Two Wrongs Sometimes Makes it Right!

I do tend to get ahead of myself....What i thought was going to be a simple issue free project turned into a real test to avoid the UFO!

Attempt #1:  I set out to tweak the fit of the bodice of my black knit dress and make the next iteration in a green scuba knit from Metro. 

With the help of my instructor Sharon, I attempted to remove the bunching around the neckline of the black dress and transfer these changes to pattern paper.  We removed some length out of the straps in the hopes that this would rectify the gaping and I also took a small wedge out of the neckline.

I cut the new bodice and hoped for the best.  This was the result:

Still quite baggy!

The fabric is uncomfortably digging into my armpit!

Baggy side view

Attempt #1 was clearly a wadder.  Not wanting to waste the skirt fabric that I had already cut out, I decided to make a circle skirt out of the remaining pattern pieces. 

The skirt as originally intended was too tight in the waist because of the bodice band.

What to do?  I decided to just turn the waistband toward the inside and use it as a facing.  Much better...i now had room to breathe. 

 I struggled top stitching the leather piping until I realized I was using the wrong needle AND foot! I also fought with puckering from the invisible zipper insertion...uggh.

 The end result is... meh.   I don't love it.  But, I don't hate it either. 

Pixie Pants 2.0!

Almost 10 years ago, I bought a pair of black J. Crew pixie pants.  I have worn those pants to death!

In December, I set out to J. Crew to buy a replacement pair, but returned empty handed.  At the store, I realized that the Pixies were not the same  pattern or quality as my originals. The original had an exposed zipper nicely finished on the outside with black petersham ribbon (no petersham finish on the new Pixies), and each leg was constructed with three pieces, including a rounded equestrian-style inset which had made me love the pants in the first place (there is no inset in the new version).  Furthermore, the pants in stores today didn't feel nice and the high price ($98) annoyed me.

So...to the seam ripper I went! I deconstructed the originals--baggy knees and all--and used the original pieces as a pattern to cut out the leftover black ponte knit from this knit dress.   I used a narrow zigzag on my regular sewing machine for all of the construction (no serger) and was sure to interface the facings and stay stitch all the curves.  I followed Craftsy's free instructions for the exposed zipper.  I found the directions somewhat nonsensical and very confusing, but who am I to say?  Still quite the beginner here!!

Although I made plenty of mistakes along the way, I am pretty pleased with the results!

Friday night after work at the Morgan Library & Museum

Here are some close ups of the pants:

Setting the Stage for 2015

This year I am participating in the Goodbye Valentino 2015 RTW Fast and Colette's Wardrobe Architect challenge.  I am hoping that the Wardrobe Architect Challenge will help me to define and reflect on my core style and that the RTW Fast will help me execute it.

Here are my responses to two prompts from the first round of Wardrobe Architect questions: