Fashun has gone full Victorian/Edwardian this season–which makes sense, since the early 90s also did (thanks, Merchant-Ivory films) and the 90s have been back for a bit now. That means there are ruffles all over. Do I want to sew something covered in ruffles? I think I might–but maybe not in a floral, to avoid going all the way into Howard’s End/Anne Shirley territory.
After making that crane dress with the bottom ruffle, suddenly I’m all about 1. volume (like the culottes); 2. dresses; and especially 3. dresses with volume. After a twelve-year hiatus from Big Dresses, I’m back and I’m twirling!
This is McCalls 7948 in a yarn dyed stripe that I first saw at Stonemountain. (It was sold out when I wanted to order so I tracked it down on Fabric.com, but looks like it’s back in stock!) I wouldn’t have ever thought to look at McCalls but saw Martha Moore’s version in white eyelet and thought, “Wow, that looks big and chic.”
I hadn’t worked with a Big 4 pattern in years so I forgotĀ how big they are–if I make this again, I’d size down for the bodice/redraw the shoulders like Martha did, but the boxiness doesn’t bother me too much. I think it’s giving off Ace & Jig vibes in the stripes, and Big Dresses can’t be beat for comfort.
Culottes (they’re back!) are really the mullet of the fashion world: Business when you stand…
…and party when you move!
These are the Winslow Culottes in polyester chiffon from Blackbird Fabrics. They’re the first project I made on the new machine and this fabric (plus a poly lining) did not faze it at all. I mean, look at the PERFECT tension on this machine-stitched blind hem!
The pattern itself is nicely drafted, with really detailed instructions that give a nice finish–great for ambitious beginners. However, I went up a size because I was concerned about waist measurements and they’re a hair too big, so my recommendation is to stick with your body measurements, not the finished garment measurements.
I loved wearing these; the wide legs are so glamorous and they’re truly the best of both the pant and skirt worlds. I think there will be more fashion mullets in my future.
With the addition of the new sewing table for the new machine, I had some shelf space open up. I had seen this True Bias post about folding fabric around backing boards for storage, so I decided to finish the sewing room mini re-org with that project.
Before (you can see the shelf that opened near at the bottom because of the ANARCHY happening on it):
After!
I’d already been storing folded fabric like books (thanks, Marie Kondo!) but because fabric is floppy, it made it hard to pull things out and then put them away neatly. Now that the fabric is wrapped around cardstock it’s so much easier to look at what I have and then “re-file” it neatly. I was even able to pull all my knits out of the bin and get them on the shelves!
The True Bias post talks about using 8.5×11 magazine backing boards but I went up to 9×12 sheet music backing boards, since 95% of my stash is 55 inches wide and that size filled up the cubbies better.
This took me a couple of hours (with Toby’s help, of course) but I’m so happy with it. It was also good to refresh my memories of what I have in the stash: After doing it, I closed a couple browser tabs that had carts of fabric waiting in them, just tempting me–because I already had better things on my shelves.
If you sew a dress in a week, you’ll notice that your sewing machine really needs a tuneup. So you’ll take it in to the Bernina dealer for some attention, but while you’re there you’ll look at the new machines. While you’re waiting for your tuneup to be done, you’ll start researching new Berninas. Then you’ll realize how many more years of use you’ll get from a new Bernina than a new laptop, which was the other big purchase you were considering. Then feature creep may set in and you’ll think you should get a really nice Bernina to get as many years as possible out of it. Then you’ll be sad because you’ll wish you had your mom’s advice in all of this.
Then, once you’ve worked through the sadness and maybe decided, you’ll think you need a different sewing table for the new machine, so you’ll go to IKEA. While you’re there, you’ll get some drawer units too so everything can be more organized. Then you’ll put together the drawers, send your partner back to IKEA for a different table top, organize all the drawers, and then–
This is the 740 and she’s the nicest thing I own. I told Doc last night, “If there’s a fire, we grab Toby first. But if there’s time to grab a second thing, this is it.” I’ve got classes to take at the local dealer to really learn her but spending time on the store model was magic: Auto thread cut! Auto buttonholes! Auto presser foot raise and lower! And the most beautiful, even stitch quality on any fabric.
My mom was a Bernina loyalist and my first machine 11 years ago was a Bernina –so it was a no-brainer to stay with the brand. The threading is the same, the feet still fit, and everything is so well designed. Even how the machine was packaged in the box was precise and well-engineered.
And she has a new sewing table and newly-organized room! We’ll all live happily ever after.
I was invited to a coworker’s wedding that would be taking place in a fancy distillery in the mountains. A week before the wedding, I looked through my closet and picked out two options and was going to narrow them down when I ended up at the new JoAnn location in my neighborhood* and I saw this:
Reader, I immediately decided to make a dress out of it–despite the fact that I had exactly one week in which to do so, despite the fact that I had two perfectly fine outfits to wear, despite the fact that I hadn’t made or worn a dress since 2016. I didn’t care; I couldn’t shake the idea of THAT print in a ruffly prairie style dress, worn with ankle boots.
So I did it! It was such a throwback experience at that nice JoAnn, too: I found the fabric (a polyester crepe), then walked back to the pattern books and looked at some options, then made a decision based on what was in stock and seemed the fastest to make. No reading indie pattern reviews, no scrolling through Instagram tags to see how the pattern looked, no ordering fabric online–it was just like I was a little girl again planning out a new dress with my mom in one visit.
The winning pattern was Butterick 6677. It was simple but the narrow hems on those sleeve ruffles took a lot of time.
My only change was to shorten both the skirt piece and the ruffle by two inches, to better show off ankle boots.
The only way I was able to get this done in seven days was Doc: He stepped up to take over pretty much most of the house stuff and didn’t mind when I disappeared upstairs to sew for an hour or two after dinner every night.
I loved wearing my dress and the bride (who knew what I was planning) was so impressed I got it done. Now I’m suddenly all about full, gathered dresses: I just bought a ruffler foot for my machine off eBay to make more.
*The newest JoAnn store designs are SO nice, and they’ve really upped their garment fabric selection. Well done, JoAnn.
Shown on the patio, here’s my new favorite pair of patio pants:
They’re the True Bias Emerson Pants again (this is my…seventh time making that pattern?) and they’re all I want to wear. I originally wanted to copy some Madewell lounge pants to wear around the house, but I love these so much I’ve been wearing them out to coffee and therapy and other hot spots around town.
Details:
Emerson Pants, with no pleats and a full elastic waist (as discussed here)
After a year of going to the gym, I’ve realized that the only thing that’s really comfortable for heavy activity is something form-fitting. (Now I understand why the ancient Greeks worked out naked.) I’ve also realized that if I’m going to be wearing a backpack while hiking, I need a really high waist on my shorts (or pants) or else I spend the entire time yanking them up as the pack pushes them down.
Enter: High Rise Booty Shorts.
The pattern is from a company called Patterns for Pirates and they’re the “Loggers“–i.e. the fit of a legging with the pockets and bands of a jogger pant. (Worn here with the DIY Smartwool Nikko top I made last year.)
I made the low rise/tall waistband combo in the shorts and added a few inches to the inseam (from 2″ to 5″; it’s fine to be proud of what lifting does for your legs but you have to be able to actually sit). The fabric is a really gorgeous thick “Dry-Flex Poly” from The Fabric Fairy.
These are tighter and shorter than I would ever dream of wearing a year ago but guess what? They were SO. COMFORTABLE. on the long Uintas hike. I’ve had varicose veins since high school; I nearly never wear shorts. But as I approach 40 and have learned to take up space, mentally and physically, my attitude has become: “Fuck it, I’ll wear what I want. If people don’t want to see my veins/butt/crotch/underwear lines, then they don’t have to look.”
It is a great feeling. As great as smol stretchy shorts for hiking.
I finally made Doc’s Valentine gift! He chose the fabric and I couldn’t approve more of his taste:
This is McCalls 6044 again (for the…eleventh?…time) with the shoulder yoke detail and black pearl snaps from Snap Source. That fabric is a Japanese heavy oxford and it’s amazing, both in print and quality.
He texted me from work on the day he wore it that he’s “never gotten so many compliments so fast” on a shirt I’d made. Clearly, I should always let him choose fabric.