BWOF 08-2010-135

It's late, and I'm miserable (nothing actually serious, but a Patriots loss in the post-season - especially to the Jets - is pretty hard to take.) And I'm using that as an excuse for the ratty t-shirt, flip-flops and total lack of makeup in these photos.

This was a super simple skirt to make. I took the liberty of ignoring Burda's entirely nonsensical 'cut the fabric on the double so that you won't have to hem' instructions, and all was well.

Fabric: I bought this fabric during my G-Street crawl. Amazingly enough - I've used 5 of the 7 pieces - that's pretty spectacular fabric usage for me. It is wool, with a bit of stretch in it. I lined it with some Bemberg rayon.

Pattern: BWOF 08-2010-135. I cut a size 40.

Pattern adjustments:
1. I took an inch out from the yoke width to petite-size it.
2. I also ignored (as previously mentioned) the whole cut hem-on-fold thing - and cut a single layer instead.
3. I added 2 inches to the length to get this to a work-acceptable length.
4. I fully lined the skirt, not just the yoke as the pattern indicates.
5. And also, following the suggestion in this useful review and interfaced my yoke pieces. (Thanks, Catherine!)

Time taken: A few hours over a couple of evenings. This is rated 1.5 dots, and is ridiculously easy to make.

In conclusion: I'm not sure what I think of this skirt. Mostly, I think I need to work the accessories. This would be kind of awesome with boots and the right black shirt, not the sad-sack outfits I'm working right now.

Impeccable (and inspirational) pattern matching

I'm somewhat addicted to Tom & Lorenzo of Project Rungay, which is how I stumbled upon Proenza Schouler's Pre-Fall 2011 Collection.

This dress - I want to replicate. It is *lovely*.


I was looking at the dress, trying to figure out how it was constructed. First thought - there is a waist seam, and the top is just a simple top cut on the bias, and the skirt is an asymmetric wrap-around skirt.

Then I looked closer - see how the lines in the top and the skirt line up? In bias? With gathering at the waist? Is this even possible, or is the dress more complicated - with no waist seam?

I tried looking at another dress from the collection to see if I could derive any clues...



And I noticed this. The wrap skirt - in a print - look at the impeccable pattern matching in the asymmetric skirt.

This is amazing work. I'm sure the price tag on this dress will be astronomical, but this is a level of detail that might just once make the price tag almost worthwhile. (Ok, not really, but I sew, and notice these details, and am profoundly impressed.)

Readers - thoughts? How do you think this is constructed? Help!

Getting better at pattern matching with Simplicity 4047

One of the techniques I'd like to be better at is plaid/pattern matching, so when I saw the Sewing Guild's focus on new techniques for a SWAP, I was intrigued.

I might participate - I'm still pondering.

But this skirt did give me an opportunity to practice the pattern matching.

I used the skirt pattern in Simplicity 4047, which I used to make my Mondo-inspired giant houndstooth skirt (which I did finish, an updated picture is required.) It's a pretty basic skirt pattern, but gave me the opportunity to practice pattern-matching in the back and the sides.

I carefully cut in a single layer, and also pinned very carefully as I was sewing on each of the lines in the plaid to ensure that I'd get as much alignment as possible. I did ok, not great, but not bad at all.

Here's the results - Front:


First side seam:


The other side seam:


And the back (the worst of it - the pattern doesn't match up well around the zipper area, even though I did interface the wool for stability before installing the zipper):


Finally, pretty lace at the hem, I love this little inner detail:


(Though there are no pictures of it, the skirt is lined, the wool is too scratchy to wear without lining. )

Sewing pattern review - Simplicity 2594

Overview: As I was tracing out patterns and planning to cut fabric at my parents, I had a sneaking suspicion that back home, on my sewing table, there were a couple of projects that I'd cut out.

Came back home, yup. Two projects on the cutting table.

This one was the first. I added this pattern to the list as soon as I saw Trena's version. I loved the laid-back, easy vibe of this top, and the fact that it would be perfect both with jeans and under a jacket for more formal dressing.

Fabric: My aunt bought me this fabric from India a couple of years ago. I've used some of it to make this dress. I still have a tiny bit left, though I'm not sure if it is enough to actually make anything. It is a synthetic that frays, and therefore required French seams.

Pattern: Simplicity 2594, view B. I cut a size 10.

Pattern adjustments: I took an inch out from the length to petite-size it, but that's it.

Time taken: Very little. I added some additional complication by using French seams, but this is still pretty easy construction. I did follow the instructions, but if I were to make it again, I'd skip the back facing and use bias-binding to finish the back edge. Or I might draft a front facing. There's a point where the front and the back meet at the shoulders that has some potential for seriously Becky-Home-Ecky sewing, if you follow the instructions.

Favorite bits: I love the cowl, I love the versatility of this top.

Unfavorite things: Nothing. Love!

In conclusion: The last project of 2010 - I finished it ~2 hours before midnight, and I promptly wore this out to New Years Eve (it wasn't a super-dressy occasion, and this top made me feel pretty without being overdressed.) Yay!