Category: sewing

Ahoy! I’d been looking for a sailor-collar dress pattern since last summer–one that’s not too costume-y, not too cutes-y–and when I saw this one a few months ago I said, “Avast! This be the one.”

I used some really nice gray stripe seersucker, the kind they make suits out of in the South, and it turned out OK despite some real struggles with the fit (my own fault–“measure twice, cut once,” anyone?). I haven’t worn it yet; I’m waiting for the day when I feel jaunty and nautical and I’ll wear it and shout “Belay me!” and “Hoist the rigging!”

What am I doing sewing tops when I’m “just happier in a dress?” Well, I’ve been wearing skirts, too, and those need something to round them out. I found a new Simplicity designer pattern that only takes 1 to 1 1/4 yards, so I’ve been using nice shirting fabrics without guilt.

Here’s the pattern:

Here’s my first version: (Here’s a better picture of the fabric.)

And here’s the fabric for a second version, without the neckline trim. This fabric is really nice (Liberty of London), but again, it only uses one yard. And it’s not $98 like this ready-made one. And it comes together in about two hours.

I finished the pajamas that match my robe on Friday and have been sleeping in them ever since, which is why they look slept in:

These (and the robe, too) were fun projects–my machine makes putting on piping really slick and I’m happy with how everything turned out.

Piping detail and darker photo that is closer to the real color:

I feel very put together in the mornings now, which is always a good thing. I’m already planning a winter version.

I had to scrap the yellow pin dot dress (the fabric wasn’t working with the pattern and it was awfully yellow), and while putting it in the “fail bin” I noticed a chambray dress I’d scrapped two summers ago. I put that one away because I couldn’t figure out the placket; but in the last two years I’ve made plenty of plackets like that so I finished it up over the weekend:
I can’t place the pattern exactly–maybe early 70’s? Here’s the envelope:
It’s not the best dress I’ve ever made but it will be fine to wear to the farmer’s market. I’m liking chambray a lot lately: I’ve bought trousers and a shirt made out of it (yay disposable income!), and now I have this. The fabric reminds me of The Grapes of Wrath.

I always thought the concept of nightwear was just odd–clothing you change into especially for sleeping? But as I head into 30, it’s starting to sound sane and adult, especially matching nightwear. So I started by making a robe: Pajamas to follow. Then some sort of increased maturity.

Aspirin dot:

And pin dot:

The aspirin dot is a knit that I’ve made into a t-shirt dress (I want to wait to get a modeled shot) and the pin dot will be a little 60’s shift soon.

And then I think I need to really work on the quilt that’s languishing at my parents’ house, because the closet is getting so packed with clothing that it’s going to becoming super-dense and turn into a supernova. It’s that full.