Vintage Simplicity 9006 or Dream Dress

Dream dress here. You can tell I'm feeling cute and clever in this outfit.
 

I took my time on this one, though don't I always. I am a slow maker. I did make a muslin for fit but something went awry in the chest. It is TIGHT and though it looks cute it isn't the most comfortable of garments that I have made.



Tightness in the chest aside, I adore this dress. Those brass buttons pop! That slit is adorably demure. The linen denim, and the topstitching, and oh the buckles from France. Need I go on? The pockets, the pockets. The 70s vibe. It is all there for me. If only it weren't so tight in the chest. Oh well, lesson learned.
 

I made a muslin, I swear I did. And it fit! I think I probably set the buttons slightly too far over and maybe the buttonholes as well. I feel like I need about an inch of ease added to the top of the bodice. Like if I unbutton the top two buttons I am good lol. I kept the topstiching mostly to one line because I didn't want too much of a Western look. Though I'm coming to realize my style has a slight Western vibe. Not overly so.



Pattern is Simplicity 9006 from 1979. I could tell this pattern had potential, despite the terrible model shot. It is always the line drawing that reveals a pattern's true potential. Pro tip, look at the line drawings!



See what I mean? Look at that sassy vibe.



This was a Junior size 11 but I took a chance on it because I got it really cheap on Etsy. My muslin and fitting had me add 3/8" at the front waist, tapering out to nothing at the armhole and just below the hip. I curved the back bodice waist for a swayback adjustment. That's how I always do it, not sure if it is "correct". I added 1" at the back bodice waist and 1.5" at the back skirt waist. Again, tapering to nothing at the armhole and below the hip. I'm not sure altering the original partner pieces was the smartest idea but you know, laziness prevails sometimes. Maybe I was out of tracing paper?



Next time I am adding that bodice ease all the way up to the armhole. But for now this is my dream look. I am slowly developing a handmade wardrobe, custom fit (even if tightly) and custom to my imagination. I am loving it. Why on earth did I end up in a career where I wear a uniform to work?! You can see progress shots over on Instagram.

Shoes are Swedish Hasbeens, scored at 70% off retail. Sign up for their emails and you might catch a deal.

Indigo Patchowork Kalle and Colette Beignet

Slow Maker, slow blogger here again. I mostly made this Kalle crop top last year but waited again to use my mom's bernina for the buttonholes in January. The top is View A of the Kalle Shirt Pattern. I squeezed this pattern out of a very small amount of indigo dyed linen and a shibori indigo piece for the yoke and facings. Both pieces of fabric were gifted to me and dyed by my mom. I am so lucky to have such a talented and generous mother. I would me in trouble if I didn't mention that my father is also talented and generous. Have I mentioned that he is helping us renovate a 1976 Serro Scotty trailer? I am thinking about adding a page on my blog to share progress on that project. But back to the subject at hand, these handmade clothes.
 

I just love the contrast yoke. For me indigo is a neutral and I love the pop of interest that the shibori dyed yoke gives this top. By the way I added about 1" to the length of this top and it is still way cropped for me. It works perfectly with this Colette Beignet skirt. I actually made this skirt years ago, probably eight or more years ago. I wasn't too proud of it at the time because the corduroy is quite thin and gave a bit of a saggy appearance. While I think the design is better suited to a more structured fabric I am now extremely proud of this skirt. First of all I HATE making buttonholes and would you look at all the buttonholes on that skirt?! Secondly, I was pretty much a beginner seamstress when I made this and I fitted it quite well, and it is not an easy pattern. I had never known what to wear with this skirt either and wasn't used to such high waisted garments, but I have since come around. I think these two are the perfect pair. And the colors? They are my jam!

The curved hemline is one of my favorite features of this pattern.  

Being so cropped, I actually prefer this top as a jacket

I made the facing into a feature and it makes me so happy

Pearl had to make an appearance, duh

Pattern details: 

Kalle View A, size 6. Lengthened 1"

Colette Beignet size 4, no alterations.

Earrings by Claire Sommers Buck can be found here. 

If you haven't ever noticed these earrings I would be surprised because I wear them ALL THE TIME.

Boots are Frye Sabrina

Ice Dyed Flutter Blouse

This Silk Dupioni Papercut Flutter Blouse was actually my first version of this pattern (second version here). I made it in the Fall of 2016 to wear to a wedding along with this self drafted silk wrap skirt. Because of some major issues with attempting to hem the skirt by myself I didn't actually wear this outfit to that wedding. These were the first pieces that I sewed after spending most of 2016 on a sewing hiatus while we remodeled our house. This piece of silk is very special to me because I ice dyed it with my mom on a Summer vacation almost four years ago. I just love the random print that the ice dyeing created. It reminds me of a lace agate or layered sedimentary rock in technicolor.

I used the less shiny side of the stretch charmeuse on the exterior of this skirt. 

I made the XS but altered the pattern by removing some of the gaping at the back neckline and hemline.  I also added 5/8" seam allowances and French seamed the interior. I used a contrasting fuchsia silk dupioni for the bias binding and let it peek out just so on the sleeves and neckline and I love the effect. I shortened this version quite a bit to make it work better with a high waisted skirt. I have the option to tie the points together in the back and create a slight blousing at the waistline. 



The fit of this pattern in this more structured fabric is so different from my other version in Rayon Challis. I actually think the quite curved, dropped shoulder works best in a more drapy fabric. That doesn't stop me from being thrilled with the outcome of this version.



My skirt is a gorgeous stretch silk charmeuse that I paid more for than any other single cut of fabric that I've ever bought. I then proceeded to make a midi length self drafter wrap circle skirt. Not having mom live nearby anymore and not owning a dress form I attempted to hem it and all went haywire. It was terribly crooked and I couldn't live with it. I kept chopping it shorter and never could get it straight so I gave up until my mom was visiting and could trim it while I wore it. I probably threw away half of the fabric, which is a shame, but I do love this length after all, so I'm not mad about it.

Interior cunstruction