The Year 2050

I'm really awful at this blogging thing, aren't I?

2011-08-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hello there, friends and followers!

I'm sorry I have been a bad blogger and haven't updated in forever. I just haven't been sewing! I have been knitting, and I'm so close to finishing my first real-real sweater (I've made a bolero, but it didn't take nearly as much time and effort. I don't know how anyone could consider a fingering-weight sweater a "flash!") I will definitely post pictures up once it's blocked and being assembled. It's an exciting thing, to have made my own pull over, even if it will be something more like a light shell and less like a "real" heavy sweater.

I'm trying to work on getting back to being creative in my free time - sewing, crafting, all that jazz. I've been attending a weekly knitting group for the past few months (maybe even like 6 months to a year? I'm so bad at keeping track of time!) which has helped me develop skills and become more confident knitting in general. I've got several sweaters on my needles now, I've made a handful of those cool cotton string bags for groceries, and I'm also working on Baltic lace. I feel like most projects you should be learning a new skill or working on bettering one that you already have and I think most of my current projects apply.

Sewing garments is a much more personal endeavor, so there's no real "group" for that. Which may be why I've been so lax and lazy about creating more garments. I've made one dress, another version of this one, but in shiny and glorious evening wear-ish fabric. It was for a Valentine's Ball down in Philly that was hosted by a Burning Man group. They wanted "interpretive eveningwear" so I went with "classy Lisa Frank."

That's classy, right?

Anyhow, that hem is 12 different kinds of messed up and I need to fix it but once again with the laziness. Also, I don't know how many more times I will wear it out in the near future, so no real incentive there anyhow.

But my fabric stash is always growing and my distaste with wearing pants to work every day is growing alongside. It's time for pretty but work friendly dresses! Stylish button downs in fun prints! Skirts, skirts, skirts! I'm going to make everyone ask where I got my clothes and I will gleefully reply "from my own two hands! (and scissors) (and machine)"

To a vintage wardrobe that replaces the bland comforts of the modern life with the style of times gone by!

And then, maybe soon, we'll get our cool robot dogs and jetpacks and all that.

I'm Fully Aware How Tardy This Post Is (Halloween 2010)

2010-11-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

So, I know that this post is over 2 weeks late, but I've been half-busy and mostly lazy. That may also have been the reason that, despite planning, I was still sewing my costume as I left for my weekend plans.

My last post was detailing my plans for my costume, and not long after that I actually made a muslin of the pattern I found - Vogue 8508. It was the only pattern I found that had a stand-up collar of the size that Altaira's was. (There were lots of costumes with close-to-the-neck stand-up collars, but only one that reached nearly to my shoulders.) I had also bought the fabric by that same time - a gold block trim to mimic the heavily studded areas and a gold satin flecked with glitter for the main fabric. It's not quite similar, but I wanted to make it work as best I could.

The original pattern is for a wide A-line dress, not a near skin-tight dress as the original was. Though I was going to work on truly altering the pattern, I ended up just sewing the shape in - pinning and marking where to make the shape into the dress and adding a zipper (which, by the way, I used far too little of) so that it would fit like a glove, all said and done. I also meant for the dress to be a little longer than it ended up being - though it's not as lewd as I thought it might be at its current length. It was quite a simple pattern to put together - raglan sleeves attached through the collar (or a facing, should you not need a huge stand-up collar) and some simple bust darts. In its original form, it's a pretty cute 60's-inspired dress.

Here is the final product!:

This is actually just about how I wore it - there is actually a long-sleeved gold shirt underneath, and I had mustard gold tights and those little flats. And, of course, I had curled my hair to emulate Anne Francis'.

I spent my Halloween weekend down in New York City with my friend Laura - going to interesting parties, carving pumpkins and having a grand old time. One of the best events was the Phantasmagorey brunch, hosted by Dances of Vice (whose Halloween event I attended last year.) It was most of a show than a party, but all of the performers were excellent. We showed up late, but did get to see the Ghost Train Orchestra and some great burlesque performers (including one on aerial silks!). We were in an awkward spot, up in a balcony, but it was an excellent show and there were so many wonderful costumes that I wish I could've gotten a better look at.

Though no one recognized my costume, I did get some knowing "oh!"s after mentioning who I was dressed up as. It was another great Halloween, full of excitement and good friends. I can only hope that they get better as time goes on.

at the Phantasmagorey brunch

Halloween is quickly approaching...

2010-10-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

The decision for this year's Halloween costume was difficult for a long time - I still wanted to look fabulously vintage, but the only thing I could really think of was Judy Garland (while swilling liquor and downing placebos) - other thoughts came in and went out, but nothing really called to me.

Then, just a couple of weeks ago, I watched The Forbidden Planet and I saw it:

Anne Francis' gold dress! I wish I could get someone to be my Robby the Robot, but I think that's asking a bit much at this stage. I'll probably end up with a slightly longer dress (that one could end up a bit.. immodest, to put it kindly), but I can't wait to construct and wear this iconic sci-fi dress. (I'm such a sci-fi nerd, which you probably can't tell by the rest of the posts to this blog, so I can't wait to tell people about how I live on a different planet where monsters from your Id may come to kill you. If you haven't seen The Forbidden Planet, you probably definitely should!)

I'm a little slow on the uptake, so I'm going to go out and get my pattern today (just my luck, there's also a Vogue pattern sale going on this weekend, starting today!) and start cutting out a muslin to play with the construction. I'm using Vogue 8508, which was the only pattern I saw with the large, oval, stand-up collar the dress has (and I couldn't contemplate drafting), but I will have to do some major alterations to the body of the dress, as it's not a wide A-line style.

I can't wait to break out the sewing machine again! It's been far too long!

A new/old friend

2010-06-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

I'm getting to that pattern I've had half-cut-out for several months, I promise. New sewing will appear on this blog soon, I declare! (I also feel the need for some new summer skirts, so those will most definitely be featured.)

The title of this post, however, refers to a purchase I recently made. An old sewing machine from a semi-local Goodwill which I believe dates back to at least the 1940s. It's a Free-Westinghouse ALC, and though it doesn't have a bobbin (yet!) it does have an electric foot-pedal.

From The Year 2050

Look at that gorgeous golden shine! It's a pretty exciting thing to me, a simple machine that I can learn all about (I even found a free manual on the internet, so I can know how not to fiddle around with things!) and has the vintage aesthetic that I love. It just looks so pretty.

Though I can't sew with it yet, as it has no bobbin, I'm quite excited with the prospect of doing so. It probably will never become my primary machine, but I think that sewing a proper vintage project on a proper vintage machine is something quite fascinating.

From The Year 2050

On the final page of the manual is advice for every machine of every era, though is still quite amusing to me:

Use Good Oil!
Use Good Needles!
Use Good Thread!

(The descriptions of these things, however, just boil down to "don't be cheap.")

PS - I just joined up at My Sewing Circle - a kind of Ravelry for sewers. I'm starting to push in the vintage patterns and all my projects. I'm looking forward to it kind of shaping up and coming together (it's still pretty beta at this point) and having a site that I can manage all of my sewing on, like I do with my knitting on Ravelry. Feel free to join up if it interests you, but feel free not to if you want to wait until it's more of a finished project.

I know I've been absent from posting for a while...

2010-05-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

But life kind of got in the way! I've been taking classes at the local community college since January (on a really awful schedule, so downtime is weird) and that makes sewing inherently difficult, as I'm home less during the day.

One thing I have been doing, however, is knitting! Knitting up a storm. Hats, potholders, sweaters, mittens, all kinds of exciting things - some of which I've never done before. (Never done before = almost always a plus, I love learning new skills and techniques!) It's really easy to take knitting wherever you go, I usually make things that will fit into one of my giant purses so I can keep it crafty and creating wherever. And, I usually try to knit vintage or vintage-inspired for myself, as I do with sewing.

One project you readers might be interested in is the 1940s sweater I'm knitting - the Flash! Cable! sweater. (There's a link to the pattern for any of you knitters out there!) It's going to be a very thin but sturdy knit, as it's out of very thin yarn on very small needles. It's an exciting, if tedious, process - the smallness of the parts makes it take far longer than usual.

The pattern and materials for the Flash! Cable! sweater
(I'm using KnitPicks' Palette (100% wool) in MaiTai heather, on 1s and 3s! Eek!)

I'll be sure to post pictures of this when it's mode completed, possibly not until it's been assembled. I'm hoping it will be done by the fall, when the weather starts to turn chilly, so I can wear it with some vintage fashions I'll surely be sewing this summer!

(I have cut out abut half of my Hollywood Pattern, in white with red polka dots, but I haven't gotten around to finishing it! Maybe the prospect of a real shirt-dress, with buttons all down the front is what's intimidating, or the fact that I'm not sure if it will fit or not... I really hope it does! Puffy sleeves and all-white contrasting collar and cuffs? I need it to work!)

(Oh, and I have been buying some vintage-inspired shoes.. including some wingtip-looking shoes I actually got from Kmart! I'm wearing them with my vintage dresses now that the weather is finally letting us know it's spring!)

Le Meret

2009-12-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

I may be an avid seamstress, but I am also an avid knitter. I have been knitting for a few years now, and I've worked my way from simple scarves to more complex projects, like a small bolero sweater and a lace shrug.

This winter, however, I asked my mother what we should get my nana for Christmas. She suggested we find a scarf, as she didn't have one. She didn't have a hat, either. After a few days of searching and not finding anything right, I said I'd be happy to make them. It's always nice to give a handmade gift and nice to receive them, too.

After sorting through patterns, I finally found one for the Meret - a beret that was once a "mystery" project (they give you directions, but no finished images, you just knit in mystery) but has long been revealed - and decided that would be the hat.

After many hours of knitting, I had a beautiful little beret - a little small, so I thought I would block it. But first, I had to make a matching scarf. I used the pattern of the lace in the Meret on the edges and in the middle of the scarf, to add an element of coordination as well as one to break up the utter boredom that knitting a stockinette scarf can bring.

In the end, I think it really turned out beautifully. The lace was enough - still exciting, not enough to be really tedious and still really pretty. We mailed it out so she'd get it before Christmas and she was really happy and grateful for the gift. The best reception that anyone can get for a gift made by hand.

Simplicity 5030, or The Dino Blouse

2009-12-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

I have finished it, photographed it and - despite having computer troubles for a couple of weeks that I won't bother to get into - gotten the photos to finally present to you: The Dinosaur Blouse. Appropriate for many occasions, especially job interviews and other places one needs to be fancy. Fancy with dinosaurs.

From The Year 2050

This blouse started as fabric my mother bought me when I was away at college. It wasn't much - a little over a yard - and so I constantly wrestled with what I would make out of it. A pencil skirt, maybe? Maybe... something else? Then, it hit me: a blouse! It would be just enough to make a blouse and it would be fun.

So I used the pattern I've used before, with the Peter Pan collar, because it had a nice fit (and it may have been the only vintage shirt pattern I really had at the time), and whipped it together relatively quickly. (I only noticed the pattern was upside down after cutting the first piece.. but you can't really tell because half of the patterning is sideways anyhow. Oh, well!) Unfortunately, I didn't have any buttons. And I needed buttons.. dinosaur buttons.

From The Year 2050

I was sure they had them, that they existed, but it probably took me a month or so of intermittent trips until I finally found some La Mode stegosaurus buttons. Not quite what I'd remembered, but the only dinosaur buttons I'd found or probably would find.

I anxiously stitched them on and made the buttonholes (which I think I've gotten much better at - maybe I can make a button-all-the-way-down dress now!) and put it on. At first I was going to match the dinosaurs so that the pattern would run evenly, but the fronts aren't quite straight, so they are what they are.

Check out those stego-buttons!
From The Year 2050

I love it and I'm so glad I found something wearable to make out of this. The sleeves need to be shortened, but I guess this is a trend I'll have to deal with when making vintage patterns. The shirt makes me feel hip and nerdy and vintage and it's perfect. Ah, it feels good to have a dino blouse!

Vogue 2609, or How To Halloween

2009-10-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

What is the best fabric to make a muslin out of? Just plan muslin? Some old fabric laying around? Or could it be $2-a-yard purple satin?

I went with the last option for this year's Halloween cosutme: Vogue 2609. A 1934 design, I wanted to look my best for the party. Now, I didn't plan this costume out well in advance. Oh, no. I barely knew what I was doing a week before and had no idea what I would be that night. When I found out it was an Edward Gorey-themed party (hosted by the lovely Dances of Vice), this pattern immediately jumped out from my memory. Maybe not so turn-of-the-century as Gorey, but certainly in a fabulous and macabre feeling, if made in the proper way.

Awkwardly brushing out the edges of the
caplet featured in this pattern

I've never sewn this pattern before, but I was confident in my sewing skills, so I cut out all of the pieces (including two of the godet pieces the same way - so in the final product you may or may not notice that one of the back pieces is ... not as shiny as the rest of the dress, because it's sewn in backwards) and set to work on sewing it all together.

The open-back design!
(That tie at the bottom is supposed to be
tacked down - pshaw, it's fine!)

What I noticed, looking at the pattern back (which I did not have the convenience of doing while I was at the fabric store, the pattern being out of print) was that it didn't have a zipper. I had bought one anyway because I figured it needed to be closed somehow. Well, this being 1934, they didn't exactly have zippers. They had snaps. And I wasn't going to put in a whole long set of snaps, because I like simple solutions. So, I ignored that part of the directions and did it my way, putting in my zipper. I felt happy to have bested the patterns of the past with the technology of the future.

The next part that unsettled me, in reading the directions, was the fact that the godet (the skirt part at the very bottom) was supposed to be appliqued on. Again, I was not doing this and decided to do it my own way, which I saw as the correct way. I just sewed the godet to the dress, as one would do - right sides together, make sure to get it all pinned down, sew together, turn right side out. (I was kind of nervous that the applique-style attatchment might not work as well, for some reason, and so I just felt more comfortable putting the skirt in the way I did.)

The last surprise of this dress was the contrast fabric. When I was getting it cut, they told me the price, which was far more than the dress fabric. I thought it was right-side out on the bolt, because it was satiny, and just said "Whatever" and went with it. Well, after I cut the pieces for the dress and went to get them ready to attatch, the two halves of the fabric didn't want to come apart. I took a pin and separated some of the remnants from my cuttings and learned - a bit to my horror - that this was no satin at all. This was some kind of terrible, weird Latex-coated fabric. There was no turning back, though, as this was probably a day or two before and I didn't want to get anything else. I would deal with it and triumph over it, as I had with the rest of this dress.

But I think, in the end, it turned out quite spectacularly in the end. I was happy to tell people that I'd made my dress, and though I personally don't have any photos of myself at the event, I did find one from someone else where I'm in the background:

Photo by Gabi Porter for MetroMix New York
(more photos here)

Yep, right there. On the right, with my lovely open back and my friend who came with me to the most magnificent Halloween party I'll probably ever attend. I hope to go more of their events sometime, just to see all the people who get so done-up! (You should search for more images and just look at all the gorgeous things people wore. Really. I was amazed.)

Advance 2709

2009-10-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been sewing! There's been lots of work going on at home, hence why I have only just finished hemming and photographing my newest creation, Advance 2709.

I love this pattern! Its set-in, diagonal pockets. Its six-gored skirt. The fact that it has a provision for just a shirt-waist dress as well as the full shirt dress. (I only had four buttons, so I went for the shirt-waist. Also, I hate making button holes but love shirt-waists, so... that's also a reason.)

From The Year 2050

The back of this dress has a nice yoke and gather detail and the sleeves came out quite puffy as well, which gives the dress almost a '40's style feel to the dress that looks far more '60s on the envelope. Perhaps this is also because of my height and the length that the dress ended up being. But I think this came out splendidly. I found this fabric, with its great pattern, on sale and I think this will end up being my go-to dress next summer. The fabric is really a quite thin cotton, but the fit is wonderful - it comes in close at the waist but it isn't uncomfortable.

Ah! I just can't get enough of it. I can see myself sewing this pattern again and again, but I'll probably take some length off if I make it in a solid.

Here are some more photos in a sort of natural-ish light, showing front and back.

From The Year 2050

Caffenol processing, take two

2009-09-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

My last post was about home developing, and as I just finished another try at it, so is this one.

This time the film came out much better, much more like traditional processing - a good thickness to the final film, I waited for it to dry before really fooling around with it so it didn't get as much dust and scratching on the film.

The only problem I ran into this time was loading the film - it seemed to get caught up in the reel (which I, incidentally, broke a little bit.. one of the sides doesn't have a ball bearing in it anymore... luckily the tank came with two) as I was starting to load the film. I took it all out, reloaded it but the reel didn't seem to want to hold the whole 32 exposure roll. Maybe it's because I'd already broken the ball-bearing, who knows. I got fun little spots at the end of the roll where the film had touched the tank or something. Oh, well, I got basically all of the shots, so it's all okay by me.

With the experience of my last developing and the help of the lovely Caffenol flickr group, I determined that my developing time was way, way too little. This time, I developed for 27 minutes instead of just 12, and the results were far better. Film that's relatively opaque and commercial-looking. For something coming out of a bathroom, from just coffee and washing soda, that's pretty amazing.

Here are just a few of the shots I took. I took more shots of more things this roll, as I was confident I wouldn't ruin it and I wasn't in any sort of rush, as I had been with the last roll.

Home made photo project

2009-09-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

One thing, other than sewing vintage fashion, that I love to do is photography. I took a photography class in high school that, while we used film cameras, was otherwise done by computer. Therefore, I never learned developing - something I'd always wanted to know. It was a big disappointment for me then.

In college, I made friends with art majors who did photography and this past year one of them showed me how developing was done. (This knowledge was helpful in today's project, I must admit - seeing it done is something I often need in order to do things myself.) There was a darkroom there, full of enlargers, but I have a scanner here that does negatives, so I don't really need any of that.

In following photography blogs, I've learned of a process of caffenol processing. It's called caffenol because one of the major components in this is coffee. Instant coffee and washing soda, really. That's all I used, though some people also add vitamin C. It worked surprisingly well, I was really excited.

Through the weeks of gathering the instant coffee, washing soda (easy - but not super-easy - to find), fixer (the only chemical you'll need) and a developing tank, my excitement only kept building with each new thing I'd found. I'd bought 15 rolls of black and white film a while back to start this project and am excited to start really getting into it.

I did this project in my bathroom - a good place with running water and a fan (to get rid of the gross smells of the developer), and hopefully in the next couple of days I'll be putting up an edit with some of the shots I took. Though I haven't exactly perfected it (it came out rather transparent) I am very encouraged by this small success. It's empowering and exciting to be able to not only shoot film but develop it too, and on the cheap without having to use all kinds of crazy terrible chemicals.

Edit (9:20pm)

Simplicity 3085

2009-09-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a dress from one of the two patterns I won back in June, Simplicity 3085. I found an old plaid that I'd bought a while ago and thought that it would go really well with the general design of this dress.

From The Year 2050

It ended up being a bit big on me, as the pattern was for a bust 35, but it's kind of like having a comfortable house dress instead of a totally fashionable day dress. It still has a really interesting look and is nice to wear around.

From The Year 2050

The only real problem I had in this dress - besides almost not having enough fabric and having to cut the collar in two pieces instead of on a fold - was the bottom part of the button detail. It's supposed to mirror the top where it just juts out slightly for the buttons, but the details were awkward and now it just kind of bunches up there. I couldn't get it to point like the top does, no matter how I tried. If I remake this, I'll try to figure out my own way of doing it instead of reading the directions exactly, as they were really quite confusing anyhow.

I also ran out of enough fabric to make the pockets, so I made it out of some leftover orange polka dot you might recognize. I like them, though. They make me feel kind of like I have the pockets of an old timey hobo. (I also originally put those in the waist seam backwards so that my hands would have to go backwards to sit in them. That was an easy fix.)

From The Year 2050

Through this project I've also become a more confident buttonhole-er and that's a very exciting possibility! I really like the fabric of this dress and I'll probably wear it out anyhow, just putting a belt around the waist to tighten it up. It was generally an enjoyable and simple dress to sew, except for that one teeny detail. There's pleating above and below the waist and I think it's generally a very pretty pattern.

Butterick 5032

2009-08-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Home from my recent vacation and I was itching to get sewing again. I had already cut the fabric for everything but the facings before I left, but we took the machine in for servicing so I couldn't start sewing.

I was excited to see how this wiggle-style dress would turn out - I thought it might be nice to have a slimmer dress in my wardrobe and I thought that it was one of the few patterns that the "running eighths" style fabric would work with.

From The Year 2050

Knowing the danger of modern patterns (this is one of the modern reprints of older Butterick patterns) I checked the measurements on the tissue and, lo-and-behold, I had to cut it a size smaller. I probably could've gone down another size on the top of the pattern - it does gap a bit around the top, tending to be more on the back.

From The Year 2050

I only noticed it as I was sewing the top and bottom together, but I had cut the whole top on the same four patterns of the running eighths and the bottom on all eight. Therefore, the whole front matches, but the back doesn't. I still think it makes a nice effect and I matched the lines dividing the patterns almost perfectly, so the effect isn't as bad as it might've been. (Also, I need to iron it.)

Overall, I really like the outcome of the pattern. It turned out a bit long on me (maybe I just have a taste for shorter skirts, but down to mid-calf is not very appealing on the petite figure) so the kick pleat in the back is a bit useless, but I think it's quite a flattering pattern. The front pleats on the skirt section are new to me, but I kind of like them. When holding the partially-finished top to myself, I thought the neckline was a bit high, but it's actually not too bad. I am a fan of the square neckline and I find the neckline on the back to be very flattering, probably on many people. I'd probably sew this again if I need another wiggle-style dress!

Key West, or Cayo Hueso

2009-07-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

I was invited on a two week vacation to Key West with my boyfriend and his family that I just finished. It's a great place and I think two weeks was probably the perfect amount of time, as we got to see pretty much everything and didn't have to rush getting things in.

I took the plane from New York to Miami to Key West, with a short layover. On the way down to Key West, I was sitting next to the man who would open Hemmingway Days - a playwright from Canada who was decked out in full Hemmingway garb, including a pith hat he had in one of his carry ons. He told me that this was the best way to see the Keys - to flyover and watch the shallow waters change color. And it was really beautiful - I was glad to have a window seat.

Joe drove me back to the house that his brother, John, had rented. It was a great little house in the old town with plenty of bikes for everyone staying there. There were stained glass windows and it was brightly colored. It was fabulous and John gave Joe and I the master bedroom because it was just the three of us staying there both weeks - their oldest brother, Rich, and his girfriend, as well as their parents, were only staying for the first week and their friend Ryan was only staying for the second - so he thought it would be fair to give the two of us the giant bed and adjoined bathroom. Also, so that Joe could clean his gaping moped wound that he received in Europe in peace. There was also a pool and hot tub behind the house which were really enjoyable to have, especially on hot days and cool nights.

Throughout the two weeks we were there, we went to the Hemmingway House (mostly to pet the cats - we didn't take the tour, I'm personally not a big fan of Hemmingway but I do love cats), did a Duval crawl (the major tourist/bar street in the old town side of Key West - full of all kinds of bars, including a clothing-optional one, and all kinds of dumb stores selling the same T-shirts), biked all over the Old Town, the Key West Butterfly Conservatory (you can buy some pretty amazing butterfly "sculptures" - actual butterflies arranged in plexiglass cases to hang on your walls), went to beaches, kayaked, took two different sunset cruises, chartered a boat (which I got seasick on... unfortunately), went and watched all of the different street performers at Mallory Square (including the Cat Man.. he's crazy), going to a drag show (always a great thing to do, I promise) and all kinds of other things. Oh, and we saw the Today show being filmed. We left after like half an hour because 6 or 7 am is way too early and I wanted to sleep.

One of my favortite things in Key West were all the great restaurants. I think probably my favorite was a little "mostly vegetarian" restaurant we went to three times. It was always really good and really filling - and I'm not even a vegetarian! Cooking some of our own meals turned out really well, too.

It was nice to go someplace different, relax, see people that I haven't been able to for a while, and just have fun in such a crazy and unique place as Key West. It was good to bike everywhere, too, because here in suburbia it's cars everywhere. Having bike lanes is also nice, when you can get them.

The trip back was a bit stressful as Joe and John left before I did and I had to take the keys back and also make sure I got back in time for my taxi. (I was supposed to leave the day before, but my flight was cancelled for some kind of mechanical problem and for some reason I got booted to the next day. They told me I could rent a car to Miami but I wasn't about to drive 3 or 4 hours. It gave me another day with Joe, though!) The flight was fine and I got more of my amazing book (Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o [Kenyan]) read.

Now I'm home and ready to get back into the swing of things and hopefully get sewing again! (And maybe knitting, too!)

Me on the weird foldable bike I rode around Key West

more photos of Cayo Hueso

Vogue 2962

2009-07-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

Another of my older dresses, Vogue 2962, is one of my favorites. A challenge that definitely paid off.

From The Year 2050

I originally saw the skirt fabric at Jo-Ann's and fell in love. I remembered this pattern, having just recently bought it, and decided it would make a great skirt. I did eventually have to go back for more (this pattern doesn't think you'll be using a border print - which this is) for the giant 5+ yards in the skirt. The top is a heavier cotton than the skirt.

From The Year 2050

Not shown here, but the top button is actually a small rose, to correspond to those in the skirt. These buttons and loops were the worst part of the dress - I kept sewing the loops in the wrong place or some of them were stitched down really awkwardly or too tight and I had to redo them probably 4 or 5 times. (Sometimes I can be really bad at spacial things, like where closures go and the logistics of them.) I knew that these were the buttons I wanted - shank buttons that were glossy and shiny and white.

The only alteration I made - besides the length (which, with Vogue, must be for models as I always seem to take like 9" for my being 5'1") was tightening of the bodice panel. It fits more like the pattern image now and feels better all around.

I may end up making this again, but probably not for a long while, and not until a fabric calls out to me again like this one did.

The only qualm I have about it is that it's pretty hard to wear a bra with as the back of the bodice is a bit low and shows the whole back of a bra. It's a lined bodice, but still, sometimes it can be a bit awkward. But the adjusted fit around the middle, the huge skirt and the halter top are so great and Seven-Year-Itch-y! I just love it. (I didn't wear it on the Fourth of July, but I do like to refer to it as my America dress as it's red, white and blue.)

Butterick 4513

2009-07-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

Another of Butterick's retro reprints, and this time from 1957, it's Butterick 4513! This was one of my first sewing projects after getting back into sewing, probably actually the second one after Vogue 2267.

From The Year 2050

Despite my unfounded hatred of elastic, I like this dress. Instead of any zippers or buttons or any of those crazy doo-dads, it just has elastic in the back waist to fit it to your body. It's nice to be able to just pull it over my head, but I do prefer the more fitted look of more stern closures.

I made the same view everyone makes - the one with only one line of bias across instead of the two where you have to perfectly line it up within your straps. Too complicated for a then-novice. I also forgot to put pockets in this one, which is a tradgedy because every dress should have at least one pocket, at least to me. I did, however, make a matching bag with the left over fabric from a pattern at Belle Epoque. (Here's a link, it's called the "Bias Tape Tote." Thought it would be a good way to use that spare bias tape!)

From The Year 2050

Overall, I do like the dress. It has the joyful swing of a circle skirt to it and is easy to wear. You can also adjust the straps, which I prefer not to do as I fear not tying them tightly enough and then coming undone at the most awkward of moments.

It's made from a light green quilter's cotton with a kind of crackle pattern on it.

Butterick 4919

2009-07-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

This continues a short series of projects I've had finished for a while but am only just getting around to blogging. (I've actually only just finished fixing the hem, which was an atrocity of shortening and not properly measuring. If you're going to shorten always measure and then measure again!!)

From The Year 2050

This is Butterick 4919, one of the recent "retro reprints" that Butterick was doing. Originally from 1952, it's been redone for modern sizing and such.

I really enjoy the waist/tie detail on this dress, though it is a bit awkward to figure out which piece goes over the other in the back. It's nice to have something that you can make as fitted or loose as you want and you can always change it if you eat that giant Thanksgiving meal or something.

I really like the fabric, but I'm a sucker for over-the-top things and the color orange. The fabric just called out to me from the shelf and I knew I had to make something grand with it, so I remembered this pattern and the rest was history!

The only real problem I recall with it was my attempt at shortening which left certain parts very long and others very short. Now it's a little bit below the knee and I think it's a good length for this style of dress. The only other thing I can remember is that I put the hooks and eyes on half-backward at first so they closed in a really bizarre way, but that was an easy fix. The front straps actually have little pleats in them (I don't remember if the pattern just calls for gathering or for pleats, but I did it this way) and they're a really nice detail.

I might make it again, who knows, but I'd like to somehow alter the way the sash goes around the front so it's more sleek.

Simplicity 5006, or the rite of passage of every vintage sewer

2009-07-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

I've done it. Using the modern Simplicity 5006, I've made a crinoline. And it was all the horrors of netting snagging on itself and figuring out how to gather the giant skirt (machine gathering worked far better than hand-gathering). But, now it's done! I'm so excited to finally have one!

The finished product.. almost

Instead of shelling out anywhere from $25 to $50 (I know, not that much of an expense..) I bought 5 yards of bright orange netting from Jo-Ann's, on sale for only $1 a yard, and some left over muslin for the yoke, and made myself a crinoline.

It's taken a frustrating day and half - the netting constantly catching on itself, gathering and regathering, and having to do that for two layers. I looked at the instructions and understood them, but I followed what I saw as the best course of putting it together anyway. The wrong sides are facing one another so that the netting doesn't snatch at my dresses or any slips I'd want to wear (and hopefully won't bother my skin as much, either.)

Well, here's what happens when you take a normal dress [Vogue 2902, Christmas editon] (left) and put a crinoline under it (right):

It's like retro magic!

I still have to bias tape the edges and cut it a little shorter so it doesn't poke out from under my dresses quite so much, but I'm so excited!!

Simplicity 1325

2009-06-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

The other day I finally finished my most recent project: Simplicity 1325.

I was really excited to get this pattern when I did - it was on sale on eBay for only $1! I made the view with long pants and I was hoping for long sleeves, but I laid the pieces out wrong and ended up with only enough fabric for short ones. I'm alright with that, though, and I think they still look great. It's probably more comfortable this way, anyhow, with the lightness of the broadcloth I made them in.

From The Year 2050

The pants come up to the waist and have a button closure on the left - a very vintage detail. The waistband is slim itself and the closure end has a point to it, which I find to be a really nice touch.

From The Year 2050

Though the short sleeved top didn't have the bias tape detail on the collar or sleeves, I really like the look of it so I added it anyway. The collar is a bit of a mess - I haven't made one like this before, where you cover the edge where the collar joins the body with the top part of the collar. It didn't turn out too well

From The Year 2050

As you can see in this photo, the pockets and bias detail are actually straight when one's hands aren't in them. The pants came out at a really complementary length and the pleating is really nice. I used white thread throughout the project (though I strangely don't have much and kept almost running out) so there's that slight repeat to the contrast of the white of the bias tape against the green. I also altered the position of the buttons because the collar didn't come out quite right and I wanted to make sure I could unbutton the top button or two (well, where they would've been) to breathe and it wouldn't look lewd.

Once I figure out how better to sew these kind of collars, I'd be happy to make this again. I just love the retro styling and the bias detail. It's so kitschy and you just can't find it nowadays! I'd give it a 8.5/10.

Today's pattern experience

2009-06-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

Today, I got four patterns. The two I won in the contest over at Adventures in Baby Sewing (Simplicity 4777 and Simplicity 3085) and two I got at a local antique ~~store~~ warehouse. The ones I won are complete (except for one back facing - but that's okay).

[They look great and I'm excited to make them. I really like the button/seam detail on Simplicity 3085.]

The other two... that's where the adventure comes in.

I meant to buy McCall's 5045 and Advance 9575.

What I got was almost all of McCall's 5045 (all of the dress and jumper but just bits and pieces of the blouse - like, not the front or back of it...), none of Advance 9575, the envelope for McCall's 8153, about half of the pieces for Mail Order 9361 (all of views A and B, I think), the mitt facing for McCall's 2133, parts of McCall's 7970 (it's got a front, back, jacket, and skirt from what I can tell, I don't know what this one looks like), the pocket for McCall's 2248, the front of Simplicity 8506, the blouse front and back and armhole facing for Simplicity 5140, and the stockings for McCall's 7945 (my personal favorite random piece).

I'm not quite sure what to do with all of this, except throw it together in a bag and call it miscellaneous. I think I've learned my lesson about not checking pieces, but I am having a moral quandary about going back and sorting through all the patterns they have because I think they're probably all this bad.

Vogue 2267

2009-06-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Vogue 2267 or, "Why yes I do have five dresses made from the same pattern."

(And a cat.) Count 'em and weep. The top one was actually my very first sewing project not done in middle school. I, for some reason, like to get very ahead of myself so I decided to make a dress with princess seams, a zipper and two pockets (one of which is actually on the zipper). It actually came out really well and I still like and and wear it. I put the inside belt on this one, so it's not very good for eating in, but it does look and feel good otherwise.

The other four have a more interesting story. Last summer, I took a service learning trip to Ghana in West Africa. They told us that the culture there was very strict and girls were expected to wear skirts or dresses everyday. So, I remembered this great pattern (as I'd had a lot of trouble finding modest dresses that would hide my bust in mainstream stores) and how good it looked and its pockets. I'd made several dresses between my first and these and was able to whip them all up in about a week and a half. Made of quilter's cottons, I made them in four different colors so I'd have some versatility and wouldn't get bored. They all have very small patterns and I still wear those, too.

(On the teal one, you might notice that it's discolored - that's because I got into a mudfight with it on and didn't wash it out right away. I don't know how much better it would've come out if I did. Oh well.)

Here they are, the parade of champions. (The first two are the same dress - the first one I made.)

From The Year 2050

This is a pattern I'd suggest to pretty much anyone. It's probably better for more advanced sewers, but with careful instruction reading and learning what those weird terms are, even beginning sewers can be proud of this dress. The square front and back necklines I find really pretty and the pockets are always a welcome edition to a dress in my book. Though I'm sure it would look much better with a thin crinoline, it still looks great without one. It's comfortable (especially without that inner belt - unless you're really really true to measurements) and flattering.

I'd give it a 10 out of 10 every time.

Simplicty 5030

2009-06-01T17:26:00.001-07:00

Last night, I finished yet another project (I'm just whippin' 'em out, I know) - Simplicity 5030.

I made view 3, with the Peter Pan collar and short sleeves. I just ordered the pattern online last week and was anxious to make my very first blouse, so I bought the fabric in the meantime. It came together so quickly, probably partially because it's very similar to the shirtdress I just finished.

I shortened the sleeves the way I was instructed to (as I have just finished doing on my yellow shirt dress) and they look really nice. I'm calling it my "grandma shirt" because of the floral print and the older cut. I think I'll probably remake this pattern several times in more neutral or hip patterns to avoid the "grandma" thing.

I'm looking at my next adventure in sewing - it may be a matching shirt/skirt or perhaps some pajamas or even another shirtdress. Only time will tell!

Simplicity 3486

2009-05-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

This is the dress I finished last night:

I used Simplicity 3486, a vintage pattern from the late 50's/early 60's. It came together easily, even with the box pleats and pocket (I'd never made a pocket before.) I messed up on some of the pleats in front, and there's one missing on the right side, where I'm going to add a larger pocket to correspond to the breast pocket. I haven't decided yet how or if I'm going to hem or roll the sleeves, as they're meant to be much shorter.
The waist is tight, the button placement is good and I'm really pleased with the overall result. The broadcloth I used is a little thin, but I really enjoy the color. It only took me two days from start to finish and I'm really excited to wear it around. I found some great vintage-looking buttons which really completed the look for me.

Vacationland

2009-05-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

Last week, I took a trip with Joe to Maine. We visited our friend Meredyth on Westport Island for two days and then went up to Acadia National Park for a day and a half. It was a trip to be remembered.

After spending just a couple of days in Connecticut (after our 10-hour drive from Ohio and the Wooster graduation), we headed out for Maine. The 5-hour drive took us through Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire before finally reaching our destination. What that means was, for me, it was my completion of visiting all the states in New England (I've been to Vermont before - on a spur-of-the-moment trip to Bennington College) which was exciting in a silly way. We had lunch on our trip and were glad when we finally drove down the dirt road to our destination and saw our friend in the doorway.

From Maine

The first night we got a round of meeting and re-meeting everyone and a tasty chicken dinner. We played Apples to Apples into the evening and then went to bed - Joe and I slept on the couches in the front room. It was already a fun trip by then, everyone had great stories and we all were in the same frame of mind and sense of humor.

The next day was the real treat, though. That morning we decided to go out to a place called Big Al's and pick up all kinds of cheap stuff for our fun later - shooting it with a 10-gauge shotgun. We picked up a three ducks playing instruments, an octopus ring-toss game, the head for a baby doll kit (yeah, just a head - no body or limbs at all), a ceramic house that was apparently a candy dish, a plastic tank, a stuffed whale (they'd never shot a stuffed animal before), a plastic or semi-plastic sculpture of lemons and a sunflower fly swatter, which we had thought was simply a plastic flower to go in the ground. We also got a deck of cards (52 reasons cats are better than men), some bizzare postcards and some other things just for fun. Then, we took all our cheap finds (which were all about $10 or $15) out into the yard. To destroy.

From Maine

The baby doll head was by far the strangest thing - it seemed to absorb the shot and loose shot would fall out when you turned it upside down. It became weirdly imbedded in the skin. We finally finished it off by shooting a 12-gauge slug into it. It was rewarding for all the times we shot and couldn't do anything do it, really.

From Maine

Then came the ducks - those pretty much just exploded into a cloud of smoke when you hit them. The same went for the lemon sculpture. That was only half-destroyed, so Archie (our gracious host) shot it as kind of a clay pidgeon - we threw it up in the air and he shot it and hit. Candy dish house - another explosion of ceramics. The tank wasn't too exciting as it was small and pretty hard plastic. The octopus ring-toss game was inflated and we didn't notice until after we'd shot it 3 or 4 times that we'd hit it - but it was riddled with tiny holes from the shot just going right through it. The whale exploded little clouds of stuffing when you shot it - which we did twice because it was cool. Finally, the fly swatter, which wasn't really that exciting. It just kind of broke apart.

From Maine

After a photoshoot of our carnage and picking up more of the pieces from around the yard, we went on a hike through Archie's backyard / nature preserve. It was really beautiful and pristine on this small island where not a lot of people lived. There were lots of pines, really pretty coast around the island and even some lichens growing. It was a nice relaxing trip through Maine's scenery. Afterwards, cards were played and I took a nap. Meredyth's father told Joe stories about Europe. We had another tasty dinner, this time it was ribs and a little bit of venison burgers. Archie let Joe and I sleep up in his bed and he took the couch after we watched Cigarettes and Coffee. The next morning we left for Acadia.

From Maine

It was another couple of hours up to Acadia, but we did stop and had some lobster rolls and lobster stew. We got up to Acadia and decided to take a hike before going and finding a campsite, as that would be further on down the one-way loop road. We chose the Beehive Trail - which has iron rungs on exposed granite cliffs. For me, that was absolutely terrifying and not fun. Once we got to the top, it was nice. But those exposed rungs were more danger than fun. I didn't want to go back down that way, so we decided to take the Bowl trail - around a large lake surrounded by the mountains which was eerily totally silent when we were there - and then climb to the top of Champlain Mountain. It was along trip and we thought we might be able to take the Precipice Trail back down, but it was closed for the nesting Perigrine Falcons. We took another trail down and walked back along the road to the car. Though we couldn't see anything at the top of the mountain - probably a visibility of 50ft, we could see great views as we got down below the cloudline on our way down. I took a small piece of the pink granite back with me. It's really quite pretty, and I'm sure it's really great right after a rain and you can see all the colors in the stone.

From Maine

We found the campsite and found an empty spot, pitched our tent and made a fire and went to sleep. In the night I woke up several times in my really uncomfortably tiny sleeping bag (it was a mummy bag that I barely fit into) and heard that it was raining outside. We woke up and it was pouring and I didn't really want to hike through the pouring rain and it wasn't going to let up until late that afternoon, so we decided to pack up and leave and drive up to the top of Mount Cadillac. Where we also didn't have any visibility. But there were cool waterfalls because of all the rain!

From Maine

We drove back home to Connecticut and stayed there for almost a week more before Joe left to go back to Ohio. We did do some other hiking and it was fun and pretty, but Maine was definitely an experience.

Butterick 4790 aka "The Walk-Away Dress"

2009-05-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm showcasing my version of Butterick 4790, the "walk-away dress". I used the reprint of the 1952 pattern. I think I may have cut it a size or two smaller than my size shown, based on the measurements listed on the pattern. It's a little tight around the waist, but that's okay.

I bought the space alien fabric a while ago and had decided I wanted to make it some kind of lining, with the outside being fabric that resembled space. I found one that was flecked with glitter, but the simple black taffeta looks better with it, I think. Even though you're only supposed to edge part of it in bias tape, I did the whole thing with alien-green bias tape (which took somewhere from 3 to 5 packages, I don't quite remember) and I think it adds a nice touch.

This was my first time working with taffeta, and I really love the way that it holds its shape so well. Even without a crinoline, you still get that full effect in the skirt. I think that the final product is out-of-this-world, if you'll pardon the pun.

Vogue 2903

2009-05-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

Today, I decided to get a little fancy, so I did my hair up and put on one of my Vintage Vogue reprint creations, V2903.

This dress came out pretty well, but wearing it I realize that the sizing of it seems to be a bit more "vanity sized" than other Vogue patterns I've made, which can be painfully true-to-size. The shoulders are large and it is generally big on me, despite that I made it in the size that should fit my measurements. (The shoulders are especially difficult as the neckine is very open and they keep slipping off of me.)

I really do like the dress, it has a nice retro look to it - especially with all the accessories. Though I was intimidated by it (and its huge amount of fabric) at first, it wasn't that complex and I found it a fairly easy sewing job. The back zipper is somewhat oddly set in the middle of the back rather than opening all the way at the top of the back seam and I forgot to put pockets into this one.

Overall, I enjoy it and would probably rate it an 8/10. I'll have to remake it a size smaller and see how much I like it then.

[I pincurled my hair overnight and am wearing jade earrings, a vintage pearl two-strand necklace and a braided brown belt to cinch the waist.]

You Are So Good To Me, I Know

2009-04-03T15:40:00.001-07:00

The Return to Ohio and IS Monday

2009-03-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was IS Monday, a holiday at the College of Wooster celebrating the achievement of seniors on their completed theses. This always occurs the Monday following spring break - the last day that seniors can turn in their independent study theses.

On the 13th, though, Joe showed up to my house in Connecticut. We spent the weekend and the following week exploring Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York and having lots of fun adventures. We went to museums, stayed in an NYC hostel, ate Mystic Pizza and had fun times having dinner with my parents.

From Spring Break and IS Monday

On Friday, we left Connecticut and headed up to Rochester in order to break up our trip back to Wooster and see some of our friends who had graduated. The trip was around 6 hours long, but we did get some beautiful views of the Catskills as we drove through them. We arrived in Rochester pretty late, but got some delicious late-night dimsum and slept on the fold out couch in the living room. The next morning, we woke up, had some bagels, and departed once more.

The drive to Ohio took around 5 hours, but we had a great three-state tour. We got back and had dinner with Joe's parents, a late St. Patty's day dinner of corned beef and cabbage. The dorms didn't open until Sunday, so we stayed there Saturday night after visiting Laura for some welcome home fun and moved in to Kenarden on Sunday afternoon. We hiked in Spangler with Laura that afternoon and then went back to Joe's for a meal cooked by his brother, John, of lasagna and chocolate lava cake, both of which were delicious.

From Spring Break and IS Monday

Yesterday was IS Monday and it was a crazy day of plenty of drunken 21 and 22 year olds celebrating far too early and falling asleep too early, as well. I marched through the parade and ate some free pizza at the end of the march, and I was glad that I could be here to celebrate with all of my friends. After the pizza, we went back to Bryan House and sat on the roof, played music and ate cake. Fell asleep pretty early, but that's okay.

From Spring Break and IS Monday

I'm going to have to find my new routine in this place, but it does feel kind of like I'm home again.

Norwich State Hospital, Take 2

2009-03-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we decided our last trip to Norwich wasn't comprehensive enough and this was the time to go back. A warm day was appreciated in the last months of winter, and made it an easier trip all around. Leaving earlier in the day, we got far more daylight out of our trip and were able to get to much of the main part of campus. We drove up with all the supplies we'd had before but with the addition of a map of the campus, which was really great for figuring our way into and through the tunnels.

Instead of parking across the highway's intersection, we parked in the park-and-ride lot right next to the campus and headed in through the broken down fence. Climbing down the hill to the railroad tracks, we reentered the campus by Galt, the building we had explored last time. Using our map to assess the plan of attack, we entered through the Laundry. We explored the building and found our way down to the tunnels. They were full of old bed frames, and Sam even managed to capture what might be a ghost or just a very human-shaped cloud of dust. We continued through the tunnels, finding all sorts of rooms, like a garden shop and what appeared to be a confessional, down there.

From Better Than Casinos, Take 2

We headed up through Earle and explored the building, where we found loads of interesting areas, including where it appears they threw all of their old Christmas decorations and an indoor porch. Ceilings caved in, moss on the floors. Continuing through other buildings, we found a dark room full of old records and papers of all kinds as well as an arts room with large paintings on the walls and a bowling alley, full of balls and with nearly enough pins.

From Better Than Casinos, Take 2

We continued through the tunnels to the half-above ground portion. It was still freezing in the tunnels despite the sunshine coming in the short windows. We went into a storage building, but the cafeteria, auditorium/roller rink and theater were in the next building. The floor of the cafeteria was covered in ice, as parts of the tunnels had been, the roller rink's wooden floors were buckling with a large pile of snow in the corner, but the theater was beautiful. One of the pianos next to the stage had crumbled apart, but almost all of the seats were still in place. Many of the large windows were broken, and a tree was growing in the back of the main level.

From Better Than Casinos, Take 2

We continued through buildings and tunnels, despite hearing security on our tail previously. We continued, trying to find our way into the men's dorm and morgue, but it was bricked up. We found our way into the admin building, where some people had previously had a grand party, full of booze and spray paint. We left our chalk marks on the foyer and made our way over to the chapel.

From Better Than Casinos, Take 2

Though we expected the chapel to be a sweet end to our trip, they apparently turned it into a daycare center or something. Also, the tunnel from admin to the chapel was full of bats, which was a kind of terrifying surprise. We found signs telling us not to use radio channel 15, which we had been using and suspect may be have been the way security had found us previously. We emerged from the chapel in the daylight, made our way back to the car and enjoyed dinner at a near-by Greek diner. A good time had by all 4 of us and quite a successful expedition.

Norwich State Hospital

2009-03-05T17:28:00.001-08:00

Nearly a month ago, I took a trip with a few friends up to the Norwich State Hospital, also known as the Norwich Insane Asylum. The trip began with the long drive up, and the difficulty of the GPS to find out where we wanted it to go. We eventually stopped near a local dining spot and made our way through the woods and down to the train tracks to find our way in from the back of the property, as it is state property.

As we entered the property, one of our team was able to ninja-climb into the building, but the rest of us found a window in the front of a building and climbed into the building. It appeared to be the old firehouse, or perhaps a dormitory. The basement had a giant pile of broken glass as well as many tangled fire hoses. One room which we spent much time in was lined with beds, down the hallway there were many smaller rooms with one or two beds. Though we attempted to get into other buildings, the sun was setting and the moon was rising. We caught a glimpse of a patrol car scanning the area, and decided that the best thing to do was get out, as the buildings' large windows would give away any flashlights or camera flashes we would use. Making a hasty retreat, we vowed to go back again and see what we could find, hoping to explore the intricate tunnel system which connects much of the hospital's campus.

I was able to capture a lot of great images of decay and nature's takeover of this depressing and abandoned place, but we weren't able to break out the ghost hunting apparatus that we brought with us. It's a huge campus and really pretty in the winter. I'm sure it's better in the spring, but the empty trees and snow complimented the state of the buildings that we glimpsed inside.

Also, Golden Pizza is disgustingly greasy. Would not suggest it.

A welcome

2009-03-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the year 2050. We're in a time where things look like the Jetsons always envisioned - the past's vision of today and years to come.

This is really a record of my life, my interests, and the aesthetic I'm trying to accomplish with everything I make. This will also be a place where I will host a poetry podcast, of poetry that I have written.

So, welcome all. Hope you enjoy.