Miss Esme and the Mummy

 Hello, lovely readers! Hope you're doing well on this fine spring day. What's that you say? It's February, Mary, so it can't be spring no matter which hemisphere you're in? Well, tell that to the weather. Someday, I will write a blog post without mentioning how strange Texas weather is. Today is not that day. Y'all, it's in the eighties. In February! I know we have a reputation for heat, but normally we get a winter, I swear. I shan't complain, however, because...it means more dress-wearing!

My newest creation is The Esme Dress. Last week, The Sew Weekly charged its contributors with the task of recreating a look we loved. I didn't even need to look through my inspiration folder. There was one dress I'd been dying to knock off. If you read vintage fashion blogs, you know of Esme and the Laneway, a slice of retro delight from Down Under. A few weeks ago, the lovely Esme modeled her "Grey Buttons Summer Dress," and I fell in love. With its sweetheart bodice detail, that line of tiny buttons, and - oh, heavens! - the piping, the dress was all my retro-fueled daydreams come true.

Of course, this being a dress Esme had picked up in 2006, I couldn't exactly find one of my own. So, I set off into the wild world of pattern drafting to make it myself...

Obviously, the bodice was the toughest part. After much deliberating, I decided to draft a mash up of two patterns I already had fitted - the Colette Peony and the Colette Macaron. The Peony would be my base, while the Macaron would lend its sweetheart bust and rounded neckline. If anyone is interested, I can do a future post featuring the steps I went through and how the pattern pieces turned out, but I ended up with: a yoke, an inside button placket, and the main bodice. I piped the seam between the yoke and the button placket, then joined the yoke and main bodice with the buttons themselves. It's a pretty great bodice replica, if I do say so myself. The curve of the Macaron was just perfect!

My fabric choice was easy. I've had this lovely pale yellow floral in my stash for a year now, waiting for the perfect project to come along. With its chocolate-outlined white flowers, it had the perfect vintage look that this dress needed. I made coordinating fabric-covered chocolate buttons and piping, just so I knew everything would match perfectly.

 The skirt is directly from the Peony, with a little added width drafted in, since I decided to turn the original gathers into pleats. Thanks to fabric constraints, I couldn't fully pleat the skirt, but I added a few angled pleats on both the front and back. Oh, and piping, of course! During construction, I couldn't decide if I would prefer The Esme Dress belted or plain, so I added more chocolate piping to the waistline. A girl must have her waist definition, after all. Naturally, I've since decided I prefer it belted, so...it's a totally hidden detail. But y'all will appreciate it, right?

 

Well, hello piping! You're sure looking fabulous!

Also, check out that invisible side zipper. I do love when they're actually, you know, invisible.

Onto the All-Important Details... 

 

Things I Love:

•  The silhouette! It's 1960's dreamy. There's something about the buttons mixed with that A-line skirt that is so mod, don't you think?
• The buttons! Of course. The entire reason I made this dress was for that adorable sweetheart row of buttons. They were totally worth it. I'm in dress love.

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

•  The skirt. I really think this bodice style deserves the full box pleats of Esme's original version. Next time, I will use a 4 yard cut of fabric, instead of a 2.5 yard, so I can fit them in.
• The fit. I wish the bodice were just a hair snugger. Because it's fully lined, altering it at this point would just be headache, but my darts will be wider next time around.

Tricky Steps & Suggestions: 

• Piping can be such a bastard, y'all. The best way I've found to do it is to baste the piping in place ahead of time, with your basting line exactly where you want the visible piping to end. Then, when you join the pattern pieces, stitch precisely along your basting line. Voila! Perfect piping!

Notions & Fabric:

• Yellow floral stretch cotton - Gorgeous Fabrics - $9/yard
• Brown cotton poplin for lining - Fabric Mart - $1.99/yard
• White 12-inch invisible zipper
• 15 fabric-covered buttons
• 3 yards handmade chocolate piping

Time to Make:

• 10 hours, thanks to ye olde buttons and piping

Title Explanation:

When originally taking photos of this dress, it was raining. So, I hied myself over to my parents' house to make use of their lovely sunroom. Which, incidentally, is also where one of my mother's favorite things dwells...her mummy, Nefret. Never fear, dear readers, the mummy is completely fake and originally bought from The Martha Stewart Catalog, of all places. We are big Halloween fans in my family, so Nefret was originally displayed for that holiday but...my mother and I are also Egyptology geeks. We just couldn't face putting her in the attic. So, she's become a permanent fixture. For each holiday, Nefret is dressed appropriately, whether in a sequined Santa hat or with her very own Easter basket. Yes, we are a bit ghoulish around these parts...

If it's off-putting to you, don't worry, you're not alone. One of my dearest friends from high school used to refuse to sit with her back turned toward Nefret, for fear of what she might do. Personally, she just makes me wish to reread Crocodile on the Sandbank, whenever I see her.

 Nefret and I

 How does one pose with a mummy? Well, there are options...

Postscript: What do y'all think of the new blog look? I've been dissatisfied with my original efforts for some time, so I updated it in my spare time this week. Something a bit more modern was called for, don't you think?

Miss Poppy, Queen of May: Colette 1001

Hello, kittens! Sorry for the radio silence around here. Did you know that making sewing plans when you have finals and a looming book deadline is futile? I wish I'd gotten that memo. For the last two weeks, I've stared longingly at my sewing table, wishing I were pleating a skirt instead of re-memorizing the location of the pudendal nerve.

Thankfully, my schedule is wide open for the next few months. I'm positively gleeful thinking about all the projects I can finish! First up on that (very) long list was my lonesome Colette Macaron. Y'all, I don't know why it took me so long to get to this dress. It is so cute! This may actually be my favorite dress I've ever sewn.

The reason for this love lies in the fit. If you're an hourglass shape and haven't sewn this pattern, please go buy a copy! You will not be disappointed. The combination of the tulip skirt and fitted waistband makes for a divine shape. My waist looks infinitesimally small in this. Who doesn't love that?

Even better, putting this dress together was relatively painless. The skirt is symmetrically pleated, with pockets hidden in the outside front pleats, while the bodice is four parts - faux-sweetheart neckline, contrast top, contrast waistband, and sleeves. It sounds like a lot of detailing, but Colette's instructions are thorough and easy-to-follow. The trickiest part was attaching the bodice pieces to one another. If left to my own devices, I would have done the traditional Put right sides together and stitch! method. However, Colette's instructions instead have you fold a hem on the sweetheart piece, then edge stitch it to the contrast piece. While a little more labor-intensive, this does prevent the sweetheart piece from becoming uneven.

Another thing to rave about on the Macaron is the sleeve design. The shaped sleeves not only add visual interest, but may be the most comfortable sleeve shape I've worn. I may add these to a few other non-Macaron dresses in the future. They're both easy and adorable - a perfect combination.

Overall, this is a fantastic pattern. With my summer sewing plans forming, I'm already envisioning a few more iterations of this dress. With the two fabric combination, it's going to be great for using up stash fabrics that I only have a bit of. Plus - come on! - how could I sew just one of a dress that looks this cute?


Things I Changed:

• Substituted a lining for the neckline facings. The last time I used this white pique, the facings were visible on the outside of my garment. Keeping that in mind, I opted for lining the upper Macaron bodice. I made doubles of the two contrast pieces and treated them as a traditional lining, which I catch-stitched to the inside, covering the seams. Not only did it get rid of facings, but the finish is much neater!
  

Things I Will Change Next Time:

• Switch out the invisible zipper for a traditional one. With really fitted bodices, I find invisible zippers to be a bit flimsy. There are probably better quality ones than Coats & Clark, but I'm limited to what's on hand at JoAnn's, which always feel like they're about to break without a lot of ease. I love the fit of this bodice, but it is a bit tricky to zip up, so traditional zip it is!
  

Tricky Steps & Suggestions:

• Attaching the bodice pieces together is a bit difficult, as I mentioned above. Have a tailors chalk or maker on hand to mark the seam allowances and you'll find it much easier!
• Don't be afraid of the pockets. The idea of inserting pockets into pleats sounds complicated, but if you follow the Colette directions, it will be a breeze. My only advice is to be very careful when slashing your skirt piece - it would be very easy to get overzealous and cut too deep.
  

Fabric Used:

• Shell: Italian poppy print pique from Satin Moon Fabrics in San Francisco.
  
• Contrast: White pique from Hancock Fabrics.
  

Outfit Details:

• Shoes: Denim Fiddle Bow wedges by Clarks
  

The Irksome Case of the Unfinished Objects

Friends, I was a strange child. This probably does not come as a shock to you. Among other things (a persistent belief that I was Nancy Drew, an affinity for dresses sporting cartoon animals, and a true talent for, let's call it, storytelling), I was a big believer in the anthropomorphic fallacy. In my daft little blond head, everything had feelings - stuffed animals, mashed potatoes, flowers. For years, I separated my M&Ms by color, eating the most populous first, until the poor, unloved tan ones were in equal numbers with the rest. It seemed like the fair thing to do. You know, so one color wouldn't feel slighted.

This ties in to sewing, I promise. Even though I now realize candy doesn't have feelings, inanimate objects still have the power to guilt trip me. Take unfinished sewing objects, for example. They drive me crazy. They sit in their little boxes, imploring me to finish them. (Example: I have time, don't it? I was able to make two of the same Lisette dress, for Heaven's sake! Can't I spare old friends a little attention too? Why don't I love them any more?!) For this reason alone, I tend to not accumulate many UFOs. Until now.

At present moment, there are two such projects on my sewing table. They're making me seize up with guilt, every time I even think about starting a new project. Also, they're just plain cute. They deserve to be completed, damn it! So, these are my next two items to conquer.

Unfinished Object #1: Colette Macaron
Raison d'Abandon: Last thing cut out, before deciding to move.

Poor, poor Macaron. There's nothing the matter with her, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Late September was not a good time to be cut out in my household. In a matter of weeks, La Danielson Famile decided to buy a new house, sell the old homestead, and move. As the eldest daughter, I was enlisted to help with this venture...and did not touch my sewing machine for another four months. What's worse, in those months I lost not only Macaron's instruction booklet, but her back midriff piece, as well.

It was all too tempting to move on to other projects, rather than invent directions from scratch. Now that I have more months of sewing under my belt, I feel up to the task. Also, I just reordered the damn pattern. I'm going to trace the midriff piece, but at least I have directions!

Also, this shell fabric is just too wonderful to be cast off on the UFO pile, don't you think? The contrast is just a plain white pique from Hancock, but the shell is an amazing Italian designer pique I picked up from Satin Moon Fabrics in San Francisco. Everyone talks about Britex in SF, but Satin Moon is my absolute favorite fabric store in the city. Possibly in the world. It's a tight, tiny shop in the Richmond District run by two sisters who adore high quality apparel fabric. There are bolts and bolts of Liberty, Swiss cottons, and other wildly interesting fabrics. I actually ended up buying this pique in two different colorways - this bright mix of blues and corals, as well as a more autumnal palette of yellows, browns, and oranges. I have 4 yards of both, so this isn't the last time we'll be seeing this fabric!

Unfinished Object #2: Colette Crepe
Raison d'Abandon: Arrival of Lisette patterns in my mailbox.

Sigh. This one is more of a confessional. You recall that divine Crepe dress I had planned and started for my spring palette? Yeah, I never actually finished it. There's no good excuse for this. I had only the hemming and one or two other little things to do to the dress, but the day I'd planned to do them was the same day the Lisette patterns finally came in the mail.

Y'all know how I feel about the Lisette patterns. I couldn't not rip into them instantly and start sewing. My willpower isn't that strong. That left poor little Crepe shivering in a cardboard UFO box, unloved and unfinished. Which is silly, considering she really is pretty cute. I ended up using some white Swiss dot (the same I used on my Market Blouse, actually) for the bodice, instead of the planned pique. It was a great last minute change, especially considering that summer seems to have arrived early.

So, those are the two projects I plan on reviving from the dead. Do you have any UFOs laying about? Do you feel guilty about them or are you able to put them behind you and move on to brighter projects?