The Sciencey Dress: Simplicity 2444

It's almost time for Mehetabel to head back to the classroom, and that means finally putting the finishing touches on another novelty-print dress.  

I found this fabric last spring at Mill End Fabrics in Portland, Oregon, and I knew Mehetabel would love it as she was co-teaching freshman science at the time (as well as teaching her special education caseload).  

Well, I almost had it finished in time for the end of school, but then the zipper broke!  Drat.  It took me all summer to get around to replacing it.  Now that I have, Mehetabel is excited to wear it to class, even though she isn't teaching science this trimester--she's sticking with special education and co-teaching sophomore English.

The fabric is called "Chromatics by Melissa McCulloch Designs for In the Beginning Fabrics 2015."  It is a quilting cotton, so to give it more body, I underlined it with batiste.  Of course I did.  I almost always underline fabric it seems!

The pattern is Simplicity 2444, one of Mehetabel's favorites, and I've made it for her a number of times--and I'll probably make it more times too!  As I have with all but my first version of this pattern, I used facing pieces I drafted rather than the bias strip finish used in the instructions.  The facing pieces (1 back, 1 front neckline/armscye) were interfaced, the edges were finished on the serger, and about 1/8" was trimmed from the neck and armscyes prior to sewing; this helps keep the facings from rolling to the right side of the the dress.  The facings were then hand-sewn to the underlining.

I used a white invisible zipper.  Twice.  The first one was kaput.  I don't mind installing zippers, but I draw the line at sewing them in more than once after the dress is completed!  The hem was hand-sewn.

Mehetabel told me the dress is perfect.  Yay!  It also goes well with her hot pink accessories--

 --as well as her new hot pink pencils all ready for the classroom in her "I've got to be moi" mug! 

 TTFN!

Painting the Roses Red: New Look 6723

When I happened upon a 60% off coupon from Joann Fabrics, I couldn't resist purchasing this pretty Swiss dot fabric--part of the Gertie collection--and I knew Mehetabel would love the red rose print.

 The pattern is New Look 6723.  I made view B (the one in black), but scooped the neckline.  

This classic style was very easy to make.  I underlined the skirt and lined the bodice with white batiste, installed an invisible zipper, and stitched the hem by hand.  

 

The front skirt gathers were concentrated between the side bodice pieces, because I know Mehetabel prefers that--she likes the look and comfort of a full skirt, but doesn't like it too puffy.  The back skirt gathers were concentrated similarly.

Now, I may have mentioned before that Mehetabel and I are tall.  She is 6 feet, and I am 5'10".  Why do I mention this?  Well, I always, always, always, make pattern adjustments.  I know, who doesn't?  The majority of Mehetabel's height is in her legs, so while I didn't add any length to the bodice, I did add four inches to the skirt.  Usually, especially if it's a pattern I've used before, I tape the appropriate amount of paper to the skirt pieces.  But this time, I decided to use my gauge and mark the inches right on the fabric.  And then I forgot all about that when I cut out the back skirt pieces.  Nuts! 

The dress would be too short, and I hadn't yet cut the front skirt, but I didn't have enough fabric to cut new back skirt pieces.  So, I matched the print and added a strip to the back skirt, but there was nothing left for the hem.  To solve that little problem, I faced the hem with more batiste (made into bias strips).  The skirt wound up being an inch or two shorter than I intended, but I think the length looks good.  The patched strip is only noticeable if you pick up the skirt and stare at it; hopefully, Mehetabel's students will be disinclined to do that!  It's certainly not my best work, but better than scrapping the whole project.

Now it's time for daughter and mother to get out of the bright, bright sun and enjoy a frosty beverage!

P.S.  While making this dress, I couldn't get the Disney song "Painting the Roses Red," out of my head!  I haven't watched that version of Alice in Wonderland for ages, but the song is front and center in my head.  "...Not blue, not green, not aquamarine.  We're painting the roses red."  No wonder I screwed up the back skirt! 

Cobalt and Lime: New Look 6301

Although I made this dress awhile ago, I needed to tweak the fit a bit.  Here is "Mehetabel" in the new, improved version:

You might be able to tell from her smile that Mehetabel likes this dress!  The fabric, an ITY knit, was purchased online several years ago from www.fabricmartfabrics.com. 

This is New Look 6301, the same pattern I used for this dress.  I decided to fully line this version, and thus eliminated the neck- and arm-bands.  Because I was a little worried that the neck and arms would gape, I sandwiched clear elastic between the fashion fabric and the lining--this keeps everything snug with no gaping issues. 

I didn't add any elastic to the waist, although the instructions call for a casing made from the seam allowances.  I added ten inches to each tie.  This way the belt can be wrapped around her 2+ times and helps define her waist.  Another benefit of a long tie is that it can be loosened after a big meal!

The photo, above, is what I got when I asked for a side view!  Here's a more sedate profile:

To line the skirt, I tried a method I saw on a Sandra Betzina video.  Although her method was for lining knit pants, I figured it would work on a skirt too.  This is what I did (and I pressed the various seams after each step):  I cut the tricot lining pieces 2 inches shorter than the skirt pieces.  I sewed one side seam on the skirt, and one on the lining.  Next, I sewed these two pieces right sides together at the hem.  Then I sewed the remaining side seam, starting at the top of the lining, going through the hem, and on to the top of the fashion fabric--this makes a long tube.  After pressing the skirt, I turned it right side out, matched the waist of the lining with the waist of the skirt, and pressed it again.  It worked perfectly!  I love the invisible (and easy hem) and the neatly done lining.  If you'd like to see the Sandra Betzina video, click here.

I'm going to make this pattern again; next time, I'll make 3/4 length sleeves and a flared skirt.  Also, since the front bodice pieces are cut in such a way that there's little stretch--but also no gaping--I will try cutting them on grain and see how that works out.

Orange Shift: Simplicity 1609

While Mehetabel was on her honeymoon, I decided to whip up an easy summer dress in the hopes it would be one for the win column.  Well-- Not so much. 

 

Simplicity 1609 is a Jiffy pattern re-issued from the 1960s.  I was feeling nostalgic, and that's probably why I went ahead with this pattern even though I had a few misgivings after seeing some other versions on the internet.  There were some adorable versions too, but alas, this isn't one of them!   I also was concerned that the neckline/shoulders would be awkward, but I did like the A-line shape.

I purchased the pattern, on sale, for 99 cents, and used a very old piece of fabric that I had previously used for bodice muslins for bridesmaid dresses.  So really, my only risk was in the time it took me to cut and sew this dress.

 

I knew there would be a possibility that the dress wouldn't fit well since Mehetabel was gone for several weeks and I couldn't fit it on her.  I did compare her measurements with the pattern pieces, and I wound up making one size larger than normal.  And it shows.  The dress is comfortable and cool, but...

 

I think it is just okay.  I'm sure if I tweaked the fit considerably, it would be fine, but I just don't think it is worth it when there are so many other patterns available!  It'll be fine for running errands on hot days.

I used a tangerine invisible zipper for the back closure.  All seam allowances were finished with the serger.

I had some orange bias seam tape on hand, so I used that to finish the hand-stitched hem.

Phooey.  I started this blog to track my sewing "hits and misses," and this is a miss.  Oh well.  I'll be back with a better looking dress soon!

 

I received several e-mails asking if there really was a live porcupine at Mehetabel's wedding.  Yes, indeed, there was, and here's photographic evidence, above.  The porcupine was very calm and spent most of her time munching on carrot sticks.

 

I have yet to see a live porcupine in my yard, but it is overrun with rock chucks, aka yellow bellied marmutes--they look like 24-lb pear-shaped squirrels.  And, they don't seem to care for weeds, but they love my lawn and just about every flower I've planted.  Varmints!  They are cute little beasts, prodigious diggers and breeders, and they aren't scared of me at all!





Simplicity/New Look Mash-Up: The Dream Vacation Dress

I've been absent from the blog for a bit--but I have a pretty good excuse.  My daughter, *Mehetabel, and her fiancé, *Aloysius, got married earlier this summer!  It was a fabulous evening (if I do say so myself).  The bride wore her favorite color:  pink!  I had the pleasure of making the dresses for the attendants and the officiant.   And, in addition to loads of family and friends, there was a porcupine in attendance! 

 

After the happy couple returned from several weeks in Kauai, Mehetabel and I took a shopping trip to Portland, Oregon.  One of our stops was at my new favorite store:  Mill End.  While we were there, Mehetabel spied this darling fabric and asked if I'd make her a dress.  The answer?  Yes!

 

 

The fabric is from Robert Kaufman, and it is called "Dream Vacation."  From a quick look online, it appears to be sold at many fabric stores.  It is cotton and is 44 inches wide. 

M likes Simplicity 2444 (who doesn't?)--particularly the bodice which I used for this dress.  But, since 2444's skirt is a fabric hog, I used the skirt from New Look 6910 (now OOP) because I knew I wouldn't have enough fabric for the skirt otherwise.  New Look 6910's skirt has pleats, but I simply gathered the skirt. 

 

To make this quilting cotton a bit heftier, I underlined the dress in batiste; it is still a light dress, but it is now thoroughly opaque and has a bit more body.

Simplicity 2444 calls for binding at the armscyes and a narrow facing at the neckline.  I am not crazy about binding and prefer fairly substantial facings instead (unless the dress is lined).  For my many iterations of this bodice, I've made one-piece neck/armscye facings for the front and back, interfaced them with lightweight fusible interfacing, and finished the edges on the serger.  Since the dress is underlined, it is easy to hand stitch the facings to the underlining.  

A bit cock-eyed on the dress form

There's another thing I do when sewing facings--and I am by no means the only one who does this, I know!  My facing pattern pieces are trimmed 3/16" at the armscye and neckline to help to keep the facings from rolling to the outside.

I used a black invisible zipper for the closure, and I finished all seams with bright yellow thread in the serger. 

Mehetabel (and I) have been to many of the locales shown on this dress, but I wanted to highlight two and place them center front on the bodice:  San Francisco (her birthplace) and Paris (a favorite city).

I used bright yellow bias tape and stitched the hem by hand.  On a side note, I told M that this was a double feature dress in that I watched Under the Tuscan Sun and The Fugitive while making it.  I like to listen to music or have streaming video playing in the background when I sew--and, I only play shows I've seen before because otherwise I get too distracted!

 

So tell me, what's new with you?  Do you like to watch TV/movies while sewing?

 

 

*Not their real names!

 

Elegant in Ivory: New Look 6301

Mehetabel has an upcoming event for which she needs a new dress.  The guidelines?  It must be comfortable, it must be flattering, it must be opaque (no slips, please!), and it must be ivory.  Well, the attitude here on the Bespokeabilty factory floor is definitely can do! 

 

 

Item 1:  It must be comfortable.  Check!  What could be more comfortable than a soft rayon lycra double knit?  Purchased from Stonemountain and Daughter. 

Item 2:  It must be flattering.  Check!  I think Mehetabel looks great in this surplice style (New Look 6301).  The neckline is very flattering, and because the dress is a mock-wrap, she won't need to worry about skirt malfunctions!

 

Item 3:  It must be opaque.  Check!  The bodice and skirt pieces were underlined with white swimsuit lining.  This dress has some heft, and no slip is needed.  I also love that the underlining makes it so there isn't any shadowing at the seams and hem.  

 

Item 4:  It must be ivory.  Check!  I was a little worried that this winter white double knit might be too creamy, but Mehetabel loves it. 

 

 

In addition to the underlining, I added ten inches in length to the ties, and I omitted the elastic at the waist.  The seam allowances of the neck and arm bands are tacked to the underlining so they won't flip outward.  When I sew this pattern again, I think I will trim the shoulder width a bit.

 

I let the skirt hang for 24 hours before hemming it--and I'm glad I did, because it grew a bit overnight!

 

Overall, I'd say this is another one for the win column!  The disaster I mentioned in the last post was another version of this dress--one that I tried to line rather than underline.  Clearly, I didn't think that one through!  I also tried to use clear elastic at the waist and in place of the arm and neck bands.  Ugh!  What a mess.  That stuff is not for me.

Season-Spanning Separates

I mentioned in my first post that I was going to create some outfits for Mehetabel that she could wear with her brown boots.  Well, I've made quite a few now, but I haven't taken pictures yet.  This outfit is one that I made for her "Brown Wardrobe," and it will be great with tights, boots, and a cardy during the winter, but now in spring, it's perfect with some wedges or pumps. 

 

Note: The top is more of a grayish blue than these photos show.

  

Mehetabel looks great in pencil skirts, but flared skirts are more comfortable and give her freedom of movement.  This is something she's told me is important to her during her workday; she's always on the go, moving from classroom to classroom, and into frequent parent/student IEP meetings.  Straight skirts in woven fabrics tend to ride up the thighs when in a seated position (although they look great when standing still).  She wants the focus on the student's educational needs rather than her legs!

 

So, with these guidelines in mind, I whipped up some flared skirts.  This one is in a silky polyester from Hancock.  On its own, it is perfect for a blouse, but it is too light for a skirt expected to span the seasons.  To remedy that, I underlined it in batiste.  I love the way this fabric feels now; it is much more substantial.

 

The pattern is vintage Vogue 7444, from about 1979 or 1980.  I have made this view and the straight skirt version dozens of times for both Mehetabel and me.  Mehetabel sometimes wears my 1980s versions which are, sniff, too tight on me now.  This version is size 14, and I added about 4 inches to the length.



The construction of this skirt is easy.  After I underlined the skirt pieces, the seam allowances were finished on the serger.  I used an invisible zipper (center back), interfaced the waistband, and used a large hook and eye for the waistband closure.  The hem was hand-sewn after I attached bias tape to the hem edge.  The waistband was also finished by hand. 

 

The top is another old favorite:  New Look 6150.  I've made this view a handful of times.  This iteration is in a grayish blue mystery knit from Fabrix in San Francisco.  I think it cost about $2 per yard.  It is slinky and silky; Mehetabel says it feels like she's wearing a jammie top!  The top was constructed on my regular sewing machine, and I used the serger to trim and finish all seam allowances.  The shoulder seams are reinforced with twill tape.  I used my cover stitch machine to finish the hems and neckline.

 

The photo, below, is a better representation of the color:

All in all, this outfit is a success!  Yay!  Unfortunately, my most recent project is a failure.  I'll leave you with a photo of this darned thing.  I spent 9 hours on it.  I don't know why it took me so long.  Everything went wrong, but most of the problems were because I was trying to "improve" the pattern, I used a horrible lining fabric, and my application of clear elastic was a disaster.  Oh well.  I guess the failures help one to appreciate the successes that much more!

When is a Pencil Skirt not a Pencil Skirt?

The answer?  When it's a pencil dress!

 



 

The last time I was in Berkeley, I spent a fair amount of time at one of my favorite fabric stores: Stonemountain and Daughter.  One of the things I'd been searching for was a lemon-print fabric with a white background to create a Kate Spade-inspired dress which I'd pinned.  Well, no luck with the lemons, but as I was perusing the cotton novelty prints, I spied this pencil fabric.  I thought it would make an adorable fit and flare dress.  I also figured that my daughter, the previously mentioned not-her-real-name Mehetabel, would enjoy such a dress, being a high school teacher and all.  I could picture her wearing it with a black patent belt and shoes, and a black cardigan. 

 

When I checked in with Mehetabel, she saw the fabric, expressed delight, and asked if by any chance I'd consider making a dress for her!  So, with all systems go, I headed home to work on the dress.

 

 

For the pattern, I used Simplicity 2444.  I've made this dress (or used the bodice) about seven times I think.  Fitting issues were worked out long ago, so I was able to get right to the fun part. 

 

To give the fabric some heft as well as to stave off wrinkles and provide opacity, I underlined each piece with poly/cotton broadcloth.  In hindsight, I wish I had used batiste, but the broadcloth was what I had on hand.  After pre-treating the fabric, I didn't have enough to cut out the dress on the straight-of-grain.  We are a tall people; considerable length had been added to the bodice and skirt pattern pieces.  So, I cut the pieces on the cross-grain which allowed me to cut the skirt front on the center fold instead of in two pieces.  The underlining was cut on the straight-of-grain, and the combo of that with the cross-grain fashion fabric made it quite sturdy. 

 

This pattern, very popular in the blogosphere, sews up quickly and easily.  As I have done in the past, I made a one-piece facing (armscye and neckline) for the front and one for the back which were sewn in place and then hand-stitched to the underlining.  For the hem, I used white bias tape to finish it and hand-sewed it to the underlining.  For the closure, I used an invisible zipper.

 

Mehetabel tried on the dress the day before yesterday and loved it!  She wore it to work the next day.  The photo, below, is in her classroom.  She received many compliments and some pencil-pun comments as well (you look sharp; you're making a fine point..., etc.).

To confess, this is not the first time Mehetabel and I have collaborated on a themed dress.  At her last school (in another state), the mascot was a pirate, in honor of Sir Francis Drake.  We found pirate ship fabric on www.fabric.com, and a dress was born (New Look 6910).  Here she is:

 

 

Finally, I've found yet another themed fabric that I think will make a great dress.  This trimester, Mehetabel, a special education teacher, is also co-teaching freshman science.  I found this fabric at Mill End in the Portland, Oregon area.  I'd better get cracking on this dress because school ends soon!