Miss Laurel Feels A Bit Green: Colette Laurel

Good morning, friends! Today in central Texas, it's about 25°F (-4°C) and lightly snowing. Brrr! It's been quite the chilly winter for us, with multiple Arctic fronts and snowfalls, which are normally a once-a-year happening. Needless to say, my wintery Mary-made pieces are in heavy rotation this year. There are my beloved Peggy skirts, a few flannel iterations of my Wendy dress, and one of my favorite late-2013 projects: a fully lined green Laurel dress.

As you may recall, my first Laurel dress was such a surprise. Despite a lack of seaming, it ended up being a very comfortable, super cute little piece. It layers well under cardigans, dresses up beautifully with heels, and doesn't take that much fabric. What's not to love? It's also, unfortunately for our current season, bright orange with a white floral border. Not exactly winter appropriate...

Luckily, I had this green floral lawn in my stash. Eons ago, a more moronic naive Mary bought a scant two

yards of this 44-inch wide fabric. Though I loved the print, with those rose and cream flowers swirling about in such an orderly, Regency fashion, it was practically useless. The thought of a simple tank top left me cold, so it was destined to languish.

The Laurel, however, only needs two yards of fabric. Bliss and joy!

This dress was almost too easy to make. I adjusted the fit from last time, bringing in the waist another two inches, but still allowed enough room to omit the center back zipper and keep the shift silhouette. So, I sewed two side seams, one center back seam, and inserted a green lawn lining. Then, I machine hemmed both layers and -- Voila! -- a dress was born.

Oh, you'd like more information? Well...the method I used for the lining insertion is somewhat unorthodox. While I did sew it in by machine, I didn't use the classic shoulder tunnel method, which I've never quite gotten the hang of. Invariably, I end up with one back piece properly sewn and the other irrevocably twisted. So, instead, I leave the shoulders as the last thing finished. They aren't sewn at all, until both lining and dress are sewn together, then through the magic of pulling the shoulders down through the bodice, you sew the shoulder seams independently. For the life of me, I can't find a tutorial online for this, even though I know it is used elsewhere. If anyone else hates the shoulder tunnel method and is intrigued by this, let me know, and I can put a tutorial together. (My princess-seamed bodice tutorial is finally going live next week, which will provide a rare non-outfit post.)

Like its predecessor, I love the way this Laurel layers up. It will be just fine on its own this summer, when I'm tanner than in these ghostly pictures, but really shines when paired with a wool cardigan and tights. A simple, comfortable outfit for these chilly Texas mornings. It's also perfect with my low slung brown boots, which I adore, but so rarely wear.

Incidentally, if you're also in the mood for a cute shift dress, I have good news! The lovely and charming Lauren, of Rosie Wednesday, is currently hosting a sew along for Simplicity 3833. The pattern is a completely adorable 60's reprint, with more structure than your typical shift dress. If you're concerned about how the Laurel may look on a curvy figure, 3833 is a fabulous alternative and Lauren's tutorials have been amazing. Her video on lapped zipper insertion will make a lapped zip convert out of you, I promise!

The details...

Things I Loved:

• The fabric! Pretty, simple, and so so soft!
• The ease! There is no easier dress than this, my dears. 

Things I Changed:

• Omitted the zipper, once again due to extreme laziness.
• Brought the waistline in by over five inches total. 

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

• Nothing! It's rather perfect as is. 

Notions & Fabric:

• 2 yards of floral cotton lawn by Moda
• 2 yards of green cotton lawn

Construction Time:

• Two hours, from cutting to hem. Woohoo!

In other news, Idle Fancy now has its very own Facebook page! Currently, it has zero fans. So...if someone, anyone would like it, I'd be eternally grateful. I'm not a big Instagram user, so if you want to keep up with behind-the-scenes sewing news and other fun things, that page is the place to go. Please, oh please, like it?

Note: All photo-bombing credits go to Seamus, our German Shepherd, who doesn't quite realize the difference between going outside to take pictures and going outside to play fetch...

Miss Violet Finds Her Moorings: Simplicity 1873

Hello, darling meerkats! Have you had a wonderful week so far? Mine has been rather hectic--lots of work and school to attend to--but has also been filled with sewing adventures. There was an ill-fated second knit dress (Note: if you're using a woven pattern with a jersey, only going down one size probably won't cut it!), some fitting adjustments on older makes, and oh yeah...a new camera! Apparently, 2014 is going to be Mary's Year of Modern Technology. First a serger, now a DSLR. I'll keep you posted, if we get a Jetsons-style hair robot. 

For this blog, I've always shot with a point-and-shoot, despite knowing full well that I needed a DSLR. It just seemed a pretty big purchase to make, when so many beautiful fabrics yearned to be bought, you know? However, thanks to some Mysterious Sewing News I Can't Mention Yet, Sam and I decided it was time for an upgrade. Enter the Canon Rebel T3i and my new obsession! 

After three straight nights of playing with the manual settings (Read: Photographing our dog in various "Why aren't you playing fetch with me, human?" poses.), I decided to document a real project. The knit dress was planned, but it's now wadded into a ball somewhere in a deep dark cave of sewing death, so that was out. Enter Simplicity 1873! This lovely little fit-and-flare dress is made up in an anchor print cotton, from Dear Stella, and piped in white around the neckline and armscyes. 

I have long lusted after the retro sailor dresses of Stop Staring and Pin Up Girl Clothing, but couldn't conscience buying one, when they're so easy to make. When I stumbled across this Dear Stella anchor print, it was a simple leap to pairing it with Simplicity 1873 for a cute nautical dress.This pattern is, as we've talked about recently, one of my favorites. With its simple bodice and full pleated skirt, 1873 is my platonic dress silhouette. It's the perfect blend of comfortable and waist-emphasizing! 

As far as construction, this was a super straight-forward dress. I'd already made 1873 five times before, so all the fitting kinks were worked out. For this version, I omitted the zipper out of pure laziness, and lined the bodice in pink-striped cotton shirting. I used store bought white piping, which I inserted around the neckline and armscyes, as mentioned. 

Incidentally, piping is my sewing true love. I would happily pipe All The Things, if I could. Perhaps that is my resolution for 2014: Pipe everything possible! It adds just the right amount of emphasis to a neckline. I've also found that, if a fabric is in danger of washing you out, a bit of coordinated piping can mitigate the effect. These anchors weren't doing that, as navy is universally flattering, but it is utterly adorable. 

So...another 1873! In a seasonally-inappropriate fabric choice! I don't normally love working with a "quilting weight" cotton, but I've found Dear Stella's fabrics to be high-quality and durable. Plus, how many times do you come across apparel-weight nautical prints? Sometimes, rules must be thrown out, in order to achieve sartorial bliss. 

The details...

Things I Loved:

• The fabric! Anchors are the best, all the taste-makers agree. 
• The piping! Of course. 

Things I Changed:

• Omitted the zipper, due to extreme laziness.
  

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

• Nothing! Mostly because I've made this pattern so many times that the kinks are worked out. 

Notions & Fabric:

• 3.5 yards of Dear Stella fabric
• 1 yard of striped shirting
• White Piping

Construction Time:

• Four hours. So much pleating!

I'm now going to fiddle with my new toy some more. Do you have any good DSLR tricks or favorite photography sites, friends? I have a pretty good handle on the basic manual functions, but would love some advice from any camera nerds out there. 

Miss Anya Stretches It Out: Lady Skater Dress

Happy 2014, friends! I hope your new year has started off well - full of conquered resolutions and stretchy post-holiday fabrics. In a combination of both notes, I've already had a sewing breakthrough this year. I, Mary Danielson Perry*, just sewed a knit dress.

I know what you're thinking. But knit fabrics are hard, Mary! They stretch and warp and have caused many a poor sewist to wander the moors in sorrow for wavy hems! You're completely right, of course. Knit fabrics are finicky beasts...unless you have a serger. Thanks to one dashing professor, I am now the proud owner of a Brother 1034D. The bearded one gives great Christmas gifts, non? I've had my eye on this model for quite some time, as it's the perfect blend of cost effectiveness and functionality. After my first project using her, I can totally endorse the reviews: this little machine is a wonder. Every seam is not only perfectly finished, but it was a breeze to thread and get started on. Joy!

Of course, I started on a relatively simple pattern. This is the Lady Skater dress from Kitchsy Coo, which was recommended as an ideal beginning knit pattern. It's a knit dress with sleeve options, a gently flared skirt, and banded neckline. Not only did it seem easy to construct, but it looked heavenly on dozens of body types.  For as terrifying as knits are purported to be, a sure bet pattern like this one seemed the way to go. I opted for a 3/4 sleeved version with coordinating neck and arm bands, then sewed the dress up exactly as instructed.

For fabric, I used a rayon jersey bought with a coupon at JoAnn Fabrics. It's a lovely sky blue, with white polka dots on one side and stripes on the other. After reading every knit fabrics tutorial online, I knew one thing was most important: finding the stretch of the fabric when cutting. A stripe that ran the length of said stretch was so helpful! Even better, I could use the striped side as my bands, to add visual interest to an otherwise plain dress. Sweet!

So, let's talk cutting knits, shall we? After extensive research on the matter, I decided the best way to handle this cunning fabric was to cut on a single layer. Knits want to slip and slide, as you handle them, so cutting on one layer ensures that your pieces are symmetrical on the grain. Sure, it took more time than a folded layout, but the other option was pinning down my fold line. I'd rather take laborious than tedious any day. I also used a rotary cutter, to prevent warping with the sheers, and a carp ton (Yes, carp ton. It's a better visual, right?) of pattern weights. It worked perfectly! I'm definitely Team Single Layer, when it comes to knits.

As for the sewing, that's where knits earned my love. From first seam to hem, this dress took me two hours to construct. Two hours! That's with a beginner's learning curve included. There were no darts to sew or pleats to fold, just serging seams together left and right. It would definitely have been more labor-intensive on a traditional machine, but I used my serger for everything but the hem. It was, well, fucking awesome.

Fit-wise, I made a straight size 7 in this pattern. It's a little big in the waist, but the bodice and sleeves fit perfectly. I totally didn't see that coming. No FBA? Really? Knits are so rock awesome. Honestly, if I don't need an FBA for this pattern, I can't see anyone needing one. With a properly stretchy fabric, it should fit sublimely on a myriad of body types. There's a six inch difference between my high bust and full bust measurements and it still worked well. 

Most of this dress was made with a simple serger seam, as mentioned above. The only step I really had issues with was the neckband, which I had to repin a few times to make sure it stretched evenly on the front and the back. Knit bands are cut smaller than the openings they cover, so it took a bit of coaxing and estimation to get it correct. However, once it had been well pinned, it was a breeze. I just ran it through the machine and - voila! - instant fabric finish. The hem was a bit more complicated. Upon the advice of Patty the Snug Bug's fantastic knits article, I invested in some Steam-a-Seam 2 Lite. After applying this magic strip to the hem, you peel the backing off, flip it up the prescribed amount (in this case, I opted for 1/2 inch, unlike the pattern's suggestion of 1 inch), then press. It stayed in place beautifully, while I did a simple zig-zag stitch around the hem. Too easy! 

So...that's it. I made a knit dress! If you have fireworks handy, set off a few in my honor, will you? That's the most terrifying thing on my Sewing Skills to Conquer list checked off. The instructions that came with this pattern, however, are delightfully vivid. There weren't too many missteps to make with such a simple piece, but any possible ones were headed off by the manual. It was an easy, satisfying sew. For my next knit project, I'm considering making a mock wrap dress a la Duchess Kate's engagement frock...in illustrated fox print jersey. Nothing says sophistication like animated vixens, don't you agree?

This is my superheroine pose. Something about the polka dots, stripes, and comfy fabric makes me feel like I could fly up, up, and away at any moment. Just call me Super Sewist. 

Now, after all that gushing, I have a confession to make: I don't actually wear knits, kittens. I've always been a woven girl. Give me a cotton voile or silk twill any day! Before this polka dot jersey, there wasn't a single knit fabric in my stash. Sure, I knew knits were comfortable, but that's what pajamas were for, right? Fashion doesn't need comfort! Such thinking is, of course, ludicrous. Now that most of my days are spent sitting at a computer, typing at furious speeds, I understand the appeal of knits. I don't always want pretty lined cottons digging into my side boob, you know? Unfortunately, my addiction to wovens meant that my only knit wardrobe options were camisoles and sleepwear. Answering the door at four o'clock in your pajamas gets really judgmental looks from the mailman. So, this whole Lady Skater project was not only a pattern test, but a fabric test. Would I feel comfortable in the slinky, clingy, comfy world of knitwear?

Spoiler alert: I totally do. This dress is amazing. It feels like pajamas, but looks like a grown up outfit. I can twirl and move and do jumping jacks in this dress. The silhouette is classic, but the fabric is down right space age. I looooooove it. I want a million of these dresses. More knits please! If you're also on the fence about taking the knit plunge, I can't recommend this pattern highly enough. It's deceptively cute, for such an easy make. You'll be converted, I promise.

The details...

Things I Loved:

• The ease! No darts. No pleats. Just serging. What's not to love?
• The banded neckline! It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I adore the striped bands with the polka dotted main fabric. There's something very comic book superheroine about the pairing.
• The fabric! It feels like pajamas, but looks like real clothing. Genius!

Things I Changed:

• Nothing. That's got to be a first. 

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

• Change sleeve options. As much as I love the 3/4 sleeves on my version, I would love to have a couple short sleeved versions in my wardrobe, once summer rolls around. This is an ideal Texas summer dress. 

Notions & Fabric:

• 2 yards rayon jersey - $16 (Note: For the 3/4 version, 2.5 yards is called for, but cutting on a single layer reduces fabric waste by quite a bit. You can totally get by on 2.)
• Steam-a-Seam 2 Lite

Construction Time:

• Two hours. Holy carp! 

Best. Christmas. Present. Ever. 

*I'm trying the unhyphenated double-barrel last name out, before deciding on any legal changes. On one hand, family unity makes sense, on the other I'm not giving up my last name completely or sounding like a nursery rhyme, but I don't want a hyphen. So, two names! No hyphen! I'm going to be saying "You know, like Hillary Rodham Clinton" a lot, methinks...

And Now A Quick Holiday Greeting

Good afternoon, kittens! I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season so far. Or, as they say where I currently am, a wonderful "festive season." So far this week, Sam and I have: gotten married, celebrated Christmas, flown halfway across the world, and eaten an obscene amount of cake in the process. We've finally settled in to our hotel in Dublin, where we'll be for a week, before exploring some other parts of Ireland. I won't be posting any new makes until we get back on the 7th, but I did want to share this quick, lovely image from our ceremony last week and wish everyone a very happy end of 2013! I don't have any good images yet of the whole dress, but I thought this one of my parents walking me down the aisle was too sweet not to share.

Happy Christmas/Holidays/New Year, friends! I love you all immensely and will see you in 2014.

We're now off to grab a pint somewhere. Cheers!

Miss Juliet Dons a Rose: SImplicity 1873

Good afternoon, noble sewists! Today has been - surprise! - a whirlwind of wedding related shenanigans. I have painted dozens of wooden snowflakes, contacted every vendor, formatted all of our signage, and spent thirty minutes trying to get metallic spraypaint out of my nail beds. For a moment, it looked as though I'd developed some rare Midas form of lepresy.

Quite frankly, I can't imagine what The Week Before (cue thunder, lightning) would be like for someone who really cared about every detail. We're having a relaxed brunchy affair and I'm still up to my eyeballs in projects. My to-do list just won't die!

Ergo, it should come as no surprise that I haven't been sewing. There are two giant wedding projects that will require my sewing machine later this week, but other than prepping for those, my sewing room has seen little action. The good news is that this allows me to show off one of my most beloved unposted projects!

This, my dear ones, is Simplicity 1873. In the summer of 2012, I made four of these babies, and wore them nonstop. A simple bodice attached to a pieced, pleated circle skirt, this Cynthia Rowley pattern is one of my all time favorites. For my first one, reviewed last year in this post, I followed the instructions to a tee, but these latter versions are pretty bare bones. I wanted easy cotton dresses that I could wash, wear, and survive the brutal Austin summers in.

Despite using some gorgeous modern prints for my others, this muted rose version is my reigning favorite. My mother graciously allowed me to pick through her stash a few years ago and this is one of the fabrics unearthed in that adventure. It's a very drapey rose-print quilting cotton from the late 1980s. It looks like bad curtains.

I love it. Hard.

Blame it on a childhood spent decked out in Laura Ashley dresses, but I have gooey, sappy feelings for chintzy florals. They make me want to curl my hair and frolic through meadows. This one, with its shades of dusty rose and sage against a black background, is no different.

As for construction, it's been awhile, but I'll try to dredge up some details. Instead of the prescribed full lining, I finished this dress with black bias tape turned to the inside. If one is to survive the kind of heat we see here, layers must be dispensed with. Plus, bias tape is quick to install. I wanted these done quickly!

For sizing, I completely cheated on ALL of the 1873s. While I should have done a real full bust adjustment, I instead graded from one size at the shoulders, up at the bust, down at the waist, then back up again. That's why it's just a smidge too big in certain places, like my under bust. Ah, well. For an quick cotton dress, who really cares?

While my other 1873s are limited to mostly summer outfits, this rose print lovely layers up perfectly in the colder months. Today, I wore her with my trusty emerald cardigan, but she also looks snazzy with tights, boots, and a dark rose cardigan on top.

So...there we have it! A frock Laura Ashley would call her own. Now, I'm off to sew endless amounts of wedding bunting for this weekend. Six days!

Miss Peggy Cozies Up to Plaid

Bonjour, my dear ones! Apologies for my unexpected blog silence, this past week. Between the holidays, my bachelorette party (a Nancy-Drew-inspired mystery dinner adventure), and crossing off my wedding to-do list, time slipped away from me. We're getting married in two weeks and, despite trying to keep everything low key, there are still so many things to be done!

Also, it's fucking cold. 

I would apologize for my language, but the high today is 22° Fahrenheit, with a wind chill of 12°. 

It hasn't been above freezing in two days. That may seem wimpy to those in the northern climes, but our average December high temperature is safely in the sixties. We're currently under a freezing fog advisory. I didn't even know that fog could freeze! "Freaking" really doesn't seem strong enough for the situation.

Snow fell this morning and is still frozen on things! Snow! On things! 

The good news, however, is that this weather is excellent practice for our honeymoon to Ireland. My cold weather wardrobe is going to be bangin', by the time our Boxing Day flight leaves. To that end, I've made another cozy skirt! 

After my trial run of the Peggy skirt, we all knew there was a love affair in store. I absolutely adore this pattern. The pretty pockets, figure-hugging high waist, and simple lines are the stuff my skirt dreams are made of. For my second version, I used a dreamy black, cream, and pink wool blend from Fabric Mart. 

As soon as Sam and I decided to honeymoon in Ireland during the winter, I invested in some pretty woolens. It's easy to talk myself out of such purchases, since we live in the sweltering Texas heat for half of the year, but I always lust after winter fabrics. The trip is a great excuse to indulge that fancy!

This wool blend, medium weight and with a nice drape, is such a Mary lust fabric. The combination of black, cream, and light pink is one of my favorites. There's something so 1950's Paris about those colors together, you know? It's only by the grace of looking bad in hats that I haven't bought a pink beret to pair with this skirt. I loooooove it. 

This round of Peggy skirt construction was a breeze, y'all. After my first time inserting those pockets, it was remarkably easy to repeat, and the rest of the skirt is just a few tucks and a lapped zipper. If you have any questions about construction, it would be best to reference my muslin post, which is a true in-depth review. 

The only challenge of this skirt came in matching the large scale plaid. I cut it on a single layer layout, which is time consuming, but a great way to make sure every line is straight. For matching the plaid itself, I took the Lladybird approach to things and cut everything I could on the bias, which meant the waistband and pockets. I love how the bias-cut waistband turned out, specifically. It emphasizes the beauty of Abby's design to perfection.

Since the Peggy Skirt side seams are curved, I settled for matching horizontal lines there, which turned out reasonably well and made hemming way easy. Meanwhile, the back. Let's talk about the back...

Oh, look! Mary matched plaids perfectly! Or wait...

I spent a ridiculous amount of time and effort matching the back seam, only to realize after sewing it up that I'd omitted the two white vertical lines that were supposed to be there. Instead, I oh-so-brilliantly matched one thin white line instead. Whhhhhyyyyy? 

It doesn't bother my eye any, but after all that effort, it feels like such a fail. I was so proud of myself! I even trotted out to Sam mid-construction, so that he could admire my plaid-matching skillz. All for naught. Whatever. I'm pretty sure that I'm not meant to be a person who perfectly matches plaid, anyway. That's for far more sophisticated people than I. 

I like my thin white line! Take that, gods of plaid!

The details...

Things I Loved:

• The pocket! It's a genius little design, once you have confidence in the method, and adds a really special detail. 
• The pattern! Fun fact: After my first Peggy, Abby informed me that I was actually the first person to buy the Peggy pattern. Ergo, logic insists that I'm a superfan and have the authority to say...go buy it now. Now! Now! Now! It's the perfect skirt pattern, friends. This is one you'll go back to again and again, I promise. 
• The waistline! I love a high waist so hard, y'all.  

Things I Changed:

• Cut a smaller waistband.
• Took a very large hem again - over five inches. 

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

• Add the tabs! I still haven't added this design detail, despite how adorable it is. Next time...

Notions & Fabric:

• 7 inch hot pink zipper, which Sam insisted on while accompanying me JoAnn's. He was correct. I love the pop of color, when it peeks out. 
• 1 vintage button
• Two yards of wool blend - $16
• Fusible Interfacing

Construction Time:

• Three hours, including the hand-sewn zipper and hem.