Finished Project: Lemon Laurel

Attempting to document at least some of the backlog of completed sewing projects from the last few months! Today, we have a Collette Patterns Laurel dress in a bold lemon print.

The fabric is the same lightweight cotton sateen by Gertie for Joann's that I used for my Winslow Culottes.  If you follow me on IG, you know I looove this fabric. It's so soft and the colors are great. One thing I really appreciate about it is that what would normally be a very summery/springtimey print can work with more wintry wardrobe items, too, due to the black background! Please, fabric designers of the world, make more fun bright prints on dark backgrounds!!

I ended up deciding to throw my plan to use this remaining yardage to make a crop top to match my culottes (for a little play-set look) out the window, as I came to realie I would not actually wear something like that more than once in real life. I recall having the waistband get a bit stretched out during the construction process for my culottes in this fabric, but I just thought it was a one-off. Silly me. Though this sateen does not contain any stretch fibers, it does tend to stretch out a bit as you handle and work with it -- the more handling, the more stretching. By the time I'd finished sewing the neckline bias facing on this dress, the entire neckline had stretched out quite noticeably, causing it to ripple and not lay flat -- WHY didn't I stay-stitch beforehand?! A word to future Sue: stay-stitch necklines!!!!! Just do it.

Now, if you've read this blog for a while, you'll know how much I like the Laurel dress pattern. I've also sewn it as a dress and a top for friends, over the years, so I'd like to think I'm rather familiar with it! Because it has been a little while since making one of these for myself, I knew I'd need to cut a new, larger size, but I think I over-compensated for my larger measurements. It's hard to say, though, with the fabric stretching issue. Did I cut this out too big, or did it grow? The fit is not quite right.

Jump!

Teapot!

Talk about a quick, easy project turning into something oddly challenging! [Insert here: fabric joke on making lemonade from lemons - ha, ha, ha] As you can see, I even tried to take things up a notch in photographing it with some new poses!

But, even back to the construction, once I realized the neckline was stretched out and crazy-looking, I knew I needed to try something different. I took a deep breath, cut around the entire neckline to trim the bad part off, and then traced the remaining neckline curve to make my own facing pieces. If you'd asked me in advance if I knew how to do that or thought I ever would, I'd have said "no," but I found that having sewn my fair share of facings in my sewing career, it was not difficult to come up with how to draft my own. I ended up basically tracing the shape of the neckline, adding seam allowances at the shoulders, and extending the whole neckline shape down a couple inches. I used a sturdier black cotton broadcloth for the facing pieces to try to help stabilize things there. It pretty much worked, but I didn't quite make the facings long enough, so they like to flip up a little bit (yes, I under-stitched) even after stitching them down in the shoulder seam ditch. Womp womp.


The verdict is that I love this fabric but not as this dress. The shoulders don't seem to sit right and the adjusted scooped shape of the front and back neckline are a little odd after my re-facing. I'm not sure if the whole thing was able to stretch out enough during construction to make the entire dress too big (apart from the stretched neckline), or if I just need to go down a size. It can be tricky when you change sizes after having determined a TNT pattern at a size different than you are now! I was worried that anything smaller than this would not fit, but I think it ended up being a bit more of a sack -- or pillow case, as a friend noted when I wore it out in real life -- than the casually loose shift I'd envisioned.

I think, to be sure, I have to try it out again in a non-secretly-stretching fabric and see where that takes me!

Late > Never? #OWOP14

So what if it's the end of September? Here I am with my OWOP outfits, for your viewing pleasure.

As you can see, I picked the Laurel dress/top by Colette Patterns. I wasn't even forced to repeat the Leopard Laurel on days 2 and 7, I just wanted to! That's how much I love that dress (read: secret pajamas).

I'm starting to feel my current style drift a little bit away from cutesy/quirky/colorful and lean more toward darker tones, sometimes more modern looks, and things that don't make me feel too twee. I found myself a bit uncomfortable in my Floral Laurel and Ruffle Sleeve Laurel this week. Even my peter pan collar was getting to me. Maybe it's a new life phase, maybe it's just the changing seasons. My favorite outfit of the week was day 5, my Back to School Laurel paired with sheer black tights and ankle boots. Ready for fall, y'all!

And, just because you've been nice enough to stick around in my recent absence, I'll let you in on a little secret. There's been no sewing happening in these parts as my sewing room is currently experiencing a dramatic revamping. I will be sharing some new sewing space shots once things are put back together, don't you worry. Until then, plz enjoy this image of my new computer desk (lives in under-construction sewing room), yay!

My place is a bit dark, so anything light/white/bright is super refreshing and a big help to keep things from feeling gross and drab. I've been taking a lot of inspiration from Heather Lou, Tilly, and Shanni's recent sewing space posts, so hopefully I'll end up with a sewing space that can keep the inspiration flowing.

2013

Looking back on this year of thrifting and sewing and blogging, I found myself putting together a list of some of the best or most memorable things. With the end of year reflections and Top-5's I've been seeing around blogland this week, I thought I'd join in and share mine.

Favorite Me-Made Wardrobe Addition:

This would have to be my Anthropologie inspired Laurel v. 5 top.

This top gets worn all the time, whether I'm going to work or just running errands on the weekends. I love the cotton-silk fabric and the cute pink spots.

Favorite Dress:

I made a good number of dresses this year (10 blogged, 12 total), but my favorite has to be the Floral Wedding Guest Dress I made to wear for Tom's brother's wedding in June.

This is more of a special occasion piece than an everyday dress, but it still won this category for me. The fit is not perfect but it is still such a fun dress to wear. I love the rayon bemberg lined full gathered skirt -- it's just perfect for twirling and frolicking.

Biggest Sewing Fail:

My biggest "meh" project this year was the Pilgrim Peony (wearable muslin) that I never quite finished.

I surprised myself whipping up this project on a whim and really liking the futuristic/mod collar I came up with. By the time I'd blogged about it, I was mere moments from tucking the unfinished blob into the closet to revisit later. I suppose I just lost momentum and have not touched it since. I have a feeling it's going to be sitting in the closet for a while.

Best Pattern:

This for me, as I'm sure you're all shocked to hear, would have to be the Laurel top & dress pattern by Colette Patterns. When the pattern was first released, my initial reaction was "...eh." It didn't seem too remarkable to me, but I decided to try it and participate in the contest Colette held, and then I was totally hooked.

I ended up making a total of 10 Laurel variations this year (including a top and a dress made for friends). My favorite and most worn dress version has to be my Back to School Laurel. It came out a bit short but is still a really versatile piece in my wardrobe. I even wore it on Christmas (with tights) when we had everyone over for family dinner.

Favorite Thrifted Find:

My favorite piece found during my thrift store and estate sale travels this year has been the short sleeved camel colored Bobbie Brooks cashmere sweater I found at a thrift store. It was a great price, is in excellent condition, and has made a useful addition to my wardrobe. It also happens to look great paired with my leopard print belt.

I don't think a person can have too many camel colored separates. They're a great neutral to pair with any other color or style.

Project(s) I'm Most Excited To Sew Next Year:

This one needs to be split into 2 categories: Dresses & Separates. The dress I'm really looking forward to trying out in 2014 is the Hazel dress by Victory Patterns.

And the separate I've been dying to sew for months but am determined and excited to do in 2014 is Tilly's Mathilde blouse. I've even got the pieces printed out, taped together, and cut, so all I need to do is pick my fabric and get to work!


In addition to ringing in the new year, there will be a little extra bit of celebrating going on in these parts as Sewin' Steady's 2nd birthday is coming up in just a few days. I'm considering giving the blog a makeover, will definitely be announcing some exciting news, and also doing a giveaway to celebrate. You won't want to miss it!

More Ruffles! (Finished Project: Laurel v. 8)

After making the ruffley-sleeved Laurel dress for my friend at work, I knew I needed one for myself. Despite the fact that I'd temporarily sworn off the Laurel pattern in hopes that I'd begin to branch out a bit more, I promptly made another one for myself. I just had to have some ruffled sleeves.

I used the Liberty lawn gifted to me by Debi during our Summer Sewing Swap back in July 2012. I'd been afraid to cut into the buttery soft, adorable fabric for fear of wasting it on a botched project. I'd thought it would work really well as a shirt-dress, but hadn't found or tried any patterns that seemed especially fitting. Then it hit me, duh, this would be perfect for a ruffley-sleeved Laurel dress. And it was.

I love the little acorns in the print and the lovely tones of purple, pink, and gold. In sewing the dress, I also used the green satiny bias binding Debi sent with my Sewing Swap goodies to face the neckline and hem. The slippery silky binding strips plus the soft bemberg rayon lining I used to line the dress ensure that this baby can be easily worn with tights without any unsightly dress bunching. Thank goodness, I can wear this dress any time of year! (but especially in the Fall)

my favorite part of the dress -- ruffles!

You all have seen me gush about the Laurel pattern multiple times now, so you already know it's my jam. Maybe I should call it my weakness? I can't seem to actually stop making them. Anyway, there's not much new to share, except I can now say for sure that I absolutely love the ruffled sleeve variation just as much as the other pattern options. I have a feeling this dress is going to get a lot of wear (with a lot of different colored tights!).

no bunching or riding up over tights!

satiny bias tape and smooth lining

this look happens to go great with my favorite shoes

Hooray for Fall and Laurel dresses! I do promise that my next project, which is already strewn across my sewing table, will not be a Laurel anything. It's not even a Colette pattern. I'm really branching out here, guys! You'll just have to check back soon to see how it turns out.

Ruffles!

Hi friends! I'm just popping in to share a few quick snaps I took of the Laurel dress I sewed for my friend at work.  You may recall the wearable muslin I made first, in a cute striped fabric.

wearable muslin

For the final version, I added in-seam pockets and the ruffles for the sleeves. I think it turned out totally adorable and the fun, zig-zag fabric really gets to shine. I used some purple-blue rayon bemberg lining for the pockets, in an attempt to reduce bulkiness, since the fabric is a quilting cotton.

I also made my favorite thing, bias binding, to finish the neckline and hem. When cutting the dress out, there was a limited amount of fabric, so that I just got all the pieces to fit, but couldn't really arrange things to help the zig-zag stripes match up at the seams. You can see that on my pocket close-up shot. But let's focus on the adorable sleeves. Now I'm determined to make another Laurel for me (at some point) with this sleeve style. I just think it's too cute not to have one for myself.

Orange is the new black...

Right? Fabric.com calls this color "carrot" but I say it's more like convict. Or maybe traffic cone. I'd hoped for something a bit more on the "burnt orange" end of things, but the fabric turned out very vibrant and brighter than I'd expected. Fall does seem like an appropriate season for bright, rich colors, though, so I think I'll just run with it.

This is my second ever Peony. It's not perfect, but it's already been worn more than my first version has, to be completely honest.

I cut a size smaller than my first Peony and did not underline the fabric, either. I really like the weight and feel of the orange linen blend I used. I think I could wear this dress from spring through fall without issue. For this version, I replaced the facing pattern pieces with matching bias tape that I just happened to find at JoAnn's, where I also got the perfectly matching zipper.

I even used matching piping at the waistline. From JoAnn's too? Kind of.  I grabbed a half package of red piping I'd had laying around, likely purchased at JoAnn's, and just straight up covered it in orange bias strips I'd cut from my fashion fabric... and it worked!

I did run into a little bit of a snag or two with the zipper and the piping all meeting up at the center back of the dress. It's not the prettiest finish, but maybe next time I'll get it right. On top of that, I could have sworn I was inserting the zipper as a centered lapped zip, but it's definitely uneven and off center with the opening. Oh well, again! It's still perfectly functional. 

I had a fun time working on this Peony. I'd originally planned to line it, but opted not to as I just wasn't feeling it when the time came to actually do it.  I'd also envisioned myself pairing it with a cozy cardigan or sweater in colder weeks, but the sometimes-gaping boat neckline just totally bunches whenever anything is layered over it. Le sigh.  I do like the '60s vibe of this dress and am still planning to make another version at some point.

October

This month I've been a little bit all over the place. Tom is traveling for work which has thrown off my weekly routine slightly. I've found myself splitting my focus between what feels like a million things.

• For one, new vintage. I recently got a cute '50s navy suit jacket on Etsy that just needs the gold-painted dark glass buttons re-attached. Of course the simplest mending is what takes the longest to make yourself complete. 

• I went to my first official rummage sale this weekend. It's actually the same sale Sam from Fluffyland just posted about. As you can see from her photos (I always forget to take photos), it was huge and, for me, a bit overwhelming. I'd hoped there would be more sewing supplies, but apart from fabric, it was slim pickings for vintage lovers in that department. The fabric table(s), however, were covered in piles of cute cuts of fabric, all neatly labeled and bundled up. But, I manged to resist adding to my already-huge stash. At the end of the morning, I walked away with a cute, wool Sacks Fifth Avenue 2-piece dress from the "vintage" rack in the clothing room, and an '80s spotted red bow blouse.  

• I also had some good luck thrifting this weekend, bringing home some vintage sleep/lounge wear and snuggley cashmere sweaters.

• I've still been stalling, paralyzed with indecision (and distracted by other projects!) on just what cuffs to add to my green Pilgrim Peony.

• Duke is pretty into my new shoes, which I recently wore with my latest project. I've managed to sew up another Peony dress in the Orange linen blend I'd mentioned, but am still working on getting some good photos. 

• I told you all I was moving on from my Laurel obsession, but it just so happens that a friend at work saw my navy & white speckled version and then went and found the cutest fabric so I can make one for her. Apparently the fixation is contagious. :)  I stitched together the wearable muslin for her in an evening, using some very cute pink/orange/purple striped fabric of hers. After she wore it around the house a couple of times, she told me what needed adjusting and I've made alterations to the pattern pieces. It's such a simple dress that I think it will be ok to just take it in where she's told me, and cross my fingers that everything else fits in the final version.  The final dress will be in the white/blue/green/purple zig-zag/herringbone print (above) and we're adding in-seam pockets, mid-length sleeves with the RUFFLE option. I'm so excited to have the finished product -- those sleeves are just going to be adorable. I'll make sure to get at least some photos to share once it's ready.

• In addition to my recent pattern acquisitions from Deer & Doe, I've also just ordered the Emery dress pattern by Christine Haynes. The vintage details were too cute to pass up and Shanni's review really made me want to try it. 

• I found out this month that one of my best friends is going to be having a baby girl in late February. I started looking at Oliver + S patterns (adorable), but am hoping to find some other options, too. Baby clothes seem so fun and quick to sew. Any recommendations?

That's all for me. What have you all been up to this month? 

Is anyone sewing their Halloween costume? 

The Pilgrim Peony

You may recall I have a polka dotted Peony with striped & piped cuffs that I made when I first started this blog. That was my first ever version of this pattern and, with more experience under my belt now, I realize I should have cut a smaller size, among other things. I had been so excited about how I was going to sew it and what fabrics to use that I'd kind of ignored the less-than-ideal fit of the finished dress.  Well, I mentioned it, but at no point did I stop the project to try to really fix it. Unfortunately, the thing never gets worn now. Anyway -- it's time for a new round of Peonies.

At first, I had been a little over-it when it came to the Peony pattern, thinking that maybe it just wasn't for me. And it had sleeves, which I've only recently become comfortable sewing. Then, I saw this adorable version over at Sewbon. It hit me that, duh, this is a versatile dress that would really look cute and let a beautiful fabric shine. If I used a solid color of a nice bright linen or something, I might really like it!

Since fall is here, I want everything to be orange, red, or gold, haha, so I snapped up some of this pretty, Orange linen blend at Fabric.com, with plans to make it into a NICE, satisfactorily-fitting, Peony. Is this going to be a good color on me? Don't know, but I was definitely drawn to it.

Carrot colored linen blend, from Fabric.com

However, none of the above noted Peonies are what this post is actually meant to share! Instead of cutting right into my new bright fabric, or making an annoying bodice muslin out of plain, unwearable fabric, I opted for a wearable muslin, of sorts. I used a kelly green double-knit polyester heap of fabric that had been lurking in my stash. I can't quite remember how I came across it, but probably some early, misguided online fabric shopping from my earlier days of sewing. I added a while collar and thus created my latest Peony; The Pilgrim Peony.  (I know you're not supposed to use fabric that's this drastically different from your anticipated final fashion fabric when you make a muslin, but whatever!)

Please excuse the iPhone photos, I'll have better ones once the dress is totally done. That's right, I've left off the finishing touches on the sleeves, so this is still technically a WIP. I've also done a few other weird things -- since this fabric is thick polyester and is not prone to fraying, I didn't finish a single raw edge or seam! I was also able to leave out the center back zipper since the double-knit fabric is a bit stretchy. AND, to make my futuristic/Jetsons'/pilgrim/'60s collar, I literally just used the facing pieces that came with the pattern. Is that weird? It makes the corners at the shoulder seam pointed, rather than curved and I kind of like it. The inside of the neckline is finished with matching bias binding. Oh, and I also omitted the gathers at the front of the skirt and just added a pleat on each side. I didn't think this fabric would lend itself well to little gathers.

The only thing I have left to do now is come up with an idea for finishing the sleeves. I could just hem them at this slightly-shorter-than-the-pattern-calls-for length. Or, I could add a little pointy, white cuff to match the collar. Or, maybe just a white band/cuff that's plain, not pointed? I really can't decide. Any recommendations?

Peter Pan Pendrell Replacement

My original Peter Pan Pendrell

Back in January, I was inspired by a peter pan collared Pendrell blouse made by Anna of Paunnet. I ended up making my own peter pan Pendrell, in teal rayon challis and loved it. I loved it so much, in fact, that I wore it and washed it a few too many times and it started to fall apart in any little place I'd not finished the seams 100% perfectly. I just recently parted ways with it (which felt weird, donating a me-made) and decided to make a replacement. I had just enough of the teal rayon left over to whip up a Laurel version, to fill the gap the Pendrell had left in my closet (and life).

I used the same collar as what I'd drafted for my pink Laurel top and simply rounded the pointed corners in the front to get the look I wanted. I used French seams throughout, and instead of completely foregoing interfacing in the collar (as I'd done and regretted in the Pendrell version), I used muslin to interface it, which worked pretty well. I also got to make bias tape and grinned the whole time -- for some reason I love this tedious task.

 

I'm so glad to have this blouse back in my closet and ready to wear! The soft collar for this version makes it easier to layer than my pink collared Laurel (which as been restricted to warm weather wear only).

In writing this post, I've just realized my next project, currently in the works, is also inspired by pieces Anna has made. As soon as I saw her recent post about her pinafore project, I started purchasing patterns and cutting fabric. More on that soon!

Dresses!

I told you all my next project would be yet another Laurel, and here it is! I've finished my 6th Laurel, this time it's a(nother mini) dress with sleeves. That's mini as in mini skirt. Since my success setting in the sleeves on my Anthropologie-inspired Laurel top, I feel like I've opened a whole new world of possiblities. I can sew things with sleeves, without going crazy! I don't need to feel forced to only tackle kimono and raglan sleeves! Yes, sleeveless tops and dresses are nice, but who doesn't like a good ol' sleeve?

Now, before I get too carried away, I'll go ahead and out myself. I did indeed attach two successfully set-in sleeves to this dress, but only one actually looks right. The other one is a little bit poufy... but I don't care! I mean I care enough to point it out to you, but not enough to try to fix it. To me, it is really ok that the sleeves are not perfect -- I'll just get there someday, no need to stress!

Inadvertently puffy sleeve -- more noticeable when worn

For this particular iteration of the Laurel pattern, I decided to go for a dress that could pretty much be worn any time of the year. I used a navy and white speckled cotton sateen (stretch) from Fabric.com. I'm pretty sure Andrea used the black version for one of her cute Moss Mini skirts. I lined the dress with a dark blueish-purple bemberg rayon lining from Joann. And I, once again, made a million miles of bias tape and used it as a facing for the neckline, sleeve openings, and hem.

bias tape faced sleeve opening

neckline with bias tape facing

hem facing & dress lining

When it came to finishing the raw edges of the lining, I decided to try something I'd recently noticed in a vintage skirt. Instead of turning under and stitching, or using lace seam finishing tape, the bottom of the skirt was simply pinked and left hanging free inside the skirt. I figured, if it's good enough for a vintage RTW garment, it's good enough for me to try, too. I promise the pinked edge is not quite so uneven as the ripply fabric makes it seem in the photo. :) I'll be sure to report back soon, with photos of me actually wearing the dress, as well as details on how washing it goes, with the pinked raw edges. I hope it holds up!
UPDATE: Upon washing this dress on gentle cycle in cold water, the pinked edge of the rayon bemberg lining has started to fray, annoyingly, so perhaps this finishing technique is not suitable for all lining fabrics. :-/

In other dress news, I'm recently obsessed with the Emery dress pattern by Christine Haynes. It's vintage inspired and totally adorable. Shanni has made a super cute floral version as a pattern tester, which you should really check out, if you haven't already. She's also hosting a giveaway where one lucky winner will get their own Emery dress pattern, once it's officially released. I can't wait to see more Emery dresses pop up on the internet. I know I'd love to make the longer sleeved (sleeves! me!) version with the adorable collar in a lightweight wool for colder months. Mmm!

Emery

Finished Project: Laurel v. 5

Hey, y'all. As promised, here's my photo shoot wearing my latest Laurel top. I've worn this top a few times already since making it and I'm loving it. The fabric is what really makes it for me. The cotton/silk blend feels super nice and I can't keep myself from giddily petting it and gazing lovingly down at it whenever I put it on.

 

Now I just need a bright pink necklace to wear with it. It's definitely a simple top, but I don't think it lacks interest... though it could benefit from some statement jewelry. (something to work on--accessorizing)

Love the little bow at the back

I know I discussed some of the construction details, along with my inspiration for the project, in my last post, but there's always room for more!  When sewing up this Laurel, I added about an inch and a half to the length, and then used bias tape to face the hem (rather than bind it--which I think would have been weird--or just doing a regular hem, which would have subtracted a little more of the extra length I'd added in).

I used French seams on the side and shoulder seams, which always makes things feel nice and fancy, to me. I'd accidentally zoned out when stitching the arm seams to create the tube part of the sleeve and was too lazy to un-do it, so those are just regular seams, finished with the pinking shears.  I know some people sew their shoulder/arm-hole seams as French seams, but I can't really wrap my mind around that. I'm lucky enough that I was able to physically set-in the sleeves (usually my downfall in projects), so I wasn't trying to get too crazy.

I think the next time I make the top version of this pattern (oh, there will be a next time), I'll lengthen it again like I did here, but I'll also try lengthening the sleeves to 3/4, instead of the current 1/2. My Anthropologie inspiration shirt had 3/4 sleeves, which I just kind of spaced on when it came to making my version.  I'm also dying to try the gathered sleeve ruffle/flounce variation, but that is something I'd definitely save for a dress, rather than the top -- but maybe that's just me.

 Up next? LAUREL V. 6! Dress with sleeves, coming to a blog near you.