Red Vintage Slip Reveal (Phew! Finally!)

This slip took so much more time than it warranted!  So, without further ado:

He he he.

Moments after finishing my slip, I started thinking about blogging the finished project. And I got a little, um, nervous. Posting anything on the internet is like squeezing a tube of toothpaste: once you squeeze, there is just no getting that toothpaste back in the tube. It's out there for good. Like pictures of me. In a slip. Shudder. That said, it's a pretty modest slip. But I may live to regret this. 

Oh, I should apologize for the uneven quality of the photos. I had to shoot indoors for obvious reasons.

I was trying to channel 1943, the year the pattern was made, as if I was getting dressed for my day. Rituals of all kinds, including beauty rituals, can be calming.

  Like doing hair and makeup. 

Deciding what to wear.

  Saying "honey do I look ok?"

 Wow, in 1943 women were much higher maintenance than I am! OK, here are some detail shots.

I love how this came out!

 After some waffling, I decided to add a second layer of lace trim to strategically hide the hole.  I simply sewed it with a narrow zigzag stitch at the top and bottom of the lace, and then trimmed away the silk from behind it.

I'm really happy with the back too.

For the straps, I decided to diverge from the pattern's simple, wide and straight straps. I was inspired by this slip that I had pinned. Three spaghetti straps are braided to about the shoulder and then splay out and crisscross across the back. You can see the braided front straps a bit here:

I finished all the seams by pressing them to one side and topstitching with silk thread. I think it worked out well. There is a facing around the neckline/back. I also topstitched the neckline/back to finish it. 

This is my first (only) vintage pattern, and I can see why some sewists really love them. The fit out of the envelope was much better than most of the modern patterns I've used. I think that modern patterns generally have a larger full bust measurement for the same size waist, but not a larger cup size. I usually have to take in a huge amount across the back and at the sides, but then do a little FBA in the front. On this pattern I only needed to take in the sides and back a smidge, and was able to accomplish the FBA by just letting out/shaping the princess seams over the bust with the seam allowance. So, three cheers for vintage!

Anyway, my slip is now tucked away with all my other pretties.

Frosting Diet: In frosting terms, I'd say this is like the cream cheese frosting that you'd spread on a red velvet cupcake. A silk slip is definitely frosting in my book! Silk feels so luxurious on and the layered lace hem and crisscross straps really add to the glamor of this slip. Plus, it's red instead of beige or black. As I was sewing, I kept thinking of the red petticoat that Rhett Butler gives Mammy in Gone With the Wind. I'll definitely feel special wearing this, like it's my supersuit under my clothes.

I'm glad this is done and thrilled to be wearing it. Unlike me, I hope you are all enjoying MLK Day at home! Next up is the Cake Giveaway winner.

Solutions for the Slip Snip

Or is that Snip Slip? You decide.

Thank you all for the comments on my last post! Not that I want anyone to have a sewing disaster, but it is somewhat encouraging to know that we've all been there. So, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the good ideas you all mentioned for fixing my little errant snip.

Luckily for me, the hole is 1 - tiny; 2- very near the hem; and 3 - right at one of the front princess seams. So, there are a number of ways I can strategically fix it.

Here's what I've got in the stash:

Red Lace Trim

Re-hemming shorter or adding a wider trim
Either is a pretty easy fix. I have enough of all but the top lace shown above to simply re-hem the slip above the snip.  Some of these trims are wider than the one I initially used (2nd from top), so I would be able to preserve the length of the slip.

Phin actually came up with the suggestion that I add a second row of the same lace on top of the snip so that the hem would have two tiers, sort of like this:

Vintage slip

I could use tulle, mesh or just some of the slip itself between the two rows of lace.

Adding a slit
Since the snip is right at one of the front princess seams, I could easily add a slit by opening the seam several inches and using the same lace trim that I hemmed with to edge the slit. Like this:

La Perla silk and lace slip

Adding an applique
There are two ways I could use an applique to cover the hole. The first is that I could just sew or iron on a simple applique to create a cute little motif and act as a patch for hole. I could use the flower trim in my stash (top in the above photo) or store bought hearts:

Wrights appliques

I would want to avoid anything that was embellished with beads or sequins - they would be liable to catch on the inside of whatever dress I wore over the slip. 

The other applique option is to buy some lace and cut out some of the motifs to create custom appliques, as detailed in this fantastic article in Threads. The idea is that the fabric underneath the applique would then be cut away, like this:

Threads - Create Couture Lingerie

Similarly, one suggestion was to do add a triangular lace insert over that spot. I had a hard time finding a picture illustrating this, but think it would be a bit like the lace treatment at the waist of these knickers, but in just one place - the offending place - at the hem.

Between the Sheets Lingerie

It would sort of give the impression of a slit, without there actually being one.

Contrast fabric/Color blocking
Inspired by the triangle idea, it occurred to me that a triangle of contrasting fabric could be color blocked into the skirt portion. I would probably use hot pink silk and then change the strap color also. I can't seem to find any picture illustrating this. 

Patching or Darning
I think in this case that patching or darning, unless camouflaged somehow, is just not feasible. On a busy pattern, this could be near-invisible. However on shiny stretch silk, this would be a disaster.

OK, so that is the menu of choices at this point. I kinda wish I could try them all. Stay tuned for what I decide and thanks, again, for all the sympathy and suggestions! 

Red Slip

Greetings from Las Vegas! Phineas and I decided on a last minute pre-holiday getaway. So there's no sewing happening this weekend. But here's some other red lingerie - courtesy of Madame Toussaud - which is definitely more Vegas style than what I'm making.

A Tale of Two Patterns: Lingerie Update

Over the weekend, I worked on two lingerie projects.

In addition to the vintage slip I started last week, I've been making a sleep bra from remnants of my kimono fabrics. I'm using McCall's 5651, an out of print "diy style" pattern.  I think it looks gorgeous.

Beautiful to look at; awful on.

Too bad it doesn't fit. Not at all.

I made the bra in a size M (34-36" bust).  It was pretty difficult to try on while it was half sewn, but try I did. I thought things were going well. But when I tried on the near-finished bra, there were some distinct problems. I love how the fold over elastic (FOE) looks on the edges of the cups. However, it makes the edges, which should lay flat against the bust and sides, stiff.  So, the cups are gaping on both sides. Additionally, they are just not quite the right shape and size, and the band is 3-4" too big. I should have made a size S with an FBA. I'm really not sure where to go from here. Ripping out the seams on this lace and with the FOE sewn on seems like it will be a nightmare. So, I think a complete and total do-over might be a better option if I want to try again. It isn't really wearable as is.

Once I was thoroughly frustrated with the sleep bra, I turned my attention to the vintage slip, which is also a McCall's pattern. I was expecting more frustration. Convinced that it would not fit in the end, I decided that I would quickly baste all the seams and then try it on before I wasted any more sewing time. I didn't even bother to press out the creases.

And guess what...

Carelessly basted, perfectly fitting.

The fit is nearly perfect! I'm utterly shocked. Shocked!

I'll have to take in the side seams just a scooch at bust-level. Aside from that minor tweaking, there are no other changes to make as far as I can tell.  Amazing, no? I think this was the best first try on I have ever had for a garment or muslin. Truly.

Since I basted it very poorly, I'm going to have to rip it all out and then sew carefully. There's a lot of fullness to distribute along the princess seams. But I'm feeling so optimistic about how this may turn out that it makes up for the disappointment of the sleep bra.

So, that is my tale. Another lesson on the merits of vintage patterns? We'll see, I guess.

Christmas Vintage Lingerie!

So, look what I started over the weekend!  It's a vintage slip pattern from my stash! Actually, it's the only vintage pattern in my stash -McCalls 5160 from the 1940's. I'm sewing it up in the same stretch silk as my kimono lining, only in a very Christmas shade of red.

At this point, I feel that I ought to add that there will not be any maribou feathers involved in this project before you either (a) get your hopes up because you would love to see me tackle the "Sexy Santa" slip or (b) cringe because you think the "Sexy Santa" slip is horrifically tacky. There will be none of this going on in the Craft Lounge. I want a slip that is beautiful and wearable - under clothing and in more months than just December.

Back to the pattern! Like other old patterns, there was only one size in the envelope. The pattern pieces were cut, but complete. And I loved that they had a cutting line (actually, a double line and you cut in between), a sewing line and just 1/2" seam allowances. The pattern was very clearly marked.

Real pieces and my tracings

One of the interesting/unusual aspects of this pattern (at least to me) is that the measurements were much closer to my actual measurements than any modern pattern that I've used. With princess seams, like this pattern has, I can usually adjust the bust as I sew rather than doing a small FBA. So, my changes to the pattern were pretty minimal. I added some length to the bodice and about 2" total to the hip by slashing and spreading the front and back side pieces, which is what the pattern instructions specified.

Aren't the instructions awesome looking?

Speaking of which, I'm just loving how the pattern instructions were drawn and written. They're minimal and assume that you know the basics of garment sewing, but they're very clear. I so rarely follow instructions anymore, but I'm giving these ones a shot. Oh, well, except for the closure on the side. This slip actually has a row of hooks and eyes down the left side. Since I'm using a stretch silk, I'm hoping to do without, but if it is too tight to easily get on, then I'll add the closure. 

Those of you who have sewn vintage patterns, what do you think of the measurements? The instructions and markings? 

An Inauspicious Start to My Kimono

Little sewing has happened since the storm. This is mostly because storm refugees were camped out in the Craft Lounge. However, on Friday, their power was restored and our family visit ended. So it was straight to work on my kimono.

BurdaStyle 07-2011 #124

For the lining, I decided on a sort of...well...kinda... gosh. I'm not really sure what to call the color of the stretch silk charmeuse fabric. Oyster? Light mushroom?  And I'm having a hard time photographing it. Here it looks silver/grey, but it has more taupe than blue as an undertone and that makes it a warmer cream of mushroom soup color, I suppose. It's a bit outside my comfort zone to be honest. That whole beige/taupe/tan/brown neutral color family just does nothing for me. But I'm liking this with the black animal print lace.

 

Anyway, on Saturday, I giddily made my way to the Lounge and pulled out Burda 07-2011 for the kimono pattern.  I made a few changes as I traced. As drafted, the kimono is pretty short. It's not long enough to be a full bathrobe, which is how I plan to use it. Therefore, I added 9" to the length (1" above the bust and 8" below). I also added a little bit of extra room to the hips at the side gusset piece.

Actually, it's not far off from this color.

Once the pattern was traced, I went to cut and realized that I had enough lining material for the kimono as drafted, but not for the new length. D'oh!  Undaunted, I went to sew up what I could and immediately realized I hadn't bought thread. And since this is out of my comfort zone as a color, naturally I had no matching thread in the stash. Double D'oh! 

Actually, this may not have been the worst thing. Burda's instructions for this pattern are among the most unintelligible that I've ever seen. So, I spent a good portion of Sunday scratching my head and trying to figure them out. Thank goodness Chanel No. 6 detailed how she sewed this pattern last year!

Anyway, I picked up more fabric and thread, so it's back to work tonight!

Lace (swoon) and My Kimono Project

File this one under new vices, right next to silk and cashmere.

On Tuesday night I attended a seminar at Mood on lace, lead by Susan Khalje. The hour-long talk covered the different types of lace, how to use them, best techniques for working with each, and tips for buying. Best of all, Susan brought lots of sample garments - many of which were recognizable from Threads - to illustrate her points. What's clear to me is that prior to Tuesday, I didn't even realize how much I didn't know about working with lace. Every few minutes, there was some new revelation.

A "white shirt"

That is not to say that the class was overwhelming in the least. It was not. At one point, Susan made a Cinderella reference (to the Disney birds that help with the sewing) and from that moment on I could not help but think of her as every sewist's fairy godmother. She has such an encouraging and calm manner, that with a little "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo", I feel like I could make something spectacular out of lace.

Would you just look at that corset!

Anyway, I thought  it was just the right intro to lace and definitely got my juices flowing for my upcoming kimono robe project.

Burdastyle 07/2011-124 - Kimono robe

Speaking of which, after hearing about luxe guipure, delicate chantilly and gorgeous alencons, I'm somewhat  bashful to confess that I'm going lowbrow with my fabric choice for the kimono. I need a project with fabric that I'm not worried about ruining. So, I'll be using a very fun and inexpensive animal print lace that I bought on a whim at Chic Fabrics a year or so ago.

I'm trying to decide what color silk to use for the lining. I tried a bunch of fabric from my stash just to test the color (none are actually fabric that I'd use for this).
 

 At first I thought about a pretty rose color, but I think it just looks too 80's retro and, well, tacky.

I tried a light blue, also. Oddly in this photo it made the lace look brownish. It's black.

And then I tried an oyster color. It's the best of the three, but I would love some input. At this point I'm leaning toward a metallic or neutral-ish color - silver, oyster, champagne... Given my general mental state in the morning (ie: murky until after coffee), I think a robe that is too bright will hurt my brain. Any thoughts for a color or color family to pair with this black animal print that I haven't thought of?

Thanks for the input!

Book Review: Vintage Lingerie

Here's what's on the nightstand*.

I think one of my post-leather jacket projects will be a kimono robe and some coordinated pjs and/or lingerie. I really want to sew up the one vintage pattern in my stash in the near future - a 1940's McCall's slip pattern. So, I bought this book for inspiration and practical knowledge and to expand my options.

The book is beautifully photographed, featuring loads of vintage lingerie from museum collections. A few pages are devoted to each set or piece, talking about how and when it was worn, what it was typically made from, who (age/class) wore it, etc. It is very inspiring in that regard. Some of the pieces are absolutely stunning and I really love thumbing through this book - it's rich in the fantasy and inspiration department.

The patterns are definitely not for beginners. They are basically small graphed drawings that you have to enlarge by hand or copier, and then add seam allowances, etc. The grid needs to be enlarged to 1'x1' squares, but the book doesn't specify what percentage to enlarge by (I have one book that tells you to enlarge by say 400% so there is no guess work and you can use a photocopier). The patterns only come in the size of the actual garment, so there would be grading involved too.


There are two patterns at the back of the book - a 1930's mesh brassiere (bralet by todays standards) and a 1905 long half slip - that come with step-by-step instructions. But aside from those, there are just a few pages of general techniques for the whole rest of the book. Sewing any of the other patterns would require a lot more of an investment in terms of figuring out how to construct them and add the embellishments (lace, trim, hand embroidery) which is what is so lovely about many of these piece. That said, this would not be insurmountable for an experienced and confident sewist with a grasp of lingerie construction. Plus some patterns (Pantaloons (bloomers), tap pants and bralettes) would be much easier than others (a boned corset that doesn't mention how many and where the bones go).

Every time I flip through this book I want to sew something from it. But I think what is likely to prevent me from sewing anything in the near future is that these are not vintage-style patterns; they are patterns for actual vintage lingerie. Silhouettes have changed over the years and women's figures have changed, too. So, many of these garments won't really fit the way I would come to expect/want from my lingerie (ie: '50's pointy busts, 20's/30's flattened busts...) But for those who want actual historic lingerie, this is indeed a goldmine of opportunities. 

Anyway, this will probably be an inspirational book for me for the foreseeable future rather than a practical one. But it definitely gets the thumbs up from me on that count. It really is fun to read about the different pieces and their histories and to ooh and ahh at all the pretties.

* Sorry for the lack of pictures. There aren't any pictures from inside the book on any on line book seller sites and taking pictures with my camera didn't work out so well. Oh well. 

Something Old...

Yes, that is a glass of red wine. That's just how I roll on a Sunday night sew-a-thon....

Back in the Fall, I posted about my grandmother's sewing machine, which, after more than a decade in purgatory (ie: my parents's un-air conditioned attic), was given to me. I recently had it serviced, despite my local sewing machine repair store warning me that it might be more expensive than it was worth. But they did a fantastic job and now it's humming right along!

I decided to play around with it this weekend. It's definitely more tricky to thread, adjust and operate than my primary SM. And it has a much more limited range of stitches and features. But just look at the stitching! So beautiful! (Hi, my name is Clio and I am a sewing geek.)

Look at how beautiful the stitches are!

Spurred on by this discovery, I decided to see how it operated in real world use on my Burda knit top, which I keep mentioning, but haven't shown you. It's this pattern from Burda (2/2011- 102) in the blue fabric in this photo. This is my second version - the first was too big, so this top is two sizes smaller. I basted and tested the fit, and now I'm sewing it up with a narrow zig zag stitch. Honestly, Granny is doing a better job on knit than my expensive, modern machine. How sad is that? I've never been one to collect machines and, up until a few months ago, I just had one machine. But now I have a serger too, and once I'm done with this top, I think I'll leave this machine set up for knits and topstitching. (Sigh. I fear that this is how a habit/collection begins.)


Speaking of things that are old, look what I won on ebay!

A circa 1940 McCall's slip pattern - my first vintage pattern! Princess seams are a curvy girl's best friend - and sorely lacking in most current lingerie patterns. My "Unmentionables" project has been on hold since I... um... had a minor hissy fit at KwikSew. Anyway, when I shift back to cool weather sewing, I'll get back to it.

Wow, it was really a productive sewing weekend! And I have more to tell, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.  Ta for now.

Cami update and RTW Confessional

Am I the only one that is plagued by garments that are 

simultaneously too big and too small?

As a recap, when I last updated you on my cami muslin, it was a bit snug across the bust and hips. In hindsight, it was also too big thru the midriff. So, when I added some fabric to the center, to widen it across the bust and hips and make the straps a bit further apart, it had the unintended consequence of making the fitting issues in the middle worse. Also, when I played around with the length of the straps, I realized that this cami is supposed to be worn quite a bit higher than I care for. This somewhat explains why the armscye was giving me problems - they were in the wrong place. 

So, I contemplated redrawing the neckline/armscye area more to my liking. To help figure out where I should redraw things I turned to an aging but trusty cami that I already own. Sure enough, when I lined up my trusty old cami with the KS pattern piece, I realized that I'm going to have to redraw the side seams too, if I am to make this work. That is when it hit me: I am just not shaped like this:  
 

A square with curved edges.

This pattern is perfectly straight from armpit to hip. And there is nothing straight about my body from armpit to hip. This is never ever going to work for my figure. Gaaaaaah!

So, where does this leave me?  Well, first, my confession: I went on a $200 "Cyber Monday" lingerie shopping spree rather than Christmas shopping. Bras, panties, a cami and pj's should start arriving in the next week. (Repeat after me: Ahhh... catharsis!) But this was not enough. And so I made the very rash - possibly brilliant - decision to dismantle my trusty old cami and use it as a template for new camis. It is now in pieces.

I guess this post is a bit of a cautionary tale and a learning experience. First, I should learn to look at the line drawing and not just the cover art of a pattern envelope when deciding what will and won't work for me. Sigh. Second, I shouldn't leave my seam ripper in such an easily accessible place when I am in a mood. It seems that my seam ripper is involved in a high proportion of my stranger sewing... um... mishaps and adventures. Third, I am avoiding working on my Lady Grey muslin because the armpit is too high/tight. (Just thought I'd throw that out there in case you were wondering why I'm misdirecting my sewing angst onto a defenseless cami.)

Anyhooo, wish me luck. This time, I think I really do need it... on all fronts. 

Weekend Sewing: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

I should be feeling much more positive about my weekend sewing than I'm actually feeling. Although I made progress, I had some pretty annoying setbacks. And, as usual, there was just not enough time for everything I wanted to do. Here is the round-up:

First, I sewed up the second muslin for my cami, now in a size S instead of M, and with the FBA that I posted about on Friday.

Please ignore the red eye, black bra straps and ridiculous grin. 

It's better than the first version, so that is some progress. But now it is a shade too snug across the bust and hips. Plus the straps are still too close together in the front, probably on account of it being a smaller size. I plan to add a bit more room to the center front and see if that helps all three problems.  I do think that the size small armskye fits better than the medium.  I really want to be done with this muslin so I can sew on the beautiful silk that is staring me down in the Craft Lounge. With all my on-going, larger-scale projects, I need a simple, easy thing to sew. I need a win.... bad! Do you ever get like that?

Next, I haven't told you about my pants recently. That is because there was not much to tell. I was plowing ahead, little by little, when I realized I had gone too far and attached the waistband without dropping in the lining first. Whoops! So, a little backtracking and the lining was in. However, when I went to do the "final try on" before closures and hemming, it was a big old mess. I must have done something wrong when stitching the lining to the zipper fly area, because now the fly is pulling to one side, causing all kinds of ripples across the crotch/abdomen - it's very noticeable. Not good. So, now I have to un-do this part of the lining and figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. I really hope I didn't botch this project - I was loving these pants even more than the original version. And Phin commented that the bum was fitting perfectly, which is pretty incredible considering how awful the first muslin was. Aaarg!!  I'm hoping I just did something dumb that will be self-evident and easy to fix. So, that is another big step back.

Finally, I DID manage to make progress on fitting my Lady Gray. But, I will post more on that tomorrow.

More Musings About Muslins: Unmentionable KS Cami

The other muslin that I have in the works, as you know, is for my KS Cami, which I decided last week needed an FBA (Full Bust Alteration/Adjustment).

Rather than a dart, Kwik Sew adds room to get over the bust by having you gather up some of the fabric at each front side seam and ease it into the back side seam (ie: the front piece is longer than the back until you gather it up, distributing fullness over the bust). I would love to keep this pattern dart-less, and, in theory, I should be able to. If I just add some room to the front where you are supposed to gather, I should be able to ease he fullness into the seam the same way as the unaltered pattern, without adding a dart.

Gather the front up between the notches and then ease it in between the back notches.

I consulted the Kwik Sew website, where I learned 2 important facts from their on-line Fit Guide. (Seriously, KS really is tops for user friendliness.) First, the cup sizing of their patterns varies according to pattern size (XS and S are sized for a B cup, M is a C cup, L and XL are D cup). Second, they add 3/8 of an inch to the length for each cup size. SO, since I am going down to a size small, and therefore will have to up-size by 2 cup sizes, I should add 6/8" of length.

My altered pattern

The other  piece of the equation, is of course having enough room across the front. Looking at a similar RTW cami that I own, I noticed that the straps on the KS cami are set closer to the center than the RTW one. So, I've added one inch to the center of the KS pattern so that there is more room between the straps. Anyway, I hope this will add enough room in the right places for the cami to curve around the bust in an attractive way that doesn't lead to gaping arm pits.

I'm sewing up the second version of this muslin over the weekend. Fingers crossed.

Mentioning the Unmentionables: Cami Muslin

One of the sewing tasks I did this week was to work on the muslin for my Kwik Sew Cami. And boy-oh-boy am I glad I'm into muslin at the moment!! I would have been so sad if I had used my pretty silks for this!

OK, I admit it: it doesn't look too bad in the above photo - it just looks like it needs some tapering from beneath the bust to the waist. However, a closer look at the armpit is revealing:

There is a lot of gaping - the fabric stands several inches away from my body. However, when I tried to take it in at the side seam, somehow it seemed to pull and not fit right across the bust. I also tried creating some darts with the extra fabric, but this also didn't really work at all. This has led me to a conclusion that I have been avoiding for some time: I need an FBA. (Non-sewing friends, this is a "Full Bust Alteration". Sounds rather drastic, doesn't it?) It fills me with dread.

Why dread?  Well, first, it seems somewhat complicated, involving cutting up, shifting and re-assembling the pattern. Second, I have a feeling that once I do it to one pattern, there will be no going back. I will have to make a series of alterations to every pattern I sew. Yes, before you say it, this is something I should have been doing all along. However, I seem to have been wily enough to choose patterns that have a forgiving fit across the bust. And I was acting under the assumption that my bust would be smaller post-weight loss and I wouldn't need to learn how to do an FBA at all. Alas, no.

But my craving for lingerie must be satisfied. So, FBA  here I come. Stay tuned. And if anyone has any thoughts on doing an FBA for a bias cut cami that has no darts, without messing up the grain, please do share!

PS - My panties, post-alteration, have been worn and are perfect! More of these to come! 

Lingerie Update

Well, my panties have been altered and will soon be worn again. I will report back with (fingers crossed) better news.


In addition, one of the things I did on Saturday was cut a muslin for the KwikSew 2589 camisole. Since I am in a muslin-ish mood, I figured that it's better to work out any fit issues in a cheap cotton (less than $2yd) than in my pretty silk charmeuse. The KS instructions seem incredibly straightforward and easy. So, I should be able to report back soon.

Friday Mishmosh And Progress

I had a lot to post about this week, but Blogger has been very non-cooperative. I keep getting error messages. So, I hope you won't mind too much if I mosh it all into one progress report post before the weekend.

Lingerie: Welcome to Wedgieville
First, I wore my newly sewn panties this week. It did not all go according to plan. Midway thru the morning, the panties began to creep up. Um, in the front. Um, a lot. And it was all downhill from there (or uphill, to be totally frank). Sorry, this is definitely TMI! Anyway, I think the problem is that they are too long in the crotch and the front is riding up, so I am going to take them in a bit and will report back. I sometimes have this problem in RTW panties too.

High hopes for my low riders

A note on the style of these panties: by "Brazilian," what Jalie means is that they are a tanga - basically the love child of a boy short and a thong -i.e. lots of cheek-peek. If you don't like panties that fit like this in the back, then these are probably not for you. Resistance is futile: wedgies are inevitable.

Pants: Fabric Love
I've still got some work ahead, but these are really coming together nicely. Details are done (darts, pockets, fly/zipper...) and I am ready to do seams and then drop in the linging. May I just say that it is so nice to sew with such a beautiful fabric? It is. I need to give myself a promotion. Whenever I've sewn with really good quality (read: more expensive than I normally allow myself) fabric, I have been thoroughly happy with the results. So, I think I am just going to have to allow myself a larger budget when it comes to fabric.

Here is a peek inside the pocket. The pocketing really is just right for these.

Lady Grey Coat: Muslin Time!
I am mostly done amassing the notions and a few tools for this project. It is time to work on the muslin. Actually, first I have to trace, alter and cut the pattern.

I still haven't bought fabric, and I may actually wait until I decide that I like how the muslin comes out. You see, since I'm only planning on making this jacket once, I am not going to use a cheap fabric or lining (see above pants comments). I've narrowed it down to 4 different wool or wool/cashmere blends, the least expensive of which is $25/yd. The silk charmeuse I am contemplating for the lining is $12/yd. So, given the yardages that I will need and depending on my final choice, this is going to cost roughly $150-$250 for the fabric. So, I think waiting until the muslin is sewn before buying is probably wise.

Other News: I'd like to thank the Academy...This week I was nominated for two lovely blog awards by Faye of Faye's Sewing Adventures. I am touched and tickled. Thank you, Faye. I'll post these awards next week!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Creating and Destroying

"Creating and Destroying" sounds far more philosophical than this post will live up to, but it accurately sums up the last few days. This weekend, I sewed myself some panties and demolished a tool shed. (An aside: how many times do you get to use the words "panties" and "tool shed" in the same sentence?)

On Friday evening, I sewed up my first Jalie 2568 Brazillian Hipsters. It took about 35 minutes start to finish, and they came out totally cute! I immediately wanted to make 2 more with the other stretch lace trim that I had ready to go, but I am holding off until I wear these at least once. I have very low tolerance for uncomfy panties.

Cutest. Panties. Ever.

I didn't do the best job matching up the lace pattern when I cut these out. In truth, I actually didn't even try. I was too excited to sew panties to even think about it. And these totally live up to my expectations for the cuteness factor. One small disclaimer - and I do mean small!: these panties are definitely low rise. They sit about 4-5" below my navel. On someone shorter (I'm 5'9") they may come higher. But not much.

Then on Saturday, I indulged my destructive side. Terpischore and Mr. Fixit had a second open call for help on demolition work on their new home. Based on how well I did with demolition last time, I was assigned the job of demolishing an ugly and decaying tool shed in the yard.

Before: You can't see if from this angle, but it actually wraps around the house another 5-6 feet.

In progress: wielding a friend I like to call Persuasion

Nearly done:That's the back wall of the shed I'm standing on in this photo


After: this is where the shed once stood

Honestly, it's a shame I didn't get a photo with a crow bar, since really this job required much more dismantling of beams with a crow bar than smashing with a sledge hammer. But I guess that would have been a bit less theatrical. We did, at one point, use the reciprocating saw (that is what I'm holding in the above photo) to saw the roof of the shed in half.

Overall, this was an incredibly satisfying weekend. I got to sew a quick and lovely little project on Friday, use my powers of destruction for the benefit of my sister on Saturday, and I even got to spend most of Sunday working on my next pair of pants. But more on that later in the week.

"Back to School" Shopping

As parents and kids were shopping for back-to-school supplies this past week, I was shopping for supplies for my Autumn projects. It definitely put me in the back-to-school frame of mind.

First, I bought $76 worth of silk charmeuse and wide stretch lace trim at Mood for my lingerie project. That may sound like a lot, but it all fit in my purse. Easily. Then again, this is enough fabric for 3 pairs of lace panties and 2 silk camis, which would certainly cost more than $76 retail.

This is a beige/nude (shown against a red background so you can see it) 6" wide stretch lace trim that will be made into Jalie #2568 Brazilian hipster panties, which will be my first project. I traced off the pattern last night. More cheeky panties will follow, along with coordinating camis.

Black with red lace for panties and red silk charm for the cami

Black and gold lace for panties and black silk charm for the cami

Next, my Lady Grey Coat pattern arrived by mail. I have to say, I am pretty impressed so far. The whole thing came as a neat little booklet/folder, with the pattern tucked into a pocket. I have not really had a good experience with small independent pattern companies. But after a read-thru of the instructions, I felt my anxieties about this being an "Advanced" pattern melt away. The instruction booklet seemed very clearly written and illustrated. Maybe I will have better luck with Colette patterns? Jalie, too, seems to have clear instructions and good illustrations.

Back to school shopping would not be complete without a text book. So, to get ready for the coat sew along, I bought Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket, as a reference.

Finally, I picked up some heavy weight muslin (no picture) at Greenberg and Hammer in the NY Garment District. I still need to purchase my actual fabric and lining for the Lady Grey Coat. So, more on that next week! In the interim, I have pants to sew, panties and lingerie to work on, and I need to trace the Lady Grey pattern. So, I will be quite busy!

Have a great weekend!