We're Talking Flower Power!

~ yeah, need I say more? ~

~ it's a Waxed Cotton African Print fabric from Mood ~

Yes, I finally succumbed when Mood Fabrics had a sale of 6-yard cuts of the stuff.  I'd never seen prices so low before.  I had to jump for it.  I know it's not the typical African pattern, but this one is sold out.  There are, however, several other patterns/colorways still available at 6 yards for $29!

~ and the inside is just as colorful and the outside ~

It's just not waxed.  

There are a few considerations to keep in mind when using the fabric:

• It only comes in 45" width.
• Pre-wash it in cold water, without letting it spin in the washer! 
• Air-dry it.  I used the clothes line and that worked perfectly.
• Only iron it on the reverse (non-waxed) side and still cover it with a cloth.
• It ravels like crazy and instantaneously.  Finish all the seam edges! 
• Use a pattern without gathering or a lot of fussy elements.

~ the pattern in its full glory ~

Because my fabric was one huge print that I didn't want to disrupt, I used it on the cross-grain, from selvedge to selvedge.  That's the selvedge as the "hem" for the duster and the sleeves.

The following is all sewing nonsense, so feel free to skip to the end.

I started off using Sandra Betzina's Vogue 1356, but changed a few things along the way:

• First up, the sleeves were incorrect on the pattern - being the wrong size by 2 inches for the armcyce.  
• Then I decided I'd rather not have two-piece sleeves for this fabric anyway.  I drafted my own one-piece sleeve pattern so as not to cut up the flowers any more than necessary.
• The duster was ill-fitting with the center front barely touching some places and widely overlapping at other points.  I ix-nayed that center flap.  This also led me to not want to use the  facing I had interfaced that was to go around the neckline and down the length of the duster on both sides. 
• Instead I sewed it on backwards, so to speak, to form an extension down each side like a kimono lapel.  That brought the two sides together more evenly and gave it some heft.  
• I tried using the back neckline interfacing to form a mandarin collar and failed miserably.  Off it came.
• I happened to have matching (?!) seam binding and used that to make a clean, simple neckline.
• I placed the patch pockets at the sides, centered over the side seams, again because I didn't want to disrupt the flow of flowers on the front.

~ ending with my yellow Docs from ebay ~

Now whatever shall I make with the rest of the fabric????

I'm linking up with Catherine's I Will Wear What I Like.  And Spy Girl's Summertime for June.  And Patti's Not Dead Yet Style.  Join us, won't you?

Frankie in the City Goes PAO

~ just like the statue of liberty ~

You can put me in the bushes, but I'm a city girl through and through.

~ yeah, bay-bee ~

So what's with the Frankie part, you ask.  It's the name of the Tina Givens pattern I used (with some liberties) for the crop top and pants.

The lovely sketch of the NYC skyline with selected blotches of ballet pink fabric is from my fav online shop, here.  

~ les shoes from ebay ~

For an extra sweet treat...

What to Wear in a Bog Dress

or a swamp thang

~ maybe substitute the velvet fake docs ~

or maybe not

This is so comfortable I fell asleep in it and found myself wearing it this morning.  And you can't tell the difference!  Now that's how I like my clothes, bay-bee.

~ hey look! it's 2, 2, 2 dresses in 1 ~

The pattern is from Tina Givens, called the Poppy Slip and Shirt.  The fabrics are thin stretch knits/ mesh abstract prints from Fabricmart.com. 

~ le back view ~

And as I always say, 2 sheers make it right.  You know what I mean?

~ the obligatory shoe shot ~

That's blue velvet fake Docs from ebay and space-dyed sox from Soxdreams.com.


Now it's off to the big parties for the week.  Whenever they go live, that is.  Patti's Not Dead Yet Style with all the Visibles, Catherine's I Will Wear What I Like, and Cherie's Shoe and Tell.  See you there!

My My My Myiake

I made it!  The Issey Miyake coat designed for Vogue patterns (1476) some 20 years ago.

~ Some things just get better with age, yeah? ~

I was so intimidated to even try it.  Plus it takes 5 yards of wide fabric.  And there's only 2 pattern pieces that don't resemble anything wearable.  

~ it looks exactly like the pattern picture ~

While it turned out to be a quick sew, it was quite the elaborate cut out.  I had to move out the chairs and table from the sewing room so I could work on the floor for this one.  I mean the one pattern piece was ginourmous - like 60" by a zillion I think.  And there was no way I could work that on my 3 x 5 foot table (I tried).

Gadding about on hands and knees from one end of the wooden floor to the other...now that was a whole 'nother adventure that I don't care to encounter again.

~ gadding about in style ~

The fabric I used was a dark gray double-sided fleece I bought at Fabricmart.com.  But it acted more like faux fur in it's shedding capacity while cutting it out.  shoo-wee.   It was extraordinarily soft and lightweight.  One side has longer napped fleece than the other, but both sides show in the design of the coat.

The big pockets are amazing.  I did raise them about 2 inches according to other people's reviews on the Pattern Review site.

~ dramatic bat back view ~

I also added wide elastic to the sleeve hem to bring it in a bit and not have it so accessible to the cold wind.  They're not tight on the wrist at all.  I didn't use the sleeve facings then.  I also didn't miter, top stitch, or hem anything because it was, after all, fleece and therefore, unnecessary.  That's why it was such a quick & easy sew.

~ whoa, the big reveal ~

Ladies, I'm also wearing:

• hat handmade by Viv X
• embellished fingerless gloves handmade by Elaine 
• embossed suede with satin trimmed vest handmade by moi
• chiffon print dress handmade from Tina Givens Adelle pattern
• herring bone sox from Sox Dreams
• golden Fluevogs from ebay

Seems this coats turns out to be one size fits all, more or less.  Just check out the pix after the break!

A Chicago Sewing Bloggers Meet-Up

And I was there!

Ok, I'm not in the picture, cuz I'm taking it.

And here's were we met/ went last Sunday:

The most amazing place on Earth, fabric-wise

Can you believe this place is in Chicago, in the Pilsen neighborhood, and I never ever went to it before!!!!  ooooooommmmmggggggg sums it up.  It's like discovering Tutankhamen's tomb, or Alibaba's cave, or ...

A little back story here.  All this time I'm wondering why are there no Chicago bloggers - sewing clothes ones.  Then one day I follow a lead to some recommended tights for an online indie pattern.  It's the Rose Hip Tights & Stockings Pattern by Seamsters Patterns and I buy it, download it, make it, like it and check out her blog.  Turns out Mari is from Chicago and also wonders where are all the Chicago sewing bloggers, but she goes a step further and actually asks the question.  And people answer.  Including me, even if it was a year later.  I immediately got a reply that the Chicago Sewcialists were meeting at Textile Discount Outlet in a couple weeks.  

Now let's see some pictures inside, yeah?