Made! - Hack Vogue 8633 with maxi-length wrap skirt

Long wrap skirts have become a favorite garment.  You can make them to fit, but with some creative safety pinning you can change them to fit you at any point in life.  That's not the most glamorous point of view, considering I also enjoy the tailoring of men's shirts and couture hand-finishings, but sometimes a safety pin is all you need.  And we should admit that, mmm?

I made this dress for a family wedding.  The bodice, from Vogue 8633, is made of some upholstery fabric that I found and loved at my local fabric store.  The navy print I purchased in Utah while visiting my in-laws, and the coral satin underlay I bought locally on clearance.

Since the upholstery fabric is so thick, I didn't interface any of the bodice.  It stands up well on its own, and can be molded into different shapes at the neckline.  I prefer it curved down a little bit.

As part of my design, I chose to extend the back bodice around to the front and secure it with buttons on an angle, so that the bodice matches the wrap of the skirt.  This also kept me from worrying about a zipper.  It's lined, and the sleeves are bound in bias tape.

When attaching the skirt to the bodice, I used an inch allowance on the skirt so I could wrap the raw edges of the bodice.  Though it thickened the layers there a bit, I'd rather have that than scratchy edges.

Something I've contemplated is pinning up parts of the skirt to asymmetrically raise the hem, to make it friendly for warm weather.  The family wedding was outside, and this Tennessee September cooperated - it was actually a bit chilly! So, a maxi dress was just right for the temperature and breeze.

Anyway, this is my most recent make!  Not too difficult, not too easy.  Somewhere right between.

Made! - The Grace Dress (Butterick 5556 and Vogue 8645)

In an effort to make more clothes that are elegant yet easy I came up with this pattern hack: B5556 and V8645.  The combination of easy sleeves and slip-on design is just what I was looking for.
  

The material is a fuchsia wool crepe bought from my local fabric store.  It's slightly heavy, so it makes this a great 3-season dress.  I imagine it will be too warm for summer.

Thanks to husband for taking pictures after a long day.

To create The Grace Dress I taped the top of B5556 to the bottom of V8645 and combined curves to make one piece.  While constructing the dress I removed some of the ease so I didn't feel swallowed by fabric.  Midi length doesn't have to equal too much fabric - neither does maxi, for that matter! This is probably why I subconsciously avoid gathered styles...don't need to add volume.  Stress and being overworked does that for me naturally...if you catch my drift. (See also: wobbly bits return when the half marathon is over)

This dress is named for my sister, really just because I only name things after special people.  My skirt, the Suanna, is named for my closest friend.  Grace, my sister, does have a way of dressing that never looks too fussy, even if you can tell she is well put together. So, in a way, her style was in my mind while making this garment.

I was a little fussy about the finishing of this dress, however. Each seam is either serged or folded over, stitched, and whip-stitched to the dress.  This means that even though she wrinkles, she will never have funny seam creases. All facings are also whip-stitched.

The collar was a small labor of love, as I decreased the facing by about 1/16", which helps it roll the right way and prevent it from flipping up at the front of the neckline.

I wore this dress to work the day after I finished it and received plenty of compliments, which always makes for a happy day.  It looks best with my nude pumps, so I bit the bullet and wore those to work. Obviously, it was a day that did not require a trek across campus!

Attempts to get photo of a side view were comical with LooCat needing to be part of the process...

She painstakingly crafts her tail to floof like that.

Not joking.

I'll be making either this dress or V8645 again.  The low-maintenance vibe is something I can't resist.

Blogging is running behind these days (it feels like I'm ALWAYS saying that).  I've had multiple concerts every week - and those are ones I'm performing in, not just attending. It's what I've trained to do, so it's something I can do well. But, it doesn't mean I don't get behind on other parts of my life, like blogging, cleaning, landscaping, cooking, fixing the house, decorating the house, writing on my OTHER blog, making new videos, prepping another arrangement, laying groundwork for a CD/video project, etc.

Needless to say, the Creative Laurels house is ready for the slower pace of summer. :)

A career on an academic schedule packs 12 months of work into 9, especially if you're in the arts. Between teaching and rehearsals and performances, 10-14 hour days on campus aren't rare, even if you're part-time.  I love it, though, and it's cool to watch the students grow.  But...it also makes me ready for summer. ;)

Made! - Vogue 1516

When you're a professional musician, there's no such thing as enough black in your wardrobe.  Concert black is something I put on weekly, and even on days when I'm not performing, black-on-black is something that will always make you look put-together...no matter what, and is therefore a go-to when getting dressed in the morning.

Super-awesome flowy top courtesy of my mom on my 30th birthday.

Growing tired of my usual fare of black skirt or trousers, I decided to make myself something more unique! A pair of satin cigarette ankle-length pants.  I purchased Vogue 1516 for the pants as well as View B, the layered top, which I look forward to sewing!

Vogue 1516 - Views B and D

The pattern is drafted for woven material, which is what I planned to use. There's a natural challenge here, as you have to decide if you want the pants to look great standing up or be comfortable sitting down.  Unless there's stretch in the material, you have to choose. Alas, alack, that's how it is.

My locally purchased crepe back satin is of high quality and zero stretch.  Knowing I was making these pants for collaborative piano performances I opted for the comfy-while-sitting fit. As a result, they are rather loose when standing.  In some ways I worry they make me look wider on the bottom than I actually am, but I love how well they fit when I sit down to play.  I know they look slightly shimmery on stage, and that they look like they fit really well - because they do!  I used the "wrong" side as the "right" side, because there's Oh look, they're shiny! and then there's Oh.....look. They're shiny.

In my efforts to not overfit, the waist is a tad bit more loose than I'd normally like. But, again, when I sit (and the belly, you know..."relaxes"...lol) they aren't too tight, which means sitting through an hour [or more] of playing is comfortable.  Always a plus.

I really like this design, and will make them again out of a material with stretch, so I can fit them a bit more.

I'm a fan of the seam running down the back of the leg.  It affords some nuanced fitting and looks great.  In the satin it provides a simple detail that adds to the "expensive factor."  I'm not one that cares if her clothes look expensive, as I'm of the mindset that if it fits, it's going to look expensive, but I do like when pattern, material, and fit really work together.

Husband helped take these photos when I got home from playing a recital for two clarinetists.  Nothing like a little Hindemith on a Saturday afternoon. (Musical inside joke, sorry.)

Embarrassing.

Look at them shoes!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing like a great clearance find, right?!

And for anyone really paying attention, yes! I cut my hair!  I make a tri-annual donation to Locks of Love. This time I donated 12 inches, and my hair has already grown quite a bit in the few weeks since I cut it.  My hair grows really fast. Like, disturbingly fast.  I figure the best thing to do with it is let it do its thing and then donate it to hopefully make a positive difference.

I'd like to find more things that help others, but there's only so many hours in a day. Looking forward to summer when I'll be able to make more of a difference!

Made! - Vogue 1387, view B

As my first garment post-quilt, this was a really enjoyable project: Vogue 1387, a Rebecca Taylor design.

Previously used for a gift for my mom (View A, blogged about here), I decided a long sleeve version for myself would be great for the season and work.

I LOVE THIS SHIRT.

The pattern is drafted beautifully. The front yokes and bias bands above the pleats are not altered to fit my shape - they just naturally fit.

Some Changes
- Graded to a size 6/8 around the waist for more shape
- Used a reverse pleat instead of gathers at the back yoke (next time I'll do gathers)

Welcome to our living room!

- Graded to a size 6 from the armscye to the wrist
- Overall, used size 10 in width, but size 12 in length
- Made my usual long torso adjustment, adding about an inch between the bust and waistline
- Used buttons rather than snaps because I LOVE BUTTONS

All seams are French seams, and the armscye allowances are whipstitched to the facings where possible, which will keep everything in place.

an inside view

one long French seam from wrist to hip

In addition to the fitting changes, I also constructed this shirt the way I like to make shirts for my husband - by attaching the sleeve at the armscye before sewing the underarm seam. Then, I sew the underarm and side seam together in one go.

The fabric is somewhat embarrassingly sourced at my local Walmart. As usual, I was there looking for something else but got distracted by the fabric section and found this mystery crepe for $2/yard.  For my next shirt I'll source from a local store.  This has become my process when trying a new pattern: cheaper wearable muslin and then locally sourced finer fabric.

An off-topic but happy accomplishment is a new ceiling light for our hallway. I installed it all by myself! It's a cool Tiffany design, and is a good transition piece from our bold living room (can you see that bright orange in the photos?!) to our neutral, tan hallway.

Made! - Vogue 1387

When I happened upon this Nicole Miller fabric, I immediately thought of my mom. It is full of her colors: turquoise, pink, and nice blends of green (which she doesn't necessarily love, but look gorgeous on her!).

It pairs perfectly with one of Rebecca Taylor's recent Vogue patterns: V1387.  I made View A, as I was drawn to the defined waist and the wrap style that allows for flexibility in terms of neckline.

The double pleats at each shoulder (which are missing from the line drawing...) allow for flattering drape in the front.  I staystitched each neckline edge, though it was not in the instructions. Without it I think there would be a gaping issue in the front.

The sleeve insets are really interesting! I've never made a top with them, but I might be adjusting every pattern to have this construction. 

Side seams are finished in the French style, and the narrow hem at the bottom looks particularly polished, if I can say so myself. Turquoise, being my mom's favorite color, contrasts yet blends with the print. 

The easy fit of this top allowed for easy pattern grading, as I had to estimate what size to make for my mom. This fabric also has a tiny bit of stretch, which will make up for any tight spots. 

I used bound buttonholes at the drawstring waist, as I thought normal ones would look a little too homemade for this material.  They are hard to spot in the print - but they're there!

Hopefully Mom will be able to pair this with denim, khaki, black, white, and just about any other color on the bottom. The print is rather expertly designed in that regard! 

Sewing Cat

Added a Creative Laurels label, and it was done! I found some clip-on earrings that complement the style and complete this Mother's Day gift. 

Hope she likes it!! Happy Mother's Day, everybody!

Made! - Marimba Spiritual tunic

What's a Marimba Spiritual, you may ask? I'll tell you.

It's a piece of music by Minoru Miki that I had the privilege of performing Monday night at James Madison University.  Scored for a marimba soloist (me!!) with percussion trio, the piece is one of the staples of percussion repertoire.  Though I've performed portions of this piece before, this will be the first time I'll play the entire thing. It's very exciting!!

8am photos...

The back hem is supposed to be angled, which I rather like, actually.

As a musician and a maker, what else is there to do while prepping for a concert than making an outfit for said concert?  This tunic is my second version of Vogue 2064, an OOP Donna Karan pattern.



I've previously made View B with no changes, but this time I added overall length and combined it with View A. Though I love the one-shoulder design, I don't enjoy the anxiety (however faint) that comes along with it.  At concert time, though I trust my own sewing, I'd rather not worry about it flashing some side boob.  Phrases, dynamics, and musical images I'll worry about.  But wardrobe malfunctions?...I'll leave those to the pop stars of the world.  Side note: Do you think I'll get more random Google hits on the blog since I used the word "side boob"??

Close-up. The right front wraps over the left.

For my version, I used the left front of View A, folding under and stitching the armhole allowance rather than attaching a sleeve.  I enjoy the right sleeve in View B: it doesn't get in the way or pull on the bodice, since it's only connected at the lower armscye.  This means big reaches across the marimba, like I have to do in Marimba Spiritual, aren't at all inhibited by clothing.

Here's an example of my first Vogue 2604 in action.

I love this shot! (Sidenote: This was back when I was lifting weights and running often - gotta get back to it!!)

The only tedious part of construction is adding almost 5 feet of thin elastic to the top edge. The instructions say to make a channel and then insert it through, but I found that the material wouldn't stop gathering as I did that, so I had to rip it out and just eye-ball it in place, gently pulling to stretch the fabric while I sewed the channel with the elastic already in it. I'll make sure to do this next time without trying the other method first.

This fabric is nothing sentimental. I think I bought it during one of JoAnn's Red Tag Clearance sales, so I paid maybe $8 for all of it.  I used a ball point needle on my machine for this, though it would be just as easy to use a serger.

Since this is a performance top and I knew I'd move around a lot, rather than using a hook and eye, as the pattern suggests, I attached the drape around the back with a safety pin or two. This way I knew it wouldn't go anywhere, and nobody sees it anyway.

I wore this top with  my concert pants, which I made a few years ago from View C.  You can see them in the photos. They are made of a thick, shiny ponte, which makes them look fancy from the audience, but nobody knows that they are perhaps more comfortable than my yoga pants! :)

Here are the side views.

Left side

Right side

The concert on Monday was great! I was overall happy with the performance, and proud of the work the students did for all the rep, not just Marimba Spiritual.  I'll be making a video (*hopefully*) if I got some good audio and visual.  I'll also try to get some stills of this tunic in action!!

Yay, marimba and sewing coming together!!

Made! - Vogue 8181

I finished this dress just before the blizzard last weekend. We got a mammoth 25-30 inches!

Luckily, though, we have really cool neighbors and we all decided that since we weren't going anywhere else, we might as well trek to each other's houses for dinner. Hooray for friendship!

No available photo partners = mirror in the dining room

I used the motif as the marker for the hemline.

And no, I did not trek through all that snow wearing this dress, but I look forward to wearing it soon!

The pattern is Vogue 8181, View A, with shortened sleeves.  There was concern that the long sleeves would be uncomfortable while playing, so I opted for elbow-length instead.

The material was purchased in Costa Rica, and I love it. It's a warm-toned motif on thick black ponte with great recovery, no fraying, and no slippage. And will you look at the print alignment? It worked out so well! :::Toots own horn:::

I'm pointing to the empire waist seam.

Can you spot the back waist seam???

Topstitch using narrow zip-zag

Unpretty but supportive

This pattern has underarm gussets, a feature that I don't come across often, but find very comfortable.  I topstitched them for strength, and inserted them one seam at a time rather than following the pattern's direction to pin all four seams at once. (Made that mistake when I sewed this dress the first time a few years ago. Ya know, before I started to trust my own sewing brain.) 

Without question I'll be making this pattern again. I love everything about it, even if I did have to lengthen at the true waist and the empire waist to get a good fit!

Proud Insides

I used some grossgrain ribbon I had on hand as a way to stabilize the raised waist seam. Hooray for using what's lying around instead of buying things!

I also serged all the seams, and hand-tacked the neckline facing to the bodice all the way around rather than letting it flop about.  

Working with this fabric was such a lovely experience. I have only a little bit left over and have no clue what to do with it but can't bring myself to get rid of it.  I was thinking a bandeau or sports bra...stay tuned.

I hope all of you are staying warm out there! Our temps are higher than normal this week, hanging out between 20-40 degrees. Good thing this dress will layer well with tights, a jacket, and warm boots!

Lastly, here's a close-up of the shoes. :)