Weekend Pretty: Royal Wedding Dress

Readers, I watched it.

Armed with a pot of tea and Fortnum & Mason stem ginger biscuits, I ogled and snarked my way through the wedding of Prince William and his Kate. It was lovely. There was pomp, circumstance, and - best of all - one historic dress.


Kittens, I adore this gown. Everything about it is divine: the pleated skirts, the deep-v of the overlay, the sweetheart bodice, the lace. We all know how I feel about lace. This design is flawless, resulting in a timeless silhouette fit for a princess (or royal duchess, if we must be technical). Sarah Burton truly outdid herself with this piece.

Fashion insiders predict this dress will set wedding trends for years to come. Selfishly, I hope they're correct. Not only do I abhor the generic strapless A-line dresses of modern weddings, but I've always wanted a gown similar to this one. Make it a tea-length with elbow sleeves and you've designed my dream dress!

So, did you watch the wedding? Did you swoon a bit when Prince William told Kate she looked beautiful? And - most important - how do you feel about the dress?

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?

Easter Weekend Pretty: 4.24.11

Happy Easter, chickadees! Did you have a day filled with brightly colored eggs, chocolate rabbits, and - most important - floral dresses? I certainly hope so. In the spirit of the season, I've collected some of my favorite flowery dresses from around the web.

[Boden]

[Trashy Diva]

[Kate Spade]

[Laura Ashley]

Hope you had a lovely peep-filled weekend, friends!

Miss Josie at the Market: Simplicity 2211

In news from the sewing table, I've finished my first Lisette Market Blouse (Simplicity 2211). Like the Lisette Passport Dress, this is another fantastic pattern. It's the perfect pattern for cute, but airy, summer blouses - basic necessities in Texas. I even already have a few different cotton lawns (One of them Liberty! Holy moly!) that are ideal.

Making up this pattern was a total breeze. Start to finish, it took me about four hours - including cutting on my fancy new rotary mat! There are two horizontal darts, one on each side of the bodice front, as well as gathering on both edges of the sleeves. Honestly, the most laborious part was spacing out and sewing on the buttons, as there aren't pattern markings for them. It's up to you to decide how many buttons you want and where to place them. Being my slightly OCD-self, I spent a ridiculous amount of time with my ruler, making sure they lined up perfectly. It turned out well, though! I love how the buttons look, even if they are only a faux-closure.

I also added a bit of my own difficulty to the pattern. I've recently come to the realization that I hate fusible interfacing. It's bulky and itchy, tends to come off in the wash, and is too heavy for a light blouse like this. To that end, I replaced the interfaced pieces (all the black trim) with linings. The finish was neater, plus there's no pesky steaming! Being a rogue sewist paid off!

As far as fit alterations go, I didn't make any this time around. I tissue fitted the blouse to myself and decided that any adjustments would be small enough to make on the fly. I was right - kind of. The blouse fits, but not quite how I imagined it. It's a bit on the short and boxy side for my tastes. Because there aren't any closures, it does need to be a bit boxy, so you can pull it over your head. However, when it's not tucked in, it completely loses my waist, while not being long enough to belt. Since I plan on changing the faux-button placket to a real closure next time, I'm also going to nip in the waist and add a bit of length to the bodice pieces. That should fix the major fit issues, while also addressing my compulsive desire for proper closures!

Overall, this is a fantastic pattern. There aren't many blouse patterns that I love among the Big Four pattern companies - they tend to skew toward an older audience, in my opinion. Simplicity 2215, like the other Lisette patterns, is a very ready-to-wear design. My sister mentioned that this is a top she could easily imagine inside of J. Crew or Ann Taylor Loft - cute and classic, but still youthful. I completely agree with her...which is why those cotton lawns are going to be put to work soon!

Things I Changed:

• Opted out of interfacing. Instead, I cut an extra pattern piece (for the neckbands, arm bands, and neck placket) and used it like a lining. I stitched an outside seam with the two wrong sides together, then turned it to the inside, pressed, and treated them as one piece. It gives the fabric more structure, but has none of the discomfort of interfacing.
• Didn't 1/4 turn under the trim pieces, due to the new lining pieces I added. This made for a much cleaner finish than the shirt would as instructed.

Things I Will Change Next Time:

• Add 3 inches of length to the bodice.
• Add 1 inch to the armband length, they're just a hair too snug for my liking.
• Turn the placket from decorative to usable. Now that I've sewn this shirt up once, I have a good idea of how to make the buttons usable, instead of just for show. It shouldn't be that difficult, just a few pattern alterations to the neckline and placket. If I'm successful, I'll detail how it's done!

Tricky Steps & Suggestions:

• This really is an easy pattern - quick and painless to both cut out and sew! The only thing I found truly tricky was the fit itself. The armbands seem to run a bit small for both me and other sewists, so give yourself a little wiggle room, if you don't plan to make a muslin.

Fabric Used:

• White Stretch Cotton Swiss Dot Voile - Gorgeous Fabrics ($14/yard now, $10/yard when I bought it on sale)
• Black Cotton Swiss Dot - Hancock Fabrics ($6.99/yard)

Outfit Details:

• Skirt: Simplicity 2215 made by me!
• Shoes: Change of Venue heels by Seychelles

Additional Pictures:

• Full View
• Button Close-Up
• Sleeve Close-Up
• Back Close-up

Sew Obsessed With: Lace

Confession time, lovelies: I'm an enthusiast. When I get a new hobby or interest, I have a brief, violently passionate love affair with it. The new, shiny whatever is all I want to focus on. After awhile, the ardor cools a bit and I can behave rationally once more, but those first throes of love can be rather ridiculous. This is how it is with any new book I write. This is also, surprise surprise, how I am with sewing.

When I learn a new technique or fall in love with a new fabric, all I want to do is play around with it. Right now, I'm obsessed with lace. All I want to buy is daisy lace, eyelet, and Chantilly. If it's even remotely lacy, I'm loving it.

I'm placing the blame for this on the utterly fabulous Gertie of Gertie's New Blog For Better Sewing. (It should be said that I have something of blog crush on Gertie. Not only does she sew the loveliest vintage-inspired clothing, but her real life job is as an editor in my genre. If I ever meet her at a publishing conference, I'll no doubt start fangirl blabbering about her taffeta gingham circle skirt. She's just so cool. ) Back in December, she sewed a red lace dress that was so pretty it made my heart flutter. I've been on the hunt for red lace ever since.

To make matters worse, there is that floral lace skirt I'm lusting over from Talbots. I gave in to temptation this weekend and tried it on in-store. It's perfect. The pencil design made my waist look tiny and the lace overlay was even prettier in person. My credit card was in jeopardy of coming out, but I restrained myself. After all, isn't that what sewing is for? I shall make one of my own!

This isn't a surprising obsession for me. Lace combines the two elements I value most in my clothing - classic details and unabashed femininity. Even better, its very nature (delicate, airy, totally femme-tastic) is inherently opposite to the casualty of modern fashion. This casualty is a societal pet peeve of mine. I hate that jeans and clean t-shirts are deemed acceptable date attire. It may not be as bad in other cities, but my dear Austin is not only the Live Music Capital of the World, but also the Wear Grungy T-Shirts To Fancy Dinners Capital of the World. But that's a post for another day. Suffice to say: lace is pretty and I adore it.

To that end, I've made a few recent fabric purchases which I'm so excited about. Since I'm just beginning my lace adventures, I'm starting with the easy-to-sew side of lace - eyelets and large geometric woven laces. Basically, anything with more surface area to sew on! Unlike other fabric buys, I have something definite in mind for all of the laces I've bought. Here's a sneak peak...

Fabric: Gorgeous Fabrics
Pattern: Etsy

Fabric: Mood Fabrics (lace) and Hancock (poplin)
Pattern: Colette Patterns

Fabric: Gorgeous Fabrics
Pattern: Simplicity

Do you have any sewing obsessions at the moment? Are you perhaps mad for Liberty lawns or going gaga over 1940's dress patterns?

Pattern Musings: Simplicity 2211

This is a bit belated on the musings front, seeing as I'm almost finished with the project already, but on my sewing table right now is the Market Blouse from Simplicity Lisette 2211. This is one of those patterns that's been begging for me to make it, ever since I saw the envelope. I live for delicate little shirts, perfect for dressing up under a cardigan or just throwing on with a denim skirt. The puffed sleeves and button placket of this shirt fit that bill perfectly. I could immediately imagine it in pretty floral lawns and silk blends.

For my first iteration, I'm going basic: the main bodice made up in white cotton Swiss dot (from Gorgeous Fabrics), with the sleeve bands, collar, and placket made from a black cotton Swiss dot (from Hancock Fabrics). Black & white combinations are a big favorite of mine, stemming from a Rear Window viewing at too impressionable an age. Grace Kelly's divine B&W dress from that role stuck with me - it's one of my favorite color schemes for garments, party planning, and outrageously expensive shoes I cannot afford.

As for pattern changes, I did an FBA, which was incredibly easy due to the lack of extra design frills. That's it for changes this time around, but I am contemplating turning the placket from faux-button down to real closures next time. It's a very cute effect as it is right now, but I'm not much for fake details. If it looks like a button-down, it should actually button! The pattern pieces would be relatively easy to convert, so there's no point not giving in to my fashion neuroses and trying it out.