SEWN: Flying squirrel dress! V1482

I love this dress. I really do. Gabrielle's antipodean flying squirrel dress, the aquatic sugar glider is one of my most loved inspirations. Everything about it, the amazing abstract seaside creature fabric and it's sheer statementness is perfect. I have an equally loved piece of silk, with an abstract leopard image from Prada's 2009 resort collection, that's been waiting patiently for it's time to shine.

I asked Gabrielle for her thoughts as we browsed The Fabric Store in Sydney, which is where I bought it several years ago. It's a weighty silk, not as compact and drapey as the recommended crepe de chine or silk jersey, but I do like a structured drape... Might V1482 be the pattern for it?

I decided to test V1482 with some rather lovely weight tencel from Darn Cheap Fabrics. I'm rather glad the staff warned me that it would bleed a lot for it's first wash, it did, but has been very well behaved since. I'm still a tad scarred by the dark denim I used for my Genoa tote - it's still bleeding onto pale shorts (and this is after synthrapol, and in desperation, boiling it with vinegar and salt), it's one of those things... ;(

I did my research and as well as Gabrielle's, I took particular note of Lara's version. I fit a size M (14) by the envelope measurement, and didn't hesitate to sew the S (8-10). I do wish I'd paid extra attention to her GOMI source who outlined some excellent steps, that I incorporated after the fact.

Ok, since I made this straight from the envelope (without the sleeve bands), let's outline my thoughts:

#1 I adore the length. I was tempted to shorten it, but when pinned up, I lost the pegging that makes it work.

#2 Size - I chose well - Thank you my fellow seamstresses who made this before me and blogged about it. The hip is perfectly snug when getting in and out of it, I couldn't have gone any narrower on the hem. The neck opening was wide enough, that cutting the back with a CB seam was never an option.

#3 I hate the neck. There, I've said it. I do like a straight boat neck, and I do like a scooped V or U neck, but this is not quite one or the other and it simply doesn't work for me in this solid colour. I trialled every chunky necklace and silk scarf in my wardrobe, they all look better than the naked neckline.
I adapted the neckline by unpicking the facings (yes, I used ordinary facings in self fabric). I then resewed the neckline while taking an inch out of the shoulder seam at the neck, tapering to nothing on each side over 3 inches. It would have been much neater if I'd made the adjustment (as suggested on GOMI), at the time of cutting out.

#4. The denim tencel - it was absolutely gorgeous to sew. I was worried that I'd be a bit too shiny (cue an earworm from Jemaine the scary Moana crab...) but that aspect is ok - well, apart from the moire effect in untouched photographs (sorry DH). I adore the colour and the drape - not quite silk crepe de chine or rayon, it's a substantial fabric after all - but the solid colour is a bit too solid for me and sometimes I feel the dress wears me.
It's also rather warm. I find silk warm, and polyester sweaty, so that shouldn't be a surprise, but it was. On the plus side, I can see myself popping it on with bare legs through autumn and spring, and it should work well with boots for winter.

#5. I omitted the sleeve bands. If anything, I could have made the sleeves themselves more narrow/shorter, but I do like them at the end of the dolman extensions.

#6. I didn't french seam - quelle horreur!! I did french seam the pocket - and what a perfect sized pocket it is!, but there is extra bulk that isn't necessary with this heavier fabric. Being a solid and shiny fabric, every imperfection in my stitching feels accentuated and I wanted the seams to lie as flat as possible.

#7. I enjoyed using a gorgeous pale green as my top stitching thread - it matches my favourite Wonders heels and Elk bag.

Overall, DH isn't a fan, but I like it. It's big and loose and super comfy while being vaguely polished, especially with heels.
and it has a proper sized pocket - and that's always a win.

I had the very best lunch and photo shoot with DH and Helen - the graffiti was brilliant and Helen's got some amazing examples over on her Funkbunny blog!

A Canberra Capsule Wardrobe #CBRFrocktails

I recently flew up to Canberra for the inaugural #CBRFrocktails and after a few false starts landing through the fog, was warmly greeted by the local sewing spoolettes, coffee and a sunny sky. 

Seven items proudly made by me ;)

Most importantly, what did I wear! Well, I took great delight in packing a small case with a co-ordinated selection of favourite RTW and new and favourite me-made items. Basing my daytime outfit around a pair of dark denim mid-waisted boot cuts (I found my 'perfect' RTW jean at the 11th hour before sewing a pair), I simply required a top each day to go under my Named Patterns' Saunio +/- layered with my teal Swoon cardigan. Two perfect workhorses that, conveniently layer beautifully together.

Jungle January 2015 - V1347 Rucci PJs

It's Jungle January again over at Safari central!

Culottes - they're back.

I love culottes, in all of their 70's, late 80's and early 90's magnificence. I really didn't think I'd live to see fashion turn around to notice them again, however since the decades I remember were simply reinterpreting the 30's and 40's, it's really of no surprise that they're baaack!
Leading the culottes revival are the gorgeous Debbie at Lily Sage & Co and eternally stylish Kirsty B at Top Notch who have both inspired me with every version that they've made.
I can add Jillian of Sew Unravelled to that list now as well - I adore hers!

Definitely Culottes.

A silk sarong for Sydney: V1310

May I present .... a sarong...
(post edited to add some daylight photos of the V1310 skirt & Pattern Review post)

worn backwards in this shot, as worn to a wedding

Revisiting Vogue 1250 and making her mine

I have had SO much wear out of my slinky black jersey Vogue 1250. Not as a dress, but as a draped top that goes with my fave grey wool Aline skirt, easily dressed up & down with different silk scarves, tights & boots.

Am actually part way up a large rock, while supervising small children

I was intrigued about how it would work in ponte, would I be able to wear it as a dress??

MadMen3 - Jane Sterling she's a mod mod girl

Some days, a project just takes on a life of it's own. My social Anna was born out of picking up the right fabric with the right friends present to facilitate it's construction.

This story is like that, although I'll credit the online community and dreams of Sterling Cooper.

I had SO much fun with channelling 1967! Imagine if you will, that Jane Sterling hooks up with Megan Draper's hip friends after her divorce from Sterling (which was very, very expensive) and hits the town...

Followers of The Monthly Stitches Miss Bossy Patterns may recall that I had as option three a rayon printed with an Art Nouveau/1970's geometric design. I was asking for assistance about which late 60's pattern to sew up, my Mum's straight shift dress, or a raglan sleeved one that I thought was simply darling ;)

Influencing my choices was Julia Bobbin's MadMen Challenge #3 - and the seasons have caught up with the late 1960's, opening the challenge to shift dresses and more free-loving styles.

A Tale of Two Cowls - Part Two - Vogue 1250

Ok, I know it's been said before, but surely I'm the last sewing blogger to make & write about Vogue 1250!

Vogue 1250

This very loved pattern is from DKNY for Vogue and was one of Pattern Review's Best Patterns of the year in 2011.
Almost everyone has made it and raved about it and when Vogue (finally) had $5 patterns late last year, I bought it (and a few others...).

In the interests of reviewing it for me - and also that I've not sewn any modern Vogue's since I started really paying attention to fit, I read & measured the finished garment measurements & chose to start with a size 10 bust, grading out to 12 for my waist & hips.
Once again, fabric choice is a key to the drape & fit.