The '60s are my Jam.

Remember in my 2012 reflections post when I mentioned that one of the things I've learned over the past year is that even though I've loved 1950s fashion my entire life, I've found that 1960s styles are more my thing when it comes to making and wearing 'em? Well, yeah.

Recently, I've been infusing my wardrobe with even more sixties style (and working on my "wear more everyday dresses/skirts" goal). Over my little Christmas break, I snapped up a bright purple, all-season shift on sale on Etsy, and just this weekend I bought two more dresses while on an antiquing extravaganza in Frederick, MD. Check 'em out!

These dresses are easy enough to wear and not so fancy that they can't be worn for everyday, casual occasions. The linen one with white spots fits great, and the black wool one fits in the shoulders, but might need taking in along the sides for a more flattering shape.

In Frederick, I also picked up these two sewing patterns - a 1950s(?) blouse and a 1940s looking skirt. Just because the '60s are my fave doesn't mean I can't wear other decades, too, you know. Both of these patterns are the un-marked kind that don't have any printing or lines on them, only hole-punches in the shape of numbers to let you know which piece is which. Scary. I hope I don't chicken out and can actually make myself use them!

I didn't realize just how good I was being already, until typing this up now. I'm also in the midst of a refashioning project, too. Just chipping away at my "do more refashions" goal! Here's a peek.

I'd thought I would be using this black velvet ribbon to do some kind of embellishment or collar detail, but the stuff is too stiff to really work in this situation. Now I'm thinking I might make (or buy on Etsy?) some sort of embellished, detatchable black peter pan collar necklace thingy. I don't have any particularly rich black fabric in my stash to match with this spotted silk and I really don't want to buy any more FABRIC, since I'm already drowning in it.

Beaded Collar Necklace from SoStyle

I do like this collar found on Etsy. Any thoughts - make one? buy one? do something else entirely? I'm all ears.

Lessons Learned, Reflections, & Inspiration

When I went to compile my top 5 lessons learned, reflections & goals, and inspiration from the past year, I got a little bit overwhelmed looking back on everything that went on in 2012. I put together a few lists to share what I came up with and accidentally threw the "5" part of "top 5" out the window. (Get ready for a long post!)



 Cool things I did in 2012

• Started this blog and published 100 blog posts (without even planning to hit that number!)
• Was a featured seamstress at Colette Patterns' blog for my polka-dotted peony dress
• Participated in Julia Bobbin's Mad Men Dress Challenge with my Joan dress
• Went to my very first local sewing blogger meetup
• Sewed 15 completed garments (and several unfinished ones, too!) including a few sewn from vintage patterns 
• Took the Seamless pledge for 6 months
  
  
  
  

  

  Mad Men Dress Challenge - Joan Dress

  
  
  

Things I learned in 2012

• I love 1960s fashion. I'd always thought the 1950s were my fashion decade of choice, but have found that when it comes to sewing my own clothes (and buying vintage), for me, fashions from the 1960s are much more wearable and easier to fit into my life. Oh, and they're just adorable.
• Taking my time to set up projects the right way the first time around is really worth it, even though it often feels boring or too slow in the moment. We've all heard this before, but I've finally had to face facts and admit it's completely true. Do it right the first time and I won't regret it later! This means more carefully matching plaids, understitching where prescribed, finishing seams properly, redoing crappy zippers, and even walking away for a break instead of cutting corners in a rush to finish a project.
• Vintage patterns are not scary! I was nervous to sew with them because I assumed they were all more complicated, way too different from modern patterns, and just intimidating overall. Now, I've tried out a few and am in love! The style variations and garment details, not to mention the envelope illustrations are usually amazing (duh!). I especially appreciate that they just come in one size per pattern, so you don't have to trace out your particular size or follow too many crazy cutting lines.
• Wearable muslins are more my style (than the un-wearable variety). Making muslins has always seemed like one of those things that I know is good for me, but that I just do not feel like doing (kind of like flossing my teeth :-/ ). Instead of forcing myself to make the first go at a pattern with plain muslin or other un-garment-worthy fabric, I've found that planning to do a wearable test-drive of the pattern keeps me motivated enough to continue and helps keep me from ruining any particularly special fabrics before I've worked out the potential issues with a new pattern.
• Having the right tools for you makes a big difference. This year I got a new sewing machine that makes sewing much quicker, simpler, and more enjoyable than what I was experiencing on my great aunt's old 1960s Singer (I love that machine, but it wasn't the easiest for me to use). I also got myself some other tools, most importantly my folding IKEA table and magnetic pin caddy - both of which have been pretty much life-changing. Tools that better suit me mean more sewing, which is always good!
• Bias tape is your friend. Use it for embellishments, binding armholes or unfinished edges, or use it instead of a facing for a neckline or a hem! I've collected a shoebox full of vintage & new pre-made bias tapes, as well as begun to make my own for certain projects. I love using it!

Bloggers who've Inspired Me

I've found inspiration, great ideas, and general awesomeness on essentially all of the blogs I've come across. This online sewing community is awesome, but you all already know that! Here are a few bloggers who have really stood out as inspiring to me this past year:

• Tilly and The Buttons - Tilly's style is adorable, she's a smart cookie, and the clothes she makes are beyond cute. I really admire her fun, yet thoughtful, writing style and the impressive sewing knowledge she has gained and shared over the past months (and months). She's also got that awesome "Day in the Life" series that is always interesting. It's really exciting and encouraging to learn about so many creative people out there doing their thing.
• Cation Designs - You've all seen me gush about Cindy before. Her posts are always interesting and detailed (with plenty of photos of her cat, Walnut, too), she has sewn many, many lovely garments out of bedsheets (amazing! - she's inspired me to try it out, too), and she's the brains behind the Sewing with Cats blog award, among other things.
• A Fashionable Stitch & Sewaholic - I've grouped Sunni and Tasia as a single entry on the list here because they inspire me in similar ways. They both blog and sew about the lovely clothes they've made and plan to make, host sew-alongs and share tutorials for sewing techniques, and both have made their love of sewing a major part of their lives. Tasia designs and sells her cute, clever patterns and Sunni scours the earth for just the right sewing supplies to sell in her great little online shop. I love both of their shops, and really admire them both for doing what they do and sharing the details of how they've turned their passion for sewing into a career.
• Dixie DIY - Dixie shares her DIY projects and fashion on her blog and makes her own patterns as well. I love her style and her projects always inspire me (have you seen the swimsuits she's sewn?!). The topics she blogs about are interesting and her posts are often rather thought-provoking (like a recent post on "poly prejudice," something I hadn't really considered before). I'm really looking forward to seeing what she brings to her blog in 2013.
• Lucky Lucille - Rochelle is always sharing an adorable project or some fun sewing inspiration (or cute photo of her dog, Lucille), and also runs her own online store of handmade items. Her writing style is cheerful and easy to relate to and the aesthetic of her blog is so cute and fun to look at. She always seems to be working with pretty, exciting fabrics (even designing some of her own on Spoonflower), and has even just learned to knit recently (which I've been meaning to do, too, for a year).

These ladies are all so inspiring to me, but it feels a little odd to only mention a few of the numerous blogs I follow, because I'm really inspired by all of them and each one has something special to offer (that's why I read 'em!). If you're all "been there, done that" to these I've touched on, or even if you're not, I'd suggest also taking a peek over on the sidebar at the links in my blogroll. I really do read them like it's my job, and you might like to, too!

Gratuitous kitty photo

Goals for 2013

Now down to my sewing and making plans for the new year. I'm keeping these kind of general (you won't see "sew 3 pieces a month" on here), because I don't want to stress myself out or lose interest as the months go by.

• Learn to knit. This was a 2012 goal that I did attempt, but coordinating with my friend to have her mom teach me hasn't panned out yet and the local November knitting class I signed up for with my mom was canceled, due to low enrollment. :( Better luck next year!
• Embroider something. I've got inspiration, supplies, and a little instruction booklet, but have yet to try it out. I like that this and knitting are both more portable than sewing and could add a little more variety to my handmade projects.
• Focus on quality. I want to really aim for higher quality in the things I make (including finishes/insides of garments) and the supplies I use, as well as the clothing/accessories I purchase, so that they last longer and are nicer to use.
• Sew with knits (and get a serger). I've been saving up for a serger and am determined to sew knits (with, or without the serger) this year. I've even got a copy of Sew U to help me through the learning process and am ready to sew up all kinds of knit tops, dresses, and anything else I can come up with!
• Do more refashions - of things I already own  as well as thrifted pieces - and keep up on my mending.
• Wear more skirts/dresses year-round. I'd like to make this more possible and fill some wardrobe gaps with a few skirts and dresses that can be more casual/everyday & pair well with things I've already got. 
• Participate in Me-Made-May, on some level. I didn't have enough me-made clothes to play along in 2012, but I'm determined to participate this year, whether I have enough or not!

That's all folks! Thanks for sticking with me for the past year (and through this long post!). I have a feeling 2013 is going to be a great one. :)

Warmer Weather Wardrobe Revisit

At the beginning of spring this year, I put together a Warmer Weather Wardrobe sewing plan. Now that spring is over, summer is wrapping up, and fall is rapidly approaching, I thought I'd do a little revisit to see how my warmer weather sewing panned out.

First off, I specifically noted in my plan that I was something of a slow sewer, seeming to take about a month to sew anything, regardless of the size or complexity of the project. I'd wanted to take this into account when trying to form a realistic sewing plan. I think I can now say that my sewing has gotten a little speedier, though nothing to brag about. I've just gotten some more experience under my belt, which always helps things go faster.

Anyway, my plan had me really trying to work from stuff I already had in my sewing room to meet my warmer weather wardrobe needs. The first thing I made was my vintage Simplicity 3266 blouse. This was my first foray into sewing with vintage patterns and I got to use some cute fabric I already had.

Simplicity 3266

 

I love the idea of this blouse, but it just hasn't been something I end up wearing. It's one of those tops that seems to demand to be tucked in, but even when I do, it still seems blousy and poufy and unflattering. I planned to remake it with a more subdued collar shape and slightly narrower sleeves to see if I could make it work, but have yet to actually do so. 

I also had grand plans for a Ginger skirt made up in denim, after being inspired by the numerous cute versions floating around out there on the internet. I wanted to perfect the fit before cutting into denim, so I made it first in dark blue broadcloth I'd had in my stash. 

Colette Patterns' Ginger

I like the way this one turned out, though I will make some tweaks to the waistband for my next version, but I still haven't gotten around to sewing it up in denim, or any other version for that matter! Luckily this first version does get some wear in my summer wardrobe, and will hopefully continue to do so, at least for the beginning of fall.

The two more exciting pieces on my sewing list were wedding guest dresses. I sewed them up from patterns that were already in my stash and most of the fabric was stuff I'd already had, as well. Even though these are party dresses, I think they might be the most wearable (or maybe just the most fun to wear) pieces I created from my spring/summer sewing plans. 

The Milly Wedding Guest Dress - New Look 6910 (modified a lot)

Polka Dot Wedding Guest Dress - McCall 5845 bodice (modified) + a circle skirt

And that's it! The above projects were all pieces that came directly from my warmer weather sewing plan. But that doesn't mean that's all I made to add to my spring and summer wardrobe. Sometimes you can't always just stick to the plan - you have to go where inspiration takes you! These pieces were created as quick, fun projects that were not really planned out at all. I find that these types often end up being my favorites.

 

My Estate Sale Dress made from McCall 9735

My Gathered Skirt made from Gertie's tutorial.

This cute blouse, that I still haven't completely finished (oops!), made from McCall 9458. I LOVE the fabric, though, so hopefully I'll be making this baby wearable soon.

My latest project, the bow blouse from Simplicity 2154, using the spotted rayon shirting I'd originally planned to use for a Sencha blouse (a pattern that's STILL on my to-sew list).

What was on my warmer weather sewing plan that didn't end up getting done? 

Well, for one, this pretty rayon challis is still sitting in my fabric stash. I love it but just haven't found the perfect project to use it for yet. Hopefully I will soon!

abstract floral rayon challis

Same thing goes for the pencil skirt that has been on my to-sew list for longer than I can remember. I keep telling myself I'll get a pattern perfected and then make a zillion versions, but haven't actually done so yet. Now that my dress code at my new job is very casual, I'm not sure if I'll even need many pencil skirts...though I do love them.

That's all for my little recap. In other news, I actually managed to sew Tom's birthday shirt up in time to give it to him as a gift, but I'm going to need to do some adjustments to it before I can post about it here. It's currently too big (surprise, surprise - thanks for all the extra ease, McCalls). Since he wasn't around while I was sewing it, and it was kind of a surprise, I wasn't able to fit it to him as I sewed, so I knew this would happen. Anyway, I'll share more details once I get it officially completed. :)

6 months later...

You guys, my official 6 month bloggiversary is here!! When I set out to start this blog 6 months ago,  it was a  little bit of a new year's resolution. I felt like my sewing was very disorganized and I kept getting distracted and losing motivation for projects. Starting the blog has really helped me buckle down and stay more focused and has also given me an outlet for my sewing obsession that's even more satisfying than I'd imagined!

Meeting new sewing friends (you!) who share thoughts and ideas as well as helpful advice has made a huge difference in my life - sounds corny, but it's true! I cant thank you all enough for reading and participating. :)

my first ever, wearable piece!

Sappiness aside, I thought I'd do a little revisit to check in on the goals I'd set for myself when I was getting started.

• tackle my mountain of mending! - I did some small chipping away at the mending mountain, but haven't really made a lot of progress recently...and none of it is really interesting or blog-worthy.
• try some new techniques - I've definitely tried some new techniques/skills since setting this goal. Some that come to mind are: making collars (for my violet blouse, my mad men dress, my estate sale dress....and more, I'm sure - they're kind of my favorite thing to add to a garment), sewing from a vintage pattern (my easter egg blouse), gathering (gathered skirt and my wedding guest dress), buttonholes (violet and easter egg blouses), lining (my mad men dress), underlining (my peony and violet)...and more!

my mad men dress

• de-stash! - This one is a little weird to address - in some ways I've done a horrible job and in others I've done great. I've kind of stopped randomly buying fabric and patterns online without a project/purpose in mind (for a while it kind of took the place of impulsive clothing shopping for me - now I don't do too much of either!), and I've been able to de-stash a lot of stuff by giving it away, but I've also collected a rather sizable pile of new-to-me stuff from yard sales and estate sales over the past few months. I can say, though, that I really try now to plan projects from my existing stash, only purchasing new supplies if totally necessary...so that's....good!
• sew actually wearable pieces. - I think I've definitely made progress in this area! When I started out, I only had one piece of wearable me-made clothing, and now I've got several. I've really tried to make practical pieces that I can use in my every-day life. Some things do get more wear than others, though, (like my gathered skirt and estate sale dress) while others are honestly somewhat neglected (like my violet and easter egg blouses), so I still have room to improve here. It can be hard to know if something will turn out the way I want it to and if the way I plan to use a piece will actually work. (my easter egg blouse was really fun to sew and was my first foray into vintage pattern sewing, but is not as wearable as I'd expected and doesnt look as great tucked into my skirts as I'd hoped, but that's how it goes!)

my gathered skirt

• learn to make properly fitting garments!- I think I've made some steps in this direction, though I'm still intimidated by fitting. I have learned more about how to pick the appropriate size for me for a pattern (something I'd thought I knew, but apparently didn't really) and some of the types of adjustments I'll likely want to make (or at least keep in mind) to certain garments (like shortening the waist slightly). I'm definitely expecting to work on the whole fitting thing more as I continue to gain experience sewing different types of pieces.
• start learning to knit by the end of 2012. - Here I can frankly say I've made no progress at all. I do really hope to get started learning to knit by the end of the year, though. :)
• sew at least one thing each month - this idea came after I'd officially made my list of goals, but I'm happy to say it has been accomplished successfully each month so far!

Not too bad, though there's always room for improvement!

my peony dress

While I've been working towards those goals, I also participated in a few activities with other bloggers, like making a mad men inspired dress for Julia Bobbin's mad men challenge, participating in Kerry's summer sewing swap (which you'll hear more about soon!), hosting my own giveaway (yay!), being a featured seamstress at Coletterie for my peony dress, making the seamless pledge, and posting a project on wesewretro.com.

Not too shabby, eh?

Thanks for sticking with me through my first six months, and here's to the next six...or twelve...or hundred! :)

April fools!

But, not really!
No joke: I'm participating in the Seamless Pledge. Wish me luck!

Starting April 1st, for 6 months (a random time frame I came up with), I'm not going to buy any new, mass produced, RTW clothing for myself. If I need to make additions to my wardrobe for whatever reason, I've got to either buy used/vintage or make it myself! (with the exception of underthings - those I might try my hand at making, but will absolutely not be buying used, so I've given myself leeway to purchase new ones if necessary)

As an added bonus(?) my boyfriend has agreed to participate, too. Yay! He doesn't sew, as you may have guessed, though, so I guess that means I'll be carrying the "make it myself" part of the challenge for both of us. :)

I'm hoping this will mean more thrifting and visiting vintage shops, and more sewing! I'm going to focus on the current gaps in my wardrobe and try to anticipate future needs, too. Hopefully I can acquire or create more wardrobe staples for myself, and also weed out what I've currently got that isn't working for me, so I can avoid that "I have NOTHING to wear" feeling I get when staring at my overflowing closet each morning.

Up next? Planning my warmer weather wardrobe (www!). I've determined that at the very least, this will need to include a couple of tops. I'm currently working on Simplicity 3266 (version 3) in a green/white polka-dotted fabric from my stash. This will be my first time working from a vintage pattern, so that's exciting.

More details to come!

Return of Mad Men ...and Goals!

The past few days I've been thinking a bit about the goals I mentioned when I first started this little blog. I've done fine when it comes to some of the things I'd wanted to aim for, like trying new techniques and working from my fabric stash rather than impulsively buying new fabric all the time ($5 boxes from yard sales don't count!), but I wasn't making much progress in other areas, such as MENDING. Yeah, who wants to mend when they can start new projects!

I decided to focus my efforts a bit and last night, with the two-hour season premier and long awaited return of Mad Men on the tv, (can we talk about Megan's eye-makeup and Joan's shocking, hot pink dress?!!) I grabbed my pile of to-mend pieces and camped out on the couch.  I was able to complete four items at my slow, meandering pace, (amidst much oohing and aahing over the tv show) and was rather pleased with myself.  I hand-stitched my little heart out.

Megan

Ahh! That pink!

I replaced all of the buttons (some were missing and the rest didn't match) on my boyfriend's cardigan with some vintage buttons from my stash that were a perfect match, did a very amateur darning job on a hole in one of his shirts, and re-stitched the blind hem on a Banana Republic (typical, BR!) skirt that came undone at the hem about a week after I'd bought it...2 years ago.

The last piece I mended was a 1960s plaid sheath I've had for a year-ish? It is a little snug in the shoulders, which causes me to bust the seams on the armholes every other time I wear it (and had been waiting to be mended for a looong time). 

'60s summer sheath and jacket

It's a lightweight linen-like fabric, great for spring, but not the most festive, springy color scheme? I do love a plaid, though, and am definitely glad I snatched this baby up at an antique mall. The tag just says Lord & Taylor and there is a little matching jacket, which is cute in theory, but makes me look like a boxy cube-person whenever I attempt to pull off the look.

plaid!

bias bound neckline

jacket insides with little Lord&Taylor tag

cute lace trim on every raw edge

I decided, in honor of the return of Mad Men, to break out this little, freshly mended, '60s office-appropriate dress and paired it with a cardigan to wear to work today. Of course, at the end of the day when I was getting out of the car and straining to reach my 56 lb. purse, I busted the shoulder seams. Back to the mending pile! Sigh.

'60s sheath with cardigan

I'm really going to try to keep up with my mending. It's so easy and even relaxing to work on it while watching tv in the evening, so I'm going to try to make that part of my routine. As for my de-stashing goal, past projects have used stash fabric, including my Joan dress for the Mad Men dress challenge (minus the lining), so that's good. I'll plan to keep up the good work as I get crackin' on my spring/summer wardrobe sewing.

Speaking of my Joan dress...it's done! Here's a look. I'll have to get better pictures (like better lighting and me actually wearing the dress) and put together a post so I can share all the details. But for now...

Joan dress

Introductions

Hello,  interwebs! I'm Sue. Lovely to meet you.

Hi, there!

It's a new year and I'm looking to kick off a new part of my life. Yep, I'm corny like that. Honestly, I'm creating this blog because I daydream about sewing all day. Really. So many times, though, when I finally get home from work, I find I've lost steam and end up being too tired or just too plain lame to work on anything I've dreamed up. I seem to have so many ideas and details for potential projects swimming around in my head every day that sometimes I get too overwhelmed to do anything...it's annoying, not to mention dissatisfying!

Well, here's my plan. I want to use this space to organize and hone my sewing focus. Some of the goals I'd love to work on this year are:

• tackle my mountain of mending! the pile at this point is a little ridiculous, but, in my defense, who wants to mend when they can start new projects or look at patterns/fabric inspiration on pinterest, not to mention marveling over all the other amazing sewing blogs out there? Time to focus more on practicality here, whether that means replacing that pesky lost button or refashioning a thrifted piece I've been meaning to finish for months...or even, heaven forbid, complete some of the abandoned unfinished projects I've chickened out on or gotten bored with over the past year or so.  
• try some new techniques so I can really work on developing my sewing skills. I've been learning to sew for a little over a year and, though it's a little nerve-racking for some perfectionists like me,  it's important that I make sure to push myself to try new things instead of only making things I feel comfortable with. That's right, bring on the pleats, gathering, slippery fabrics, gasp, linings, proper buttonholes, gasp-gasp, collars... I'll stop here before I begin to hyperventilate.
• de-stash! I need to do some serious chipping away at the ridiculous stash of fabrics and patterns that I've not yet gotten around to using. This is a big deal for me! It's so easy to get carried away with new inspiration. I really need to focus my efforts when it comes to new projects.
• sew actually wearable pieces. for real, y'all. This is my big dark secret: I've been doing some sewing and buying some fabric and some patterns and more fabric and some vintage sewing supplies, and did I mention FABRIC? and the number of pieces of clothing I've produced that I actually wear in my daily life is....drum roll....one. yep, uno. I must work on this.  I know. I dream of twirly party dresses and cute day dresses and fun, quirky separates and all I've got is one shirt. Anyway, hopefully working towards this goal will also help me to make fewer rtw clothing purchases (which I later end up regretting about 50% of the time anyway!).
• Lastly? learn to make properly fitting garments! or at least try to get pointed in that direction. This scares the bejeezus out of me. Fitting is rather intimidating, and by rather I mean ridiculously, as in this is like my greatest fear (apart from all of those new techniques I keep putting off).
• Oh and one more thing: start learning to knit by the end of 2012.  if I could one day have the knowledge/skills to dream up and then create virtually any type of garment or accessory, whether sewn or knitted, that would be truly AMAZING. 

Thanks for bearing with me for my rambling list! My goals and hopes may be a little scattered, but I think I can accomplish a lot if I work to really focus and hold myself accountable to a plan, even if it's a little bit all over the place. It's time to give my enthusiasm for sewing and my love of making things a more prominent space in my life. Hooray!