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| Goal for Spring 2010:
To edit edit edit. Make more negative space (as in clear, open and spacious). Negative space, like negative ions (which you get from a walk on the beach), are a GOOD thing! | | |
| | Sewing the Blues
For years I have avoided wearing anything blue....those navy blue Catholic school uniforms left a scar. This is the year I got over my blue aversion and here are the results.
Realized that my new rust sandals and pumpkin handbag could work with blues, so it solved the shoe/bag issue. Then I had to find the right shades of blue in the right fabrics. Started by making my new upside down-inside out jacket, Vogue 8563 in our Blue Tatters fabric. (We are sold out for now, but have a new shipment coming in mid June).
The jacket was super fast and easy to make using this double sided fabric, leaving raw seams worked too.
Then I needed other pieces to work with the jacket---for nothing else in the wardrobe worked.
One thing lead to another and here are the results:
One cardi-jacket that can be worn 4 ways.
2 T-s, two pair of pants.....sorry, cannot put up a photo, it is a prototype for an upcoming Vogue pattern, but is another blue denim.
Now I see blues with appreciation, more to come! | | | | | The T is Vogue 8636, which I pieced from scraps and silk screened. |
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| | | Vogue 8636 | | | |
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|  | | | | | | The pant is Vogue 8397, my no side seam pant with tucks and darts at the hem. The pocket is not on the pattern, but you can learn to make it in the TUTORIAL section on this website. The fabric is our Indigo Finesse stretch woven. |
| | | | Vogue 8397 Pants | | | |
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| | Vogue 8620
As beautifully interpreted by Gayle Ortiz. | | | | ...here is what Gayle says: | | | I just finished a Marcy jacket that I really love. I bought some expensive
fabric to make it but wanted to try it with some scraps first. It is a harder
pattern than I'm used to. In fact, I don't usually sew with patterns so this
was challenging. But so worth it. I love the results.
The solid fabric is a sturdy Belgian linen we use at my bakery to line bread
baskets for rising the bread. I had some left over and love the feel so I used it. The green slinky material I used on the collar and facing really worked well. It's a different weight but makes the collar soft and more relaxed. I used a French mustard yellow and cherry red toile linen for the pocket linings, even though I'm the only one who knows!
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| | | | | I had a great idea while constantly going back to read the pattern. I used my dress form to tack the pattern up. I rolled her close to the sewing machine and the directions were at eye level the whole way. I'm really going to use this from now on. No more looking under all the pattern pieces for the directions!
I didn't have a good zipper so I used the snap tape I got in Puyallup and I like the effect.
Let me say that the video you did on the zipper was brilliant (from Paris Inspirations CD). I used it, step by step, for the snap tape application and it worked like a charm. Your constant reminder to pay attention, fiddle and work slowly has REALLY helped my sewing. Funny, I knew all those things in other parts of my life but the devil is in the application. | | | |
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| Spring 2010
Here, some looks from the Sandra/Marcy fashion show at the Puyallup Expo and others from Marcy's evolving closet.
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For the Puyallup Sandra & Marcy fashion show, we paired the original from the pattern envelope V8636, T-Shirt in our Petal rayon/silk/lycra knit with Rust Ponte for the pant, V8499, which we slimmed down for this look and this season. The pant has seams center front and back, so you can narrow the silhouette where you want it. Use our collection of ponte knits for tops, cardigans, twinsets and soft pants. Great for spring to fall travel too. | | | |
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| | Vogue 8397 Pant, V8088 Jacket, V8599 Tank
I crave white and natural colors in the heat of summer---feels fresh, clean and cool. I paired a pleated lightweight linen shirt-jacket made a few years ago with our silver girl linen pants and silver dot knit tank edged with a sheer crinkle tulle.
The linen looses a bit of the silver sheen when washed and softens up to a pleasing overall wrinkle, so the pants are soft and comfortable.
I used the selvedge as an edge on the pocket and at the edge of the hem. | | | | | Neck detail on tank. The trim is called 'Frost' from our fabric collection, and is sewn using the twisted binding included in the pattern instructions for V8559. |
| | | | | Yes, the linen shirt/jacket must be pleated after each washing, but it is quick and easy to do, dries fast in the summer heat and ends up a little different each time, so I get to play and experiment with pleating and crinkling. I used a handkerchief linen, which takes beautifully to the pleating and feels light and airy on a hot day. |
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| | | | | | | Pocket detail showing the selvedge edge at the top of the pocket. Instructions for making this pocket are in the TUTORIAL category on the website---it is very fast and easy to make. |
| | | | Here is how to do this little hem detail. You can cut apart your pattern, but I just fold under at the tuck, adding a seam allowance and measure to make the bottom band: it is simply a rectangle which is topstitched at the top edge of the tuck using a zig zag stitch: do this before the inseam is sewn. Form the darts by dividing the bottom into even segments (fold in half, then in half again etc.---I do this at the ironing board), pressing in the dart folds, then stitching them at a 1/2" depth at the hem, tapering to nothing at the edge of the pleat. Finally, press all the darts in one direction.
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| | V8561 Skirt
I used a collage of black and brown fabrics, a collection of scraps from other projects for a fun little skirt. | | |
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| | Vogue 8582 & 8559
I love this combo. V8582 tunic in brown & white dots with brown/white striped sleeve. I cut the sleeve on the crossgrain and used the selvedge at the hem. Fast and slick. Layered over it is V8559, sleeveless, made in double layer of nylon tulle. Also fast and easy to sew. | | |
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| | Soft Summer Cotton Cardi from V 8497
The little cardigan has gone from classic to the top of the fashion heap. It is an item I know I will wear, so I am going to make a batch of them, and this is the first. I started with my t-shirt pattern V8497, the long sleeved version. First step is to pin the front and back pieces together so each is one pattern piece, and make a fresh copy---even out the jog in the hem. Fold the front in half to mark the center, then draw in a curve for the neckline, add a seam allowance and that's it.
I found this cool Nani Iro Japanese double faced cotton knit at Fabric of Vision in Ashland, and cut it on the crossgrain, using the selvedge at the hem, cuff edge and at the edge of the band--this made the construction even easier and quick. | | |
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| | | New Vogue Patterns | |
I am very excited about these new patterns. I've interpreted them in grey and black and see them as a fresh spin on wardrobe basics. The vest will layer under the jacket---the shapes and collars are compatible. Both jacket and vest have slimming lines and add feminine shaping. | | Vogue 8600 | | | | | In our Black and Ecru stripe stretch cotton. I made my version of this pattern in this very fabric. |
| | | | | The pattern features a snap in hood---so it would make a very cool little rain jacket. Here, I used a silk taffeta brocade found in Paris. |
| | | | | The hood crushes down inside the portrait collar---it can also be removed. I used the new larger sew in snaps on all jackets. |
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| | | | | | Vogue 8559 | | | | | This version uses a stretch cotton with cotton velvet collar, purchased tulle trim and purposefully mis-matched vintage Paris buttons. |
| | | | | Taking a cue from French garments, the center back seam is bound using a hong kong finish. |
| | | | | This vest uses an embroidered stretch cotton with a silk jacquard inset collar and unmatched vintage Paris buttons. |
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| | Vogue 8559 in Sonoma Silk & Cotton | | I made the vest for spring/summer in our Sonoma silk/cotton fabric, using both sides of this spectacular fabric. For the closure, I made one very long bound button hole, and used vintage Paris buttons. |
| | | | Sonoma Silk & Cotton | | |
| Summer Sewing
This summer I am sewing for a more kicked back casual side of life. I know if I make basics like interesting t-shirts and soft pants, I will always feel at home in my clothes. Here are a few examples. |
| Top: 8559
Pant: 8397, view C
Playing with my pattern design V 8559, loving the cut of the little tank, I experimented with inserting the sleeves from View B onto the tank, and it worked! Super fast and easy too. Next, I made the drapey little shrug cardigan into a vest. Our silvery brown stretch linen is used for the pant, vanilla polka dot burnout for the vest, ivory rayon lycra for the t, both trimmed with cotton tulle.
One of those cosmic and glorious mistakes happened when I sewed the t-shirt. In spite of my fitting, and after the tulle edging was sewn in place, the neck was too big, so I made 2 darts in the front and 2 in the neck and added teeny vintage buttons---the frustrating mistake improved the design. | | | |
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| | | | Pant: Vogue 8397, View B
Re-fashioned purchased T
I used our Zen fabric for the pant, using snap tape for the bottom tab. The arty t-shirt was purchased, then sliced, adding inserts, changed the sleeve and neck and adding a bit of silk screening. I saw a similar 'artist' t-shirt in a gallery in Malibu for $500 (and they had already sold 3!!). | | | | | |
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| | | | Top: 8559
Pant: 8397, view C
The fabric is a semi-sheer poly/lycra stripe (sorry, we are sold out), so I cut the body of the t-shirt double, putting the hem on a fold. It is easier than it might seem, and this fabric is smooth, so it hangs beautifully. The little vest is View A without sleeves, and is edged in the selvedge which has a sweet little roll to it.
I love this funky embroidered fabric for the pant! Found this unique fabric in the Treasures of the Gypsy booth at the Puyallup Sewing Expo. It was expensive and a bit risky to make a pant, but the results are well worth it! | | | |
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