What followed me home from Baltimore

Okay, so here's the goods. I would have probably gotten this up sooner, but I stopped to fondle the fabrics for a while and that delayed photography.

First up, I have to say A Fabric Place is pretty much heaven. The owner of my dinky local store, when I told him where I was going, said, "Oh, I know how you shop, you'll never find anything there. It's all high-end stuff." Maybe I don't shop like that in his store because he mostly stocks fleece and icky polyester with the occasional stunning remnant. I buy thread at his store.

So having proved him wrong within minutes of walking in, I fell in love with some buttons. And not the cheap variety, either. Turns out that these were $3.50 for the big ones and $2.00 for the small. I decided that I didn't care; these will look fantastic on a jacket. I got four big (for the front) and four small (for the cuffs). In the end, they cost as much as lunch. I probably could have gotten away with one for each cuff, but it was a holiday and I didn't want to skimp and regret it later. The buttons are resting on 3yards of leaf-patterned fabric that I debated buying until Michael's nephew told me it was $1 per yard, cheaper than muslin and I'd be crazy not to buy it. He was right.

The first fabric that grabbed me on walking in, though, was this gorgeous Diane von Furstenburg knit. Does this have dress written all over it or what? I can't wait to cut into it. Sharing the photo is some (not very photogenic) copper-rust poly charmeuse that probably is going to end up as a lining in something. Michael told us that anything 4 yards or less on the bolt would be 50% off. So I bought the last 3 yards.

Next was an end-of-roll boucle in olive, gold and rust (I'm not sticking to my colors at all, am I?) made for CHANEL. That trumped DVF in my books, and I'm not generally a label whore. But it was fluffy and soft and gorgeous, and even though there's not too much of it, I'll manage some kind of cute little jacket. Photographed with its lining, bought at the same time.

My big purchase of the day was this embroidered velvet. It grabbed me when I briefly stuck my head into one of the "expensive fabric" rooms, and I kept coming back to look at it. The price on the roll was $150 per yard. I don't actually know how I had the nerve to pick it up and drag it to the cutting table and say, "How much?"

The nephew actually fondled the fabric too. "It's Versace," he said, almost worshipfully, "that's why it's so expensive. How much did you want?"

How much is it?" "How much do you want?" This went on for a while, until I finally said, "$50. How much can I get for $50?" And he said, "3/4 of a yard." Sold. Gasp. I spent $50 for less than a yard of fabric. How come I feel both dizzy and ecstatic?

So now I have 3/4 yard (60" wide, at least) of ridiculously, excessively, gorgeously embroidered VERSACE velvet. Whatever pattern I choose is going to be muslined out the yingyang before I cut into this. Though it's already looking a little worn from being petted so often, and the photo doesn't do it justice at all.

"And it would have been the fabric that followed me home in my head, the one I would have regretted. I would have ended up calling them about it, only I wouldn't have gotten as good a price over the phone, post-sale and possibly with Michael or Monya. There's no buyer's remorse here, just a sense of shock and awe that I own a piece of Versace and I get to decide what it becomes.

What a responsibility.

PR goes to Baltimore

Having this much fun should be illegal. Kisha and I got started on Saturday morning around 7:30, and we arrived at A Fabric Place at about 9:45. While she got hijacked into helping put snacks together for the soon-to-arrive PR ladies, I got a quick, mind-boggling tour of the store. Every time I stopped and said, "Ooh, I like that," she firmly took my elbow and said, "There's more. You can come back." I'm still not sure I revisited every "ooh" but I did plenty of damage.

The most fun thing about these meetups, even including fabric-buying, is talking to all these other women who I only know from online, but who within seconds of meeting I'm talking to like I've known them forever. It's a powerful obsession we all share, and I think we're all eager to have someone to share it with besides our patient (but not necessarily comprehending friends, family and partners). I saw people I've met before - Deepika, Cindy, Renee - and met people who I know from their blogs - Narcissaqpie, Robin Denning - and many people, including several named Chris, who I'd never met before. Plus there was Kisha. We drove together but had never met before that morning. Ah, the power of sewing.

After we finished shopping (or almost finished, I know for a fact that several of us stopped back later), we drove to the Dogwood Deli for lunch. Kisha and I thought we were following the car we had been told to follow, but somewhere along the line we lost them and started following a completely different car. We realized this only when we followed the poor man to his driveway. But he knew where the Dogwood Deli was, and gave us good directions, so it was all good in the end.

Lunch was fun - there were 22 of us keeping the waitstaff hopping - and more sewing was discussed. It's amazing how none of us managed to run out of words, though I did start to run out of voice by the end of the day.

After lunch we split up. Several of the women were going to G Street Fabrics, and we were tempted, but we decided to head back to Philadelphia and stop at Jomar instead. But even the best made plans of sewists can go awry. We left the deli, stopped back at A Fabric Place so Kisha could get the last piece of black and white linen (the one everyone was buying to make the Michelle Obama dress), and headed on our way.


All was well until we slowed to go through the toll at Perryville. We slowed; the car stopped. And stayed stopped. After we were pushed to the side of the road, Kisha called her husband (to come get us), the tow company (to get us to the dealership) and her father (to diagnose the car problem). All of which got done in record time, but while we were sitting in the (thankfully) air conditioned car, we were very grateful that Renee had lent me an entire bag of Patrones magazines. Time passed a little more quickly when we could sit there and ooh and aah over patterns. Thank you, Renee.

Eventually we got towed to Wilmington and met up with Kisha's husband and baby girl, and by 7:00 p.m. I was on my doorstep, where Mario was waiting with a chilled glass of wine that I most desperately needed. All in all, we didn't get home all that much later than we would have if we'd stopped at Jomar! Which will happen at a later date, we've agreed on that.

There will be a separate post about my fabric purchases, which were not large (by PR shopping standards anyway), but which cost me a pretty penny and not one of which I regret. Though I bought one fabric that I surely would have regretted leaving behind, even though I could afford so little of it I'm not sure what I'm going to use it for. Yet. Inspiration will come.


Note: In adition to my own pictures, I have absconded with the photos of others to fully illustrate my tale. Some photo credits to Renee and Robin.

Into the light

Ann at Gorgeous Things did a brilliant post recently about the many easy ways to ruin a great project. I've been guilty of just about every thing on her list, and as I commented on her blog, the only reason I haven't been guilty of trimming myself up like grandma's favorite chair is the exorbitant price of home dec trimmings at my local store - good judgment and/or taste might not have stopped me, but cheapness did.

On the flip side, isn't it fabulous when you reach the point where you (generally) stop committing these fabric faux pas? I think the last stumbling block for me was using cheap interfacing, but I just ordered the sampler pack from Sew Exciting and I know I'm going to like it, just from listening to everyone else's comments. How many times do you have to put everything you've got into a project only to wash it once and watch the cuffs and collar get all ripply because you used the cheap crap from Joann's?

So when does it become clear? When do you stop taking the shortcuts that really aren't shortcuts? I've been sewing for years on years, but I really only consider that I've been doing it seriously since I joined Patternreview in early 2006. Before that, I sewed, off and on, since I was a kid, and I even wore a lot of what I made, but I was never happy with my results and the stuff always ended up in the back of the closet. I truly thought it was because home sewers could only produce a certain level of work, that the really good stuff was beyond us - RTW apparently was manufactured in some mystical place where everything just worked. They had special fabrics, better machines; they knew stuff that I didn't. (That last part was true, at least).

I didn't realize, until I started more or less living on Patternreview, that regular people could - and very frequently did - create garments that looked like RTW. Only better, because they fit exactly the way they wanted. Because they were exactly the right color, the right fabric, the right length.

Sewing wasn't just about picking out a pattern that I thought was cute, cutting out fabric that was pretty, crossing my fingers, doing whatever the pattern said and letting the machine do all the work. When I realized that, things started to change. Sewing was more than just reading and following the pattern instructions - and it really helped if I read the instructions before I started sewing. It was also about thinking. It was about reading sewing books, blogs, everything I could lay my hands on. It was retraining myself to not take the quick way, because it would show. It was the HUGE lightbulb moment that sewing = ironing. A lot of ironing. Which I normally hate like poison, and I still resent having to iron my clothes, but during construction? Hand me that iron, baby! That seam needs pressing.

Not surprisingly, the more work that I put into a garment, the better it turned out, and the more I liked wearing it. It only takes that happening a few times before you want it to happen EVERY time. Soon it becomes second nature to take the long way, to make a muslin for a new pattern, to try a new technique I've been afraid of. (My life changed when I got over my fear of invisible zippers). And I've stopped keeping the "good stuff" for when I'm "good enough" to use it. What's my motivation to become good enough if I'm sewing with cheap fabric and even if I like the result it won't survive a half dozen trips through the wash?

This isn't to say that I'm cured of short cuts or (brilliant) stupid ideas, and I'm sure there are plenty more wadders in my future, but at this point, I know that if nothing else, I'll learn something from the wadder projects, even if it's only to keep focused and resist the temptation to take the easy way out.

Small accomplishments

One of the benefits of getting older is that you finally begin to understand how your brain works.

I know not everyone is like this, but for me, I have to know I've accomplished something to be able to accomplish anything. Like dusting the house because I'm supposed to dust? Nah, but if I leave it go until the difference between clean and dusty is visible, then I'll know I've cleaned. Make a small dinner or go all out? If I'm going to have to clean the kitchen either way, then all out is the way to go. Make a mess so it's worth the effort of cleaning it up.

Same deal with sewing. I can putter along endlessly on projects and never actually notice how much I've gotten done, but this year, I decided to be organized. Most of this "organization" came about because I decided to do the Fabric Fast on Patternreview, and I wanted to keep a running total of how much I was using. But I also wanted to start keeping better track of my projects and I knew that I wouldn't keep up with a notebook, so I "borrowed" an 18 x 24 piece of foam board from my office - they use the stuff for trial exhibits and then just keep it forever - and made myself a chart. The chart had categories: start date, yardage, notions, notes/ issues, whether or not it's been photographed and reviewed, and date completed. I actually kept up with it, and cut tiny swatches of the fabric to stick on the chart.

A few nights ago, I filled it. Since January 1, I've somehow made 35 projects, and used up (or donated) 103 yards of fabric. There have only been 3 true wadders, and the projects I haven't been completely happy with (but which are still wearable) have been documented as to why I'm not happy and what I could do to fix them if I make the patterns again.

In the beginning, it was pressure to write each project into the chart as I started, but as I went along I started enjoying it, seeing how many things I'd already gotten finished and how much I was actually working on at any given time. Now that I'm done, my only project last night was to make a new chart to start filling in this weekend.

BWOF 5/08 #121 Dress

Pattern Description: This calf-length dress in softly flowing jersey also looks great on ladies with fuller figures! A wide sash emphasizes the waist, the sleeves are cut-in-one with the garment. That's not only trendy, it's also very flattering!

Pattern Sizing: BWOF 38-46. I made a 38, which was just right.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Better, because you can actually see it. (Who takes BWOF's photos?)

Were the instructions easy to follow? I'm so glad I wasn't the first person to make this dress, because BWOF's instructions for the neckline bands were fairly incomprehensible, and the amount of fabric they thought this dress required was crazy - they suggest 3.5 meters and it took approximately 2 1/4 the way I did it. I didn't understand the faux-wrap idea to begin with - why use that much fabric if the dress doesn't actually wrap? So a round of applause to Tany for eliminating the wrap idea completely and sewing the ties into the sides of the waist. It worked for her, and it worked for me. And can I say how much I hate it when BWOF refers you to another pattern for instructions? The entire neck/sleeve/shoulder gather construction was under #120, so I had to flip back and forth, which added nothing to the experience.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I have to say (once again) that I didn't notice this pattern in the magazine except to think, "What idiot would photograph an all-black dress in a pose like that and want me to see the details? What details? Where are they?" Even the drawing didn't intrigue me, but then I saw Tany's review, and Merteuil'sand Kay Y's andSigrid's, and I was done for. I really like the all-in-one sleeve and the shoulder gathers look really graceful.

Fabric Used: Fabulous spotted stretch jersey purchased at Dreyfus in Paris with Nicegirl. We went fabric shopping on Pentecost Monday, so most of the stores were closed, but we managed, oh, yes, we did. For contrast: black jersey from Kincus in Philadelphia, purchased while shopping with Elaray. So this is definitely a special dress to me.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: As mentioned above, and in the other reviews, I eliminated the second layer of skirt in the front, which brought the fabric down to a manageable amount. (I also think that much fabric would really make the dress heavy and possibly affect the hang of the skirt, but maybe not). I cut the ties at half-width because I was running low on spotted fabric and I backed them with solid black. The ties were sewn into the side seams instead of BWOF's way, since I wasn't doing the dress as a wrap. I really think these changes make for a better pattern, and more wearable dress, than the original version.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I highly recommend this dress. Once you work your way through the maze of how to put bands on the neck area, it doesn't take long to finish. I'd make it again, either as a dress or as a longer top than what they have in the magazine. It's a flattering shape and drapes well.

Conclusion: This is my first dress made from stretch fabric, and all in all, I enjoyed the experience. I've yet to hem it because I'm still trying to decide on the length, but I'll get there.

Public Service Announcement/Shameless Advertisement

I've been sewing with BWOF for about 2 years now, and only finally gave in and got a subscription last fall when Borders stopped carrying it for 3 months and I missed out on some good stuff. And had to pay ridiculous inflated prices on Ebay to get the issues I missed (and paid it gladly, mind you - September and October were especially good issues).

During that time, Mario's been sitting back watching me obsess, hunt and eventually get a subscription. Now all I have to do is obsess and wait for the mailman. Whenever he saw extra issues at Borders he'd buy them and put them on Ebay, but purchasing at retail prices meant he had to raise the price to make a profit. Eventually, when he realized that the madness was not confined to me and there were people who would buy it every month, he got a deal to be a distributor for the magazine.

So here's my shameless bit of advertising for the man who endures my absence in the sewing room every night: on his website (where he sells used books and textbooks through Half.com, Ebay and Amazon), you can also buy the current issue of BWOF, or pre-order for next month. Or, I believe, get your very own subscription and stop haunting the local bookstore - where the cover price has gone up to an obscene $12.50 per copy now. I'm putting a link on my sidebar and will go back to my regularly scheduled sewing.

I hope no one is offended by the advertising, but I know how hard it is to find BWOF sometimes, and I'd publish this link for someone not connected to me if I thought it would help a fellow addict get her Burda fix.

It's a Miracle!

Like I said before, if I got a dress out of the 1.6 meters of Liberty print I bought in Paris, it would be a miracle on par with the loaves and the fishes, so here it is: the Loaves & Fishes dress, ever after to be called that, to the confusion of almost everyone.

I was almost done this for a very long time. After I finished the shirt, I went back to it and the skirt issues sorted themselves out immediately. Then I made the belt, pocket and finished up the sleeves. The pocket is probably one of my favorite parts, but I really like the sleeves, too.

I had button issues, because out of all the probably millions of buttons I inherited from my grandmom, two aunts and my mother, I didn't manage to have four matching vintage buttons that looked right for this dress. After much hemming and hawing, and a trip to the store to discover they didn't have anything I liked better, I went with my instinct and used some domed buttons that I think were my grandmom's - there were three blue and two tan, and I needed four buttons, so I alternated them. It's kind of kitschy, but because it's a faux-vintage dress, I think a little kitsch is allowed.

The pictures on me aren't as nice as I would like, but between self-timer and extremely hot living room, my efforts were limited because the dress kept sticking to me.

There were times I thought I'd never get this done, but in the end, it's a project I'm really glad I tackled. One of the most fun parts of sewing for me is knowing that I can (more or less) cobble together features from different patterns that I've liked and come out with a wearable dress that looks like the idea I had in my head when I started out. It was a challenge from start to finish, and I enjoyed almost every moment of it - even though it took me longer to make this one dress than it did to construct the dress, top and skirt whose pieces made up the bulk of this dress.

Part of me wants to go in and sew today, another part says I need to clean up my swamplike sewing space before I sew another stitch (the room is so messy I've lost the instruction book for my sewing machine, and since I never read it all the way through when I bought it, I like to keep it on hand), but what I'm actually going to do is finish up the demolition work on the room that's going to (someday) become a walk-in closet. It was a bathroom, now it's just a dirty little storage area, but hopefully by the end of summer it will be a nice, clean room with two Ikea wardrobes for my clothes, a dresser for the off-season sweaters and stuff and, of course, the litterboxes back in the corner behind a screen. The cats can't be inconvenienced, not even by my need for closet space.

So you can see I wasn't kidding, here's what's left of the Liberty: