Renewing My Pledge

My 2 month pledge to stop buying new / only buy thrift, sew from scratch or refashion my wardrobe is up, but I had so much fun I've decided to do it again, this time for 6 months.

Here's my pledge:

I, Leslie, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of new, manufactured items of clothing with the exception of shoes, underwear and select items for my belly dance costume, for the period of 6 months. I pledge that I shall sew from scratch or refashion, renovate or recycle pre-loved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings! Signed Moi

Lady On Hold

This is as far as I got on my Lady Grey coat. In the photo, I'm wearing my fitted muslin. All in all, the fit was pretty darn great, much better than anything I've made from the big 4 pattern companies.

Like most of the garments I make, it needed a little more length in the bodice. Also the collar gaped, so I pinched out the excess. Finally, I had to shave just a smidge off the hips at the side seam.

The Lady Grey might possibly have the best fitting shoulders I've ever encountered in 40 years of sewing. I have to say that I am quite impressed with the drafting of this pattern.

Here's a view of the back.

Right after I did my fitting, I put the Lady aside to sew some items I needed for my NY / NJ vacation. As I mentioned in a previous post, I sewed three pairs of pants in three days, and completed a carpet bag that had sat half done for several years. (To be fair, one of the pairs of pants was also a UFO). I still need to get good photos, but I'll share the pants with you soon.

Not only am I pretty far behind the others in the sew-along, I've now realized that what I need much more than a fitted coat is a more casual jacket that I can wear over layers and sweaters, something that's nicer than a fleece, but that I can still wear to walk the dog.

So I've decided to put the Lady Grey aside for a little while and work on this coat –Burda 7423. I'm going to use the green, tan and burgundy wool check shown. It's been in my stash for a couple of years. Originally lighter in both color and weight, I threw this piece of fabric in a dark red dye bath which caused it to both shrink and felt. I think it's a great weight now for a casual coat.

As for the Lady, I'm not going to abandon her all together. While I never did find the perfect lining to go with my houndstooth check, I am kind of liking the look of the jacket in the upholstery fabric I've used for my muslin. I am visualizing it with black velvet contrast collar and lapel facing. Can't you just see it with long black gloves?

I have enough fabric left over to re-cut the pieces where I made alterations, so I might just sew this up and call it good. Stay tuned.

I was gone, but I'm back

I just returned home from a week with family in New Jersey and New York City. I took my just completed carpet bag on the plane as my carry-on. I love this bag! It's stylish, roomy, sturdy and it fit perfectly under the seat of what seemed like the smallest jet ever made. I wish I'd had this bag back in the 80s, when I did a lot of traveling for business.

It was great to be back on the east coast. I've realized I am a big city gal. Even though it's been almost 25 years since I lived in NYC, I felt completely at home, as if I'd never left. In between all the dinners and other family events I managed to squeeze in lots of sewing related activities. After taking my hubby to see the brownstone where I used to live, we visited my alma mater, FIT. While we were there we stopped in the museum. I am still frothing at the mouth over the Japan Fashion Now exhibit. I must get a copy of the book.

I also did some fabric shopping, not in the garment district, but in the town where I was born, Belleville, NJ! At Fabric Warehouse, which is an actual warehouse in a dingy industrial section of town, I found some great deals. The fabrics are sold already cut and folded, ranging from 2 to 3 1/2 yards. Most were priced between $3 to $6 per yard. One of my purchases was a "splurge" at $10 a yard. It's the second one from the right in the photo below, the luscious purple velvet knit. The chain fabric store where I live now has an almost identical fabric this season selling for $30 a yard. My average price per yard for this haul was $4.80. I love a good bargain!

The other fabrics from left to right are: a black and white stripe T-shirt knit, a black stretch sateen with a beautiful hand that will become either pants or a jacket, a leopard print knit I'll make into the longer sleeved version of Vogue 2980, a shiny black and cream stripe for a jacket, yellow cotton knit, blue and tan textured suit weight fabric, and my favorite on the far right, a black, green and purple wool plaid which I will probably make into the new Marcy Tilton jacket pattern, Vogue 8693.

Last but not least, I got to "visit" with the treadle sewing machine that currently lives in my in-laws' attic. It's a New Home machine manufactured in 1892. She's really a beauty. The machine could use a little spit and shine. The cabinet is exquisite. If I can find a way to get it home, it's mine. Considering there's the width of a continent and an international border in the way, this could be a challenge. But for now, I have visiting rights, and unless another family member lays claim, it will, someday, somehow, be mine.

Lady In Waiting

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I've been sewing like a madwoman. But not the Lady Grey.

As you can see here, I have gotten the muslin sewn and pin fitted, but that's where I stopped. The weather changed and I realized all my pants were either linen or cropped, so I made three new pairs of pants in three days. More on those later.

I also needed a bag to carry some things to a special event, so I finished my Favorite Things Carpet Bag, which had been sitting as a UFO for 4 years!

Lady Grey Muslin Traced, Pinned, Cut

Yesterday I traced, pinned and cut the muslin for the Lady Grey coat. I had a class this evening or I would have started basting it together. I have another event tomorrow night, so it looks like it will be the weekend before I do much more. Here it is on my cutting table.

I wanted to cut my muslin from something with a similar weight to my coat fabric. I had an unused red faille shower curtain that I thought might work, but it turned out to be too small. (It's now tagged to become a raincoat for Moby, my very large white Standard Poodle. He looks great in red!)

I decided to use the floral tapestry home dec fabric that I blogged about here. Part of me thought it would make a really cute coat, but another part of me thought I would look like I was wearing someone's grandmother's sofa. It was that image that helped me decide to sacrifice it for the muslin. (What you are seeing in the photo are the strange colors of the reverse side. The background is black on the right side.)

I'm thinking of using what's left of the tapestry after cutting my muslin to make this Cynthia Rowley purse, Simplicity 2350. But that's a project for another day.

Pattern Shopping Procrastination

Today I am focusing on my Lady Grey muslin. I have a lot of catching up to do. I should have been working on this over the weekend, but I was having too much fun shopping garage sales and thrift stores where I picked up a bunch of patterns.

Here are my two favorite patterns from my weekend shopping spree. I think they both might have to get sewn up this season and not just put into my stash for later. The Burda coat doesn't have a lining, but I think it would benefit from one. It shouldn't be too difficult to draft one, since it's not a fitted silhouette. The New Look T-shirt has a lot of fans over at patternreview.com. I could see myself making this in several different colors.

Below are just a few of the other treasures I found and listed at my new eCrater store.

Simplicity 7637, size 4-6-8 bustier and skirt from Jessica McClintock. Totally glam.

Vogue 7183, Today's Fit Jacket by Sandra Betzina. From 1999, I think this is one of the earliest Today's Fit patterns from Vogue. If it was my size I would have kept this one for myself.

Butterick 4660, knit tops from 2005. So cute!

Burda 5205, double breasted blouse from the 80s. Check out the beautiful pleated neckline detail.

I even found another copy of New Look 6595, which is a personal favorite in my stash of coat patterns. I blogged about my plans for it here.

These are just a sampling of the fabulous patterns I will be adding to my store over the next week or so. Look for some fun and funky vintage mens and kids patterns too. But for now I have to get back to cutting and fitting my Lady Grey muslin. Stay tuned for a progress report.

The Last of the Summer Sewing

While I desperately need to be working on my Fall sewing (and my Lady Grey muslin), I'm trying not to increase the size of my UFO pile. So I just had to finish this T-shirt before starting any new projects. It's Vogue 2980, the Sandra Betzina bolero T-shirt, which is now out of print.

I'm pretty new to sewing with knits and I'm happy with how it turned out. Even if I won't get to wear it much until the spring, I'm inspired to make more knit tops.

Time to Get Serious About Lady Grey

Today's post by Gertie is all about gearing up for sewing our Lady Grey coat muslins. I've decided to go with the black and mocha houndstooth, but I still haven't found the right lining fabric. I think a trip to Gala Fabrics has been added to today's to-do list.

I'm also going to take my fabric to the dry cleaners to have them steam press it. I've steamed coat fabrics myself in the past, but I want this one to be perfect, and I have a lot of other things to do.

A while back, Carolyn asked, "Are you a tracer or a cutter?" Most patterns I cut, unless I think there will be a lot of alterations, in which case I trace the piece or pieces that I think will need a lot of chopping and taping. That way if I screw up too badly, I can start again. I think with the Lady Grey, I'm going to trace. This has just been moved up to the top of the to-do list. I'd better get to work.

Wardrobe Re-Fashion Tally

I am 13 days into my 2 month pledge to make, thrift, recycle or refashion all of my wardrobe items instead of buying new. So far, so good.

I bought this purse at the local swap meet.

I repaired this sweater that I originally bought at Goodwill (before the pledge period).

And I sewed this pair of pants from a thrifted 80s era pattern, Butterick 4940.

You can read my Wardrobe Re-Fashion posts, here, here and here.

More Swing Coats

I have quite a few swing coat patterns in my stash. These two are my most recent acquisitions.

  

The first one is Vogue 7902, dated 1990. The description reads: Very loose-fitting, lined, flared coat, below hip, mid-knee or above ankle, has collar, shoulder pads, side back seams, side pockets and long sleeves. 

To the left is the line drawing of the back. Besides the flare, I love the inverted V-shaped inset in the center back. 

The Burda pattern is 5417 and is not dated, but I suspect it's from a similar time frame as Vogue 7902. This is one of the older Burda patterns with no seam allowances, sold in a sealed plastic envelope. I really like the shape of the lapels. Unlike the Vogue, this coat is unlined.

Though I usually like my coats long, I'm draw to the mid-knee length versions. I could use a new raincoat and I think both of these patterns would work well in rainwear fabrics. I don't have any in my stash, but I'm keeping my eye peeled for the right one with these two coats in mind.

I'm Taking the Pledge

Forgive me. I'm a little late in getting this posted as I was without internet access for 4 whole days!

Over at Wardrobe Re-Fashion, you can take a pledge that all of your clothing will be handmade, thrifted, recycled or refashioned for period of 2, 4 or 6 months (or if you are really passionate, for life). When I told my husband that I was going to to do this, his comment was, "Why not? You're already doing that."

So if I'm already doing it, why did I only sign up for 2 months? It's been a tough couple of years and I'm just getting my mojo back. So I decided to give myself some breathing room. That said, I spent the last couple of days happily pre-washing fabric and altering and cutting patterns. I'll say this about not having internet access —it makes for a distraction free day.

So here's my pledge:

I Leslie Z pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate and recycle pre-loved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other media for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thriftiness brings! 
Signed Leslie Z.

Swing Coat Love

I have a thing for swing coats. My infatuation with the silhouette is decades old, beginning when I was teenager. Let me introduce you to my first love.

This coat belonged to my mother. My mom had style. She also had the good sense to save a lot of her clothes and accessories from the 40s and 50s. Lucky me! When I was in my late teens and 20s, her vintage dresses, coats and gloves all fit me like they were made for me. This coat was one of my absolute favorites.

It's hard to tell from the photo, but the fabric is black ribbed faille, probably rayon. If I had to guess, I would say this is from the 50s. the coat is unlined and has narrow welt pockets. The collar comes to a point in the back and is detailed with rows of raised stitching, as are the cuffs. Click on the photo below to get a better view of the collar details.

Even though it no longer fits, I haven't been able to part with it. The fabric is stiff with age, and the color is faded in some spots. I still love it, not only for it's style, but for the memories it evokes.

I wasn't consciously thinking of this coat when I started collecting swing coat patterns. I'm not even sure I was aware that I was creating a collection. But I can't deny it. I have a lot of them in my stash and I always get excited when I find one for sale or auction.

This one is New Look 6595. Though this isn't my favorite pattern from my swing coat collection, but I think View 2 could easily be adapted to make a copy of my mother's coat. There's no date on the pattern, but I'm guessing it's from the early 90s.

I like the fact that it's fully lined. If I were going to adapt it to recreate Mom's coat, I would remove the center back seam, shorten the sleeves to 3/4 length and redraft the collar to come to a point in the center back. I have a lot of projects already lined up, including the Lady Gray coat for Gertie's sew-along. But if I were to come across the right fabric, I might just have to move this coat towards the head of the line.

Another Potential Fabric for the Lady Grey

Although this is a home dec fabric, it's not stiff or heavy. I bought it with the intention of making it into a swing coat, but still haven't found the perfect pattern. Hard to believe, considering I have at least half a dozen swing coat patterns in my stash. I wonder if it would work for the Lady Gray.

I think it's time for a little Photoshop magic to help me visualize.

And While We're On The Subject Of Coats...

I'm planning to participate in the Lady Grey Coat Sew-Along sponsored by the lovely and talented Gertie.

According to the pattern, I'll need 4 and 1/3 yards for this project. I have a few large enough cuts of fabrics in my stash that could work in this style.

The first one I'm considered is the brown and black houndstooth pictured below. It's a clearance wall purchase from Fabricland, so I don't know the fiber content, though I strongly suspect that it's acrylic. All of the examples of the Lady Grey that I've seen are solid color, but I don't see why it couldn't be made in a patterned fabric. What do you think?



The solid fabric is also a possibility, but I had originally intended to use that for another vintage inspired coat, Vogue 1083.

Why, oh why, are all my coat fabrics in the brown family? I'm trying not to buy new fabrics until I use up some of my stash, but I love how the Lady Grey looks in a bright color. If I found the right fabric I might have to break down and add to my yardage count.

Speaking of Coats...

I noticed that Vogue is retiring pattern number 1476, the Issey Miyake wrap coat, shirt and pants. It was first issued in 2001. I'm glad it stayed in Vogue's catalog for so long. When I first saw it, I fell in love with it, but wasn't doing a lot of sewing, so I didn't rush right out to buy it. I finally picked it up during a ClubBMV sale in 2008.

Judging from how often I see it being resold on eBay and other pattern sites, I'm guessing that a lot of people bought the pattern and later decided not to sew it. It's understandable when you consider that the coat requires about 5 yards of fabric. That can be quite an investment, especially if you wanted to make it out of wool.

Also, like many Miyake patterns, the pattern pieces and construction methods are unconventional. Vogue's Miyake patterns often remind me of puzzles or architectural constructions. Here's the cutting diagram from the 1476 instruction sheet:

Pieces 13 and 14 are taped together before cutting. This becomes the front, sleeve front and lower back sections of the coat. As you can see, it takes up almost the full width of the 54" or wider fabric. When I made this, I laid it out on the floor and checked my grain over and over before putting scissors to fabric.

Once I started to sew, I found it wasn't all that difficult, though I did have to read the instructions several times before and during each step. I find that when I sew the unusual Miyake garments, it helps to let go of what I know about traditional garment construction steps and operate with beginner's mind.

I made mine from a double-sided tweedy twill of unknown fiber content (probably poly) that I got in the clearance section of Fabricland. Knowing my fabric wasn't that expensive helped me get past any fear of mistakes. I love the way the reverse side gives the effect of a contrast collar and lining.

Even though it's unlined, this coat is very warm. And because it's such an unusual style, I see it as timeless.

Being such a dramatic piece, I expect to get comments when I wear it, and I do. Sometimes, they are complimentary, and sometimes they are, well... just comments. Let me add that I currently live in a conservative city where women my age don't typically have purple streaks in their hair or wear traffic stopping coats.

Last winter, I wore the coat while walking downtown. A conservatively dressed, elderly woman tapped me on the arm and said, "That's an interesting coat. You must be a foreigner." I just smiled.

A Brief History of My Life in Sewing, part 2... So Nice I Made It Twice

Shortly after I graduated from high school, I decided to make myself a coat. I fell in love with the long version of Butterick 4538, a reversible wrap coat. I bought ivory wool for the outer layer and rust wool for the reverse side. Instead of buying foldover braid, I made my own bias binding from black wool twill. The result was dramatic, to say the least.

You can probably guess what I'm going to write next. That's right! I could not find a photo of myself in that coat. (My family wasn't big on picture taking.)

I wore that coat for the first time on New Year's Eve. Still living at home, I told my mother that I was going to sleep over at my friend Lynn's house. That part wasn't exactly a lie, but before we went to sleep, we hopped into Lynn's car and drove into New York City to do some New Year's Eve clubbing at the Copacabana.

We checked our coats at the door and had a wonderful time, dancing the night away. We had so much fun didn't want to leave and were some of the last people to do so. It was around 4 AM when we went to the front desk to retrieve our coats. I handed the girl my ticket but she came back to the desk empty handed. Since the coat room was pretty empty by that time, it was pretty obvious that my newly sewn coat had gone home with someone else.

The loss of my coat meant I would have to fess up to my mother that I had lied about where I spent New Year's Eve. I ended up grounded for a week. It wasn't so bad. I used the time to cut and sew another coat in the exact same fabrics. I seem to remember that it looked even better the second time. Why not? I'd had a lot of practice.

A Brief History of My Life in Sewing, part 1

When I decided to start this blog about sewing patterns, I was certain that I had lots and lots of photos of myself in the outfits I'd sewn over the last 4 decades. After poring over every single print and negative in my possession, I came up with only a few faded, blurry memories. But I won't let that stop me from boring you to tears sharing them with you.

My love of fashion and sewing started when I was very young. Here I am with my younger brother. Notice the faux leopard clutch and the oh so fashionable Dr. Denton footie pajamas. (As you might deduce from the plastic rocket he's holding, my brother was the brainy one.) The year was 1963.

I learned to sew as soon as I was old enough to reach the knee pedal on my mother's old black Singer. I insisted that she teach me to sew teeny little clothes for my Barbie. Since my mother hated all things domestic, I learned more swear words during those early lessons than sewing skills.

Despite those early challenges, I persevered and my sewing skills were pretty darn good by the time I got to high school. I remember having no fear of sewing the welt pockets in a brown corduroy fitted vest that I made in my junior year. I also made matching pleated, cuffed trousers.

For the life of me I can't remember what pattern I used, but I loved this blouse that I made. How do you like those long collar points? (Circa 1974 - Please ignore the goofy hat and concentrate on the matching nail polish instead.)

Growing up, one of my favorite pastimes was flipping through the pages of the pattern catalogs at the local W. T. Grant store. My favorite pattern company at the time was Butterick. I was fascinated by the Young Designer line of the 70s. I loved Betsey Johnson, Gil Aimbez, Clovis Ruffin, Kenzo!

For my high school graduation in 1976 I wore Kenzo. I sewed the jacket and shorts from Butterick 4793 in a crisp white linen cotton blend. I added a red cotton tank top and rope espadrilles with a wedge heel and ankle ties, just like on the pattern envelope. (I made those pants, too, in black cotton, just like on the pattern envelope.)



I could have sworn I had a picture of myself wearing that outfit. Who doesn't have pictures from their high school graduation? Alas, the only photo I have of that momentous occasion is this one:

Cute, huh? But no Kenzo suit in sight. You can barely see the espadrilles peaking out from under my graduation gown.

What I remember most about that day, (besides finding out that I was one of the top 10 smartest kids in my graduating class - I guess my brother didn't get all the brains after all), was the reaction of my classmates to my choice of outfit. Over and over I heard, "Why didn't you wear a dress?" "Everyone else is wearing a dress!" My point exactly. I didn't want to look like everyone else. That's why I sew.