Photos, Photos! I've Got Photos!

Finally, I have photos of the garments I made during the summer and early fall. I visited my photographer sister in Indiana last week, and we had a couple of photo shoots, where I modeled about ten garments. She did a fabulous job and I'm eager to show you what I've been up to. But where to start?

Let's begin with the most out-there-at-the-edge-of-my-comfort-zone garment, the shirt designed by Liz Mizono (Vogue 1274):

Want to fly with me, anyone? Seriously. this shirt contains a. lot. of. fabric. And I'm not sure how great I look with all of that fabric around my midriff and hips. Funny thing is, I never tried folding the flaps back, as on the pattern. I think they probably wouldn't be wide enough to meet in the back without making the shirt too tight on me. Honestly. So I just left them to hang. Which looks great while twirling, but I get dizzy easily, so I'm not sure how much I will wear this.

This was a really fun make, and I found no problems with the pattern. I followed the instructions as written, including the french seams. I added a few inches of length just above the side drapes, but the sleeves were good as is.

The fabric is a shirting weight cotton from Homespun Boutique in Ithaca, NY. It's a really beautiful piece of goods. I love how well the buttons match (from Sawyer Brook, of course).

The sleeve is finished with a drape, echoing what's going on at the hip. A nice design touch!

Diane Ericson has used this pattern several times to great effect, proving it's a fabulous starting point for design excursions. I'd love to work with it more, but first I'll have to see how I like wearing it.

This shirt is crying out for some skinny pants, rather than these jeans. I don't own any leggings or skinny pants - another comfort zone issue - but I'll be buying or making some before spring. That's the soonest I'll be able to wear it, as autumn has set in here in New England. So it will be a few months before I know whether to get the pattern out and play with it, or file it in the archives.

Is this pattern languishing in your library? Do you want to make it but don't quite dare to do so? Or, have you made it and found you like it, or hate it? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!

Turtle Batik Shirt

Catching up on blogging about garments here, this shirt was made in late April. I've been waiting for a modeled photo, which just hasn't happened, for one reason (bad hair day) or another (husband's schedule not meshing with mine). So I'll forge ahead with this post anyway, as the shirt is but a fading memory in my sewing mind.

For this artistic expression, I chose the Nuevo shirt pattern from Revisions (again), a rayon batik from my collection, a solid royal linen from Marcy Tilton, and Diane Ericson's turtle stencil. 

Printing with the stencil was lots of fun. I added it to the back yoke and a re-shaped pocket, after cutting the pieces out but before sewing them. This is my favorite method of printing, as I can easily determine where the printed image will fall on my body when wearing the garment. 

After sewing, I added some hand sewn backstitching in embroidery floss. I like how this added some definition to the pieces. 

Some really great buttons from Sawyer Brook were a perfect match. They're carved and dyed coconut shell disks.

I've decided this is my take on the proverbial Hawaiian shirt. I'd never wear one right off the rack, but I'm a bit more comfortable in this version. It's not something I'd wear everywhere, but it's perfect for a barbeque, picnic, or casual night out at a seafood shack. Here's a shot of my husband and me at a function during our week in Hawaii:

P.S. Eric never drinks sweet drinks, so he must have chosen that green concoction because it matched my shirt!

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I just celebrated my third blogiversary! I haven't been as prolific or regular a blogger as I had initially envisioned, but I love having this place to share my creations. Thanks to all who visit here, especially those who have supported me with your comments!

Refashioned Men's Shirt

Here's a shirt I refashioned as a gift to my sister, done on a couple of afternoons in early May. She has been meaning to get some selfies of her wearing it, but as that hasn't happened yet, I'm going ahead with this post. {She's a professional photographer, by the way. You know, it's that old saying about the cobbler's children never having shoes to wear! (Check out her website and SmugMug for some beautiful portraits and nature photos!)}

Lisa sometimes wears men's shirts, as she is large and garments to fit are difficult to come by. She complained to me that the shoulders are always way too wide, and the sleeve heads fall to the middle of her bicep. So, the first thing I did with this shirt was to take in about 3 inches at the sleeve head by forming darts that extend down the front and back of the shirt. Sorry I don't have a detailed photo of this, but if you look carefully, you can see a dart on the right shoulder and front of the photo above. I haven't seen the shirt on her - we live far apart - but she said the darts went a long way to improve the fit.

I dug into my scraps and remnants and found two fabrics that looked good with the fine black and white plaid of the shirt. One is a seersucker woven check, the other a lightweight cotton tropical floral print.

Removing the buttons and the pocket gave me a blank canvas to work with. To create a slimming, vertical element, I made an elongated patch from the check fabric. I pressed the edges under and edge stitched them in place, sliding one edge under the placket edge. Easy peasy.

I made a long double-sided strip of the floral print to tuck into the side of the patch. I also cut the collar off. I left about a quarter of an inch of it to use as a base for the floral print, which is wrapped over the edge and stitched in place. I love the look of the collar!

Cardiac stitching adds accents to the placket. This is done with regular sewing thread and the stitch on my machine that sews each stitch twice. That gave a bold look to the stitching. The buttons are squared corozo nut disks, from Sawyer Brook (naturally). The shirt still buttons opposite of women's styles, because I wanted this to be an easy project, and remaking the placket would be a lot of work. Buttoned, no one will notice.

There is a lot of visual activity on the left side of the front, so I balanced it by placing the pocket on the lower right side. First, I added a double sided strip of the floral fabric, then I made a tuck in one side as I stitched around the edges.

The sleeves were full length. I cut them off and faced them with the floral print. They can be turned up to show the print, or not.

A couple of patches were added to the back yoke, along with more cardiac stitching on the collar stand.

This was an absolute blast to make. I haven't had so much fun playing with a garment in a long time! It was one of those projects that come together easily once you get going.

I have to give credit to Diane Ericson for inspiring me through a video Marcy Tilton filmed of her. She explains how she refashioned a shirt here. This is a must-watch for anyone wanting to do work like this. Once you see it, you'll recognize some techniques I incorporated in this shirt. Thank you, Diane (and Marcy)!

Lisa loves this shirt and says she gets lots of compliments when wearing it. I'll be sure to add selfies when she sends them. In the meantime, keep an eye out for the lower sleeves, as they're sure to show up in a future project!

An Unlikely Favorite

One of the best things about working at Sawyer Brook is easy access to small fabric remnants. The floral print I used in this shirt was just such a remnant. Small enough that I used nearly all of it. I combined it with a white linen and a cotton stripe. The print and stripe had caught my eye while both were still on rolls, but I didn't buy them then as I thought I'd never wear a garment using the two of them. Too busy. The addition of the white convinced me to go ahead with what is now one of my favorite shirts.

The pattern I used is ReVisions' Nuevo Shirt, one of my favorites from Diane Ericson. I love the design ideas Diane included in the pattern, as well as the cool pocket inset, the two piece sleeves and the bias-cut asymmetrical collar that lays beautifully.

The pattern has long sleeves with a really cool cuff treatment. I chose to cut them short for summer wear, and inserted bias strips into the seam.

I modified the top edge of the pocket and added free motion topstitching. I really love this pocket treatment, as it's such a good opportunity for combining fabrics. It becomes the focal point of the shirt.

If you enlarge the photo above, you'll see the triangular buttons from Sawyer Brook. I've wanted to use these buttons since they first arrived at the store, and they are a perfect match to the greens in the fabrics.

I recently made another Nuevo shirt, and have yet a third in the works. Keep watch for them here!

Buggy Batik Shirt for My Mom

I've been focused on sewing fabrics from my "resource center" lately. When I came across this periwinkle blue rayon batik (bought from Sawyer Brook a few years ago), I knew it would make a perfect summer shirt for my mother.

The pattern is an out of print McCall's by Palmer and Pletsch. I used it a few years ago for a shirt for my mom, so the fitting was already done. The instructions are excellent, with pro tips scattered throughout, and dual methods for certain applications included. For example, there are two methods for attaching the collar to the garment. The first attaches only the band to the neckline, then the collar and band facing are attached. The second method constructs the collar completely, then attaches it to the neckline. I used the first method and am very happy with the results.

Of course, I couldn't resist adding some paint to this shirt. I used Diane Ericson's Bugs in Flight stencil (which I don't currently see in her web store) to add some dragonflies, moths, beetles, butterflies, etc. I like the touch of color these images add, and the way the lacy quality of the bugs combines with the shadowy batik print.

I found the perfect buttons for this print at - where else? - Sawyer Brook. I like how they blend in with the overall look.

Until my parents downsized their home last year, my mother was an avid gardener. This shirt reminds me of the numerous flower gardens she has tended throughout her lifetime. She loves to wear blue, so this will be a welcome addition to her summer wardrobe. I'll be mailing the shirt to her this week, but it will be a month or so before I get to see her wearing it. If I get a chance for a photo shoot, I'll add some shots then.

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I'm still behind in getting photos of shirts I made in April. I'll try to get the shots this week so I can show them. Today I cut out a solid magenta colored bamboo jersey and started sewing Katherine Tilton's Butterick 5925. I expect to finish it tomorrow.

I hope those of you in the States are enjoying sewing during this long weekend!

A Triple Duty Tote

My husband and I are going on a company trip to Hawaii in a couple of weeks and I wanted a new tote to take on the trip. Something that would do as a carry-on, shopper, and beach bag. Needing a durable fabric that could handle sitting in sand, I headed to our nearby home dec fabric store. I looked for about an hour and finally decided on a cheery, whimsical floral print. The base was like poplin, so I knew it would hold up to the uses I intended. 

I cut out the bag that evening and was all set to start sewing it the next evening, when I realized what a blunder I had made. This print would be fine in Hawaii, but no way would it play well in the Boston or San Francisco airports. The perfect beach bag, yes. But not, ahem, a sophisticated urban tote.

Sooo, back to the home dec store I went, this time deciding on a quiet gray/taupe linen/rayon herringbone fabrication. I knew I wanted to paint it, and I wanted to make the handles from some dark purple faux suede from my collection. Purple would look great with this fabric, so I didn't think it would be a fail.

I chose the Eucalyptus stencil from Diane Ericson, and went to town painting both sides of the bag. I intended to add some dragonflies the next day. But when I walked into the studio to resume working on it, I saw I had made yet another error. This bag looked so drab, there'd be no way I'd carry it in Hawaii. Maybe in Boston in the winter, but definitely not in April.

Back to the proverbial drawing board. What did I really want? A fabric I could paint. A dark fabric that wouldn't show dirt. A sophisticated look with a touch of individuality. 

Feeling a bit like Goldilocks, off I went to JoAnn's, where I got a yard of black cotton duck at a 40% discount. I took it back to the studio and tried out two new silk screens I got last week from June Colburn. While I love the screens - Lotus Flower and Dragon - neither looked good. They were just not the right size for the large bag. In a last-ditch effort I pulled out my new Calla Lily stencil from Diane Ericson, printed a practice lily, and I knew I'd finally found the right combination.

 I love my new bag! It's colorful without being cutesy, it's just the right size, and it's appropriate for all of my travel needs.

The pattern is the L2 Bag from the Sewing Workshop. I loved making this bag! The pattern is well drafted and written, so it was easy to follow.

There were a couple of tough areas to sew, partly because my fabric was very stiff.

The first trouble I ran into was with the side gussets, which are sewn in after the main part of the bag is lined. That made for three layers of duck and three layers of silk dupionni to sew through. I had to do the best I could with pin basting, as there's no way I could have got a needle through the heavy fabric.

The second trouble spot was sewing the plastic needlepoint canvas into the bottom of the bag (used as a stiffener). It's done by stab-stitching through the center bottom seam, but you have to do it with one hand inside the bag, with no visibility of the plastic canvas. It took a lot of feeling what I was doing, rather than seeing it. Patience and focus paid off, and the task wasn't so bad after all.

I learned a new trick with this pattern: the side pleat on the outside of the bag. I won't try to describe how it's done, as pictures show it much better. But it was easy and I like the finished look.

Yes, I lined the bag with silk dupionni. Extravagant, I know. But I had it on hand, and the color matches the purple paint perfectly. I neglected to take photos before inserting the lining in the bag. Suffice it to say I put in a zippered pocket, and my usual double pleated pocket to hold my phone and glasses case. There was a flat double pocket in the pattern, but I didn't make it because I knew I wouldn't use it.

Lesson learned? Time away from a project can do a world of good. Excited with the idea of a new bag, I had stuck my head in the sand as I forged ahead on the first two bags, not really "seeing" what I was making. In each case, I put in hours of work, only to not like the look of it the next day. After I slowed down for the third one, everything fell into place.

Trial and error is most certainly the way the design process works. But learning to look and see along the way is crucial to being satisfied with the finished product. I'm not saying this bag is perfect or exactly as I would like, but it is good enough for my needs and I'll get a lot of use from it!

Whimsical Red Vest

I'm back! After about four months of little or no sewing, my desire to create in the studio is stronger than ever. Which feels sooooooo good! I've been playing in the studio nearly every day for over two weeks now, and I'm learning and creating and having a blast. I've been playing with stencils and paint, making some sample prints and some finished garments. Here is the first item I've made this spring:

As they say here in New England, that's wicked bright! It's a gorgeous linen from Marcy Tilton that's been in my collection for a couple of years now. The trim fabrics are remnants from Sawyer Brook. I used Diane Ericson's Revisions Java Jacket pattern. It was very easy to add a couple of inches at the sides and bottom to make it fit, and it's a very straightforward pattern to follow. The fussy part was the binding on the neck and armholes, but it wasn't difficult. Just painstaking to make sure things lined up just so.

The theme for the vest was determined by the buttons, which are fused glass, made by a wonderful woman who lives in Rhode Island. I see her every year at the regional sewing expo, and she had a trunk show at a local yarn shop this past winter. I've amassed quite an assortment of these buttons over the years, so it was a joy to finally use these red ones.

I love the geometry in these buttons, and how the melting process softens the edges a bit. They're still very angular, but there's a feminine quality to them as well.

No two buttons are alike, so they offer nice variety as design elements. 

I painted the black band and the bodice using stencils from Diane Ericson. The buttons determined the colors and influenced my choice of stencil images. I love the whimsical touch the stenciling adds to the garment!

The pattern offers two lower pocket options, but I decided not to use them, as I didn't want to draw attention to that part of the garment. I really wanted the focus to be at the top, with a strong vertical center element. Those are the lines that seem to flatter my body most.

I neglected to take a photo of the back. It is two overlapped pieces, with a long vent at the bottom. At the waist there's a blue shaped tab adorned with a button.

I'll have a few opportunities to wear this before the weather becomes too warm for it. Then it's into the closet for a few months. It's a great spring/autumn piece, and it will add lots of color to my look when I want it!

Next up: a tote bag I finished today, to take to Hawaii at the end of the month. Stay tuned, as I'll be writing again soon. Promise!

Where Have I Been? Or, What to Do When The Urge Vanishes

Seven months without blogging. What happened? A lot. Where have I been? Here. What have I been doing? Knitting like a fiend. Recently, sewing like a fiend. Let me explain.

In May my sewing mojo took a hike, went on vacation, was missing in action. Gone. A few feeble attempts at accomplishing something in the studio were in vain. I simply had no desire to sew. None whatsoever. So, I decided that aspect of my creative life needed a break. And I started knitting. I knit like crazy, and shawls appeared like bunny rabbits. Lots of shawls - eight completed so far this year, three more currently on needles. I couldn't get enough of them!

Stephen West's Barndom shawl, before blocking.
Knit with Breathless cashmere/merino/silk yarn.
My absolute favorite yarn and shawl of all time.

This knitting fever lasted all summer, into September. So did the sewing heebie jeebies. No sewing for four months. The entire summer my studio sat idle. And I knit shawls. And socks.

Entwined cabled socks. Knit in Hazel Knits Entice
(merino, cashmere, nylon sock yarn).

Letting the sewing landscape lie fallow was a good move. I firmly believe you can't force creativity. If the urge isn't there, there's no making it happen. Letting it rest lets other things come to the forefront. And it's not gone, it's just hibernating. It's lying quietly, brewing ideas, growing new roots and shoots, preparing to sprout.

And then one day the creative urge returns. For me it was mid-September. Subtle at first, it quickly gained momentum and I found myself in the middle of making a coat. I finished it mid-October, and started another, which I completed today. And now a jacket is under way. My sewing mojo has definitely returned, and the creative energy is flowing freely. It's a great feeling!

Meanwhile, knitting has taken a back seat. I still dabble in it, but I'm not knitting for hours every day like I was. My creative energy has shifted, and that's ok. I finally feel like blogging again - another creative pursuit that ebbs and flows. So here I am, and that's what happened over the past seven months.

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In an effort to catch up on blogging, I'm showing two bags I made in April and May. I have only one photo of the first, view B of Diane Ericson's Pacific Purse pattern.

The fabrics are silk duppioni, linen and quilting prints. The button has been in my stash for many years, and it was the inspiration for the bag. The flap and most of the back are stenciled using Diane Ericson's Spring Leaves stencil and Lumiere paints. To create the stripe effect, I used strips of sticky-back paper (like Post-It Notes) to mask part of the fabric. Then I did the stenciling, and carefully peeled the paper away. This could be done with masking tape, also. I added some hand embroidery to add some definition.

I really like this bag, but I never carry it as the greens are too yellow for my coloring. They just don't look great with my wardrobe. I don't want to give the bag away, either, because I like the button too much. For now it will stay as it is, but I suspect the button will some day be removed to be used on a jacket. In the meantime, it can enjoy living on this bag.

The second bag is one of my favorite painted creations. I used both stencils and silk screens to embellish this tote.

The basic shape was achieved using Butterick 5866. I added the pockets on the front and back, plus some in the interior. The fabrics are deep purple cotton shirting, lavender wool gauze, linen, and silk organza. I especially like the organza overlay that is crinkled and embellished with buttons.

That's a foiled damselfly at the top left. I used the foil on a couple of moths as well. The writing on the front is bleached using a dye resist through a silk screen. All of the screens used are from Marcy Tilton. The eucalyptus stencil is from Diane Ericson. It was really fun to combine purple and pewter paint in the stenciling.

The lining fabric is a textured linen/rayon blend, and I added my usual tucked slip pockets to the zippered pocket that came with the pattern.

Once completed, I realized I don't care for the drawstring closure on the top. There's no way I'm going to use a tote with a drawstring for everyday use. So this became my knitting bag, and it's carried many a shawl-in-progress over the past few months.

That wraps it up for this catch-up post. Thanks to those of you who checked in on me during my silence, and visited the blog despite there being no current postings. I love the feedback you readers give, and I missed the online sewing community I've found through this blog. I'm so glad to be back sewing and blogging!

Black and Plum = Yum

Finally, a photo opportunity - when husband was available and light was bright. I modeled this top and vest, made in December and January:

Let's begin with the top. Both fabrics are from Marcy Tilton, and have been  marinating in my collection for a while. They were separate purchases, but when I saw them together I knew they would be perfect in one garment.

I love the idea of combining mesh and opaque fabrics, but as a plus size gal, there's little of my body I want to expose through mesh. I pondered the challenge for a while and came up with the idea of a cowl and scrunchy cuffs.

I love the sheerness and gathers of the mesh against the tiny polka dotted rayon. The mesh is very light and easily collapses into a frothy ring around my neck. Fun!

I used a TNT pattern for this, and simply cut the cowl to fit the neck opening. It is quite high; if I pull it up it entirely covers my head. The mesh and jersey were a really easy sew, and the top is a delight to wear. (Of course it is. It's purple!)

The vest was made using an out of print pattern from Diane Ericson:

The teatowel vest is certainly outdated now (was it ever exactly fashionable?) but I think I can get a lot of mileage out of the other two designs. I used view A.

I started with a gorgeous wool crepe from Sawyer Brook. Wanting to take advantage of several textural black fabrics in my remnant collection, I decided to design pieced lapels. The pattern includes only a long, straight lapel piece. Here is the pattern mock up as I designed it:

And here are the lapels I spent hours designing, cutting out and sewing together, only to decide I didn't like the look:

If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you'll be able to see the textures a bit better. The reason I nixed these lapels is they were just too much. I didn't like the choppiness of the edges, even though I had staggered them. In a nutshell, it just seemed too crafty. So, I backed off and went for the streamlined look of the original pattern piece, and chose one of the textured fabrics. 

The vest has a fun construction detail. Except for the shoulder seams, all seams are overlapped and topstitched. To do this, the entire vest is lined to the edge and turned inside out. Then the back pieces are overlapped and stitched, and the sides follow suit. This means lots of pin fitting, and making sure of where the seam lines will be before attaching the lining. The overlapping leaves little vents at the lower back and side seams.

I like the asymmetrical back and the button detail. The seam gives a nice vertical element to the back, too. Always a benefit for a plus size!

The hemline is angled from high in the front to low in the back. My full midriff tends to pull hems up in front, so I added about an inch in length to the center front. I love how this vest falls over my curves. Both the ambiance rayon lining (which feels scrumptious!) and lines of the pattern allow for this.

The vest is a valuable addition to my winter wardrobe, as it layers easily over almost any top I've made. It's the perfect layer for keeping a touch warmer when the temperatures are cold. It can also be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. I'm loving it!