Weekend Pretty: 2.13.11

[Amy Adams at the BAFTAs]

[Bonnie Wright at the BAFTAs]

[Rosemund Pike at the BAFTAs]

[Emma Watson at the BAFTAs]

[Jessica Alba at the BAFTAs]

[Nicole Kidman at the Grammy Awards]

Greetings Fellow Sew People

Since we're on the topic of sewing machines, I thought it was as good a time as any to introduce myself. Hello, my name is Stephanie and I'm a beginner sewer. I grew up with a sewing machine in the house and I've completed a few projects in my day including a pair of pajamas, a drawstring backpack, an apron for a school play, and a skirt that I sewed for party in college. (Witness incrimiating picture to the right.)

That would be circa 2006 at our Harry Potter Halloween party. I was Fleur Delacour, can you tell?

Let me tell you the joys of making up my own skirt pattern the day of the party when I hadn't touched a sewing machine in at least seven years. It's a good thing I had a top that covered the waist because boy, was it scary. Scary enough that I didn't touch the machine again.

Fast forward to 2010 wherein Mary ventured into the sewing realm and as I do with many things, I followed! The fabulous dresses she made for our writing conference last summer blew me away (read: I wanted to look just as good) and that's when I put a sewing machine on my Christmas list. When Christmas day came around I was shocked and delighted to find a Singer 2273 Esteem II beneath the tree with my name on it! Thank you, thank you to my lovely Mum for that one.

Sadly, there hasn't been too much progress since Christmas. Mary added me as a contributor to this blog and I started pulling inspiration photos for the Colette Spring Pattern Challenge but the actual sewing has been zilch. I suppose finding a pattern and some fabric would be a good start? Until then I'll pour over my Singer instruction manual.

How did you get started with sewing? Do you recall your first project?

A Fond Farwell (To My Sewing Machine)

Bad news, kittens.

My beloved Brother PS-3700 is no more. As it turns out, it was not so unscathed in the move. It was, in fact, very much scathed. It must have been jostled around a bit too much, despite being in its case, and the motor is absolutely kaput. Which means, I have pattern pieces cut out, I have a muslin sewn together, but now I have no sewing machine. (Okay, that's not exactly true. I do have a Bernina Bernette 46, which was purchased as a travel machine, but it gives me headaches. I swear the needle unthreads every other time I put my fabric through. Drives me crazy. The only dress I've sewn on it took twice the amount of time it normally would, thanks to all the re-threading. It's adorably retro looking, but a total lemon.)

This will not do.

Unfortunately, having the motor replaced is almost half of what I originally payed for the machine. It doesn't seem like a good choice, despite how much I liked my 3700. So, I spent last night looking at other machine options. I've read review upon review of all the different brands and their various models. Since I have to buy a new machine anyway, I would like to upgrade to a computerized version. While I do wish my pockets were flush enough to afford a spiffy high-tech Elna, like my mother's, they are not.

Luckily, Brother has once more come to the rescue. The reviews for the CS6000i are almost universally positive - a great computerized machine with tons of features, but easy-to-use for the beginner sewer. So, the CS6000i it is! It turns out, I'm just as loyal to sewing machine manufacturers, as I am to car makers. I may end up forever driving Volvos and sewing on Brothers.

When it gets here on Thursday, I'm going to pour over the manual, then test it out by finally finishing up my Cynthia Rowley pattern. Thank God. I'm starting to feel ill with guilt, every time I look at the pink seersucker pieces. The poor dress is just dying to be constructed!

Out of curiosity, what machine do you use? Is there any manufacturer that you're particularly loyal to?

Weekend Pretty: 2.5.11

And now, some lovely gowns courtesy of the SAG awards last weekend.

[Photos from Yahoo]

And now a completely superfluous picture of a puppy in the snow.
[My 7-month-old Bichon, Remy, to be precise. Adorable, isn't she? It was her first snowfall and she loved it.]

Continued Musings: Simplicity 2250

Simplicity 2250 is officially happening this weekend.

I've been staring at the pattern pieces all week, trying to visualize how to do an FBA. There are a ton of darts on this thing, kittens. Like twenty. A traditional FBA is out of the question.

So, I whipped up a quick muslin to see if it could afford not to be altered. Honestly, it can, but the look of the dress significantly changes. Because the torso proportions are shortened, it looks more empire-waisted than it's meant to. Luckily, that's an easy problem to fix. I'm going to try my hand at simply adding length to the bodice. There's one pattern piece that will make this tricky, but with a few inches in length, plus some additional darts added in, I think I can get the same design look the pattern aims for.

Anyway, wish me luck! I'll be back with pictures of the pattern pieces, muslin, and the final product in the next day or two!

Musings: Spring Palette

I'm on to step two of the Colette Spring Pattern Challenge. This week's task? Pick out which patterns I plan to make and what fabrics to use.

Choosing the patterns was the easiest part for me. I haven't been sewing all that long, so my stack of To-Sew patterns is sizable. Fabric selection was bit more difficult, if only because of the palette constraints. While I love solid color clothes in reality, it's hard for me to say no to really pretty prints. In theory, I know that prints sometimes look ridiculous in garments, but I'm still all to quick to pick a crazy busy floral over a quality solid fabric. In this, I've allowed myself two floral fabrics, then other mostly solid fabrics. Note: I'm counting seersucker as a solid here. The stripes are tiny, after all. (Excuses, excuses, I know!)


Items to sew:

1. Vogue 8555 - Yellow Dotted Swiss Cotton
2. Simplicity 2250 - Pink & White Cotton Seersucker (Planning blogged here)
   
3. Colette Sencha Blouse - Yellow/Orange Floral Cotton Shirting
4. Sewaholic Pendrell Blouse - White Dotted Swiss Cotton
5. Simplicity 2512 - Indigo Stretch Denim
6. Simplicity 2413 - Blue & White Striped Cotton Voile

Extra Projects:

1. Colette Chantilly Dress - Blue & White Floral Cotton Shirting
2. Simplicity 2443 - Coral Pink Ponteroma Knit

With most of my sewing projects, I like to include something new I haven't tried yet. Since I'm still perfecting my skills, I think it's important not to get stuck in a sewing rut. For this challenge, there will be plenty of - well - challenges. Just a list of some firsts from this collection: invisible zippers, knit fabrics, a Colette pattern, ruffle sleeves, shirt buttons, and seam binding. That's a lot of new skills to learn! I can't wait to dive in. :D