Diamonds - Part VII - Plus a Few Comments on the Easter Dress

(keep reading for the Diamonds portion)

Thank you for all your compliments on my daughter's Easter dress and jewelry! She does love it, and feels very pretty wearing it! I strive to make sure she really, really likes something before I spend the time making it. I wasn't really sure about the whole thing, but she insisted she liked the fabric and even found the aqua satin for it. The only comment she had was that she didn't want to wear the crinoline to make it look like the pattern envelope. I think it would look better, but at the same time I'm sort of relieved I don't have to make a new crinoline as she's outgrown her other two!

Still Percolating on Diamonds . . .

I looked back over the posts and realized that I haven't worked on Diamonds in a month. Wow. I think it's had a rest and now I'm ready to get back to it!

For a quick review, I'm working with these two patterns. The dress will have a floor length straight skirt with no skirt drape. The jacket, the little red one, will be made of faux fur.

This is what we have so far for embellishment:

I've got some new ideas for the squares and sequins. How about alternating rows of squares and sequins? Maybe no sequins at all - keep it low key and just let the chiffon do the job? I'll do some mock up this week and see how they turn out. It's a hard balance to strike between elegance and tackiness!

I'm still on the hunt for blue square sequins . . .

Parting Shot: Today's shot is courtesy of my husband who took a walk with my daughter while I was out shopping for an Easter outfit for my son. This stone wall isn't on our property, but is on the same street I live on.

Tomorrow I will introduce my Easter dress. It's actually my second choice, unless by some miracle I get the first one done, too.

Presenting . . .

Vintage Simplicity 1633, the 9th Annual Easter Dress.

I am so glad I made a muslin for this one (see previous post), with her long torso and limbs the original would have never fit right! Let me explain a few of the details of the dress.

As with many vintage dresses, there is a side zipper. The side zipper is important to getting into the dress when there's no center front or center back opening. This pattern, like most, has the zipper starting about 2" to 3" below the armhole and continuing into the skirt where there is a placket formed before the skirt and bodice are joined. Below you'll see the instructions on how to make the faced placket. In children's wear, I find it easier to have the zipper start right at the armhole. My daughter finds it easier to get into the dress that way rather than doing her best Houdini impersonation every time she wears it.

I also put an invisible zipper into this dress. In order to do that, I needed to eliminate the placket and have a side seam in it's place. I did so by rotating the skirt to where there was a seam at the side bodice seam. This skirt is essentially 3 rectangles sewn together, gathered and attached to the bodice. Because it was gathered and the seams weren't going to be exactly at the center front or other points, it was easier to do this. You can't do this if there are pockets or other features that will get affected by shifting the skirt over. (I'll show you why this method doesn't work all the time when I post about my Easter dress.) Looking at the picture now, I should have used a beige zipper! Oh well!

The skirt band was not part of the original pattern, so I had to improvise. I did an entire underskirt of the aqua satin, cutting it 9" longer than the overskirt. I then did a deep 4 1/2" hem. This double fabric adds a little weight to the hem and which lends a bit a stability for the buttonholes. I did not interface the hem area, although I could have. The buttonholes are 1 3/4" long. I just enlarged the collar ribbon spacing to fit the width of the wider ribbon. My machine only makes automatic buttonholes up to 1 1/4". My machine does have a feature where you can custom make a buttonhole and the machine will remember the size and will make another each time you depress the foot pedal. I think there are 46 buttonholes around the bottom - I lost track after a while.

I was careful when cutting out the printed fabric to make sure that the motifs were centered front and back. With such a large print, I didn't want to have half a rose in a seamline somewhere.


No outfit would be complete without pretty jewelry, so I made her a really simple pair of earrings and a matching necklace:


Parting Shot: Today was really nice so the children went out to play for a while and my husband joined them. Guess who got to the football first?

PublishI almost have the muslin done for my Easter dress - I just need to tweak one more seam. Tomorrow, I'll stitch up the muslin for the wedding dress project and starting fix a formal dress for one of my students.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Another Vogue Couturier #191 came to eBay, and this time, I got it! Some of you may remember way back to September when I started American Beauty - this was part of the original inspiration for the gown and was to be the pattern. I lost the auction (having to bow out at $85.00 or so), and hadn't seen it on eBay since. At least until last week. I had to pay dearly for it, but it's mine now, in the right size *and* it comes with the original embroidered sew-in label that says "Vogue Couturier". The seller even posted a picture of the back of envelope which shows the back of the gown, which I've never seen. The back has a deep u-shaped neckline, almost backless, much deeper than mine, but is sort of what I expected. I also expected to possibly see a bow or something else, but since it wasn't shown on the front of the envelope, it makes sense that the back was plain.

Parting Shots: Today I got the red lizard shoes back from having the heel taps replaced. They're surprisingly comfortable, with the arch support just in the right place for me. I find the arch support in some heels lacking, but these are really nice. You can tell from the second picture that they look great with modern jeans, too.

I didn't finish the Easter dress today, so I apologize for not posting about it. I will finish it on the bus and post about it tomorrow. I did get the necklace and earrings done to match the dress.

Tonight I'm headed off to the studio to work on a muslin for my Easter dress! It's just the bodice only, as the skirt is one of those really huge full skirts. I don't think that will be a fitting problem!

Label Making

For my art garments, I make 2 different sort of labels. I really need to have some nice woven labels made for sewing in my regular garments, but I think I'll use one of these methods until then.

Method #1 - Pigma Micron Pen on Fabric.

Advantages: Ink is virtually permanent, with little fading after washing if heat set properly.

Disadvantages: Since the lettering is handwritten, if your handwriting isn't clear, your label won't be either.

How To: I use a Pigma Micron Pen with a .25mm line width made by the Sakura Co. of Japan. These pens are available at art supply stores and at places like Jo-Ann's in the quilting section. Many people like to sign their quilts with these pens. They're available in different colors, I prefer black.

I iron the fabric for the label - usually a scrap from the project to coordinate the label with the garment - to the shiny side of a piece of freezer paper. This stabilizes the fabric so that you can write on it without it shifting. I then write the text and add additional artwork if needed. I then peel off the freezer paper and iron the fabric on both sides with as hot of an iron as the fabric will take, with no steam, to set the ink. After that, I stitch the label to the fabric by applique methods.

Method #2: Printed fabric using a photocopier. This method is not new, as people have been putting images on fabric with photocopiers for years. Do be sure it's OK to run fabric through your copier of choice with the owner of the copier. Doing so may void the warranty.

Advantages: Lettering is perfect. Images can be created and artwork arranged via a computer before printing.

Disadvantages: Although the ink is heat set after printing, it tends to fade after washing. This method works well for garments that will be washed a lot or where the label can be easily replaced if needed.

How To: First, cut a piece of freezer paper to the exact dimensions of a sheet of paper, 8 1/2" x 11". Next, cut a piece of fabric slightly larger and iron the fabric to the shiny side of the freezer paper. Using a ruler and rotary cutter, trim the fabric edges to match the freezer paper exactly. Make sure there are no stray threads at the edges of the fabric - they could jam the copier. Below you can see the fabric and freezer paper separately and then after they've been ironed together.

Next, produce your desired image on your computer in a word processing or art program and print it out. You can see the image on my screen is the same as the paper in my printer tray. You don't have to flip or reverse the image for this type of printing. Just print it out.

Take your original and prepared fabric/paper to the copier and place the original in the machine as if you're going to make a copy on regular paper. Some light printing or fonts may benefit from making a paper copy with the copier set to make a darker copy. Place the fabric/paper in the by pass tray and make the copy:

The resulting image is now ready to be heat set and applied the same way as you would for the Micron pens.
Neither technique is difficult, but it's fun to play around with it. I haven't tried running organza through the copier, but that's something I might try some day.

Parting Shot: I was going through some photos the other day and discovered this one of my son. This was taken at the Boston Aquarium last year when we took a field trip there. Even though you only see his silhouette, it's one of my favorite shots from the trip.

When it rains, it pours. Not only do I have to finish a couple of Easter dresses, I just got two custom jobs in today as well. Add to that the wedding dress and Diamonds and it looks like I'll be busy for quite a while. At least I'll have stuff to post about . . . .

Easter Dress Update . . .

and other snippets.

First, thank you for your compliments on the vest. It was a little crazy getting it done, but it went out today and I'll wear it in the fashion show in about 2 weeks. One of these years, I really should make a garment in the style of Faberge and do it true justice with more planning and elaborate execution. As it is, I have enough ideas to carry me into 2008, so that idea will have to wait.

Second, Carolyn asked me about how I make my labels. I will give you all the details in tomorrow's post. I basically have two methods, neither too hard, but I'll show you both.

Third, my daughter's Easter dress is coming along nicely. It's almost finished. The two main things that need to be done are all the buttonholes in the hem (48 to be exact) and all the handstitching to stitch down all the bias bound facings along the neck and armholes.

Below is a sneak peak of the collar and hem. In the first picture, you can see a close-up of the collar and ribbon. In the second picture, you can see a mock up of the hem. I had to do a mock up to get the proportions right for a wider band and wider ribbon. Since this feature wasn't included in the original pattern, I took the proportions from the collar and enlarged them for the hem band. When in doubt, take the time to make a trial or muslin of what you're trying to do. It saves a lot of time, frustration and tears. Trust me, I've been there.

I'll post the final pictures of her in her dress on Thursday, along with some commentary on some construction changes I made to the original pattern, beyond the fitting changes I already posted.

Fourthly, I've had to make a slight change of plans, for my own Easter outfit. The dress I was planning to make is still going to be made, but I need another dress for the choir's Easter concert. The original dress, while beautiful, is a bit too much for a performance where the emphasis is on the music and words. I already have another dress ready to be made anyway, so I'm going to make that first and if I have time, I'll make the original dress. It is another vintage pattern - never used, too! I'll be posting about the new dress soon.

Lastly, I'm returning to working on Diamonds at the end of the week, and will finish that up sometime in April. I'll also be working on a wedding dress for a client through April.

Parting Shot: Daffodills! Well, not quite, but at we have a start:

Tonight I'm going to try to finish all those buttonholes. The machine is set up and has the right size memorized, the positions are all marked, so I just need to sit down and do them! Tomorrow it's more buswork and a bodice only muslin for me.

Waiting For Spring - Final Post

The Faberge Egg Vest

Once I'd finished the green side, I'd realized I'd made the Faberge Egg Vest. At first, I was horrified, but then it just seemed like a big joke on me, trying to make something beaded and elegant and then going just a little to far. I can laugh about it now, but check out these Faberge eggs (these are from the ones that Czar Nicholas II had made) and then check out the vest:

Here's the pink side:

Last, but not least, the label which I inserted into the side seam. One side has the title of the garment and date, the other side has my name and contact info. It's small, yet fairly unobstrusive.
What did I learn from this project? Let's see:

• Don't let your ideas go too wild.
  
• Make sure you have plenty of time to complete the project. I have to ship this out tomorrow!
• Don't bead all day - you'll end with a headache and really blurry vision.
• I can percolate and execute ideas rather quickly if I have to. I really should have allowed more time to think this one through, but it was a good challenge to work against a fast approaching deadline. I had some other ideas for the trellis that didn't work out, but maybe I'll use them for another project. Normally, I percolate ideas for months - I've had one brewing now for about 4 months for a project I won't start until this summer and complete by December (if things go ok!).

Parting Shot: My son out practicing his archery skills outside on Saturday. The weather was lovely then, and I haven't had time to post the picture yet. The bow was a present from my father, who is an excellent archer and wins competitions.

Tomorrow I'm working on my daughter's Easter dress. I might even complete it except for the handwork, but I'll post some pictures and details.

One more thing, remember the leopard dress? I wore it to school today and then went to the salon to have my haircut. My stylist loved the dress and said that I look like I should be in the city and not out in rural New Hampshire. She was just at a big hair show in NYC the previous week, so I took that as a compliment!

Waiting For Spring - #9

Bus Work

Or, how I actually get a lot of hand sewing, beadwork, knitting, etc. done. On the days I work, I have a 45 minute commute each way on a school bus. As a school bus chaperone, I get to make sure the students behave and keep the noise level down to a dull roar. For the most part, the children are fairly well behaved, leaving me with some nice blocks of time where I don't have to do anything but sit. Now you know I'm crazy - beading and sewing on a school bus?!? Here's how I do it:

First, I have my own seat. This works out fine unless my son wants to sit with me, and then there's not quite enough elbow room. Second, any project is usually in a plastic bag - only the small portion I'm actually working on is out of the bag, so that the project doesn't get dirty. I've been dragging projects places with me for years (buses, cars, trains, planes), so I really don't even think about it too much anymore. I took the American Beauty coat on the bus. I did draw the line at the white American Beauty dress, though. That was too risky for even me. Here I am on the bus, pictures courtesy of my son. These were taken while the bus was moving.

You can just see the white plastic bag at the top of the picture:

Third, all supplies are placed in ziplock bags, except for beads I'm actively working with. Those have a special container. Beads I'm actively working with go in either a plastic lid with a lip or a styrofoam bowl. That depends on the bead size. The reason for the lid or bowl is that they are deep enough to contain the beads during the usual bumps and lurches on the bus. In the picture below you can see the lid I'm working from - it's a small one as it's easier to take with me. I prefer plastics to glass for obvious reasons - breakage of a glass object on a bus is a major no-no.

Other than that, I've been blessed with the ability NOT to get carsick or airsick or motionsick at all.

Now that the beading is done, it's time for the last two items: a label and piping. I'll show you the label in the final post, as I didn't get that picture taken yet. These labels can get to be large because they must contain the name of the piece, and the maker's name, address, phone number and sometimes e-mail address. Usually I place labels somewhere inside, where depends on the garment and where I feel it should go. Since this is reversible, a label at the neckline center back or really anywhere else would look ridiculous. The side seam is partially hidden by the arm of the wearer, so that's where I placed it.

I will show you the piping, though. I had originally planned to make it so that there was single piping on the green side (in gold) and double piping on the pink side (in gold and pink). As I was playing with color arrangments, two things struck me: none of the gold colors I had matched well enough for me and just the bright pink piping would work for not only for the pink side, but also for the green side.

After making 5 or 6 yards of piping, I attached it to the green side. First, I hand basted it in place, right along the gold trim and then I stitched it in place on the machine. The seam allowances were turned to the inside and catch-stitched down. (Yes, that fuchsia silk really is that blinding in real life - I can't imagine anything larger than narrow piping made out of it.)

I then turned in (and clipped if needed) all the edges of the pink side and fell stitched the whole pink side to the green side by hand. Below is an armhole I'm working on. You can actually see both sides of the vest, the green in the background and the pink in the foreground.

Parting Shot: Yesterday, we thought it was spring. This morning we woke up to the scenes below. I had to snap these pictures pretty early, because I knew once the sun hit the trees, all the snow would disappear.

Today I got to work on my daughter's Easter dress. The bodice is coming along nicely and I'm working on finishing the buttonholes on the collar. I'm not sure if I'll have time to work on it tomorrow between work and ensemble practice tomorrow night.

Waiting For Spring's final post will be tomorrow - I'll post the final pictures and thoughts about the vest.

My Picks:

New McCall's and Simplicity and HotPatterns

In case you haven't noticed, McCall's, Simplicity and HotPatterns have put up some new patterns. Some of the "new" ones aren't so new. Either they're similar to what another company has already produced or they're something I can morph from two patterns I already own. In any case, here's what I liked and would consider buying from the new choices:

McCall's:

They have a new line by Hilary Duff for girls - most of them are really cute. My daughter liked this one of the lot #5420, they might work for some of her late summer/early fall school clothes. (I think I'm done with casual summer clothes for her!) :

For adults, I liked this dress #5379, and it would be perfect for Ann's new jersey offerings, particularly the silk jersey when it is offered:

Yes, I'm a sucker for pretty party dresses, and #5382 fits the bill. Never mind that I don't have too many occassions to wear them, but I like them anyway.

Number 5390 is a cute skirt - there are lots of neat things you could do with those contrast bands and pockets.

Made up in a lightweight sport fabric, #5393 would be fun and functional for working out. I have seen pants like these on websites that sell workout type clothing and I know I could make them cheaper and not have to hem them!

Simplicity:

It's probably been done before, but I like #3774 for the midriff band. As an hourglass/pear shape this works for me, while some of the billowy baby doll styles don't and I end up looking like a little dumpling (especially if the fabric is cream or tan colored!).

You know vintage is a big draw for me, so #3780 is something that immediately struck me.

For my neice #3810 is really cute, it doesn't come in size 2, but I could fix that easily!

For my daughter, #3813 is her choice - she really likes the cute little hoodie and the capri length cargo pants:

HotPatterns:

The two news one that hit me just right were these, the Geisha Girl Jacket and the Cha-Cha Dress:

Other than those, the rest of the collections weren't just "ok" for me or won't work with my body shape. Hopefully, Butterick and Vogue will post new patterns soon,too!

Parting Shot: My daughter happened to see this fuzzy little caterpiller today! Maybe spring has arrived!

I have finished the beading! Tonight I declare a "bead free night". Whew. If I have time tonight, I'm going to sew on my daughter's Easter dress. I might not have time, the kids want to make cookies, and how can I say "no"?