a possible & permissible pencil skirt for pears

Lately I've been feeling like a one-trick pony. A one-trick pear-shaped pony, that is. Wait.

To this point I've been highly dedicated to only sewing clothes that fit within the wardrobe "rules" for my particular body type. By most definitions I am a pear shape, in that my bust and waist are narrower than my fairly prominent hips. Maybe it's determined by a shoulder-to-waist-to-hip ratio, not a bust-to-waist-to-hip ratio, but whatever, I just know this baby got back. What I don't know is whose job it was to name the various female body types. I'm not sure how impressed I am by the resulting combination of fruit, geometry and mundane household objects.

source

Lovely. So here's basically what I know about how to dress to look my best (which, I guess they mean is to look my slimmest). According to YouLookFab's article "The Pretty Pear": "Strive to create an 'A-line' silhouette with your clothing. Choose styles that define your waist and show off your torso. Knee length A-line skirts with vertical panel seaming are best. Pants should make a straight line down from your widest point. Stay clear of bias-cut skirts and pencil skirts." 

Translation: "Keep that fat bum outta sight, ladies." C'mon now.

This is all relatively easy to abide by, except when it comes to casual wear. I break the rules with my skinny jeans, even though I know they look bad on me and I feel pretty awful in them all day. I just wanna fit in with the cool kids, you know? For my business casual work environment, though, I've happily built a wardrobe of dresses and skirts that are fitted at my natural waist and flare out over my "problem areas." Here's a sampling of how dedicated I am to the waist-defining A-line shape, in case you haven't noticed. And, no -- though it may appear this way, I'm not really an obsessive patriot who has intentionally created a wardrobe palette based on the colors of the American flag:

1 - Red Trench // 2 - Blue Burda // 3 - Colorblock

4 - Darling Ranges // 5 - Cardinal // 6 - Confetti 

Despite feeling most comfortable and confident in these kinds of clothes (USA theme aside), I'm also getting tired of this silhouette. I wouldn't be surprised if my friends, colleagues and blog readers are getting sick of it, too. Oh cool, Andrea, another tent-shaped sundress with a belt slapped around it. Good job, how fashionable. What a nice full skirt and tucked-in blouse you got there. You'd make a lovely 50s housewife, really.

So, folks, I've done the unthinkable, broken some rules, and decided to make myself a (gasp) pencil skirt. Truly scandalous!

OK it's not scandalous at all, really. I chose a tasteful one that still abides by other pear shape rules: emphasize the waist, use solid colors and structure on the bottom half, blah blah. After a Simplicity pattern fail and some additional research, I found a better pattern that looked like it could work for a pear shape: Vogue 8697. 

It looks a lot like Burda's Jenny Skirt with the high waist, but the key here is princess seams. Because I'm a princess. I mean, these seams are just much easier to fit around curves, and they help eliminate the horizontal pull marks across the thighs. The waistband is pieced and shaped -- not just a flat rectangle -- so the garment contours quite nicely to an actual human body.

The fabric is cotton twill with the color name "Tobacco." I'm instead calling it "Cappuccino," as caffeine is my preferred chemical addiction. This is my commitment to creating more basic items that I can pair with many things I already own (the whole cake vs. frosting thing -- but cake is still sweet on its own!). I do like this color despite its blandness - it has the practicality and matchability of khaki, but in a pretty golden hue. The fabric was 60" wide, so at 1 & 3/8 yards I was able to make this skirt and there's enough left to make a tote bag... in case I want to, you know, tote stuff. Like pencils.

I like the seaming quite a bit, and the pattern instructions were clear (surprising, since it's Vogue). Fair warning, though: all those small pieces meant a lottttt of cutting. There's a lining with the same seaming, and you are told to cut interfacing for both the waistband and waistband facing, so I must have had to cut like 450 pieces. That's when you realize Gingher scissors are kinda heavy, damn.

So if you, like me, have avoided pencil skirts forever but still want to try one out, maybe this is is your pattern! 

What are the "rules" for your body type, and have you ever broken them when it comes to sewing or shopping?

modcloth dress knockoff

I like to imagine the ModCloth "warehouse" as an open green meadow with miles of dresses hanging daintily from clothing lines, blowing lightly in the breeze, back-lit by a warm golden sunset that never actually sets. When you place an order, a woman in a floppy sun hat prances out to pick the dress from the line, folds it gently in her wicker basket and sprinkles daisies on top before heading to the post office. 

"On Meadow" by Aleksandr Averin
Source: Art Russia

Then I remember their HQ is in Pittsburgh PA, so it's probably just in an old steel mill or something.

ModCloth Distribution Center
Source: IUP Fashion Association 

Anyway, I hope ModCloth doesn't mind that I was inspired by (okay, tried to copy) one of their looks. I want them to like me so they'll hire me one day. A friend of a friend actually works at ModCloth as a writer. She gets to sit in a posh studio with a rack of beautiful clothes hanging next to her probably-a-Mac computer, thinking of clever puns and styling options for the item descriptions. And, she says, you can take your dog to work. UM, DREAM JOB, even without the meadow. Do they just, like, giggle & wordplay their way through team meetings? I'm evergreen with envy. 

The inspiration dress is called the "Diamond Fund Dress" (out of stock as of today), and I bookmarked it in my browser awhile ago but forgot about it. I also bought this rayon fabric awhile ago from Hancock, but couldn't decide what pattern or style to use it for. So when I came across this dress again on Pinterest, I immediately knew what I had to do. I looked in my pattern stash and even had a pretty good match; McCall's 6503, which I used to make my colorblocked dress, has an option with a cross-over gathered bodice and curved midriff band. So I didn't even have to make any new fabric or pattern purchases to get started. I just had a little pattern modification to do, and you all know how much I love that.

I tried to stay true to the original dress as much as I could, but didn't get the midriff band right. Mine lacks the horizontal pintucks (seemed unnecessary), doesn't really have that inverted V curve on the midriff and therefore no buttons (unfortunately; my fault), and has a more modest neckline. I also couldn't squeeze out a proper A-line skirt in the amount of fabric I had, so my skirt consists of two gathered rectangles and is slightly more fitted. My fabric print has circles instead of diamonds but it's pretty darn close. I like theirs better when I compare them side by side, but I like mine just fine on its own.

Since I had previous experience with the M6503 pattern, I knew that the gathered bust was basically drafted for a double-Z cup, so I went down a size and narrowed the bottom so there wouldn't be as much fabric to gather. It was still tricky getting it to lay right, with the crossover front and gathered shoulders. I wish I could have called ModCloth to ask for their advice, but doubted they had patternmakers readily available to answer phone calls from copycats. I just kept taking the bodice up and in until it worked for the most part. It still is a bit saggy.

The back has a V neck and a shirred waistband like the original. I've never shirred fabric before, but it was so easy! I always thought the look was pretty juvenile, but it's pretty fun to sew and definitely practical to wear. SURE I'LL SHIRR. I just extended the back midriff piece by three inches, then stitched five rows with elastic thread on my bobbin. Elastic magic.

So, why bother? I'll show you:

Inspiration dress = $71.99 with shipping.

My dress = $9. BOOM. This makes me feel better about it being slightly less cute than the original.

Can't forget to acknowledge my little helper:

(Not my actual dog. Not my actual yard.) 

(Don't worry, I'm housesitting, not trespassing.)

spring top sewalong - top of the tops!

If you didn't know it, Rae of Made by Rae is currently hosting her annual Spring Top Sewalong -- a contest for which seamsters submit tops they've made for themselves beginning March 2012. Now, I made a LOT of tops in March (see here for a few examples) but one of my favorites was the Hello Yellow Top, which I didn't make with my OWOP pattern. I entered it at the beginning of Rae's contest, and the esteemed judges voted it as one of Week 1's Top of the Tops! Amazing! I'm so thrilled and honored.

The final contest winners are ultimately determined by reader votes, so I encourage you to stop by her Top of the Tops post and check out the 13 top tops this week. There's definitely some tough competition -- lots of lovely pieces, for sure -- so please vote for your true favorite! If it happens to be mine, I'd love to have your vote! I'm letter K, for Keen, Kind and Knowledgeable Kool Kid with Killer bow-tying sKills. Right? Okay, there's my gentle nudge. Thank you!

Voting for Week 1 ends this Friday the 6th at 12 noon (EST). And YOU can still enter your adorable tops in the contest until April 22nd, and then kindly nag me to vote for you when your top becomes top of the tops one week. Remember to check out Rae's blog for the next three weeks' features, if only for the sewing inspiration. I've discovered some new and interesting blouse patterns I want to try out eventually. Wait, I said blouse. Do we have to revisit the "top" versus "blouse" issue again? Fashion's so complicated, you guys. 

Number of times the word "top" appears in this three-paragraph post, even with my attempt to edit some of them out = 21

owop round-up

I did it! I made it to and through OWOP, wearing variations of the same pattern (New Look 6104) for seven consecutive days. March was, by far, my most productive sewing month ever. After finishing my Hello Yellow top, I made four blouses and two (albeit simple) dresses from my OWOP pattern, plus a black skirt to wear with some of these new tops. And somehow I squeezed my life in between all of that. I guess this kind of stitching speed is what I've come to expect of myself when my sewing role models are Project Runway masochists contestants who are forced to whip up couture gown collections in a hot lil' minute. So where's my $100,000 prize and Marie Clare photo spread and Brother International sewing studio? Oh right, I only do this for fun.

To remind you, here's the goofy pattern I "used," though you'll see I didn't take much inspiration from the pattern's actual details. Ruffles ain't my thing, and the pintucks defeated me and the circle sleeves looked crazy when I tried them.

On to the outfit photos overload...

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SATURDAY MARCH 24

Stripey Sheet Shirt (say it 10x fast)

Photo pose: Round-em-up-boys pose
Base pattern view: B front, C sleeves lengthened to elbows
Modifications: Added pockets with perpendicular stripes
Fabric: Thrifted cotton sheet. I used this same sheet set previously for a skirt and the lining of my scallop tote bag, way back when I was an itty bitty baby blogger (uh, five months ago). I STILL have some left.
Worn with: Jeans and striped scarf. Stripey overload?

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SUNDAY MARCH 25

Floral Peplum Blouse

Photo pose: Hello-Mister-Postman pose
Pattern view: B front
Modifications: Lengthened sleeves to the elbows and finished with elastic (which, after a day of wearing, I removed - the sleeves were an annoying length for the too-tight elastic); created faced front panel from the button placket pieces; attached peplum using elastic (tutorial here)
Fabric: Lightweight cotton shirting from Hancock Fabrics
Worn with: A knit dress I bought from, ahem, American Eagle a few years ago - when I was probably already too old to be shopping there.

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MONDAY MARCH 26

Blue Confetti Dress

Photo pose: Wasn't-invited-to-the-party pose
Base pattern view: B front, sleeveless
Modifications: So many! All the details are in my previous post here.
Fabric: Silky polyester print from Hancock Fabrics
Worn with: White cardi

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TUESDAY MARCH 27

Kelly Green Tie Blouse

Photo pose: Pizza-restaurant-parking-lot-glamour pose
Base pattern view: B front with tie
Modifications: Attached self-drafted tulip sleeves instead of the pattern's circle sleeves; made the buttons non-functional ('cause I'm a rebel.... or, my sewing machine stopped making buttonholes).
Fabric: Polyester - lightweight but slightly crisp - from Jo-Ann Fabrics. Not a very forgiving fabric, but I'll blame the seamstress, not the fabric, for the mistakes.
Worn with: Black twill skirt made from Cynthia Rowley's Simplicity 2250 - gathered instead of pleated.

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WEDNESDAY MARCH 28

Stripey Sheet Shirt, Again

Photo pose: Act-like-you're-not-posing-for-photos-as-the-neighbor-walks-by pose
Worn with: Button-down hemp skirt made from my dad's shirt. I wore jeans to work for Denim Day as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (I work for a non-profit that serves survivors of domestic/sexual violence). I changed once I got home because it was 76 degrees outside and I hate pants anyway. This skirt isn't denim but it kinda looks it. And because this is SA Awareness Month, here's some education for you: 97% of rapists never spend a day in jail.

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THURSDAY MARCH 29

Thursday in Black* Blouse

* Like all Thursdays throughout the month, this was "Thursday in Black," for which staff wear black to show support for those who have experienced or witnessed sexual assault. Did you know that every 2 minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted? And almost half of them are under the age of 18 (source).
Photo pose: One-day-my-prince-will-come pose
Base pattern view: B front with pleated A sleeves
Modifications: Raised the neckline. And it's all French-seamed, baby.
Fabric: Poly/cotton blend shirting from JoAnn Fabrics
Worn with: Gray pleated skirt, Thursday in Black sticker, and a necklace that's meant to hide the Fray Block stain on the top buttonhole (the bottle leaked and it won't scrub out - what can I do??)

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FRIDAY MARCH 30

Go Cards Dress

Photo pose: Chic-amputee pose

Base pattern view: B front

Modifications: Made short kimono-style sleeves, elastic casing at waist, plus skirt. I threw this thing together last minute (like, 1am last night last minute) so I didn't feel awesome about it, but now I like it. I had originally intended to put in a skirt lining and pockets, but forgot until everything was sewn up... cuz it was 1am last night.

Fabric: Some global-themed cotton from Jo-Ann. The big Final Four basketball game between in-state rivals Kentucky and Louisville is tomorrow (Saturday) and everyone's rocking their tees, hoodies,& ballcaps. I like to take the more subtle approach to sports fandom by wearing sundresses in the team colors. Yea sportz sportz sportz!

Worn with: Brown belt 

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I can't decide my favorite. They're like my little OWOP children whom I love equally. Well, I could take or leave that green one. So yes, that's it! I valued my experience sewing up this pattern a million times, but I am definitely happy to move on to other things. I have so many projects in the queue. It's never enough, is it?

How was your OWOP? Did you (re-)discover a new favorite garment or pattern through all this? I wanna see your stuff! Leave a link to your blog in the comments if you care to, though I'm sure Tilly will do/has done a huge round-up of her own.

pattern giveaway winners

Win-win-win-win-win!

I put your little names in five different bowls based on the patterns you wanted. To prove that I really drew who I say I drew, I took a fake vintage photo with my 21st century smartphone. Oh, weird cultural trends.

The specific winners are:

Simplicity 2261 - SEEKS of The Seek Speak

McCalls 6507 - CASEY of Sewing and Music

Simplicity 2034 - ROBIN of Around the Island

Simplicity/Lisette 2211 - JULIE of Julie Mason

Simplicity/Lisette 2245 - MELI of Codos on the Windowsills

Congratulations, you fine folks. I'll be contacting you directly to get your addresses, and then I'll send them to you, with love. Hope you enjoy.

spring cleaning: pattern giveaway

My spring cleaning means your spring savings! I've decided to host un petit giveaway, sponsored by my own sensibility to get rid of stuff while I'm ahead. I looked back at the photos of my apartment from when I moved in in July 2011, only eight months ago, and I just had to shake my head and laugh. It was neat and tidy, for one. But also - at that point I owned zero sewing patterns and bought fabric when I... needed it. Can you imagine? My sewing machine was out from the beginning, but I only used it to make simple curtains and hem my neighbor's shorts in exchange for his wireless internet password.

Somewhere along the way, I contracted a chronic form of the sewing virus, incurable by modern medicine. The symptoms progressed rapidly: I stopped inviting people over as I was ashamed of the scraps and threads and sharp tools that littered every inch of my living room (moan), I found myself wanting to sew on Friday nights instead of go out to bars (gag), I voluntarily signed up for store mailing lists in order to get fabric coupons and be alerted to pattern sales (shiver). But the true evidence that my ailment had advanced beyond hope: I signed up for a Blogger account (scream).

Yikes, so here we are. I now own ~55 patterns and have maybe ~15 stacks of fabric + scraps on a shelf that used to hold books and trinkets like a normal healthy person's apartment would. I really have no other storage, so even though my stash is relatively tame (maybe?), I simply cannot let my sewing stuff overflow from these three shelves.

That was my long introduction to this main idea: I need your help clearing out stuff I don't think I'll use. Here's what patterns are up for grabs. All of these are uncut and factory folded.

Simplicity 2261 tops, pants and skirt. Size 6 - 14 (Eur 32-40):

McCalls 6507 dress from their recent spring line. Size 6 - 14 (Eur 32 - 40):

Simplicity 2034 sun dresses. Size 8 - 18 (Eur 34 - 44):

Lisette/Simplicity 2211 Market Dress, Tunic, Blouse and Skirt. Size 6-14 (Eur 32-40):

Lisette/Simplicity 2245. Portfolio Dress, Tunic and Pants. Size 6-14 (Eur 32-40):

You guys, I just know how adorable you'll be wearing these new clothes to all kinds of picnics and stuff this summer.

If you'd like to be in the running, leave a comment letting me know which one (or ones) you'd like. You can leave more than one comment for more than one pattern if you so desire, but I'm just trying to keep them separate so it's easier to draw the winners.

I'll close the giveaway on Friday March 30th at 12:00 PM (noon) EST. Then I'll announce the five winners the same time I do my big OWOP round-up post later that day or the next. Oh you thought I had forgotten OWOP? Nah, just get ready for one EPIC post. 

Open internationally. Let your friends know! Assuming you like to share.

pattern madness in march

I reckon it's about time I share with you kind folks what I've really been up to lately, besides using the words "reckon" and "folks" ironically. I've been furiously sewing one pattern multiple times, that's what. In between March Madness b-ball games, of course. Go Cards.

Tilly's hosting an "event," if you will, called One Week One Pattern (OWOP) that occurs March 26 to April 1. It's a celebration of tried-and-true patterns that are versatile and wearable on the daily, so the challenge is to wear multiple garments (or a single garment) made from the same pattern, all week long. I'm participating because I liked the idea of modifying a basic pattern to make significantly different looks. I still rely on patterns for basic shapes and fit because I don't want to spend my time determining arm hole curvature, shoulder seam width, darts, etc. when it's already accessible in a pattern. But I do enjoy the process of adding little design elements to make a truly unique garment.

The pattern I'm using for OWOP is the New Look 6104 blouse. Try not to snore.

I think New Look is taking their "young and fresh" styling a little far when they make a 20-something woman look like a 6-year-old girl ("Now, invert your toes and waddle like a toddler. Nice!"). But I guess I was subconsciously influenced by it, if you remember the sneak peek (well, full peek really) of one version I already made: the uber-girly floral peplum blouse. Should I wear it with Easter Bunny-bright pink pants, per New Look's suggestion? 

I'm much more excited about this other version, though, so instead of waiting until a grand reveal during the actual week of OWOP, I want to show it to you now.

It's a dress! Oh how clever. Uh, I swear I used NL6104 to begin, but I chopped down the bodice length, curved the neckline to a more V-shape, lengthened the neck binding to form the button placket, widened the front shoulders so I could gather them, added a knee-length gathered skirt, omitted the sleeves, and created a long tie wrap for the waist. Phew. And that's not to mention the basic fitting issues I had to change -- like bust darts that sat lower than usual because there weren't sleeves to help pull up the bodice, etc. etc. I kind of regret some of the design changes, like the gathered shoulders that look more wrinkly than beautifully draped as I had hoped.

I love this color blue. The little scattered red, black and white geometric squares look like confetti falling through the sky, so I'm calling it my Confetti Dress. The fabric is a swishy & slippery polyester which kinda makes me feel like I'm wrapped in a tent or something. Not very glamorous, but I'm not at a point of my sewing life where I can take the plunge into silk or whatever fancy people use. I have a strict budget and "dry-cleaning" is not part of it. "Beer" is, though. Priorities, people.

OK so this is only version 3 and I want to make at least two more. The ones I've made are all colorful prints, so I'm thinking a basic black or white blouse is necessary for my wardrobe. Oh lordy, I only have ten days left! But now that I'm so familiar with the pattern, making a blouse straight from it should really only take an evening. Right?

Who else is participating in OWOP? Have you decided, like me, to complicate your life by sewing up a million of the same pattern in the weeks leading up to it, or do you already have several versions of the same pattern that you're planning just to throw on?