Summery Outfit

Check out my kitty cat there on the left.  How he managed to fold his tail into the corner is anyone's guess.  He was in that box for hours!

Hey, here’s an entire outfit!  I made this skirt a couple of weekends ago out of a nice lightweight twill that’s a blend of linen and hemp. I got the last of the bolt at Stonemountain & Daughter a couple of years ago.  If you’re ever in Berkeley, California be sure to check them out.  What a wonderful world it would be if every fabric store were like this.  >sigh<

I underlined the back pieces of this with a very thin, cheap linen I had laying around.  This eliminates any see-through.  This is something I tend to do with skirts.   

You can’t see the groovy horizontal darts in the back or front when I’m wearing this longish top, but they’re there.  It also has a very wide facing that goes as low as the darts. No waistband equals extra comfort! Here's the line art.

The top is probably familiar to PatternReview.com readers.  A lot of people have reviewed it so I thought I’d give it a try.  I think it’s such an interesting design and I like the cut-in arm holes.  I lot of people didn’t, for some reason.  I think they don’t like their bare shoulders showing but I say: embrace the shoulders!  There is an invisible zipper up the back and the upper bodice is lined.  I had to lengthen the upper bodice about 3/8”and widen the back by about an inch.  Man, some of these patterns are so narrow sometimes.

I really like the front pleat.  Those tucks on the side aren't really darts they're, well, tucks, I guess.  This also has tucks in the back at the mid-shoulder.

Well, that's all I have for now.  I didn't end up doing that vintage blouse muslin last night.  I actually finished altering the Burda Style pants I made a couple of weeks ago.  Pix to follow!

Something Other Than a Skirt for a Change

 Okay, I admit it.  I made another skirt this weekend.  At least this is one I haven't made before.  And I made another skirt the weekend before that!  Yeah, yeah.  I'll get to them.  It's about 140 degrees outside so picture-taking is prohibited.  Actually, the one I plan to wear tomorrow goes with a top I'd like to show, so maybe I can catch a picture or two before the asbestos suit has to come out.

Even though I have a vintage dress pattern to sew for a friend's wedding in a month (and no muslin yet but, at least I have the fabric!),  I don't know if I can wait that long to make up one or both of these old beauties.

The good folks at Acme Notions wasted no time in sending me these.  They're just a tad larger than I need but, what can you do?

The neckline is a bit high on this Vogue, but I'm more drawn to the yellow version anyway.  I have some old, old lightweight green silk that my mother had leftover from something she made back in the early 60s.  This might just be the pattern I've waited 25 years for!  You know how you have a special fabric and FINALLY you find the perfect pattern for it?  This might just be that pattern.  The nifty notched hem is made by attaching a facing, which is much better than that extremely annoying method most patterns have you struggle with.  The back has a 6" zipper but, wouldn't it be nice if it had buttons instead?

Here's something sporty.  I mean -- the illustration says it all!  I like all three of these, although I might have to forgo the cutsey bow thing in the front, there.  Who knows?  I may not be able to resist.  That white one is my favorite. 


Can you believe this thing was once only 35 cents?  So few things cost less than a dollar that the little cents symbol isn't even on keyboards anymore! (Say that in an old lady voice.)