Amy's Black Vinyl Corset - Vogue 2810

This is probably the coolest thing I've ever made.  A few months back, I was daydreaming about how many different ways I could make corsets, because I wanted to start selling them.  One day in the upholstery shop, I was sewing some vinyl pieces together and topstitching them (which is one of my favorite things), and I got inspired to make a vinyl corset!  I immediately dreamed up the colour combo: black vinyl with red topstitching and a red zipper.  Amy immediately came to mind.  We took Fashion Production together in College, and she was always dressing gothic.  Almost everything she wears is black, and she loves to throw in a little red to spice things up.  I thought this would be perfect for her!  This is essentially a trial run to see if the vinyl would be usable in a corset.  Turns out, it works!  

I rifled through the giant stash of vinyl at my dad's upholstery shop, and I found this satiny slippery black vinyl that wasn't too heavy or too thin.  I borrowed some red upholstery thread, and I went home and got to work.  I wasn't sure if my Juki industrial would be able to handle the vinyl like my dad's heavy duty upholstery machines can, but I tried it out, and everything was great.  Heavier vinyl probably wouldn't work as well, but this weight seems to do the trick.  It's so cool.  It looks like something batman would wear.

Here is the inside layer of denim and interfacing.  The boning is sewn to this layer.  The bust is a size too small.  I let out the bust a full 2".  Also, the zipper is too low.  When I sewed the zipper in right up to the top edge, it zipped up perfectly.  I was a little wary of how tight the vinyl was when I sewed it together.  Thankfully, it has a bit of stretch to it, and when everything was finished, I finally relaxed and knew it was going to fit.  

I am so thrilled at how this corset turned out.  Amy is just as ecstatic as I am.  She's wearing it for Halloween.  I can't wait to see what she's come up with!  As soon as I get her glammed-up photos, I'll post them.  

Brown Satin Dress - Simplicity 2401

I made this dress for Nina to wear to her brother's wedding.  We went fabric shopping together, and she picked the pattern and the fabric (with my 2 cents thrown in, of course!).

Simplicity 2401

The bodice is lined in cotton broadcloth, and the skirt is a slinky polyester satiny fabric that we found in the bargain bin.  I gotta say, I'm loving the contrast of the funky skirt!

Lining

 I love pleats!  There are 3 pleats on each bust piece.  I am loving how nice they look and how much more forgiving they are than darts in regards to fit.  Not to mention that they are so much faster and easier to sew than darts.

Finished Dress

I used the lining as my muslin.  I had to make a few minor changes.  I chose a size 14 based on the finished garment measurements.  The only measurement provided was the bust, so I didn't know what the waist or the hips would be.  I had to let out the waist/top of hips a bit, and I did a 1 1/2" swayback adjustment.  I also shorted the bodice 1" at the waist seam.

 The back of the bodice of this dress was kinda weird, so I changed it completely.  They have you make an elasticized section at the center back, and there's no zipper.  Judging by how snug it fits at the waist seam, I don't see how you could pull it on without a zipper.  I created a seam at the center back and put in an invisible zipper.

I originally put in side seam pockets, but when Nina tried the dress on, they flipped out funny.  So I sewed them shut.  Problem solved.

 I was pleasantly surprised that this dress went together very easily.  The design was very simple, and it practically sewed itself!

Burda 7866 - Kimono Sleeve Top

 Last week, Fabricland finally had a sale on Vogues and Burdas, so I bought a handful of each that I've been wanting.  Among the Burdas was this top.  I wasn't planning on making this anytime soon, but as I was reading through each of my new patterns, I noticed that this one was really easy.  So, I decided to be spontaneous and whip myself up a top.  This is the second thing I've made for myself this year.  I figured I deserved to try this "instant gratification" thing that everyone's been raving about.

Burda 7866

I bought this fabric from the bargain section at Fabricland sometime last year.  I was planning on making a long-sleeved V-neck top with it, but I wasn't particularly keen on it.  I decided it would be good to use for my first trial of this pattern, as I wouldn't be heartbroken if it didn't turn out.

 This top took me 2 hours and 5 minutes to make.  For me, that's amazing.  But I could have saved myself a ton of time by simply serging my seams instead of stretch-stitching and then serging.  Back when I was 18 and had my first serger, I thought it was the most wonderful thing ever invented and I rarely ever used my sewing machine.  I sewed all my funky cotton pants with serged seams, and they held up just fine.  Once I went to college, I discovered that the proper way to sew seams is to sew them first and then serge them.  It's certainly more accurate, but for a project like this, it wouldn't matter if my seams weren't perfect.  Anyways, to make a long story short, next time I will simply serge my seams, and hopefully cut my time in half.

 I was so impressed with the accurate fit of my Burda cargo capris that I cut and sewed the size 18 again.  I didn't make any alterations.  The only thing I fiddled with was how much to hem the sleeves and the bottom.  I wasn't liking how it was fitting at the hips, so I folded the bottom up 3", and it was much better.  I hemmed the sleeves 1 1/2".  I hemmed both with the coverstitch on my serger.

 I love how taking pictures of yourself makes you less judgemental of the little things.  When I first put my top on, I wasn't sure how I felt about it.  This top would probably be nicer in a drapier knit.  Nevertheless, once I saw a few pictures, I fell in love with it.  I love the neckline, the sleeves, and how it hugs me just right at the hips.  

 I'm inspired to make a few more of these.  I've been living in jeans and t-shirts for the past year, since I left the Bridal House and embarked on my new career of upholstery and seamstressing.  This top is close enough to a t-shirt that I feel comfortable wearing it around the house, and it's dressy enough to help ease me into the idea of embracing my funky fashion sense more often.

 I probably won't make another one of these right away, as I have a few more wardrobe basics that I want to tackle first, but knowing that it'll take me just over an hour to whip out another one makes it very enticing.

 Burda has won me over once again!  Garment #2 for 2010 is a success!  Bring on the sewing bug!

Simplicity 2442 - Bolero Jacket for Rita

I did alterations on a green/brown printed chiffon dress for Rita a while ago, and she asked if I could make her a matching jacket.  I wasn't sure if I had any patterns for a cropped jacket, since I've never looked for one myself, but it turned out that I had 2 patterns in my stash.  Both of them came with dress patterns.  Rita chose Simplicity 2442.  I liked the details of this pattern.  I love the darts that extend into the stand collar, and I like the gathering at the top of the sleeves.

Simplicity 2442 - View F

We went fabric shopping at Fabricland and found a nice green satin for the jacket, and since it was fairly thin, I decided to use the cheaper, stiffer polyester lining to give it more body, rather than the thin and drapey rayon Bemberg lining.  Besides, it was cheaper.  Easy decision.

The pattern I had started at size 14, and I wasn't sure if Rita would be smaller than that.  She's tall, so like me, she's bigger than she looks.  She measured up an inch smaller than the 14, but she says she has broad shoulders, so I was comfortable using the 14.  It fit perfectly at the shoulders, with enough ease that she can pull her arms forward and not be constricted.  I took in the side seams and center back seam 1" each at the waist.

The dart/collar construction was very easy.  I love it when cool designs come together so simply.


The lining is only meant for the bodice, not the sleeves, but since the satin was so thin, I decided to beef it up and line the sleeves as well.  I didn't use the sleeve facings, as I only had one day to make this jacket (including a lining fitting at noon), so I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to finish the sleeves properly.  I just turned them under an inch and topstitched.

I was quite impressed with this jacket!  Being short-waisted, I would never even consider wearing a bolero jacket.  I decided to have some fun and try it on.  As an 18, it was obviously too small for me, but I squeezed it on anyways. ("fat guy in a little coat", tee hee!)  I loved it!  I even like the gathered sleeves!  I think it would look really cute in black satin to wear with dresses, or even with jeans and boots.  And, I confirmed that I would definitely need to make it a size 18, because going up only one size definitely wouldn't cut it.   I love when I get to try on styles I normally wouldn't think of.  That's one of the perks of sewing for others.

Cargo Capris - Burda 7991

I was so excited to finish wedding season that I sewed these pants for myself the Monday after Lindsey's wedding.

I've had terrible luck with pants patterns in the past, so I decided to give Burda a try and test out "The Pattern that Fits".  I measure a size 18, so I checked the finished garment measurements to see if they would be huge, like so many other patterns.  I was pleasantly surprised that there was not a ridiculous amount of ease in the hips (less than 2", and that's including the pleats in the front).  I decided to be brave and cut a straight 18.  As I was sewing, I was being cautious, and I was ready to do any alterations if the need arose. I didn't have to change one. single. thing.  I think Burda may have won over another fan.  

Burda 7991

I love these pants!  I've had my eye on this pattern for a long time.  I bought it ages ago for $1.99 in a bin of patterns at Fabricland.  I loved the design so much, I planned out at least 3 pairs of capris.  When this pair fit perfectly, I was thrilled.  


I wanted to add some pizzaz to the back pockets, so I copied the stitching design from a pair of my jeans.  Turned out rather well, I think!

One thing I love about these pants is the pocket yokes.  I've never had this feature in any pants I've made before, and I love it.  It keeps your pockets from flipping the wrong way, and it makes the front fit nice and smooth under the pleats.  I'm going to incorporate this into every pair of pants I make from now on.  Genius!

The only thing that I kinda sorta dislike about this pattern is the placement of the back pockets.  They're a little low.  They don't look that bad, now that I've gotten used to them, but I moved them up 1 1/4" for my next pair.

In my excitement after finishing these, I cut out my second pair the next day.  I have them half done.  I'm kinda glad I didn't finish them right away, because after wearing my first pair for a few weeks, I've decided that I'm not a big fan of the waistband.  I'm going to use a contour waistband instead.


I love the snaps they used on the pattern picture, and I just happened to have access to the very same snaps at my dad's upholstery shop.

I'm a very happy girl!  This is the first thing I've made for myself since I snuck in 2 pairs of PJ pants for myself at Christmas amongst the 13 pairs I decided to whip up for Christmas gifts.

Lindsey's Wedding - July 24, 2010

I was so excited to see everyone dressed up, and everything finished!  I loved the accessories that the girls picked.  Dangly earrings, silver bracelets, and white sandals that complemented the ribbon embroidery perfectly.

Danielle

 Since Andrew wasn't around, Courtney volunteered to model his outfit for us.

Courtney

 I was thrilled with how the back of Courtney's top turned out.  Love love love it!

Marla

 Lindsey, you looked absolutely stunning!  I loved the green eyeshadow.  It set everything off.

 I love this random shot of the 3 girls in the frantic moments before they rushed out of the house.

 And the moment finally arrived...

 Lindsey's dad walked her down the aisle.

 I love the back!  It fits so smoothly, and the hem was the perfect length to gently sweep along behind her.

 I especially liked seeing the 3 girls together.  Our different design choices look so good next to each other.

 A happy bride...

 Lindsey, thank you for letting me be a part of your big day!

Lindsey's Wedding - The Little Things

This is my last post before the grande finale of the Wedding Day Post.  These are some of the little things.  I got one shot of Lindsey and each of her bridesmaids in various fitting stages.  They're all really cute, so I thought I'd share them here.

Lindsey & Courtney

Lindsey & Danielle

Lindsey & Marla

I made a green satin vest for Lindsey's son, Andrew, who is almost 2.  Can I just say how much I love sewing kid's clothes?  It took me longer to fiddle with the buttonholes than to sew the vest (well, not exactly, but you get my drift).  I cut a size 2, using the size 3 shoulder lines, so it would be a smidge longer.

Butterick 6894

I only used the satin for the front pieces.  The rest of it was made from cotton broadcloth.  Isn't it cute?  Notice how small it is.  It's approximately 12" wide.  Aw...

This is the only shot of Andrew that I managed to get on the wedding day.  I didn't get to see it on him before, but from what I can tell, it fits pretty good!

Lindsey's garter was the very last thing I made.  I'm not a very fast sewer, so I was shocked to discover that it only took me 15 minutes to make this!  I should go into business making garters...

 And of course, I had to try it on.  Tee hee!

 And, last but not least, this is what my shower curtain looked like when everything was done.  That's a lot of stuff!  Phew, I'm pooped...