The Slip Saga Continues...

Brief update on the blue Ruby Slip. She is now cut out, skirt hanging on the dress form.

Some things of interest:

• Silk charmeuse is not as delicate as it looks. I have washed it, hung it to dry and steam pressed it (yes, with actual water) and it actually looks glossy and hangs nicely. It's not the same as its prewashed self, but growth is good, yes?
  
• Bias cut silk charmeuse is its own animal, people. OMG, what a princess! I can tell there's going to be some finagling with the hang.
• OK, this one is baffling - turns out my new blue lace, scalloped on both edges of the 60" width fabric (also 30 bucks a yard, fyi, and I used almost a yard), has a different motif on one scalloped side than the other?!?!? How can this be. Admittedly, I didn't look at it closely as it was being cut - I never in a million years imagined this might occur. The motifs are complementary (as they would have to be) but the flower pattern is obvs deliberately different. One half of the front of my slip is going to have one motif. The other half will have the other. I'm going to call it an interesting design feature.
• One other thing about cutting the lace. By the time you get to the lace, the cutting part of this project can be overwhelming. It really is the most tedious element. (I find cutting tedious at the best of times.) This time I decided not to be so matchy-matchy hardcore (obviously). The motif on this lace is airy. I just lay the pieces right next to each other as I cut them. That has to work, by logic, right? Even when you take seam allowances into consideration, there will be alignment. Or not. But it didn't torment me for 90 minutes this time.
  

Spring into Action

Oh, I am somewhat overwhelmed by my imagination. So many ideas - not so much digital illustrating experience. And yet I want to show you what's in my mind the way that many other sewing bloggers do.

I also have this schizophrenic, if creative, perspective on my reasons for wanting to story board. That's the subject of another post. A really long post.

However, this post is to tell you that I intend to do a Spring Basics Palette over the next 12 weeks and here's what it will entail:

• 6 garments - 4 of which have been sewn with success before. This isn't about reinventing the wheel. It's about nicely finishing and newly interpreting some standards for a new season. The garments will include a dress, a skirt, a pair of pants, a t shirt, a top and a pair of lounge (aka yoga) pants. Pattern names and numbers will follow...

• A fun, digital, fashion story board to show colour schemes and renderings of those garments on my croquis - likely not the one I've shown you already, but a new one (traced from another photo) which is more sassy. Having never yet tried to paint clothes on top of my croquis, I have no idea of how this is actually going to work. Palette experts, you may be getting some emails.

I'm going to give more details as soon as I can pull them together but I'll leave you with a few thoughts:

• My colour choices are really whacky. I don't know if they'll cohere in a palette, though I'm not concerned that they won't cohere in my wardrobe.
• I've already bought the fabric for 3 of the pieces and I have the fabric for 2 others in my stash. That leaves one garment to purchase for, unless I have some changes of heart.
• I've spent about $150.00 on the fabric and notions for 3 of the 6 garments. The fabric I already purchased for the other 2 probably cost me $30.00. I speculate I will spend $200.00 and 6 weekends over the next 12 weeks to produce my spring wardrobe.
• I estimate I would have to spend upwards of $600.00 to purchase these items RTW. Of course, that would take about 2 hours.
• Recently, Peter wrote asked the interesting question "Are you a practical or fantasy sewer?" This didn't take more than a moment of consideration for me. I am practical. Of course, who can say if my version of practical is someone else's whimsical, but no mind. The Spring Basics Palette is so named because I anticipate the pieces to work interdependently - and day-to-day.
  

And to close the loop on the topic of the next version of the Ruby Slip and the fabric I've treated:

• I heard you all re: concerns about the properties of guipure. I went out today and bought 2 new types of mesh-based lace - one piece in a light navy and another in black. I will make the next slip using one of these. (And for the one after that - the gathered bodice version - I'll use the other piece.)
  
• In the end, neither the guipure nor silk swatches I hand-washed yesterday either a) bled colour or b) shrank in the least. Intriguing. The silk did change texture somewhat (not that I've ironed the swatch as yet, so the change may not be as pronounced as I'm currently imagining). Even with texture change, and slight loss of sheen, I opted to wash the rest of it by hand because I'm really not prepared to dry-clean. If fading or mega-shrinkage were in the cards, or if the fabric were to be fundamentally destroyed by water, I'd go that route. But it's just not the case. Will the silk look unaltered by this treatment? No. But you've all given me the confidence to try this method - and to recognize that there's not just one way to view silk.

So, if anyone has words of encouragement or advice (anything technical is welcome :-)) please chime in. If you've done the Colette Palette Challenges or a similar version, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Interim Update: Prepping Delicate Fabrics

Thank you so much, everyone, for taking the time to share your experience and expertise re: caring for delicate fabrics.

Here's what I can tell you so far:

• Marina, I take your point about the challenging quality of guipure. The key (or so I think at this point) is to make sure that one cuts to the outside of the stabilizing grid that contains the lace, otherwise it really starts to fall apart.
  
• My goal is to use those grids as the anchor for sewing it some stabilizing underlining. My current options are some black power net with stretch 2-way stretch, some navy bra "wing" fabric (the stuff that makes the sides of your bra that attach to the cups on one side and the closure on the other) and some black mesh with no stretch.
• The best drape is in the power net with a firm, 2-way stretch (but I'm not sure if I should be aiming to use a stable fabric with no stretch). I just don't want the underlayer to make the very drapey lace fall stiffly. Thoughts?
• There's another alternative - that I might use the guipure to make the lace border for the gathered bodice version of the slip. This would minimize its structural element, while retaining the beautiful border.
  
• I have hand-washed 2 swatches: one of the silk and one of the lace; both are currently air drying.
• Neither appears to have bled much colour at all into the soapy water - maybe the guipure released a bit of dye.
• Both seem as dark as they were, but they're wet.
• I'll let you know about shrinkage/hand/sheen etc. when they dry.
  

Shout Out to the Experts: Prepping Delicate Fabrics

I'm mentally (and technically) preparing myself for the next iteration of the Ruby Slip. This is the one that will use guipure lace and the most lovely, navy, silk charmeuse I've ever seen. Really, the hand on this stuff is awesome.


(Brief aside, for those who are unfamiliar with guipure - count me amongst yourselves: It's a rather sassy lace - it's not backed with netting in the way of "regular" lace. The stuff I bought is quite robust. I am concerned about the volume, but I love it so much, I'm going to throw caution to the wind.)

Here is my question with rationale (broken up into numerous sections?!):

• I've looked through Claire Schaeffer's book to determine the best way to treat these fabrics. My hope was to wash them by hand before sewing as they both tend to shrink quite a bit. Alas, Ms. Schaeffer advises that dark-coloured silk tends to fade when hand-washed, and the satin shine dulls. Deal is, it will likely wreck that extremely luxe thing it's got going on.
  
• I don't like dry-cleaning. I used to dry-clean everything until I realized it was poison and it doesn't so much clean your clothes as toxify them. I also don't like paying for the pleasure. And really, I've had some clothing ruined due to harsh handling when dry-cleaned, though not recently.
• But I don't want to mess with the fabulous sheen and fall of the silk, the drape of the lace.
• How would y'all procede: suck it up and dry clean (infrequently)? Or hand wash and risk disaster?

Side question:

• Any of you who've sewn with guipure, please provide your insights. I believe it's popular in bridal tailoring (which is likely why Sherry, formerly a creator of wedding wear, was able to enlighten me about it's pedigree). What are your feelings about it? Is it a challenge, a pleasure - or something in between.
  

Slip Half Full

If you can make heads or tails of the meaning of this post's title then I salute you!

But never mind you, friends. This is all about a little lady named Ruby... (Grab a drink, this is going to take a while):

I understitched the bodice to the skirt to give it a bit more structure, and to help to stabilize the lace.

See how much longer my bodice is than the original version? That's what happens when you add a bunch of inches to accommodate a full bust.

(All the best slips have mood lighting.)

I actually think the dress form looks a little sexy here. Is that possible??

Can you say gratuitous self indulgence??

The Good:

• It's a wearable muslin, which is more than I can say about any other lingerie garment I've made before.
• It's really pretty.
• It's not hideously made - but I used cheap materials and you should never do that if you want something to turn out well. Note: If I'd used expensive materials and this thing fucked up, I'd want to kill myself, so it was a calculated trade off.
• The thread could not have been a better-matched shade if I tried (it was in my stash?!). It means some of the dubious bodice seam sewing looks just fine when it really should not.
• My franken-version of an FBA didn't work out half bad!
  

The Bad:

• It really needs a bit more length in the bodice to actually seam at the narrowest part of my underbust. I have already cut the next version of the pattern, adding 0.5" to the bodice pieces. I hope that will work. It doesn't look that way on the dress form because the boobs on the form are slightly smaller than mine (and the ass is slightly larger, while we're clarifying).
• I used cheap material and I'm sure it will impair the longevity of this wearable muslin. People, cheap lace is not strong. Keep this in mind. If I were able to make this slip without modification, I would only use the best lace. Hell, next time I make it I'm using the best lace.

Additional Info:

• The short version is too short, IMO - and you know I'm not tall. I'm going to need to recut the skirt for the long version. (Note to self: Don't forget to recut the skirt for the longer size.
• The bra straps work really well, as long as the lace to which you affix them has substance.
• Handkerchief hems on bias skirts, using fabric that doesn't like to press are rather labour-intensive. Nonetheless, I like the finished effect.
• I've adjusted the body so tremendously that I can't figure out exactly where the centre front notches should go anymore. I have tried to reason it out but my brain is tired.
• I used a bra-making method to sew the bodice seams, which I think is slightly different from the many good seam-finishing methods that Sherry suggests. Because I didn't want any bulk at all, and because I know from past experience that closely top stitched seams on lace don't fray, I pressed open the seams (after checking fit 8 zillion times), topstitched about 1/8" from the seam and then used applique scissors to cut the seam allowance very close to the top stitched seam on the wrong side of the garment. I didn't overlock those seams.
  
• It wouldn't have been a bad idea to underline the weak lace with power net (which I have) but I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't want to deviate too much from the plan.
  
• I only increased the circumference of the skirt by about an inch on the front (divided over the 2 side seams). I did this to accommodate the reasonably small amount of extra width of the bodice (the result of the FBA). In a perfect world there would be no increase of underbust measurement but it's pretty tricky to make something this fitted with vastly divergent needs at underbust vs full bust. Remember, I've got almost a 5" difference in those measurements as a result of large breasts and a narrow frame. It's a challenging alteration.
• I actually unstitched the seam of the skirt to the bodice after serging the seam, to get back about 1/4 of an inch of length. This is one of the reasons that I understitched. I felt it really needed some reinforcement.
  

Man, I'm tired.

Please write me a comment and tell me that you love this - or say anything else you'd like. Let's talk!

In the Navy

Meet my New Year's eve outfit:

Oooh, navy on navy. How do they look so different? These are the Clover pants and V8323.

This completely poseur-y shot was actually taken while I was adjusting my hair (all 1 inch of it). But it shows the lines of the outfit well, I think.

This equally poseur-y shot is for y'all cuz I think you all deserve a kiss!

This nice-girl photo is for my mother, cuz she loves shots like this...

I can't tell you how it thrills me to wear an outfit entirely of my own construction!

Now, you may know that I was taking some big time chances on the centre back (my alteration) invisible zipper holding up. I figured, in a worst case scenario it could be a fun "OMG, 2011 totally sucked" story: There I was, raising a glass of bubbly and my freakin' pants fell apart. At a party?!? I am SO ready for 2012...

I definitely need to slender out a smidge before wearing them again. But I do think they're going to be go-to pants when I lose a bit of volume in my derriere, post-Xmas.

The Good:

• I'm super pleased by the pants crotch length and depth, which I altered to suit my shape.
• I did really nice work on the facing at the back zip by morphing up the instructions for the Clovers and the Ginger skirt (which has a back zipper). I'm starting to get with that insertion technique Sarai espouses, which I didn't like at first. It really is freakin' clean, if you can get it to work.
• I finally realized that, when you alter the waistline of your pants, you will absolutely need to alter the waistband and facing: where they sit, where they seam, maybe even how they're curved (slightly). It's not rocket science but it is finicky and time-consuming.
• And let's give me a pat on the back for moving the zipper in the first place. Of course, it was probably harder than just figuring out how to get the zipper to insert nicely at the curved side seam, but you live, you learn.
  
• I think that the adjustments I made on the second version of V8323 really do improve the proportions on me. The neck is notably less chokey.
• I also like the peplum bestowed on the design by virtue of the drape of the fabric. It's nice and flowy.
• I LOVE both fabrics - colour (obvs, if I had to choose 1 colour to wear for the rest of my life it would easily be navy) and hand/drape of each. Both sewed very evenly.

The Less Good:

• I really don't love invisible zippers on stress points. I can see how they're a smarter zip for a side opening, than a centre-back opening.
• The pants are too tight right now, but it's not a critical issue. I can tell that they're tight where I've gained a bit of mass over the hols.
  

What I have observed about my wardrobe is that I wear my own handiwork most days - sometimes one piece, sometimes an entire outfit including scarf and coat?! Also, can we chat about the hand-made coat for a second? I cannot believe I made it. I must have been high on drugs to undertake hand tailoring when sewing for less than a year. And, sadly, I can't wrap my brain around ever wanting to do something so complex again. But look, it's NAVY!

What's your default sewing colour?

Slippery

OK, Sherry would like you to know that she loves cutting out lace as it inspires her to sew things up right afterwards. For my money, this activity was a seriously brain-hurting and tedious couple of hours. And I still don't know if things are going to line up. But somehow, at this point, I find it hard to care.

For starters, I did use up a yard of lace, scalloped on both sides. I bought a yard and a half, so all is well, but I had a couple of cutting mishaps on the (scallop lace-intensive) back piece. I feel terrible that I'll have no use for the scallop-free 60" width of this. Anyone have any ideas about what one can do with it after the fact??

Ooh, pink and pretty! (I seem to be on a "pretty" kick lately.) Remember, I did my own version of the FBA on this fabric.

Here's a shot of the creative process in action :-) It took me longer than I'd like to admit to piece the bodice together.

And here's a shot of the front skirt on the bias! I don't think I've ever cut on the bias before. It was seriously fussy. Kind of like the lace!

Here's my theory about this project: The bulk of the travail is in the cutting. (BTW, I really hope that theory is right because I want the hard part to be over!)

What I mean is, yes, the bias sewing might take some tweaking i.e. basting first and hanging for a couple of days to see what curls, and how. But, in truth, it's sewing a couple of seams and finishing them. The lace may be fussy to work with, but let's remember I've made many bras (no, none that actually fit, whatever), but their construction has taught me some skills I hope will be useful in the sewing phase of this project.

Pretty well every project I undertake is aspirational. At some point, I become sucked in by the potential that the finished garment might just be the most gorgeous, well-fitted, perfectly constructed thing that's ever been sewn. Often, my hopes are dashed when the final stitch is sewn. Sometimes, I am very happy with the finished result. I generally have to choose between excellent construction, perfect fit and gorgeousness. For some reason, that trifecta seems to elude me. :-)

But man, I can't tell you how I hope that this thing will work well. It borders on the lingerie that I haven't yet perfected. How awesome would it be to figure out an FBA the likes of which means that an actual undergarment (albeit not a bra) will fit? I wear slips. I love slips. I want to make my own excellent slip!

Give me your good vibes, ok? (No pressure.)