Vogue 1183- Sexy Winter Suit Set

This is my pattern, Vogue 1183 for a fitted, lined dress with an interesting waist seam detail. I made it out of leftover beige wool from Mood, which I used for my cape and the same extra cape lining, a pale pink Bemberg rayon. 

I cut out a 6, which I really need to stop doing. My ass does NOT fit in a 6. It does not. So it's a little snug through the hips. The waist and top is fine. My V on the neck does NOT look like the lady on the envelope, but I lined up the marks where I was supposed to...

Close-up of the front. I forgot to put on makeup, but my skin looks so much better than Xmas, when I was having the breakout to top all breakouts. My mommy bought me one of those Clairisonic face scrubbers and poof, I no longer look like a troll!

 The back is nice. The zipper is a smidge darker than the fabric, but it was the only one I had that was long enough. Oh well, I can live with it!

 From the side:

Now, it makes the perfect outfit with my cape. It's like sexy, retro business lady off to be important in my wool suit!

Open, to show the lining a little. Light pink for cape and dress.

Back looks good, with my cool sideways braid I made.

Pretending to be a T-Rex with my tiny armholes on the cape.

I found my car key in the pocket of the cape I wear rarely. So dumb, that would have been a screamingly frantic search before work...

 So, I am pretty happy with this outfit. I think I might wear it to school on Monday and see if the kids are feeling nice or mean.

I am going to revise my one item a week for the whole year to 52 items for the year and not be rigid about when they actually happen. I am getting married in less than two months and need to make that a priority. Making one item a week just won't happen sometimes. Though this fully lined dress did take longer than most things. Plus, I am taking a pottery class for the next five weeks learning how to use the wheel, so that will also take up some time. We shall see, but I am going to try!

Cape pictures, finally!!

Here is the pattern, Simplicity 3122, from 1949. As you may know, this has been a work-in-progress for years, since 2007, in fact.

Here are some previous posts:

Finished

Progress

Finally getting over my fear of welt pockets

Confusing myself with the collar

Choosing the lining

Constructing the body

My inspiration, from the movie Atonement

This project was way beyond my skill level when I embarked upon it. I can definitely say it has made me a better seamstress. I now know how to logically problem solve, make welt pockets, line a coat/outer garment and more.

Plus, it is awesome, and it is certainly something no one else has, or will ever have.

On to the photos! I took them in a cemetery near our house, and the sky is accordingly gloomy. I think it gives the pix a nice autumnal look, since its really about 60 degrees out and I have worn a jacket 2 days so far this fall.

Wearing it unbuttoned:

This was just funny to me. PS, I love these boots so much, they are awesome.
Hands in pockets, although the pockets are really tiny. If I made it again, I would make them bigger.
From the side, you can see how it gets longer in the back.
This picture shows the collar, and the awesome buttons, the armholes, and how you can see the lining in that back, which is cool because I like the color I picked.
The back has a great shape.
Look, no hands!
And, to flash you the lining:

So, what do you think? Was it worth finally finishing? I say yes, but I would love to hear your opinions!

Goal #1- The cape is FINALLY done!

With the advent of daylight savings time (which is a misnomer because now when I get home from work it will be dark out!), tis the season for some terrible inside-with-flash-at-night photos.

However, the beast is done!

The back. It has a triangular yoke, which you can't see.
I finally finished sewing in the lining! Somehow, I ended up with a massive bunch of fabric at the bottom center back, so I made two little pleats on each side.
Andrew has gone on a business school trip to Argentina, so no pictures until he gets back. Maybe this next weekend, in the daytime? I already have my outfit planned out, since it has taken me about three years(!!!) to finish this cape. Wow! I hope, and promise, that my Vogue coat will not take three years to finish!!

Cape progress!

This is the cape that is taking me years to make... I finally did the welt pockets and the buttonholes. I would give the welts a 7/10, they aren't perfect but they are decent.

Close-up of the awesome buttons:
I found my receipt from Mood when I was cleaning, each button was 4.50. I really like them, they remind me of the desert, like the way earth cracks when it's really dry.
I slapped together a beige half slip two nights ago, another instant gratification project.
I bought this on sale at Hancock yesterday. I really like all the tiny tucks on the bodice. Now, if I can find a fabric I like for it...

Cape update and a new project

This is my next project:

It's the blue and white stripe my mom sent me and a Claire McCardell reproduction pattern by Eva Dress. There's a link there in the bar on the left- they have a cool variety of modern reproductions of vintage patterns. I am making the short sleeve view in a 12. All I have done so far is to cut out the pattern pieces, but I can say it is printed on real, white paper so it will be sturdy. It was like cutting wrapping paper, that is to say, very easy.
Here is one baby tomato. The garden is thriving. It is windy and cloudy, so there should be a thunderstorm tonight. Last storm all the plants grew about 3 inches overnight. I like results!

I finally figured out my collar mental block. The neck facing was really only the back neck facing. The U shaped part that wrapped up to the opposite shoulder on each front piece needed to be folded under as the front facing. Once I figured that out, I slapped the collar on in about 5 minutes- I didn't even baste it! Bwa ha ha ha.

I also finished the lining, which you can see peeping out the bottom. After going to Joann to get pink thread, I am so glad I bought that lining online. Their lining was also 6.99/yard, but it was terribly cheap, stiff polyester. Ick. Totally worth the shipping cost from ordering online.

All that's left on the cape:

1. Tacking down the collar facing and the sleeve facings.

2. Hemming it by hand.

3. Making buttonholes and sewing on buttons.

4. Somehow figuring out welt pockets....

5. Sewing in the lining by hand.

Well, I wanted a challenge and I got one! I am going to take a break and make the wrap dress. This will be my practice muslin, because I want to make it in a nice silk or satin as a dinner dress.

Any advice on making welt pockets?

New Fabrics

My mom sent me the fabric on the left. It is a tiny blue and white stripe Oxford cloth. She sent me a lot, at least 4 yards. I think she found it at a thrift store? I will use it to make up a test pattern for something that requires a lot of yardage, but I haven't decided what yet.

The pink is my lining for my cape that I bought from Vogue Fabrics online. It's bemberg lining in "blossom." It's very pretty pale pink and is exactly what I pictured in my mind.

Here it is next to the cape. I wanted it to be light and somewhat neutral, but still pretty.

Well, now I have something to work on since the welt pockets and collar have given me a mental block/ scared to *&^ it up. Yay!

My week off is winding down...

Here's how my dress is progressing:

All it needs now is a zipper and a hem...

I bought this interfacing at Jo-Ann. I have given up on thinking I will buy hair canvas; it is too expensive and I don't like buying fabric online. Fabric is tactile, the internet is not. This is designed to be a lightweight iron-on interfacing for light tailoring, which I think matches the needs of my cape. See the cape inspiration here: http://mollysews.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-progress-cape.html

Here is the cape pattern: I started this over a year ago, if I remember correctly, I am making the blue/beige version.

I bought this fabric to make a new version of this Advance pattern: see the original here!

The print is very large, and that seems like what I am liking lately. It's not terribly summery, but I like it!

Anyways, now I have to start writing lesson plans and making up activities for this next week- we are reviewing for the big LEAP test in a week. I bought a big tub of candy and am making up team games to review. Hopefully, the week will be fun, and they will all do well on the tests!

Saint-sational Superbowl Champion Capes

We live in New Orleans and love the Saints, and the city went crazy for the SuperBowl! So Sunday morning. my boyfriend and I slapped together matching capes for the parades (it's also almost Mardi Gras) and then the game. I ended up making the out of felt, because Jo-Ann's was sold out of practically every yellow and black fabric there.

This is mine. With my matching fleur-de-lis on my face!

This is my boyfriend's. They both have the trim at the bottom. He refuses to be on the blog, so I blurred out his face. lol.

He drew and cut out the fleur-de-lis for both, while i sewed it all together. I pinked all the edges so it looks interesting and the tie is gold cord (his) and ribbon (mine). And yes, that is a box of Vella. We are nothing but classy here!

This is a terrible, self-portrait of the other day. I wasted part of a Saturday morning tring to do something like victory rolls. I even watched youtube tutorials. My hair is long, and fine, and slippery and I suck at trying to do things with it. This is just one example of the monstrosities I created. I am not meant to be a hair stylist, I guess!

In progress: a cape

This cape, from the movie Atonement, was my inspiration. I saw it in the theatre, then went and bought a vintage pattern for a cape on ebay. I really love how it looks reversible.

Then, not last October, but the year before, I bought some very nice cream wool and black wool at Mood when I was in New York to make the pattern out of.

Last December I pinned all the pieces on the cream wool and cut them out.

And last week I dug them out of the Mood bag to try to get this rolling. I would love to have a cape. It would be so sassy.

Any thoughts on a cape? Sassy vs. crazy lady?