Fashionable Embroidery Jonathan Saunders

Here's something we don't see everyday.  If I saw this fabric on a roll, I would walk right past it, thinking it was high end home dec fabric.  The red dress is a show stopper, and the skirt is growing on me.  So has he changed your mind?  Are we all going to run out and buy embroidered fabric?  Or will you be whipping up some yardage on your new Pfaff Creative Performance?

Embroidered wool

Embroidered organza

Jonathan Saunders Fall 2012

Singer 500 Rocketeer monogrammer small letters Satin stitch

The Singer Rocketeer came with a monogrammer and cams.  I had tested these before and made some very cute little letters about 3/8" high.  I had misplaced the manual this time around and since I only use it for buttonholes it took me some time to figure out how to set the machine.

These are notes for myself in case I lose the manual and it takes me 2 hours to set the Rocketeer correctly.

You are welcome to them, if it will save you time, as this machine's settings are not as straight forward as the newer machines.

Set the machine to zig zag (selection BL), and the stitch width to 2 1/2

Set the machine stitch length to FINE

Unlock the stitch density and push the lever all the way towards the back and lock.

If the fabric does not advance, unlock and pull the lever forward a smidge and lock.

Voila the satin stitch monogram

Ooops I forgot about this skirt

Doesn't this look like something from the Easter Islands?


This is Simplicity 1783 with adjustments.

Added walking ease, longer zipper opening (and facings), and longer length.

I didn't need as much length as I cut, but wanted options and a deeper hem for this version.

I also added a welt pocket with buttoned flap , and lining.
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This fabric was a remnant from 2 other projects, and I was left with less than a handful of scrap that's headed for the scrap pouf. It's very gratifying to use every bit of fabric, a little like finishing a pencil.  I also forgot it is the worst fabric for wrinkling I've ever worked with, but I like the neutral color.

Vogue 1252 - Finally the dreaded zipper

After more hand finished details and some more tweaking, I am very happy with the way this has turned out.  It looks better on the body than the dress form.

THE ZIPPER

This is zipper number 2....

It turns out that Joann's does not carry a 25" zipper, so I had to make due with a 22".  After hand picking the  zipper into the back, I really did not like the way it looked.  Let's overlook the basting stitches, the ruching actually pulls away from the center back exposing more of the zipper, and that does not look good.

Now the pattern instructions call for sewing in the zipper 1/8" from the edge of the center back, which means over the ruching.  This fabric is so soft, I had no confidence that it was going to feed properly and I wouldn't be faced with picking out all of the stitching later, and maybe even leaving holes in the fabric, so I decided that this might be the way to go.  Something to take the pressure off of those points that were the most bulky and pulled away the most from the center back.

This didn't look too bad, but I found it was nearly impossible to get those hooks latched on my own once I was in the dress......and then there was that gap at the top .... grrr.

 The pattern just calls for a 20" zipper, it didn't specify invisible, so after much pondering, I tried to slip the dress on with the zipper closed.  So another hour and the zipper was eliminated altogether.  It's a little tight around the elastic waist, but I think it looks much better.

Next.... is an OOP Givenchy jacket, let's hope the muslin doesn't get in the way of my making it.

Vogue 1252 - Thwarted again

With 7 minutes to go, I had thought I would finish it today but it wasn't to be.

This is one of those dresses that you can't tell how it's going to turn out until you are finished.

I managed to drape the dress pieces on the form, just to give me an idea of how it was going,

I started with the mesh lining, and that looked ok, then layered the different pieces on the form as they were completed.

What was first apparent is that the bodice piece was going to be too wide.  I wanted the ruching on the midriff to be tight.

So I trimmed off a wedge at the waist  side seam to tighten things up a bit.

Then discovered, the mesh they recommend had too much stretch, so I recut another front and back bodice piece in tricot.  You need something with lengthwise stability.  Further down the road, the ruching will be tacked onto the lining piece.

Here's where we are, I can't move further because the zipper length on the envelope says 20", and what is really required is 3.5" longer, so back to the store tomorrow.

The 20" zipper is basted in here.  Hems, hook and eye, zipper and tacking is all that is left to complete this project.

If you are thinking of making this dress, make sure and find a very thin fabric.  The area around the neckline will be 8 layers deep and quite thick.  Hopefully we'll be finished this week.

Vogue 1252 - Soft teal drape dress

It's been a year since I purchased this pattern (seems like yesterday).

It's sitting on the fabric purchased specifically for this project, loved the drape and weight but not so crazy about the color.  Then you'll remember I changed it.

Really a big improvement.

Funny how a little thing like color can derail a project with so much potential.

So let me tell you about this dress, I saw a woman wearing the designer original and it was very cute.
I was wondering how closely the pattern actually matched the original (we shall see).

Today was spent marking the fabric and reading the instructions, and separating fabric pieces.
There are a lot of pieces to this dress, and it's lined so double the number.  It's a project that had you had to pay attention to layout, a few key pieces that are cut once, and some pieces cut once from fabric, and twice in lining.

It was cut out at the beginning of the month, and I'm very happy that I kept the pattern pieces with the fabric.
Here's some progress on the dress, more tomorrow.

Evaluating September Sewing Versatility - Silhouette first

Happy to have found the mojo and at just over the two week mark for September I've made a few wearable pieces.  Now, before I make more separate pieces, let's look at what we have so far, and how many combinations of sewn garments and existing pieces I can make from these.

7 pieces - to be worn as follows

The skirt needs a fitted top to be worn tucked in, otherwise it's too bulky for me, so the pairing of the boatneck with the skirt is not going to happen in real life, no matter how cute it looked on the dressform.

The shirt can be worn with jeans and other pants in the closet, so it's the most versatile, however, I'll be saving the shirt to wear with the skirt.  They are made out of the same fabric, and I want them to wear evenly and not find out that through washing they no longer resemble each other.

Even though I think the skirt is limited,  this is how I'd like to dress everyday.  I like the silhouette, and the french cuffs are rolled up here, which is how I normally wear my shirts. This combination doesn't need anything else like a slip or cami to wear it.  I don't have to be careful about which undergarments I have on, so it's really simple to pull out of the closet and slip on.

The pants are really distinctive, so it has limited versatility.  The tops can be worn with jeans so they are more versatile.... however, now that I see how the navy top works with the pants, I'll be pairing it with the bottoms more often, and saving it for this combination.

The dress will be worn alone, but I would like to have another piece to wear over it, like a sheer knit shrug.

This skirt has been the most worn so far, and I can wear it with both boatneck t-shirts.  I know another impossibly dark photo of this skirt, trust me it's cute :)

So even though I've added to my wardrobe, I've actually limited my choices.  The sweater will now only be worn with the striped pants, the black shirt only with the black skirt.  At the end of the day, in practice, of the 7 pieces, we have 3 combinations (pants & sweater, dress, skirt & shirt), leaving 2 boatnecks and 1 navy skirt for combinations- so a total of 5 in this mini wardrobe.  Creating a wardrobe that works well together requires planning, and a strict adherence to silhouette. That's why when you plan a wardrobe you start with silhouette first.

McCalls 6571 Boat neck Palmer Pletsch again...

Had to make another to go with my striped pants, but the skirt was on the dressform and I think I'm channeling french casual here.  I just need to go out and buy a baguette and beret!  This is the proper boatneck neckline included in the pattern.  I really like how this is drafted, and have learned a little about not over fitting with this pattern.

Back

Side

As a display to show off a necklace.

Hide a Pocket in a Pleat

Here are the details on the pocket from Butterick 5756, which are hidden in the side seam pleat.  

This is what it looks like inside out.

Here are the pattern pieces for the body of the skirt, they are rectangular.  The round shaping achieved at the band is through the angles of the tucks at the waistline.

We have front and back pieces here with the side seams facing each other.

As you can see, there is a tuck that bridges the side seam front and back piece.

First you add the pockets to the front and back side seam.

You join the side seam as you would any other, about 2" down from the waistband, then from the bottom opening to the hem (see pins), then around the pocket pieces.

Then you open up the seam...

And sew in your tuck

The pocket sits within the fold of the tuck, out of view.

Sorry about the black projects, they are nearly impossible to photograph.

I will say that the nice thing about these pockets is that if you have something in them, the fullness in the skirt camouflages the contents.