Me Made Holiday Report Card

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In the suitcase…

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Tops

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  1. McCall 6078 Cowl Neck Sleeveless T-shirt
  2. Franken McCall 6078c Cowl Neck Leopard Print Sleeveless T-shirt
  3. Burda 2012-09-123 Painted (Byzantine) T-shirt

Bottoms

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  1. Burdastyle 2012-05-113 Draped Leopard Print Skirt
  2. Refashioned RTW Leopard Print Skirt
  3. This is the only non-Me-Made item in my suitcase. Or is it? I did shorten then turn up the hem to wear it as a capri. So can I be cheeky and count this as Me-Made as well? 😉
  4. Refashioned RTW Heidi Skirt. Not blogged. But it’s pretty much the same make as my Improv Embroidered Taffeta Pleated Skirt

Dresses

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  1. OK, another borderline cased. RTW Victoria Secret Dress altered to fit me better. Does it still count?
  2. Improv Tent Dress. Not blogged yet. This has got to be the Happiest Oops & my favorite make. Ever. It has gone on almost every holiday with me since I made it – I think that was back in 2003.
  3. V1159 Donna Karan Twist Front Dress

Keeping Warm…

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  1. Wrap Cardigan based on Burda 2011-06-139 Bluemarine Wrap Dress, planned a while back, but only finished during this trip. So not blogged yet. I was actually finishing the hemming just before checking my luggage in for the flight to Ohio! But boy was I glad I finished it. I wore it so many times during this trip.
  2. Franken Burda 013-02-121 Sweater
  3. Improv Faux Shearling Stole

Accessories

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Actually worn….

I got to hand it to you Me-Made-May girls. I don’t know how you manage a whopping 31 days. Even with just 14 days I couldn’t keep up with the photo-documentation.

No, worse, Mother Nature intervened (too hot AND too cold). So despite packing enough for 15 outfits ((3 tops x 4 bottoms) + 3 dresses) I keep sorting to the same few comfortable outfits. Here are the few photos I did manage to take…

What I’ve learnt…

I need to stop making tight fitting summer clothing! Skin. Wants. To. Breathe…And. Feel. The. Breeze.

And watch out for grainline, stretch, & gravity! The two sleeveless cowl neck tops were based on the same pattern. But the yellow one was cut on the crossgrain while the turquoise leopard one was cut on the regular lengthwise grain.  As stretch is greatest in the crossgrain on most knits, the yellow one’s armholes have obviously stretched thanks to gravity and feels comfortably loose. The turquoise one didn’t. So was a bit too binding for hot NY summers.

The Final Score

I think that will have to be a B at best.

I did force myself to wear everything at least once. But some days I just had to change midway through the day. There is only so much I’m willing to suffer for fashion!

Sewing for Tweens?

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OK, so what’s up with sewing for Tweens? How come there’s hardly any sewing patterns for Tweens & Teens?

I haven’t got kids of my own. But my niece has just turned 11. And as I have been such a neglectful aunty in so many other ways I thought it’s about time I make her something. But it’s such a nightmare! Not least because she lives in Ohio. Is it possible to sew long distance? Especially for fast growing kids? Or should I give up before I even start?

While I visited recently, I took her shopping at Jo-Ann‘s. She was so indecisive. Her parents have been buying all her clothing so far. Judging from the few times I tagged along, it seems like the stuff that she likes get vetoed. Poor girl – I think it affected her interest in clothing and/or her confidence in choosing clothing.

Anyway, here are the patterns I picked with some input from her…

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But she much prefers the adult patterns, like this one from Project Runway collections.

I thought this one might look too old on her. I tried looking for teen fashion magazines to get a bearing on what’s fashionable but still age appropriate. Not much luck.

Choosing fabrics was just as difficult. We ended up with these:

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The black floral netting she chose. She wanted a transparent jacket in this. I’m not so sure it’d be age appropriate. I’m thinking maybe an underlined top or dress using one of the McCall patterns we bought.

She also chose the sparkly foil faux suede – oh how kids love their sparkly stuff! Maybe the Burda jacket pattern would work well for this with a red or bright contrasting lining.

The faux suede cut lace I chose. I thought this might look cute with a bright underlining as a dress, top, and/or skirt.

What do you think?

Do you have daughters of similar age whom you sew for? Where do you find patterns for them? Any other advice on sewing for Tweens much appreciated!

I think these will have to be my next few sewing projects. I’m afraid that if I wait her measurements would change and nothing will fit! }:-)

Sewing Bits & Bobs

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While in NYC I also stock up on some useful supplies. Some because they’re hard to find in London. Others because I’m curious or the price is right.

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  1. Extra large sheet of wax carbon paper. I’ve tried the usual carbon paper sold to home sewers but kept going back to a couple I picked up from Steinlauf & Stoller over 2 decades ago. The home sewer version were just too small and don’t last as long or mark as clearly.OK, sometimes these waxy version don’t disappear completely. But honestly, I’m only sewing for myself and it’s not like people I know offline is going to come lift up my hem and examine the inside of my garment! And believe me I’m naughty – I mark the stitching lines with this rather than the cutting line. My reasoning being I rather have more accurate stitching which affects what people can see – the fit & shape of garment – than fuss over what most people won’t see – like the leftover markings.Anyway, this time around I couldn’t see any on display in Steinlauf & Stoller. So I picked these up in a few other shops (Sil Thread, Pacific Trimming, NY Elegant Fabrics, Fashion Design Books). Most were $5.50 per sheet.  The bookstore near FIT has it at $3.75, but I haven’t checked if it’s exactly the same quality as the others.
  2. Clover Chaco Liner & Clover Hera Marker from Sil Thread. Because I’m constantly looking for a better marking tool. The Hera Marker is a curious looking thing. I got it more for transferring fabric painting design than standard marking. I was using an plastic needle for sewing hand knits for a recent project and it did my hand in – blister and all. BTW Sil Thread have quite a few more tools from Clover and other East Asian brands that I haven’t seen elsewhere in NYC.
  3. Gridded plastic rulers. I have a few of these already and I can’t live without them. So useful for pattern alteration & adding seam allowance – if you use inches instead of cm. I can’t handle metric – mm is just too fussy for me. I don’t cut & sew accurately enough for such fiddly accuracy to make any difference. 1/16″ – 1/8″ is as accurate as I can handle. OK if you’re following pattern drafting instructions the decimal system of metric may come in handy for calculation. I just use a calculator. I can convert 1/8″ unit to decimal by heart now so it’s no big deal for me.These are thinner and more bendy the acrylic ones used by quilters. I find it easier to see the marking more accurately. The thick acrylic ones were casting confusing shadows. You can get these in many different places, including art stores like Pearl Paint.
  4. Seam Greats, Stitch Witchery, Stay Tape. Mentioned by a few bloggers, so I’m curious. Let’s see if they get used or just gather dust along with other gadgets I’ve collected over the decades!
  5. 2013-sewing-bits-2Metal Zippers from Sil Thread for the biker jackets + matching skirts that I’ve planned for these newly acquired fabrics.
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    These slide so easily but only come in two lengths. But Sil Thread will cut them to size for a small fee ($1 per cut + $1 per additional pull).

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  1. Lace from Daytona Trimmings. This was one of only two purchases on the day of the Meet Up! I’m not a big fan of lace – because it’s hard to find ones that I don’t think look streetwalkerish! But this one ticked the box for me. Not sure what I’ll use it for yet. It’s obviously not considered cheap. The guy cutting it was like “It’s $5.99/yd OK? Are you sure you really want 3 yards?” Hell yeah. Cheaper than an one-way London Underground cash ticket. And it’s not like I can get more easily whenever I need to.
  2. bag-repairFaux (?) Suede Trim from one of the numerous trim stores…Most of the stuff in the store look a bit cheap (she says snobbishly). But this will be my best chance of repairing a cheap (!) but well-loved and well-used leather handbag. I’ve been searching for a replacement trim for years!
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    Various Ribbons & Trims from Tinsel Trading Co. I love the feel of this store even though it’s not cheap, especially when it comes to the the vintage trims. There are some lovely bits for the scrapbook crafters too.
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    gold-trim-inspirationTwo of the gold trims I got are vintage. I love the antique gold. I’m thinking of using these to trim jacket like in one of my inspiration photo.

Finally, some obligatory pattern purchases:

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These were ordered during the last online sale and sent to my brother’s. I usually find only 1 or 2 that really interest me. But being a cheap skate, I always try to get max value for my shipping dollars. Which means padding out my order with other half-hearted purchases. I really should just stop buying yet another bog standard pencil skirt or drapy dress pattern and start making things. I must have only used 5% of my pattern collection at best.

So that’s it for my own sewing pleasure. Tomorrow: the sacrifices I made for others! The Selfish Seamstress would have been shaking her head!

Yippie! More Fabrics for Me!

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So, while no fabric was bought during the NYC Meet Up, my suitcase was already half full with fabrics: I had ordered some from B&J Fabrics online a while back and had them sent to my brother’s in Ohio.

It was ostensibly for more of that fabulous turquoise leopard print knit, which I had thought was extinct, but in fact is still lurking in the aisles at B&J. Since shipping was free, I also ordered some Bouclés & Tweed. I have to say though I was a bit disappointed when I finally saw these fabrics. The colors weren’t as vibrant as the online pictures…

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I guess that’s the peril of internet shopping, and one should at least get samples first before ordering anything expensive. It remains to be seen whether I’ll learn this lesson!

The yellow one I might use for Burdastyle 2013-03-102 Boucle Jacket. I’ve wanted the outfit since I bought the magazine. I also tried to look for similar floral fabric for the pants during this trip – but no luck.

Not sure yellow would look as good on me as on the model given my complexion. Maybe I’ll get away with it if I add trims or wear something underneath that’s in a more flattering color.

NYC proper…

With limited baggage allowance I couldn’t shop freely. Hence the indecision during the meet up. And spending the whole of Monday on reconnaissance mission. What could earn a space in my preciously rationed haul?

My main criteria was that it has to be something difficult to find in London. So while there are lots of great shops with affordable fabrics in the Garment District, I ended up in my old favorites: B&J, Mood, and NY Elegant Fabrics. All huge stores (compared with London offerings). All a bit on the pricier side I’m afraid. What can I say, I got an expensive habit! 😉 Limited time and torrential rain on Monday also put me off checking out the other stores.

Unchartered Territory of Print Galore

I’m a print-phobe. But I’m trying to change. And my stash is full of plain fabrics already. So I forced myself to look at prints. First off, a couple of classic prints…

2013-us-fabrics-7Silk Charmeuse & Wool Challis from B&J. These were expensive! So I’ve didn’t buy much.

I’m thinking a simple kimono sleeve top or dress for the charmeuse.

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For the challis maybe a back-pleated skirt like my Heidi skirt, or a more deconstructed version à la Vivienne Westwood.

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Next some au courant crazy pot-luck mix of snake print & everything else …

2013-us-fabrics-8Silk Charmeuse from Mood. This reminded me a bit of Burdastyle 2013-02-113 Dress which I love.

I thought I was being generous with 3 yards. But that’s still not enough for this dress. Then again a shorter dress might get more wear. So I may still use this pattern yet.

2013-us-fabrics-9Wool Blend Jersey from NY Elegant. No clear ideas yet. It feels vaguely Vivienne Westwoodish with a whiff of Christopher Columbus – all that damask type prints in faded cartography colors and a flash of jungle snake!

Probably a dress and maybe even a top with a bit of cowl here and there.

So what do you think? Brave enough for first forays into prints?

These were meant to be sweater knits…

I was quite chaffed to get so much wear out of my cowl neck sweater and wrap cardi (write up coming soon) in NYC. So I decided to get more sweater knits despite it being summer in NYC. Luckily fashion people work months ahead and therefore stores that supply them too. Both NY Elegant Fabrics & Mood have a wide range in stock. But in the end, none of the proper sweater knits appeal to me as much as these pseudo knits.

2013-us-fabrics-3Wool Acrylic Print Novelty Knit from Mood & Mohair Blend Novelty Knit from NY Elegant.

Clio would recognize the teal one from Mood. It feels a bit like sweatshirt knit. I was on the fence with this one as I don’t wear boxy sweatshirt type garments at all. Is it too sporty for me? Can I carry it off? The other one feels so lush but is also a bit spongy. So again on the fence.

In the end, what convinced me was recent examples of biker style jackets in non-traditional fabrics.

00250mLike Burdastyle 2013-03-135 Biker Jacket. Or even the pastel croc of Louis Vuitton S/S 2012.

I think I’ll use the Burda pattern for the teal fabric, as it has seaming details that can showcase both sides of the fabric. I’ll have to search around for a pattern for the orange fabric. I’d like a version with more traditional overlapping front and off-center zip, but probably in a cinched waist silhouette again. I don’t think I’m tall enough to carry off a short and boxy style.

I’m hoping to make matching pencil skirts with exposed zipper details in darts and/or walking vents.

This next one looks like a sweater knit, but isn’t.

2013-us-fabrics-4Mohair Gauze from Mood. I’m calling this gauze because of the loose open weave. I have no idea what the professionals call it. Anyway it’s a real shame it’s not a knit, for it would have made a great sweater top. Maybe another cowl neck like the one I just made? I don’t think I can have enough of that slightly 60ish mod looking sweater.

Cotton Lace from NY Elegant which is reserved for a skirt just like this Burdastyle 2013-03-109 Lace Skirt.

I was telling Clio how I find lace a hard fabric to carry off. It’s too easy to look like a Streetwalker, a Mother of the Bride, or a Granny Doily in lace. Then I go buying an expensive cut! This one is definitely in the Doily camp. All for the love of this outfit.

If there’s any leftover I might use it for either this Burdastyle 2012-05-109 Top or this designer dress (sorry, forgot who it’s by)…

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And the rest…

2013-us-fabrics-6Sunback Lining from B&J for some coat that I will eventually make. Because being a tropical baby even cashmere won’t keep me warm in the bone-chilling damp British winters. And I can’t find these flannel-backed lining anywhere else. BTW it’s also known as Kasha Lining by some.

Ultrasuede from NY Elegant because this one is buttery soft! I love the feel of suede and soft leather. But I can’t handle any fabric requiring expensive specialist cleaning. This you can throw into the washing machine. Most ultrasuede aren’t this soft though. So I just have to have this one. I’m hoping it’s soft & drapy enough for a pants, or dress, or top.

2013-us-fabrics-5And two TNT old friends: Bamboo Spandex Striped Jersey & Micro-Spandex Leopard Print Jersey from B&J.

I wear my marinière tops so much that I just have to have more. It’s my slob out outfit of choice. Although I did get some red stripe knit from Tissu Fabrics in London, it’s not as soft as this bamboo one. Yummmm.

And I got more of the turquoise leopard jersey so I can finally make a wrap dress, probably Burdastyle Magazine Blumarine 2011-06-139 Wrap Dress (like Assorted Notions’ version). Leftover might be sacrificed to my niece, who’s just at the age to start yearning for crazy fashion, but isn’t allowed to own any yet.

Speaking of whom…there’s actually 3 more cuts of fabric from Jo-Ann bought just for her. But that will have to be another post. Because sewing for Tweens opens up a whole can of worms!

Finally, a bit of Fabric Store Gossip

I was chatting to the guy helping me with the fabrics at Mood about how active Mood is in the online sewing community compared to other fabric stores. He told me that’s because the owner’s son took over a few years ago and really gets modern marketing. Supposedly another store had been approached by Project Runway first, but turned them down. So now the tour buses stop at Mood instead and business is booming.

So much so that they are considering opening a branch in London! (Also because a daughter of the owner lives in London or have some good friend in London – can’t remember which.) That will be great news (for me!) – IF they keep similar format to the US stores that is. I’ve always been a bit miffed that Whole Foods Market in London doesn’t sell half the stuff you’d get in the US. What’s the point of shopping at an American store if it sells the same stuff as British stores. File this one under #homesick!

NYC meet up write up

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A week on and finally a write-up. At my age even a couple of weeks of excitement is too much. Two days back in dreary old London and I’m still only 25% human. But if I don’t write it up now I’m afraid my memory will fail me too. So here goes…

It wasn’t the most auspicious of start. Rain was forecasted. And many had to cancel for other reasons. So I wandered through the FIT museum by myself. Sadly both bookstores were also closed for the weekend: I had forgotten that school’s out. Ah well, c’est la vie. I did find a couple of interesting pieces at the RetroSpective exhibition though:

  • Halson halter dress from 1972…The original convertible dress! And I thought Victoria’s Secret & the modern-day independent designers were being so clever.
  • Jean-Paul Gaultier 1988 seersucker jacket with black horizontal stripe detail at high hip & lace applique overlapping these stripes at the sides. I love these artfully arranged details.

Sadly no picture-taking in the museum. I actually set off the alarm a couple of times trying to get a closer view of the garments. Oops.

Next up, Bryant Park for meeting late comers. Thankfully a couple of you did eventually show up!

Jennifer of Workroom Social also brought along a couple of friends whom she managed to bully into take up sewing! Sadly they couldn’t stay for shopping. So Clio of Clio & Phineas was stuck with me for the rest of the afternoon. But what a lovely afternoon it was! For me at least.

While I’ve enjoyed the online sewing blogsphere, I haven’t manage to connect with other fashion sewers offline yet. So meeting and chatting to you gals in real life was such a treat. No funny looks for the weird things that we home sewers obsess about! 🙂 And Clio being familiar with NYC as it was when I lived there was just icing – or should that be Frosting – on the cake. Oh how I feel homesick for NYC.

Anyway, shockingly not much shopping was done on the day. Clio had no need for stashing as she can visit the garment district whenever she wants. So she only got some threads for her current sewing projects.

Me, I was too distracted by the company to shop properly. Plus I forgot that the stores close early on Saturdays. So the only things I bought was a large wax carbon paper & this lovely lace.

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But fear not, I did return to the garment district the following Monday & Tuesday. Report on the Haul tomorrow.

Right now I just want to thank Clio and Jennifer for a lovely Saturday afternoon in NYC.

And thank heaven that it did not rain after all.

And Peter of Male Pattern Boldness too for pointing us to the flea markets: My other half ended up buying a heavy vintage microphone that weighs a ton, robbing me of precious baggage allowance for more fabrics I don’t need. Yet I couldn’t spot a single stall of vintage sewing goodies that Peter brag about all the time. Thanks a lot Peter! 😉