Vogue 1027

Gold Chevron Vogue 1027

~ Tia Dia ~ 27 Comments

Vogue 1027 frintI’m grinning like a fiend because I’ve finally sat down at a sewing machine and sewn a few seams!  Woo hoo! This is the first of several stashbustin’-end-of-summer sewing projects before I wrap my head around several jackets that are needed this fall.

I waffled between another Tiramisu dress or my third Vogue 1027, but I really wanted a dress that would hide my waistline fluff instead of draw attention to it, and this light jersey with gold chevrons would be a little less than flattering, I thought, with a Tira midriff section. So the Donna Karan design won the argument.gold chevronsI made a slightly over-zealous FBA which gives the bodice a looser fit than the pattern design, but I’m OK with that.  I don’t like a knit garment to fit like a second skin.Vogue 1027 bindingsI used long narrow strips of fabric cut on the cross grain to finish the neckline and cap sleeves instead of hemming the neckline and using the shaped armhole facings.  This is my preferred finish for knits, but I’m sure you’ve all heard that every time I write a blog post about a knit garment.

I shortened the back by 2 inches – my usual short waist adjustment.  And I shortened the skirt by about 3 inches.  I think this length is summery and flattering.Vogue 1027I hadn’t hemmed the skirt prior to taking the pictures, but I have since folded up a narrow hem and double stitched it.  My new dress form made obtaining an even hem very simple.  One other change:  I added a tricot lining to the skirt.  This is the first yellow dress I’ve owned since I was a 6 year old, twirling in my MacLeod tartan sunburst pleated winter dress, and I’m liking!V 1027

Me Made June: Days 15 & 16

~ Tia Dia ~ 2 Comments

V1027_thumbDay 15 – Outfit: Vogue 1027 in a rayon knit

Activities: Meeting with friends and appointments in the afternoon. No dance classes today, can you believe it?!

Thoughts: I like this dress. It’s got that full swingy skirt that’s my favourite thing (besides chocolate). The fabric is a rayon knit that I purchased off EBay years ago. I think the seller’s description indicated it was silk. Not so. But it’s very cool and very lightweight. So lightweight that it feels remarkably fragile. I added a tricot lining to the skirt this spring, it’s that light.

MMJ 16Day 16 – Outfit:  Simplicity 2865 (oops – should be Simplicity 2846 – thanks, Susan!), salvaged from a sewing disaster.

Activities:  Mom things, including a dance dress rehearsal tonight.

Thoughts:  I originally sewed this up last year, wore it once, and put it in my closet. I thought I’d wear it today for MMJ, but I think the fabric shrunk when I washed it – by hand – in the length! It’s a lot shorter than I remember, and it’s so lightweight that I’m feeling like this is not a dress for wearing in public.  Here’s a close-up of the fabric, which is silk and lurex woven in about 6 different ways. It’s just such beautiful fabric that I really wanted to make something out of it. You can read the original story, if you like. (By the way, don’t you love photography?  It can make you look anyway you like…. the truth, worse, or better….)

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Today’s MMJ is actually a double-duty day.  My good friend, Lisa, made my necklace, so I’m wearing two things that are “made” in honour of artisanal craftsmanship.murano glass by lisa

The Fall Jersey: Episode III

~ Tia Dia ~ 1 Comment

Well, I got down and finally decided on what to do with a rayon jersey that I ordered from ebay years ago.  It was one of those pieces hanging around my sewing table.  After the usual indecision about what to do with it…. as a total aside, this indecision thing is chronic.  It always happens with I buy a piece of fabric without having the idea for it before I buy it.  Usually if I see a design that I like, then I can go hunting for the fabric and voilà!!! The garment is cut and stitched no problem.  But sometimes I do the reverse:  fall in love with a piece of fabric and then have no idea what to do with it.   This lovely piece of knit was one of those problem fabrics.

First, I didn’t really know what it was.  I had purchased it off ebay because it was supposed to be silk.  Yeah, right.  No silk here.  But what the heck WAS it?  I finally did a burn test, as blogged about earlier.  And boy, does it have 2-way stretch.  More like 360º-way stretch.  And it’s surprisingly fragile.  Not really great qualities for a jersey if it’s supposed to hold its shape over time.

Oh, well…. I took the plunge and cut out Vogue 1027 which I had previously made, reviewed, worn once or twice, and trashed due to the absolute horribleness of the polyester fabric.  UGH!!!! I still shudder when I think of how it felt in hot, hazy, humid summertime Toronto.  But it was my first foray into sewing knits and the fabric was very cheap, so I thought there wouldn’t be much to lose if I messed it up.

I have to say that I didn’t make any adjustments to the pattern for this dress.  There was enough fabric to cut the bodice twice if I needed to, and I just wasn’t sure about the give in the fabric.  I had originally thought I would have to add width through the bust, since this was a problem area in the first dress.  No such problem with this über-giving fabric.  I just cut and sewed – what a NICE TREAT that was, considering all the fussing and thinking usually required for a garment these days (this size!).

I was very pleased with the dress.  I can’t wait to wear it tomorrow for my dear SIL’s 40th birthday party. The colour is fantabulous, the fabric is cool and breezy and it looks so terrific!  Thank you, Donna Karan and Vogue patterns, for another great dress!