Wednesday Morning Brunch

Wednesday Morning Brunch

I found this dress at the Fairfax Flea Market my first summer in LA. It was too big for me, but I couldn't resist buying it and was able to take it in enough to fit. It's made out of bandanas and trimmed in white ric-rac. I think it might be my favorite dress (if I had to pick one) even though I haven't found that many times to wear it. Today my aunt and uncle from Bellingham, Washington are in town on a layover to South America and we're having brunch so I finally have an excuse to wear it again. A few weeks ago, I ran across the pattern for it on EBay and again, couldn't resist. I took out all the pattern pieces in an ambitious moment and then put them right back in the envelope. Wow, that's a lot of pattern pieces. I'd love to attempt it someday.

Still Sewing

Still Sewing

I knew I had sewing homework to complete over the weekend, even with the heat and lack of air conditioning making me feel completely lethargic. The bodice of the 50's dress was almost complete from my last class session. I just had to finish the darts and the sleeve cuffs and then install the sleeves. That was going to be the tricky part, as I have never put sleeves in anything before. It all went off without a hitch, thank goodness. Well, almost. I did scorch the cotton a bit in an over zealous attempt to iron the sleeve caps smooth. Ah, yes, ironing in 100 degree heat is always fun. Here are a few photos of the progress...

Here is the bodice of the dress before I put the darts in.

I pinned all the darts in place and then sewed them - six darts in all. A helpful tip I learned in class is to never back stitch at the point of a dart to finish it. Just switch to a smaller stitch length about a cm from the point and then sew right off the edge.

Last but not least I eased in the sleeves. There's a bit of a fit issue but I am making the smallest size the pattern comes in and it still seems too big for me. I'm just taking it all in as a learning exercise since the dress is not exactly my style anyway.

Here's a close up of the sleeve cap installed. This was my biggest accomplishment for the day. I feel like being able to sew sleeves opens up a whole realm of possibilities for me.

Sewing Class

Sewing Class

I'm almost convinced that something in the universe is trying to tell me to not take this sewing class. I had my new bus route all mapped out, printed, and in hand so there was no way I could screw it up this time. Well, when I got to the bus stop, this is the scene that greeted me:

I think half of West Hollywood was on fire. Of course that's the corner my new bus stop was on and there was no way a bus was getting through there. Luckily, I was able to call my boyfriend at work and he went online and found a new bus route for me. Unluckily, I wore my favorite wedges and had to sprint half way across WeHo to catch the bus. Sadly, they paid the price.

I've actually had this problem several times lately. I buy a pair of vintage shoes in pristine condition and a few months later they are falling apart. I think the rubber heels are dry rotting. Is there any thing that can be done to prevent this? Anyway, I digress. Two buses later, I made it to class right on time. Here's a shot of my future dress. I look at the pieces and I can't imagine they're going to actually be a dress. I guess we'll see!

Sewing Class Project

Sewing Class Project

Assuming that I actually make it to class tonight (after last week's bus debacle) I'll be starting work on a 50's inspired house dress. It buttons up the front and has a collar and either short or 3/4 length sleeves (I haven't decided which yet). I also have the option of making an a-line, gathered or pleated skirt for the bottom half of the dress. I think I'd like to learn pleats.

At the fabric store on Saturday, I was having a hard time deciding on a fabric. Budget is definitely a factor, as they have many beautiful fabrics that cost $40 a yard. Not exactly learning materials.

I finally decided on this robin's egg blue cotton with a brown and white floral design. The silhouette of the dress is very 50's house wife and I thought the color palette here would suit that nicely. Also, the flower pattern on the fabric is not directional, so I don't have to worry about keeping all the flowers going the same way when I'm sewing.

Here's the pattern that I'll be using. Not really something I would pick to sew on my own, but for class purposes it does in corporate a lot of skills I am excited to learn.

And I couldn't help but include a shot from the "Wall of Fame" at the fabric store. Yes, that is Britney Spears and Rob Schneider.

The Making of a Dress

The Making of a Dress

This weekend I decided to tackle my first sewing project outside of class. I went with a pretty simple vintage dress pattern and picked out some inexpensive vintage fabric so I wouldn't be out big bucks if things went terribly wrong. Well, I managed to finish the dress yesterday afternoon, but not without a few set backs. Let's just say the seam ripper and I became very good friends. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but I'm chalking it up to a learning experience and I'll definitely be able to make some improvements the next time I tackle that pattern.

So many to choose from!

My final selections from the store all ready to go.


Hard at work on the gathers for the neckline. For some reason attaching the neckband gave me fits. I sewed it on three different times!


Still sewing. There were points that I felt like scrapping the whole thing and starting over.


Here's a shot of the finished piece. I was happy to finish it, but it's not with out its flaws (if you can't see them in the photo, I'm certainly not going to point them out!) It'll be fun to wear it around the house. Maybe the next one I make, I'll actually wear out in public!

Vintage Fabrics

Vintage Fabrics

Anyone interested in sewing or crafting with vintage fabrics should check out the Repro Depot. They have tons of great vintage cottons for garment sewing and heavier fabrics for decorating and crafts. They also have loads of cute notions. I'm partial to the sci-fi buttons myself. I mean, who doesn't want space men and ray guns decorating their clothes?

Last night was supposed to be my first night in the third installment of sewing classes that I am taking at the Santa Monica Sewing Arts Center. But since I no longer have a car and I'm new at this bus-taking thing I ended up on the wrong bus and never made it to class. Actually it wasn't so much the wrong bus as it was the right bus going in the wrong direction. Fortunately, I called my instructor and she's going to let me make up the lesson at her studio over the weekend. Soon she's going to be opening a Stitch Lounge in Silverlake where people will be able to go and hang out and sew. Sounds like heaven to me.

In the first class I successfully made a pair of drawstring pajama pants that, while fully functional, have ended up at the bottom of my pajama drawer. In the second class, I made a skirt, complete with French seams and an invisible zipper. Yay! In the third class I am going to be making a 1950's inspired house dress and will be learning some pattern making, how to sew sleeves, darts, pleats, collars and button holes. Whew! That's a lot, but I'm so excited to finally be learning this stuff. I've sewn for years, but in a please-don't-look-at-the-inside kind of way. I feel like I really need to practice my new found skills so I've picked one of the simpler vintage patterns that has been sitting in my sewing bag for years to start with. I'll be going to ISW to pick up some vintage fabric and all the notions that I'll need. Hopefully it will be finished by the weekend. Here it is:

I'm going to make the one with pockets for now and when the weather cools a bit, maybe I'll try the one with sleeves. I've got my trusty Sew-U book handy for reference and all my new bits and bobbins from class so wish me luck!

Wardrobe Remix

Wardrobe Remix

top: American Apparel
skirt: self-made from vintage fabric
shoes: thrifted
belt: thrifted

The skirt is my first completed item from the sewing classes I am taking at the Santa Monica Sewing Arts Center. It even has French seams and an invisible zipper. The vintage fabric I scored from ISW. They have a whole section of vintage fabric stacked from floor to ceiling. I could spend hours in there.

ISW (International Silks and Woolens) is a fabric store in Los Angeles. For those of you in LA, it's on Beverly just east of La Cienga (very close to the Bev Center).

Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sew...

Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sew...

With my second of three sewing classes I'm taking at the Santa Monica Sewing Arts Center ending tomorrow night, I can't wait to put all the new skills I've learned to use. What used to seem like rocket science now seems so simple I can't believe it took me this long to get out there and learn it. My first project will be trying out the vintage patterns I got at So Vintage Patterns. They have an entire section dedicated to 60's Mod as well as a variety of patterns from other decades all the way back to the 20's and 30's. I'll be sure to post the results (good or bad) here.