New Flooring ... No Sewing ... But A Bonus

Our house has been in disarray for the last few days, as we're getting ready to have new flooring installed. As I'm sure many of you know, you can't just embark on a home improvement project without tacking on a few others. As a result, the new flooring project led to a massive clean-up of the house and garage, numerous hauls to donation centers and a special pick up from our city garbage collector.

The good:
New maple floors that will be installed this week!

The bad:
My sewing machine and all of my associated "stuff" are all packed up and out of reach. I probably won't see them until next weekend.

The reward for this tremendous effort:
Our extra room is being converted into my sewing room! Yes! My stuff will have their own home --- no more sharing with the computer/printer/bookcases!

Creating Fashion From Balloons

For me, balloons mean birthday parties, twisty headpieces and grand opening celebrations. Balloons as fashion? Now that is definitely different.

Rie Hosokai of Daisy Balloon has created some stunning pieces --- all out of balloons. They aren't the most wearable, but they are definitely eye-catching and incredibly creative.

Image from here.

Image from here.

Knock Around the House Dress Based on Musubu B

Do you have a "knock around the house" dress?

During my trip to Hawaii last month, I visited Discount Fabric Warehouse, which is a nondescript storefront in an industrial part of Kailua-Kona.



Not much to look at on the outside, but inside, they had a huge selection of aloha-print fabrics --- they even had a floral print polar fleece! Unfortunately, I was so busy selecting fabrics to buy that I didn't get an interior photo! One of the fabrics I chose was this beautiful cotton print in blues and greens. I bought enough to make a little dress.



I used the Musubu B style master pattern as the base and made the following alterations:

1. Instead of the big bow in the front, I did not add the top loop and converted the bottom loop into two ties. Here's a photo of the original moulage that shows the loops.



2. I drafted a little stand-up collar to add a bit of polish to the dress.



3. I released all of the darts (except for the darts that were converted to the front gathers and the back shoulder darts) and added additional fullness to the lower part of the dress to create an A-line shape.

4. I added a placket to CF.



My husband prefers the dress belted, but I kind of like having something loose and comfortable --- perfect for knocking around the house ... or maybe the beach ... in Hawaii again!

Chanel at Paris Couture - How Inspiring

The Chanel designs recently presented at the Paris Couture shows are absolutely stunning --- and surprisingly wearable. I loved the silhouettes and the beautiful embroidered and beaded details. Here's a link to a slideshow of each of the styles and here's a link to a cool video of the actual runway show. All images below are from here.

Pattern Magic: Musubu B Style

I think I'm done with all things nautical for a while now. After working with four yards of nautical stripe fabric that turned into three projects and this tiny little pile of scraps --- plus two unused patch pockets --- I'm ready to move on to another challenge!



I love most of the designs in the two Pattern Magic books that I have in my library. I made the Quick Turn Dress using a design in Volume 2, which I think turned out well. From the first book, I tried the "Musubu B" style, which is this one.



I like dramatic details --- and this bow, which is front and center, certainly makes a statement!

The pattern work ended up being much easier than the Quick Turn style. The style features two loops that are tied together to form a bow at CF. One loop extends out of the front pattern piece, with the loop cut on a LW fold (fold is perpendicular to selvage) so the bodice ends up being cut on the bias. The second loop is created by a separate collar piece, with the loop cut on the fold. The second loop is slightly shorter than the first loop.

I started with my moulage front and made the following pattern changes:
1. Move the bodice darts to the armhole. For my sample, I only moved the shoulder dart and left the internal dart at the waist.
2. Draw a line at the bust point that is perpendicular to CF. Draw a parallel line that is 1 cm above this line. From this point and above, draw a line that is 2 cm in from CF (decrease the bodice width) and cut out.
3. From the cut out point, measure up 5 cm and mark. This will be the start of the neckline shaping. Draw a straight line from this mark up to the neck/shoulder intersection. To create a curved neckline, measure in 0.5 cm at the midpoint of the line and draw a concave curve. Measure this distance and record, as it will be needed for the collar piece.
4. Going back to the 5 cm edge at CF, divide this distance into thirds and mark. These marks will be used as a guide for the three dart transfers that will be needed. For the first dart transfer, measure in 2 cm from the shoulder/armhole edge and draw a curved line down. For the second dart transfer, draw a slightly curved line from the top of the armhole dart. For the third dart transfer, draw a straight line from the bust point to the bottom of the 5 cm edge.



From the 5 cm edge, cut each dart transfer line to but not through the opposite edge. Close the original darts. Place the bodice piece on a separate piece of paper and spread the cut pieces out evenly until the distance from cut edge to edge is 16 cm. Tape the cut pattern to the paper underneath to secure.

5. To create the tie extension, measure out two parallel lines that are at right angles to the top and bottom of the top part of the bodice. Each line should measure 32 cm. Connect the lines. From each parallel line, mark out 3 cm and draw new lines that extend back to the bodice from this new point down to 0. This creates a curved look for the tie. Mark the grainline on the tie (parallel to the lines that are extending out from the bodice) and mark the perpendicular line as a fold line (fabric will be cut on the fold here to create a loop).



6. From the bust point line and below, add a placket piece for the closure (I used a 1.5 in piece).

Using my back moulage:
1. Drop down 0.5 cm from CB/neckline and mark. From the neckline/shoulder edge, measure out 2 cm (away from CB) as a straight line (do not follow the shoulder line) and mark. This will be the new neckline/shoulder edge point. Draw a line connecting these two marks to create a new neckline. Measure this distance for the collar. True up the shoulder line.
2. I converted the two darts in my moulage into a princess seam line by connecting the darts and cutting out.



For the separate collar loop:
1. Fold the pattern paper in half so the fold extends along the top.
2. With the fold at the top, draw a LW line down 6 cm and mark the line as CB. From this line, draw two parallel lines at right angles that extend the same length as the back neckline (measured). Mark. Continue extending the two parallel lines to correspond with the length of the front neckline (measured). Mark. Continue extending the lines until the piece measures 43 cm total from the first mark. Draw a perpendicular line, extending down by 5 cm. From this point, draw a line that extends back to the first mark. Curve this line slightly by measuring in 0.5 cm at the midpoint of the line and drawing a concave curve that smooths into the first mark.
3. The far line (opposite from the CB line) will be cut on the fold, with the grainline perpendicular to that line.
4. Cut the pattern and unfold.

Here are images of the finished pattern pieces.

Front


Back


Collar


And here is the muslin. I ran out of regular muslin so I dug up this old batik fabric from my stash. It is kind of difficult to see the bow detail clearly with the print. My bow is a bit loose as well --- need to practice that!



Here's the front untied so you can see the two loops.



I'm not sure how I'll use this style --- perhaps a dress would be cute.

Nautical Stripe Strapless Tunic

There are wonderful versions of this top on Pattern Review from the September 2009 issue of Burda. I was inspired to make my own version using my remaining nautical stripe knit fabric.



I made a few changes to the design, the most significant being the elimination of the pleats below the bustline, as I didn't want any fullness. I read in the reviews that, with the base bodice pieces plus the folded draped pieces that cross in front and back, you end up with a lot of bulk, so the recommendation was to use a thin knit and to possibly eliminate the fold of the draped pieces (adding seam allowances instead). My nautical stripe fabric is pretty stable and substantial, so to cut down on the bulk, I removed the fold from the draped pieces and just hemmed them and I also removed the draped piece in the back, which left just the base bodice. I added rick rack trim to the front draped pieces as an accent.





There is a bodice lining as well. I didn't have a stretch lining fabric, so I just cut up an old J. Crew perfect fit t-shirt that has seen better days and used it as the lining. It worked well! The only problem I had was the elastic casing along the top of the bodice. I believe the casing is supposed to be made by sewing the lining to the seam allowance of the bodice, so the seam wouldn't show on the outside. I ended up sewing the lining to the bodice so the line of stitching shows on the correct side, but I think it is ok. In fact, I think it is more stable this way. I used a 0.25-inch wide elastic. I think a wider one may work better, as indicated by some of the reviewers.



Overall, this is an easy-to-sew and comfortable top that fits snugly around the bodice. The pattern is versatile and can be altered in a variety of ways, which makes it fun!

Nautical Stripe Jacket - Plus One or Maybe More

I love my navy- and white-striped knit fabric from Emma One Sock. I saw it on the site, loved it, and in the snap of my fingers, just went for it. Four yards of it. Which means I have enough yardage to keep me in nautical style for quite a while.

I definitely wanted to make a casual jacket, so I started with that.

Here's the completed Nautical Stripe Jacket from the Burda June 2009 issue. I think this is a really comfortable and casual jacket that I'll be able to wear year-round here in California.



I decided to go without the patch pockets (thank you to those who commented in my prior post about pockets or no pockets!) and used large snaps as the front closure (with big navy buttons sewn on top). I could have gone either way, even with the big buttons, but I think it is cleaner without the pockets.



I shortened the sleeves and added foldover cuffs for a different look. It is unlined so I finished the seams with either overlock stitch or bias binding using scrap organza. I also used a fusible interfacing for the collar, facings and hems, and stabilized the shoulder seams with stay tape.



This was one of the rare times I didn't make a muslin --- I just went for it. As a result, I had to make alterations along the way, which I then translated back to my paper pattern for future reference. The biggest adjustment was the shoulder seam line, which I ended up decreasing by about an inch.

After finishing the jacket, I still had a lot of yardage and my mind was in "knits" mode, so I continued on with this fabric and decided to make this vest/top from the September 2008 issue of Burda. I've had my eye on this style for a while and am glad I tried it.



This is a simple style, as there are no sleeves to set in. I think it looks best belted but I don't have the right belt yet. I managed to dig up a navy belt for the photo, but I think it needs something different. Thoughts?



Here it is unbelted.



I used a navy blue separating zipper for the front closure and interfaced the facings, collar and hems with fusible interfacing. I topstitched the seams, which gave it a clean finish.





The one problem I had with this pattern was that it called for the facing to be the same piece as the front. With the fabric I used, which is a thicker and more stable knit, the two layers, one of which I interfaced, made the fit too bulky in the front when zipped closed. I ended up narrowing the facings, which worked well.



I really like this vest/top, as it can be worn with just a tank top underneath or with a longer-sleeved knit during cooler weather. It is really comfortable to wear and I like the look. Now I just need the right belt!

I still have more yardage and I'm on a roll with it, so stay tuned!