Summer Essentials Sew-Along: Inspiration and Lessons

As I write this, I’m flying over the Pacific for my annual pilgrimage home. Apart from my excitement to be reunited with my family and the only place I’ve found any lasting attachment to, this also marks the end of my summer o’ sewing.

My output is evidence of all the time I had this summer. I moved from one city to another and have been working part-time from home to recover from the exhaustion of graduate school. But once I return to my digs, I’ve got to ramp up my full-time work search. That means, less time to sew, less time to daydream about all the things I could make.

What a privilege it’s been, through the Summer Essentials Sew-Along, to have done just that. All summer. I kept sneaking items into my list of 5-ish items. I’d pitched the idea of the sew-along after enjoying the community nature of Me-Made-May, hoping to get in some essential items and better prepare me for both summer and Self-Stitched September. The final tally? Fourteen homemade garments. That’s three bottoms, two dresses, two t-shirts, four tops, a skirt, a cardigan, and a swimsuit.

I was absolutely floored by the response, the creativity, the skill and the output of all the phenomenal sew-alongers! I swear, some completed their five items in the first two weeks! More than anything, I loved how it exposed me to so many new people and their blogs, and through them, new styles and patterns and patternmaking itself. There are more than 330 images of me-made summer pieces in our Flickr pool. Since I've got so much to learn about garment sewing, seeing others' creations constantly upped the ante on me-made clothes while inspiring me to believe that with practice I could meet higher and higher standards.

I thought I'd do a roundup of my summer garments, but what's more importantly are the sewing-related lessons I gained as part of this collective effort! So here they go:

1. My sewing doppelganger is a joiner and a planner, but she has a short-attention span and requires closure.

I’ve read elsewhere about personalities in the sewing room and, as someone making a career change, I’ve been thinking about my working personality in general. I’ve always liked tasks that require my presence/skill/attention, that both allow me to be independent but connected. So it makes sense why I like sewing and why I keep joining sew-alongs.

But I’m also goal-oriented. I love the process as long as I know there’s closure at the end of it (even failure). So this meant that I sometimes rushed through things to get a finished object, or, if my attention’s moved on, I did things half-heartedly just to get it off my list. In fact, there were a range of approaches to lists, what was yours?

2. Essentials matter

Though the nature of the sew-along was wide-open, it prompted sewers to think of what they could really use this summer. And though I often used projects as an excuse to try or refine new things (Buttonholes! Plackets!), it was the items that really filled the holes in my closet that really made all the difference. And even though I sometimes wanted to veer off-list, the result often made it worth the process.

Seriously, I dress differently. And this new wardrobe is a better reflection of me.


Remember my sweet-and-sassy skirt? This full skirt changed the way I looked at my body — the high waist, a more feminine silhouette. This lead me to think about my body shape and gave me the cajones to venture into the full skirt on my Shelley dress.


And my two Ruby shorts? All legs, baby. Since I gave myself permission to be pretty, I also gave myself permission to show off the budding varicose veins in my legs that I’ve been ashamed of since they appeared a decade ago. What can I do? This is the body I have.




3. Repetition makes all the difference




New Look 6965




Simplicity 3263




Crewnecks 3& 4

Along with the two Rubys, I sewed New Look 6965 twice, Simplicity 3263 (vintage) twice, and the Sew U Homestretch crewneck four times. I was pleasantly surprised at how much better the second often turned out (higher quality construction, better fit) and how quickly I whipped it up, even when the second visually departed with a pattern variation and different fabric. I guess it’s true, practice makes perfect. And I still have a lot of practicing to do, but I become more confident—and more courageous—by seeing how each garment brings me closer.

4. Doors closing, doors opening

Two of the items on my list were total duds, as in, I can’t foresee wearing them at all. But they both taught me valuable lessons.


This tunic, made as part of the Japanese top sew-along, was a disaster because I kept departing from the original. The most important lesson in this project was drafting the pattern with instructions. Just as I enjoy the tactile aspects of sewing, I really enjoyed drawing the pattern. This gave way to my Pattern Project.


This white blouse, which I was incredibly excited about, hasn’t seen any public use, either. It was a lesson in both fabric choice and personal style. Though this could’ve been gorgeous with a more suitable fabric and a few pattern tweaks, I’m unsure I like the primness of the large peter pan collar. I’ll definitely be using the pattern again, for its use of body darts introduced me to the beauty of shaping.

5. Challenges

I had a professor who always said that you should aim a little bit higher than your ability for it both stimulates you and challenges you to grow. The BurdaStyle Alison swimsuit was definitely higher than my ability, as was all the knits I delved into. But I’ve always been the kinda gal who runs out into traffic, and this sort of recklessness in the sewing room has made me feel that I can sew anything.


My only hurdle is my patience, and it’s a big one. The question I now ask myself, is not whether I am able to sew something, but whether I am I willing to sew it again and again to get it right? Will I feel my time was well spent? Will I have learned something crucial from this, even if it’s a disaster?

So that sums it up. I’m so happy that so many have made this journey with me. How do you feel about your summer essentials? What were your lessons?

I'll have rare access to the internet for the next few weeks, so I wish you beautiful, final days of summer!

The Shelley Dress

This weekend, I spent a day in Half Moon Bay with the boy. As someone who grew up on an island, there's nothing more calming to me than the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, nothing that pulls me into my body (and out of my head) more than sand beneath the arch of my foot.

But in Northern California, beach-trotting does not necessarily equal swimsuit weather. So I wore my newest creation: a knit dress with a full skirt. Here the boy caught me overlooking a cliff, the skirt billowing. Man, I love this dress.


With Self-Stitched September on the horizon, I've been thinking about what I'd rather not live without for the month of September. At the top of the list: A knit dress with a fitted bodice and full skirt. This ballerina-esque dress reminds me of my friend Shelley, a desert girl who won't let the heat keep her from looking good, for she owns several of these and swears by their use. Unlike the t-shirt dress with it's straight shape, a dress with this shape oozes femininity and casualness, a sort of tailored comfort. In my world, that's perfection.


With my interest in adapting patterns, I turned to a suggested variation in Sew U Homestretch, which uses a slash and spread method on both the knit bodice and skirt blocks.


Here's the slash and spread of the skirt. Brilliant! This skill is a major game-changer. I just love, love, love a full skirt. Again, it's that combo of comfort and femininity.


For the bodice, I didn't want a strapless, so I traced my favorite fitting tank with thin straps (fittingly bequeathed to me by Shelley before she escaped to Melbourne). Problem was, I couldn't pull off attaching the thin straps that seem to go under the arm and over the shoulder, encasing the bodice in a way similar to bias tape, all the while pulling to keep the knit taut. Anybody know how to do this? Is there a tutorial I can follow?

The amount of time I spent trying to figure out this bodice is probably the equivalent of how long it'd take to remove every stitch with my teeth. Ugh. Oh, well. I'm sure I'm halfway to some crucial sewing lesson. Besides, I knew some of this would be inevitable once I started to alter/draft patterns.

In seeking an answer to my dress woes, I was inspired (again) by Jessica's version of Simplicity 2443, a very cute Cynthia Rowley pattern I'd been eyeing. I hadn't picked it up, fearing the racerback tank would make me look too boyish, but I snatched it up when I discovered a 99-cent Simplicity sale. Clearly, I needed professional help!

So I adapted the very sad and worn-from-unpicking bodice using Simplicity 2443, also adapting the back with two thick straps. It tickles me to know that this dress on Rowley's site costs $295.

Regarding fabric, I cut up my first, failed crewneck for the bodice and leftover fabric for the skirt ($1/yard). I love gray but this hue is not that flattering against my skin so I opted for a contrast waist and neckline. I first used some silk navy jersey, but felt it was too flimsy since the waist-bit is the only thing that holds together the bodice and skirt. So instead I cut up the boy's old work polo shirt.

Here's a close-up of the bodice:


Another imperfect creation I'm in love with, as there are wonky bits related to the bodice battle.

Two bloggers, Debbie and Zoe, have been talking about slowing down their sewing and I think this is coming at the right time for me, as I've been speeding it up. For me, speed = desire for instant gratification = sloppiness. Sewing with knits hasn't necessarily helped as knits can be faster. I can do a t-shirt in an hour, from start to finish, tops. But sometimes, like this project attests, going faster can take longer. The hare was a cocky bastard, no? And he loses. I have to remember that. Think: Tortoise, tortoise, tortoise.

But since my sewing machine and I will be separated for three weeks, I've got one more quick project on the sewing table that I'd like to whip up for Self-Stitched September. And the deeper realization my fast sewing has brought me to is this: I really love wearing clothes I've made myself. And for the moment, I'm going to enjoy that.

What Would Audrey Wear?

My summer essentials are done! And now? Fall sewing.


Sarah, of Rhinestones and Telephones, is following up her June & June Project with the Hepburn Hepburn Project: Timeless Style with a Twist. This Fall and Winter, she will be sewing garments inspired by the iconic styles of actresses Katharine and Audrey Hepburn. She’s invited us to join her and I have! You should, too.

This sew-along coincides nicely with the list o’ things I’d like to complete and there’s no deadline, so that sounds like just what I need: Pressure-free, community-sewing that will bring me closer to my personal style.

Like everyone and their mother, I’ve long been obsessed with Audrey Hepburn, our queen gamine. For me, she represents a classic style that’s attainable. Part of it is her body shape, her style often held up as evidence that you don’t have to have a bombshell-esque body (during that era, or any other) to be stunning. (She was an hourglass, though! She had a 20 inch waist.) Her style is unmistakable: capri pants, boatneck tops, big sunglasses, ballet flats, and of course, the LBD, a la Breakfast and Tiffany’s. Seemingly effortless, always elegant.


And Katharine, her Hepburn predecessor, scandalizing femininity by having the audacity to wear (gasp!) trousers. I know less about Katharine’s work than I do Audrey’s but in my mind she represents rebellion and playfulness mixed with a no-nonsense brand of intelligence that made her a woman ahead of her time. And I think menswear never looked so good.

What’s more important, though, is what these women share. They both seemed to embody their styles. Their clothes allowed them to move, show us that less can be more: Function, versatility, beauty. We could do worse than emulate them.

So here’s what I’m thinking. Who knows what I’ll get to, but it’s a homage to these two, amazing women.

The Katharine Outfit: High-waisted, wide-leg jeans & an Oxford Shirt


As soon as I saw Jessica of Green Apples whip up Vogue 8604 (which she aptly calls her "Kate Jeans"), I simply had to have it. I have several pairs of wide-leg jeans and they are workhorses in my closet. I don’t care if the stylebooks say that a woman of my height should avoid them like the plague, I think they’re so elegant and they make me feel like I’m floating.

An oxford shirt, self-drafted using the instructions in Design-It-Yourself Clothes. While doing reconnaissance at American Apparel the other day, I fell in love with a very slim fitting chambray shirt. An oxford always makes me feel tailored and put together, no matter what I pair it with.

The Audrey Pieces

Simplicity 3850

Since I worship at the Wendy Mullin altar, I’m currently whipping up one of her Built by You capri patterns I have in my stash using a navy twill. I’ll likely slim these down to be a little more Audrey given the instructions in Mullin’s book, Sew U. If I’m feeling ambitious, I may even go for an ankle-length slim pant using this pattern.

Colette Lady Grey Coat


This isn’t quite Audrey's iconic trench at the end of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but I think it represents what I love about her style: Classic, simple, waist-cinching. I’m pulling my hair out over what fabric to use. One day I want to do something eye-catching like Tasia’s version (she calls it her “Statement Coat”) and the next I want to do something more staid but totally versatile, a gray or dark blue. And then the day after, I think: Plaid. Hmm. I may be begging for advice as I get closer. And I just discovered Gertie's hosting a sew-along! Yes, I'm in!

Audrey Tees Galore

I’ve got the sewing knits bug, so I’d like to make more tees using the Sew U Homestretch block that are Audrey-esque: Slim-fitting with clavicle loveliness. Deep crewnecks and boatnecks.

The LBD


Whenever the pattern arrives, I’m whipping up the Uniform Project’s Little Black Dress. Len of Can't Say Strawberry has pitched a sew-along for this project for Self-Stitched September, but it all depends on the post. I’m psyched for this dress: It can be worn backwards or forwards, open or closed, and the collar detaches. And more than it’s utter coolness, I love what it represents.

Any Hepburn love out there?

The Final Essential: Poolside Pretty

It's done!


Actually, it's been done for a couple of weeks—as have other projects—but I just haven't gotten around to taking photos! I've got a queue of posts ready to go sans images. I must've known when I said the deadline for the Summer Essentials Sew-Along was by August(-ish) that I tend to languor this month. Part of it is the heat-inspired laziness, part of it is knowing that the summer's almost over and I frantically need to wrap up things. So forgive my absence on the blog front!

So here's my final summer essential, the one-piece retro-inspired bathing suit, BurdaStyle's Alison (pattern is *free*). It might've been the project I was the most excited (read: scared) about on my list, but became the most tiresome because I waited all summer to finish it, when my attention's moved on and my beach/pool time is dwindling down. :( But, the good news is, I'm delighted to have it in my wardrobe. It's far from perfect, but this project has taken away all fear of sewing knits!
I've voiced my feelings on BurdaStyle's pattern instructions (remember the Rubys?), so I would have been completely lost without this phenomenal tute from Kitty Couture. Even when I was tempted to stray from her advice (as I have a tendency to do with all things), I found myself coming right back to her wisdom. Highly recommended!

Some thoughts on construction:

• I bought this lycra at a local fabric shop because I wanted to be able to snatch more in case I royally screwed up. It was about $7/yard, and I needed way less than the 1-1/4 called for in the pattern. It ended up being useful, though, because when I did screw something up, it was easier to just re-cut a piece than pick out a lightning stitch in this fabric.
  
• This material was not difficult to sew at all on my conventional machine, though a serger would have been nice to finish the seams. A stretch needle and a stretch stitch made the going easy.
• I used elastic to encase the leg hole openings using a three-step zigzag on the outside, then folding it in and topstitching to hide the elastic.
  
• Areas of difficulty: The strap hovers a bit at my sides, indicating that I should've stretched even more when sewing to keep it taut. The bodice-insert at the bust was also difficult for me, partly because the gathering on this slippery material kept unraveling under my presser foot. My bra cups aren't sewn in because I'm still figuring out where they should lie (a dress form would've been helpful here!); this suit seems to shift a bit when dry, but actually behaves better when wet. Though I tried to get the stripes to behave, it became secondary to issues of modesty.
  
• Swimsuits made me hypercognizant of things I'd really rather not think about when sewing (or dressing for that matter): Peep Show Potential, or simply, bad taste. I lined the lower half of the front for extra concealment and paid attention to leghole openings and bust coverage. No surprises!

Here's the back. I wore it a couple times with the long upper straps to ensure fit, as this material always stretches more than I expect. It's since been tigthtened and trimmed.

Look! Nearly matching stripes. I found Tasia's tute on matching prints incredibly helpful.


I'll be packing this with me for some island-love come September, so you'll be seeing it then! Let's hope it stays on :0

Wishing you cool water these final days of August!

On Natural Beauty

I have never been the kind of woman who sought to enhance my looks on a regular basis. Get married and I’ll unearth the high heels, make-up and contact lenses for your wedding. But that’s it. Special occasions only.

It’s not that I don’t admire it in other women or don’t enjoy the way I look when I do make the effort, it’s just that I find the whole enterprise cumbersome. The contacts make my eyes hurt and I always smear my mascara. And I’ll be barefoot by the time dancing begins. Not to mention that, out of my comfort zone, I may do embarrassing things like flash an entire crowd while attempting to pull off a Dirty Dancing-esque lift in a florescent 1970s minidress. Thank goodness for special occasion underwear.

This realization about myself has gone a long way in my journey to personal style. I’m now focusing on how to make my tried-and-true daily wear more interesting by zoning in on fit, details, and colors that flatter. The problem is, I’m starting to realize that I've long equated my no-nonsense attitude toward my looks with an amorphous thing called, “natural beauty.” And the longer I’m on this personal style path, the less I’m sure of what that means.

A year ago, I would have said that it meant being beautiful without enhancement. What You See Is What You Get. I wanted to look good without drawing on my face, pushing up my breasts, stepping in high heels that pushed out my T&A, and certainly nothing that required surgery. I wanted to be able to look at myself in the mirror in the mornings and not be horrified with the plain face that looked back to me.

Case in point, this Dove commercial. Most have seen it and it provides a visual argument about why are perception of beauty is skewed. Sure we look better with face and hair enhancement and a good dose of Photoshop, but what about looking good just as we are?



Here’s another Dove commercial, a bit more heavy handed. It wags the finger at the “beauty industry.”



I don’t think the so-called beauty industry is entirely to blame for our perceptions of beauty, but I don’t think we should understate how much our perceptions of beauty dictate how we view ourselves. And how we view ourselves is directly related to how we dress.

I came across a phenomenal post from Erin, at a Dress a Day, on dressing out of joy and fear (via Jessica). In my most honest moment: I have been dressing out of fear my whole life. I have been afraid to be the woman who can’t look at herself in the mirror, so I’ve largely dismissed all attempts at beauty.

In fact, I treated it like a gateway drug, i.e., today's fake eyelashes is tomorrow's nose job. Any evidence of dissatisfaction as a slippery slope. I'll be Cat Woman by Wednesday. It's ridiculous, of course. This sort of thinking degrades our intelligence in the same way that those who tell us we are not good enough drain our worth as women. Still, this unstated belief has been so deep-rooted that it's taken this journey to uproot it and re-examine.

And what I've discovered is that I no longer want to define myself in reaction to something else. It stems from negativity.

This all came to head with some recent bra shopping. I had joked with the gal at Quiet and Small Adventures that I hadn’t sewn a particular dress because I didn’t know what bra I was going to wear with it. It was high-time I got one of those multi-way do-everything-but-make-your-coffee bras. You know, it’s strapless, racerback, halter, etc. My wardrobe could be greatly expanded by one little bra.

As a small chested gal (we’re talking AA, and not the battery), bra shopping is loathsome. In the end, I found two bras. One simply mimicked my shape and the other gave me a shape that—how should I put it?—didn’t come in the original packaging. The old thinking would have said the first was more natural, but the new thinking asked, “Which one makes you feel confident?”

And guess which bra I bought?

So I’m revising my definition of natural beauty (and dreaming of strapless dresses). I still embrace the idea that we should love the bodies we have, that we should still recognize our beauty without enhancements, but this does not mean we should shun the pretty things that make us feel confident.

I know many have made this realization long before me, but I'd love to know what you think. How do you define natural beauty? And does “natural” matter at all?

To being beautiful, in any and every way.

Essentials: The Sun Dress (Revised) & The Cardi

Well, I'm finally dwindling down my Summer Essentials Sew-Along list. In my last post, I offered up my square-necked T-shirt dress (variation on the crewneck pattern) in place of my original planned sundress. I'd mentioned I was unpicking it to fix a bit on the neckline/facing that was bothering me. I'm becoming a bit more careful about my sewing, because if I know something's going to bug me each time I look in the mirror, better to do it over again. Thought I'd flatten out a bit of gathers, play with my machine's embroidery function, and that'd be the end of it.

And then: S-n-a-f-u. Here's the original and the revised version. Everything you see is an attempt to fix something that went terribly wrong. The sweetheart neckline is a failed square neckline. The bow is hiding fabric worn from unpicking. And the sleeves? Well, might as well cut 'em while we're at it.

Before:

After:

Close-up of the neckline:


Good news? I totally love this. It's still this wonderful, comfortable fabric, but the neckline's much more interesting and the bow—which on first blush I'd think would be too feminine—works perfectly. You'll be seeing it lots in Self-Stitched September! :)

The cardigan is my first whack at the Sew U Homestretch raglan pattern. I turned to this pattern because my inspiration came from this 60s pattern, top left:


My version turned out differently. I didn't want it close to my neck and the fabric is a thrifted, vintage thick knit. I must have six more yards of this stuff. I really hatched this plan in Me-Made-May when I realized my wardrobe is fairly staid and I needed a colorful cardigan to give my threads a little more punch. And I love love love red.


On the inside, I lined the placket with some plaid I had laying around. This idea was originally concocted given my first hideous placket attempt, but I like the contrast it provides when the cardi is open.

Definitely not perfect, a wee bit tight. This sizing would work fine with a stretchier knit.


The jury's still out on whether I love this, but I will say I dig the retro-vibe of the collar and the vibrant color. Like the dress, this is something I had to revisit twice. Here's how I altered this raglan t-shirt pattern to make it into a cardigan.

Placket

• Add a bit of seam allowance to the front piece (1/4 inch) at the fold, and cut the front piece down center front.
• Cut two pieces of knit the length of the center front and wide enough for a button placket x 2 (don't forget Seam Allowance!). More succinctly Length=CF Length, Width=Desired Placket Width x 2 + Seam Allowance x 2. So for me, using 3/4 buttons and desiring a 1 1/4 placket, that became 1 1/4 x 2 + 1/4 x 2 = 3 inches.
  
• Fold placket along length. Iron in small squares of fusible interfacing to where you want the buttons/buttonholes to go between the wrong side of fabric. Stitch raw edges of folded placket to front of cardigan, right sides facing. Turn toward center. Topstitch seam allowance.
  
• Variation: The second time I did this, I wanted to have a different fabric on the inside, so I cut two self-fabric strips Length CF, Width 1 3/4 and two contrast bits of fabric with the same dimensions. In this variation, stitch self to contrast fabric and turn so raw edge is encased in the inside.
  
• I also topstitched about 1/8 inch from the center-side edge.
  

Collar and sleeve binding

• All that obsessing over the crewneck neckband paid off. These are simply bands folded in half and stitched to the cardigan's raw edges, just like the placket. The only difference is with the collar, I stitched it to the wrong side and turned it to the right side, topstitching the bottom edge. It gives it a rolled collar look.
  

Miscellany

• Added 3 inches of length to front and back pieces, took off an inch at the neckline.
  
• Like the crewneck, the shoulders are a bit more angular than me, so I nipped in a 1/4 inch at the top few inches at the seam between the front bodice and sleeves.
  
• This does made the front larger than the back by the width of the placket. In my case, because this was an XS, it was necessary, but worth considering depending on fabrics/sizing.
  

I'm hoping all this work with knits will pay off with the final item on the list: The swimsuit. Fabric bought. Pattern cut. Pray for me.

Happy August!