_6J2KNm5qWj73ORDpBtXId9kk3WEhICWfwwkYfPvkiTIAegGTfmuWi5ChRUOcPKj6M/s1600/DSC00125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswzQSfBIJvBsgQ9L-CQ7xGFGJsTzZjuktd17KPljtoGCyo3y0evuKca8oF6d5LJKUm4CaZxtxD9_6J2KNm5qWj73ORDpBtXId9kk3WEhICWfwwkYfPvkiTIAegGTfmuWi5ChRUOcPKj6M/s400/DSC00125.JPG" width="331" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsp6wJnnPq2Rq14kYnimB3e0F7BaAenph5soSb4KJGMAf5TohQQUN94z0zk_reEKrY5TYsmYDOSbU7u8xvkm1hVo2cOCrqps6ynam0rYAu-bWkyCHqFTEk_GYbbrKInBcD3rbeLWVzjes/s1600/DSC00143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsp6wJnnPq2Rq14kYnimB3e0F7BaAenph5soSb4KJGMAf5TohQQUN94z0zk_reEKrY5TYsmYDOSbU7u8xvkm1hVo2cOCrqps6ynam0rYAu-bWkyCHqFTEk_GYbbrKInBcD3rbeLWVzjes/s320/DSC00143.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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And Devon and I made up something together for Belly's zombie:<br />
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We had a fantastic day carving pumpkins and trick-or-treating. Hope your day was as sweet as ours!</div>
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PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-23001685505330049322015-10-19T21:35:00.000-05:002017-10-21T11:59:41.776-05:00Pattern Review: StyleArc Antoinette PantI hate to start anything with an apology, but I must say that these photos are not my best work. But if I wait until I can find another 15 minutes to re-take the photos (you know, when light/weather/time all join together to create opportunity), this won't get posted for another month. So you all will just have to live with sub par details and chopped off heads (my expression in a few of these was borderline insane, as in, you all would be sending emails to my husband asking if I'm okay),<br />
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So the <a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=2&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=644&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=42" target="_blank">Style Arc Antoinette</a> is the second pair of trousers I've made for myself but the first I've blogged about. I made jeans back in the spring that I absolutely love and one of these days I'll get around to taking photos that do them justice. The jeans were a breeze to fit (I love you, <a href="http://www.angelawolfpatterns.com/the-angel-bootcut-jean-aw4200-paper-pattern/" target="_blank">Angela Wolf Angel Bootcut pattern</a>!), but these required some work. After sewing up the first muslin I almost stopped as I wasn't sure they could be made to look good on me. The best way to describe the look is if you imagine a combination of clown + jockey. Unfortunately, these pictures don't quite capture how ridiculous I looked (go figure, the photos that were supposed to look bad don't look as bad as I felt wearing them).<br />
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Muslin #1 was too big in the waist, hips, and thighs, but too tight around the calves (I couldn't squat without straining stitches).<br />
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When I sewed these up I suddenly realized just how impossible it would be to fit them without the help of a friend, so my sewing buddy Nancy and I found a way to trade fitting (knit top for her and these pants for me). Nancy pinned out the side seams, inseams, and center front seam. I then cut a second pair where I also added width to the calf (no tapering at the knee) and about 1" in length. Muslin #2 made me think that I just might like these enough to sew with real fabric:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxn65dZLBBd9O823jm2b-qCKjkq-aMQlUkjN7TEJ-nXgKLMALi3rVMzsccZ1EAN3rl1mMdjTHs9yUNRI9bVizZgykFYH6j9hZSdPyWXnlNhyphenhyphenAQfNS2ZFRuD-ykz6OcYWYfT4usdnMRE77R/s1600/StyleArc+Antoinette1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxn65dZLBBd9O823jm2b-qCKjkq-aMQlUkjN7TEJ-nXgKLMALi3rVMzsccZ1EAN3rl1mMdjTHs9yUNRI9bVizZgykFYH6j9hZSdPyWXnlNhyphenhyphenAQfNS2ZFRuD-ykz6OcYWYfT4usdnMRE77R/s400/StyleArc+Antoinette1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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At this stage, I couldn't tell if the bits I didn't like were due to the fabric (this muslin seemed to grow every time I put it on) or due to the style, but I felt confident enough to cut into <a href="https://gorgeousfabrics.com/shop/other-woven-fabrics/spring-weight-japanese-twill-blackwhite-heather/" target="_blank">this spring-weight Japanese twill</a> I had purchased in a Gorgeous Fabrics' sale.<br />
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I'm not 100% sure, but I think I like them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp87mw89GK2JPcCgrIBAml8IhNYoi_z904joDSXLEWa6bGbUjT4b7HkCHNkto6HuOD7UJR8BRAXG_tb3fQ0qyoswXOQITRomy43UmwGo9wql9_5gmQl9n1Bq9yRTdYA9qv34WRTZtOHi-p/s1600/DSC00061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp87mw89GK2JPcCgrIBAml8IhNYoi_z904joDSXLEWa6bGbUjT4b7HkCHNkto6HuOD7UJR8BRAXG_tb3fQ0qyoswXOQITRomy43UmwGo9wql9_5gmQl9n1Bq9yRTdYA9qv34WRTZtOHi-p/s400/DSC00061.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please excuse those wrinkles you see across the top of my butt.<br />
Those were caused by a too-long cami. I will hem that cami now<br />
that I have seen how the excess fabric pools across my butt.</td></tr>
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I did end up taking the side seams in a bit more from waist to knee. I added another 1.5" to the length, and then used a hem facing to keep almost all of it. If I make these again, I may also slash and overlap under the butt (my husband has requested that I made them more "fitted" next time, but since Style Arc describes these trousers as slouchy, I'm not sure that's a good idea.) I really enjoyed making the pleated pockets and the Style Arc diagram was quite good in explaining how they worked.<br />
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For those into sewing geekery, here are the changes I made to the pattern pieces:<br />
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I serged the seams, bound the facing edge with Rayon bias tape that I acquired from somewhere (periodically I get handed a bunch of sewing supplies from someone's grandmother's stash), and used wide black quilt binding to face the hems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMGH7Hf41sizUaz6204ZI8iR9R57GOSmZSuqe3Wm0i2FyttxnPJaN_1GlaCw6zaTHziOrxmM34epfxp4uGC77JNlqxMJQPE3WbVYGQk9HBGPIZ8PLxu_-SnTD-sksXwra0lP2cYsdQft-/s1600/DSC00056+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMGH7Hf41sizUaz6204ZI8iR9R57GOSmZSuqe3Wm0i2FyttxnPJaN_1GlaCw6zaTHziOrxmM34epfxp4uGC77JNlqxMJQPE3WbVYGQk9HBGPIZ8PLxu_-SnTD-sksXwra0lP2cYsdQft-/s400/DSC00056+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITzbZwAe4FySkyutBvZTw0n-VMm9KBCTInG7jmvkYJ38b3kfsYPiAvmE623X8vcDb1fN4ndQ2vphmjFqOdUNFnvSXaBL_W74UDnjzwPBX5L5xS-Agd6zdS-CgCgfosE3UWcoxyvE5OJGB/s1600/DSC00056+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITzbZwAe4FySkyutBvZTw0n-VMm9KBCTInG7jmvkYJ38b3kfsYPiAvmE623X8vcDb1fN4ndQ2vphmjFqOdUNFnvSXaBL_W74UDnjzwPBX5L5xS-Agd6zdS-CgCgfosE3UWcoxyvE5OJGB/s400/DSC00056+%25283%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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The only construction problem I encountered was with attaching and turning the waist facing. There is so much bulk where the pleat and pocket fold overlap that the waist does not want to lay flat in that area, and the facing wants to peek out. For the moment, I tried tacking down the facing in a few places under the pocket fold, but it's not a great fix. I have some red wool crepe I've been hoarding, waiting for the right pattern to come along. I might make another pair with the wool, but I want to figure out the bulk problem first. I also might save the red crepe for <a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=579&category_id=2&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=42" target="_blank">Style Arc's Sammi Pants</a>.<br />
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So that's the story of this make. I searched high and low for other reviews of this pattern before I started and the only review I found was from <a href="http://www.adaspragg.com/2014/08/09/diy-pleated-silk-pants-ada-spragg-britex-fabrics/" target="_blank">Sophie at AdaSpragg.com</a>. She made her version up with a silk charmeuse, so the look is different. I hope this review helps anyone else out there who is considering this pattern!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More cami wrinkles . . .</td></tr>
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PHOTO SHOOT OUTTAKE<br />
Here's a terrible photo that makes me think of The Blair Witch Project. After watching that movie, I slept with a bottle of Tilex next to my bed for a week (so that I could squirt bad guys in the eyes from a safe distance), mainly because of the person-in-a-corner scene.<br />
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<br />PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-73857025274849996322015-09-14T14:08:00.000-05:002017-10-21T17:57:28.109-05:00Embracing MistakesGreetings! How are things in your part of the world? Fall is creeping in here, although the cicadas are still chirping so summer doesn't quite feel over yet. I love this time of the year, when change is all around us. I'll share one of my favorite poems in a few weeks when Autumn is truly here, but for now I'm enjoying being in in between the two best seasons.<br />
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I have a group class starting up this afternoon (machine sewing for kids age 9+) and that has me thinking about all the things I want to teach kids outside of threading a machine, the importance of pressing, and why seam allowance matters. You know, those aspects of sewing that go beyond the basic skills, things like being patient instead of rushing, and challenging yourself to go beyond "good enough" (clip those threads! press those seams! be proud not sloppy!). I think the most important of these extra skills is learning to embrace mistakes.<br />
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There is nothing more satisfying the finding your way around a mistake. Of course, getting something right the first time is exhilarating while failing after effort can be deeply frustrating. But rising up above failure? I think we remember those moments more than those of instant success.<br />
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Last week I wanted to do a quick project after finishing my <a href="http://www.poldapop.com/2015/09/boom.html" target="_blank">Bombshell</a>, which was a skill-stretcher. <a href="http://www.angelawolfpatterns.com/the-ruched-t-top-aw1123-paper-pattern/" target="_blank">Angela Wolf's Ruched T-shirt pattern</a> arrived in the last box I received from Wawak (so mad/glad they sell her patterns). I ordered this one after reading a couple of reviews on <a href="http://patternreview.com/">PatternReview.com</a> and because I had such success with her <a href="http://www.angelawolfpatterns.com/the-angel-bootcut-jean-aw4200-paper-pattern/" target="_blank">Angel Bootcut jeans</a>. And this did not disappoint - it fit perfectly almost out of the box. For my first make, I wanted to do the version without a cowl (I've already chosen my fabric for one with). I was a little concerned about the neck binding - it didn't feel right, at least not with the fabric I had chosen. I went ahead and followed the directions and this is what I got:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSclVBHsh5Kjdxe9s_pXUUQKGj9MJBFWUaBsm_cyangDmplIHnwJ4Hfucr6Q1gSRh4WBhj1B_BOo7U4cBijt6CXId3UGXuCfs-N7SLaUE1bzXxAFAjAt6EtPTVWEe3FeZF1ElZkqeKGdPW/s1600/IMG_2552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSclVBHsh5Kjdxe9s_pXUUQKGj9MJBFWUaBsm_cyangDmplIHnwJ4Hfucr6Q1gSRh4WBhj1B_BOo7U4cBijt6CXId3UGXuCfs-N7SLaUE1bzXxAFAjAt6EtPTVWEe3FeZF1ElZkqeKGdPW/s400/IMG_2552.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugh. Definitely not attractive! Homemade, anyone?</td></tr>
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I walked away from the project for a couple of hours to see what I could think up. I unpicked the coverstitch from the neckline, turned the binding completely to the inside and stitched again. This was better, but because the binding was wide, it kept wanting to flip up and peek out. I thought about unpicking again and reducing the width of the binding, and I also thought about doing a second set with the coverstitch. But the more I stared at it, the more I actually liked how it peeked out. I decided to press the neckline so that it peeked evenly, then stitched over the top row of coverstitch with my regular machine. And this is how it turned out:<br />
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So satisfying! I like the added interest at the neckline and I like that it's a bit more scooped (hello little piece of my tattoo!). I actually like this so much that I plan to do it again on purpose.<br />
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UPDATE: I later figured out that the binding is supposed to be a kind of mini-cowl, where you lightly twist the "cowl" before attaching it to the neckline. I will try this at some point.<br />
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I went into this project wanting an easy, quick project to clear my head after something challenging. I'm so glad I didn't get my wish! I don't mean to say with this post that mistakes and failures always lead to something wonderful. Sometimes we can't figure it out, sometimes it can't be fixed, and sometimes we don't have the skill level (yet) to go beyond. But sometimes when we take a deep breath and try to be curious instead of mad, we find something good.<br />
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How about you? When have you saved a mistake?<br />
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<br />PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-68009934083947626982015-09-09T20:55:00.000-05:002015-09-09T20:59:01.632-05:00Boom!Yep, that's the sound of my <a href="http://store.closetcasefiles.com/products/bombshell-swimsuit" target="_blank">Bombshell </a>bathing suit, or at least it's the sound I made out of excitement when I was all finished!<br />
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So this is officially my second adventure in swimsuit sewing, but I'm pretty sure the first one didn't get blogged about because I never wore it due to it being better suited to someone with a torso about four inches shorter than mine. Not a good look.<br />
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But this suit? I feel fantastic in it! I wore it for about an hour around the house <i>just because I could</i> after sewing the last stitches.<br />
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And it's a good thing I did because the next week, when we actually went to the beach, I had to dress like this:<br />
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Okay, I do realize that my 5-year-old was fine in shorts and a t-shirt but she runs hot. It was 64 degrees out! I needed a sweatshirt.<br />
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I have wanted to make the <a href="http://store.closetcasefiles.com/products/bombshell-swimsuit" target="_blank">Closet Case Bombshell</a> for over a year, but second-guessed my choice because I wasn't sure it would suit me (and instead made the 4-inches-too-short suit. Good call.). I bought the pattern back in June but managed to procrastinate the work all summer. Karen's <a href="http://didyoumakethat.com/2015/08/13/the-made-up-initiative-launches/" target="_blank">Made Up</a> challenge got me to tracing, and cutting, and all the rest. I love books (I was a reading teacher in a former life) and I lived in England for nine years, so the <a href="http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/" target="_blank">National Literacy Trust</a> is something I can fully support.<br />
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I used the lining as a muslin and took it in by increasing the seams allowance to 5/8" at the side seam. Luckily, I tried just a 3/8" for the real deal and that was plenty. I don't know if my main fabric had less stretch, or just all the layers and ruching made it tighter, but it was perfect as it was. No other fit adjustments were made. The only struggle I had during construction was that my regular sewing machine completely refused to sew zig-zag stitches in the rubber elastic around the legs and neck. I tried stretch needles, universal needles, ballpoint needles and even a Microtex sharp, but I had skipped stitches every time. I finally ended up attaching the rubber elastic with my serger and then topstitching with a straight stitch. I'd like to play with this some more when I make this suit again, as I think the neck will want to roll out without the zig-zag.<br />
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I love the back of this suit - all that ruching is super flattering on <i>everyone</i>.<br />
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I purchased the fabric last summer from <a href="http://www.girlcharlee.com/" target="_blank">Girl Charlee</a>. I was on swim team when I was a kid, and my favorite swim team suit was a navy/white swirly print. I loved that suit, because everyone ended up with crazy tan lines since somehow the white part of the suit didn't really block the sun. It was like having a henna tattoo all over your body. This suit is black/gray/white, but the print pattern is close enough to call up the memory.<br />
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My only disappointment was that even after adding bra pads and a shelf bra to the inside, I am still not a B-cup in this suit. I know that it's probably asking too much for a swim suit to give me the same lift as my best bra, but who can blame a girl for dreaming?<br />
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Looking forward to seeing all the Made Up projects tomorrow!PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-4869472033465015782015-07-28T16:04:00.000-05:002015-08-07T19:17:54.620-05:00Old School RickrackSo wikipedia just informed me that rickrack's popularity peaked in the 1970's. I'm sure my mom stitched it onto the clothes that she sewed me, although I have no physical evidence of this. Our living room at the time was on trend (avocado and vitamin pee yellow dominated the color scheme) so I'm sure she was hip to rickrack.<br />
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Hi! Yes, it's me! I started a new job at the beginning of March that messed with my blogging schedule and just generally turned my life upside down for a while. I had to choose between sewing and writing/reading about sewing, and I went with the former. I'm probably only writing this post because I'm on vacation this week (kids are with grandma, D and I are home alone . . .). But if feels good to write something more substantial about sewing instead of sporadically posting photos on <a href="https://instagram.com/poldapop/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.<br />
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If I do manage to blog about sewing again I have some fun projects to show. I made jeans for starters! And another Style Arc Marni jacket and some tops and other random things. But this post is about a skirt.<br />
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I've had a version of this skirt in my head for about three years. I wanted a flared skirt to replace a simple flared skirt that was damaged by some zinc oxide and never really recovered. I found an Alexander Henry quilting cotton that was a good reverse of the original skirt (that one was black with beige/white embroidery). But I felt like something was missing so it never got made up. This spring I worked on a skirt for a client and I found the inspiration I needed: rickrack! The skirt needed rickrack!<br />
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I drafted this skirt using the <a href="http://byhandlondon.com/blogs/by-hand-london/11628453-circle-skirt-maths-explained" target="_blank">By Hand London quarter circle skirt tutorial</a> (genius! circle skirts math simplified, with an app no less). I used the waistband from my skirt sloper, then measured the bottom edge of the waistband and used that as my waist circumference for the circle skirt. Well, this is what I did after I cut it out too small the first time. For the hem band, I rather haphazardly cut out and edge using the bottom edge of my circle skirt as a guide. I inserted black rickrack between the waistband and skirt, and skirt and hem band:<br />
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And I made the extra effort of using a hem facing, and I really like how this turned out (and it made hemming the circle skirt edge easier to do):<br />
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I lined the skirt with cotton poplin and inserted an invisible zipper through the center back seam (the only seam in the circle skirt!) and I was done. I'm glad I waited, because this is exactly what I wanted. I like how the skirt bells away from my body due to the crispness of the cotton, and I like that the embellishment makes it look just that bit fancier (if rickrack counts as fancy).<br />
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I hope all of you are having a fabulous summer with lots of fun sewing projects and plenty of summer cocktails!PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-414166680173612212015-02-27T11:54:00.000-06:002015-02-27T11:54:29.260-06:00Activewear for the Win! McCall's 7026Hey folks! February sometimes does bring good news along with all it's never-ending snow and cold (and more and more cold with all the staying indoors with bouncy children that it brings. Mama's going a little crazy.)<br />
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I love entering sewing competitions. They help me meet a deadline, tackle a challenge, and do creative problem solving. I've never actually won any of the competitions . . . until now! I placed second in Pattern Review's Activewear Contest and won $75 to Mood Fabrics for my trouble (hello, new Mood Bag!).<br />
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You can see all the contestants <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/ContestGallery.pl?ContestID=226" target="_blank">here </a>and the winners <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/blog?s=1978852" target="_blank">here</a>. I really want to sew <a href="http://shop.fehrtrade.com/products/surf-to-summit-top-ladies" target="_blank">Fehr Trade's Surf to Summit </a>Top after seeing the 1st place project by feldmanTcat and the beautiful color combo she chose.<br />
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What did I make? McCall's 7026 jacket that has been in my stash for a relatively short period of time (6 months). I found the fabric at Fishman's Fabrics in Chicago when I was looking for navy taffeta for another project (yes, I know, knits are nowhere near the taffeta. Got to be thorough when looking for the right color.).<br />
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I was able to sew this up on Valentine's Day when Devon took the girls out for an extended shopping trip (to buy presents and dinner for me, since the day after is my birthday - more February good times). Four glorious hours of sewing time on a Saturday, when usually I have to work or do chores or ferry children on a Saturday. <i>Ahhhh</i>.<br />
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I did not sew a muslin for this one because I figured I would run in it no matter how it turned out. I made just one adjustment - adding 3/4" between bust and waist - before cutting. I'm happy with the fit, and I'm glad the shoulders worked out (bit of a risk, but I don't usually need to adjust there on jackets/coats). Next time I'll add a bit to the length so that I can make a deeper hem, grade down to a size 12 from a size 14 at the hips, and interface the collar (pattern doesn't call for this, but I think it would look nicer). You can read my full pattern review <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern//108027" target="_blank">here </a>if you're interested in that sort of thing.<br />
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The thing I love most about this jacket is the back. Great design lines, right? I'll have to run fast so that I give everyone the back view.<br />
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Another great detail is the cuffs with thumb hole. If you have long arms (like me), you'll want to lengthen the sleeve if you're not adding cuffs.<br />
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My new jacket has given me a blast of excitement to keep running till Spring. And I needed that blast.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can we get a break from the snow? Please?</td></tr>
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So my first attempt at activewear was a success. Not sure how much of this kind of sewing I'll do (I'm too addicted to sewing pretty clothes), but it was a lot of fun. Would you use precious sewing time for activewear?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay. Snow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Completely fake action shot. <br />I don't think it's possible to run like this.</td></tr>
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<br />PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-54610294344870204702015-02-12T10:42:00.000-06:002015-02-12T10:42:42.450-06:00Reclaiming Red + GreenI did some reading in color theory last fall, and I was surprised to see red + green mentioned as complementary colors for creating color combos. This combination is associated so strongly with a certain holiday, that it's hard to see how it could work. It's been in my head these last few months as a kind of personal challenge: Can I make this work in every day life without looking like a Christmas ornament?<br />
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I think I did it! As I mentioned in my last post about my new <i>FAVORITE </i>red skirt (<a href="http://www.poldapop.com/2015/02/doubleknit-starburst-heaven.html" target="_blank">review of pattern here</a>), I had some jade jersey I planned to use to make a top. I wanted something fairly simple that wouldn't steal thunder from the pleating in the skirt AND something that I could whip up quickly since I was impatient to try it out. I used my deep cowl top pattern (<a href="http://www.poldapop.com/2012/05/free-sewing-tutorial-draft-deep-cowl.html" target="_blank">tutorial here</a>).<br />
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So the color isn't strictly green, more of a jade with more green than blue in the mix. It's a lovely matte jersey that I purchased at least a year ago (and maybe two) from GorgeousFabrics.com, so it's probably long gone. The skirt fabric is also from GF, a rayon doubleknit.<br />
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I'm going to count this experiment as a success! Have you tried experimenting with unusual color combos? How did it work out??PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-24804588496943267692015-02-06T17:42:00.004-06:002015-02-06T17:42:46.400-06:00Doubleknit Starburst HeavenYou know when you sew something that you've been thinking about for a long time and you really hope it lives up to your expectations? And sometimes it doesn't? This dream turned out to be everything I hoped for and more. If you see me on a regular basis please be advised that you'll be seeing this skirt A LOT.<br />
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Here's the photo that hooked me in:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="113c_style_original_large" height="400" src="http://assets.burdastyle.com/pattern_images/assets/000/002/577/113C_Style_original_large.jpg?1338997262" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_store/patterns/starburst-skirt-052012" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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Pencil skirt? CHECK</div>
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High waist? CHECK</div>
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Sexy detail? CHECK</div>
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Killer shoes? DOUBLE CHECK</div>
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My only disappointment was that the shoes didn't come with the pattern. What? I know. That should be an option.</div>
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So I've had my eye on this pattern for a while. But it's BurdaStyle, so even thought it's only one pattern piece I still had to tape together 24 pieces of paper, and I rarely have the patience for that. And it's BurdaStyle, so there could be some glaring problem with the instructions. But it's also BurdaStyle, one of the few pattern lines that does sexy. And it's an easy-peasy, knock-it-out-in-two-hours skirt. Too bad it only took me about a year after buying the pattern and six months after buying the perfect fabric to make it up.</div>
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I did have a few hiccups making this up which I'll fix for the next time - and there will most certainly be a next time - but I love the results.</div>
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Let's talk about construction, because I made some changes. First, I added a zipper. BurdaStyle's idea is that you would pull this skirt on, with it high, fitted waist, over your hips (although I supposed you could wiggle in head first). I wasn't sure I would be able to pull it on, and I figured if I did, the waist would sooner or later get all distorted. So I inserted a zipper in the side seam without pleats. I think next time I'll add a center back seam and put it there, partly because I don't love side seam zippers, and partly because I really think this skirt needs a back vent if you want to easily get in and out of cars with it. Especially if you're gonna wear some killer heels, which I most certainly will, and you don't want to look like a landed sea mammal while you attempt to enter a car door.<br />
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Also, this skirt is supposed to have pleating in the back. I wasn't sure this was a great idea, but I planned to go along with it. But that pleating was just too damn thick - I could barely sew through one side of pleats much less two. I did use a doubleknit instead of a ponte knit, but it don't think that would make a huge difference. Check out how thick the seam is with an unpleated back:<br />
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You can see the skipped stitches and wonky overlock that occurred as my machines fought their way through this manwich of layers.</div>
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Also, I think the directions have you pleat in the wrong direction. As a result, my pleats lay with the pleats down, but then when I walk they flip up. Next time I'll try reversing this.</div>
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To get an un-pleated back, I simply used my skirt front as a pattern once I had <strike>nailed </strike>sewn the pleats in place. </div>
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My final change was to take it in about 1" in the waist, as I wanted a good amount of negative ease to hug the waist to my body. I catch stitched the waist facing down in a few areas and I catch stitched the hem after adding a bit of teal hem lace (ooo-la!).</div>
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Some may think my pairing this with a plum top is odd. I kinda like the oddness, and this blouse is one my husband bought me last year for Christmas and I haven't found a way to wear it yet (I don't usually look good in blouse-y blouses, but the high waist really helps). My plan is to pair this with a teal top, similar in color to the hem lace. Color theory tells us that red and green are a good pairing, and I've wondered how to pull this off without looking like a crazy Christmas person.</div>
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Over the holidays, I went on a junky Crime tv bender and watched the entire first season of <i><a href="http://www.cbs.com/shows/reckless/" target="_blank">Reckless</a></i>. It's not great, but it's what I wanted at the time. And one week, Anna Wood showed up in a teal top and red pencil skirt and it worked! Red and green (ish) looking fab and un-Christmas-y together. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.shopyourtv.com/tag/anna-wood/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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Hard to see it in this photo, but it's the best I could locate. I really want to replicate this in some way (I'm thinking cowl neck jersey top) and I think I have the perfect fabric:</div>
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What do you think? Would you wear this color combo?</div>
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Bye!</div>
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PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-16429913442861689882015-01-31T12:35:00.002-06:002015-02-04T14:06:20.378-06:00Get Your Motors Running (Va-vvrrooooom!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometime back in the fall Rhonda Buss from <a href="http://rhondabuss.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rhonda's Creative Life</a> invited me to participate in Janet Prey's (of <a href="http://stores.islandersewing.com/" target="_blank">Islander Sewing</a>) Get Your Motors Running contest. Ten bloggers would participate and the winner would receive the <a href="http://stores.islandersewing.com/motorcity-express-downloadable/" target="_blank">Islander MotorCity Express Jacket pattern</a> and the Craftsy class that goes with it (awesome prize!). As the project wasn't due until February, I thought I would have plenty of time. You know where this is going, right? The holidays were busy then I had to catch up on client work and my classes started and I was suddenly surprised to find it was almost February. After a brief panic, I settled down to figuring things out.<br />
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The challenge was to take a panel of fabric (white with black flowers) and . . . do something with it. This is where a good blogger would insert a photo of the fabric pre-cutting. You'll have to hop over to one of those good bloggers to see that. I can tell you that it was loooong (at least 5 feet) and narrow (approximately 24") and somewhat drapey. It really should have been made into a maxi-dress, but since I don't wear those, I had to think again.<br />
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I'm really excited about making coats and jackets right now so even though this wasn't really the right fabric, I decided to do it anyway. I made a <a href="http://www.poldapop.com/2014/11/vogue-1377-unexpected-joy.html" target="_blank">coat for a client last fall</a> that had overlay panels of contrasting fabric and I generally had that in mind. Let me just admit right now that I really had no idea what I was doing with this project. No plan. I really just started working at it and it took me where it wanted to go, which was probably far far from my scissors at different points along the way. I really felt like I was channeling my inner Oona while I hacked and fussed and sometimes turned my back on the whole thing. Not sure the result lives up to her gorgeous creations, but it was fun to step away from rules for a while.<br />
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I started with Butterick 5473, mainly because it is a very simple jacket pattern with very few seams.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="B5473, Misses'/Women's Jacket, Vest and Pants" src="http://butterick.mccall.com/filebin/images/product_images/Full/B5473.jpg" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="378" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://butterick.mccall.com/b5473-products-10856.php?page_id=428" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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I made a muslin and made the following changes: lengthened bodice 1", lengthened sleeves 1", lengthened length 1", added shaping to the waist by curving in approximately 1.5" on each side. I didn't want a waist seam in my final jacket, so I used the muslin pieces as my pattern for cutting out the coat pieces without a seam. I'm sure this messed with the grainline, but it seemed to work.</div>
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I also wanted the jacket to be lined, as I really don't have much patience for unlined jackets and coats. I simply cut out the same pieces, decreased the seam allowance to 1/4" for side seams and underarm to give myself more ease, and cut away the facing areas. This is probably all wrong, but again, it seemed to work!</div>
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Now comes that fabric panel. I started by interfacing it with a lightweight woven interfacing to give it a bit more stability. I tried just using it as an overlay panel on the back of the jacket, but it didn't look right. So I sketched around the flowers to see what that shape looked like.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SRvEnOlQbbCUvN4EY_bKzVu0aYjzz7Ga3__-G1b6IHNF4YCzHV-Komztd2_Km3nPunYY2BOwvy3Lxtzfh9lDs7l8DXlHOdmgmisOWd3mu6OP6Y4kiO-l6OQ0i0U5IPzfpwWDw_OeoACU/s1600/DSC00005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SRvEnOlQbbCUvN4EY_bKzVu0aYjzz7Ga3__-G1b6IHNF4YCzHV-Komztd2_Km3nPunYY2BOwvy3Lxtzfh9lDs7l8DXlHOdmgmisOWd3mu6OP6Y4kiO-l6OQ0i0U5IPzfpwWDw_OeoACU/s1600/DSC00005.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look close for sketch lines.</td></tr>
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I stitched on top of those lines and then drew around the sketched lines a second time.</div>
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After saying a brief prayer, I cut the whole thing out. No turning back now!</div>
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Now I had to figure out how to get it onto the coat. I experimented with some scraps, and finally settled on using a satin stitch to sew it down on the fabric using my earlier stitching lines, then cut away the excess fabric. I liked the fuzziness of the edges.</div>
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I felt like it needed something more at this point, both to help the overlay stay connected with the coat back (I was worried it might droop), but also to give it some more texture/color variation. I'm currently infatuated with Alabama Chanin style embroidery, so I decided to give that a go. I wanted it as more of an accent than and all over thing (which is good, since I did not have the time to go all out with it), so I added stitching here and there to the flowers:</div>
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After assembling the coat, I felt that it needed something to hold it closed. I thought about using a belt, but I didn't like how that cut through the design on the back. I took inspiration from a RTW jacket I own, and attached and over-sized hook and eye using black jean rivets.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXBm4f2Pq3JAKIjLuZsH7lxxE7pclbK5TTR4MgM4cBSiF8z4G7C0Ytmy0ilHGHbfZiXVqaoWFbsYwt1lhR2YKgO8FaB0LsFTvajAdqseL9BtjioEWX-Is3LwGh6wgCpHGuZTB4vbJTks2/s1600/DSC09840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXBm4f2Pq3JAKIjLuZsH7lxxE7pclbK5TTR4MgM4cBSiF8z4G7C0Ytmy0ilHGHbfZiXVqaoWFbsYwt1lhR2YKgO8FaB0LsFTvajAdqseL9BtjioEWX-Is3LwGh6wgCpHGuZTB4vbJTks2/s1600/DSC09840.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inspiration from RTW</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRnQe7476YQv0_xzHtvT_YgBxQl1Pj7R7UJR-e-gWjKnCyML-rBRyHv5h-8MYHtfHA94YBGihyphenhyphenCFwe1Wl3HN-vn0H9wcm5kvkDStU__E0L3dcPfXMg7icEwqnFruXdreOo-gQcOr2SnkV/s1600/DSC00057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRnQe7476YQv0_xzHtvT_YgBxQl1Pj7R7UJR-e-gWjKnCyML-rBRyHv5h-8MYHtfHA94YBGihyphenhyphenCFwe1Wl3HN-vn0H9wcm5kvkDStU__E0L3dcPfXMg7icEwqnFruXdreOo-gQcOr2SnkV/s1600/DSC00057.JPG" height="400" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My version</td></tr>
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And it was done!</div>
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It's hard to see the black fabric, but I used <a href="https://gorgeousfabrics.com/shop/cotton/bottom-weight-cotton-twill-black/" target="_blank">this black cotton twill</a> for the back and <a href="https://gorgeousfabrics.com/shop/cotton/spanish-floral-stretch-cotton-matellasse-black/" target="_blank">this stretch cotton metallasse</a> for everything else. I purchased both of the fabrics and the lining from <a href="http://gorgeousfabrics.com/">GorgeousFabrics.com</a>. I love love love the metallasse and I'm happy to say I have enough left over for something else (short jacket? skirt?).<br />
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I'm not entirely sure what I think of it. It's definitely a statement. I'm just not sure it's my statement. I'll need to wear it around a bit once Spring arrives (too cold now!) and see what I think. I did have a thoroughly excellent time making it and I learned a lot. Rhonda will be posting pictures of all the final projects on her <a href="http://rhondabuss.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog </a>Monday, February 2nd. I'm excited to see what everyone else did with their fabric!<br />
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Click <a href="http://rhondabuss.blogspot.com/2015/02/get-your-motors-running-and-you-get-to.html" target="_blank">here </a>if you'd like to vote (then just click on the heart in the upper right hand corner of the thumbnail to vote for your favorite).</div>
PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-82953422827138514172015-01-08T15:29:00.000-06:002015-01-08T15:29:53.813-06:00Refashion: Wedding Dress 1970-something to Wedding Dress 2014I have a few refashioning projects to showcase this month. One of the things I like about refashioning garments, is that there is usually a story involved. The projects come with a shot of nostalgia.<br />
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Back in <a href="http://www.poldapop.com/2014/04/four-befores-and-two-afters.html" target="_blank">April </a>I previewed a wedding dress I had taken on as a refashioning project. Our bride Jamie really wanted to wear her mother's wedding dress. I don't think she actually liked the dress all that much (and her fiance actively disliked it), but she really liked the idea of wearing something of her mother as she walked down the aisle.<br />
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Yep, classic 1970's wedding dress: floor length skirt (as opposed to 1960's wedding tea dresses), fitted lace sleeves, high neck lace overlay on top of princess neckline bodice. Jamie's mom looked <i>gorgeous </i>in it:<br />
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Isn't it funny how context changes everything? The dress looks perfect on Jamie's mom in these photos. I think it's because everything goes together - the hair, the hat/veil, even the flower arrangement. It looks old-fashioned on the dress form, but on Jamie's mom it looks sexy and hip. It's harder to like the dress in a modern context, and it needed some help to work for Jamie.<br />
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First, even though it had been packed away carefully by a dry cleaner (we had to break the seal to get at it!), it had yellowed a bit in places and was certainly not the bright white color it once was. After researching online, I decided it needed a bath. I removed all the metal bits (buttons, hook and eye, zipper) and soaked it in our tub for 24 hours in cool water. I discovered that our tub will not hold water for that long, so I had to add more water every few hours. This may have helped as the dirty water was replaced by clean multiple times during the soak. And it worked!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PrXhU8ujtFml55b9IdIyGKjcWGsI4UUWYnRjgJ5jOPXMPTkE7jCO64QP2Y_ACW9ddPdFmHHY1wmhyphenhypheni0C2tfCC8D-argqYCCFHwvUvFlGHWCfFgrMx567nCrPD9tns_-Kapa1q9OHyLoa/s1600/DSC08908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PrXhU8ujtFml55b9IdIyGKjcWGsI4UUWYnRjgJ5jOPXMPTkE7jCO64QP2Y_ACW9ddPdFmHHY1wmhyphenhypheni0C2tfCC8D-argqYCCFHwvUvFlGHWCfFgrMx567nCrPD9tns_-Kapa1q9OHyLoa/s1600/DSC08908.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XW3FMX916B7HK4jtdA1ZOQSkAu4xSWfxaWFmTq7QQhTolR9e4A30QX_JkSCpCqudBwqE0hjzPGXLtgufOWjGSAgYGHiY4pXzp6FRfIBbRIZccCt075yRjNR4DU2e8-9-ag_hKT2T0cU2/s1600/DSC09077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XW3FMX916B7HK4jtdA1ZOQSkAu4xSWfxaWFmTq7QQhTolR9e4A30QX_JkSCpCqudBwqE0hjzPGXLtgufOWjGSAgYGHiY4pXzp6FRfIBbRIZccCt075yRjNR4DU2e8-9-ag_hKT2T0cU2/s1600/DSC09077.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After (with sneak peek of corset back)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have to admit I was surprised by the results - I was worried that I would somehow damage the dress and I didn't expect it to brighten as much as it did. But there was no other way to do it - it's not like I could cut off a piece of the dress to test it!<br />
<div>
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<div>
The second step was to remove the lace sleeves and yokes. I carefully removed the lace applique that vined up from the bust and the back, and picked away the mesh from the bodice. Jamie wanted this preserved in case her own daughter someday wants to incorporate it back into a new design. I love imagining what this dress might become in 30 or so years!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI5a3g5EvG9dH-Kp7DTPWTI4G7CZr7fD9igy406V-XS6xlLfHGnbqnOyzfCdNWryY6Lyz9KZH0cFbzEqGCWaCC_8Mdq-g2ZCRyi-5EDR_GLX86d85m9EK3GqoYTsLLe7c2ze5sCj3cn9D/s1600/DSC08905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI5a3g5EvG9dH-Kp7DTPWTI4G7CZr7fD9igy406V-XS6xlLfHGnbqnOyzfCdNWryY6Lyz9KZH0cFbzEqGCWaCC_8Mdq-g2ZCRyi-5EDR_GLX86d85m9EK3GqoYTsLLe7c2ze5sCj3cn9D/s1600/DSC08905.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of lace applique</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPfyKvtoaMfnRxrMbYmoFakBaZSkTFoSrVy6KJrbVa5CqahFHL-jE-3_xYOl6sTlPOokKwUuKtXqALfTaUyD7-AMOgg9QsN1qOcgkfmpm8AmTFXBIq-NVVB6ZjznPgp1OWKAW5AJkJli8/s1600/DSC08906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPfyKvtoaMfnRxrMbYmoFakBaZSkTFoSrVy6KJrbVa5CqahFHL-jE-3_xYOl6sTlPOokKwUuKtXqALfTaUyD7-AMOgg9QsN1qOcgkfmpm8AmTFXBIq-NVVB6ZjznPgp1OWKAW5AJkJli8/s1600/DSC08906.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mesh, lace, and inside of bodice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
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<div>
For the third step I needed to tackle the straps. I very luckily had a 1/2 yard of perfectly matching silk satin in my stash. I found a pattern with straps and neckline similar to what Jamie was imagining and made a muslin. Jamie came to try it on so we could tweak it for fit and placement.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqS2SjveEHeLsffmlWvI7OLgxwJWmV1N9Q49DMlKShfV7On-Yybhz1k5o1tP1pEOiM2LVRYPQgTarKhkFUX45V6tMGGNDJssBWfW9Ck27Kspnk3lWni1cb2rccEs0r-PgpfIHsZUrWKwd/s1600/DSC09009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqS2SjveEHeLsffmlWvI7OLgxwJWmV1N9Q49DMlKShfV7On-Yybhz1k5o1tP1pEOiM2LVRYPQgTarKhkFUX45V6tMGGNDJssBWfW9Ck27Kspnk3lWni1cb2rccEs0r-PgpfIHsZUrWKwd/s1600/DSC09009.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muslin fitting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkLXzfrEOH4lqePJoPeS4rASnW83BVJPq3qdLTxfDiDErlbrhAa-WMB-3fHRh6KlLM4X1p70ZRimEGK7LJNKcnkS6g4zJ-g6XtQ1CZFw8jZfrJK543MClTZxwC8EjpEVWt-L9XipQIq2g/s1600/DSC09096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkLXzfrEOH4lqePJoPeS4rASnW83BVJPq3qdLTxfDiDErlbrhAa-WMB-3fHRh6KlLM4X1p70ZRimEGK7LJNKcnkS6g4zJ-g6XtQ1CZFw8jZfrJK543MClTZxwC8EjpEVWt-L9XipQIq2g/s1600/DSC09096.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern pieces for straps/neckline</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
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<div>
Now it was time to tackle the back closure. The dress was a titch too small, and Jamie loved the idea of a corset back. I follow the blog <a href="https://fitforaqueen.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Fit for a Queen</a>, in which Mrs Mole tells stories of the brides and wedding gowns she tackles in her alterations business - it's both hilarious and informative. I knew she had added corset backs to a number of wedding gowns, so I wrote to her asking for help. And Mrs Mole delivered: she sent me to a <a href="http://csrapdu.ning.com/group/techniquesandtips/forum/topics/make-a-corset-back" target="_blank">step-by-step photo tutorial </a>she had written up for Sew Much Talent AND gave me guidance on where to buy satin cording. I was so pleased I didn't have to try to figure this out on my own!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3a8oowklHOG8RxG0CoSJmr1_RKrxHGrfA2hp_vdnqtt9urVCofaXH8w5gYagW3QXlAGBGXE8KaawniLzHhT4QhkPFWYOjZy33BSDYyka1jjpNSOzUpEc4qGvPop2qO-q43eC20TfF_f3w/s1600/DSC09007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3a8oowklHOG8RxG0CoSJmr1_RKrxHGrfA2hp_vdnqtt9urVCofaXH8w5gYagW3QXlAGBGXE8KaawniLzHhT4QhkPFWYOjZy33BSDYyka1jjpNSOzUpEc4qGvPop2qO-q43eC20TfF_f3w/s1600/DSC09007.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loops sewn from cording and Petersham ribbon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVGLDoG8BR-b1o456deQLpCM_aRxv3aDN6Vrcq2wEUGIyCLP8b7gxa5X73Su-K0ErlYkmOa1YZe2AlY2BuUiFb2zP4srMnmZm_a_cBWlMX4DRUvKWjDdH2S6ma6DHZsD1GzfUGyv0d_pB/s1600/DSC09079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVGLDoG8BR-b1o456deQLpCM_aRxv3aDN6Vrcq2wEUGIyCLP8b7gxa5X73Su-K0ErlYkmOa1YZe2AlY2BuUiFb2zP4srMnmZm_a_cBWlMX4DRUvKWjDdH2S6ma6DHZsD1GzfUGyv0d_pB/s1600/DSC09079.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snaps to hold modesty panel in place while lacing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1axNiMUWIKVpfNuYJ_wM3NwHGZlUN6MxqbGD4-VwRgOOG8u3tcpxS422BjST_xO3D8qIcKXJHE7jJ8EznUjT9-p9u2XMTdCBmtoojxOZbZwAcy2Z0_2JFvAutG-cIdjFv5YN08QgGwLdq/s1600/DSC09080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1axNiMUWIKVpfNuYJ_wM3NwHGZlUN6MxqbGD4-VwRgOOG8u3tcpxS422BjST_xO3D8qIcKXJHE7jJ8EznUjT9-p9u2XMTdCBmtoojxOZbZwAcy2Z0_2JFvAutG-cIdjFv5YN08QgGwLdq/s1600/DSC09080.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIvD3EWgnd7d1tyyBFIDc44mKszzligSoDDkQg7SI-3UlTF7z8rxONFpBEB6H_kAPRWlLdj3BCBtrc2fuFQNmYd2rAcelK2wXpkvtLIBpIEDgTdw5WmDLkx_fOp852OCo_BT8_AbE2yeA/s1600/DSC09081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIvD3EWgnd7d1tyyBFIDc44mKszzligSoDDkQg7SI-3UlTF7z8rxONFpBEB6H_kAPRWlLdj3BCBtrc2fuFQNmYd2rAcelK2wXpkvtLIBpIEDgTdw5WmDLkx_fOp852OCo_BT8_AbE2yeA/s1600/DSC09081.JPG" height="400" width="347" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modesty panel backed with cotton for support/comfort, <br />
boning to stop it from flopping.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9jS2HjAy94a4o0PpbaknBbSjiz8r1sAIsI5bDgtUHokkvSz7jf25CVhKbKx3IdacMuTAPhJVz_xVwaiSAWOipo985jVq-CT9as2WI7sDZdOBLe0WLGoZMSX1ROQdDmxYbVVbyb80PUoo/s1600/DSC09087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9jS2HjAy94a4o0PpbaknBbSjiz8r1sAIsI5bDgtUHokkvSz7jf25CVhKbKx3IdacMuTAPhJVz_xVwaiSAWOipo985jVq-CT9as2WI7sDZdOBLe0WLGoZMSX1ROQdDmxYbVVbyb80PUoo/s1600/DSC09087.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All laced up! The ribbon is as close to "Cubbie blue" <br />
as I could find. Thank you, <a href="http://www.soutacheribbons.com/" target="_blank">Soutache</a>!</td></tr>
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I found this strange, but the dress bodice wasn't lined and it had no boning for structure. I wanted it to have both, so I made an internal corset from the same pattern (Vogue 2237) I used for the <a href="http://www.poldapop.com/2014/01/the-wedding-dress.html" target="_blank">wedding dress</a> I made in 2013, and hand stitched this into the bodice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6c5XCggSweWs9aP6bzcA0DiTcFTrvxLGh08w9AX1YpcYiHHYR9cU5hQF5utSBqfGuBqDS_mW7FQGdOhw79pN-ZAI3X6iOzjrnUr-2N98y_lIMoqBXYwKjfZ2oVX7i0XlUgskAC_SVxBFN/s1600/DSC09082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6c5XCggSweWs9aP6bzcA0DiTcFTrvxLGh08w9AX1YpcYiHHYR9cU5hQF5utSBqfGuBqDS_mW7FQGdOhw79pN-ZAI3X6iOzjrnUr-2N98y_lIMoqBXYwKjfZ2oVX7i0XlUgskAC_SVxBFN/s1600/DSC09082.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally, all that was left to be done was adding back the lace applique and bustling the back for dancing.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfpZrE2mcd0dJ8HSzM8xSPBjfn1A_NHoaYgVfzFP45qPNXo0O057JVSLoogYhr2MWfdfIdJDvW8jEmhC6dRKBNqhhS9HCdErvtZBeBRI3VIb4bLNCabmgvhkz3Y-O1XNNw9qNhn2aGnhy/s1600/DSC09100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfpZrE2mcd0dJ8HSzM8xSPBjfn1A_NHoaYgVfzFP45qPNXo0O057JVSLoogYhr2MWfdfIdJDvW8jEmhC6dRKBNqhhS9HCdErvtZBeBRI3VIb4bLNCabmgvhkz3Y-O1XNNw9qNhn2aGnhy/s1600/DSC09100.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamie's sister under the dress to learn how to tie the bustles!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This was a scary process - I was terrified much of the time that I would both ruin Jamie's mother's dress and ruin Jamie's wedding because she wouldn't have enough time to get another dress. I do like taking on these heart-racing projects every now and again, and every time I finish one successfully I have a little more faith in my ability. But it was nice to have some pants to hem when it was all over!<br />
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And finally, here are some pictures of Jamie from her wedding day in the finished dress (nothing was ruined!). Isn't she a beautiful bride? Her photographer was Brittany Lynn from <a href="http://www.brittanylynnstudios.com/" target="_blank">Brittany Lynn Studios</a>. I love when I get to see dresses in action, and Brittany is good photographer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixP2-TL_hjTTretV2RWo0tNZ5h8bXWywZjJWpbsz1vu6OtXGdiQ4ywmqyjrcpuVhu-wohZ37fxvRfEPH5pLKLmHAsA4h7ABw9DDGasXLFjFORPMJA4UqAJumJ-VhKo3QR1OLkd9CyVzPp8/s1600/Pre-Ceremony+(62%2Bof%2B81).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixP2-TL_hjTTretV2RWo0tNZ5h8bXWywZjJWpbsz1vu6OtXGdiQ4ywmqyjrcpuVhu-wohZ37fxvRfEPH5pLKLmHAsA4h7ABw9DDGasXLFjFORPMJA4UqAJumJ-VhKo3QR1OLkd9CyVzPp8/s1600/Pre-Ceremony+(62%2Bof%2B81).jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting tied up</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquMpQQTHwk5EfmWt7pBGrrgoj4tQr1CcqnhhANfVBVUsFSar3UsOdPUT7AiVapKW_D-PeM-BNXXaP9Dtwf7suVL9fupNTefs27_gc90T6eZL2WMzyZOWoB8d8DK4aBHapwvcdK3RkzO9g/s1600/Pre-Ceremony+(64%2Bof%2B81).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquMpQQTHwk5EfmWt7pBGrrgoj4tQr1CcqnhhANfVBVUsFSar3UsOdPUT7AiVapKW_D-PeM-BNXXaP9Dtwf7suVL9fupNTefs27_gc90T6eZL2WMzyZOWoB8d8DK4aBHapwvcdK3RkzO9g/s1600/Pre-Ceremony+(64%2Bof%2B81).jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jni3dyGRet031JchSfqazjCVqnup0XJ1Xk6wBJ_oDfUxsMDqtaYZpj4_HqGK0IhTU0fdbUHkAB4ZtOEE7ml7x8bo_Cih6gnjH-iPn-g4gGsIoh0_2q92HOxvXbsTrH1mUb3Iw8Rj9ejc/s1600/Pre-Ceremony+(72%2Bof%2B81).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jni3dyGRet031JchSfqazjCVqnup0XJ1Xk6wBJ_oDfUxsMDqtaYZpj4_HqGK0IhTU0fdbUHkAB4ZtOEE7ml7x8bo_Cih6gnjH-iPn-g4gGsIoh0_2q92HOxvXbsTrH1mUb3Iw8Rj9ejc/s1600/Pre-Ceremony+(72%2Bof%2B81).jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I lent my wedding earrings to Jamie so she <br />would have something borrowed.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congratulations to John and Jamie!</td></tr>
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I do like getting to be a part of these transformations!<br />
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PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-2561930076118689012015-01-02T15:43:00.000-06:002015-01-02T15:43:49.585-06:00A Little Holiday GivingIf you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen some of these gifts already. I didn't sew as many small gifts this year, but I did make a few bigger ones. I had to cut down on my sewing for teachers - now that I have two in school, the number of teachers, aids, etc, just got to be too much (somewhere around 20, and it will be more next year). So I made a gift for the main teachers and everyone else got soap from my friend Stephanie's beautiful <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BerwynBettysBathShop" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>. Since I love these soaps, I figured it was a good compromise.<br />
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Belly's teacher loves animal print, so she got this furry zebra print clutch:<br />
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Mooper has three preschool teachers, and I made zippered pouches with boxed corners for them (but failed to take a picture).<br />
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My husband's Aunt Wendy is tough to buy for, so I made her a cross-body messenger bag with fabric I knew she would love (she bought it for a different project, and I had plenty left over), and a leather strap from remnants. I was particularly happy with my stripe matching on this one.<br />
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Mooper and Belly received the bulk of my Christmas sewing, and that's probably as it should be. One of the best things about sewing for them is how happy they are that I made something just for them. "You made this?! For me??! Thank you, Mama!"<br />
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Christmas nightgowns (<a href="http://www.simplicity.com/p-9603-childs-girls-and-boys-loungewear.aspx" target="_blank">Simplicty 1575</a>):<br />
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Christmas Pillowcases (to match the blankets their Grandmas made for them):<br />
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Christmas owl ornaments (thank for the idea, <a href="http://lizajanesews.blogspot.com/2014/12/happenings.html" target="_blank">Liza Jane</a>!). I cut the larger eye circles to give them lashes:<br />
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And simple Christmas skirts:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ne5WD2QGCS5xO79E0_yfpDXTzhJ9D5PAUAK0O-zVd9lluzIhJZnJlRIN2WsJmvU6DwR9ImUqphxTPMkOIPVyjCpSZjn0DzwxguZdKLPT63Qh17-r5GycyRRCvgrt_V9mOxPtKWntDEXc/s1600/IMG_1738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ne5WD2QGCS5xO79E0_yfpDXTzhJ9D5PAUAK0O-zVd9lluzIhJZnJlRIN2WsJmvU6DwR9ImUqphxTPMkOIPVyjCpSZjn0DzwxguZdKLPT63Qh17-r5GycyRRCvgrt_V9mOxPtKWntDEXc/s1600/IMG_1738.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I particularly love the trim on this one -<br />
it came from my husband's Grandmother's stash.</td></tr>
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Mooper turned 5 just after Christmas, so she also got her annual birthday dress, this time with a matching reversible bolero (<a href="http://www.simplicity.com/p-8474-childs-and-girls-dress-and-jacket.aspx" target="_blank">Simplicity 1703</a>):<br />
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And special homemade cupcakes (these ones are supposed to look like scoops of ice cream in a banana split).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1lQOmLAWZutuCcPyeQPICLhRAA_pMuW3dBwcmnq4fnoB79lQj1Vg-TNy3lrh9a-BO6-vahAwIVWQk2qQi__42sV30zmpyleqr_jDF53eEn_rZ0D1ZxgkiAxpf-VdZLGowwHYg_l1_X6R/s1600/DSC09946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1lQOmLAWZutuCcPyeQPICLhRAA_pMuW3dBwcmnq4fnoB79lQj1Vg-TNy3lrh9a-BO6-vahAwIVWQk2qQi__42sV30zmpyleqr_jDF53eEn_rZ0D1ZxgkiAxpf-VdZLGowwHYg_l1_X6R/s1600/DSC09946.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cherries are made from cherry Starbursts.</td></tr>
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I also made around 20 infinity scarves for my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/poldapopdesigns" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>, and all but two sold, so I guess I helped some other folks give handmade for Christmas!<br />
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I received some lovely sewing gifts from my family as well. I've been wanting these for some time without really <i>needing </i>them, so I was tickled to find them under the tree. Those Kai scissors feel so good in comparison to the Fiskars I've been using!<br />
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I hope all of you had an absolutely lovely holiday and Happy New Year!PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-11961289726335071232014-12-22T20:53:00.000-06:002014-12-22T20:53:29.193-06:00A Little Holiday SingingI enjoy hearing the voices of bloggers I follow, like Karen with her annual holiday message at Did You Make That? Sometimes the actual voice matches the one I've been hearing in my head. Sometimes it changes how I read their words going forward. Either way, I love it when folks do this, but I've shied away from doing it myself because I don't know what I'd say.<br />
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But after our non-traditional Advent Concert, I have a little something to share! I sang with my lovely friends Jeanine and Holly, and my husband recorded it on our iPad (so not the greatest sound quality, but it will have to do).<br />
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I appreciate this online community and I'm grateful to everyone who reads and writes and comments to keep it alive. May you all spend time with those you love best this season. Happy Holidays!<br />
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(The song is "One Voice" by Ruth Moody of the Wailin' Jennys. I'm the one in the middle singing alto in my me-made <a href="http://www.poldapop.com/2014/01/jalie-2921-top-to-dress.html" target="_blank">Jalie 2921</a> dress.)<br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/115227835" target="_blank">http://vimeo.com/115227835</a><br />
<br />PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-62487002898710339522014-12-19T13:15:00.001-06:002014-12-19T15:25:09.498-06:00Refashion: Men's Button Down Shirt to Women's Fitted BlouseBack in November I participated in Pattern Review's Surprise Sewing Bee. I didn't make it past the second round (ah well) but I got a lot out of the projects I completed. The first one was my hardware a-line skirt, blogged about <a href="http://www.poldapop.com/2014/11/hardware-and-hammers.html" target="_blank">here</a>. In the second challenge, we had to take 1-5 men's button-down shirts and refashion them into a garment for an adult. You can see all the projects <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/ContestGallery.pl?ContestID=221" target="_blank">here </a>- very inspiring!<br>
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I used this challenge to motivate myself to finish three goals. The first was to finally finish fitting my bodice muslin from <a href="http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v1004-products-3938.php" target="_blank">Vogue 1004 fitting pattern</a>. CHECK! The second was to create a basic pattern for one of my favorite RTW blouses that I've worn and loved for at least 10 years. CHECK! And the third was to do something with the men's shirt I took out of the Goodwill bag two years ago (it was too pretty to donate). CHECK!<br>
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My inspiration blouse was one I purchased at Anthropologie at least 10 years ago, probably on sale. So it's now well worth whatever money I paid for it as it has had plenty of wear and is now a pattern.<br>
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I improved the original fit by lowering the waist band to sit at my natural waist (approx 1" lower than the original). I didn't do pintucks for the PR garment because it would have looked funny with the stripes.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the garment above, I traced the front pattern so that I didn't have to cut it <br>on the fold - this helped me maneuver around the button placket.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The original bodice has bust and waist darts in front and back darts; I rotated the waist dart and incorporated it into the front yoke and incorporated the shoulder darts into the back yoke. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">In order to get the most out of the button placket, I reduced the seam allowance to 3/8". I wanted to give the look of a flat fell seam at the yokes, so I serged the raw edges and added topstitching. I finished the neck and arm openings with single fold bias tape turned to the inside and topstitched (again, to give the flavor of topstitched flat fell seams).</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;"> I added some gathering to the front bodice (at the yoke seam) in order to keep the top fitted and to make it more feminine. I also mirrored the bodice gathering in the front and back peplum. I finished the raw edges of the waistband with bias strips and stitched it on top of the bodice at the waist seam, folding under the short ends at the button placket. Not seen in these photos is that I added another button just above the waistband.</span><br>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">While I got knocked out of the round, I'm really happy with the top. I won't be able to wear it much until Spring, but I'm glad to know it's there waiting for me!</span><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHx5vCyT6SSfJN2kSFf1yK6gT_zLswbksl1CdTo-bJhd3sDDc9_TV8tAsxhzuet2yeSfQky4g58ttLDgq1obP8hU_jAQE0QT3PsXalZnlV1NXc7_5tveAiqR_jkCXEnDhhfeaBUDj_AsQh/s1600/Men's%2Bbutton%2Bdown%2Bto%2Bwomen's%2Btop%2BPR%2BSewing%2BBee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHx5vCyT6SSfJN2kSFf1yK6gT_zLswbksl1CdTo-bJhd3sDDc9_TV8tAsxhzuet2yeSfQky4g58ttLDgq1obP8hU_jAQE0QT3PsXalZnlV1NXc7_5tveAiqR_jkCXEnDhhfeaBUDj_AsQh/s1600/Men's%2Bbutton%2Bdown%2Bto%2Bwomen's%2Btop%2BPR%2BSewing%2BBee.jpg" height="400" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise: Back, Front, ancient bias tape, leftovers, waistband detail.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">I've got a long overdue wedding dress refashion up next. Thanks for stopping by!</span>PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-50281468135723927102014-11-18T22:03:00.001-06:002014-11-18T22:03:12.403-06:00Vogue 1377 & Unexpected Joy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This project started as a blanket, a wool cape, a silk suit, and various scraps from various projects.<div>
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My client, Alice, brought me the blanket back in August along with a copy of Vogue 1377 and asked me to make her a coat. At the muslin fitting, she brought the cape and suit and added it to the pile of materials. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crazy muslin</td></tr>
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This project definitely came with some challenges: ridiculously thick fabric (did I mention I was cutting out a blanket?), a dizzying number of pattern pieces, welt pockets, hammered snaps, overlays, decorative stitching, an enormous amount of ease, flat fell seams (sewing through not one, not two, but three or four layers of wool blanket), and heavy lifting (by the end, the coat almost weighed too much to stay in the machine). I had to make a map before cutting it out so that I didn't get lost. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting out piece #7 from the wool cape. If you look closely you can<br />see my label so that I cut it from the correct fabric.</td></tr>
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I've struggled with an anxious awareness of time when I am sewing for others. Getting things done on time, being efficient with time so that I don't waste hours (the ones I'm charging for and the ones I don't), squeezing in time between drop off/pick up/after school activities/teaching/my own meetings. This project brought me some peace with time.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front laid out after cutting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Back.</td></tr>
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This anxiety gets in the way of experiencing the joy of what I'm going. Most projects I do for others give me joy at the end - the pleasure of pleasing someone else, the satisfaction of bragging on social media, the gratification of earning every penny in the check I receive when I hand it over. But is sometimes feels like I can only enjoy the joy for a minute before the race begins again. This one gave me joy at almost every step along the way.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RDH6OeyryxP532F0-q_yIed7gj6G8AOesxUJdrkNFevl8VSZx1EOaX5pYnj5qRoh3Q-_3mo2eoLJz2B-oFy5gVKoTsEBIsGg507ju0x9GddzSJTqP_qH8SPu6u2z0oF6YsFyacpzZlC-/s1600/IMG_1528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RDH6OeyryxP532F0-q_yIed7gj6G8AOesxUJdrkNFevl8VSZx1EOaX5pYnj5qRoh3Q-_3mo2eoLJz2B-oFy5gVKoTsEBIsGg507ju0x9GddzSJTqP_qH8SPu6u2z0oF6YsFyacpzZlC-/s1600/IMG_1528.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who doesn't have fun with hammers?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Why? I think in part because it was the right blend of challenge and ease. I sewed some seams and tackled a decorative overlay. I sewed some seams and figured out where and how to hammer some snaps. I sewed a collar and created welt pockets. </div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7goYFykWsjLk-DQScasrBgrfmVBUdG2goAE9ygVtX4MJES4xqQNZyFLTK4USsymNKb_E4Vucq99GRhVrXdQWX2CMqJbfdmwl21Pn3HCASaAw2sash7cwrTJ4vYoNeJx-tIOVrHP-UW6D/s1600/IMG_1443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7goYFykWsjLk-DQScasrBgrfmVBUdG2goAE9ygVtX4MJES4xqQNZyFLTK4USsymNKb_E4Vucq99GRhVrXdQWX2CMqJbfdmwl21Pn3HCASaAw2sash7cwrTJ4vYoNeJx-tIOVrHP-UW6D/s1600/IMG_1443.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid-construction.</td></tr>
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<div>
Some of the joy also came from the design. I don't love this coat design for myself. I experienced no envy when I handed it off to Alice. But I got giddy at certain points along the way with how things came together. Giddy with learning something new and thinking about where else I might apply it, giddy at the cleverness and humor in certain design elements.</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPlDhaGsSuFsZ4sFZqPq1rAOD-DYJHKY8YSA236bBairjy0TdOOJvGntZXhE2gSbWM9cFmtoZxb_GZ5EMOdBcYarxcCR6goMj_apZr1JJjh3TgCdLEqMH-uZ_j7350I4_Xb8zv_esHl9z/s1600/DSC09846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPlDhaGsSuFsZ4sFZqPq1rAOD-DYJHKY8YSA236bBairjy0TdOOJvGntZXhE2gSbWM9cFmtoZxb_GZ5EMOdBcYarxcCR6goMj_apZr1JJjh3TgCdLEqMH-uZ_j7350I4_Xb8zv_esHl9z/s1600/DSC09846.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blanket label. Decorative stitching on overlay.</td></tr>
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<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMJTlrpHBHdJdAzJaPTX3rQd1QjU_IepI4JEyX01iOedo81C-r0a67KKvEWGrNG0OwTaRjzmnecMgmq-Fix1JntWL_R_nN92gofP7yJv-hxsGIVnr-CSC3mhDhVCg0xToq-PMx2avEus1/s1600/DSC09847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMJTlrpHBHdJdAzJaPTX3rQd1QjU_IepI4JEyX01iOedo81C-r0a67KKvEWGrNG0OwTaRjzmnecMgmq-Fix1JntWL_R_nN92gofP7yJv-hxsGIVnr-CSC3mhDhVCg0xToq-PMx2avEus1/s1600/DSC09847.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pocket right side</td></tr>
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<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGLLar4C44thU2yHyEuiwCK9wQppnnEdzdFgfzE9jv_4hPKZpMJJwSTZ5EFX2V9KMdv3xmyCkzAt5Q1985m8g6AqH6jSrrnPJQUQQAVNycxE45kcCsVnDJiN8BRMjrpf99yHHrtJP3jZq/s1600/DSC09854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGLLar4C44thU2yHyEuiwCK9wQppnnEdzdFgfzE9jv_4hPKZpMJJwSTZ5EFX2V9KMdv3xmyCkzAt5Q1985m8g6AqH6jSrrnPJQUQQAVNycxE45kcCsVnDJiN8BRMjrpf99yHHrtJP3jZq/s1600/DSC09854.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pocket wrong side</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
And maybe just because I let the joy wash over me. I was challenged enough to have to set aside my anxiety about time in order to fully concentrate. I knew it would take a lot of time, my estimate reflected that, and then I could just be in the doing. By the time I was midway through the project, I was having too much fun to worry.</div>
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I always thank clients for bringing me work. The money I earn that helps me contribute financially to my family comes from that work. And I love solving problems (riddles, patterns, mysteries) and my work generally involves a lot of that. My gratitude for this project went way beyond the money part of it, and the problem solving games it involved. It made me happy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9OR9IjVE75uIMWntXga1wYflI6kSK4hr9BZBDgN5i19PBcwjuUkE8UtVSQa5cyDWfTkZYGvM1uyfkhLXE8N3xSp4lDoIWqVH3PUMYZVlmzvDlKu5Bf1K8Hf-O7kTGeXQ9B8xQpQi8-y9/s1600/IMG_1602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9OR9IjVE75uIMWntXga1wYflI6kSK4hr9BZBDgN5i19PBcwjuUkE8UtVSQa5cyDWfTkZYGvM1uyfkhLXE8N3xSp4lDoIWqVH3PUMYZVlmzvDlKu5Bf1K8Hf-O7kTGeXQ9B8xQpQi8-y9/s1600/IMG_1602.JPG" height="400" width="303" /></a></div>
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<i>*For the nitty gritty review of Vogue 1377, please see my review <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/105365" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></div>
PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-5524711932033709232014-11-11T12:59:00.005-06:002017-04-30T11:46:16.807-05:00New Bag for STITCH Winter 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been wanting to learn to sew with leather for some time now, and purchased and watched <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/bio/Kenneth_King" target="_blank">Kenneth King's Leather 101 video</a> from <a href="http://patternreview.com/">PatternReview.com</a> in anticipation of finding a project. I then proposed a leather bag for the Stitch Winter 2014 issue, and when they accepted my proposal I had to step up and do it. Like how I cornered myself into trying something new?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvZ45kGUzJxEKMBS6MfZffcw9lxPffJldN77GTPN9bRh8eeg4LsQRHp-JCEvPbW15HcBAIJ-kKpxsXFZilx3d_f5qybz6FqWusVYYDUiihSQ4GZ55RRCibxcOmGSu4toI_-ENleYxFSX7/s1600/DSC09166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvZ45kGUzJxEKMBS6MfZffcw9lxPffJldN77GTPN9bRh8eeg4LsQRHp-JCEvPbW15HcBAIJ-kKpxsXFZilx3d_f5qybz6FqWusVYYDUiihSQ4GZ55RRCibxcOmGSu4toI_-ENleYxFSX7/s400/DSC09166.JPG" width="341" /></a></div>
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Here it is in the magazine spread. And if any of you are contemplating sewing with leather, definitely give it a try. There are some specific techniques you will need to learn, but once you know them, the actual sewing isn't hard. Not sewing-with-chiffon hard anyway.<br />
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My favorite tips:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Use a walking foot (this worked better for me than a Teflon foot)</li>
<li>Tie thread ends instead of back stitching at the beginning/ends of seams</li>
<li>Long stitch length</li>
<li>Glue is your friend!!</li>
<li>Consider overlapping seams instead of sewing RST</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4RhKnc0fjWVAYRnolK7vwmdvtAAgh-reqsq3p8_lajGXyJ-eVwlntqzPNf2V6xdCZfvjasSukEnohkqctgKyFdndxf-cFXcjRdBRMdeowXOoOtZi0oGfDxGnn7fyHQq_Z5f_acKZ8Kqz/s1600/DSC09859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4RhKnc0fjWVAYRnolK7vwmdvtAAgh-reqsq3p8_lajGXyJ-eVwlntqzPNf2V6xdCZfvjasSukEnohkqctgKyFdndxf-cFXcjRdBRMdeowXOoOtZi0oGfDxGnn7fyHQq_Z5f_acKZ8Kqz/s400/DSC09859.JPG" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm still learning how to topstitch over uneven areas - tricky!</td></tr>
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I really want to highlight the gorgeous hardware on this bag as it didn't come out very well in the magazine shots. In full disclosure, I got this hardware for free since it would appear in a magazine article. But I plan to purchase some for my next version of this bag (mustard denim & burgundy leather, yeah baby). It's everything I like in bag hardware: beautiful finish, lots of size/shape options, and solid (nothing flimsy about these - they will outlive the bag and get used again, I'm sure!). You can find them at <a href="http://buckleguy.com/">Buckleguy.com</a>. Here's what I used:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lqI9_nt1LHPfFm48nPF2JZWKVpegw48Ee_hcN1PgDWsiyuHJ3vMkF1s9CExq40L2-vqvV2zGaZ0i2XLAWfKJuTbvMuDDeHCbjMXFQXVCHFySRv4gWW1p_5PCxLu_IgIBS0t62CPgKf4m/s1600/DSC09860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lqI9_nt1LHPfFm48nPF2JZWKVpegw48Ee_hcN1PgDWsiyuHJ3vMkF1s9CExq40L2-vqvV2zGaZ0i2XLAWfKJuTbvMuDDeHCbjMXFQXVCHFySRv4gWW1p_5PCxLu_IgIBS0t62CPgKf4m/s400/DSC09860.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.buckleguy.com/b7096-1-1-2-antique-brass-double-loop-solid-brass-ll/" target="_blank">1.5" Antique Brass Double Loop Slider</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9q_4KvLQet8KDX2J_h1cPmuUQOdvfUfWrMSG1O2Jg5_gDMtszK97ouVZOwF9f8GsiOEl6KWKYcsoe0xzk_Vn7OQZ9KqlFeracUyvFNL7079pXdzu-tYsYn-SpWzRtsVi468fmWIaIgro/s1600/DSC09861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9q_4KvLQet8KDX2J_h1cPmuUQOdvfUfWrMSG1O2Jg5_gDMtszK97ouVZOwF9f8GsiOEl6KWKYcsoe0xzk_Vn7OQZ9KqlFeracUyvFNL7079pXdzu-tYsYn-SpWzRtsVi468fmWIaIgro/s400/DSC09861.JPG" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.buckleguy.com/3001a-1-1-2-antique-brass-swivel-bolt-snap-solid-brass-ll/" target="_blank">1.5" Antique Brass Swivel Bolt Snap</a> and <a href="http://www.buckleguy.com/or012-3-4-antique-brass-o-ring-solid-brass-ll/" target="_blank">3/4" Antique Brass O-Ring</a></td></tr>
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The denim is from Indygo Junction's Crossroads Denim Collection. They have a whole bunch of delicious colors!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.needlefelt.com/IJwebsite/ABBarforCrossroads-rev.jpg" height="117" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.indygojunction.com/Articles.asp?ID=259" target="_blank">Photo source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And it still makes me giddy to see my name in print!<br />
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I have a couple more completed leather bag projects that I can't reveal yet. Can you tell I'm now hooked on sewing with leather?<br />
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What about you? Have you ever cornered yourself into learning something new? And have you been bitten by the leather bug yet?<br />
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PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-11327303912234381192014-11-08T15:40:00.001-06:002014-11-08T15:40:50.891-06:00Hardware and Hammers<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">I decided to enter the <a href="http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/ContestGallery.pl?ContestID=220" target="_blank">Pattern Review Surprise Sewing Bee</a> even though this is an entirely impractical thing for me to try to engage in right now. But sometimes leaping into the impractical (and sticking out your tongue at the practical) is good for the soul.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">It's impractical because I've got a ton of orders to fill and any personal sewing should be directed at making a coat. I desperately need one and it's starting to get cold here in the Midwest. As in snow cold, as it snowed on Halloween and actually stuck to the ground overnight.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">But, like I said, I decided to go for soul.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">The first challenge was to make a lined, a-line skirt with zipper, waistband and button/closure. I haven't made an a-line skirt for myself in a while now. I like what pencil skirts do for my figure and I like that they have a sexy/gritty vibe. If I were to give skirts a personality rating, a-lines would be the girl-next-door with her demure sex appeal, and pencil skirts would be her cousin from the big city who likes to stay out late drinking cocktails and flirting with the bartender, head thrown back laughing. So the challenge for me was to see if I could give the a-line skirt a bit of edge.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">My inspiration came from a RTW jacket I own with interesting hardware. There are rivets and grommets and hooks. I particularly like the front closure:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">I did a quick search online but couldn't find what I wanted and wasn't sure anything I ordered would arrive in time anyway. I think it might be a scabbard hook, like <a href="http://www.richardthethread.com/index.php?src=directory&view=shop_richard&srctype=detail&id=66&category=Hook-Bar-Eye" target="_blank">this one</a> that I found on <a href="http://www.richardthethread.com/index.php?src=" target="_blank">Richard the Thread</a>, attached with rivets. I don't like the bright brassy color of the one on RtT, so if anyone has leads on where to get something more like the original, I'd love to hear them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Then I drew up a couple of sketches and got to work.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">I used the s</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">kirt block I created from the <a href="http://www.studiofaro.com/resources-and-downloads/pattern-making-worksheets-downloads/basic-skirt-draft-and-pencil-skirt-pattern-instructions" target="_blank">Studio Faro worksheet</a>. I </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">shortened the length by about five inches and </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">added 6 inches to the sweep to get an a-line shape. I wanted this one to end a few inches above my almost 45-year-old knees (muttonlambs be damned). I drafted the wide waistband from the block and eliminated the darts. I added a center front seam that continued up through the waistband/yoke. I thought about adding pockets but thought I might not have time to do those well. I also played around with the idea of moving the seam closure to front left, and I'd like to try that in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Since I hadn't been able to find the hardware I wanted, </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">I foraged through my own stash and the notions wall at my local Hancock's for something that fit the look I wanted and came up with large brass snaps like these:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dritz.com/sites/default/files/product-categories/sewing_snaps_fasteners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 18px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Dritz Sewing - Snap Fasteners" border="0" height="250" src="http://www.dritz.com/sites/default/files/product-categories/sewing_snaps_fasteners.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="Dritz Sewing - Snap Fasteners" width="340" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="http://dritz.com/">Dritz.com</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">I also pulled out some gold jean thread for topstitching and a chunky metal jean zipper, both purchased from <a href="http://wawak.com/">Wawak.com</a>. And this skirt emerged.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out my new stretch boots from Boden! Love them!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">I sewed a flat fell seam for the front/back center seams and finished them with a double row of topstitching with jean thread. I used a single row of topstitching around the waistband and hem. I installed an exposed metal zipper using the tutorial in Thread No. 162. The waistband closes with three metal snaps and I added three more decorative snaps to balance out the design. I hand stitched the facing to the lining and the lining to the zipper. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">I like that I can wear the skirt with a somewhat dressy top and a concert tee and it works both ways.</span><br />
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Side note: you know I took the photo shoot seriously when I actually put on make up. This happens around 4 times a year, and I'm still using the make up I bought for my wedding in 2006. At this rate, I might run out of product when I'm 80. I needed to disguise the fact that I'd been up until 3am finishing the skirt for the deadline.<br />
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You might wonder why the middle snaps in each row are not solid. Two problems emerged post midnight when I was finishing up the skirt. First, I had made the waistband so that the right side would overlap at center front by about 5/8" so that I would be able to center the snaps over the zipper. This is what I did with my muslin and it worked great. I had purchased six snaps and only planned to use three, so I used one up to practice the installation. When it came to the real garment, I forgot that the right waistband needed to overlap, and I eased the waistband to fit the skirt exactly. Don't know what I was thinking. I didn't realize my mistake until after I had completed the topstitching and handstitched the lining and facing. So now my snaps couldn't be centered over the zipper. I went into "Huh" mode (as in, "Huh, this is a problem. How can I solve it?") And decided to do two rows of snaps. This was a good solution, except that I only had 5 snaps. Luckily I had the exact same snap in silver, so I could use those on the inside. Don't know if that makes sense, but it all worked out! And if you follow me on <a href="http://instagram.com/poldapop" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, you know this was my second time getting out the hammer this week.<br />
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So that's it! The denim is a charcoal/indigo stretch denim that has been in my stash so long I'm not sure where it's from. The lining is a stretch lining I purchased at the Discount Textile Outlet in Chicago. The facing fabric is leftover from a skirt I made for a client a couple years ago and I was so happy to find it in my scraps - it was exactly what I wanted! It's an Alexander Henry cotton lawn. I hope I make it to the next round so that I can see what my imagination cooks up for the next challenge.<br />
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Happy Weekend!PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-25135875176987681612014-10-30T09:30:00.000-05:002014-10-30T09:30:01.432-05:00New ClientSo one of the things that has kept me busy this fall is the work I've done for musician <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michele-McGovern/665720196790763" target="_blank">Michele McGovern</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t31.0-8/s960x960/10687233_939769882719125_2219349592504830144_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Roland Lim Photography, used with Michele's permission</td></tr>
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Isn't she lovely?? I first heard of Michele when Rhonda of <a href="http://rhondabuss.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rhonda's Creative Life</a> posted one of her music videos last year. I loved <a href="http://www.fluteroom.com/videos.aspx" target="_blank">the video</a>, and was excited when Rhonda referred her to me for some custom garments. The work was more than I could get done, so I brought my friend Nancy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NancysSewingLessons" target="_blank">Shmancy Nancy</a> on board. It's been so much fun to have a partner in crime and I hope to get to do more work with Nancy soon!<br />
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Our latest project was a two-piece ensemble created from heavy black Guipure lace. I made the bolero and Nancy created the skirt.<br />
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It's difficult to see in this picture, but there a long slit down the front, offset over one leg. The skirt is meant to be worn with a short black mini skirt underneath. The top portion is underlined with black organza to help give it structure, it has darts and pleats to give it shape, and a Petersham ribbon waist stay to keep it positioned correctly. Nancy draped this skirt and it is a work of art!<br />
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I made the bolero from Vogue 2237 (same pattern I used for the wedding dress last year), a Badgley Mischka pattern. The only alterations I made were to reduce the shoulder and sleeve cap (Michele didn't want shoulder pads and the bolero was drafted with pads) and to add a cuff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtc9kegCv5XxPPOdWFhIq5KrtMgORs1aEIj-jPeQu33EQwgHBCW6mVV-36HYnzhdLFsUsm0WJ4lZXpDsgJPeZ6EoB7jhxhwxTwUkbA6pLLMmceJy-rX8Gtyg6NwHhAEUpNpVNx3cAo1TfT/s1600/IMG_1459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtc9kegCv5XxPPOdWFhIq5KrtMgORs1aEIj-jPeQu33EQwgHBCW6mVV-36HYnzhdLFsUsm0WJ4lZXpDsgJPeZ6EoB7jhxhwxTwUkbA6pLLMmceJy-rX8Gtyg6NwHhAEUpNpVNx3cAo1TfT/s1600/IMG_1459.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As you can see from this photo and the one above,<br />I've been having fun with Picfix!</td></tr>
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Earlier projects include more black lace skirts (me) and lace blouses (Nancy). I don't have photos of all the projects yet, but here's a few from my camera and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michele-McGovern/665720196790763?sk=timeline" target="_blank">Michele's facebook page</a>:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blouse by Nancy - photo from Michele</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="225" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10394854_933394916689955_3354096997298747640_n.jpg?oh=dae6f1944f0a3a7550dcead04b8bde80&oe=54E2DC11&__gda__=1420625787_c375c294d7850e691e76b2f346d4d4b3" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard-to-see skirt by PoldaPop - it's a mix of chiffon & Chantilly lace</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="225" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10676400_933395940023186_610133177674088438_n.jpg?oh=aba0e80f36b39f5d14e3581e61f62f65&oe=54F783C2&__gda__=1425292427_b30d39d38107fb211d263b98ff89b935" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feather cuffs by PoldaPop</td></tr>
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The work has been that perfect mix of challenging and fun. Michele wore some of our creations in a new video shoot and will be wearing others in a concert on the East Coast next week. We'll be getting "costume designer" credits in the production notes. How could I have predicted that 4.5 years ago when I decided to learn to sew?</div>
PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122175783741720775.post-51098404661991121342014-10-29T11:25:00.001-05:002014-10-29T11:25:36.546-05:00I've Not Died . . . I've just gone to Instagram.<br />
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Greetings to any Readers who have stuck around during my absence. I've had a busy six weeks, mostly good, with lots of sewing projects. But something had to give and it turns out that what gave was this blog. But I have been trying to post projects over on Instagram, as it fits into my schedule a bit better these days. You can find me under <a href="http://instagram.com/poldapop" target="_blank">PoldaPop and follow my makes here</a>. Like this crazy blanket/cape/silk suit to coat refashion:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibul-wN_1k9-Q0mM7S00SeiWoQRlLykpKfKZ1aYQ4d5ifyGyZb1GS8bsdXxFbvdZp3SLYUnfqzTV5ZXi01NKgywn3b1_rOEKZhofDnr8QAnmtMUnufffLRhefODkXcCeRXNTqUceBdAYJT/s1600/coat+ingredients.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibul-wN_1k9-Q0mM7S00SeiWoQRlLykpKfKZ1aYQ4d5ifyGyZb1GS8bsdXxFbvdZp3SLYUnfqzTV5ZXi01NKgywn3b1_rOEKZhofDnr8QAnmtMUnufffLRhefODkXcCeRXNTqUceBdAYJT/s1600/coat+ingredients.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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I do have an actual blog post in the works and I hope to hit publish tomorrow.<br />
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What have you been up to this Fall? - Lisa<br />
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<br />PoldaPophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15540000076159376802noreply@blogger.com0