2015 Fall Capsule Wardrobe: A Couple of Updates

So, my second version of the Jenna Cardi was not a success. Why? Well, for starters something seriously whack happened and one side of the bodice was longer than the other. I fixed it but it led to overstretched mishapen-ness. I had to trim a whole buttonhole off of the button band. But that's not even what went non-negotiably wrong.

I learned a really valuable lesson today: that stretchy fabric with great recovery can be less stretchy, on balance, than less stretchy fabric with good drape. To wit, the indigo rayon/poly ponte (used to make version 2) is SO firm that I really should have made pants out of it (live and learn). Yeah, it stretched by 60 per cent (by comparison with the teal fabric's 50 per cent) but the teal (also pretty firm and stable) actually moves. The ponte feels like armour.

I think it may have been one of those ill-fated sewing moments but I don't begrudge it because I was able to make the sweater twice (to understand it better and to get a sense of which fabrics will work best in the future). I have a TNT sewn cardigan and a place where I can get more of that teal sweater knit - in other colours! Things could be worse.

On the plus side, I followed Gillian's suggestion - I cut the existing skirt off the top of the Kimono dress, shortened it from the top by 3 inches (the part that was too narrow for me) and sewed it back onto the bodice. The wider part - below that 3 inches - which forms the new waist, works well over my, ahem, lower abdominal curve. Fortunately, I made the original skirt on the long side, a look I like in a dress, but I'll take a now-knee-length skirt under the circumstances. It's a perfectly delightful wearable muslin.

What I then had to do (which worked, but not optimally and not particularly neatly) was to narrow the waist of the bodice above the seam where the skirt attaches. Yeah, I should have done it before sewing the bodice to the shortened skirt (and done a bit of easing), but they fit together nicely so I didn't think about it till I tried on the finished garment and realized that the waist was a good 1.5" too large in the waist circumference.

Hey, that's what muslins are for, right? And if you can wear them at the end of it, so much the better. If only somehow I could get the support of that navy ponte into the waist area of the bamboo jersey dress! I know, it doesn't work that way but really, the bamboo doesn't suck anything in. At all.

Still haven't decided what to make for my last garment of the weekend. Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't make the others that remain, over the next few weeks. I'm inclined not to have to fit anything but then, I also feel like making the Emily knit top (it wasn't on the list for this collection). It might be fun. And I really should make another pair of my flat front denim trousers. Hmmm... this is getting out of control. I'm off to update my work plan.

2015 Fall Capsule Collection: Self-Drafted Kimono Sleeved Dress

You'll have to take my word for it that I got somewhere with the kimono dress today. I'm not quite there yet, technically, but I finished the garment a few minutes ago.

What's wrong? Well, it doesn't fit in just the same way that the last one didn't (but less severely, given that I did make the pattern bigger before constructing this version). Part of my problem is that I didn't quite understand where the fit issue was. I mean, I knew it, but I didn't get it. I don't so much need the size increase at the waist circumference (though a bit of that was useful) - but to increase the circumference notably at the high hip / lower abdomen where all my fat is. (Part of me feels it would be polite to temper my terms but, really, I'm not one for that - it's fat.)

So I've now revised the pattern again to give an extra inch in that zone (culling a bit at the actual waist).

What does this mean for the current version which is, frankly, beautifully made and FREAKIN' gorgeous to behold in every way (except, perhaps on me)? A couple of things. Scott noted that it's great everywhere but in the lower ab zone (which he doesn't feel is as dismal as I do). He suggested Spanx, which really didn't endear him to me, but also reminded me that I'm at my uber-bloat moment of the month. So I'm going to let sanity prevail for a bit and confirm that this is not a wearable garment later on.

Of course, I'm confident it's not a wearable garment. So I'm planning ahead. I've decided my best option is to cut off the current skirt (might be able to get a T shirt out of it?) and try again. Of course, that also means I'll have to buy another 0.66 yards of fabric. I need 24 inches, or exactly 2/3 of a yard.

A few other thoughts:

• No question, this bamboo is clingy. I don't mean that it's too clingy, but it does like to grab (which means I can't be skimpy when I use it). I used the peacock blue and it's just as gorgeous to sew with, look at and to feel as the grey stuff. But it's less forgiving because it's bright freakin' blue. To wit: If I'd sewn this in black, I'm pretty sure I would be able to wear it as is.

• The bamboo produces stunning drape. You know those jersey pieces you find in fancy stores that cost hundreds of dollars?  It's made with shit like this. I cannot overstate my hard-won perspective that high-quality (which inevitably translates into expensive) fabric is the way to go. Seriously, if you have to sew fewer things to use quality fabric, then sew fewer things. If I had tons of extra cash lying around, I'd start a little program wherein I'd give 2 yards of awesome jersey fabric to anyone who wanted it. I'd pay for the shipping and everything (cuz money would be no object) and everyone would participate and agree with me. What? It's my fantasy public program. Everyone would agree.

• This pattern is pretty close - when I fix the lower ab issue, it'll likely be a great staple because it can be made in all kinds of knit fabric (terry!) for different appeal. 

• You'll notice I haven't dwelt on the bodice (my usual area of constant chatter) because the fit is great! I have a lot of luck with kimono/dolman/cut on sleeves. I think it's because of my narrow shoulder, slim arm combo - that offsets the boob issue I often have. This bodice has bust darts (unsual for knit patterns, IMO) which improve fit all the more.

All in all, I'm not unhappy about this outcome. I've refined a pattern that needed work (but really benefited from it). I've got a dress pattern that is unique, flattering (in the main) and duplicable. FYI, there's also a top-only version of this that I do intend to make again in drapier fabric...

I'll aim to get back to my new fave store for more fabric before the weekend. Hopefully I'll be able to update this and make 3 or 4 other garments next (long) weekend. We'll have to see.

Today's question: Have you ever had a fitting blind spot? You know - not your normal "trouble area" but something that emerges and throws you a bit for a loop?

2015 Fall Capsule Wardrobe: The Planning Progresses

Thanks everyone, for commenting on my proposed fall sewing plans. Here's where things stand now (after one of those really "in your face" sew-planning days that yields as many questions as answers - and paper cuts):

• I bought the StyleArc Danni Dolman dress, Emily Knit Top, Sunny Knit Top and Fiona Cardigan. (See here for tech drawings of each.) 

• I put together one of those documents I like to make, outlining my fabric, pattern and pattern-with-fabric options. On page 2 you can see that I landed on these capsule collection choices: 

• StyleArc Sunny Top (in Navy French Terry, if I can do it with 1.25 yards...)

• Self-Drafted Kimono Sleeve Dress (Electric Blue Bamboo)

• StyleArc Danni Dolman Dress (Lavender Modal)

• True Bias Hudson Pants (in Slate French Terry unless I can't do the Sunny in 1.25 of Navy French Terry. Then I'll switch them cuz I think I can get short Hudsons out of a smaller yardage.)

• Vogue 8323 (Lavender Modal or this blue (what a shock) Tencel/Wool jersey I bought from Fabrications a long time ago but don't seem to have any record of, like, anywhere. It's in my closet though. Should have enough of one of these.)

I dispute the required yardages given that I always shorten EVERYTHING by 3 inches. So I'm inclined to give some of my shorter yardages a try, if it seems possible.

What does this tell me about myself?

• I'm embracing the knits big time.
• I'm not into setting in sleeves, apparently, because every one of these options (that has sleeves) has a kimono sleeve of sorts.
• I like making capsule collections of 5 items.
• 4 of these will be work-worthy (if perhaps on Friday)

I spent Sunday aft making up documents, altering my TNTs (yup, if you go long enough, you've got to revisit and alter these things) and assembling downloadable patterns. Now I remember why I buy the ones in an envelope. Lord, what a time, paper, ink and tape suck. Still, it beats waiting. I think.

Here's a glimpse at what I was up to:

Sunny Cocoon Top 

StyleArc Sunny Cocoon Top. Yeah, those are my exceedingly brown feet (only part of me with colour).

Have you ever seen a pattern that looks like this? Seriously, I cut the 10 but I am vaguely afraid. It's very loose looking. I can tell (having done very prelim measurements) that I'm going to have to cut 4 inches off the length and 3 inches from the sleeves (or maybe the centre back?!) The sleeves are measured from the centre back and they're drop shoulder. This should be an adventure, she says optimistically.

Danni Dolman Dress

39 pages to create a dress that's 2 pieces and some ribbing. This is more than half of the floorspace of my sewga room...

Here's what's left after cutting - but note the cutting is rough. I've left space around the cut lines to make alterations...

More to the point, have you ever seen a dress that's effectively 2 pieces?? This thing may look hideous when finished (or not) but it ain't gonna take a long time to put together :-) I need to consider my alterations on this one. I think I'll compare my self-drafted dress (which is also a cut-on sleeve design) and consider shortening the sleeves, waist (to remove overall length), back piece (to remove fabric pooling at the low back and a slight restructure of the boat-esque neck. I'm really narrow in the shoulders so a boat neck for me is like an off the shoulder thing for someone else.

Vogue 8323: I had my biggest shock when I went to check on V8323, which I have only sewn once, back in 2012. OMG, people, in case I wonder if I've learned anything over the years, let this be my example. I am seriously scared by what I found, alterations-wise. Let's just say that I have no idea why I cut all of the excess length of the bodice from the shoulder height?! Actually I suspect it's cuz the armscyes were insanely long (a Vogue trend) and I didn't know what else to do. My originally altered sleeve head looked like a skinny disk. It was insane. I don't know how any of this could have come together into a tolerably adequately-fitting garment. I now understand why it was always so weird feeling to wear.

Strangely, I didn't start from scratch. The Vogue pattern paper can't take it and, really, the original garment wasn't a disaster from a fit perspective. Instead, I went back to my knit sloper and copied the arm depth and armscye shape. I suppose the original had a really long waist and a low-set bust apex - which is the only way my haphazard alteration could have worked. Being self-taught is dangerous, people. We'll see if my latest alterations give me a good result.

Hudson Pants: I don't envision any serious alterations to the Hudson pants (except for shortening) because I only recently fitted them and my lower half is much less prone to changes these days than my midsection.

Self-Drafted Kimono Sleeve Dress: I did alter the self-drafted kimono sleeve dress by adding 1.5 inches at the waist tapering at the full hip. That was a hit to my ego. The bodice (from a vintage Simplicity pattern) is so whack, I daren't do too much to change it (other than making sure the waist works with the skirt). The top was a very good fit in ponte though I cannot figure out how it comes together correctly. I guess I'll relearn as I make it again.

I hope to get started on this next weekend and then complete it over the September long weekend.

Back in Black

Crazy times, peeps. Today I wore my partially self-drafted dress to work, just for novelty, and I was inundated with compliments. Seriously, people responded like it was the best looking dress they'd ever seen. (In truth, I wore makeup for the first time in 2 months today, so they might have been responding to the brass and glass.) You'd be amazed, but apparently no one remembers the 80s, not even the people who were there.

I'm not usually so impressionable, but by the end of the day I was channeling my inner-Norma Kamali and had practically convinced myself I need to make one of these in every colour! Hilariously, I decided to go all-out and wore it with a jersey moto-jacket, for veracity. And to educate young people.

OK, I have no intention of making it in any other colours, but I do think I might have to add this self-drafted (for stable knit) skirt to my self-drafted T shirt and call it a full-on Kristin design.

On reflection, the self-drafted skirt is a great fit, it's insanely comfortable (but put-together) and the bodice of the dress (a highly-modified version of Simplicity 3302) does look way better on me than on the dress form. The line of the shoulder and the visible arm seam really creates a lovely silhouette. Yeah, I may be drinking the Kool-Aid, but at least I'm not complaining!

I used a ponte knit that was graciously gifted to me by Susan. Let me tell you, it fits and drapes like a dream. Goes to show, when you use a good fabric, you can even time-travel with no adverse consequence.

One other quick note: I continue to review the Bettie pattern, and to write notes and rip them up and draw pics and throw them away. Edad! I've finally got to the point in the pattern where the sleeve caps begin (pretty well the last part) and I have to reiterate that this is SERIOUSLY complex. I mean, interpreting the pattern is far more difficult than making the garment will be, I'm sure.

Having said this, I think I love it. It's so brain-bending and in a totally different way than the hard-won cable set-up for the Chuck (which tormented me and was not fun). I guess I like construction intricacy more than stitching intricacy?

At this point, I'll argue that anyone who's been knitting longer for than me should be up to the challenge. Hell, I'm making this thing. But if you don't like lots of text and you prefer to just jump in (vs sorting out the directions in advance), it may not be a good match. Then again...