It feels like a minute since I made a fun summer dress. I spent last year making jeans, tee shirts and outerwear. But, this year I needed something light for our summer vacation to California. I made the Webster Top first and really honestly fell in love with it. I immediately cut out the dress version in a butterfly rayon from Cotton + Steel. I love prints. I love butterflies. Well, I probably don’t like real life butterflies because they are bugs. But, I love them rendered in fabric (when they aren’t too lifelike).

As stated in my Webster Top review, I didn’t pay for the pattern. I picked to up back in February when I was visiting Cashmertte enterprises. All opinions are my own. And, if my house were to catch on fire I would replace this pattern in a heartbeat.

I’m really happy to have a flowy summer dress where my bra straps don’t show! I love love love the neckline. The V is deep but doesn’t show cleavage. It’s beautifully flattering.

I did make some alterations for fit for my body. But, since they are the same as I made for the Webster Top, I’m putting alterations at the end of this post. The only thing different is I shortened my skirt by 1.5″ so it would hit just above the knee.

For sure this my new go to summer dress pattern. It really might be an unsung hero in the Cashmerette lineup.

Alertations

There is some video of it all (for the time being) on my Instagram page. If you go to my profile, under my name there’s a bubble that says “Webster Fit” or use the l

1. The front shoulder seam were rolling forward on me. So, I lengthened the front between the shoulder and bust by 1″ and shortened the back the same amount.
2. 1/2″ swayback adjustment. These patterns have a sway back. I just need more
3. Protruding seat adjustment. This added some length over my bum at center back and some width at the back side seam only.
4. 1/4″ sloping shoulder adjustment (for a total of 1/2″)
5. This pattern is a very loose casual fit. So, I used the 14 E/F which matches my full bust measurement of 43 and graded to a 12 in the waist / hip area.
6. The skirts was a little long on me so I shortened the hem band by 1.5″. I like a skirt that hits right above my knee.

I like that this pattern has an all-in-one-facing. That means no flipping out.

Before we begin, my apologies for the poor quality of the photos. I loaned my SLR to a friend traveling with her family and my Pentax point and shoot with remote control stopped working a few months ago. I’m using a borrowed point and shoot camera on a timer and it focused on everything behind me in all 200 photos I took. These were the least offensive of them.

A few months ago a busty student asked me about making the Grainline Scout Tee — a woven tee shirt. I told her if she hated darts and her breasts then go right ahead. A week later Chasmerette released the Montrose Top — a woven tee shirt with darts that can accommodate up to an H cup. Clearly, I spoke this into existence.  And, I’m so glad I did!

I made up my version in a lovely woven vintage Japanese print gifted to me over ten years ago from Sue V. in Los Angeles. Her Japanese – American neighbor was having a yard sale and she posted a few yards for me. This fabric has been waiting for just the right project and this was it. The simple garment shape really allows the print to shine. After posting on Instagram I learned the prints aren’t barns of yarn, but Japanese temari balls.

For my version, I sewed a 14G/H, modified the sleeve to a bell shape and added a 2″ exposed facing at the neckline. Since I made this two months ago, I’ve sewn with a few more Cashmerette patterns and find my sizing with a 43″ full bust is best in a 14E/F.

This is also the pattern where I learned I need to make a full seat and additional swayback adjustment in Cashmerette patterns. A swayback alone would take care of the folds at my waistline. But, it wouldn’t help the hem from getting caught on my protruding seat. That requires more length and some width at the back hip.

I finished my insides with french seams. When combined with this facing treatment the inside is almost as beautiful as the outside.

While this pattern is very basic, it throws open the door of woven shirt possibilities. It’s a good base for adding design touches where a lot of the hardworking is done for you in the bodice department. I can’t wait to play around with it some more.

Oh, wovens… how I miss you! I spent last year making jeans, tee shirts and outerwear. But, this year I needed something light for our summer vacation to California and cuuuttte.

I picked up the Webster when I was in Boston few months ago at Cashmerette HQ. So, while I technically didn’t pay for this pattern, all opinions are my own. And, my opinion is YASSS, Queen, slay!

I love love love the neckline. The V is deep but doesn’t show cleavage. It’s beautifully flattering. The back is equally interesting. In fact, my friend who took photos exclaimed, “CUTE!!” when she saw the back.

My Webster top is made up in a long stashed Marc by Marc Jacobs embroidered star voile. It’s lightweight with body and most of all is a solid that isn’t.

I did make some alterations for fit for my body that I’ll try and capture here. There is some video of it all (for the time being) on my Instagram page. If you go to my profile, under my name there’s a bubble that says “Webster Fit”.

1. The front shoulder seam were rolling forward on me. So, I lengthened the front between the shoulder and bust by 1″ and shortened the back the same amount.
2. 1/2″ swayback adjustment. These patterns have a sway back. I just need more
3. Protruding seat adjustment. This added some length over my bum at center back and some width at the back side seam only.
4. 1/4″ sloping shoulder adjustment (for a total of 1/2″)
5. This pattern is a very loose casual fit. So, I used the 14 E/F which matches my full bust measurement of 43 and graded to a 12 in the waist / hip area even though I measure into a 16/18 in the hip.

I like that this pattern has an all-in-one-facing. That means no flipping out.

I finished the insides with French seams to keep it neat.

And, I loved this so much I immediately made a dress version which I’ll share soon!

** worn here with my Jalie stretch jeans in a cropped length

While I’ve made my fair share of pants and jeans in the past, I can’t say they are my favorite to put together. I have a bit of a struggle fitting pants so I tend to avoid them. But, I get extremely desperate for pants each year, try to buy some RTW, get totally demoralized and ignore my need for pants for another 12 mos.

Well, with a vacation looming last month (it was mah-velous), I knew I needed pants. My thighs touch and in the summer in can be terribly uncomfortable. We were going to be doing plenty of walking and flying. Shorts won’t cut it so pants it is. I settled on making a pull on pair because I didn’t want to invest a lot of time constructing pants that might not fit well. And, if I’m being honest, I hope to lose some winter weight I picked up and won’t have to worry as much about the fit later on.

For this pair I chose the #139 from the April 2011 Burdastyle. This is a plus size pattern. I’m a 42 at the waist and a solid 50 through my lower thighs. My first two muslins were TERRIBLE.

At the front I could see it straining across my jutting thighs. There was also not enough clearance for my stomach and the crotch was rightupinthere.

On the reverse, not enough room for my protruding seat, a serious need for a swayback adjustment and also, not enough length in the crotch (you can see it pulling it up at the center thigh) By the third muslin on the far right, I was much happier with the fit.

Here’s my final version of the pants in a tobacco linen. I actually surprisingly really like them. The waistline was originally too tall by a few inches, but I shortened it — which makes the pockets a bit too high on this pair.

For the waist, I used a 2″ elastic vs the 1.25″ it’s drafted for. I just love wide elastic waistband. I think it looks more finished — especially with topstitching. This is a knit heavy stretch elastic so I cut it just 2″ smaller than my waist measurement and it grew a little less than 1″ after application and topstitching (making it the 1″ smaller than my waist measurement a heavy stretch should be).

There’s also twill tape in the crotch seams to prevent those from bagging out (because linen stretches).

You’ll note I skipped the hem band treatment on these pants. I decided I really liked this color and plan to wear them to work this summer. By keeping the bottom of the leg simple I think they are a hair more professional and less likely to be noticed when I wear them several times a week.

I am thinking about reducing by a 1/4″ the length in the back crotch and shortening the rise another 1/2″. I’d like them to fit around my crotch a hair snugger. But, overall I am REALLY happy and plan to make several more over the summer.

If you know my preferred clothing style even a little bit, you know that throwing some trench / military details is the way to my heart.

So, when this sweet trench skirt came out in 2009 I immediately knew I was going to make it someday. I cut this out back in late summer 2015 from a  beautiful gifted red wool left over from my Parisenne dress. It has a teeny bit of stretch and a nice flowy hand.

I am admittedly out of Burdastyle practice because the directions left me confounded. Oh how I hate when people complain about Burda directions. Yet here I was not making hide nor tail of the instructions in front of me. Luckily, YouSewGirl had photo details of her pockets and Handmade By Carolyn provided an interior shot of her skirt so I was able to muddle though.

It feels like I haven’t sewn a woven in AGES. It felt really good to work with a nice fabric and get those incredible sharp seams from a good pressing.

Sizing: I sewed a 42 grading out to a 46 at the lower thigh.

Pattern Changes:

I extended the front facing and waistline facing by 2.5 inches based on reviews.

I made my pockets way, way too big. I read a complaint on PR that the pockets were too small. So, I drew a new pocket based on my hand size. Well, that same pocket is now sewn into the front of the skirt due to the top stitching and extended facing. So, I have NO pocket.

Sewing randomness:

I utilized my blind hemmer rather than a visible hem with top stitching

I did use top stitching thread when topstitching called for — setting up my Singer Featherweight for main sewing and my Bernina 830 for topstitching because my edge stitching foot is the bomb. But, I’ll be the first to admit that this tone on tone red top stitching isn’t really popping.

I paired this skirt with a turtleneck I sewed up in 2013. Thank goodness for knits, eh?  Buttonholes sewn with my Singer buttonholer. I have got to stop hoarding these. I made a step towards letting go by giving one to a friend last year. Baby steps. Buttons were sewn on using my buttonhole foot from Bernina. Built in shank, baby!

The pattern calls for sewing a belt and belt loops. I ended up leaving them off which takes away some of the trenchiness of said trench skirt. When I make this again in a nice khaki I’ll definitely add it back in.

Thanks to Liz for taking photos (she’s wearing an old RTW silk dress of mine I gave her). This mural is “Welcome to Baltimore” and shows different neighborhoods and attractions in the City. We illegally parked and whipped these out in 10 mins.

And since we were so rushed we totally forgot to take photos of the back .

My goal in 2017 is to knit all year round. I was a bit knitted out after all the pink hats for the Women’s March on Washington and Jordan’s letterman sweater. When I returned to my machine in March I found myself making a lot of rookie mistakes. The best way to avoid skill slide I suspect is to knit all year.

Organic Cotton Plus reached out to me in January about possibly partnering on a blog post. The fact is I don’t partner on posts, test patterns or sew for other people because I don’t like deadlines. So, I immediately wrote back to say thank you for asking but I have enough fabric and I hate sewing under deadline. Except my email bounced back to me. So, I went on their website to get a correct email address. While poking around I saw they had yarn. And, I thought, “Oh! Do you now?”

Needless to say, my new email to them said I’d be delighted to partner if I could use one of the naturally dyed wools from their website,  if it was possible to get enough for a sweater and if I could wait until March before posting anything  (I was in the middle of Jordan’s letterman sweater, I desperately needed to sew jeans, I promised to sew a prayer shawl for a bar mitzvah and I was wrapping up an on-site consulting gig so I knew I just didn’t have a bunch of extra time). This timeline and the yarn worked for them, so GAME ON.

I selected the worsted weight wool in Natural, Deep Black and Indigo to knit the Ravello Sweater from Isabelle Kramer.  The yarn comes in hanks with a “Sustainable Stitches” label.

Organic Cotton Plus uses waste material from plants to dye their yarns. The leftover waste from the dyeing process is biodegradable. Compost and irrigation water is used to grow dye, medicinal plants and food crops for the Indian families in India involved in the dye group. Now, as an all-electric car driving, home composting, and soon to be urban gardener (#GrowFoodNotGrass) this warmed my liberal snowflake heart.

I wash and wet block all the pieces of my garments before I seam them up. Sometimes it’s because the yarn comes oiled (glides through the machine easier). But, mostly I find a nice block makes seaming a million times easier as the yarn has relaxed and it’s in the right shape. The yarn has beautiful stitch definition. And, when made up on my Brother 270 (a bulky gauge machine) it really looks like a hand knit!  Also, the natural dye process is ever so slightly uneven in the way that hand-dyed yarns are. So, it didn’t look commercially made which I also really like.

So, I was hopeful that when I did my first wet block I’d be able to get rid of some of the dye transfer I’d noticed in the garment. The Deep Black  in particular gives off a light dust when wound in to cakes and run through the machine. I also noticed there was color transfer to my hands from working with yarn. I reached out to Organic Cotton Plus about the amount of dust and dye transfer. They let me know that I received a first run of the product and have enacted better quality control to eliminate this problem.

The second issue I had with the yarn were my blacks are two different dye lots. Now, I only noticed this after the first wash. Organic Cotton Plus does say that their vegetable dyed yarn may not be as colorfast as traditional chemical dyes and can fade ‘over time’. So, I think I have two dye batches vs the quality of the color.  But, like the dye transfer/ crocking  I see, no one else seems to notice.

After washing, I could see that the smudgy coloring I’d noticed was still there. And, overall the natural cream was a bit dingier and I could see that the blue also bled a bit. Now, this could all be chalked up to using such extremely different colors in one garment, something I will probably be hesitant to try again. But, I would definitely NOT recommend it with a black or a non-chemical dye that has a higher chance of running.

Would you like to talk about the elephant in the room otherwise known as my neckline? So, I wanted to try an i-cord trim for the neckline. I found two helpful videos from

Susan Guagliumi

and Diana Sullivan

and got to work. Unfortunately, the i-cord bindoff didn’t work perfectly for me. And, you know what? That’s ok. It’s my first time trying it. It’s not perfect. Heck, it’s not even acceptable. But, I did it. And, I’ll do it better next time. This is a casual sweater that I won’t be wearing to business meetings and I’m okay with how it looks.

Now, the conclusion to this long tale. I attempted to use some dye color remover. The dinginess of the yarn really bothered me. And, as Jeanne pointed out it made it look like there were mistake where there weren’t. So, I used some dye remover, with hot water in the hand wash cycle of my machine and the entire sweater shrank to a size unwearable by me. While I’m a little sad to not have it in my wardrobe, I have a friend who I think will love it. And, the excess *did* come out. But, lesson learned. Even if the directions say start with hot water, maybe start with cold and wash it by hand. And, I did love this sweater on me so I’ll be reattempting it soon.

This post is really more of a brain dump so I can remember what I did when I make these again. My tee shirt is the Cashmerette Concord Tee Shirt.

Back in September 2015 I promised you an update on my Jalie jeans. Well, I never wrote an update.

I can tell you I wore three pairs of Jalie Jeans daily for the last 18 months and it was time to start replacing them. My jeans wear out at inner thigh regularly.

I asked Jordan to take photos of my butt while we were walking around like tourists. A man in the store to the right was just staring at us totally befuddled.

So, I made three different pairs over the last few months to hopefully get me through the next two years: The above cropped creamscicicle denim pair, the below straight-ish, and the end flared pair.

When I make jeans, I buy a ridiculous eight to ten yards of denim. I treat the first pair as a muslin and make the other two pairs up based on how the first pair fit after a few weeks of wear. I like my jeans to stay snug.

Alterations:

Waistband: I used the waistband from the the Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans as a starting point. After several rounds, I’ve contoured the waistband specifically at center back and at the side seams. I use a firm woven interfacing in the waistband to help reduce the stretch AND I use narrow twill tape in the waist band seam. The Jalie waistband is garbage. It’s straight and cut on the bias and just doesn’t work for anyone I personally know.

Yoke: I do the same contouring of the yoke to snug up the back seam closer to my swayback.

Crotch adjustments:

• I made a bit of a large inner thigh adjustment by widening the back crotch.
• I shorted the front crotch by 1/2 inch or I get this above fold at the center front. Actually, this is AFTER a 1/2 inch adjustment. I need to take out maybe another 1/4 inch (as I’ve done for the orange pair).
• I made a knock knee adjustment

Time to transfer my pattern to stock paper because it’s a keeper!

For the rest of the jeans I just played with leg width. Rule of thumb for flares: make them as wide as your shoes. I wear a 8.5W / 9M/ 40EU.

My topstitching thread is Tex 80 available locally for me but also from Wawak.

Below are my flared pair. These were the first pair I sewed of this set and the crotch was CRAZY long as drafted. I actually took them apart — removing 1/2 inch from the length and they are still too long in the crotch.

I finally resolved the length by removing another 1/4 inch in the first pair shown at the top. But, here you can see the extra fabric the length gives.

I sew jeans with two machines. My Singer Featherweight does main construction and my Bernina 830 Record does topstitching. I love love love the top stitching and 1/4 inch foot for my Bernina. It makes such nice precise lines. I may even set up a third machine one day if I do two tone topstitching.

Whew. I planned on taking many photos of my construction process but had a series of camera issues. But, there are a million great resources online now for fitting jeans.

I am totally comfortable with the jeans making process. I’d like to make a pair of Morgan jeans this fall. And, a few more of these Jalie for the rotation. But, I am seriously considering a pants making class this year. I miss wearing pants and haven’t been successful in making a good fitting pair in many years.

*ETA: Jenny of Cashmerette reached out to me about what I thought was a mismatched yoke in the pattern draft. Nope. The pattern is fine. The mistake was mine.  Despite having measured and traced the pattern several times in two different sizes, I managed to insert the center back upside down during five different versions of the pattern  That made for the mismatched seam allowance that I noted in an earlier version of this post. I’m removing this post as it’s not an accurate review of the pattern or my alterations. The flipped pattern piece likely caused my fit problems in the back and this post should reflect sewn correctly garment.

My resulting top is the bomb diggity though, so I’m leaving a photo of it up until I get around to sewing this again.

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My first Grainline Studio project was the Linden Sweatshirt (unblogged) back in the spring. I was generally underwhelmed by it on me and questioned if a Grainline pattern could even work on my figure. So, imagine my shock and awe that the Grainline Farrow Dress is my fall favorite. Why would I go back a pattern line that I doubted? Well, I picked the Farrow Dress to teach a sewing class at a new studio in town (Domesticity). It has set in sleeves, facings and an optional lining. There are some good techniques and skills to teach. But, of course I needed to make it first and I’m glad I did.

I picked this turquoise and red wool from my stash. I love red, white and blue color combos. Especially this icy Scandinavian version. When I finished the dress though, I realized it was a little Supergirl and I am TOTALLY here for it.

Now, on to the garment!

Reviews I initially read said the sleeves were very narrow. And, when compared to my arm measurement there was less than one inch of ease for me in the size 16. I added an additional inch and was ready to go.

I also made a 3/4″ FBA to the size 16 pattern I measured into. I did not use the Grainline FBA alteration technique. Instead, I removed the skirt at the waistline, made my alterations, added a dart and took out the added width from the side seam. I never rotate my darts out btw. I have tatas and they need darts. I didn’t want anymore volume down the center front of the dress. But, I do think that modification would be great if you carried more weight in the middle. The dress does hang from my bust. But, I don’t have awkward drag lines. And, I don’t think it’s too tent-like from the front because it appears smooth without draglines. It is for sure not a formfitting dress.

I decided to add a lining that is on the bodice only as per the Grainline suggested draft for a lining.

I also lowered the neckline by around three inches because my neck is too short for a  jewel neckline which meant an small redraft of the facing.

If I were to make this again I would go down do a 14. The 16 just had way more ease than I wanted for my figure. I took this in at the side seams about 1.5″ from the bust down and even more tapering from the hip to hem.

I made no adjustments to length and made my hem with a blind hem stitch. I think the color blocking is great for showing off the interesting seam lines. And, it’s a great Thanksgiving and Christmas dress. It’s also nice to have something sleeved for work this winter.

There are really nicely integrated pockets on the Farrow. But, those pockets are also a fabric hog. I stabilized both my pockets and all the diagonal (and bias) seams by alternating between silk organza and seam binding. I was experimenting a bit since this was a class garment.

I’m going to be really blunt here. Originally, I was sure this dress wasn’t for me. Usually,  anything without a defined waist is gonna be a waste of my time. But, with my easy modifications for fit, it’s a really fun, interesting and comfortable work dress. I’m planning on making a short sleeve version in the summer from some yellow linen in my stash. And, I think I would really love a cream one too.

That said, it works really well on some figures. One of my students has a really straight figure and out of the envelope it was BRILLIANT on her. I suspect this is the ideal body type for this style pattern.

After teaching one class with this dress I actually nixed it from my lineup. It’s got such great details. But, the pockets alone take up a ton of table space and most of the first night of a two-night class. So, we’ll be making the Hadley Top from Grainline going forward. Review of that one coming soon.

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There have been a thousand and one reviews of this pattern gem.  It’s about to be a thousand and twoooo. You see, I finally got around to making the Jalie City Coat and I am 120% in love with it. 

I really needed a jacket for travel and to casually throw on in the fall season. Something waterproof and with a hood ideally for walking the dog or running to the store. The Jalie City Coat does all those things AND had extremely flattering and easy to adjust princess seams.

First, the pattern does call for a low stretch fabric. My soft-shell with merino wool backing from Fabricmart has stretch. But, I managed to cut it with the stretch going lengthwise vs horizontal. After a few panicked messages on the Jalie Facebook group, I was assured from others it would fit. And, it does!

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My other error made a longer lasting impact. My iron was WAY too hot when I applied interfacing to the front facing. It melted the facing, which caused it to shrink. I had to get ‘creative’ (read, made a mess) with the hem. Which caused some not so great pulling at the front and wonky hem. THIS DOES NOT ABATE MY LOVE OF THE JACKET.

Now, on to the good parts!

ALTERATIONS:

• Made a Size Z grading to a BB at the thigh.
• 1″ FBA on the princess seams
• 1″ swayback adjustment (I think I could do without or it was too much for the pattern)
• I did not make a full bicep adjustment and I wish I had. There is about 2″ of ease of me in the jacket. So, when I wear a sweatshirt, there’s no excess ease. A coat needs 4″ of ease. An unlined jacket 3″ of ease. But, I cut out the pattern before I thought about the arms. I don’t think the sleeves are slim. I have larger arms.

You’ll notice there’s some fabric drag around the pocket areas. I believe this is because I accidentally cut the fabric with the stretch going vertically instead of horizontally. So, it’s not as stable as it should be.

The jacket is drafted unlined. Which I welcomed because I wanted an easier project with less finishing. It also gave me a chance to use my new Brother CV3550 coverstitch machine. In fact, this project was basically my unboxing as it sat in storage while we moved for several months.

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For this jacket, I finished most of the seams with the coverstitch. It provided the topstitching a seam finish in one pass. Using the written directions I wasn’t able to finish the front princess seams in a way that made me happiest.

If I were to do it again I would:

1. Increase the SA on front and pocket seams to 5/8″ . Then, I’d be able to sew it as directed and go back and coverstitch for the topstitching. OR serge the front panels first and then topstitch. You could also add 1/4″ to the pocket seam and french seam them for a neater finish.
2. Make the side seams 1″ SA to allow letting out later on.

When I make this again I will:

1. add reflective tape at the yokes and lower arm seams
2. I’d add a little walking ease.
3. Serge the pockets or sew them as french seams, maybe bind the pockets?
4. Speaking of binding, I used my binder attachment on my coverstitch to finish the facings.

Interfacing is optional in the facings and I used it. I’m glad I did as I think it helps provide support for the buttonholes.

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Finally, hemming was also done on the coverstitch.

This whole project took a little longer than I’m used to with sewing. For those who aren’t on Instagram, we moved about two months ago. We haven’t sold our old house yet (more stressful than I anticipated) and I have unpacked the bare minimum for my current sewing room. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done in my sewing room starting with hardwired lights. But, that’s a big financial project and we haven’t sold our other house yet, lol.

I also started this project a few days before I had an easy, outpatient surgery to remove endometrial tissue from my abdomen/navel area.  I’d been extremely uncomfortable for six months (trouble standing upright, not being able to sleep on my side or my stomach, waking up from cramps and weird pains I can’t even describe, no waistband touching my midsection) and finally went to my doctor for an endometriosis diagnosis and scheduled surgery. I was told the recovery would be brief, “back on your feet in hours”. And I was in fact home and in bed for a week. I’m also off of strenuous, core exercises and weightlfitng until the new year for fear of causing a hernia. The point I wanted to make on endometrios is listen to your body and go to a doctor when something doesn’t feel right. I shouldn’t have waited five months. I had no clue it was that or that there were some treatment options available to me. I feel much much better now and am working to keep it under control. Whew. I wrote a lot more there than planned. Next post: just sewing . I made some red linen pants for our warm Thanksgiving mini break that I want to show you.

Making the Cashmerette Holyoke Dress was an easy decision for me. I was lucky enough to model the pattern envelope. When I tried it on the first time, I knew I had the fabric and the complete and total will to sew it up.

My fabric is a cotton lawn purchased on our trip to San Francisco in 2018. Because the fabric is see through, I underlined the bodice with cotton batiste  and lined the skirt with Bemberg rayon lining.

If you find that you need to line the skirt, I’d recommend sewing the lining first, attaching it to the front facing. You’ll need to remove that 1.5″ or so of facing from your lining. It went smoothly and give the skirt a wonderful structure while keeping it airy. I did choose to omit the pockets.

I sewed a size 14 E/F which corresponds to my bust measurements and graded to a 16 at the hip. I did need to shorten the straps about 1/2″ to help with bra coverage and shoulder strap slipping. There’s also ZERO bust gaping.

Jenny, the owner of Cashmerette has another winner on her hands.

I’ve made the speedy Rachel Dress from Jalie Patterns twice in the last month. The first animal print version was for a wedding and to test the pattern. The second star print version was for another wedding a few weeks later. Yo. We had eight weddings this year. Two for my friends (second marriages) and six for Jordan. I love love, but am all tapped out. We have two on the calendar for next year, but given the 14 weddings the last two years, I have a feeling we’ll be at a lot of baby stuff in 2020 .

Between the tester and final version, Team Jalie added a bit more width in the hips, which I think is good. I normally skip right on past a slim fit knit skirt. I mad a size BB I based my size on my full bust of 43″. The BB was a 44″ bust,  and I erred on bigger than smaller. I did not make a FBA. It’s fine, I think I might size down the bodice next time and make a FBA, the shoulders are just a wee bit wide on me and I would like to take away that fold above my bust.

For my second star print version, I did lower the neckline, a swayback (absolutely necessary here), make a full seat adjustment and added a bit to the thighs (graded to my thigh measurement). The extra space in the thighs isn’t necessary with the full seat adjustment. Since it’s a knit, it’s not egregious, but I might go back and slim the skirt a hair.

I chose the waist ties for the second version because the fabric really needed a visual break. Without the ties, I looked like I was wearing a leotard for the US Gymnastics team.

I’m gonna stick the landing! This is pre waist tie and neckband, leaving me looking like a junior gymnast.

The fabric for the star print is an engineered print from Issa London. I had to take my time with careful print placement. I wanted to keep the brighter stars near my face and the darker navy on black toward my bottom.

The front of dress is all one piece with a funky looking pattern. This design will result in a bit of drape and bias in the skirt.

Because of this bias, I really recommend letting the skirt hang overnight or two before hemming. On my animal print version, I had to recruit a friend to help me trim the hem even.

Overall I am thrilled with the ease and speed of this dress. The style is also excellent. There are so many options for dresses and tops, making this pattern a real winner.

A few years ago on vacation in Ottawa, I was wearing this VERY cute rain jacket I’d made. It started pouring rain and I told my husband I’d need to buy a rain jacket for the rest of our trip. He said, “Just pull up your hood.” Me: That’s not a hood. It’s just an enormous collar.

Never have I seen such a derisive look. It’s FASHION!

Anywho, in the ensuing years, it’s been very clear to me that I need a rain jacket with a hood. Enter the 2014 Burdstyle. I was always interested in making this beauty, but just needed the right fabric. I picked up this Resort 2015 DKNY “leathertex”  for $5 a yard while in Dallas in 2018. The fabric is 20% polyurethane on one side and 80% cotton on the other. I have to warn you though, it’s totes not breathable. But, for what I need it for, it’s more than fine. I plan to wear this to walk my dog Linus and run errands. I won’t be camping in it! Now, I did make one big mistake sewing the poncho. I’ll try my best to explain, so please feel free to ask me any questions if it isn’t clear.

The lining is the exact same pattern piece as the front. You do not need to remove or allow for a seam allowance to attach facings. The facings (front and sleeve) are attached to the lining ON TOP of the lining fabric. They are not seamed together as you might see in RTW. In fact, they are sewn on top of the lining and top stitched in place.

I didn’t realize this and traced / cut the lining, minus the facings. Because I did this, the lining is too narrow for the poncho by four inches. I’d already sewed everything in place, so to remove the lining and redo it meant leaving dozens of little holes in what I can best describe as a yellow plastic bag.

To move on from this, I decided to just let the lining hang free. This allows for enough ease of movement and the lining not to pull and tug at the garment. It is sometimes visible at the sleeve and inelegant. But, my jacket keeps me dry and it’s 85% okay.

Snaps: I had them set locally here in Baltimore by a place called Sew Lab. They charged $20 (I think too high by half). But, they are set very well and made me consider black which I hadn’t before. The only qualm is it’s taken a few opening and closing for them to work easily.

Zipper: I used instructions from the Reader’s Digest Guide to Sewing. I have a bad habit of leaving a bit too much fabric available for the zipper teeth to catch.

Toggles: The pattern calls for rope in the bottom casing. I actually used a stretch nylon / elastic with toggles from my stash. I LOVE this. I can cinch the bottom of the poncho for shaping, but the elastic gives plenty of ease for movement. 10 / 10 would recommend.

Hood: I changed the hood interfacing a bit by adding several more layers at the brim. For the interfacing, I went with a fusible buckram from Joann fabric. I also added it well past the line that Burda suggested for putting in interfacing. I wanted to make sure it would stand away from my face so water wouldn’t dribble down.

Reflective tape: I added reflective tape to the back to make myself visible. Our neighborhood isn’t well lit.

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I put off construction on my Burdstayle poncho for two weeks because I didn't feel like dealing with the pockets. After a few days of a little here and there, the hardest part of this jacket is over..⁠ .⁠ (1,2) The pockets are double welt pockets with a flap and I didn't even bother with the Burdastyle instructions. I used the Kenneth King ribbon technique for the welts, Singer Guide to Tailoring for the flaps and pocket bags.. ⁠ .⁠ (3,4,5)The pocket bags and lining are from an Ankara print in my stash. I'm not lining the hood in this non-silky cotton because it's not Black Lady Hair Friendly. The pocket bags are faced, so when I open the pocket, you see the garment fabric rather than the lining..⁠ .⁠ (6) I went a little nuts in the alterations for this jacket, possibly too much. I'm a wee bit afraid this will be too big after all my changes, but the shape is pretty easy to size down. I also forgot to interface one of the pocket flaps. Can you tell which one?.⁠ .⁠ ** Burdastyle 3/2014 #128.⁠ .⁠ Next: Actual rain cape construction. ⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ #isew #springshowers #sewingouterwear #rainwear #burdastyle #BurdaMag32014128

A post shared by Renee Samuels (@missceliespants) on Sep 6, 2019 at 6:29am PDT

Welt Pockets: I used the Kenneth King’s “Cool Couture” book to sew the pocket welts, and the “Readers Digest Guide to Sewing” for the reamaining construction. I’ve done a bit more detail in my Instagram post above. Using fabric like this, it’s very important to interface, interface and interface. The interface helps support the pocket so it won’t droop, but also provides stability since the fabric would tear if stressed too much. I really like the added pocket facing, it gives a nice clean finish.

Waterproofing: I used iron-on waterproofing seam tape on invisible seams. Where there was topstitching, I used tent repair waterproofing brush on sealant from the US outdoor store REI.

Voila! There you have it! I’m really happy with my poncho and have loved wearing it already. While my mistake stinks, I’m thrilled to still have a wearable garment that plugs a wardrobe hole. I really wanted a Stutterhem rainbow raincoat, but this should hold me off  hold me off for at least five years.

Also, look! I have a deck! I’ve gone on this deck like five times in the last year. I’m not an outdoors / sit outside and read person and we don’t have deck furniture. We got our house  “softwashed” and without the green and black gunk on the brick and deck, turns out it’s quite a nice little spot for taking photos outdoors.

Earlier this year in the deepest throes of a Baltimore winter and a fairly empty new home,  I whipped up two versions of the StyleArc Carlsson Sweater. Due to extreme laziness, I never posted them on my blog. I’m sharing today because they are in the color ranges I posted about earlier this week, and because if my blog is a record of my sewing, I should post, right? (Also means I have like four more things I need to get on here).

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Second and favorite Carlsson Sweater! I'm not usually a neutrals person. But, these camel, brown and beige wool jerseys look like caramel to me (Could take or leave chocolate, mostly leave. But, caramel? Would dive into a vat of it).⁣ ⁣ I sewed a size 14 based on my upper bust measurement. The ease of the pattern could generally accommodate my bust, hips and butt. If you're a smaller lady, you may want to size down. This has a boxy fit, which I like for it. Normally I'd go up to a 16 at the hip and 18 at the thigh. I made no other alterations! There is no side seam, so I didn't feel like futzing with it for my usual FBA, swayback, full seat adjustments. And a dropped shoulder is never gonna be wrinkle free.⁣ ⁣ I LOVE these tops in a thicker knit. My test version was in a lightweight ponte and it doesn't hold up. But, with the wool jersey, it has body and the color blocking provides visual interest.⁣ ⁣ Since my top loading washing machine from the early 90s likes to eat fabric, I'll be handwashing these. A few of you have asked where to buy wool jersey. I buy it whenever I see it on sale. It's a pricey fabric for sure. These are all maybe 10 years old from @afabricplace in Baltimore. I also find it @fabricmart, @SRHarrisfabric in Minneapolis, Jomar in Philadelphia and full price at Mood Fabrics in New York.⁣ ⁣ Finally, where am I going to take photos when we get living room furniture? ⁣ ⁣ #CarlssonSweater #StyleArc @stylearc

A post shared by Renee Samuels (@missceliespants) on Feb 21, 2019 at 6:34am PST

The good news about this pattern is it is VERY forgiving in size. I made a size 14 using my upper bust measurement. There is enough ease in the garment with a boxy fit, that I didn’t need a FBA and was disinclined to grade out for my hips (I should be a 16/18 there). Now having worn it for almost a year, I might back a full seat adjustment JUST to get the slouch as originally intended in the garment.

I love the browns and tans of my second version above. I feel very stylish and put together in it. The first version feels a bit more casual with the gray and yellow, but the color combo is marvelous. The fanciest person I know always compliments me when I wear the yellow version too. I’d add that this likely started me on my ‘wear more yellow path’ as I think of it as a summer color, and here I am bopping along with it in the dead of winter.

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Safe to say that wool jersey is my favorite fabric (silk jersey a close second). I've used it here in this Carlsson Sweater from @stylearc I sewed a straight size 14 (normally would grade up to 18 for hip/thigh). The pattern has a lot of ease so no grading necessary. I made zero alterations here. And thanks to @michaelhenny for pointing out similarities to a Star Trek uniform. I'm totally here for that too #carlssonsweater #stylearcpatterns #wooljersey

A post shared by Renee Samuels (@missceliespants) on Feb 17, 2019 at 4:48pm PST

I did make a green muslin version and I realized I DESPISED that color on me. IMHO, this garment also just works best when it’s colorblocked.  In a solid, it’s just kind of blah.

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Let's talk about 'house clothes'. I don't know if this is a Carribbean thing or a southern thing. But, growing up we had a few sets of clothes. School clothes, church clothes, house clothes (and house clothes aren't pajamas). House clothes were items you wore at home. You didn't wear them to play in outside, because those got dirty and worn out. They weren't quite school clothes, because you took those off as soon as you got home and put on house clothes. This is my muslin of the @stylearc Carlsson Sweater. I made it from a lime green ponte in my stash. This isn't my color, too bright for my personal taste, so it was ideal for a muslin which I can later wear around the house. I muslined the Carlsson because the 14 (based on my upper bust) had 6" of ease at the full bust and 4" at the hip. Normally I'd grade up to a 16 or 18 at the thigh. Even when garments have enough ease, I still tend to do an FBA because I am a rule follower and despise drag lines. Anywho, I didn't make any of my usual alterations (swayback, narrow shoulder, full seat) so I could see if they were needed. Seems no! And I'm okay with a test run garment I can still get use out of. Also, it helped me see that this works better with color or texture blocking to show off the style lines. So my next version will do just that. Back to house clothes. I'm not a 'fixer' of garments after I've made them. I'd rather just start over and do it right. I also try not to just throw things out. If it's wearable, they become house clothes. If they are impractical for the house, I give them to friends. This absolutely comes from a place of privilege. I have friends and I have enough fabric that they are often not precious. Plus, it's my hobby so I also enjoy the making. Ok! Next two versions are in process. #carlssonsweater

A post shared by Renee Samuels (@missceliespants) on Feb 13, 2019 at 6:19am PST

Ok! What’s next to catch up on? I never did post the bomber jacket I made for Jordan last winter. Or the sweater I knit for him. Or my two sets of summer pajamas. Will I? Who’s to say? But, it would make an annual wrap up much easier, wouldn’t it?

Back in June, I decided I was tired of my ratty pajama pants and Jordan was tired of me borrowing his flannel pairs (in my defense, I did sew them for him) and it was time for me to make some things to sleep in.

Up first was this rather old school nightshirt. The monogram is from an Etsy seller and iron on. All I need is an oil lamp and a stocking cap!

Pattern changes: I sewed a size 42/44 which corresponds to my upper bust measurement. From there, I made a dartless FBA. To grade up the hip / thigh area into the 48/50 range I needed, I decided to just make a ‘wide hip’ adjustment by slicing up the center and across the waist. From there, I pulled out the lower side seam segment 3cm on the front and back. Et Voila: It’s big enough for me.

I found / find the neck collar stood pretty far away from my body. So, for the next sleep set, I made a high rounded back alteration. This gave me more length over my upper back and didn’t leave me feeling like I was choking.

I’ve now been wearing these about six months, so please excuse the stains (hair or food oil I’m thinking) and general wear. I have to say that an even larger rounded / full back alteration is needed. You can see above how it’s just pulling up my back and in some photos, across my sternup.

I ended up releasing the stitching up the center back to try and provide more ease. I need to rethink this top before I sew it a third time. The biceps in Burda have always been narrow for me. The 44 bicep is a 12.25″ and mine measures 15″. But, the dropped sleeve necessitates more room in bicep pattern draft, so I left it as is after a pin fit. I think it has about 1.5″ of ease for me, but would be more comfortable for sleeping with 3″. Sleep Set:

Our new home temps are wild and I’ve been waking up a little warm in the summer (we needed to replace the ceiling fan and do some other mods that better regulate the household temps). I wanted a pair of shorts for the summer, but a nicer top too. Sometimes I just stay in my pajamas and wanted to look a little bit cute.

My shorts are a straight size 50. It’s maybe one size bigger than I needed, but I didn’t’ want the shorts to be constricting. For my second version, I would size down to a 44 which matches my waist, then do a full seat adjustment. What I found for the 50 is that it fit, but the ease was at the side seams and I needed it at the back. I also *think* the Plus patterns have more ease from Burdastyle.

For the top, I used the same shirt pattern as above, but with the high rounded back alteration.

If you are thinking about making this, I might just go ahead with the Plus version of the sleep shirt (1/2017 #122) and make some changes to that. The Plus version is nice because it already has darts, I just didn’t feel like sewing a notched collar.

And does one REALLY need darts in sleepwear? I’d argue no. I don’t sleep in a bra and without one, I measure just fine. But, if we have company, I’m going to have on a bra, and wanted to make sure it would button with one on.

I bought the Alcott Dress from Cashmerette almost as soon as it came out. Wrap top, flutter sleeves and defined fitted waist? ALL THE THINGS I LOVE (and have defined as ‘my style’ during my Curated Closet exercise). This is actually my second version of the Alcott, the first being a navy blue silk jersey that I haven’t taken nice photos of yet.

I made this star print version of the Alcott Dress to wear to my dad’s surprise 75th birthday party in Florida and to DC Frocktails (coming up this weekend).

The fabric on this is silk jersey which is in my top three cannon of favorite fabrics (wool jersey and cotton-silk blends are fighting it out with silk jersey).  I can’t quite identify the name of this print, but it’s a common motif in Ankara / African wax prints. I bought it at Mood Fabrics in New York about six years ago. Silk does show everythaang, so I did line the skirt in black knit tricot to smooth things out a bit.

The nice thing about Cashmerette for me is that I know what my changes to the patterns are (bicep width, straightening the hip curve, small swayback and full seat adjustment). For this version, the flutter sleeves negated more width in the sleeve, the skirt is super flowy so the hip curve wouldn’t show. My first version fits well enough, but for the second version, I made a swayback adjustment and a full seat adjustment. The full seat adjustment added more flutter to the skirt, so it’s especially swishy.

This is also more cleavage than I’m usually comfortable having out on display.  That’s ME not the dress. I’m wearing a very pushupy bra and have pulled the wrap bodice a bit below my bust to allow for more depth, and some cleave. It’s easy enough to pull it back and cover up more when I need this dress to for a professional event.

There are a few things I would change in the dress construction. I think the neckline must be understitched to prevent flipping out. I would also tack down the empire waist elastic at the side seams as it has a tendency to twist a bit when pulling the dress off and on.

I wouldn’t normally think I could wear brown, especially one this warm (is that right? I think it’s warm??) but it’s different enough from my skin tone and provides a nice contrast with the teal stars. The navy blue stars keep it in my narrow color palette, so it will work with other items I’m making.

For sure, this one is a staple for me.

I’ve gotten a lot of wear out of my Style Arc Besharl Jacket I sewed back in February. I was looking for a casual topper in my size to mimic the looks ofJasika’s elegant green Artemis Jacket. This pattern was doubly influenced by Jasika. She gifted me this material from her color palette clean out. It’s perfect for me!

I made this one up in a size 16, graded the hips out by 4″/ two sizes and added length at center front for a bit of a FBA as I didn’t want the center front riding up. I also had a thought of wanting to wear it belted closed, and for that I needed to make sure the center front met easily.

Construction was extremely straightforward, I made most on my serger since it was a last-minute vacation sew back in February.  My only complaint is the pockets. They are too far back to really stick your hands in. I’d do welt pockets closer to the front if I make this again. For the pockets, I used knit tricot as my pocket bag so they are nice and lightweight and don’t pull the garment out of shape.⁠

⁠
Styling thoughts / Curated Closet:⁠
I want to be person who wears separates so there’s more mileage out of my wardrobe. This jacket works for dress up and down. For my build, I’m at my best in this when the garment underneath is a more figure-hugging and visually ends at my waist, otherwise it totally converts my figure 8 body into a rectangle. My husband is the first to call something ‘boxy’ on me, but told me I looked cute when I wore this to dinner — when we still went out for dinner, lol.

I can see myself making this over and over, just gonna skip the pockets altogether or make welt pockets closer to the front hip vs side seam.

Hello good people. I decided at the beginning of Covid-19 lockdown I would sew all the things and work on a summer wardrobe, starting with this rainbow happy caftan. I in fact only sewed this caftan, 100+ masks and one bralette. Womp womp. June was Pride Month in the United States and it felt like the right time to show off this caftan a bit, while living out all my Punky Brewster, Rainbow Brite and Lisa Frank dreams. Yet, here I am in August finally getting around to posting. Sigh.

I was inspired to use this Milly rainbow print after seeing a Mr. Turk’s “Hurley Caftan” in 2019. When I send my brother in law a photo of my finished garment, he asked if it was to officiate a same-sex wedding. This time, it is not!

I don’t recall who, but someone on Instagram DM’d me when the fabric was up at Fabricmart and I have rarely bought fabric so fast! I even paid full price. Worth it, because it sold out that same day.

Now, about the caftan and pattern. As you (but not me) can clearly see from the fashion photo, the caftan has longer arms. Since the pattern is basically a rectangle with elastic at the waist, I found my sleeves continually caught on things like our banisters.

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WFH caftan is a go. Burdastyle 4/2015 #130 in a Milly print from @fabricmart It came out just as I wanted. . If I ever put on makeup again, will post photos of it on me. . . . . . .@burda_style #burdastylemag #burdastyle #caftan #kaftan #burdaplus #burdamoden #wfhcaftan #rainbow #wfhfits #coronaviruscaftan

A post shared by Renee Miss Celie's Pants (@missceliespants) on Mar 27, 2020 at 3:00pm PDT

The editorial photo also shows a very drapey material. While I’m happy with my lightweight but crisp shirting fabric choice, it lent itself to “flanges” around my waist and hip. If I’m already gonna wear five yards of fabric, I’d like it to be a bit more streamlined.

After a few months of wearing it around the house, I decided to narrow the side seams by 4″ on each side. Taking out 8″ total in width. I initially planned to narrow it even more, but that would have cut into the rainbow design at the sides. My change to the garment shortened the sleeves, making them less likely to get caught on things and took some excess fabric out of the flanges.

The second change I made was to shorten the hem by several inches. It was so long that I risked stepping on the hem, especially taking stairs.

The original pattern also has a lace-up neckline. I skipped the tie because I was lazy. I didn’t have loop tape and I didn’t feel like making tiny bias tubes. While I like the deep V and think it’s necessary for balance in this garment, it’s wide at the very bottom and gaps a bit. If I stumble upon some nice sew on loop tap, I will add it.

I’m not very experienced with the Burdastyle plus. I’ve made two or three patterns from them and I think they might have too much ease for how I like to wear my clothes. I chose a pattern size based on my high bust, and I could have easily gone down a size or two, and possibly avoided the initial church choir robe vibes.

I needed a gray tank top to wear with a new skirt I completed. Deep in my stash I recovered several cuts of silk charmeuse. I’d bought these over the years with the idea of little silk camis. I never sewed them. In part because I no longer needed silk camis to wear under suits, but also I was terrified of sewing with slippery fabric. And by terrified, I just could not be bothered. I hate cutting out slippery things — maybe because I’m a slipshod cutter to begin with.

But, we’re in a pandemic and I have a pandemic budget, so use this  warm gray silk I would. I chose the Springfield  from Cashmerette Patterns because I’ve had great luck with them. I just wanted a narrower neckline and to try a gentle Vee- neck.

To make working with the fabric easier, I did a cornstarch bath. I know there is sizing and commercial stiffener available. But, my mom had always made clothing/ ironing starch at home with cornstarch. She also used a milky cornstarch bath to stiffen the crochet doilies and baskets she had around the house. Plus, I have plenty of it on hand.

Recipe: I winged it. But, if I had to guess, I used about 1/4 cup to four quarts of water. I would cut the amount of starch in half next time. I brought it to a milky boil on the stove and tossed in my silk. Once saturated, I removed it (tongs and silicone oven mitts) and laid it flat to dry outside on the deck. It’s a little messy and the starch acts like a glue as it dries. But, it left my fabric crisp like paper with zero problems cutting out. I was very worried and conscious about keeping it as flat and on grain as possible. I’ve since learned that people do this same thing with gelatin. I actually tried to buy gelatin this week after hearing this. But, it appears a victim of Covid-19 supply chains.

To accommodate the vee-neck, I knew I couldn’t do the narrow bias facing from the pattern. I drafted an all-in-one facing going 4″ down in the back, 1.5″ along the sides and 2″ in the front. I also did some trimming in areas to narrow the facing and pull the fashion fabric under a bit and prevent showing. Next time, I would bring the back facing down to meet the back yoke for neatness and make the side facings 2.25″ so they are wider. I also learned from Lisette on Instagram that a nice technique to finish the facing neatly in a book about blouses I own, so I’ll try that too.

Hem is a narrow 1/4″ turned hem. Oh, I sewed the 16 C/D for my 44″ full bust. I definitely need to lower the darts. I also think there isn’t enough cup room for me. I think I’ll go back to my 14 and increase the cup from my old E/F to a G/H.  At the bust, I can see the side seams pulling and the back looks snug. I have a 14 G/H Montrose top in my closet that doesn’t do that. I could also try 16 with an E/F cup. Sounds like I have a few muslins in my future.

After sewing and hemming, I washed the top in a garment bag, cold water, gentle cycle in my toploader. To press, I used a press cloth and thick paper on overlapping seams and just tried not to overwork the fabric.

Other than cutting out, the real benefit of working with this stiffer material is it just doesn’t get away from you. I wasn’t as worried about stretching out seams and bias edges.

And there you have it, how I worked with a potentially slippery material and modified the Springfield Tank. Next up, the Vogue skirt I made this to go with. Spoiler…. it doesn’t really go with the skirt. But, it will be a great top for under work jackets — if we ever go back into an office.

Pants are Burdastyle 4/2011 #139 . Aaaaand thanks to my girl Liz for photos.

Vogue 1683 is from the Spring ’20 collection. I can’t recall the last time I sewed a Big Four pattern within the year it was released. I know there are many haters of a high low hem, but I could wear them all day.

I was drawn to the overskirt of this pattern because I felt it would help balance out my bust when worn with a slim fit top. The red plaid cotton was in my stash, but not enough for more than the front.

The remainder of the skirt was sewn with a dense double weave Ralph Lauren stretch suiting from Fabricmart. While I like the stretch and density of the skirt fabric for a pencil skirt (smoothing, less bumps) it’s all just too dang heavy for what I envisioned as a breezy summer skirt. I should have gone for a wool crepe suiting, but couldn’t find any in March when I was desperate to sew this skirt.

Naturally, the pandemic with stay-at-home orders hit and I proceeded to sew ONE THOUSAND MASKS. Well, Ok. I sewed maybe 150. But, it felt like a thousand. What a sewing buzz kill! The good news about those masks is they funded two new pairs of Sven Clogs, so it was a fair trade off.

DETAILS:

The skirt is finished with twill tape at the waist. My skirt is very heavy and I’m grateful for the twill tape to totally stabilise any growth in the bias but waist of the overskirt.

The pencil skirt is faced and lined. The lining for the front is almost treated like an underlining first, before being attached to the back lining peices.

I think I would have preferred to use a thicker thread for topstitching the facing, making it more of a design feature. But, I sewed down the facing from the wrong side so I could use my topstitch foot for a close stitch. If I didn’t know how much I would hate it, I would even pickstich the front with topstitching thread by hand.

I did muslin this garment for fit. I started in the size 20 of the skirt. Funny, when I was a straight size 12 in sewing patterns, I thought the size range was fine. Now that I’m in the top of the size range, I wish it went up at least four more sizes.

• I needed to make a full seat adjustment on the back skirt.
• I graded out the overskirt pieces
• Grading the front skirt pieces at the waist
• Grading the facings to match
• Shortened the front overskirt drape at the hem by 3″. I’m 5’6″ and the hem grazed the floor.
• Now, after all this, I took the skirt in my inches at the waist. I’m not sure if those were my changes or because it’s mostly bias and simply grew.

To note:

• Twill tape waist finish is 1/2″. Would use 3/4″ to 1″ next time. Might also suggest using grosgrain ribbon instead.
• Would make french seams on overskirt since they end up being visible. Consider using fabric that is the same on front and back
• Hem facings take a lot of care to attach smoothly
• Grade seams like hell.
• Use a lightweight fabric
• If waist to hip ratio is high, use a longer zipper. I have to shimmy myself into this.

The only thing that troubles me about this skirt is that I sort of have no place to wear it!  It felt strange to sew a skirt that I couldn’t see myself wearing for at least a year. The skirt is too much to wear to work. It’s the kind of thing I would wear out to dinner or to the theater. Neither of those things will be happening for some time. So, why work on the skirt that embodied how little control I had over what happened next?  Lastly, it’s too heavy for summer. At least it’s waiting for me when I have someplace to go again.

This is the skirt I made my silk Cashmerette Springfield to go with. It’s too blousy and not quite the right shade. Together, I look a bit shortwaisted. I want to try something knit and blue, red or a cooler grey next.

Thanks again to my friend Liz for the photos. We’ve kind of worked out that she’ll take my pictures for a while (we’re in front of her adorable rowhouse). It goes a million times faster with help. I have five more garments to share from the last few weeks. And thanks to her, I’ll be able to!