Give me new blogs to read!

I finally cut out We Sew Retro and the Sew Weekly, since I was no longer interested in the posts, but had been not ready to delete them. I also deleted some blogs that hadn't posted for 4 + months. Am I right in thinking if you haven't managed one post in that time, you probably are NOT heading back into blog town?

I found a few new blogs (new to me, obvi) that I am going to add and I got them all from a Cambie dress google image search, if that is random enough (except for Neeno).

Four Square Walls- Andrea is super cute and her projects are really adorable.

Neeno was a link from the last blog. Again, super cute and great clothes. Her bangs are adorable and make me wish I had them. Then, I remember I would look like a turd.

Adrienne also has some cool sewing projects. I seem to really like blogs with good pictures, and am then lazy and only post shitty pictures for my own blog. Food for thought...

Amanda is in Australia (so we get to see summer clothes) and has an amusing writing style.

I also found Claire from a cambie search. More cute projects!

Now, I am out of steam and need to go finish cleaning. My parents are coming to visit for Xmas and they haven't visited us in Chicago since we moved here! It should be a fun visit and I was even able to get all my restaurant shifts covered, so I get a full week of no work! Ehmagerd, I'm so excited.

Happy Holidays and link me to some good blogs if you know of any. You can link your own if you want, but no hugely popular ones. Once people start posting daily about nothing just to drive traffic, I start to seriously lose interest. Give me some blog loot!

Butterick 6963- 70s Tunic-style top

Here is my pattern: 

It is a 1970s Butterick in a 30 bust. Technically it is a child pattern, but it's my size and I've done it before successfully. I made the square neck version with elbow length sleeves. 

This is my fabric and the back of the blouse:

The fabric is a light cotton from an estate sale. I just can't remember which one. I think it was one where there was a beautiful old gilded and painted Singer but the wires were all frayed (it was only 25 bucks or so). Then I told my mom about it later and she said "Oh that would be easy to fix!" Then, I was sad...

The front and the side with the tie belt. 

Then the front and back with it loose. It looks a little "maternity" without the tie, but it is tunic-y and comfortable. I over-lightened the pictures playing around on Picasa. I suck at both taking good pictures and editing them. 

 My twisty hairstyle attracted some comments at the restaurant on Sunday.

Pros:
 I got to use a piece of fabric from my hoarder stash. It was about a yard or 1.5 yds.
I used vintage fabric with a vintage pattern, which is always fun.
I made no changes to the pattern, other than shortening the sleeves. I thought long sleeve blue floral would be a little overwhelming.
It fits nicely and is comfortable.
It has a nice shape and goes well with skinny jeans and flats.
It was super easy to make and took just a few hours.

Cons:
Nada.

Is anyone else bored with We Sew Retro? I used to like that before they switched it to wordpress. Lately, I still look at it but I am never interested in anything posted there. It seems like a lot of beginners now. Maybe that's because I'm not a beginner seamstress anymore?

Tell me your thoughts!

December Giveaway Winner!

We drove to Woodstock, Il yesterday and cut down our Xmas tree. It is so beautiful! We got a blue spruce again. It was raining and cold, but we found a great one. It is really blue with that "snowy" look. Which is nice, since it has yet to really snow here in Chicago. 

 Today we decorated it and it looks delightful. I have a nice assortment of horrific estate sale ornaments mixed with the cheap ones from Kmart that come in a tub. I used my tree skirt that I made last year, as well.

 Yes, that is a jug of beer to the right. Andrew and my brother have been brewing beer. That is actually batch two and batch one turned out pretty well!

The winner of the patterns is....

Kristin! Kristin, please email me your address at mollysewsblog@gmail{dot}com.

Thanks!

Unfinished Project lolz

Tasia, from Sewaholic patterns, just wrote about her shameful, unfinished projects lying around. I laughed and then immediately made a Grumpy Cat face and thought of my coat...

Oh Vogue 775, you are my nemesis. I bought the pattern at an estate sale in Oregon in July of 2010. I included links to my posts for each of these long-ago stages because it is hilarious to read the things I wrote with such enthusiasm. I was instantly enraptured with the pattern and saw it as a coat, rather than a coat dress.

Here is where I gush with enthusiasm for my coat making progress and how I can't wait to make a muslin (which I rarely do).

Then, shockingly, I actually make and fit the whole muslin in a reasonable time frame! What? I took pictures and pranced about in it. Then, I tore it apart to be the new pattern.

In that same summer we went to New York and I was able to buy my wool at Mood. I showed it off and deliberated about underlining and if it was necessary. I decided to do it and cut out the flannel and basted it all together. Usually I get lazy when it comes to boring, repetitive sewing stuff and quit, but I stuck with it! Sam left a comment about how she couldn't wait to see my coat! Hahahaha.

That was January/February 2011.  We were still in New Orleans and it gets hot there by March, so I moved on to other things. Then we moved to Chicago and it has sat packed away in my drawers of fabric for a year and a half. I saw it the other day when I was marveling at all of the unused fabric I have managed to hoard. I want to finish it, I swear.

Reasons to finish it:
1. It would be a great coat.
2. That wool was expensive
3. It is cut out and underlined and ready to be sewn up.
4. I even have the thread and interfacing for the lapels.

But coats are so time-consuming and I'm supposed to be doing other things like sewing my wedding dress and such and such. We shall see, my friends!



Do you guys have some shamefully unfinished years-long projects to share? I'm not the only one, right?



P.S. For lolz, read the the end of my finished cape post, where I marvel at how it took me three years to finish that cape and how I KNOW it won't take me that long to finish my coat. Well, lah dee dah, past Molly. Looks like someone was a little too cocky!

December Giveaway!

This month I am giving away these four vintage patterns to one winner! Leave a comment by Friday at midnight to enter and I will choose a winner this weekend. 

These patterns are tiny (30 ans 31 bust) but have some cool features that might make them worth grading up. 

McCalls 9407 is a 1953 pattern featuring a halter dress with an out-sized collar. Bust 30. 

Simplicity 1283 is a 1955(?) dress pattern featuring a dropped waist, full skirt and kimono sleeves. Bust 30. 

 Butterick 7205 is a slim "stem" dress that "flowers out" with an optional overskirt. Bust 30. 1950s?
McCalls 6487 is a 1946 Junior 2 piece suit dress pattern. Bust 31.

Leave a comment to enter!

Wedding Dress Fabric Swatches from Mood

First off, I am going to go to Fishman's on Saturday morning to look at wedding dress and bridesmaid fabric.  Would anyone like to go too or meet up there? Email me at mollysewsblog@gmail(dot)com if you'd be interested!! I would happily drop my Saturday shift at the restaurant!

I am trying to do wedding stuff while still working 7 days a week. I did make some progress and sat down for an hour and looked through Mood's website to order swatches. I got them today and was super excited to rip open the envelope!

These were just random ones I liked (well, if I'm already paying for shipping...)

 Meh. meh and OH YEAH! 

I have been dreaming of a cheetah lace ever since I cut this picture (below) out of a magazine years ago. I think it was a Kors dress? Love, love love! So I'll buy some of that regardless...I went through a phase where I had subscriptions to like 20 magazines and would religiously cut out pictures and paste them into a Moleskine notebook.

On to my samples, friends! (I accidentally wrote fiends...)

These are the maybe-wedding-dress possibilities from looking online. This should really be a lesson in "why you buy swatches before purchasing online fabrics." 

 From top down, left to right:
1. Lace embroidered with stuffs, poly
2. Cotton/nylon floral lace
3. Silk tiny dots
4. Poly lace, with fancy edges
5. Striped lace
6. Off-white floral lace, cotton
7. Crinkle flower silk
8. Dotted netting

Pause and judge...

Now these are one I would actually maybe consider:

 I am really liking the cotton/nylon one with the big flowers. (Middle top)

Feel free and share your opinions! (Good or bad)

A Button Dilemma

I was digging through my drawers of fabric and was forced to remember exactly how many pieces of unused fabric I have. Whoops! I had over a yard of this 70s fabric still, even after making my maxi Lonsdale dress. I dug through my bowl of patterns for the season and made up a button front blouse with long sleeves. So I need about 5-6 buttons down the front and the one each for the cuffs. 

I dug through my buttons and these are the finalists (all from an estate sale a few months ago).

 Which ones do you think I should use:

The orange ones (left) are ceramic with metallic backs that almost look like tiny tambourines or beer bottle caps. They are maybe too heavy for my lightweight fabric, though. The ones in the center are orange plastic that have a spiky-plaid design. The ones are the right are yellow, flat plastic. The look like they were one lighter and have darkened with age.

Which buttons should I use?
Orange ceramic Orange plastic Yellow plastic Other, in comments
	Results

Let me know what you think!

Vogue 8280- The Little Black Dress

I made this Vogue dress really quickly this last week. It is Vogue 8280 and is made of a medium heavy black knit. I am just sick of Vogue dresses that turn out to be so uncomfortable because they tell you to use a woven fabric. so that avoided that problem!

This si the pattern and I made view C with the long sleeves and pleated skirt thingie.

I meant for it to be a comfortable and semi-warm work dress for winter, but there is no way I will be wearing this to sub at the high school! It turned out to be pretty snug and way to sexy to wear to work. 

 The side and you can see the pleats on the skirt. You can also see T-Rex looking through the bottom panel of the window. He can't go on the porch anymore because Andrew and Luke are brewing beer out there.

 The back has some odd wrinkles and I had to take a pinch out of the lower back center seam. There was a big flop of loos fabric there. I was able to omit the zipper due to the stretch, which was good because I didn't have one long enough.

 I'm happy with it and it was super easy to make. It's an "Easy Vogue" which was much more pleasant.

 I really like it and will have to make an occasion to wear it since it is not for work!

November Giveaway Winners!

Andrew and I went to my friend's wedding and it was super fun. 

 No, that is not the dress I was making...more on that later this week.

Luke and Andrew are beginning to brew beer. I bought them a kit as a joint b-day present (3 days apart).

 Luke and I had a Molly & Luke Thanksgiving II. It was delicious.

 We did not dress up. I am experiencing zit face remorse for passing out after the wedding without washing my face. So stupid. I now have six giant zits.

 And the winners:

Heather won the fabric!

Jeannine won the patterns!

Ladies email me your addresses at mollysewsblog[at]gmail (dot) com

November Giveaway!

Well, I know I have been slacking at blogging lately and I have forgotten to do a giveaway for quite a while...but I put one together! It helps that today is Veteran's day and I have a day off!

You have two choices: patterns or fabric.

Choice A:

Five patterns (and then winner will get all of them) Simplicity 6078, a dropped waist A-line dress (34 bust), McCalls 6087, a boyfriend jacket (S_M_L uncut), Mccalls 5676, stuffed dogs, Simplicity 5653, a 60s sheath dress (34 bust), and Butterick 2137, a sheath dresses with a collar option (34 bust).

 So they all fit a 34 bust or can be cut to fit one!

Choice B is fabric:

The winner gets both pieces of fabric. The ruffled sheer fabric is in two pieces, 35 by 15 inches and 22 by 70 inches. The orange boobs fabric is in two pieces, 35 by 26 inches and a tail of 25 by 10 inches on one side.

Just leave a comment saying which choice you would like, the patterns or the fabric. Leave a comment by midnight on Wednesday and I will choose two winners on Thursday!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Fabric for my test wedding dress

I went to vogue fabrics and discount textile outlet last Sunday and found absolutely no black lace or sheers that fit what I had in mind.

This is really just to practice boning a bodice and to have a dress to wear to a friend's wedding in a little over a week. I spent a lot of time browsing nordstrom's cocktail dresses online and decided black lace and sheers are really popular right now, so that's what I was aiming for.

Anyways, I am still working every day of the week so I don't have time to go check out fishman's yet or the vogue in Evanston. In conclusion, I went to Joann with a coupon on my phone to see what was up.

Almost everything was awful, but then I found this sheer black fabric that has tiny gold dots on it. They are metallic and very tiny and subtle. I really like it!

Now I need to go buy some shoes to match on zappos!

Wedding Planning and Halloween in NOLA

We went to New Orleans last week to do some in-person wedding planning stuff. We checked out our venue and the guy explained how everything will be set up. This is where we will be getting married!

 The reception is in the same place, which I prefer. Everyone is already travelling to attend our wedding, this just makes it easier for everyone!

We also chose and ordered the cake, which will look like this:

Source

Minus the roses, my flowers are different, but the cake topper will be flowers. Also, not fondant so the edges will be crisper and it will actually taste good! The inside is white cake and then layers of filling in almond cream and sliced strawberries and cream.

Source

We also figured out the flowers as well. I really want peonies, but she said we have to wait and see. Sometimes they can get them from Israel in March, but not always. It's going to be lilac, white hydrangea, white peonies (or roses if not) and stephanotis. It should be really pretty! Sort of like these:

Source

So we made a lot of progress. We still have to choose a photographer (which is horrifyingly difficult) and a dj and the order and send out invites. Bam, done!

We were also there for Halloween, so I went as the Miller High Life girl in the moon, which is the best costume I have ever made. A random person emailed me once to see if they could rent it, but I love it too much. Andrew went as Mitt Romney and had his binder full of women and made some pink slips to fire people. It was very amusing.

Pink slips

High life girl in the moon and Mitt Romney

We had a lot of fun and got to see our good friends, so it was a fun and productive trip!

Wedding Dress Bodice Muslin

Oh look at the dress I chose! Isn't it lovely?!?

Hahahahahah, no. That skirt is a monster of ugly. I did want a princess seam, sweetheart neckline pattern, so I went to Joann on a sale day and found this one for 99 cents. Perfection. 

Then I spent about a billion hours thinking...and sketching...and looking at endless google searches for "open back lace wedding dress"...and thinking...

and this is what I decided upon. 

The bodice will have princess seams and a sweetheart neckline out of lace, lined of course. The "straps" will just be sheer lace. The lower back part will be lined lace and the upper part will be sheer lace. Mainly like the one on the right, but without cap sleeves. 

 They didn't need me as a substitute yesterday, so I was feeling peppier than usual tonight. I thought I should just bust out a muslin and see how that pattern fits. I cut out a six and with about 1/8th of an inch taken off the cups, it fits like a glove. If you went by measurements I should be an 8 or 10, but the geniuses at McCalls decided a strapless wedding dress should have four inches of ease in the bust. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

Note: this one is unlined, so you need to mentally subtract seam allowances from the neckline, armholes, my fake straps and upper back!

 You need to use your imagination, but picture it in white lace, with more of a dip in the center, with sheer straps...

 and a sheer upper back, perhaps in a different shape. That all depends on the contours of whatever lace I end up buying.

 The armholes will be looser too when it is lined.

So, I am making progress finally. I am going to make a version up in black lace to wear to a friend from college's wedding (evening, fancy, cocktail attire) to perfect the fit and see how it looks.

I know it looks lumpy and weird on Dolly, but she is not the exact same proportions as I am. It fits me nicely.

And on a parting note, my drying tomato plants that are "ripening on the vine" in the dining room. The landlord makes us remove all plants by Oct 20th, so this was my solution. It still had so many green tomatoes on it, I couldn't throw it away. This is only 2/3s too, I gave a bunch to the neighbors!

For scale, it's about 6 feet long.

Anyways, tell me your thoughts on the dress and if you have any suggestions for nice lace!

A Pleasing Project!

I made this skirt at the same time as the grey corduroy one. I cut them both out at the same time and then just did every step twice and made them simultaneously. While exactly the same (size and construction-wise), I very much prefer this one.

The fabric:

Front seam detail and gathers. 

I bought the fabric at an estate sale with Emma. If you recall, that was when we went to an appointment-only sale on Craigslist and did not get murdered! It was 66 cents, according to my past calculations. It's a beautiful print and I had been hoarding it for something good. 

I did wear shoes to work, I swear. Substituting has made me reacquainted with how god awful uncomfortable many of my "work" shoes are.

So it's comfortable, has pockets and is fairly flattering. I am pleased!

So there! I finally posted my skirt a week or two later than I said. Forgive me, I have been working waay too much. 

I might need some pants advice later in the week...