My Costume, or how I managed to post this two months late

Hi everyone!

Well, I know it's been too long. life has been way to hectic lately and I just wasn't in the right state of mind to blog. Sometimes you just need a vacation - right? However, I WAS in the right state of mind so sew, and I did a lot of it, so I have a lot of projects to show you guys! Hooray!

Anyway, two months ago we had Purim, which is our version of Halloween (only less cool because we don't get trick or treating and we celebrate it because another foreign leader tried to terminate us. On the other hand getting drunk is a mitzva on Purim, so it's a good adult holiday). I wanted to sew my own costume but since Jewish holidays are celebrated according to the Jewish calender, they're never on the same date - even the month varies! This means that if we don't actually look at our Israeli calenders that combines the two, I'm always surprised and realize Purim is just around the corner like two weeks ahead. This meant I had to make do with stuff I had lying around, thankfully I have weird clothes so this wasn't too difficult. I ended up dressing up as a makeshift vintage stewardess:

I don't think you can really tell but the skirt I'm wearing is the skirt from the Mystery Pocket Tutorial that I have yet to wear in a non costume format.
I had some fabric left and decided to make a tie inspired by Sonja  from Project Runway (this had nothing to do with Purim as well) so I pretty much had everything ready (thought I know it's very historically inaccurate).

The tie was pretty easy to figure out how to make, it's basically three strips of fabric, one for the tie, one for the strap around the neck and one little strip to tie them together. I have yet to wear this out of Purim context as well, I think I may over reach a little when I sew in terms of how adventurous I am with my dressing. Do you ever do that?

This is where I got the inspiration - can you blame me? how cool does she look? I have to say I'm digging the length of her shorts as well - it may be even work appropriate (we have very low standards here at my company).

I also made a hat! This was especially for the event, I don't think I would wear this otherwise. It came our pretty smushed and weird but I think it gave the right idea. I was pretty proud of myself for figuring it out, even if it kind of looked like someone sat on it.

I'm even wearing anchor earrings I made out of buttons! (This is actually the only item I wore out this ensemble,  sad but true).

These pictures are from work, can you believe it? We had a costume contest (which I did not win) so we all got our pictures taken and I made stupid poses. These were later sent to everyone in the company. Everyone. It is a mystery why I still have a job.

What do you think about my last minute costume??

The Godet Jacket - More Final Photos

As I promised! I few (haha) more pictures of the final jacket. Again, I'm not sure how happy I am with it, I really wish it were a little more fitted but I'm SO proud of myself for making it nonetheless. This really was one of those projects (and to be honest there really aren't many of those) that I thought everything through and was really meticulous with the details.

 I'm not completely happy with how the waist fits, I wish it were more fitted!

 See how much smaller my waist is??

At some point thinking about everything got kind of tiring and I was craving an easy project but I had to stick with it for the RTW Contest! The last weekend I worked on it was SO STRESSFUL, I had one full day to sew (Friday) because I wanted to take pictures of the final jacket the next day in the daylight. I think I ended up making the bound buttonholes,  sewing the lining, attaching the lining to the jacket and doing all the hand sewing in a day in a half. I really don't know why I thought making bound buttonholes will be a good idea, I mean \, I did manage to finish the jacket in time but I don't think I left the house on Friday (I have windows in my bedroom so at least I saw some daylight).

Close up of the collar (THAT CAN'T SEEM TO LIE DOWN) and the bound buttonholes:

Close up of the godet. I really like this picture, I don't know why!

And the sleeve!

OK!! No more pictures!
I hope you guys aren't sick of reading about the jacket by now because I have at least one more post lined up about it (or maybe even two! More construction details and tailoring details. Do you wan to kill me? I hope not!)

So what do you think? If you like it I'd love for you to vote for me on the RTW Contest on Pattern review. To vote you can click here!
I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The Godet Jacket - Done!

Hello Hello!
I've been fighting tooth and nail to get my Godet Jacket done in time for the RTW contest. It was definitely a tiring and consuming project. I really tried to do everything right (even though I can still see flaws and parts I don't like about this project. Don't we all?) and actually think through the process before cutting into the fabric and winging it. I hope you can see evidence to that here, here and here.
It was an interesting experience; this was my first time making a real muslin (I think I've made only one before and even that was only a half-ass attempt), my first time underlining, my first time making godets (and lining a jacket with godets! I'll be sure to post an in depth post about that) AND my first time embellishing fabric with sewing machine stitching.
It wasn't my first time making bound buttonholes and I still struggled with them immensely. I'm not completely happy with how they turned out but they're much better than my first attempt.(which isn't my of a feat, I admit)

Because of the time constraints I decided to show you the final garment even though I have another jacket detail post lined up. If you're turned on by hand stitching, sleeve heads and intersion of linings, you will have to wait with baited breath for the next post. You'll have to make do with pictures of the outside of the jacket for now!

Well, here it is:

Hargah! Not exactly the right pose, but it's pretty close!
What do you think?
You can definitely tell my jacket is inspired by Karla's though there are quite a few differences (some are intentional and some aren't), but I guess a godet jacket will always be a godet jacket, right?

I promise, with all heart, that I will post more detailed pictures of the jacket AND more pictures of it's dirty mouthwatering insides.
I'd love to hear you thoughts! Do you think it came out similar?
(Also, what the H would you wear this with? It took me like an hour to figure out that only one pair of ill fitting (and when I say ill fitting I mean - barely went over my butt) jeans matched the jacket!)
Thanks!

40s Shirt Dress

Hi everyone!
I hope you had a great weekend, for me it already feels like the middle of the week, Sunday and Monday are always soooo long. Thankfully we have a day off tomorrow for elections! It's kind of a hectic time here, I'm so sick of thinking about politics, I want it over. I spent the last few months weeks talking about religion, the economy, the Jewish-Palestinian relationship and all the issues that disrupt my little country and I've had it! I want to think about sewing and reality shows and be able to have a conversation that doesn't somehow evolve into politics.

Other than that, it feels like fall here, I've been wearing short sleeved dresses with light sweaters and having lunch in the sun. I really should start my summer sewing because I think it's getting here faster than we think!

Onto my next creation, this is my favorite garment I've ever made by far:

A 40s style shirt dress!
It's self drafted, as usual. I replaced he bust and shoulder darts with gathers (which in retrospect may not have been the best idea). The bodice came out a little wider than I'd anticipated which is nice for having a big meal but isn't as flattering as most 40s button up dresses I've seen.
I really was aiming at this look:

 Now that I look at it, it's pretty similar! I'm still convinced that Kate's bodice is a little more flattering than mine but we can't have it all.... right?

 

 

 The front placket is completely fake. I despise making buttonholes and this hatred has been leading my sewing choices in he past few garments I've made (I won't even talk about the bound buttonholes I tried making a few weeks ago). I realize making buttonholes is kind of a must for a seamstress such as myself but doesn't avoiding buttonholes induce creativity that wouldn't have existed had I been a fan of buttonholes all along? At least this is what I like to tell myself.
I get in and out of the dress using a side zipper, if you were wondering - inserting an invisible zipper is such a breeze compare to buttonholes.

As you can see from the non-spreadiness of the skirt, this is a basic A line skirt. I drafted it using the pattern from the Mystery Pocket Skirt Tutorial. It's so freaking useful! I used this pattern in my 60s Dress as well, it's not as luxurious as a circle skirt, which is a good thing sometimes as it makes the dress more day appropriate, I feel a little overdressed when I wear a circle skirt to work - is that silly?
The fabric I chose for this dress feels like pure heaven on my skin though I'm sure it's pure plolyester (on my skin). I got it at Joann's at a 50% off sale a while ago.. it kind of has a rayon- like drape but is a little thicker than rayon. I really wish you could put up your hand to the screen and feel it. Pet the screen, why don't you?

The one thing that really bothers me about this dress is the collar, it's SO wonky! I can't seem to fix it with any amount of pressing or pleading! Granted, I did cut it out on grain rather than on the bias (would that have helped the situation out?) but IT WON'T LIE FLAT. I'd love to hear tips about this if anyone has any.
I got a bunch of fabric covered buttons last time I was in NYC and I thought this dress deserved 5 fabric covered 7/8 inch buttons. I LOVE FABRIC COVERED BUTTONS! I can honestly never find buttons that I like more than fabric covered buttons. Test me! I promise I won't back down from this statement.

The most important part, THE EMBROIDERY! I outright copied Lladybird and used the same exact pattern she used for her Ceylon, how inspiring is it?
It took my like 10 hours to complete since this was the first time I embroidered anything. I used all 6 threads and a stem stitch to complete the whole design, I'm so excited about it!! It was so relaxing though and I think it gives the garment another personal touch that not many RTW garments have noadays.
Have you guys ever embroidered anything?

So, remember when I was saying that ever time I spend a lot of time on a garment and think about all the details and fall in love with the garment AND THEN NO ONE LIKES IT, but when I spend 3 hours on a dress everyone swoons over it?
Well, the same thing happened with this dress, as I said, this is my favorite garment by far and yet I got so few compliment about it compare to my 60s dress!
I sew for myself, I don't depend on other people's opinions when it comes to the stuff I make as many of it isn't exactly in line with the current fashion, but it's nice to get rewarded for my hard work. oh well.

Anyway, I really feel like this dress is another step in the direction of "good sewing" as I'm so proud to wear it out in public! (except for the collar. I know).
Have you ever given your whole self to a garment and had no one appreciate it as much as you do?
Have you ever embroidered as a part of the sewing experiance?
Are you sick of politics as much as I am?

Hope you have a great week!

Mrs. Pettigrew Blouse

I mentioned in a post a while back that I was planning on copying Amy Adam's Blouse from "Mrs. Pettigrew Lives For A Day". First, it's an excellent movie, it's incredibly lighthearted yet touches your heart at the same time. It's staged right before World War II, the stars of the movie being Amy Adams as a frivolous actress who is trying to forge herself a career by sleeping with the right men and at the same time trying to find love, and Frances McDormand who ends up being her house keeper by trickery who is just trying to earn a living but gets so much more! The movie is silly but touches very serious subjects at the surface. 

 The clothing is absolutely inspiring! It's incredibly glamorous yet I do feel that it has a little bit of a modern touch to it.. It's difficult to explain, but even the older ladies in this movie are dressed beautifully!

 The blouse that inspired me the most is part of this ensemble that Amy Adams wears in her final scene:

 I just love the neckline! I've never seen this detail on a modern button up shirt and I think it's such a feminine and unique touch. The minute I saw it I knew I had to make it for myself, (evidence to this is this pin in which I promised to make it the next day). I really did! I just didn't photograph it until a few days ago. 
Well, here is the big reveal:
TADAAAAAAAA

  
I decided to make it into a normal button up shirt, as I didn't feel that I'd wear is as much as a dress (and I proved this theory right by wearing this shirt like 5 times since I made it). I used this plaid fabric that I got for 2.5$ a meter in a bazaar in Israel, I had a lot of trouble matching the plaid as we know, but I think it came out pretty well! I matched them only width wise, so they don't match at the shoulder seams and for some reason I didn't think to match them in the sleeves either. You think I'd have thought of that after spend so much time matching the rest of the stupid shirt!

 I kind of feel like a librarian in this blouse, so I thought I'd act it out for you guys and wear my glasses (that I never actually wear). What do you think? Do you feel like rushing to do your homework? 

The collar didn't come out as great as I planned. I couldn't figure out how to make it lie completely flat in the part where it overlaps as it did in the original shirt. I ended up making a long strip on the bias to create the collar, I only stitched the front parts closed and then I sandwiched the neckline in the rest of it. I thought it was enough to do that and have the overlap lie flat, BUT NO. Anyway, it's not bad, but I kind of get self conscious about it.

 I opted for princess seams and I'm happy I did, I thought they would be easier to match than dior seams and I wasn't sure that just sewing darts with the plaid would look good. Also, I think I like style-lines better than darts, they kind of shape the whole garment rather than only the place where the dart is.. do you feel this too? 

I decided to forgo the button clusters out of sheer laziness, I don't know why but it felt like more work than just spacing out the buttons equally. I think I will try this on a shirt soon because I like this look, I was just so frustrated with matching the fabric I wanted the rest of the construction to go faster. I know it's silly BUT I ALSO KNOW YOU DO THIS TOO, SO STOP JUDGING.

 
 This is what the collar looks like open, I hand sewed snaps to the overlapping collar. 
This is was also my first time shaping a piece of fabric with an iron. I cut the collar on the bias and I stretched the part that would be sewn to the shirt neckline with LOTS of steam so that it'll lay flat rather than stick out like a mandarin collar. It really works! can you tell it's a little tighter at the top of the collar? don't tell me if it doesn't.

I look like a midget in this picture, my dad is so tall it's like he's taking a picture of me from a top of a building! We later figure out how to avoid this issue but you'll only see an improvement in the next few garments.

I had the silly thought of making a matching jacket like in Amy Adam's ensemble. I still can't decide if I want to do this or not! I've made my first successful jacket a few weeks ago so I feel that my motivation is greater.. but will I wear it as an ensemble?? I can't decide!

For the sake of being honest, I've never worn this shirt with this outfit, I always wore it with jeans, but I thought I'd glamour off for you guys!

What do you think? Is it as similar as I think it is? Have you ever tried to copy a garment from a movie? Also, I don't know if you caught the subtle clue, but I have a pinterest accound AND YOU SHOULD FOLLOW IT.

Um... Oops

I was just going over my pins looking for inspiration for this fabric I bought yesterday and saw that I pinned this shirt a while ago!

Source

I didn't even remember I pinned it! Can you see how similar it looks to my recent shirt?

I can't believe I copied a shirt without even consciously doing it!
I guess we can call it subconscious copycatting!
WEIRD.
I have no idea where my head is these days.

In other news, things aren't much better here. It's been quiet for the last few hours, but we haven't left the house that much in days. I had to drive out today for some errands and I was stressed out the whole time because if the sirens go off while you're driving you need to stop at the side of the road, lie on the ground and cover your head. And while you do that, you can see the rockets flying and being intercepted over your head (or at least this is what a friend told me happened to her). You can see why I wasn't keen on that happening. Not to mention I'd feel really silly lying on the ground with my face in the sand for ten minutes.

Well, I just saw the picture of the shirt and had to share!
Have you ever been subconsciously inspired?

Copy Cat Mystery Pocket Skirt

I've been a little less creative with my last few projects (evidence here), which is why I have no shame in calling myself a copycat. I LOVE looking at a garment (especially more intricate vintage garments) and figuring out how to recreate them myself. Even though it's not my original idea (though I do try to add my own twist to it and not outright copy it) I feel so proud of myself for going through the whole process of drafting and sewing the garment from start to finish.

My all new copycat garment comes from Suzannah's Adventures in Dressmaking. Suzannah holds a Sewing Circle, where readers send her questions and she answers them (very thoroughly I might add!) while asking other readers for their opinion and input. How cool is that?
Anyway, in Suzannah's last sewing circle (for the full post click here) a reader asked for advice on making the following skirt:

 

To be quite honest, I didn't much like the skirt in the beginning. I have a issue with A line skirts, I feel like the don't do much for my body, but after inspecting the skirt I realized that the fact that it grazes the hip right before it flares out (rather than being much wider than the hips) may be quite flattering.
Most of the talk in the post was about the unique pockets, which upon seeing them immidiatly got me thinking of how to recreate them. I was so excited for the challenge! OK, I admit, this was the reason I made this skirt. I cannot admit defeat, even if it's over a skirt I don't really like in the first place.

Stay tuned for a joined tutorial Suzannah and I will post tomorrow on how to draft and sew this skirt! (link to the tutorial here)

This is my version!
I have a few issues which I will share with you along the showing of the pictures.
I tried to imitate the original outfit, so I wore a chiffon shirt, which I though was a good enough effort. what say you?

What do you think of the pockets? they look the same right? huh? huh? huh?
I love how they turned out! they're not very functional, as putting something in them kind of distorts the whole look. it's not very pleasant, but who care about functionality?

This is kind of a weird shot of the back, but it's the only one I have. I admit there's not much to see, but lets all appreciate my invisible zipper for a second.





OK.
I think I can officially say that I love invisible zippers. they are SO much better than regular zippers. there, I said it. they're better. I feel like regular zippers are so much more work, no? I may have forgotten how to sew a regular zipper. does that make me a terrible sewer?

One of the issues I have with this skirt it that I stupidly decided not to line it (out of pure laziness. I hate myself sometimes) and I think it lacks the sturdiness of the original skirt. I think I'm going to line it, but I have to rip some seams which I am not looking forward too.

Another issue is that because I made this skirt in navy, it kind of reminds me of school girl skirt... I kind of like the idea and don't at the same time. I thought of adding gold buttons above and below the slits of the pockets... what do you guys think?

Don't forget to check in tomorrow in for our tutorial!
update: here's the link to the tutorial