My Burda border print pants are underway. I'm really not willing to spend much time muslin-ing an elastic waist pants that are meant to have a loose, relaxed fit. But I love the fabric, which is semi-sheer. So, rather than just cutting into it blind, I'm using the cotton batiste underlining as a muslin. If I don't like the fit or it needs significant alterations, I'll scrap the project before cutting into the fashion fabric. After these pants, my next project will be another possibly controversial garment: a jumpsuit.
Jumpsuits are polarizing. Before deciding on this project, I sought guidance from the Muse fashion committee. Here's the 5-way email exchange - a little slice of how important fashion decisions are made here at the Five Muses blog. Ladies, important question: This Badgley Mischka jumpsuit pattern - have I lost my mind or might this be cute? On me? I'm thinking this would be perfect for the cruise or another dressy but relaxed occasion - worn with espadrilles and a huge necklace perhaps. NOT in white. But it's entirely possible that the whole Badgley Mischka-ness of it is clouding my judgement. Thoughts please: yea or nay? Love, Clio  And here are the responses from the Muses (unedited; emphasis theirs not mine):
So, although the committee is not going to be donning jumpsuits themselves any time soon, they reached a consensus and are willing to let me grab crazy by the horns and just go with it. LOL. What is it about jumpsuits? I definitely turned my nose up at them the last time this trend came around. But now, I'm thinking that this could be fun. And it will be my first project involving boning. So, another skill to master. I've started assembling notions and scoped out some beautiful rayon matte jersey at Mood in that bold orange shade that I just love. Then I had an awful revelation...
What are your thoughts on jumpsuits in general and on whether mine, in orange, will be advisable or not? Will I end up looking fierce and fabulous, or will this end up being a Lindsay Lohan Halloween costume? |
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Next Two Projects: Part 2 or How Fashion Decisions are Made at Casa Clio
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Instant Gratification Sewing: Yoga Mat Bag
From cut to done in an afternoon. Just what the doctor yogi ordered!
The pattern is from Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter. I made the bag a bit larger than her version to accommodate my thicker-than-standard, knee-friendly mat. The new bag isn't as rugged as the first one I made a few years ago with a home dec fabric, but I think it will get me from home to ohm in style.
Namaste, everyone!
The pattern is from Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter. I made the bag a bit larger than her version to accommodate my thicker-than-standard, knee-friendly mat. The new bag isn't as rugged as the first one I made a few years ago with a home dec fabric, but I think it will get me from home to ohm in style.
Namaste, everyone!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Vogue 1042 Seersucker Garden Party Dress: Final Reveal!
Well, here I am heading off to my good friend Magenta's shower. It was a champagne tasting in the Maid of Honor's back yard - a fun summer garden party. It was a fantastic day.
There are only a few things that I would do differently next time. Cidell's comment about using a bra pattern to help adjust the bodice was a great suggestion, and one I will surely use with any future bustier style tops. This dress was not difficult to sew, but it was challenging to fit. That said, I'm pretty pleased with the final outcome. Thanks to all of you who made suggestions and comments along the way. Really, this dress became much more of a project than I anticipated, and it would not have come together without all your help and comments.
Pattern Review here!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
A Little Break From Fitting
How do you rate the success of a sewing project? If you are of the mindset that a project is most successful when it becomes a go-to item that lasts over time, then one of my most successful projects of all time is the bag I made for my yoga mat, 3 1/2 years ago. Not only was it one of my very early sewing projects, but I've been using this bag several times a week since then, and it's still in great shape.
Summer is a more relaxed time for me at work, and I've been finding the time, once or twice a week, to make it to a yoga class at lunchtime. So, now I have two mats - one for the office and one for home/gym - but only one bag. And after the marathon that was my seersucker dress (hemming WILL be finished tonight!), I think I need a little break from fitting. In fact, it would be excellent to have a project that I could start and finish in one day, more or less.
So, before I tackle my border print Burda pants, I'm sewing a very easy yoga mat bag - the exact same pattern as last time - in this fabric, which is a remnant from an early project:
I swear I am going to avoid doing any alterations or enhancements that will add to the length or difficulty of this project, as seems to be my habit.
Summer is a more relaxed time for me at work, and I've been finding the time, once or twice a week, to make it to a yoga class at lunchtime. So, now I have two mats - one for the office and one for home/gym - but only one bag. And after the marathon that was my seersucker dress (hemming WILL be finished tonight!), I think I need a little break from fitting. In fact, it would be excellent to have a project that I could start and finish in one day, more or less.
So, before I tackle my border print Burda pants, I'm sewing a very easy yoga mat bag - the exact same pattern as last time - in this fabric, which is a remnant from an early project:
I swear I am going to avoid doing any alterations or enhancements that will add to the length or difficulty of this project, as seems to be my habit.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
All but the hem...
How many times in life - and sewing - can you say, "Wow, that was easier than I thought"?
Not too often, but lining my dress turned out to be one of those things. Easy!
That proved to be a very very good thing since, immediately after lining the dress, I tried it on and the bust gaped horribly. I have no explanation for how this happened after all my careful fitting.So, I had to un-sew the lining (thank goodness I hadn't understitched yet!) take in a few seams, and re-sew the lining. The second time was even easier than the first.
Also, I liked the topstitching around the cups/bust area so much that I even decided that rather than understitch the lining, I would just topstitch around the neckline and arms. I think it looks really good.
So, now all that is left to do is hem, which I will do by hand during the week. I plan to wear the dress to a good friend's shower on Saturday, so final reveal - all accessorized and whatnot - then.
Not too often, but lining my dress turned out to be one of those things. Easy!
That proved to be a very very good thing since, immediately after lining the dress, I tried it on and the bust gaped horribly. I have no explanation for how this happened after all my careful fitting.So, I had to un-sew the lining (thank goodness I hadn't understitched yet!) take in a few seams, and re-sew the lining. The second time was even easier than the first.
Also, I liked the topstitching around the cups/bust area so much that I even decided that rather than understitch the lining, I would just topstitch around the neckline and arms. I think it looks really good.
So, now all that is left to do is hem, which I will do by hand during the week. I plan to wear the dress to a good friend's shower on Saturday, so final reveal - all accessorized and whatnot - then.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Q: How long does it take to serge all 8 seams of a skirt and it's lining?
A: Longer than you'd think, at least if you are me.
But it was very good practice with my serger. Slow and careful was my mantra, and I think I'm finally getting the hang of chaining off the ends.
I'm really coming down the home stretch on this dress. And I think it looks great in seersucker. Honestly, this was a bigger project than I thought it would be. But that's ok. I'm enjoying the process nonetheless.
The big tasks left are dropping in the lining and adding the invisible zipper. I've never lined a dress before, so it may be a bit of an adventure.
I hope you had a fun and productive weekend, and enjoyed some fireworks!
But it was very good practice with my serger. Slow and careful was my mantra, and I think I'm finally getting the hang of chaining off the ends.
I'm really coming down the home stretch on this dress. And I think it looks great in seersucker. Honestly, this was a bigger project than I thought it would be. But that's ok. I'm enjoying the process nonetheless.
The big tasks left are dropping in the lining and adding the invisible zipper. I've never lined a dress before, so it may be a bit of an adventure.
I hope you had a fun and productive weekend, and enjoyed some fireworks!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Elements of Style: Does Beauty Matter?
Earlier this week, I was drafting a post on exploring/cultivating my style, when I came across this article on how to talk to little girls.
The gist of the article is that, in general, our first impulse when meeting a little girl is to tell her how very cute/pretty/princessy/adorable/etc she is, and that this teaches girls that how they look is more important in society than any other aspect of who they are - their intelligence, talents or personality. The author connects the dots between this early focus on appearance and our cultural fixation on and pursuit of unrealistic beauty ideals and all of the self esteem issues and other problems associated with it.
This got me thinking about looks - whether they matter, why they matter and where to draw a line between vanity, cultural expectations/societal pressures, and good self esteem. I'm not 100% in agreement with the author. I think that strong parenting can do a lot to counter-balance cultural pressures and develop healthy self esteem in both girls and boys. But I do get her point. When Dora the Explorer adds "Princess" to her name and Bratz Dolls are popular for young girls, well, that's a lot of pressures to contend with.
Case in point: I have a niece who I am close with - Miss J - who just turned 13. Miss J is an A student who has a nice group of friends (all "good girls") and a range of activities including chorus and lacrosse. She is currently fighting with her mom over getting a push-up bra. Despite being a normal, healthy weight, she's also shown an increased concern with dieting and her weight lately.
All of this got me thinking about women and beauty and whether looks are important. I care about my appearance and, generally speaking, I'm happy with the reflection in the mirror. I can't deny it: I do own a push up bra or two, along with many others. For me, taking care of my appearance is part of caring about my person, which is part of how I maintain good self-esteem. And at the end of the day, how we present ourselves to the world affects not only how we are perceived in both social and professional spheres, but often indicates how we feel about ourselves.What kind of role model does this make me?
For little girls, playing with makeup is fun, but where is the line between little girls playing grown up and little girls actually wearing makeup and believing this is something that they need to do to look pretty? Or, that they need push up bras? How do we protect girls from thinking that their looks are the most important thing about them, while at the same time helping them to embrace the reflection in the mirror and care for themselves? How do you teach a girl that the definition of beauty is far too narrow and too artificial? Where is the healthy balance?
Perhaps I was sheltered from much of this because of my own mother. She could have been an "Ivory Girl". During my childhood she didn't wear any cosmetics, jewelry or high heels. She always told me and my sisters how pretty we were, but she did not allow us to grow up fast. I remember the year long campaign my sister, Calliope, and I had to wage before we were allowed to get our ears pierced.
There were times when I had wished that my mom was a better role model and teacher for how to dress or put together an outfit, how to do my makeup and hair, and so on. But, in retrospect, I think perhaps she may have been an even better role model for not teaching me these things; for not placing an outsized importance on appearance. Even as an awkward and chubby teen, in most regards my self esteem was pretty good. I was smart, I had great friends, I excelled academically and I had lots of activities that I was good at.
It wasn't until my early 20's that I began to have a sneaking suspicion that I might perhaps actually be pretty. To be perfectly honest, I think I went away to college an ugly duckling and came home a bit more swan-like. I was a late bloomer that way. And now I feel like I've really hit my stride beauty-wise in my 30's. It would be a lie for me to say that I don't like the skin I'm in. However, feeling like I am an accomplished person with interesting hobbies (sewing! baking!) and that I am strong and fit (running! yoga!) probably has more to do with feeling beautiful, than how I actually look does. I think I project what's inside.
So, this brings me back to where I stared this post - personal style and the image I want to project. There is no question that I think more about my appearance since I began sewing. But I didn't come to sewing because of any insecurity with my looks. If anything, I am more comfortable and confident in my looks, and I think I deserve clothing that fits me beautifully and reflects how I feel about myself. Only it seems more complicated now. How do I be beautiful and be a good role model for loving oneself as is?
Readers, I'm not sure where I'm going with this. But I welcome your own thoughts on it - beauty, little girls, sewing and how this all affects us. (And you are free to disagree with me and tell me I'm a hag. My self esteem can take it. Ha!)
The gist of the article is that, in general, our first impulse when meeting a little girl is to tell her how very cute/pretty/princessy/adorable/etc she is, and that this teaches girls that how they look is more important in society than any other aspect of who they are - their intelligence, talents or personality. The author connects the dots between this early focus on appearance and our cultural fixation on and pursuit of unrealistic beauty ideals and all of the self esteem issues and other problems associated with it.
 |
| Even Dora the Explorer caved to Disney Princess Mania |
This got me thinking about looks - whether they matter, why they matter and where to draw a line between vanity, cultural expectations/societal pressures, and good self esteem. I'm not 100% in agreement with the author. I think that strong parenting can do a lot to counter-balance cultural pressures and develop healthy self esteem in both girls and boys. But I do get her point. When Dora the Explorer adds "Princess" to her name and Bratz Dolls are popular for young girls, well, that's a lot of pressures to contend with.
 |
| Bratz Dolls: At least Barbie's lip liner matched her lip stick. |
Case in point: I have a niece who I am close with - Miss J - who just turned 13. Miss J is an A student who has a nice group of friends (all "good girls") and a range of activities including chorus and lacrosse. She is currently fighting with her mom over getting a push-up bra. Despite being a normal, healthy weight, she's also shown an increased concern with dieting and her weight lately.
All of this got me thinking about women and beauty and whether looks are important. I care about my appearance and, generally speaking, I'm happy with the reflection in the mirror. I can't deny it: I do own a push up bra or two, along with many others. For me, taking care of my appearance is part of caring about my person, which is part of how I maintain good self-esteem. And at the end of the day, how we present ourselves to the world affects not only how we are perceived in both social and professional spheres, but often indicates how we feel about ourselves.What kind of role model does this make me?
For little girls, playing with makeup is fun, but where is the line between little girls playing grown up and little girls actually wearing makeup and believing this is something that they need to do to look pretty? Or, that they need push up bras? How do we protect girls from thinking that their looks are the most important thing about them, while at the same time helping them to embrace the reflection in the mirror and care for themselves? How do you teach a girl that the definition of beauty is far too narrow and too artificial? Where is the healthy balance?
 |
| Harmless, girly fun? |
Perhaps I was sheltered from much of this because of my own mother. She could have been an "Ivory Girl". During my childhood she didn't wear any cosmetics, jewelry or high heels. She always told me and my sisters how pretty we were, but she did not allow us to grow up fast. I remember the year long campaign my sister, Calliope, and I had to wage before we were allowed to get our ears pierced.
There were times when I had wished that my mom was a better role model and teacher for how to dress or put together an outfit, how to do my makeup and hair, and so on. But, in retrospect, I think perhaps she may have been an even better role model for not teaching me these things; for not placing an outsized importance on appearance. Even as an awkward and chubby teen, in most regards my self esteem was pretty good. I was smart, I had great friends, I excelled academically and I had lots of activities that I was good at.
It wasn't until my early 20's that I began to have a sneaking suspicion that I might perhaps actually be pretty. To be perfectly honest, I think I went away to college an ugly duckling and came home a bit more swan-like. I was a late bloomer that way. And now I feel like I've really hit my stride beauty-wise in my 30's. It would be a lie for me to say that I don't like the skin I'm in. However, feeling like I am an accomplished person with interesting hobbies (sewing! baking!) and that I am strong and fit (running! yoga!) probably has more to do with feeling beautiful, than how I actually look does. I think I project what's inside.
So, this brings me back to where I stared this post - personal style and the image I want to project. There is no question that I think more about my appearance since I began sewing. But I didn't come to sewing because of any insecurity with my looks. If anything, I am more comfortable and confident in my looks, and I think I deserve clothing that fits me beautifully and reflects how I feel about myself. Only it seems more complicated now. How do I be beautiful and be a good role model for loving oneself as is?
Readers, I'm not sure where I'm going with this. But I welcome your own thoughts on it - beauty, little girls, sewing and how this all affects us. (And you are free to disagree with me and tell me I'm a hag. My self esteem can take it. Ha!)
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