Fuchsia wool flannel skirt, Burda 06-2010-112

I mentioned having made 2 purple skirts in my last post.  I didn't realize I had so much purple fabric, or realize that I'd made 2 purple skirts until I'd gotten halfway through this one.  It's made from a Vera Wang fuchsia wool flannel that I got on crazy sale last winter for, like, $1.99.  This skirt uses less than a yard so I have a little bit of this stuff left over.  Maybe it will be a hat?  It was dreamy to sew with, it really pressed nicely and didn't slide around or misbehave.  The Slapdash Sewist also bought some of this in that same sale, and made this lovely fitted jacket with her piece.  One of the things that I like about sewing is the possibilities that can come out of a piece of fabric, and seeing what other people do with the same material as me.

I really wanted to wear it today, but it was really warm.  Of course I also wanted to wear boots.  All of this was too much bundling for the unseasonable 70F (that's about 23C for my non-U.S. friends!) weather we had today.  I'm not complaining though, because I'm not looking forward to a return to the normal cold weather we have at this time of year!  I ended up wearing a cotton tank I'd made with Simplicity 2593 with it. 

The pocket lining peeks out.  I'm thinking to bar tack either to top or bottom of the pockets, but haven't decided which would be better.

I used a lapped zipper in the back with hook and eye on the waistband.  One day I might try doing the lapped zipper with the waistband as well.

I'm actually surprised that this design works with a wool flannel.  Eugenia used a linen for her version, and I was afraid that this would turn out stiff.  Not a completely irrational fear as I have experience with cartoonish skirts. 

I have Eugenia to thank for tuning me into this skirt.  It doesn't look so great in the magazine photo.

Burdastyle 06-2010-112 line drawing

You can probably tell immediately that one of the things I changed in my version of this skirt was to leave off the patch pocket.  I was going to put it on, but because I shortened the hemline by 2 inches (I typically petite skirts and pants by 2 inches) the pocket looked enormous even though I had petite-d that by one inch as well.  Because the flannel was so thick the pocket just wasn't going to work.  I think my skirt looks all the better without it.  (Another thing that the thick flannel wasn't going to work for was folding the hem band over, so I cut a lining piece and turned and stitched it in the ditch from the right side.)  At first I thought I shouldn't have petite-d the skirt so that it would be close to knee length and more suitable for winter wear but (a) what's done is done, and (b) I'm happy with it.  The other thing I did was add a rayon lining using this Threads tutorial called "Adding a Lining to Your Custom-Pleated Skirt".  It was super easy, but I think that because only the waistband is pleated rather than the hem line being pleated as well, the lining is too big.  It tends to peek out when I sit.

Brocade mini skirt, Burda 02/2010 104

I've been sewing but I haven't been blogging about it, I'll have more posts coming soon.  This is one of two purple skirts I've made -- I realized I had no Fall or Winter skirts.  A travesty I tell you!  So I went ahead and made two skirts, realizing after I'd cut the material for the second one that I now have two purple skirts.  When it rains, it pours.

I wasn't sure what my size was, as in the past I've always thought I was a 38 and made petite adjustments accordingly or gamble over whether a size 36 would fit me.  I haven't been running because of an injury that isn't really worth getting into here other than I was pretty sure that lack of exercise would make me heavier and thicker.  It turns out that since I've replaced running with going to the climbing gym more frequently, I've gained weight but lost a few inches.  Who knew?  I took new measurements a few weeks ago and learned that I'm a now a size 36.  It pays to take your measurements regularly!

I wanted to test how a 36 would fit with no adjustments, and wanted a simple skirt that could use a cut of fabric already in my stash.  This is 3/4 yard of 45" wide brocade that I bought at least 6 years ago with plans to turn it into a purse.  File that under What Was I Thinking.  I can't imagine having a purse made out of this stuff.  It snags and sheds all over the place.

The skirt is fitted in the waist through hips, I ended up having to make the back seam 1/2" instead of 5/8" due to snugness.  I'm not sure if it's due to the pattern design, the unforgiving nature of the fabric I chose, or the shape of my runner-turned-climber butt. 

This is really shiny.

Front.  There are slant pockets with self bias binding.

Back.  I had no idea it could get so wrinkly without sitting.  I used an invisible zip.

Side.  You can see the pockets a little better

Inside.  I underlined it in silk organza.  The waistband lining is a poly lining material.

burdastyle's version in cotton.

burdastyle 02-2010-104B

Ugh!

I cut off-grain and it's obvious!

Here is the yoke on the back of what would have been a new shirt.

Faux fur leopard print jacket, Burda 09-2009-127

Getting back to my sewing plan, I've just finished the leopard print jacket.  The photos don't show the furriness very well.  It's a short nap fur called "minky."  Not sure what "minky" means, but it's easy to sew with, presses well and doesn't shed.  The fabric has been in my stash for about 2 years, I bought it for a different jacket but figured it would be a great fit for this one.  Another note about this fabric: I noticed in my stats that several people have made their way to my blog with the search terms "make buttonholes in faux fur."  So here is some advice to people who are looking to make buttonholes in faux fur.  Because the nap was so short, I didn't have to do anything special to make buttonholes.   I have made buttonholes in fur with longer nap, and as I'm sure you've noticed if you've tried to do this -- the hair gets in the way.  What you need to do is separate and lay the hair away from the area where you are going to put the buttonhole, so that you're stitching on fabric rather than on the fur.  Hols the fur away from the stitching area with your fingers as you're stitching the buttonholes.  Depending on how long the nap is, you might want to trim around the buttonhole, but I've never found this necessary.

The jacket is unstructured and fits a lot like a sweater  It's double breasted with cropped sleeves and very mod.  I lined it almost to the edges, which makes it feel very sweatery to me. I am not sure about the fit.  It's princess seamed but the princess curve falls above my bust line so that there are wrinkles in the upper chest and a rather boxy fit through the rest of the torso.  I suppose that this is what I get for not having fit a muslin first.

Here's a picture of it in the magazine. They used a wool, which lends their version a lot more structure.  The collar in this photo falls better than mine (I have to adjust it when I put the jacket on) and I wonder if my collar would behave better if I pressed it more.  As it is, I've left it kind of shawl-like.

 

I was a bit torn about what to do for buttons.  I didn't have 8 large buttons in my stash so took the jacket to Windsor Button in Downtown Crossing to figure out a good fit -- in my mind, 8 bright white buttons would fit with the mod look I was going for.  But when I laid 8 white buttons on the jacket they were way too bright.  The clerk and I had some fun matching buttons to the jacket and I ended up with 8 shell buttons, which are the most expensive part of this jacket... I think that the fabric was less than $10 when I bought it years ago! 

In all, I think the result is very cute.  I don't know how much I will wear it, though.  Do you wear animal prints?  I had all kinds of ideas for outfits that this would complement but now that it's done, it just seems too loud for my lifestyle.  Maybe I could have worn this regularly when I was in my late teens and regularly wore fishnets, mini-skirts and baby tees.  Is there a way for grownups to wear faux fur?

A longstanding favorite: Vogue 2742

This is now the third time I've made this shirt.  The pattern is Vogue 2742 (out of print, and unloved, Vogue doesn't even offer it in the out of print section of its pattern website!), a DKNY design.  It was issued in 2003, about a year or so after I started sewing.  I chose it because it doesn't have a button placket in the front and I was terrified of making buttonholes.  The first version I made of blue Egyptian cotton, which was too big (this is before I understood sizing and ease), the second version was made of white striped batiste (which was a little too drapy and fell apart over time).  This one is gray chambray.

Front of shirt

Fabric drapes well enough so as not to look knocked up from the side

After all these years of sewing, I still don't really have the knack for making button holes.  I made the buttonholes on the wrong part of the cuff, the part that should be on the underside rather than the overlap, so I put the buttons on the inside of the cuff to make up for my mistake.  The result is a very clean finish with no buttons on the outside.

 

This was an unplanned project (not one of the items I listed in my fall sewing) but after that plastic like skirt I really wanted to sew something that I knew would be gratifying and turn out well.  This was perfect.  As for my next project, I've already cut the leopard print faux fur for my jacket and am trying to decide what to use for a lining.

Finally, for posterity, here is a photo of the pattern.  Sad that it's nowhere on the internet anymore, it's a great design.

Skirt fail: Vogue 1170

Don't let these photos fool you.  I chose the wrong fabric for this skirt.  It's a lovely tangerine colored stretch cotton pique that would have been better suited to a pencil skirt, fitted dress, or jacket.  It doesn't have enough drape for this skirt.  I thought I could use it because the recommended fabrics are lightweight wool flannel, lightweight denim and lightweight crepe.  I think the key word there is "lightweight."

What should have been a fun and flippy skirt is a skirt that is shaped like a fluted bell.  A full-bodied fluted bell that will not be moved.  The fabric is way too stiff.  The flounce in the back falls awkwardly.  On my skirt, the center of the flounce is inverted and the sides stick out awkwardly.  The envelope illustration shows that it should fall oppositely -- the sides should be inverted and the center stick out.

Betcha think I'm twirling!  I'm not.

Aside from my tragic fabric choice, I went all out in construction (which took a while because I was in and out of town) with bound seams.  I even did my best to find an orange zipper in my stash.

Still, I like the shape of this skirt and the seam detailing.  I might sew this again but in a fabric with the right amount of drape and a lot less body.

Looking forward to Fall

It's a nice day here in Cambridge -- while we've had weeks of hot and humid weather, today it's 70F (about 25C for my non-U.S. friends) and breezy.  I left the office early and got to thinking about my upcoming sewing projects on my walk home.  I am working on a muslin for the skirt portion of this Rachel Comey design (Vogue 1170), which I'll probably make out of a tangerine cotton pique that I bought earlier this summer.  I probably won't be wearing it with the top that I made from this pattern, although it would be a perfect match for the orange flowers... Overall I think it would look a little too Rainbow Brite.

The cool weather has me thinking about Fall and well, the impending end of my post-doc at the end of the year and the need to finally start dressing like a grown up (and work at a grown up job, whatever that is).  This also means that I need cool weather clothes for an office setting, which I am loathe to sew for several reasons.  Among these reasons -- summer clothing is just so much cuter.  I like showing my arms, I like wearing dresses.  In the winter, I feel like I am just a bundle of jeans and sweaters and any interesting details on shirts or pants will surely be lost in there somewhere.  And so, this perpetuates a cycle of me not sewing winter clothes and then complaining that I wear the same thing every day all winter long.

Maybe it's time to revisit the button down shirt but... that's so boring.  Maybe I can get myself to master the fit of the button down shirt (I think I will need some as basics in my closet) and make one of each of the following:

Burda 03-2010-122 in white shirting

11-2009-118 in teal shirting or gray washed silk

09-2009-117 in a striped shirting that I don't have

I love the details on these -- the long sleeves on the first one, tuck on the second one.  I'm not crazy about the third one but I think that the gather and ruffles will look great with striped fabric, as will the cuffs if the stripes are just slightly misaligned.  Alas, I have no striped fabric in the stash and since I will be moving again at the end of the year I don't plan to buy any more fabric.

Lastly, my plan is to sew two jackets.

09-2009-127 in leopard print faux fur

05-2006-102 in mustard corduroy (apologies for the fuzzy photo!)

I'll definitely sew the first jacket, but the more I look at the second jacket the less inclined I am to follow through on my plan.  Given the rate at which I have been sewing, I am a little worried that I might be a bit too ambitious to sew all of this before winter!