Wear-it-to-Death Lodo Dress

                       

Introducing the 2017 lead contender for the wear it to death summer dress: True Bias Lodo.

This was a quick make with a striped ponte from Metro Textiles and a woven cotton for the facings purchased at the Seam Shoppe in Key West, Florida in March. 

Seam Shoppe in Key West

The  pattern, while quite simple, is well drafted.

                                                   

There are no bust darts and only very subtle contouring along the side seams to achieve the cocoon shape.  Given the amount of drafting errors in most indie patterns, I have become increasingly wary of purchasing outside of the Big 4.  However,  Kelly from True Bias has professional drafting skills from FIT and I had a good experience with the True Bias Southport Dress.

The only deviation I made from the Lodo instructions was to edgestitch the facings before flipping.

                         

I was a bit on the fence about making the Lodo, as it is a style that is easily available in RTW and I generally try to sew clothes that I wouldn't otherwise purchase.

Similar Cocoon style dress spotted at Eileen Fisher

Speaking of RTW, I have been keeping a spreadsheet of all my clothing and shoe purchases in 2017.  My goal is to keep annual clothes/shoe/accessory costs well below 4% of my personal paycheck after tax.  So far I am on track for the year.  However, the final stats will somewhat lack in integrity since much of the new clothes I wear are me-made and I am not factoring fabric/notion costs into that 4%. Nor am I factoring in the fabric that I purchase this year that will languish in the stash. Sometimes I wonder how my spending on clothes would be different if I did not sew...

Lessons in Prewashing...

I had high hopes for this beautiful navy knit from Paron's Going out of Business Sale in NYC's garment district.  The Italian viscose has a lovely hand with about 20% stretch.  It's wrinkle free = perfect for travel.

From the start, I intended to use the fabric for an office appropriate dress with out of print Vogue 8663.

 But the finished dress was solidly in the boring camp (even for office wear), too big and doesn't at all do justice to the lovely fabric.




Accessorizing with a silk scarf belt makes the ensemble a tad less forgettable, don't you think?  But still quite blah....



Although I am usually a Vogue size 10, I cut out a 12 based on the finished measurements.  It turned out to be too big in the bodice.

I turned to Pattern Review for assistance with the pleats.  After marking with chalk I basted them in place by hand.  I also topstitched the pleats down (not in the pattern direction).  In spite of my prep, the center pleat shifted.  I unpicked it and re-sewed it as a dart.  Better but far from perfect. 



I applied Sewkeyse knit stay tape to the neckline, sleeves and hem and then folded over twice and catch stitched.  I prefer the look of hand finishing to machine or even twin needle.

I wore the dress twice before sending it out with the laundry. (One of the many peculiarities of NYC living is that many of us don't have in-unit washer/dryers...) I forgot to specify that the dress needed to be air dried and it shrunk...A LOT.  The new "dress" is tunic length and barely covers my bum. On the upside, it fits pretty close to perfect in the bodice...

To keep the faith, I am reframing this experience as a wearable muslin and intend to make the dress again with the following modifications:

•  smaller size (8 or 10)
•  lengthen the bodice 2 inches
•  use darts instead of pleats in the bodice
• cut the back bodice and back skirt on the fold
• construct a full lining

Guess who will never again forget to prewash her fabric?

MADE UP: A Southport in Southport!

Greetings from Bald Head Island!  My favorite place on earth.

My family has been vacationing on this North Carolina barrier island for 30 years. With no cars on the island, everyone uses electric golf carts and bikes to get around.  It's bliss!

It has been a perfect holiday weekend with my husband, parents, and brother + girlfriend.  During the days, we kayaked, crabbed, sailed, read, biked and swam.  And in the evening we drank too much rosé and ate the perfect mix of local cuisine (boiled shrimp, homemade crab cakes, homemade peach ice cream) and la cuisine de Maman (cake salé, tagine d'agneau, Strawberry Cake).  

I am already looking forward to next year:  same time, same place, same people + my sister!  

Morning run on the beach! 

Never tire of this view...

Although we are always eager to get on "island time," every trip to Bald Head begins with a stop in Southport for boat passage.   If you follow the Indie pattern scene, you can probably see where this post is headed...

Here I am wearing my True Bias Southport Dress in Southport!



This dress is my submission to Did You Make That's  Made Up Initiative.  Karen challenged the sewing blogosphere to donate to the UK National Literacy Trust and commit themselves to something by September 10.  My self-set challenge was to wear my Southport in Southport over the Labor Day holiday weekend.

The buttons are repurposed from an old shirt of my husband's!

Construction: 



I cut out a straight size 4.  The cotton voile (?)  print is from Metro.

Using this tutorial, I made continuous bias tape and applied it to the neck and armholes.  Following the lead of others on Pattern Review, I made a faux button placket and used 1/2 inch elastic instead of a drawstring.  I did add decorative drawstring to preserve the "drawstring look."  The cotton is prone to raveling, so I finished my seams with a little hem.

En route to Southport in my Southport Dress after a great weekend!

I enjoyed making this dress, but did not feel a great sense of accomplishment.  I first became interested in sewing because I wanted to grow my skills to make the designer clothes I admire but cannot afford.  So, why did I waste precious time making a "fast fashion" copy with cheap fabric?  I am a bit torn as to the answer.  I have two competing voices in my head:

Whooa...Slow down Claire.  You are a newbie!  You haven't even mastered the invisible zip... Grow your skills and then cut into $$$ fabric and invest 40 hours in a couture jacket!  And, be practical and make the clothes for your lifestyle!

VS.

This is a hobby!  It's your free time!  Go with your gut and challenge yourself! (Try to) make the clothes of your dreams out of the starting gate! 

Both voices are equally emphatic--as you can tell from the uninterrupted stream of explanation points.  ;)  The answer probably lies somewhere between having a bit more patience with my current level of proficiency AND actively drawing inspiration from the haute gamme clothing I aspire to one day make.

***

Speaking of patience...Let me brag on my talented Mom!  She is well on the way to DIY slipcovering the beach house sofa.  Hasn't she done a beautiful job so far?

4 cushions done! Only the slipcover left to do! 

Beginnings of the slipcover!

Touchdown Anna

                            
Deadlines are my best sewing motivator.  I had 8 days till an Atlanta bar mitzvah celebration and no options I was jazzed about in my closet.  So, what's a Goodbye Valentino RTW Faster to do?  I cleared out my weeknights and hunkered down to make a dress, of course!

The sports-themed invite specified a dress code of Club Level Attire.   I had to ask my husband what "Club Level" was even referring to!  (Sports-fanatic I am NOT.)

I chose to "play it safe" with another By Hand London Anna.  This is my third Anna of the summer (see here and here) and I think I finally scored a touchdown on both fit and construction!

Yup...i finished the hem on the plane.  

                   
Fabric:

The fabric is from Metro.  It boasts an overlay of decorative straight stitching that creates a nubby texture.  According to my instructor Sharon, this is a sign of higher quality.   Cheaper fabrics would just uses a chemical solution to approximate a similar textured look.

I underlined the bodice with silk organza and fully lined the dress with cotton batiste. I chose cotton batiste for its breathability. (It is August in "HOTlanta," after all.)  Cotton batiste is known for stretching, so I stay stitched immediately.

Pattern Modifications:

With the Andover Anna, I felt that the back gaped a little, causing the bodice to feel like it was slipping off my shoulders.  To address this, I added back in 1 inch along each shoulder seam piece and blended it back into the original deep V at the juncture of the bodice back and skirt back.  For a more fitted look, I took out another 1/2 inch from the bodice side seams on each side (1/4 inch on each pattern piece). Finally, I cut the front of the skirt as one piece.  (The skirt front of my original "Show(er) Me Anna" was 3 panels and the "Andover Anna" was 2.)

Construction:

The pattern does not provide instructions for a full lining--only for fussy facings.   My instructor Sharon taught me this RTW lining method for the bodice, which I have used on all three Annas:

1. Sew the pleats on the fashion fabric bodice front and darts on fashion fabric bodice back.  Repeat for lining.

I had basted the pleats and darts before sewing by machine.

2.  Sew the fashion fabric bodice back to fashion fabric bodice front at the shoulder seams with right sides together.  Repeat for lining.  Attach the lining to the fashion fabric with right sides together, sewing continuously along the neckline and back V.  Clip corners.

3.  With right sides together (lining to fashion fabric), sew the sleeve hems continuously from back sleeve to front sleeve in the flat.

4. Edgestitch the neckline, back pieces, and sleeves.

Edge stitched!

5. With right sides together, match the side seams of the fashion fabric and side seams of the lining and sew up the bodice side seams continuously from fashion fabric bottom to lining bottom.

All pinned and ready to sew up the side seams.  

Area of Improvement

• My skirt lining didn't seem to match perfectly with the bodice lining.  I had excess skirt in the lining and had to make a few small pleats in the skirt lining to remove the excess.  What happened?   At first I questioned whether it was bad cutting (i don't think so)? Or did the skirt lining pieces stretch (doubtful because I stay-stitched immediately)?  But, then I realized that I had taken more than the 5/8 inch seam allowance for the zipper enclosure--more like 1.5 inches.  I did this so that the zipper would match right at the Deep V juncture of the 2 bodice back seams.  Since I forgot to take out an equal amount of the skirt lining, the skirt lining circumference was greater than the fashion fabric skirt circumference. When I went to fell stitch the lining skirt to lining bodice, I had excess skirt lining.  
• In spite of my additional modifications, the back pieces are still gaping a bit.  
• The top of the invisible zipper is visible and I need to fix it before i wear the dress again! 

Invisible zipper needs some help!  

I am so glad I gave this pattern a 3rd try and FINALLY experienced a stress-free sew! I think it's time to retire the Anna to the TNT Hall of Fame, bring out the muslin bolt, and start on something new.

Show(er) Me Anna!

I had originally planned to wear By Hand London's Anna dress to our first wedding of the season outside of Atlanta.  Life happened (do I sound like a broken record yet?) and the dress didn't get finished in time.

It turned out to be perfect for my first bridal shower (ever!).  Admittedly, I felt a little sheepish attending a city chic event in $4/yard poly from Kashi's treasure chest.  Sheepishness turned to pure pride when the discriminating hostess complimented me on my dress.  Quite the ego boost, thank you very much.

With the bride!

I selected the round neckline and opted for no leg slit.  I changed the back pattern pieces to a deep V.  The bodice is underlined in silk organza and fully lined in a coordinating hot pink bemberg. All skirt pieces are french seamed.  That's 14 maxi length french seams to be exact.  28 if you count the first botched attempt to line up the bodice pleats with the skirt seams.  (Not that anyone is counting!)

                                               

This dress was NOT an easy sew for me.  There were several 2 am sessions with my trusty seam ripper due to a domino effect of mistakes. I won't go into it...Ain't NOBODY got time for THAT!  

In spite of making a perfect fitting muslin beforehand, the dress is still too large in the bodice. While disappointing, I am happy I figured this out at this wearable muslin stage.

Deep V back.  

I tried the following new (to me) techniques on the Show(er) Me Anna:

• Narrow hem on bemberg lining
• fell stitch to attach bodice lining to bodice skirt from the right side
• Inserting a zipper into a french seam

Note on the narrow hem:  I stitched a guiding line 1/8 inch from the cut edge all around the dress.  I never removed this guiding line.  Using that guiding line, I folded the fabric on itself 2x (double-folded edge) so that the raw edge was encased in the hem and the original 1/8 stitching line was now along the upper fold of the hem.  Ultimately, this made for a 1/4 inch hem, though it looks like only 1/8 from the outside.  From there I sewed the hem in place. It turned out perfect!

My biggest takeaway from the "Show(er) Me Anna" is to make a wearable muslin before cutting into nice fabric! Stay tuned for the improved blue lace "Andover Anna," which I wore to the wedding this past weekend.    

Dining Around the City

Several goodies since the start of summer:

La Mirabelle is pure nostalgie for me and it happens to be a stone's throw from our apartment.    The menu includes many of the French classics that my Mom made for dinner parties in the 90s (coquilles St. Jacques, oeufs a la neige) and adapted into healthier versions for weeknight family dinners (poulet a l'estragon, creme caramel).  All of the servers are 70+ and don't hesitate to offer unsolicited opinions as all (old) French ladies do.  If you want Julia Childs' cooking and don't want to clean the dishes or hop on a plane, this is the place to go!

Gotham West Market
This grown up food court recently opened on the ground floor of one of the high rise apartment buildings on 11th avenue. It markets itself to tenants as an alternative to grocery shopping.  (???) With a large party of 7 and more on the way, this was perfect for a casual Saturday dinner.  I selected a cold ramen soup from Ivan's Ramen Shop  and finished off with some fabulous Ample Hills ice cream for dessert.  Gotham West is a bit in no-man's land out on 11th ave, but I would go again!

Maialino
When my parents are in town I always look for a continental restaurant in Gramercy/West Village. These are my Dad's "old stomping grounds" and he loves to go back. Maialino fit the bill for Dad-approved location and food.  Situated on the ground floor of the Gramercy Park Hotel, this Danny Meyer restaurant bills itself as a Roman style trattoria.  The chef has managed to retain the familial integrity of recipes like bucatini all'amatriciana and tonnarelli a cacio e pepe while transforming them into refined restaurant fare.  I am not sure how he does it because those are some pretty basic budget-friendly pastas!  The space is great--much like an idealized farm house with buckets of fresh sunflowers, checkered table linens, ironwork, etc.

Risotteria
This West Village favorite finally moved to the Upper West Side.   The risottos (20+ on the menu) are perfectly creamy while still properly al dente.  I love the no-fuss atmosphere and affordable prices.

RiverPark
The bridal shower was at Chef Tom Colicchio's private event space at RiverPark -- a glass cube overlooking the East River.  The luncheon menu was farm-to-table fare:  perfect fried chicken and waffles, zingy bloody marys, ricotta and rhubarb toasts, and mignardises for dessert.

Buttermilk Channel
We were in Red Hook for a show so decided to try out this Carroll Gardens favorite. The food was a bit too heavy for me (my entrée salad was dripping in lamb fat), but it was a great evening. We closed down the restaurant at 1am after making friends with the couple sitting next to us.  They graciously treated us to champagne and dessert and we chatted for over an hour and a half about the Supreme Court same-sex marriage decision, NY real estate (favorite topic of NYers), and everything under the sun!  All the while watching a rat scurry back and forth on the sidewalk.  A true NYC evening. ;)

Little Black Knit Dress

This is a copy of an H&M knit dress that I've been wearing for the past few years. I finished it just in time for Thanksgiving dinner!

Although a simple dress to sew, the pattern drafting and fitting wasn't so easy! 

Using my seam ripper, I tore the dress apart and then made my first pass at sewing the bodice, cutting straight into my fashion fabric--a Derek Lam ponte knit from Mood.  Unfortunately, two things led to my first attempt becoming a de-facto muslin.  1) My iron spewed gunk onto the bodice and I couldn't get it out.  Now, I have a new iron! 2) I discovered that the bodice was actually too large on the right side of my body.  Sharon, my new sewing instructor, explained to me that the existing pattern (the H&M dress) had clearly stretched from use on the right side. This makes sense, since I am right handed and favor my right side for activity.  Thus, the right side was no longer the mirror image of the left side.  The stretching of the fabric in the H&M dress was also evident in the waist. On my muslin, the waistband was about 2 inches wider than the bodice.   The larger waistband size turned out to be more comfortable, so we added 2 inches to the sides of the bodice pieces.  

With Sharon's help, I converted the changes in the muslin to wax paper and then to butcher paper.  Now, I was ready to try again!  Muslin #2 didn't fit either--the neckline wouldn't lay flat and I needed to take close to 4 inches out of each shoulder seam. 

The finished dress still needs some tweaking, but it is wearable!  For the next iteration, I plan to take out about 1/2 an inch on the sides of the bodice so that it fits a bit more snug around my torso and deal with the gaping at the neckline. 

Don't you love the trim?  I picked up this crochet and velvet trim from M&J!