Happy New Year!

Well, it's officially 2010 on some parts of the planet and I'm not going to be on here when 2010 officially hits AZ so there it is.

Today, I made this lovely:

(I think when I wear this is the real world, I'll need a tank underneath.)

Pattern:

So I combined elements of A and B to make my own tunic.  The problems that I had with this weren't pattern problems but fabric problems.  Despite being a knit it's a thinner knit and that caused some problems with the neckline facing which kept curling and I ultimately just sewed it down.  I really like how this turned out and if I ever make it again I'll use a thicker knit.

Another sewing day...

I really need to have more weeks off and a disposable income so I could make clothes all day every day.

So I did up the hem on that pink polka Jem dress.  And I got two patterns today in the mail.  One I had already bought fabric for so I went ahead and made it.

I would like to try wearing this with something other than Spongebob Squarepants jammies. 

Pattern:

I had one issue with this pattern.  The directions said to turn in the sleeves and sew them like a hem.  Well I had a terrible time with that so I just said fuck it and cut out some facing and faced these sleeves.  It turned out fine I think.

In addition to leaving my wallet at Joann's (I almost had a heart attack but it was right where I left it) I found some new patterns.  Project Runway is sneaky.  The have tunics and dresses within the same pattern so I found three really cute ones and went home and promptly ordered them off eBay for way cheap.  I even bought THE BEST fabric for one.  I just hope it gets here before the 6th when the vacation is officially over.

Sigh.  Love = sewing.

I am smilin'...

I really like this tunic okay!  So I just finished this like just now.  I bought this fabric a while ago for a dress and it has been sitting in my sewing closet ever since.  I couldn't let such pretty fabric go unnoticed.  Alas, another Project Runway tunic:

Here's a close up of the fabric:

Outrageous!

This is the second Jem inspired dress.  As you can see it's not an exact replica but I like mine alright.  Trying to find pink fabric with black dots was almost impossible so I found fabric with black and dyed it pink.  Please forgive the hem not being finished.  I have to do that and a few other finishing touches tomorrow.   Also, I had a problem with this pattern.  While the waist fit perfectly the bust was ridiculous.  It was like you could have fit another set of boobs in there.  Two darts at the top helped that problem and hopefully it doesn't look bad.  I think it looks pretty okay.  Man that never happens though.  Usually everything fits perfectly without alterations which I'm not good at anyway.  Come to think of it I have had issues like this with Butterick patterns before.  Note to self: Butterick busts = ridiculous.  Stick with Simplicity!

Without further ado:

I made B minus the pockets.

Success!

So it's 11:45PM and I've just finished my first Project Runway pattern.  They're weird.  They have a create your own design system and the measurements for fabric pieces are listed separately.  Assembling isn't hard at all though.  I'm on this tunic kick right now.  Like I need to have a closet full of tunics.  They hide my body flaws so I love them.  Anyway, I made this:

I love the fabric I chose.  I should.  I forever agonized over fabric combos while in the store.

Here's a close up of the main fabric:

Finally the pattern:

Bottom right is the one I made.

I totally want to make this again as it turned out really cute!

Two new dresses...

This is the first of the Jem/Jerrica series.  After Halloween I rediscovered my love of Jem.  This is a still from the first episode:

This is my dress minus accessories (which I still need):

Not bad with the fabric choice if I do say so myself!  The neckband is having some fusible interfacing issues.  I'm gonna wash it and hope those issues are resolved otherwise I'll just have to go back in and rip out the interfacing which is gonna be a pain in the neck.  No pun intended.

This is the pattern I used:

It's got four great lookin' pleats in the back and I simply did away with the side cut out thing.  It was super easy.

Next I fell in love with this knit fabric:

And I made this dress with it:

I used the same pattern as the previous two posts (you know the one I made incorrectly).  This one was really easy too.

I just cut out the last of the dresses and will start on that later.  My super awesome cousin got me a Joann's gift card so I might pedal up there tomorrow and see what I can get.  I ordered three patterns from eBay and I bought fabric for one tunic.  I think it's a great combo.  I'm just waiting for the pattern to come in the mail and then I can start it.  :)

That's all the sewing news that's fit to print!

Knit #2...

Here's the 2nd knit top I made.  Proof you should read things in their entirety.  I figured I wouldn't need the lining because I never line things but the lining is what makes the bottom bubble.  Duh.

Anyway:

Pattern:

I made the dress version though I don't think I could ever wear it as a dress.  It'd be too short for me.  The fabric is a cute little tomato print.

I love my face in that picture so much I couldn't crop it out (which is what I was initially going to do).

The final knit I made is also this pattern.  It's the other dress.  I just haven't gotten a chance to wear it because it's been cold.  Pics of that as soon as I wear it!

Problem solved...

So I fixed the dress that was supposed to be a top from my last post.

Here's what it looks like now:

Honestly, I like it much better this way. 

No fear though!  I am making the dress from that pattern (the right way) because I found the sweetest knit fabric.  It's partially cut out.  I promise pics when it's finished.  I have a lot of free time on my hands up and coming so I also cut out two more dresses.  It's gonna be good.  :)

The first of the knits...

Obviously I made this wrong.  See the pattern:

See mine:

I completely missed where it said cut here for view B so I ended up making a dress length top.  (BTW It's not crooked it's just the way I'm standing.)

So I need your help.  Should I fix it to the correct length for the top or leave it as is?  The girls at work said it looked okay as is.

Your thoughts?

What have you been up to?

Well not sewing until this weekend.  I meat to update this with stuffs I did in October.  Yeah, I'm a little late on that.

Anyway, here's that stuffs.

The pirate coat was 1 of 4 Halloween costumes I wore this year.  Okay so a little advice if you ever undertake a pirate coat you should know that's it's hard!  I think I have arthritis from sewing on 23457961 buttons.  But it's damn cool lookin'!

Here's the pattern:

Next I made this:

I'm not sure if I did the skirt correctly as it sits a little weird.  And whose brilliant idea was it to have 6457893 pleats on a skirt?!?!?  Whoever that was, I hate you.  I hate you with the burning fire of a thousand suns.  But I sure look skinny don't I?

Here's the pattern:

 

 

I was inspired by Julianne Moore's very similar outfit in The Hours. 

 

As you can see, I still need to add that braiding to my skirt.  I also need to buy some shoes like hers to go with.

 

 

The shoes look like that but they are all the same color as the heel.  Anyone know what the heck these shoes are called?  I know they're popular in the summer.

Anyway, I tried my hand at knit fabrics for the first time this weekend.  I haven't been very happy lately but I find I am excruciatingly happy when I'm sewing.  Thank the PTB for Joann's coupons.  Without them I could never fuel this hobby of mine.

Knits are interesting to work with.  I learned the hard way you have to stretch the fabric while sewing since I have no idea how to work the zig-zag on the Bernina.  I could probably read pattern instructions.  That may help because it said to stretch the fabric.  Sheesh, I can be an arrogant chick sometimes.

Anyway, I made two tops and a jacket.  I promise to update this with them as soon as I take pictures.  Hopefully they won't be unwearable due to the weather.  It's currently raining which is good since it hasn't for some 90 days.  The tops are kind summery but can probably be layered quit effectively.  I also have one more top on hiatus because I forgot to buy the lining and I ran out of coupons.

I'm also working on a secret costume which won't be done until I can track down some notions.  I've bought out all the surrounding Joann's.  You'll see as soon as I'm finished.  I promise.

 

That's all the update I have for now.

Dear Santa...

Please bring me a cutting table so my back and legs don't hurt for days.  I have been a very good girl this year. 

Sincerely,
Pink

The Wendybird...

Peter Pan has got to be my favorite story of all time.  Of.  All.  Time.  If I ever go mad and deiced to spawn I want to start a tradition with my children including Peter Pan.  I love the character Wendy.  I love the fact that she's maternal yet has no desire to grow up.  In that sense I can relate.  For a while I've wanted to make her costume from Disney's Peter Pan because it could be easily recognized out and about on Halloween.  I bought a couple patterns some time ago.  I decided on one that was perfect and it wasn't even a nightgown pattern!

I used Simplicity 4055 and I combined aspects of both dresses to make Wendy's nightgown.

I used a light blue flannel because hello it's supposed to be a nightgown!

The pattern is quite simple.  The only problem I had was the ribbon.  It wouldn't stay in place so close to the girls.  In the end I just sewed it on the front.

I think I did pretty good with this one.  In fact I won third in a costume contest.  Not bad if I do say so myself.  :)

By the seaside, by the beautiful sea!

I easily count Sweeney Todd as one of my favorite movies.  When it came out, I saw it twice in the theater in the span of a week.  Mrs. Lovett (Helene Bonham Carter) quickly became my favorite character and after that I scoured the internet for pictures of her.  I could identify with her tragic character.  Here was a woman so in love with a man that she would do ANYTHING for him.  (I won't spoil for those who haven't seen it.)  Alas, Mr. Todd (Johnny Depp) was so consumed with revenge he could never reciprocate those feelings.

In my scourings I decided I would make Mrs. Lovett's "By the Sea" dress.  Sweeney Todd is clearly Victorian (if you didn't know).  Within a few months I found the perfect red and white striped fabric and bought some nine yards of it.  (Thank the PTB for Joann's coupons!)  I also found a perfect pattern.  Then the fabric and pattern sat in a bag at the bottom of my sewing closet for damn near two years!  No joke.  I was so overwhelmed at the thought of making a dress of that magnitude (something I had never done before) that I put it aside.  Come August 2009 I decided this was it.  I was going to make this costume for Halloween come hell or high water!

The rest they say is history.  Sure it wasn't easy and sure it isn't perfect but I received a helluva lot of compliments on it and despite how modest I may seem I am quite proud of it.  Enjoy!

Here is Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Tood on the boardwalk followed by Toby:

Here's my dress:

So you can see how full the skirt is:

Close up of hair and make-up:

This is the pattern I used McCall's 5414:

Because you demanded it!

I officially welcome you to my new blog (formed from my old blog).

I'm calling it "Sew What?" because I like puns. 

This blog will no longer be limited to only 1920s fashions but everything I make!  I am very excited to share my creations with you and I hope you will enjoy what I make.

Thanks for sticking around!

Velma Kelly End Dress...

I whipped up this Velma Kelly End Dress in about four hours minus time for lunch.

Hers:

Mine:

Pattern:

I don't know why the dress photographs blue. It's more purpely IRL. It's just waiting to be hemmed. What do we think?

Question for my readers...

I pose a question to my readers.

Would you still follow this blog if I changed it to something like The Sewing Addiction rather than The 1920s Addiction?

As you can see I've not posted much here lately.

Get ready!

We're going way back! Further than the 20s to the 1800s.

I started working on a Mrs. Lovett dress that I've been planning since oh I dunno the movie came out in theaters. I bought the fabric way back then too which hopefully doesn't cause trouble now because I need a little more of it.

The progress thus far is the skirt is assembled and gathered. The bodice is half done. I need another color of fabric to finish it.

I am very excited about this dress. Don't worry you'll see it when it's done. Watch out lame Halloween costumes!

Anyway I don't have any other place to showcase this so it's going here!

OMG!

Commercial Pattern Archive is opening its doors until Wednesday, August 19th.

So many patterns! I haven't even made it though the first 500 of 1920s yet!

Do you feel abandoned?

Well, don't even though I am kind of all about my new blog that no one's reading. :(

The news is my sewing machine hates me. It was my mom's. It's a Sears Kenmore from the 70s. So yeah it old but it's a machine and not a computer. It's been in and out of the Sears store. It's been in and out of a shop that specializes in sewing machine repair. Recently they told me that the belt keeps falling off for no reason whatsoever. Yes, there is no perfectly logical explanation for this happening. It just hates me. Nevermind the fact that my mom used it for thirty years and I used it for three before it decided to hate. So the verdict is that I currently have it back. I am working on this:
In this beautiful dragonfly brocade:


And one day I will finish it if my machine ever decides to love me again. :(

New blog!

I don't know if any of you vintage junkies would be into this but here it is!

*J-Style*

Tell your friends.

Last update...

Hey everyone!

I've been kinda lagging on the posts lately. I haven't really made anything major and I've been trying to get my sewing machine up and running so I can give my mom's back to her.

Anyway, I bought this pattern:
It's my first of this kind, a double layered dress. I'm quite excited about it.

This will be my last post for some two weeks because I'm going to Japan! I visited a vintage shoppe while there once but I doubt I'll stumble across anything 20s.

Sayonara! I'll catch up with you when I return!

Lookee what we have here...

That's right, Pink, before you start something NEW finish what you've been working on. Duh.


Okay so I am aware that whilst playing dress up I did forget the long beads. Damn. When I actually wear this out and about, I won't forget them.

So I think this turned out not bad. Since the material was sheer and would look crappy faced, I finished the neckline, armholes and hem with bias tape. I don't know if this is period correct so if you see the 1920s police holla. Oh shit, the chesttoo isn't period correct either!

Actually, I think the bias tape brings out the definition in the handkerchief hem.

What do you think?

I dig it!

New & old patterns...

Well I bought fabric for this one. I can't wait to make it!
I also won two patterns recently on eBay, both under $15!

I'm totally makin' that short sleeve sucker!
This is an historic occasion for me. The above is officially my first 1920s top pattern. Yay!

Too bad, so sad...

This went outside my price range. *SOB*

WTF?!?!?!?

I just saw two 1920s patterns on eBay listed for $49.88 EACH as a BIN. Are you kidding me? PATTERNS?!?!? I could buy an authentic dress for less than that because I have paid less than that for an authentic 20s dress. Good luck selling those patterns lady! Oh, they come with a free bar of GOLD. Carry on then.

Update...

So I'm on vacation and still I have 20 days until I leave for Japan. I figured in that time I would do a little sewing. I bought this fabric a while ago and I'm currently in the process of cutting it out. The contrast isn't as light as the picture makes it out to be. It's more peachy.

Yay!

Looka this lovely paper from the scrapbooking store!

I have this area above the closet in my office/sewing room that could use some decorating. I'll post pics when it's complete!

The bug...

I'm pretty sure I was bitten by the sewing bug today!

Started this one which has been back logged forever!

It's a bit big on top. I don't know if I'll leave it that way or dart it. It's also waaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. It hits my ankles! (A fashion mistake for short me!) I need to trim the bottom and bind the sleeves and neck since the fabric is uber sheer. I also already had a great dark red belt to match. I'm sure this one will be neat when done!

Hey, at least I'm sewing again!

Dress repair...

If you go back to the March entry "It was a good day..." you'll see the original dress. This dress was one cause of my recent tiny armhole complaint. Today, feeling annoyed with that dress leering at me in the corner while I selfishly watched "Battlestar Galactica" I decided to work a bit on it. After all it's currently not wearable.

First I took off the sleeves (don't know my my arm looks so weird):

I hemmed the bottom of the dress because it was poorly mended with some yellow (on black fabric WTF) thread.

The final two pictures don't really show progress but progress to come. The red insets are badly damaged. There are spots and holes. I figured I would just (seam) rip the red out and replace with fresh new fabric. The black is in damn good condition for being over 80 years old!


Also, on the final picture you can see the close up of the fabric. The reason for this is I need your input. My first thought it that it's too fancy for sleeveless (which will be very easy to do). I still have the sleeves and they are long but I can't fit my giant modern arms in to them. I thought maybe I could take them apart and try some short sleeves but I don't know if that will work. Does anyone have any ideas? Help!