A Dress A Day

Oh my goodness (fans self)

2010-02-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

So IndigoTangerine left a comment here last week asking if knew that this blog was mentioned in a book called Breakfast At Bloomingdale's. Which, um, no, I didn't! But it is!

I think most of you know that I'm a dictionary editor in my "day job", but when I was working for OUP I was also an "acquiring editor," which meant that I noodged, nagged, harangued, and otherwise coaxed books from ideas to publication. I have a shelf of books in my house that I can point to and say "I midwived those" (and in some of them I can point to the acknowledgements to prove it). Occasionally, when I am having a bad day, I go look at that shelf and I say to myself: "Those are some mighty kickass books that wouldn't be here if I hadn't helped." (I'm even prouder of those books than I am of my own.)

So anyway, of *course* I ordered this one. I may even put it on the same shelf!

Today's Pattern Story

2010-02-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

Pink: Boo-yah! Let's get this party started! Holla back!

Blue: I hate this part of the movie, when I'm no longer queen bee. It's almost like being blonde is a handicap these days. Sheesh. I remember when I got to wear pink and go sleeveless. That's it, when this take is over I'm coloring my hair. Screw continuity, I'd be a fantastic redhead.

Gray: Ptarmigan. How'd that "p" get there? I wonder if that key grip would know?

[Special not-so-secret shoutout: Happy birthday, Mom!]

Such Great Heights

2010-02-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Anthropologie actually calls this the Great Heights Shift, so they are to blame for the instant earworm I just gave you, not me. Honest. (Anyone earwormed with the Iron & Wine version? Raise your hand in the comments.)

Eirlys sent me the link to this dress (I'm pretty sure -- Eirlys, was that you?) and I've been a-thinkin' about it something fierce. Not that I will buy this dress, because (given the reviews) it probably wouldn't fit me very well, but because I love this fabric. Love. It. So I keep thinking of ways to get me some. Like, "calling Anthropologie headquarters, tracking down ~~stalking~~ the manufacturer, and begging" ways. None of which will work, because, given the way modern retailing works, this dress was made months ago and there's probably, like, a yard of this fabric left (and it's being used to re-cover an ottoman, or make a cat-bed). Sigh. Anyway, that little picture up there doesn't do the fabric justice, click on the link and do the mouse-y close-up thing. (You know. That thing.) THEN you'll see. This would make the cutest A-line skirt with pockets ... or another Heidi, of course.

Completely unrelated: I found an awesome new (old) word for "someone who sews": sewster. You're welcome.

More Liberty Stuff

2010-02-03T06:00:00.001-06:00

I recently set up a news alert for Liberty of London and I wish I hadn't. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have heard about the new MAC cosmetics/Liberty collaboration, which looks amazing (and I don't even wear that much makeup).

Man, that lipstick looks cute. Although I never wear lipstick that isn't lip balm with color in it, and rarely even remember to wear that. I swear, with regular lipstick, I'm like a dog wearing a hat, doing my best to rub the damn thing off, already.

Liberty is also supposed to be doing a huge collaboration with Target, due to launch at about the same time. Will I want one of everything? Probably. There's supposedly everything from "bird houses and bicycles to lingerie."

Anyone else know of more Liberty stuff coming down the pipe? I have to plan for this stuff, people!

Today's Pattern Story

2010-02-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Cindy: You're sure it was here?
Mindy: What?
Cindy: That we were to wait.
Mindy: He said by the invisible chair. (pause) Do you see any others?
Cindy: No, but I wouldn't. If they were invisible.

Cindy: He should be here.
Mindy: He didn't say for sure he'd come.
Cindy: And if he doesn't come?
Mindy: We'll come back tomorrow.
Cindy: And then the day after tomorrow.

Mindy: Day after tomorrow I have a hairdresser's appointment.
Cindy: Then Thursday, then. Thursday good for you?
Mindy: That's fine. Thursday.

Today's pattern is available from Jen at MOMSPatterns -- it's so cute, isn't it?

(With apologies to Samuel Beckett.)

Of Course You Can Buy This

2010-01-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

So a brief mention of goings-on in Avonlea in yesterday's post made me start thinking about all the dresses in the Anne books (one of which I posted about the VERY FIRST month I blogged) and that led me to this, Anne's wedding dress.

I think this is from the widely panned miniseries/movie that I haven't seen, and not the actual books, but no matter. It's still pretty! (Click on the image to visit the Sullivan entertainment site, where the pattern is for sale.)

It would be well-nigh impossible for me to tally up all the hours I spent reading about Anne and Gilbert [heavy sigh]. Who's with me in still not-so-secretly thinking that Gilbert Blythe is one of the best too-good-to-be-true romantic heroes of girlhood literature? (And he's not even a vampire! Take that, Twihards!)

(I now feel a compulsion to watch that movie, despite the fact that it's not based a) on the books or b) set in Canada or c) in even remotely the same time period. Given all that, is it worth it?)

Am I Blue?

2010-01-27T09:07:00.002-06:00

One more Heidi ... for now (evil laugh):

I'm not sure if the color really comes across on your screen, but this dress is BLUE. Blue blue blue blue blue. The closest I can come to describing it is that this is the blue that I assumed they painted the Avonlea hall:

a deep, brilliant blue, the shade they use for painting carts and wheelbarrows.

Despite it being probably not so good a color for a community hall on Prince Edward Island, I quite like it as a dress!

Here's the bodice -- note the lining which I deliberately pressed to show, for a kind of piping effect without the work:

And the same lining as the bodice for the pocket:

I have at least one more Heidi left to come -- I managed to cut out FOUR of them in one evening, assembly-line style, and have finished one. Seriously, at this point I hardly want to wear anything else -- they're just so comfortable!

Heidi #2: The Return (With Butterflies)

2010-01-25T06:00:00.001-06:00

Here's the second Heidi I made (fuzzy pic, sorry):

The fabric is by Joel Dewberry, I'm pretty sure I bought it from eQuilter, although I don't see it there now. I probably hovered with my finger over the "buy" button for five or six visits until I figured out what to do with it ... luckily, Heidi only takes 2 yards of 56" wide fabric (another reason to love it!) so it wasn't a huge commitment once I did decide to buy it.

I lined the bodice on this one with some $1/yard fabric I bought ages ago. Every time I think "oh, I should really get rid of all those remnants that I bought for no good reason," I find a dress pattern like this one (or the Duro) that needs little bits of contrast fabric. Whew!

You can almost see the lining fabric -- it's cream-colored, with a maroon and gray thread stripe, perfect, huh? -- and the gray ribbon I used as pocket trim, here:

Here's the back -- I actually made a half-assed (pun intended!) attempt at matching the pattern on this one.

I've been wearing this with dark gray tights, flat penny loafers (duh) and a dark maroon sweater; I could probably also wear it with a bright pink, a dark gray, or a cream-colored sweater, if I thought about it.

I also have a goldenrod-colored scarf (you know, one of those pashmina-y things) that goes nicely with this, and about two weeks ago I was in "the city" (which seems to be what you call San Francisco, if you live near it) wearing this dress, that scarf, and an old denim Levi's jacket I swiped from my Dad in roughly 1987 (with bright pink leather gloves sticking out of the breast pocket) and a tourist actually STOPPED ME ON THE STREET and asked to take my picture. It wasn't the Sartorialist, but hey, it was still nice. So if you see that picture on the web somewhere, let me know?

A few other quick things: I'm sure you already know (and knowing you all, have already donated to the best of your ability) about the tragedy in Haiti -- but if you're looking for sewing-type things to do, eBay seller Charlong is donating the proceeds from her auctions to Doctors Without Borders, and I know Lisa and Tina have been doing relief/benefit auctions/sales, as well. If you have links to other relief/benefit sales, please leave 'em in the comments, and I'll do a roundup later this week.

My First Heidi

2010-01-22T09:20:00.003-06:00

Remember way back when, last year, when I posted about this fabulous new BurdaStyle pattern I'd found, Heidi? I made three of them in quick succession and promised you pictures.

I finally got a battery charger for my camera (and then immediately found mine, in the last box unpacked after the move, isn't that always the way?) and so here is my first Heidi attempt:

Notice how deep the neckline is? Yeah, me too. So I wear a long-sleeved black tee under this one. After this one I altered the pattern to not be as wide and deep, and I still have more of this fabric (glad I bought a ton of it, I love it and it's now sold out!) so I'm probably going to re-make the bodice. It goes together quickly (despite being lined) so that won't be the arduous slog it would usually be.

Oh, and I changed the tucks in the original pattern bodice to darts.

And look! It has pockets!

The original pattern had very shallow pockets, but I deepened them by about three inches, which seems to work just fine. They go together very easily.

Here's the back:

For some reason it was really hard to take sharp pictures of this particular print ... I wonder why? And I'm sorry it looks so baggy -- I adjusted my dress form WAY down to take some pictures of some smaller dresses with a friend, and she's still not back to her usual fighting form. The dress itself is fairly fitted.

As you can see, I didn't even bother to try to match the print. It's giant scribbles!

Next week I'll show the other two versions!

(Sorry, I don't know where this week went. Okay, I do know -- it was trapped in busyland, with two writing deadlines, a couple of big meetings, and torrential California rain which caused minor flooding in our garage [WHICH IS STILL BETTER THAN SNOW!]. Next week, well, it doesn't look better, busy-wise, but it doesn't look like I need to start cadging ProVigil, either.)

Y'all are some good people

2010-01-12T06:31:00.003-06:00

Remember last year, when I posted a link to a group in California that wanted scraps to make quilts for Quilts for Valor and other groups?

I wanted to share this thank-you note I received from Jane Ellen, who manages their donations:

Over the year I've received at least 6 large boxes of marvelous fabrics--silks, Japanese cottons and more. Most have arrived anonymously, but a couple had return addresses and I hope they got their thank you notes. The Pieces of Love quilting group at Northpoint Church in Corona, CA made and distributed at least 120 quilts in 2009--not bad for our first year with 12 members! Twenty were handpicked for women and children at an emergency homeless shelter and extras were left for others to receive as needed. For seven years our church has partnered with a Head Start Program in a disadvantaged area near us. Each year we give a Christmas in Corona party for the children and their families. This year we had over 400 people on our Christmas lists. Originally we just provided toys for the preschool children, but we have expanded to provide an item of clothing and a toy for each child in a Head Start family and gift cards for the parents. We also provide a small (50x63" min.) quilt for each child under age 3. The last count I heard was 52 quilts this year. Other quilts were personally delivered to members needing a tangible reminder of God's love in our church family. One quilt was sent to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where our church partners with a school and ministry. Several were sent on to Quilts of Valor for wounded warriors. Between now and March we'll put together a blue and white quilt for a woman who's speaking at our women's retreat then. This year's retreat is entitled "Sacred Scraps" and will have many of our quilts.

So thank you, from Jane Ellen, and thank you from me, too!

Youth (and this pattern) is wasted on the young

2010-01-11T07:00:00.001-06:00

I really love the waist treatment on this pattern (from Tina at What-I-Found Vintage Patterns) but it is a size 11. That's right, e-lev-en. Bust 31 1/2, which I might be able to fit into immediately AFTER I track down Ray Palmer and his shrinking lens. Possibly. I might also have to track down some superhero who has a "remove-a-rib" lens. (I'm sure there was one in 1970s Marvel comics.)

I do understand that people come in all shapes and sizes blah blah blah but it's so sad when something like this doesn't. I know I could always scale it up but pattern grading falls right after "regrout tile in public bathrooms" on my list of fun things to do.

The saddest thing about these adorable patterns is that they're often uncut ... because adolescent girls either want to draw as little attention to themselves as possible, or they want to dress like raddled divorceés who drink in the afternoon. (Or, judging from what I see in the windows of Forever21 as I walk past, extras in a Pat Benetar video. Aren't we tired of asymmetrical jersey ruffles with unfinished edges yet? I know I am.)

I suppose there are so many truly awful things about adolescence—systemic "unfairness," skin problems, parents—that I shouldn't begrudge the odd pattern that only comes in sub-deb sizes. (To be clear: there's nothing wrong with having a 31.5 inch bust, even only considering how many awesome things you can wear if you don't have to take into account chestular scaffolding and trussing.) And it's not like I don't have roughly two patterns to sew for every day that I can expect to live, most just as cute as this one, if not cuter. So you should put this whole post down to the cranky ramblings of the aged. If I had a lawn, I could now shout for those darn kids to get off it. (And you'll have to excuse me now, my stories are on.)

Two for Thursday, Plus Send Me Book Links Please

2010-01-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

Denise at The Blue Gardenia is having a sale (33% off on three patterns) and this is one she's listing now ... it's such a good pattern, especially for people looking for a fancy dress that is also *simple*. This one would be a snap, I think!

Carmen sent this link to the art of Mashanda Scott -- it's all made of FABRIC! Astounding.

Also, I'm hoping to do more book reviews in 2010 -- if you have likely candidates, feel free to email me links (or leave comments here)! I don't care if they're newly published or not, as long as they're still relatively easy to obtain (new or used). Sewing how-to, fashion and textile reference, and fiction about clothing all welcome!

Don't Wear Green Tarletan Dresses

2010-01-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

From the (1883) Annual Report of the Massachusetts State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity:

Attention has very frequently been called to the presence of large amounts of arsenic in green tarlatan, which has given rise so many times to dangerous symptoms of poisoning when made into dresses and worn, so that it is very rare now to see a green tarlatan dress. This fabric is still used, however, to a very dangerous extent, chiefly for the purposes of ornamentation, and may often be seen embellishing the walls and tables at church and society fairs, and in confectionery, toy and dry-goods stores. The writer has repeatedly seen this poisonous fabric used at church fairs and picnics as a covering for confectionery and food, to protect the latter from flies. As is well known, the arsenical pigment is so loosely applied to the cloth that a portion of it easily separates upon the slightest motion. Prof. Hoffmann after examining 11 large number of specimens estimated that twenty or thirty grains of the pigment would separate from a dress per hour, when worn in a ball-room.

But green tarlatan is not the only fabric which contains arsenic. We find arsenic sometimes in other substances used in making articles of wearing apparel, usually in the form of arsenical pigments. The writer detected a large amount of arsenic in a specimen of cloth known as "Foulard cambric," which had been made into a dress; after wearing the dress a short time severe conjunctivitis was produced, together with nasal catarrh, pharyngitis, and symptoms of gastric irritation. The pattern of the dress consisted of alternate stripes of light-blue and navy-blue, and contained 0.291 grm. per square meter. Conjunctivitis has also been recorded from wearing of "tulle" dresses. A pustular eruption upon the neck and arms was caused by "a splendid dark-green dress, trimmed with light-green leaves," obtained "from a well-known Parisian atelier;" the dress was found to contain "a large percentage of arsenic."

Excessive irritation of the skin has frequently been caused by wearing stockings colored with an arsenical pigment. The writer has detected arsenic most frequently in light-red, magenta-colored and brown stockings; in one case, that of a child, which came to the writer's knowledge, great inflammation of that portion of the skin which came in contact with the stocking took place first, then occurred symptoms of general poisoning, which resulted in a short time in death.

Dr. Jabez Hogg reports also among other articles of wearing apparel fatal cases of poisoning from the green flannel lining of boots, and poisoning by maroon flannel shirts, by calico shirts, gloves, coat sleeves, hat linings, and paper collars.

Sub Ubi Semper Ubi

2010-01-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Holly of Lucite Box Vintage sent me the link to this dress (for sale at Oasis). I kind of love it, but more as a witty swimsuit coverup than as an actual dress, and it's definitely on the pricey side for something like that ($60, plus $10 shipping to the US). Plus, you know, no pockets.

The rest of the Oasis site terrifies me, especially this dress, which I am certain to have nightmares about for quite some time. (Although it would be pretty awesome as part of a Joker's-henchwoman costume for Halloween ... )

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Since I don't drink alcohol, don't care at all about college football (sorry Sis), and eat black-eyed peas about once a week anyway, New Year's is ALL about the resolutions for me. And this blog (and my related sewing habit) will not escape unscathed from the resolution juggernaut, oh, no no no.

First of all, if you scroll allllll the way down and look at the right-hand column, you'll see that I started this blog in May of 2005. 2005, people! That's like two decades in blog years. This current blog layout is the internet equivalent of a 1998 Toyota Tercel. Sure, it'll get you where you need to go, but very slowly, and you can't plug your iPod into the radio. So I'm hoping to do a refresh of this blog's "look" before the fifth anniversary. (I'd also like to be better about responding to blog comments/email, even if I only manage to do so once a week ...)

Sewing-wise, I have two resolutions: to set aside a specific time every week to sew (right now, early Sunday morning is looking good) and to sew three things from my fabric/pattern stash for every item that requires new fabric or a new pattern. (See that pic up above? That's about 80% of my current fabric hoard.)

I've resolved, too, to be a better sewing planner -- no more using up precious sewing time running out to JoAnn's because I don't have the right zipper. I'm going to make regular online orders of zippers and thread and other necessary notions, and if I don't have the right color of whatever, well, that project will just have to wait until I do.

I want to be more diligent about adding my project pictures to the Vintage Pattern Wiki and writing things up on Pattern Review -- I hope that's a resolution you all share, too!

It would be great if I could say that I'm going to turn overnight into a more careful sewist -- that all my patterns are going to match at the seams, that I'm never again going to press something into submission instead of unpicking it and doing it over, and that I'll always take my time and make a muslin first. But if I did, I'd be setting myself up for failure ... that's just not gonna happen in 2010.

What are your sewing resolutions? And more to the point, how are you going to keep yourself on track with them? (I need hints!) Leave them in the comments.

Simplicity Itself

2009-12-18T07:35:00.001-06:00

This is from Janet at Lanetz Living, who has TWO copies of this in stock (as I write this) in B35 and B37. I *almost* made one of them mine, but I'm trying to hold fast to my resolve not to buy any more patterns until 2010. If you are not laboring under a similar resolution you might want to know that Janet is having a sale: 25% off your entire order (one time only); it ends 12/31.

I really love this (and I'm sure the orange version lurking in the background has nothing, nothing to do with that). I'd even recommend this as a fantastic candidate for a wedding dress (again, in the long and sleeveless version, but possibly not in orange). Think of it in a heavy peau de soie, yes? Or a really nice brocade ... lovely. Slap a veil on that sucker and call it a day. (Although: *don't* call it "the happiest day of your life." Why limit yourself?)

The version with sleeves is a bit too Star Trek Epaulet for my taste, but hey, your taste may (and certainly can) differ. If you love it, go for it. Live long and prosper.

Abject Awe Thursday (with a sale)

2009-12-17T08:58:00.003-06:00

This dress (at Holly's LuciteBox Vintage) makes me nearly incandescent with joy. I know we've seen some trompe l'oeil dresses here before, but this one not only takes, but bakes, frosts, and decorates the cake, with those sparkling unblowoutable candles on top.

And NOT ONLY is this a fairly reasonable size (28 waist) it's ON SALE. Holly's having a three-day sale: today's the second day, so use the code SECONDDAY and get 30% off anything on her site. (Tomorrow is the THIRDDAY, and you can get 35% off, but I bet if you wait this dress will be GONE. And that's no-foolin'.)

What kinds of trompe-l'oeil dresses do you wish existed? (Don't ask for fake pockets, though. That's just cruel.)

I Maded You a Widget But I Forgotted It

2009-12-16T06:11:00.000-06:00

I made a widget over on Widgetbox months ago, but because this blog is older than dirt and I never upgraded to the Blogger "Layouts" feature instead of the regular ol' "Templates", worrying that doing the conversion would eat up a Saturday better spent sewing, I have not told you about it. Until now.

It looks like this:

Click on that image and it will take you to the Widgetbox page for installation instructions. Unfortunately, because of the "older than dirt" restriction as mentioned above, I have no idea how normal people would install this widget on *their* blogs. Supposedly it "just works," but Steve Jobs didn't harm anyone in the construction of this widget, so take that with a grain of salt.

If you want to make your own random dress widget from your own pattern images, let me know -- I'm happy to share the code, such as it is! You'll need to be able to create a new directory & ftp into to rename files for it to work.

Official Dress of the International Woman of Mystery

2009-12-15T06:08:00.001-06:00

I love this dress. I think it would be fun to have this dress with three or four different underslips, in different patterns, kind of like wearing different shirts with same suit, only better. This dress was probably used in one of those 1960s movies where the heroine's "disguise" consisted of a completely conspicuous hat and sunglasses that would shield car headlamps, or where she dressed as a boy (but with full-on false eyelashes), or she "hid" by standing behind a set of brocade drapes (like any villain with common sense doesn't have venetian blinds at this point).

You can nab this dress (and possibly sign up for Interpol) at the Vintage Fashion Library, where Lisa is having a FREE SHIPPING sale. Yes, that even includes you folks outside the U. S. of A. (See what I mean about Interpol?) Also, 10% of your purchase price will be donated to the United Christmas Service in Indianapolis. (Interpolnapolis? Okay, took the joke too far.) This sale includes patterns at Miss Helene's as well -- email Lisa for more details if you want to buy from both sites. Sale lasts until the 17th, so shop now for best selection ...

Such a (Paper) Doll (and sale)

2009-12-14T06:25:00.000-06:00

When I ran across this dress I looked at it for a good five minutes trying to figure out what it reminded me of. Of course, that didn't work, and it was only after doing two or three unrelated things that I realized -- the sleeve-and-neckline combo here reminds me of paper dolls! Not that that's a bad thing. I think you should get this pattern and make it for you and all your friends, then wander around holding hands, very stiffly.

This pattern is from Sheila at Out of the Ashes, and she's decided to have a last minute Christmas sale - so if anyone wants to make any presents or that special Christmas or New Year's dress you *may* have time. (I'm now planning to make a festive dress for a December 26th wedding, myself ...) Sheila also needs to make room for some more patterns - she can only fit so many in that spare bedroom!

How much of a sale, you ask? TWENTY PERCENT OFF! Use coupon code MERRY for discount, sale ends Wednesday.

Oh! Yes, please.

2009-12-08T06:25:00.000-06:00

Sarai of Colette Patterns sent me links to her new dress patterns, and I looooooove this one.

Leaving aside the photo styling, which I find very appealing, it's also a lovely dress. The teeny collar! A midriff band! Instructions for piping the neck and armholes. And (of course) POCKETS!

Here's the line drawing:

Click on either image to visit her shop listing ... as soon as I sew roughly eight more versions of the Heidi dress, I may be heading her way myself!

Dresses in the News, Week of December 7th

2009-12-07T06:01:00.000-06:00

A whole bunch of Hepburn-era Givenchy is going up for auction tomorrow. (Do you know the story of Audrey's first wedding dress? It's a tearjerker.)

Jenny at Chronically Uncool sent me a link to this article -- 1300 vintage dresses found in St. Louis!

A whole bunch of Victoria Beckham's dresses were stolen. (I have no opinions about her husband, her music, or her personal life in general, but her dresses are quite pretty!)

Today's Pattern Story (and Sale)

2009-12-04T09:30:00.003-06:00

I have no idea whether Black Dress is looking at Blue Dress in disgust or thinly disguised longing. I think it could go either way, or possibly both.

Black Dress: What *is* it about her? I can't sleep, I can't eat, I show up deliberately wearing the same dress, just so she'll notice me ... [sigh] Which she never will.

Blue Dress: Look! I think I see them coming into the harbor! Get ready for Fleet Week, Amabel! I'm so glad we wore gloves.

TOTALLY could happen. Don't you think?

Sandra at Sandritocat is having a 20% sale to celebrate her shop's second anniversary! Her anniversary is actually December 7th, but she running the sale from today, Friday, December 4th, through Monday, December 7th, at midnight EST. She will either refund through PayPal or you can wait for a revised invoice through Paypal. (Please use code “anniversary#2” in the notes section to get your 20% off.)

[I keep forgetting to add these disclaimers -- Sandra is an advertiser, as was Wendy, yesterday. However, I choose the patterns and what to write about them, and I don't get any direct payment for writing about sales. I just like to.]

Today's Pattern Story (and Sale)

2009-12-03T07:50:00.001-06:00

Can you hear this pattern's voiceover? I can. Listen:

*I* am an individual. In fact, I am unremittingly individualist. I practise (see, look, I use a British spelling, despite being from Iowa) individualism. You might say I have individualismo. Or -ma. Individualisma. That ineffable aura of being ME and ONLY Me. Nobody else can be me, because I am an individual as you can get. Even when I was conceived, I was an individual—nobody even considered that I might be part of a conjoined twin. Look, I must hold my head from the unbearable mental strain of my individualism! (Also, this is my good side.) I should bottle this individualness and sell it. I would call it Indi.Vidual. Because random punctuation is so individualistic! Also, it would smell purple.

Pay no attention to the wannabe over there in pink. If she were a true individualist she would wear black, like me. Also, she only has one piece of asymmetrical clothing! Total amateur.

That said, I totally would have worn this in 1986. If you would wear it in 2010 (because there's no way you're sewing this before the end of the year, let's not kid ourselves here) click on the image and buy it (warning: it's classic Miyake so it is VERY EXPENSIVE) from Wendy at Pattern Stash, because she is having a sale! 15% for Dress a Day readers. Go nuts!

Meet My New Friend, Heidi

2009-12-01T07:53:00.001-06:00

So over the Thanksgiving break I FINALLY made a BurdaStyle pattern ... this one above, Heidi. (The picture above is NOT the one I made, but one from Isobel M -- I'll get pictures of mine up soon, maybe even with me wearing them, ulp -- but I did want to show one all made up, and not just the pattern illustration. And anyway, Isobel's is LIBERTY!)

Anyway, I actually made this twice over the holiday break, which should tell you how easy it is. I thought I would dislike printing out and taping together the pattern, but in fact it was very easy and soothing. I also discovered Netflix streaming video over the holiday weekend, and managed to inhale Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend ... I have a BBC Dickens obsession. (Not to mention a "watching David Morrissey lose his shit" obsession, cf. Blackpool and State of Play.) Costume drama plus scotch tape is an incredibly relaxing combination.

I also liked the heavier paper -- compared to pattern tissue, it was super-easy to alter, and having all the sizes meant I was able to cut different pieces for the bodice and skirt without worrying about doing anything unfixable -- if I screwed up, I could just print those pages out again and start over. (And there's a nearly endless supply of BBC costume dramas, after all ...)

Alterations I made: I raised the neckline about an inch. I cut one size for the shoulders, another for the bust, and a third for the waist/hips, and it was simple to smooth the pattern lines to do that. I changed the tucks to darts on the front and back bodice (but left them as soft pleats in the skirt). I shortened it by about three inches, to hit just above the knee in one version and just below the knee in the other. I also made the pockets about an inch and a half deeper -- when I put things in my pockets, I like them to stay there (with the exception of my hands).

The pattern went together really quickly, even though the bodice is lined (my fabrics were heavy so I didn't line the skirt). And compared to what I usually sew, Heidi uses *no* fabric. Seriously, I got away with less than two yards of 54" for this one, with maybe another yard for the bodice lining. Needless to say, I am re-evaluating the "short cuts" in my fabric closet in the light of this new information. I have some green cotton satin that is begging to be this dress.

I really should post pictures of the ones I made. I'll try to get them up tomorrow, if I can find my camera connector cable. I'm planning on wearing them with a cardigan (quel surprise) and maybe even a belt, and I have to say it reminds me of nothing so much as the Michelle Obama look: nice dress, sensible cardigan, cute belt (link is to her Tussaud's figure, so if that's not iconic ...). If it's good enough for the First Lady of the United States, it's good enough for me ...

[Also, I haven't really looked at how the new FTC blogging rules affect me, but I should point out that while BurdaStyle is an advertiser here, I paid for this pattern (it wasn't a freebie).]