Unrelated Things

In my endless quest to a) improve skills b) improve garment functionality and c) make things totally challenging and unknowable, I have decided to add a little twist into my Ginger skirt project, penultimate of the Spring Basics Palette projects.

By twist I mean twists, more accurately, in the form of spiral steel boning:

Photo courtesy of On Pins and Needles

Why recreate the same skirt you love, I say, when you can make a bias cut version with a different waistband that's tailored? Yeah, that's really keeping it simple.

At any rate, I watched Gertie's yellow dress, boned-bodice project with interest, though I was totally freaked out by the level of complexity involved. More recently, she revisited the concept on a waistband, using the Ginger skirt as her muse. That, I thought, is something I might get with in the course of time. Truth is, for all of my love of my Ginger skirt, having used a very stiff denim, and given that my lower abdomen is not flat, I've got a bit of bunching where the skirt rises up to meet the waist as I walk. I intend to ameliorate this by using a fabric with better drape next time (the cerise wool blend), by making the straight (rather than scalloped) waist band and, you guessed it, by venturing into the world of waist boning.

Ah, I can see a corset in my (distant) future.

(On the topic of where and how I've purchased the boning and tips, stay tuned. What I will tell you is that I bought Canadian. And - hilarious, I'm sure you'll agree - I paid through the nose for shipping given that the outlet is 2 hrs away and the vehicle is Canada Post. Let's just say I'm waiting for some clarification and to see the size of the package / contents within.)

Item above is vaguely related to my next item, I suppose, about the Freya Nieve long line bra and the Freya Nina plunge.

The world of lingerie is never dull here. In short, I bought the Nina set and then decided to keep the Nieve after first trying to replace the Nieve with the larger cup size - only to find that it's completely gone everywhere now that it's sale season and that colourway has been discontinued.

The long version is that I couldn't get the Nina as a replacement for the Nieve and also get the 20% discount that was being offered on the bra on Figleaves. I either had to a) buy the Nina and return the Nieve - which means I'd pay shipping on the Nina (5 pounds 50) and return fees on the Nieve (8 bucks CDN) or b) buy the Nina as part of my return but pay the full price aka somewhat more expensive than option a).

Now, the price of both of these sets together comes to $130.00 CDN - less than I'd pay for one of the bras alone at a B&M store here. So, any way you slice it, the discount is deep enough to mitigate a return and new purchase.

I was all set to return the Nieve but I couldn't stop trying it on. Every time I did I'd notice that the gores don't sit flat against my chest - but that, in every other way, this bra is awesome. By awesome I mean "inspiring awe". My boobs look so spherical they're mesmerizing. And so pushed up they're practically hitting my chin.

This leads me on a diatribe about the merits of padding. Don't get me wrong, I don't love the concept and I'm much more about the natural shaped breast (not that every bra isn't artificially shaping one's breasts in one way or another, but you know what I mean). But I can totally understand how the younger women love it. It's very, um, youthful. And the padding really is a means to an end. It doesn't so much increase the volume of one's chest as it molds it into a modern cultural ideal. I'm still trying to understand what's doing what. Is it the vertical seaming that contributes to the shape? The longline? The padding? All of the above?

Point is, I couldn't bring myself to give it back. I wore it today and, while I felt like Jessica Rabbit, it was fun under a very modest crew neck. Its practicality may be limited, but it's an experiment I'm not done with yet.

The purchase of the Nina is merely a function of my indulgent tendencies. I couldn't let a floral/animal/pink combo get away.

So, I figure if you don't care about waist boning, chances are you care about push up lingerie. Please feel free to share your thoughts about either of these threads. I want to hear them.

Flowers and Sweetheart Necklines

In case you don't know about it (which would be shocking!), there's a fab blog called The Blue Gardenia, and its got the best giveaway evah! In truth, there are lots of great giveaways and I love them all, but this one kicks some serious ass.

And in a totally weird twist of fate, one piece of the giveaway (yes, it's a bundle of goodies), is the very dress that Gertie will be making in her next sew along.

It's my opinion that you should a) run over to The Blue Gardenia and leave a comment and then b) check out Gerties New Blog for Better Sewing and hope for the best. At a bare minimum, you'll have some great hours reading two fantastic sewing blogs.

Denise (write of The Blue Gardenia) has also captured an audience of sewists - and people who love design - with her "Sewing Spaces" feature. It's the basis of the post I wrote a while ago, wherein I profiled my sewga room. It's so voyeuristic-good to see the sewing studios of many sewing bloggers of note. And it's a great opp to learn about new sewing blogs too...

Time, Time, Time

One of these days I'm going to count up the number of references to "time" on this blog - to not having it or needing it or enjoying it or wishing for more of it. I observe this in my writing all the time (ha!) - moreso than in any that of my fave blogs, many of whom are written by extremely busy people. (Dare I suggest it, they may be people even busier than me :-))

So here's another go at telling you that I have tons to say. Really, the details of my mind are so utterly fun and full you would love to take a ride on "Kristin's Tilt-A-Whirl Brain". (You do have to be a certain height though. It's not exactly PG in there.)

Meanwhile, let me give you a few sewing related updates:

• Even if you don't intend to do the Lady Grey sew along, you should bookmark Gertie's site and read along. It's totally fascinating. I'd be interested to hear about it - and to read the comments and view the Flickr page - whether I sewed or not, never mind simply not "actively" participating. I very much appreciate the opportunity to sew in a community, to the completion of a common goal. In truth, I am lonely in my sewing sometimes. I mean, sometimes it's tough having only your stealth and newbie skills for company. I rely on my sewing friends (see sidebar) for all kinds of support - emotional to practical. I am so glad to have a chance to do something that 140 other people will be doing simultaneously. I'm a big believer in group energy, so I'm intrigued to see how this is going to play out.
• It's going to be full-on coat sewing during a month when I'll also be traveling on a few occasions for work. So I wonder how I'm going to fit it all in. I mean, where will I find the time??? (please see above).
• FYI, the fashion fabric I bought for my coat is a navy boucle boiled wool (not matted like so much boiled wool. That's a look I do not like.) Still haven't found the perfect lining. Have the muslin but need to get a bunch of interlining and interfacing supplies. I'm prob going to try to do this hardcore, with the group, so I'll need to use hair canvas (for tailoring) and lambswool interlining (for warmth) etc. If I stop to think about it, I get a bit nervous. So I don't bother to do too much thinking.
• Another FYI, in case you're still considering joining this sew along, you should know the coat will have cost me about 150 bucks by the time I add in all the supplies and fabrics. That's before I spend 30 plus hours making it. So maybe, unless you're really stoked, you may want to go to Club Monaco and buy yourself something warm and chic. I bet you could work out a participatory blog experience out of that, with a little thought. And I'm likely to join, knowing me.
• BTW, don't begrudge the cost of your coats. Now that I'm making one, I don't think I could consider spending less than $500.00 on one ever again, economies of scale notwithstanding. I used to wonder how people spent thousands of dollars on garments. These days I can't believe that one can buy a pair of pants for less money than it costs to purchase the raw materials to make them.
• The Colette Patterns Sencha top is finally available for reorder: It's been out of stock forever (she says, like she's been sewing for years or something?!) because everyone in the freakin' sewosphere wants a chance at it. I just snapped it up to make with 2 woven fabrics I LOVE. One is an animal print (vaguely sheer) and the other is a merlot-coloured matte silk. Here's hoping I can pull this one off so that I look that much more elegant in my new pencil skirt.
• BTW, I'm totally thrilled with the new pencil skirt. I've practically forgotten all the ways in which it is imperfect.
  

In Case You Were Wondering

The reason you haven't heard more about sewing lost long weekend project three (Vogue 8413), is that it's still not finished. I know you're shocked by this admission.

OK, it's actually fairly close to being finished but an obnoxious half-day power-out on Monday really killed my momentum. Not to mention that it ate into the time remaining to finish the dress.

What's left to accomplish is easing the pleated bodice into the darted skirt at the waistline, adding an invisible zipper and then hemming the skirt. A long-time sewist could probably finish that in an hour. I don't know how long it will take me but I need to be rested before I tackle it.

Though I was going to take a break from sewing this weekend, I imagine I'll finish this and then trace the coat pattern for the Lady Gray Sew Along. I mean, it's not going to trace itself. I'm intrigued to learn that Gertie is a cutter, not a tracer. I was so not a tracer till I wrecked (by cutting) a chichi pattern and the Presbyterian in me couldn't deal with the waste. Weird, given I was raised Catholic. Note: I did feel guilty as well as wasteful!

Now it occurs to me that I can make the garment in other sizes, should I ever decide to sew for someone else. Of course, how I'm ever going to find time to sew for someone else given my current schedule and level of disinterest is beyond me, but you never know.

To follow up on the imperfect pencil skirt, I'm actually really liking it now. I wore it yesterday and discovered that the lining has stretched (somehow) and I will need to press the hem up and stitch it shorter. But the fit is much better than I originally understood. It's not as fitted as some things I wear, but it's really comfortable and it doesn't look loose, even as it gives me some breathing space. With flat boots, it's rather flattering. Oh, and I did match up those chevrons freakin' perfectly! See, sometimes I'm an enabler of perfection :-)

I say, take what you can get.

A Little Bit of Info...

As mentioned, it's been a super acquisitive time in the K-Line household. Never mind paying off vacation and back-to-school expenses - I'm talking about the 4 new patterns, new Panache lingerie set, 4 new books, new bra-making supplies (over and above the Bra Components ones) and the freakin' Babylock Imagine serger (previously mentioned)!

Somehow my subconscious thought this top-of-the-line piece of machinery would actually know how to sew my preferred garments by osmosis. Alas, I'm on a whole new learning curve. Thank goodness I like learning. And curves.

I can't talk about everything in this post. My mind is going in so many circles I have whiplash. I'm also insanely busy at work. So I'm still on blog break... But somehow I am compelled to write, just a little.

One of the patterns I bought is this one:


The reason? I'm about to embark upon this sew along, hosted by Gertie:


(I know, am I high on drugs?! Like I don't have enough to do and learn without adding tailoring to the equation - and an advanced pattern?)

Look, I figure when 100 plus people are making the same thing, the wavelength is strong, my friends. I'm counting on success because there will be so much information flowing, it would be stupid not to get on the tailoring bandwagon via this experience.

Of course, there will be more on this as the details emerge...

But really I want to tell you about a few new sewing books that are BLOWING my mind:

Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket

This one is going to save my ass, not only in making the coat, but when I make this (another of the new patterns I've bought):

Vogue 8333, Petite Jacket, Claire Shaeffer

Then, continuing on the Claire Shaeffer riff, there's:

Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide

Ounce for ounce, this might be the most useful sewing book I've ever seen, because it explains absolutely everything about every fabric you could ever want to sew with. Don't know what it is on the bolt? Her burn test diagnostics will distinguish between microfibres - that's how detailed this thing is. Want to know how to take care of your garment? No worries. How about best way to sew and treat the fabric? She's got it covered.

My (rather inebriated) husband was SO fascinated by it that we read passages for 3 hours last night. And he doesn't even care about sewing. In his words: this is the book to get you through the next apocalypse.

And finally:

Claire Shaeffer, Couture Sewing Techniques

I know, yet another Shaeffer book. But the woman is amazing! This one is a fun peek in on the beautiful couture techniques developed and utilized by such designers as Dior and Balenciaga. You know, it's a little light reading :-)

Anyone read these? Are you doing the Gertie sew along? Anyone doing the Gertie sew along in Toronto, by any chance?? Thoughts and feelings about any of this? Do share, please.