Holiday tie and pocket square for your man

With the holidays quickly approaching, the season of get-togethers and parties with family, friends, and co-workers is nearly upon us!  Whether it's as a gift for your sweetie or a unique statement to be worn yourself (you budding tailors out there!) sewing a special tie and coordinating pocket square is actually surprisingly easy.

While silk is the classic material for menswear ties, exciting trends using a vast array of fabrics have been popping up (think wool suiting).  I'm no style maven, but it appears a though the only hard and fast rule regarding ties and pocket squares, interestingly, is that they shouldn't match.   And in my opinion, the combination you put together, both in color and texture, can really make a statement.  For my tutorial today, I'll be using an eye-catching silk print from Britex  for the tie, with a lovely silk-linen blend for the tie lining and pocket square.

Lady Skater Dress in wool sweater knit

Continuing the parade of wool clothing from my recent, multiple visits to the fabric store is my latest work/ holiday dress.  I'm the biggest fan of dresses for any and all occasions, particular those that are stretchy and flattery, so when the Lady Skater Dress pattern by Kitschy Coo started making the rounds, I was really excited.  However, the weight of the knit is really important for this style, and without a decent local source for heavy knits with lycra, I was a bit stuck.  However, the moment I spotted this wool sweater knit at the fabric store, I knew it was the right fabric for the job.

The fabric stretch is significantly less than the 40% recommended by the pattern, so I inserted an invisible side zip.  However, even with only a slight stretch, I can pull the dress on over my head, so the zipper wasn't needed.  While not specified in the pattern directions (I don't think!), I applied some 3/8" clear elastic at the waistband, which helps the dress maintain it's shape and keeps everything in place.

The most significant change I made to the pattern was the neckline.  Since the fabric had too little stretch, the neckline from the original pattern wouldn't work so well (and didn't seem to suit the fabric style).  So originally, I attempted to make a wide cowl neckline.  Uh, yeah, big fail there.  So instead of removing the "cowl", I sewed a casing and inserted elastic to gather the neckline.  Then, folded it over and hand stitched it to the stitching of the neckline.   What a happy accident!

The fabric isn't itchy at all, though a slip is required for wearing with tights.  I need to make a gorgeous silk slip so I don't hate wearing them [the polyester versions] anymore!

Overall, I love the dress and will definitely seek out more fabrics for this pattern.  (And definitely add pockets next time!).

Here's the wearable "muslin" version of the dress, from a knit of some type and while it turned out fine, I feel pretty self-conscious in such a clingy fabric.  I wore it to the grocery store, but it took some bravery! It's amazing how different the same dress pattern can look with fabric selection and a few tweaks!

Hooded Woodland cape in cashmere!

Cashmere, guys!  This super soft and lovely plaid cashmere was one of my many finds at the wool sale from last week.  At $35/ yard, it wasn't a steal, but I certainly couldn't leave it there, especially since I had purchased the Woodland Cape pattern by Liesl & Co a while back and hadn't found the right fabric for the job.  A little Sherlock Holmes, "Where's my magnifying glass",  no? :)

This pattern is super simple--just three pattern pieces--so my plan was to whip it up between some bigger projects I have in the works.  However, I couldn't shake the idea of adding a hood, so with some drafting help from this tutorial and a couple of trial runs, I finally made something hood-like.  I don't love it, but that's okay.  It is just a hood, after all!  I used a self-facing for inside edge of the hood so it the blazing red lining wouldn't show quite so much from the front.

The lining is an orangey-red matte silk.   Cashmere and silk makes quite the high-end cape, no?  The non-slippery texture works well, since I don't want the cape shifting all over the place.  

Not wanting to break the bank on buttons again, I got these from Joann's.  The tag says "genuine leather", so we'll go with that.  The next smaller size secures the side flaps.

The cape is surprisingly lightweight and warm, perfect for this time of year in Northern California, and the colorway is just so Fall!

I have to say, it took a bit of nerve to wear it out of the house.  It's definitely a statement garment (well, maybe just for my quiet wardrobe!).   For those interested in the pattern, get yourself some awesome fabric and make it.  Its fun and easy.  However, the garment has some issues, so I'll give you fair warning:  there's no pockets and you can't sling a bag onto your shoulder. Really.  Makes it fairly impractical, but hey, not all fashion multitasks with cargo pockets. 

Renfrew in double knit wool

As one of the Community Match winners in the SOSM, I was awarded three Sewaholic patterns.  In my opinion, it was the best prize of all  (among many awesome awards, by the way!) and I was super duper thrilled!  Always the pragmatic, I chose the Renfrew top, Thurlow trousers and the Alma blouse, figuring I could get lots of use out of those, for both work and "play" clothes. Of course, work has been keeping me from my sewing room, so it wasn't until I overbought at a big wool sale at the local fabric store that I was pushed over the edge and I finally couldn't resist anymore.  (By the way, if you're in the South Bay in Nor Cal, Eddie's Quilting Bee has more gorgeous wools, silks, and other apparel fabric than one can take, and it's all 50% off until 11/11.  No I don't work there, just an honest plug for a great selection of fabric :).  

With several wool knits in hand, I chose to start with the Renfrew top and this rust colored double knit wool.  I was a little worried that the collar would be a bit much with this thick of fabric, but I actually kind of love it.  Definitely a statement!  With a fitted wool shirt, I was worried about the itchiness, but this fabric is surprisingly soft and not at all itchy!

I left the hem and sleeves unhemmed (at least for now) since the fabric doesn't fray at all and I was concerned that folding it under would make it look too bulky.  

(Ignore the clay on my pants and sleeves!  Ridiculously, I chose to wear this to help with the pottery class at my son's school, where I somehow fell into the role of assisting the kids on the wheel.  Not a bad way to spend the morning, but probably should have photographed the top beforehand!).  

Overall, I was incredibly pleased with this pattern.  I made a size 2 with a petite alteration in the waist, though usually I like my tops a bit more fitted, so I'll try a 0 next time.  With some major strategic planning and clipping about an inch off the length of the cowl, I even managed to cut the pattern from about 1 1/8 yard of fabric.  Next up: a wool dress?  We'll see if I can pull off two garments in a week!

Anise Jacket in wool tweed

With the chill of Fall settling on the Bay Area, a new jacket was definitely in order.  With the classic double-breasted Anise pattern by Colette in mind, I selected this incredible Rose Madder and Plum Tweed Wool  fabric from Britex Fabrics.  I loved the striking color and texture of the fabric and it seemed both modern and classic at the same time. 

When I received the fabric I was a little intimidated! It’s absolutely gorgeous and unlike anything I’ve worked with before. My first concern was treating fabric that will eventually be dry-cleaned.  After some research, I opted to put the fabric in the dryer with a straight-from-the-washing-machine damp towel to steam-treat it before sewing.  After drying, the fabric seemed slightly loftier, but otherwise appeared unaffected by the treatment—perfect!

With the thick wool fibers woven into this herringbone tweed, unraveling was a very serious concern.  For each piece of the pattern, I underlined with muslin (as per the instructions) and then serged around the edges.  Not only did this keep the edges from unraveling, but gave the fabric more structure.  Even though none of the edges need to be finished (since the jacket is fully lined), it makes me happy to know that even the unseen bits are done right!

Initially when started the task of sewing a double row of bound buttonholes for the front panel, I was stumped; the texture of the textile is such that it’s nearly impossible to mark the fabric for the button placement.  But when I flipped it over, I realized that the underlining of muslin could be marked to my heart’s content.  Then, instead of marking each buttonhole according to the placement on the tissue pattern, I drew a grid on the muslin with the widths and depths exactly as needed for the buttonholes.  Running lines of basting stitches ensured that I could see the buttonhole markings on both sides of the fabric and they would be spaced just right.

With the thickness of the fabric, the bound buttonholes were a little tricky, but luckily, this fabric rolled right into place, created a lovely bound buttonhole.  Despite how much I initially dreaded it, the bound buttonholes were actually sort of fun!

For the pattern, I made a muslin in a straight size 2 and didn’t have to make any changes.  Normally, I would do a petite adjustment in the torso, but since the jacket is quite cropped, I opted not to shorten it further and I’m glad I didn’t.  The jacket is just the right length.

For the lining, I used a wine-colored rayon/acetateblend.  This lining fabric is a bit heavier than regular Bemberg lining, and had a twill-ish sort of texture to it, which made it much easier to handle and sew.  I pinked the edges to avoid major unraveling and it sewed up quite easily. 

Since I didn’t want to do as much hand-sewing as the Anise instructions suggested, I chose to do a sort of “half-bag” method of lining installation.  To start with, I sewed the entire lining together (arms included) and sewed the lining to the jacket facing.  Then, using fellow blogger Jen’s ingenious bag lining method, I sewed the arm lining to the jacket fabric at the cuffs.  The jacket hem was hand stitched, and then the lining fabric was folded and hand stitched to the hem. 

Aren’t those gorgeous buttons?  As luck would have it, I was able to run up to Britex this past weekend to see their incredible button selection in person.  These beauties are deep-red colored patent leather—a bit of a splurge, but so worth it!  One of the super friendly staff members (sorry, I didn’t catch her name!) helped me with the selection and I think they are just perfect.

By the way, if you are seriously considering making the Anise Jacket, I would highly recommend buying the “Anise Companion”.  Even as a fairly experienced seamstress, I found many of the tips and tricks really helpful. 

This jacket was definitely one of the most challenging sewing projects I’ve ever tackled, but I don’t think I could be more pleased with the result.  The wool is lovely and pattern is timeless.  Thank you to Britex for another opportunity to work with their fabulous fabrics!   

Patent leather buttons

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth--just busy with a new class and a big project for Britex! The absolutely drop-dead gorgeous patent leather buttons, above, have a little something to do with it :) With a professional development workshop at SFSU on Saturday at 11, was waiting at the door of Britex before it opened at 10 a.m. and raced up to the 3rd floor.  A super kind and helpful employee (didn't catch her name, but she had beautiful pink hair!) helped me pick out this selection and I was out of the store by 10:13, arriving at the classroom with 5 minutes to spare--very exciting!

My garment for Britex is finished and I'll post about it around the 1st of November.  Any guesses as to what it is? :)

Little Bow Pleat Bag: Pattern testing and giveaway!

I'm so excited to finally share a project that I tested a few weeks ago for my friend and bag pattern-maker, Samantha!  With two weddings coming up next month, it was exceptionally good timing that Samantha asked me to try out her pattern for the adorably-named "Little Bow Pleat Bag"--a stylish (yet roomy!) clutch.  Her request came right before I finalized my fabric purchases for my Cambie dress, so I bought some extra hot pink silk taffeta, knowing it would be put to use for this bag.  Maybe it's a little matchy-matchy, but I don't care!

As with all of Samantha's patterns, the instructions are very clearly written (with some cute British wording thrown in!)  and I was able to easily finish this bag in a less than 2 hours. Samantha just posted all of her pattern testers' versions, and each is beautiful and unique.

The inside is large enough to carry all the essentials (and then some), with a single zipper pocket for holding the stuff you don't want rolling around in your bag.  The pattern even comes with an option for attaching a chain strap, if you don't want to carry it around as a clutch.  (And yes, I went there and used the dress fabric for the lining.  And if you didn't think so before, yep, now it's too matchy-matchy :)

I feel so on-top of things to have my dress and bag (and shoes!) sorted out for the upcoming weddings. Count that as just about the only thing I'm on top of, having just finished my first week back to school!

As an aside, I had pattern tested the "big" version of this bag, the original "Bow Pleat" (above), quite some time ago, but never posted about it.  Samantha is running a special deal if you purchase both patterns, so check out her Etsy site for more details.  Each bag is suitable for many different types of fabric, giving a different look and feel.  With the slouchy linen fabric, this one reminds me of touring around an ocean-front boardwalk in the summer....

And now for the giveaway: If you love the "Little Bow Pleat Bag" as much as I do, leave a comment below and I will choose someone at random to receive a copy of the pattern!  I will select the winner on Sunday at 10 p.m. PST.  Be sure to include your email contact, otherwise I can't tell you you've won, and that would be pretty terrible.   Thanks Samantha, for providing the pattern!

Back to school Cambie

After a significant time away, I'm back to work on Monday.  Clearly, I need a back-to-school dress! Having just made a party dress using the gathered-skirt style, I whipped up the A-line version of the Cambie for work.  I love the tailored fit of this version and the slant pockets.  Man, this pattern is versatile!

The fabric is a peacock-blue double-wool with lycra (Britex, bought in the remnants department), perhaps a bit thick for this dress, but really lovely to sew and wear.  Because of the weight of the fabric, I went with a simple pleat on the "sleeve" instead of gathering the fabric.  And I love the result--seems a bit vintage-y and definitely suits the style of the dress.

I made a slight sway-back adjustment, which is an easy alteration with this particular pattern since there is are center back and waist seams.

Since the "sleeves" aren't too bulky, I can definitely wear a cardigan over this dress when it gets a little chilly; along with pockets, being"cardigan-able" is a super important feature of any me-made article of clothing.

For the inside, I used a super pale green bemberg lining and the sweetest navy and white polka dot stretch silk (Britex, also from the remnants department).   If only everyone could see the inside band of this dress!

  

I'm not going to lie, I struggled with the lining hem.  Ugh.  But I used lace hem tape for the wool, something I've never used before (really!), and, folks, I hand sewed the hem.  That is almost unheard-of for me, but I splurged and bought some silk thread and that made it feel a bit like less of a chore.

A new school year, and a new dress.  Guess that's worth smiling about!

P.S.  Last year at this time, I made another back-to-school dress (with Britex fabric), here.