tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44782948705514471012024-03-05T20:59:17.025-08:00cupcaitCaitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-4048972407080442372018-05-04T09:30:00.000-07:002018-05-04T10:13:00.853-07:00my elopement + handmade wedding dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, here's the kind of person I am: the kind that puts off planning my elopement for most of a year, finally picks a date two months in advance, orders (and then ignores) a bunch of silk swatches from Mood, and then completely decides to not think about the dress I'm going to make until three weeks before the wedding day. Once the three week mark hit, I began panicking about how I had absolutely no idea what I wanted the dress to look like at allllll, forced myself to iterate through several designs and fittings that just didn't do it for me, and eventually settled on a bodice front, bodice back, and skirt (all designed during different stages of the process). Then I ordered final fabric from across the country 11 days before the big day, overcame a few more unexpected and major design and fit hurdles, and then sewed the entire final dress up in 2 days (with 2 more partial days of hand hemming, the worst task) - done, with a dress I loved, with 4 days to spare! Phew. It was completely stressful, but honestly that kind of pressure makes me feel the happiest and most alive, and I can't imagine having attempted this big, meaningful project any other way.<br />
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A little more about our wedding day: Tim and I finally decided to get married after almost 8 years together. Practical maybe to a fault, we put it off indefinitely while we were both in tech, and once I quit my job we decided it finally made sense for both tax and health insurance reasons (and, you know, the fact that we're in love and had been together for the better part of a decade and had no intention of ever breaking up). Hopeless romantics obviously. But we did decide to make this a day we would look back on lovingly - no extended family drama, no 200-person guest list or caterer or florist or venue to stress over. And our parents were amazingly supportive despite not having an invite. We decided to run off to the woods outside of Portland, bringing along 2 of our oldest and closest friends, our corgi Tumbles, and a photographer slash witness to the ceremony (who I met in person on my Wildbride retreat a couple of years ago, and who had the perfect aesthetic for our chilly PNW woods elopement). I honestly expected at least something to go horribly wrong - freezing rain driving us all back home after 20 minutes seemed the most likely culprit. But honestly the day was pretty much everything I could have hoped for? The dress worked out, the rain held off, the photos are amazing, and our friend Phil's internet ordainment totally took and we ended up legally married :)<br />
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Here are some of my fav photos from the day, all taken by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/liz.morrow/">Liz Morrow</a> (who I believe is out of the photography biz now, and I'm forever grateful she come down to take these before shifting career paths!).<br />
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For the sewists (or just the curious) out there, here's a bit more info about the dress:<br />
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My wedding dress was totally designed, drafted, fit, and sewn up by me. It's made with 3 kinds of silk: a <a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/deep-charcoal-silk-charmeuse-pv1000-193">charmeuse</a> bodice with <a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/deep-charcoal-silk-organza-pv3000-193">organza</a> sheer panels on the front and back, <a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/deep-charcoal-silk-wide-chiffon-pv5012-193">chiffon</a> skirt with organza hem facings, and even more organza used as underlining and sew-in interfacing for the zipper. All silk was ordered from Mood in the <a href="https://www.moodfabrics.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=deep+charcoal">deep charcoal colorway</a>. I also used flannel to underline the bodice to give it more structure, since I wouldn't be wearing a bra with the dress. I started off with my custom bodice sloper and iterated... and iterated.. and iterated. Lots of muslin and then cheap poly versions of my silks, and finally the real deal. There were a few terrifying parts during construction: trying to sew the angles of the sheer bodice panels without any creasing, turning the charmeuse straps out through the points of the back bodice, inserting an invisible zipper into two layers of delicate silk chiffon. But even though the process was full of indecision and iteration, it was surprisingly devoid of full on disasters, much like the wedding day itself! I really truly loved making this dress and am honestly thinking about having a one year anniversary party just so I can wear it one more time :) I actually considered going into the bespoke wedding dress field for like 2 seconds, but a huge part of the joy in this was knowing I had no one to please but myself. I just can't imagine dealing with brides and wedding stress that isn't my own. But for me, this project was the perfect way to celebrate my wedding day.<br />
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<br />Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-80171697907355147802017-12-18T13:10:00.000-08:002017-12-18T13:10:36.943-08:002017 roundup: cowl-back silk dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you were following along last December, you may recall that I was invited to a wedding and had nothing to wear, so I sewed a dress using a vintage Vogue pattern (more on that <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/12/sewn-vintage-vogue-5701-dress.html">here</a> and <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/12/vintage-vogue-5701-dress-construction.html">here</a>). Here's the thing about me and sewing: until this fall, I still disliked a fairly large percentage of what I made, either because the construction just wasn't quite where I wanted it to be, or (more often) because the fabric, silhouette, and overall look just ended up not being my style. I think this is a fairly normal process to go through as you get used to the freedom of being able to design and sew literally anything you can imagine. I used to make something, wear it a few times, and then many months later have the realization that I just didn't <i>like</i> it, and that it certainly wasn't something I would be interested in buying if I saw it in a store. Fortunately that process seemed to get quicker every time, going from months to days, and I think I'm finally getting to the point where I can plan and make something I do <b>actually like and want to wear</b>. Back to last year's dress: I was honestly really excited about it when I wore it to the wedding, and I don't think it looked bad. But looking back at pictures after the fact, I realized it was less of a muted gray color (what I had envisioned) and more metallic gunmetal. The almost foil-like sheen is a lot and isn't what I was going for. And I've realized this year that I'm just not as into the vintage fit-and-flare look as I used to be, even though I think it complements my body type very well. There's more to dressing than just showing off our best assets, amirite?<br />
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Given all of that, and the fact that one side of the bodice started to rip open and I don't know if there is enough seam allowance to successfully mend it, I decided to take what I learned about patternmaking, construction, and my ever-evolving personal style and make a new dress for some summer weddings earlier this year.<br />
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I went back and forth on what I wanted the dress to look like for a long time. I originally wanted to do a silk version of the rayon maxi dress I drafted and sewed for class back in February, with an added slit up one leg for a little more glamour. (I apparently never posted a photo of the dress on! In large part because I feel like my construction was subpar. But the technical sketch is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BRpfVw4AIGr/?taken-by=platycait">here</a>.) I of course went back and forth until the weekend before wedding #1, leaving myself very little time to figure out fabric and create the whole dress. I decided to look for a silk crepe, and I headed to a local fabric store that has ends of bolts for lots of pretty silk. Unfortunately, I only found a few colors that I really liked against my skin tone, and none of them had more than 2.5 yards left - not nearly enough for the long, paneled dress I planned to make. I went home and looked into ordering online, but I realized I didn't trust the photos enough to know what would look good on me, and there was definitely no time left for swatches. So I went back to the fabric store again and bought up my favorite silk, even though there were just under 2.5 yards left and I had no actual plan for the dress. I also picked out 2.5 yards of Bemberg lining and an invisible zip to match.<br />
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I wanted to make something more understated than the fit and flair look, less vintage, less complex, more room to just let the beautiful silver silk be the star. I learned from the busted side seam of my previous silk dress and planned to make this one with a looser fit, so as not to strain the delicate fabric. And I'm all about the shift dresses lately, so that was a good jumping off point. The silk deserved something that would show off its drape, and since a floor-length skirt wasn't going to be possible, I decided to put last spring's draping class to good use and use my dress form to drape a low back cowl.<br />
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I haven't yet gotten to the point of feeling comfortable draping with my final fabric, a la Project Runway, so I started with muslin. The muslin looked awful on the dress form and on me, but I knew it would regardless of whether the final fabric version was going to look good or bad - it just doesn't have the drape needed to create a nice looking cowl. I had some cheap floral poly in my stash that I'd been planning to use for a muslin eventually, so I made a second version in this to get a better idea for how the cowl would drape. I made a few tweaks from here, including lowering the back cowl for a little more drama. I made a second version in the drapey fabric to confirm my changes, and then finalized the pattern pieces, including seam allowances and updating them to not be cut on the fold.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">first muslin attempt - awful in this fabric, but good enough to try in something drapier</span></div>
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the polyester muslin</div>
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and some final tweaks to lower the back and change the lining + facing situation</div>
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Cutting the silk and lining was a beast. I hadn't yet built my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZJO-k3gIPu/?taken-by=platycait">cutting table</a>, so I cleared off the dining room table and did my best with my rotary cutter and 2 cutting mats that weren't big enough for the pattern pieces. It took a full 2 hours to cut four pieces out (front and back of each the outer fabric and lining), but overall it was a success. I believe this was the afternoon that I vowed to finally stop putting off making that cutting table, and a month later I did it.<br />
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The sewing part actually wasn't bad, even with slippery fabrics. My still new Bernina helped a ton, as did its walking foot and straight stitch plate (a plate under the presser foot with a small hole instead of a wide rectangle opening - it means I can't move my needle or do zig zag stitches with that plate on, but it makes it much less likely that delicate fabric will get pushed down into the machine).<br />
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With only 4 pieces, sewing was mostly straightforward, although the cowl and lack of back zipper made things a little interesting. The cowl's facing (part of the outer fabric piece that folds under to the inside of the dress) is shaped so that the back lining doesn't actually reach the shoulders. I had figured this construction out on a muslin first so it wasn't totally confusing when I sewed the real thing, but it was still pretty tricky, and I when I look too closely I worry that one back shoulder doesn't lay totally flat. The armholes were a pain because I had to sew the lining and outer fabrics right sides together, but with the garment right side out. This meant doing a sort of burrito with each armhole, the front and then the back, and sewing up toward the shoulder as high as I could. It's hard to explain this in writing, and I tried to show this in instagram stories when I was working on it but even there it was difficult to really show what was going on. Just know it was very annoying, slippery, and tricky, but I got it all together! And then I just had to sew the side seams - one big french seam going from the outer hem, through the armpit, and down to the lining hem on each side. Then I let it rest on the dress form for about a day and hemmed both layers. Done!<br />
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armhole burrito situation in progress, with little 1/4" seam allowances because that's how i roll.</div>
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I bought a beautiful necklace from <a href="https://www.altarpdx.com/collections/jewelry">Altar</a> here in Portland to add a little interest and edginess to the front, got some shoes that matched the silk super well, and made this work for two weddings. Unlike last year's wedding guest dress, this one survived both and I still like it, so it's nice to know that it's still in my closet if I have another event to go to. If you're wondering about the bra situation with a low back like this, I bought some stick on pasties to cover any nipple show through and said "fuck it" to the idea that I need to wear a supportive bra with everything. This was definitely a departure from anything I'd worn to a nice event before, but I really felt great in both the relaxed shape and the open back. I'm excited to push myself out of my comfort zone more in the future, in terms of things i design and also wear.<br />
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Before and during wedding #1 in NYC (feel free to ignore the hotel room chaos surrounding me):</div>
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And wedding number two, at dusk in San Francisco. Yes I did style it exactly the same way, idgaf.</div>
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-235413413148081782017-12-14T10:00:00.000-08:002017-12-14T10:00:54.003-08:002017 roundup: not-quite-Ginger jorts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After seeing just so many awesome <a href="https://store.closetcasepatterns.com/products/ginger-skinny-jeans-pattern">Ginger Jeans</a> floating around the internet, I vowed to finally make my own this year. I bought the pattern and the <a href="https://store.closetcasepatterns.com/products/ginger-flared-bootcut-jeans-pattern">flares expansion</a> (I will always and forever have a place in my heart for flares), plus the <a href="https://store.closetcasepatterns.com/products/sewing-your-own-jeans-ebook">Closet Case jeans ebook</a> to help with some of the construction and fitting parts. I even bought a Cone Mills denim kit, but I'm far too cautious to cut into that for my first jeans attempt. My hip to waist ratio is pretty non-standard, and I've had a really tough time getting shorts I've made previously to fit through the butt. So I bought some cheaper denim with the right amount of stretch and decided to start with shorts so that I could focus on the hip and waist fit without using quite so much fabric in case they were unsalvageable. I had already printed the PDF pattern months ago, and I taped it together one evening and got to work figuring out which size to cut out.<br />
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The size chart put my waist at two sizes smaller than my hips, which made for some awkward grading between sizes across multiple pattern pieces (front + back, pocket facings, yoke and waistband). Then I compared the back crotch curve to the one on my decently-fitting pants sloper that I drafted and fit in patternmaking school, and they were way different. Given my previous issues with fitting shorts straight from the patterns, I started trying to modify the ginger pattern piece to match my sloper more closely, and I finally realized that I was just butchering the thing. What to do? Draft my own jeans, of course. (This is really my answer to every pattern woe I have, big or small, these days. No regrets!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-Ujd8-SBHn6fMwPZcPRq655LQypFdZ93Ro99dPALqdqdWAfATGZ896UJ9uN3zdPEKp04g_zq3YcmW0yhCxPhQv1n7NHtDJGdf0qhFUPAxlG-jMmDD8KVZ_w0W7RR4jD8qMzSbx9ZntE/s1600/MVIMG_20171201_115444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-Ujd8-SBHn6fMwPZcPRq655LQypFdZ93Ro99dPALqdqdWAfATGZ896UJ9uN3zdPEKp04g_zq3YcmW0yhCxPhQv1n7NHtDJGdf0qhFUPAxlG-jMmDD8KVZ_w0W7RR4jD8qMzSbx9ZntE/s320/MVIMG_20171201_115444.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52xASzDzR9bNTLb2R5FCnPE9VODhyphenhyphen5O5ci8H4exSvNYWiQMOnZWTgLESyc7nOoD9SxmNx4lzUA6MieTiUAYV8IA6R0zU97T9mFYXEAHr4b1v5VvECshhgb-QDSYsUfnLg6GjB_qyp7ak/s1600/MVIMG_20171201_115454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52xASzDzR9bNTLb2R5FCnPE9VODhyphenhyphen5O5ci8H4exSvNYWiQMOnZWTgLESyc7nOoD9SxmNx4lzUA6MieTiUAYV8IA6R0zU97T9mFYXEAHr4b1v5VvECshhgb-QDSYsUfnLg6GjB_qyp7ak/s320/MVIMG_20171201_115454.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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my sloper, compared to ginger after a few mods to try to get it closer to the same fit</div>
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I pretty much guessed at how much negative ease I needed to work with the stretch denim, but otherwise the drafting was pretty straightforward: trace my sloper, cut off the waistband, cut off a back yoke, draft some front pockets by using the Ginger pocket pieces as a reference for how the various pieces related. I drafted my own fly based on my patternmaking class, and the pattern pieces are slightly different from the ones used on the Ginger jeans, so I used my notes from class when I got to constructing this part. I used the back pocket and belt loop pieces as-is from the pattern, because I might as well take a shortcut where I can, when fit isn't an issue. From here I followed the jeans e-book for construction - since I based my pieces off of the Ginger pattern, the instructions worked great. I basted everything together for a fit check, which was honestly not as bad as I feared, made a few tweaks, and moved forward with sewing.<br />
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baste-fitting before taking them apart and sewing for real</div>
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At some point I decided I wanted to make a button fly for these, but my jeans notions kits were for zip flies, so I had to source some more buttons. <a href="http://www.taylortailor.com/product-category/sewing-supplies/">TaylorTailor</a> had me covered for some great jeans buttons and matching rivets - highly recommend!<br />
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The worst part of the construction process was the topstitching. I didn't yet have my Bernina, so I was constantly switching between regular and topstitching thread on a single machine. My machine was just awful at the topstitching part, jamming up, eating the thread, making big thread nests on the wrong side, and sometimes breaking needles. It was an ORDEAL and I definitely cursed out my machine several times and swore to never make jeans again. But then - they were done! And they were beautiful and I was so proud. I always really love hammering on hardware, so the rivets were a satisfying way to wrap up the shorts.<br />
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So, how are they? Pretty good, not perfect, but I'll take it. I did wear them a ton this summer - to picnics in the park, out in muggy NYC in August, to the blueberry patch with Tumbles. I love having a pair of high waisted shorts that go with seriously everything. Honestly my only complaint is a perpetual wedgie situation in the back, and I think I just need to make the crotch curve a little longer on future pairs (this is something that I <i>think</i> would have been far worse had I used the Ginger pattern, based on how the two pattern pieces compare, but I need to investigate more). They were also just a bit snug through the hips, but I've burned off some fat due to my newfound love, aerials, so they are just right now. I'm still planning to make some full length jeans but got caught up in other projects, so we'll see when I get back to those. Hopefully soon, as my RTW jeans are getting pretty worn out and I don't plan to buy more!<br />
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out in the wild - New York hotel, blueberry picking</div>
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I took some photos back in late summer when we had some spooky, smoky wildfire light for a few days. Also featuring: a linen tank top that I draped, then hated and hacked into a high-low crop top, and still don't really like but would love to replace with something better in a similar breezy linen!</div>
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And some in progress/detail shots:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrcJb-wF0sWXUynkp-4geWBwiv-qDqOrOAZhyphenhyphenOGzdZjGLGVF9R8KclOXvYgSfyEAdkdssHwRvuym2gbELNKPFG7870jTOp97xvdnw6_lKh1SY-6C9MWVBLnX15ZgL39zyFIaw4NVmf48/s1600/IMG_20170725_211729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrcJb-wF0sWXUynkp-4geWBwiv-qDqOrOAZhyphenhyphenOGzdZjGLGVF9R8KclOXvYgSfyEAdkdssHwRvuym2gbELNKPFG7870jTOp97xvdnw6_lKh1SY-6C9MWVBLnX15ZgL39zyFIaw4NVmf48/s640/IMG_20170725_211729.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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sewn, pre-hardware installation. (they look so naked!)</div>
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And... the only photo I got of the delightful pocket cotton I used, plus my finished button fly!</div>
Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-66275840243750304312017-12-11T11:00:00.000-08:002017-12-11T11:00:28.054-08:002017 roundup: sparkle romper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SebTslEqn8I4mDTCUOmdr1Gzothg3mAMK7wA5WOFWHFriI7dTjABAE7pHfMDyofGCU_HCivzKGqkIzlGdvw73ysmW6PpLrgXLm2yPo2e1KCjMXQuTRW3QfGzhhW998Vnd-etHqyML0o/s1600/MVIMG_20171201_122602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1077" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SebTslEqn8I4mDTCUOmdr1Gzothg3mAMK7wA5WOFWHFriI7dTjABAE7pHfMDyofGCU_HCivzKGqkIzlGdvw73ysmW6PpLrgXLm2yPo2e1KCjMXQuTRW3QfGzhhW998Vnd-etHqyML0o/s640/MVIMG_20171201_122602.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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Ooh, this was a fun one. Ever since I made my <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2017/07/a-personal-summer-collection.html">mini summer collection</a>, I'd been wanting to make a summer romper based on the crop top pattern. I figured the tie back would lend well to getting in and out, and I really love the having shorts instead of a skirt for general ease of wear. I didn't know what fabric I wanted to make it in, and then I went to the fabric store near my house and saw this gorgeous cotton with gold metallic threads running through it, and I was sold.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ofSH7KdgSdsjuQw3YCrovKcHTR0VrGaep4kGLlw1lwe1rxEGUdYuyyfRkJNZBjFCNE1MTBp8hFiLyZN5ztCbrf4JCZfQcK1AIrujD-XjlnEvfup2vNKW7zIbzVGsk1dPNoSEA_dYFNQ/s1600/IMG_20170720_122827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1586" data-original-width="1600" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ofSH7KdgSdsjuQw3YCrovKcHTR0VrGaep4kGLlw1lwe1rxEGUdYuyyfRkJNZBjFCNE1MTBp8hFiLyZN5ztCbrf4JCZfQcK1AIrujD-XjlnEvfup2vNKW7zIbzVGsk1dPNoSEA_dYFNQ/s640/IMG_20170720_122827.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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one of my better attempts at capturing the metallic sparkle</div>
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My first muslin attempt included the double tie back that the crop top has, with shorts added to the bottom, plus a center back zipper to get into the shorts. While it's technically possible to put it on, both ties have to be fully undone and I can't cleanly tie the upper one by myself. (The crop top is easy enough to slip on over my head that I can leave the top tied and just tie the bottom once it's on - not possible with shorts attached.) Ok, two person job, definitely not ideal, but I could have Tim help me into it before I go out. Then I thought about the eternal romper/jumpsuit issue - bathroom breaks. Definitely not going to make something that requires a friend coming into the bathroom stall with me to help me get dressed when I'm out at a bar. So, single tie it is! And a side zip that goes up to the armpit, making it possible to get in and out without untying at all.<br />
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As a side note, it's been interesting to discover how many of my clothing design issues combine both technical and design tradeoffs like this. Just because something is possible to draft or sew doesn't make it feasible, and this very often leads to design compromises in order to get the fit or wearability to an acceptable place. I tend to get really frustrated whenever something like this comes up - I finally had an idea that I like and I don't want to compromise on the aesthetics! But more often than not, I actually like the later version better than the original, and it's not something I would have come up with if my hand hadn't been forced. So there you go - single tie, low back romper, and easy off and on to boot. I'm a fan.<br />
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Construction-wise, I bought some black sheer cotton to use as lining for the bodice and waistband and left the shorts unlined, since my outer fabric is opaque. The main fabric, a stable cotton, was easy to work with, and I'm happy with everything except the slightly pointy darts in the front, but that's not enough to keep me from wearing it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEoCtu1s8EFDhH2gqciJpdK1Oq2WJgzBXc0n1XZZyG3LWQlYzwOlXBcnG1LdQHC1NorFuufy53FtLrP7uBNdHvuo7DEqGzA7nj19ShA2rI6HKCb9FR3bzSTaFTk8TUZj9nAs7tP_6CoY/s1600/IMG_20170720_141336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEoCtu1s8EFDhH2gqciJpdK1Oq2WJgzBXc0n1XZZyG3LWQlYzwOlXBcnG1LdQHC1NorFuufy53FtLrP7uBNdHvuo7DEqGzA7nj19ShA2rI6HKCb9FR3bzSTaFTk8TUZj9nAs7tP_6CoY/s640/IMG_20170720_141336.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I feel like the fabric makes it fairly dressy - I wore it with bare legs and platform clogs to an outdoor fashion show this summer, and I think it would look great with black tights for the holidays (as styled in the photos). I would want to make it in different fabric if I were going to wear it to a picnic in the park or a casual bar. This is another one of those no-bra outfits, which I have a tendency to design unintentionally, but the fabric is thick and dark enough that I don't feel like I need one, and there's no risk of anything shifting out the neckline or sides. I thought about adding pockets, but I didn't want to disrupt the clean lines of the shorts, and the side zipper prevented me from adding inseam pockets on both sides. So for now it's pocketless, but it's something I'll think about more for possible future versions.<br />
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I've only worn this once so far, to the aforementioned fashion show, but I'm hoping it gets some more wear this holiday season. Looking at these photos is making me antsy to make another that's more casual for day to day wear - it would be the perfect throw-on-and-go piece for next summer.<br />
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<br />Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-60095262714055890062017-12-07T13:24:00.000-08:002017-12-07T13:24:10.452-08:002017 roundup: some cozy flannels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Basically the moment we decided we were moving up to the Pacific Northwest, I knew I needed to make some cozy plaid flannel shirts for layering. There are a ton of indie button-up shirt patterns out there (most notably, imo, the very popular <a href="https://grainlinestudio.com/shop/women/archer-button-up-shirt-paper/">Grainline Archer shirt</a>). I thought about using an existing pattern but decided I wanted full control over the fit and details - a tunic length that I could wear with leggings without it being a dress, an oversized fit but with enough shaping to keep it from being completely boxy. It was also a great opportunity to practice drafting a collar with band and sleeve plackets - things I'd drafted and sewn in muslin for class, but I hadn't practiced applying them to a real garment. The plackets make it easy to roll up the sleeves when I want to, and there are buttons on the cuffs to close them up when I wear the sleeves long.<br />
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sleeve placket + cuff details</div>
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center back collar, yoke, and pleat - I inverted the pleat to stick outward on my second and third versions, but I think it works ok both ways.</div>
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The shirt details (collar, sleeves, plackets) were all straightforward and by-the-book to draft. The biggest issue I had was with making the shirt a little more oversized - it turns out I've only ever drafted things that are well-fitted, so this was new to me! I compared to some of Tim's button-down shirts and made a few attempts until I got the right combination of dropping the shoulders and armholes in addition to bringing out the side seams. Eventually I got a body and sleeves that all worked well together and gave the look I wanted. I kept bust darts and a curve to the side seam through the waist, and I really like the gentle shaping that comes from those details.<br />
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Sewing without instructions is always interesting. Back in my classes, I took notes on some things like sleeve placket construction. But there is nothing telling me where to begin or the overall ordering, so it ends up taking a lot of focus and thought to make sure I don't miss a step. But I really enjoy this process, reminding myself that I can figure basically anything out if I'm left to my own devices, and eventually putting on the finishing touches and knowing I did the whole thing without someone else telling me how.<br />
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This is one of those designs that I don't think is very ground breaking (how many button-up shirts like this exist in either ready-to-wear stores or sewing patterns??). It's not something I'm really considering selling either ready made or in pattern form for various reasons. But it's been such a delight to make and wear for myself.<br />
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This shirt has gotten a ton of wear. I made it in June and it warmed up before long, but since fall weather has set in it's been a staple, one of those things I reach for constantly and have to convince myself to skip sometimes just to mix up my outfits. I worry the cheap fabric I used won't hold up super well through many more washes, but I'm going to keep wearing it to death in the meantime.<br />
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perfectly covers that leggings bum</div>
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And, I just finished sewing up two more - one in black and white buffalo plaid and another in a deep red herringbone - after working on those in parallel off and on this month. See below for an earlier in progress shot of the delightful <a href="https://www.fabric.com/brands-and-designers/robert-kaufman">Robert Kaufman flannels</a>. I just need to buy and attach some buttons and sew their buttonholes - 22 across both shirts, eep. I'm excited to expand my cozy flannel collection by 3x and stay cozy all winter.</div>
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-28102268903423086062017-12-01T10:29:00.000-08:002017-12-01T10:29:24.163-08:002017 roundup: some rejected paper bag shorts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was the first thing I drafted after we moved to Portland this spring. Before that I'd drafted a few garments, but they were usually for classes, or I would squeeze a super simple knit dress into a weekend. After the move, I wanted to give myself some fun projects before fully diving into starting my business (because let's be real, I had so much to figure out about what I wanted that to look like, and still do honestly!). I wanted to give myself a challenge, as I often do, so I started with a photo I saw on pinterest of some trendy paper bag shorts (a style that wasn't covered at all in my pattern making curriculum) and decided to figure out how to draft and construct something similar.<br />
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my inspiration image - I tried to track down the original source but it's pinterest all the way down</div>
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Let's skip to the verdict: I'm pleased with how well I figured out the drafting and construction on a project so different from anything I'd made before, and it was a great opportunity to draft and sew my first zipper fly! That said, these shorts are not my style and I never actually wore them. What looked cute and intentionally oversized in the Pinterest photo is just baggy and unflattering on me, and I tried and failed to find a top in my closet that looked okay with them. I can't be too upset - they were a learning experience, both technically and in learning more about what clothing I just don't want to wear.<br />
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Drafting and Construction</h3>
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I used my pants sloper from patternmaking class, cut it off several inches below the crotch, and then slash-and-spread from the waist down to the hem in order to leave room for those top ruffles and a wider leg opening. I decided to insert elastic across the entire back waist, and two shorter pieces in the front. There are waistband facings on the inside, holding the elastic in place against the wrong side of the shorts, as well as a narrower waistband topstitched down on the outside to hide the spots where the elastic is attached to the shorts and to create the front ties . All three layers are topstitched down around the entire waist. This was tricky! My elastic is fairly stiff, so trying to stretch it fully and sew through three layers of fabric right alongside it, without catching the elastic itself, was an ordeal.<br />
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I sewed a muslin that seemed to fit well, then went out and bought the closest thing I could find to rust-colored fabric - a kind of berry red cotton. I always think red shorts are a good idea and I always regret that choice later. I sewed the shorts up, tried them on, and ---- nope. The fabric was too stiff to give that nice slouchy look, the color was wrong, and there was just too much fabric everywhere, making it look almost clownish. (I failed to get photos of this pair on and just don't really care enough to do it now, sorry not sorry!)<br />
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I didn't want to give up, so I regrouped and got some more subdued and drapier fabric, took out some width in the shorts and added a fly to make sure I could still get them on, and sewed up another pair. This time was better, and I really wanted to like them. But they just weren't my style. They look too diaper-like in some light, and I'm not sure if that's the drafting (probably) or just my body with this style, but either way, I realized I wasn't going to wear these no matter how much I perfected them.<br />
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And as much as I hate these awful bathroom selfies, I think they really show the diaper-like drape of these shorts pretty well:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmvYwqSHgWi2yZx5AMm9kcAQSl-6FtRuJIN9RwGKqGyCL3hnlqDHyYDpnPrR_5SBjQ7VN9ISH_e5pZD_5sMF2ccEJbTltbB2vkg5FqP20xeLrs_n5RgLN-hI6poXsuwZi3EzmjtLxnns/s1600/IMG_20170531_144336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1247" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmvYwqSHgWi2yZx5AMm9kcAQSl-6FtRuJIN9RwGKqGyCL3hnlqDHyYDpnPrR_5SBjQ7VN9ISH_e5pZD_5sMF2ccEJbTltbB2vkg5FqP20xeLrs_n5RgLN-hI6poXsuwZi3EzmjtLxnns/s320/IMG_20170531_144336.jpg" width="249" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFCM2kKwM6YFgdbzJCKt0gNoOfGbM8UD07pOkbJlxDZZuZKbh4L2EgOUYAAcB8-1YHvyvzCkFDE90vQUV_1BUSVlEyPH9adVe9pHyfx4UU3KKeJHj7tYHy0Uw1yITXJnEB38KANzAOUE/s1600/IMG_20170531_144343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFCM2kKwM6YFgdbzJCKt0gNoOfGbM8UD07pOkbJlxDZZuZKbh4L2EgOUYAAcB8-1YHvyvzCkFDE90vQUV_1BUSVlEyPH9adVe9pHyfx4UU3KKeJHj7tYHy0Uw1yITXJnEB38KANzAOUE/s320/IMG_20170531_144343.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
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As for these shorts, I'm holding onto them for now - a reminder of something I figured out on my own, iterated and improved upon, but also a reminder that it's ok to make something and realize it's just not for me, that this is all a learning process, one that should get easier over time.</div>
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-77881886649315204322017-08-12T10:18:00.000-07:002017-08-12T13:11:46.800-07:00bernina!Guess what! I got a new sewing machine! OMGGGG.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSfyovsiIL4KjhoTpPVcn0z8Ri73FSKvFSA2GPAF-PrJEuL1pEnbn7LBbpAUJYoaWFU7DXPlr58GUpO6_40T1gNjTS24kDEi5cV4S_n3KAQ3zZwMW-BQc7uWhxqEnM8Y96ZykDU-kG-I/s1600/20170812_093812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSfyovsiIL4KjhoTpPVcn0z8Ri73FSKvFSA2GPAF-PrJEuL1pEnbn7LBbpAUJYoaWFU7DXPlr58GUpO6_40T1gNjTS24kDEi5cV4S_n3KAQ3zZwMW-BQc7uWhxqEnM8Y96ZykDU-kG-I/s640/20170812_093812.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My previous machine (which I'm holding onto in case of emergency, or in case friends want to come over and sew with me, pleaseeeeee) was a Baby Lock Grace, purchased in 2011 after I quit my first tech job and took a few months off to mentally recover. I pulled it out about once a year to mend or sew something small and otherwise never touched it<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">—</span>until 2015 when I started learning to sew clothing. It's a perfectly okay machine, and it's held up like a champ through the last two years of nonstop sewing. I'd say durability and ease of use are its strong points; precise or tricky sewing, not so much. I knew I wanted to upgrade eventually now that I'm spending approximately all of my time at my machine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidG6KblAMPUIdLs3dwf41i8mFb7UDx2zEdbraRRocCSbNbSQ3veH7MQxhOEk9-WJq7CUDWvrxHJJrtzfOgLH3zK9TNRaIKLaaemp4HjcKaCHbxqlxlU81BXuJKG8zLixeCH62uQHHsZS0/s1600/20170507_150709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidG6KblAMPUIdLs3dwf41i8mFb7UDx2zEdbraRRocCSbNbSQ3veH7MQxhOEk9-WJq7CUDWvrxHJJrtzfOgLH3zK9TNRaIKLaaemp4HjcKaCHbxqlxlU81BXuJKG8zLixeCH62uQHHsZS0/s640/20170507_150709.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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bye, Baby Lock!</div>
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A couple of months ago I <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BTzrVCMAHar">asked my instagram friends</a> about what made a higher end machine worth it to them, and I got lots of great answers that convinced me upgrading would be worth it<span style="color: #545454; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">... </span></span>at some point. Bernina seemed to be the clear winning brand in terms of popularity and quality across the board (with prices to go with it - oof), but I had a few responders swear by other machines that I'm sure are also great! My friend <a href="https://www.instagram.com/liz.crafty/">Liz</a> let me borrow her mechanical Bernina for a few weeks (thank you Liz!), and it was a great experience. The stitch quality was amazing compared to my Baby Lock, but I missed some of the features of my computerized machine (auto button holes! auto needle down!), so I knew I wanted to invest in a computerized machine rather than a mechanical one. But I kept putting the purchase off, partially because I hate making choices like this, and also because we're still recovering from moving/settling in expenses and I didn't want to spend money until I had to.<br />
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Then a couple of weeks ago I sewed a pair of jean shorts, and the topstitching went super poorly - my machine just had trouble with the layers of denim and topstitching thread, and I had to rip out and redo my stitching so many times to get it looking good. It was an <i>ordeal</i>. About a week later I started sewing a self-drafted top that combines chiffon with pleather, and I realized that I just couldn't make it into something I was proud of using the machine I had on hand. So Tim suggested we go to my local Bernina dealer, and I picked one out that day (basically an "impulse buy" that I'd been thinking about and planning for for many, many months).<br />
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I honestly resisted this purchase for awhile, not just because of money, but because I was worried about using my machine as an excuse for not sewing as well as I could. There's that saying about how good photography is about the photographer, not the camera, and I think that also applies to sewing to an extenet. I didn't want to buy a fancy machine and let it make up for my shortcomings. I'm honestly really happy with the balance I struck here. For the two and a half years since I really started sewing, I've been constantly improving. The mini collection I sewed earlier this summer was honestly the first time I remember sewing anything and not feeling like I could have done a better job by the end. Which isn't to say I'm done learning, but that I at least have a couple of creations that I'm more or less happy with now :) But the jorts and the chiffon top stood out to me. I would stop, seam rip, and redo the parts that didn't go well, but I was becoming more aware that the things that went wrong were less about my sewing skill and more about my machine's limitations. Instead of just improving my skills when I redid the tricky parts, I was figuring out how to make things work despite my machine's limitations. This was a turning point for me - what could I produce if I didn't have that limiting factor?<br />
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I ended up getting the Bernina 530, which is around mid range as Berninas go. I also got a few extra feet that should help me out a ton with trickier fabrics (walking foot, omg!). I considered a nicer one in the 500-series, but it was significantly more money for things like a touchscreen and auto thread snipping, and it just wasn't worth the extra expense. I plan to use this machine for many, many years, and to make garments that I sell, so I definitely thought about whether it made sense to invest in an even nicer machine than this one. But I really think a fancier model would have made my life ever so slightly easier without really improving my output much, and I'm okay with this trade off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5qItRh6WTKO6tlWbi380isJ2iaLB39AokjSJiX-mx_69RffNhY5uTVYmPe8XyHplULoyNOIqOsXBFs8iKyP6PRPsg7Z-maBpovuzfEp3STHEnOCIwyuZWdlgZi6PkxgQqgPB8-rxc24/s1600/20170812_094509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5qItRh6WTKO6tlWbi380isJ2iaLB39AokjSJiX-mx_69RffNhY5uTVYmPe8XyHplULoyNOIqOsXBFs8iKyP6PRPsg7Z-maBpovuzfEp3STHEnOCIwyuZWdlgZi6PkxgQqgPB8-rxc24/s640/20170812_094509.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I've been sewing with my Bernina for a week now, and yes it is just as fantastic as you might expect! I broke it in with the aforemorementioned chiffon top and then with a lacy, self-drafted bra, and the new machine made all of the fiddly parts go so much easier. Everything is smoother, the walking foot (something I had never purchased for my old machine) is AMAZING on trickier fabrics, and I finished the chiffon/pleather shirt and am super happy with it! The shirt honestly came together way better than I ever imagined it would. I actually have two fiddly silk projects and one in a very drapey rayon in the pipeline, and they are going to be a joy to sew compared to my old machine. Sewing is so much more fun now!<br />
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-45027246094290173532017-07-07T12:52:00.001-07:002017-07-07T12:52:32.813-07:00a personal summer collectionEarlier this week I wrote about where I am with figuring out my new career and talked about the process of designing a little 3-outfit summer collection for myself, just for fun and practice (read that <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2017/07/an-update-life-career-personal-project.html">here</a>). Here's that collection! Overall I'm really happy with it: I pushed myself to go outside of my comfort zone, finished within a deadline, and I think I'll actually wear these outfits! So without further ado, more details and tons of photos of all five of the pieces I made:<br />
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Crop top & shorts</h3>
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I've been thinking for awhile that I need more crop tops in my life, as well as high-waisted bottoms to go with them (I love the look of some midriff showing but don't need to go full-on belly button). I sketched out a tie-back crop top and some pretty basic shorts (see below) and stuck fairly closely to this as I drafted the patterns. I did end up hacking off the slight dropped sleeves of the top, after trying a muslin of that version on and feeling overwhelmed by the front, and I left off the front pockets of the shorts and added visible buttons.</div>
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I really love this outfit! I wore it out right after I finished sewing everything, and a boutique owner gushed over it, which was great validation :D I'm so happy with the shorts in particular - they are comfy, cool, look put-together, and they're just the right length for me. I definitely want several more pairs of these in my closet, as I really prefer shorts over skirts and dresses when it's hot out.</div>
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And some details:</div>
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The top is made from my pale green linen and fully lined using a sheer, light gray cotton (I used this same lining fabric throughout the collection). I lined the ties with interfaced self fabric and topstitched the edges to encourage them to keep their shape. I enclosed all the seams by keeping one side seam of the lining open, sewing the lining and outer fabric together fully, and flipping everything through at the end. I plan to topstitch this opening closed but forgot to do that during construction, oops! Also, it took me a few tries to figure out how to get into this top without help, but I discovered that I can tie the top knot with the shirt on my dress form, slip it on over my head, and tie the bottom myself. Hooray!</div>
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The shorts are nani IRO double gauze, and fully lined with the same gray cotton. They have a zipper fly and two buttons in the front, front release tucks (like a dart that's only half sewn), and darts and single welt pockets in the back. I made bottom cuffs which also serve to enclose the outer and lining edges at the leg openings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4fTibpQJTDKr9y1lketCq1Dapqfk7JjItuF-aATloa3E7rr93DotbTlmdoPo54gHrNP3WXqNLPor0XZq47nuDlzOkzGvvK1EgcAiYkxeyZBzF6HM0QUdZH-1fe1aNL4h3OOWeVxnQIU/s1600/collection+%252812+of+49%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4fTibpQJTDKr9y1lketCq1Dapqfk7JjItuF-aATloa3E7rr93DotbTlmdoPo54gHrNP3WXqNLPor0XZq47nuDlzOkzGvvK1EgcAiYkxeyZBzF6HM0QUdZH-1fe1aNL4h3OOWeVxnQIU/s640/collection+%252812+of+49%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I found these super cool shell buttons at a local fabric store. The pearly colors go nicely with the subtle hues of the double gauze, and I like the contrast of the black leaf shapes.</div>
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Welt pockets! I wasn't sure how these would turn out in something as finicky as double gauze, but I'm really happy with the end result!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVjPj2D7UEwadnWhkcj6ibpjEWRHi1p7lX9lozGXsvkzw23huVfq_ZvKjVOCvSyBVfoNxagge6ncbtuM3BsKN2QC-BBzx7t8j-FQQtGuu-41IZJIC6q-a57Y132coKGcaokIjCogmBN4/s1600/collection+%252815+of+49%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVjPj2D7UEwadnWhkcj6ibpjEWRHi1p7lX9lozGXsvkzw23huVfq_ZvKjVOCvSyBVfoNxagge6ncbtuM3BsKN2QC-BBzx7t8j-FQQtGuu-41IZJIC6q-a57Y132coKGcaokIjCogmBN4/s640/collection+%252815+of+49%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't think I've ever owned a fully lined pair of shorts, let alone made some, but I wanted to give it a try since the gauze on its own is pretty see-though. I was worried about how this would work with the front fly, but it actually came together really well! The lining allowed me to hide the guts of the welt pockets in the inside, and all seams and dart bulk are fully enclosed. It definitely took more work than making unlined shorts, but it was totally worth it for the clean end result imo.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijo-qeXkZNILtV16X_O1t6GQ8cE7VgFegeblOnjOiwnewEGnjeFBKcbD1sWJn_OzETUMouq5kKg4dtdZqaJp_Dd-HqutNflBFYWr2Vfr8cc4Y1j6eMiYM7_OtoO505eLf09_nQJPKPg8c/s1600/collection+%252816+of+49%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijo-qeXkZNILtV16X_O1t6GQ8cE7VgFegeblOnjOiwnewEGnjeFBKcbD1sWJn_OzETUMouq5kKg4dtdZqaJp_Dd-HqutNflBFYWr2Vfr8cc4Y1j6eMiYM7_OtoO505eLf09_nQJPKPg8c/s640/collection+%252816+of+49%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Above: inside the bottom leg opening.</div>
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Below: inside out, showing off that lining.</div>
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Cutout dress</h3>
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The dress is made from the same double gauze as the shorts. This was the first design I came up with in the collection, as well as the inspiration for using double gauze, since it leads to a nice, airy dress but is heavy enough that the short skirt won't constantly billow up.</div>
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My biggest point of pride with this dress is my fitting of the bust. It took two or three muslins, but I eventually got the bodice to really cup my boobs and fit snugly underneath, so the whole thing feels really supportive and secure even without a bra on. For added support, I underlined the front bodice and waistband with muslin (sandwiched between the gauze and lining layers), and I used stay tape under the bust seams and along the back V to keep the fabric from stretching out over time.</div>
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The dress has a center back invisible zipper, and it's fully lined like the shorts. The bodice and waistband are all enclosed, and the skirt lining hangs free. I french-seamed the skirt (both outer fabric and lining) for a cleaner finish, and I used bias binding made from the double gauze to enclose the seams that couldn't easily be enclosed (that is, where the waist bands attach to each other inside and the back seams alongside the zipper).</div>
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Details:</div>
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Proud of this center front seam matching!</div>
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And some insides: lining, french seams, and bias binding.</div>
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Strappy tank & pants</h3>
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This outfit took me the longest to settle on a concrete idea for. I knew I wanted linen pants but had a hard time figuring out what they should look like. I finally decided on semi-high waisted pants that are fairly fitted through the hips and thighs and wider through the knees and calves, with large patch pockets on the front. You can see my rough sketch below. Unfortunately, the pants were also the garment that ended up the farthest from my vision. The linen stretched out more than I had expected, so they are both far looser and far longer than my muslin version. (I actually hemmed an extra 2" off the bottom, and they still skim the ground when I wear the clogs I designed them for!)</div>
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The seams are all serged and topstitched down, and I don't have the patience to undo all of that in order to bring in the seams, nor do I think the linen would survive all of that without fraying a ton. So I'm going to try wearing these and see if they grow on me, and I might try washing + drying them to see if they'll shrink a bit.</div>
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My other bit of drama with the pants was around the closure. I had my heart set on a front fly, and I spent a day and a half trying to fit this in muslin. I could not get it to work! I have a very small waist relative to my low hips, and I wanted a high, fitted waist. This ratio meant that I could not get the pants over my hips without stressing the seams at the fly, even after lowering the bottom of the fly until it was right up in the crotch curve. I finally decided to try an invisible side zip instead, which doesn't have the limitations of a front opening (since it can just continue down the leg without hitting the crotch). It worked, and I'm actually really happy with the clean front of these. And after all that, the linen has enough give that I really didn't need to worry about anything being too snug, but I'm still glad I switched to the side zip.</div>
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The top was also a last minute design, but I'm really happy with it! I didn't really sketch the tank so much as trial-and-error it in muslin, with some very quick drafting of the front and back pieces. I wanted a longer tank with a low-V front and an even lower-U back (inspired in part by the scoop-back bras I've made). I originally just had the shorter over-the-shoulder straps, but they felt like they could easily slide off with the front and back so low. So I added the crossed straps, as well as some bra hardware to keep everything together and somewhat adjustable, and I'm really happy with the overall look. The orange cotton batiste is the least "me" fabric of the collection, and while I think I'll wear it occasionally, I'd like to make more in other colors (let's be real: black). I'd also like to experiment with built-in bra support in the future - not sure how well it would work, but it would be awesome if I figure it out, since the back is too low for a standard bra. That said, the front is lined and it's totally wearable with some pasties.</div>
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Bah - so much excess fabric on those pants! But hopefully the strap details distract from it enough.</div>
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This was actually my first time using top-stitching thread (much thicker than regular thread), and I'm pretty happy with the subtle detail it adds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Md7ajuQ2IGRFBvhGMAmhuceJqm3woZqXnM3GkywzZEp9vCWrfMG1-8SjRK3LjG2AhoZx4BZ8aN3GQwHWpsdMuuHnLuDffUVy3W_ZVcRn_XlUa9wAa-jHZ55P5bbKu6-L5FNt5sFP2dI/s1600/collection+%252829+of+49%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Md7ajuQ2IGRFBvhGMAmhuceJqm3woZqXnM3GkywzZEp9vCWrfMG1-8SjRK3LjG2AhoZx4BZ8aN3GQwHWpsdMuuHnLuDffUVy3W_ZVcRn_XlUa9wAa-jHZ55P5bbKu6-L5FNt5sFP2dI/s640/collection+%252829+of+49%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And for the shirt: the straps are just bias-binding cut from the fabric, double folded and top-stitched. I inserted some stay tape before the second fold to keep it from stretching out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4Phktr6jVt66hbVWV5CrO4i03-A3MufzgVDuqWDTGdTNbxZssQG-E5CwhUAV6RGJJRR0pw3UlH7rdEhjf-6uZxqeKrn7eA5H-eEzRkZTob7GHUOMlTgGd8kzZS0H2mm1Wr7suQP99VE/s1600/collection+%252821+of+49%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4Phktr6jVt66hbVWV5CrO4i03-A3MufzgVDuqWDTGdTNbxZssQG-E5CwhUAV6RGJJRR0pw3UlH7rdEhjf-6uZxqeKrn7eA5H-eEzRkZTob7GHUOMlTgGd8kzZS0H2mm1Wr7suQP99VE/s640/collection+%252821+of+49%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Neatly attached straps, plus rings and sliders from my bra-making supplies:<br />
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I fully lined the front, since the print fabric is very sheer, and I used a facing in the back (basically just a short lining) to give the top edges a clean finish. The linings were hemmed and attached to the self fabric at the top, and then I french seamed the sides, catching both the outer and lining fabric. (See this up close two photos down.) The front and back outer fabric is cut on the bias for a little more drape, and the lining/facing are cut on the straight grain to keep the top edges more stable. </div>
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Bonus: the top looks great with the shorts! In fact, this is maybe my favorite outfit of the whole collection. Cohesiveness win!<br />
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Fabric details:</div>
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<a href="http://shop.moderndomesticpdx.com/seven-islands-nani-iro-double-gauze-five-senses.html">nani IRO double gauze in Five Senses</a></div>
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<a href="http://shop.moderndomesticpdx.com/cloud-9-new-from-leah-duncan-floret-100-organic-co-7926842.html">Cloud 9 by Leah Duncan Floret cotton batiste</a></div>
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I believe the linen is Robert Kaufman Essex, but I bought the end of the bolt and don't see this dusty mint color online anymore. It was also from <a href="http://shop.moderndomesticpdx.com/fabric/linens/">Modern Domestic</a>. </div>
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Sheer gray cotton lining and all notions from <a href="http://millendstore.com/">Mill End Store</a></div>
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Now that these are done, I'm not really sure what's next for these patterns, if anything. I definitely want to sew the shorts and the strappy tank up in other fabrics, as I love the shorts as a basic summer staple and the top as more of a wearable statement piece. I think the tank could make a fun dress in a flowy fabric, too. I may try sewing the pants again, taking the seams in quite a bit, to try to give them the fit I had originally envisioned. It's exciting being through the drafting and fitting steps and knowing making each pattern again will be so much faster the next time!</div>
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As for releasing these for wider consumption (as sewing patterns or finished garments), I haven't figured out whether I plan to do that yet. When I designed these, I explicitly focused more on designs I was excited about and less about practicality, and thus I unintentionally designed three outfits that aren't at all bra-friendly! I'm finally comfortable enough with my body that I'm cool with this, but I imagine this would limit the audience quite a bit. (I would have been very wary of going out in public without a bra just a year or two ago!) I also know that I would need to teach myself grading and/or create a standard block and redraft the patterns, since these were made specifically to fit my body.</div>
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So for now, this has been a fun exercise, a learning experience, and a great way to fill in the gaps in my summer wardrobe in just a couple of weeks. Living in foggy San Francisco for so many years means I have a lot of spring/fall layering pieces, but almost nothing suitable for the more extreme seasons that we have up here in the pacific northwest! I'm so happy to have real seasons again, but my closet isn't ready :)</div>
Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-62640710092115169222017-07-06T10:27:00.000-07:002017-07-12T12:39:22.859-07:00an update: life, career, + a personal project<h3>
life</h3>
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As thrilled as I am to be in Portland and pursuing clothing design instead of tech, the last 10 months have been intense! Back in September, my full-time courseload overlapped with my last week at work. Prior to quitting I hadn't taken a week off from work in nine months. I got a little breather this past December, but we were stressed about closing on our house and planning the move, and then it was back to classes until literally a couple of days before we moved in April. I knew I couldn't complete the certificate program at my school, but I wanted to learn as much as possible. So I spent all of my otherwise free time getting ahead in the patternmaking program, and it paid off: I got to the last unit of the curriculum and got help fitting my pants sloper just a couple of days before we packed up the moving truck.</div>
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The first couple of months after moving were full of contractors coming in and out of our house most weekdays, getting mostly unpacked, and trying to stay ahead of all of the tasks that come with first time homeownership and moving to a new state. And then I was in a minor but annoying car accident (everyone is fine, but our car was in the shop for three weeks), followed immediately by a couple of our best friends from California coming to visit. Through all of that, I tried to find the time to sew some things for fun. I drafted and sewed a pair of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUxhF39ANjs">paper bag waist shorts</a> that, in hindsight, I don't think are my style, as well as an oversized flannel button-up shirt that I will certainly wear all the time in chillier weather. I also sewed <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2017/06/fitting-watson-bra.html">a few bras</a> using patterns from Cloth Habit, trying to get the fit right before I try designing and drafting my own. As we transitioned into summer, it finally felt like life was settling down and I could start to find a routine again. But what does that even mean for me now?</div>
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self-drafted flannel button-up, worn with my latest Harriet bra (shown in full but not modeled <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVQl-AwADzU/">here</a>)</div>
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career</h3>
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I'm incredibly lucky that Tim's income combined with our lower cost of living here in Portland means that there isn't immediate financial pressure for me to get a job. But I <i>want</i> to have a career again, and I'm beginning to get impatient for that feeling of earning my own income and producing something that matters to people other than myself, so I'm thinking hard about what I want to do from here. I know I love taking a piece of clothing from an idea/sketch to a physical object, through the drafting and fitting steps and on to sewing it up in final fabric. But I need to narrow that focus more. Do I want to design clothing and have it batch produced at a local manufacturer? Do I want to create one-off, bespoke pieces myself? What type of clothing do I want to create? Since I sewed my first bra at sewing camp last October, I've had a fascination with the fitting and construction challenges of lingerie. I'd also love the opportunity to create undergarments that really help women to feel badass and beautiful as they are. But in some ways doing lingerie feels like starting over, since I <i>know</i> how to draft other clothing (skirts, tops, pants, dresses). The world of lingerie and swimwear is a different beast, and I'm afraid to start the learning curve over when I'm just beginning to feel comfortable with my abilities in these other areas. But when I type it, it seems like a pretty silly reason to avoid doing something I'm excited about, and I know my education at Apparel Arts will be super useful even if I do specialize in something outside of the core patternmaking curriculum.<br />
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a summer clothing collection</h3>
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A day or two after our SF friends left in mid-June, I was thinking through all of this and found myself feeling really overwhelmed and defeated. I was in a bad place for a day or two, and Tim gave me an assignment to pull me out of it: make a cohesive summer collection, in the vein of Project Runway or the final project that I would have done had I stuck around to finish the program at Apparel Arts. We decided on a slightly smaller scale (five pieces of clothing, for three full outfits) and a tight timeline (two weeks, from inception to completion). I also have plans to make a swimsuit as a sixth piece, but I'm giving myself a more lenient deadline for that since I've never sewn or drafted swimwear at all before.<br />
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initial plans</div>
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This project was exactly what I needed! I immediately felt so energized and excited to have a goal again. I got to work on rough sketches and came up with a pair of shorts, a crop top, a pair of pants, another top, and a summery dress. Then it was time to pick fabric. I limited myself to three different fabrics (plus one more for lining), rather than a different one for each article of clothing. I decided to use a double gauze, a medium weight linen, and a sheer cotton, and then I went fabric shopping and found fabrics in those categories that worked well with each other. I'm normally <i>not</i> a pastel person - give me all black everything and I'm happy, and if I want to go nuts with color I'll choose a dark solid. But I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, so I got an ethereal nani IRO double gauze with shades of light mint and lavender, a pale green linen to match, and then (even further from my norm!), a bright orange cotton batiste with a leaf pattern. The pastel veins of the leaves tie it back to the other two, and I think it all works nicely together! Once I had my fabrics, it was easier to plan specific details for each piece, so I began planning them more concretely. I worked my way through drafting, sewing muslins, fitting, and iterating over the next few days, one piece at a time.<br />
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The drafting and fitting process took about nine days, and there were definitely a couple of days in there when I told Tim there was absolutely no way I would finish this entire thing by the deadline. But then one day I had a pile of muslins that fit well, and five paper patterns that were ready to go with seam allowances and cutting instructions, and it was time to buy zippers, buttons, and my lining fabric so I could start sewing the final pieces. At this point I was so eager to finish that I was giving up my nights and weekend to sew. Each final garment felt like it took a long time, but looking back, each took less than a day. Considering that I fully lined most of them and was very careful in my construction, I'm really amazed that I finished all five pieces in about four days (finishing a full day ahead of my two week deadline!). I also felt great about how they turned out. This was one of the first times ever that I sewed something and didn't think "well, that part isn't great but I'll fix it the next time I make this pattern...".<br />
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This project was seriously great for my confidence. I struggle a lot with feeling creative--this is the reason I moved away from artistic pursuits and focused on math and computers when I was a teenager! I get stuck and feel like I can't possibly come up with anything interesting ever again. And then, of course, I step away and something comes to me and everything feels okay again. The shorts, crop top, and dress were pretty solid in my mind from the first day (you can see the early renditions in the sketches above, compared to the final products below). But the pants and longer tank didn't solidify until I'd muslined the other three and had to just make a decision in order to move forward. (Interestingly, that top is now one of my favorite pieces, and the pants are probably my least favorite of the bunch.)<br />
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This process certainly helped me to feel better about my creative abilities and especially my capacity to work under a deadline, but it also made me feel confident in my technical skills. Without teachers to rely on for fitting help or construction advice, I had to figure it all out myself, and that's really empowering. It feels like magic to have an idea, sketch it out, and then watch that slowly transform into a paper pattern, then a muslin (or several), and finally a real, tangible article of clothing that was just an idea a few days before. It's seriously kind of surreal, and looking between the sketches and the final photos still just blows my mind a little. It's also amazing being able to construct a full garment without a single written instruction, just knowing when to insert stay tape into a seam for stability, or install a zipper, or understitch the lining to keep it from showing on the outside.<br />
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Here are some peeks at what I made! I'm working on another post with better photos and way more details, so keep an eye out for that soon. (Edit: read it <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2017/07/a-personal-summer-collection.html">here</a>!)<br />
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As I'm sure you can tell, I'm really proud of this collection. I really like the clothes I made and I think I'll really wear them this summer, and I'm excited to make a few more of the shorts and strappy tank in different fabrics. I really pushed myself in terms of deadline and going outside of my style comfort zone, and I'm so happy that I proved I'm able to fit and construct clothing without someone to walk me through it. But this is only the beginning! Here's to pushing myself more.<br />
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<h3>
ok, what now?</h3>
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So, now I'm back to thinking about what's next. In the short term, I'm taking a few days to catch up on everything I neglected for the past two weeks and to work on some house projects that I've been wanting to do since we moved in. (The most pressing: making my bedroom closet usable so my clothes can finally be put away!) And then I think I'll work on drafting that swimsuit and some bras, and hopefully practice making clothes for some friends. As confident as I feel about creating things for me, I still have <i>no </i>experience drafting or fitting for anyone else, and that is critical to me starting a business doing this stuff! So I'll spend some time getting more comfortable with all of that and see what sticks I guess? </div>
Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-22163885893323392832017-06-16T10:23:00.001-07:002017-06-16T10:23:54.806-07:00watson bra: just right<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In my <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2017/06/fitting-watson-bra.html">Watson bra fit post</a>, I mentioned that I sewed a <i>fifth</i> one that fits fantastically. Here it is! I finally eschewed all black everything, partially because I no longer felt like I needed to keep all of the variables constant for fit experimentation, but also because I FIN.ALL.Y bought some non-black powernet and elastic. (With like 4 types of elastic and 3 kinds of fabric and lining per bra, plus hardware, adding another color to your stash is a big commitment!) I actually stocked up on supplies in two more colors: a nice rosy pink and the champagne beige used here. I knew I wanted to use this striped jersey for a Watson once I nailed the fit, and I was picturing using pink with it, but I ended up much preferring the beige so here we are!</div>
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Since the jersey doesn't have as much elasticity as the black fabric I used for my other Watsons, I lined the cups with powernet, and it has just the right amount of support. I hid the seams in the cup by assembling the jersey and powernet cups separately and then sewing them together as I added the neckline elastic. The other seams (under the cup and at the side seam/bridge) are raw and just topstitched down, but I really like having the inside of the cup smooth and don't mind that the rest isn't as clean.<br />
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There is some horizontal wrinkling on the cradle, but it's only on the jersey layer. I think the relative stretchiness of the jersey compared to the lining underneath is causing it, and vertically stretching the jersey a bit when basting to the lining would likely solve this in the future. I got fancy with my thread and switched colors as I transitioned from the peachy band to the gray fabric, and I'm really happy with how everything blends in.<br />
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Supplies used:<br />
striped jersey (unsure of the content) from Fabric Outlet in SF, leftover from a t-shirt I made<br />
<a href="https://tailor-made-shop.myshopify.com/collections/power-net">peach beige powernet</a> from Tailor Made Shop<br />
<a href="https://bramaking.supplies/collections/bra-band-underarm-elastic/products/3-8-champange-peach-plush-back-finishing-elastic-picot-edge-latex-free-by-the-yard">champagne beige elastic</a> for straps, underarm, and bottom band from Arte Craft Bramaking Supplies<br />
<a href="https://bramaking.supplies/collections/rings-and-sliders/products/1-2-silver-metal-rings-and-sliders-by-the-set-premium-jewelry-quality">rings & sliders</a>, <a href="https://bramaking.supplies/collections/hook-and-eye-bra-back-closures/products/champagne-beige-2-hook-and-eye-bra-closures-1-5-x-2">hook & eye</a> also from Arte Craft<br />
<a href="http://www.sweetcupsbrasupply.com/sheer-cups-lining-light-beige-sold-by-the-0-5-meter/">light beige sheer cup lining</a> (used to line the cradle) from Sweet Cups<br />
and some 1/4" white plush elastic (surprisingly hard to find!) from ebay used inside the neckline<br />
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Some details + insides:<br />
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I'm so happy to have a very solid version of the Watson pattern now. In addition to being comfy and relatively supportive, it also has a lower plunge than my underwire bras so it works great with super deep V-necks. Time to transfer to durable card stock and make more soon!<br />
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<br />Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-41790534561279135902017-06-14T16:05:00.002-07:002017-06-14T16:07:44.914-07:00fitting the watson braI recently entered the glorious world of soft bras and bralets (see: Eulers <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2017/05/longline-euler-bralette.html">one</a> and <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2017/05/another-euler-bralette.html">two</a>). While a well-fitting, underwire-free bra is a wonderful, comfy thing, the fitting process has proved to be more challenging than I expected! I googled around a lot before starting my Watson bra journey. There honestly wasn't a ton about getting the size and fit right, and photos of the bra on real bodies (as opposed to dress forms) were pretty sparse too!* So, in case anyone else out there is ever looking for similar info, I'm sharing a lot of words and cleavage photos about how I got this deceptively tricky bra to fit well after many attempts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaI-vFfSdxxS07mnbUMnOXGZ8ZMgUZCkjtOFADwhZhOl9YE6OKDvL0SXsohAJLPMrVvQKgH7O1GXPRMFRiwWzW0aMGDpnJGHXC-Cz3Q5354OR8XR0I0rGxvI5bBK2DpuA6o8yaSGoVws/s1600/IMG_20170614_133935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaI-vFfSdxxS07mnbUMnOXGZ8ZMgUZCkjtOFADwhZhOl9YE6OKDvL0SXsohAJLPMrVvQKgH7O1GXPRMFRiwWzW0aMGDpnJGHXC-Cz3Q5354OR8XR0I0rGxvI5bBK2DpuA6o8yaSGoVws/s640/IMG_20170614_133935.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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First of all, if you're unfamiliar, the <a href="https://shop.clothhabit.com/products/watson-bra-bikini">Watson bra</a> is a soft bra pattern by Cloth Habit. It's made more supportive with a lined cradle under the cups, but the lack of underwire means it's still comfier and less supportive than its underwired sister, the <a href="https://shop.clothhabit.com/collections/all/products/harriet-bra-pattern">Harriet</a>. I'll admit - as soon as I got a Watson that kinda-sorta fit, I pretty much stopped wearing my Eulers altogether, as I much prefer the Watson's shaped cradle over the less supportive straight underbust elastic found in the Euler bralet. The Watson is still comfortable, but it adds enough support that I feel great wearing it under my clothes for dinner or drinks, whereas the Euler is pretty much relegated to walking the dog and hanging out at home.</div>
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The Watson is a pretty quick sew. My latest one has fully lined cups and still took under 3 hours start to finish, and I think it would go even faster with more practice. But it did take four iterations before I felt relatively happy with the fit, and finally #5 was spot on. I made the first four using the same outer fabric (a sturdy, resilient swimsuit-like fabric that I got at a discount fabric store in SF), powernet for the band (<a href="https://tailor-made-shop.myshopify.com/collections/power-net/products/1-2-yd-black-power-mesh-powernet">black powernet</a> from Tailor Made Shop), and cradle lining (<a href="http://www.sweetcupsbrasupply.com/sheer-cup-lining-white-or-black-sold-by-0-5-meters/">sheer cup lining</a> from Sweet Cups Bra Supply). I believe the cradle lining has less stretch than what the pattern recommends, but Lauren from Lladybird mentioned using it for more support in <a href="https://lladybird.com/2017/04/11/completed-lemon-print-watson-bra/">this post</a>, and I wanted to see how much support I could get from a soft bra. The elastic and notions were switched up a little, as I ran out of things and tried to figure out which elastic worked best for the pattern, but all in all I kept the first four iterations as similar as possible so I could really see how my size and fit tweaks affected things. Unfortunately this means the photos are all of black bras, which are the worst to photograph well - apologies!</div>
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Watson #1</h3>
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I already knew that I wear about a 30E in the other Cloth Habit bra, the Harriet. My ready to wear bras all fit pretty poorly, but I would guess that a similar size would fit well in those if I bothered to go out and try new ones on. However, when I used the measuring instructions on the Watson, it put me at a 32B. The discrepancy comes from getting the cup size in this bra by comparing your full bust and upper bust (which are very similar on me), rather than full bust and underbust (which have a much larger difference). No way is my chest fitting nicely into B cups, especially when the band is still sized to fit my relatively small ribcage. I agonized over this for a little while, as I know the Watson is supposed to fit differently from the firm, underwired Harriet. I ultimately decided to make my Harriet size (30E) and tweak from there, rather than starting from the size I was certain wouldn't have enough room in the cups.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneJGnU3xoFVmGas6aD51LPNAR9lzCo8rcdj4Sqzxrvo__gmgtzGZmELzFswoPT1EL_ZcW_DCPzYMbwx8QjkqJk3IQ3cYJqb3G3hhI7FJQ6dhNV5QZ6bhVJfbZtvD8gUq1bhIWeAZ8lFY/s1600/IMG_20170614_133008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneJGnU3xoFVmGas6aD51LPNAR9lzCo8rcdj4Sqzxrvo__gmgtzGZmELzFswoPT1EL_ZcW_DCPzYMbwx8QjkqJk3IQ3cYJqb3G3hhI7FJQ6dhNV5QZ6bhVJfbZtvD8gUq1bhIWeAZ8lFY/s640/IMG_20170614_133008.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I sewed up a straight 30E and it was honestly not too bad! It looks really nice from the front. The band felt pretty tight at first, due to me sizing down and using a firmer lining with very little stretch through the cradle, but after wearing this one a little more I don't mind the tightness so much. That said, it's definitely a wear-for-support bra, not a sleep bra as some people use the Watson.</div>
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The main issue with this size is with the center of my cleavage. It seems that the Watson is designed to support breasts that fall out towards the sides a little, and mine are very close together and almost fall towards the center of my chest. This made for lots of spillage at the top of the cup, especially after I move around for a few minutes. It looks and feels really annoying after just a couple minutes of wear.</div>
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<h3>
Watson #2</h3>
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I decided to avoid going crazy with alterations and instead try the simplest thing - increase the cup size and see if that allowed my boobs to fit more comfortably in the cups. Since the band was a little tight too, I went up a size in that as well. This took me from a 30E to a 32E (despite both being E cups, <a href="http://www.sizechart.com/brasize/sistersize/index.html">sister sizing</a> means the band and cup are both bigger in the second size). I sewed this one up without any modifications to the pattern, and ... meh. Pretty much a worse fit across the board. The band was a little too loose now, and there was now baggy wrinkling at the top of the cups, which offered barely any support. The neckline wasn't quite as restrictive as in the first one, but it still compressed me in that area, creating a weird flat plateau along the front of my chest. At this point I also realized that the vertical seamline was pretty far from my apex (ie. nipple), which also indicated that my breast tissue was falling much further towards the center than the pattern expected. Clearly size wasn't the only issue here, and I decided to go back to the 30E for future iterations, as it was at least closer to a good fit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoM4OshTH1we6RHn57fyvO_YU3ScMhFdnu2r1BbN_AAZ0Yhl3niBLgVyPh6dKv251M33C9L0VILmifhSNU31vfRrR0_-6EzPj7pnFpmMIHRpbH_dKF3BkkwPa-VhtZEV9vwli5FDW93sk/s1600/IMG_20170614_133657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoM4OshTH1we6RHn57fyvO_YU3ScMhFdnu2r1BbN_AAZ0Yhl3niBLgVyPh6dKv251M33C9L0VILmifhSNU31vfRrR0_-6EzPj7pnFpmMIHRpbH_dKF3BkkwPa-VhtZEV9vwli5FDW93sk/s640/IMG_20170614_133657.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The eraser is pointing to where the vertical seamline <i>should</i> hit. You can also see the bagginess in the top and along the seamline here. Definitely too big in the cup.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVns0wIllzKju-kwOUwKaeBF8tPfZTiBsPIp_GMoHUxSXiCShMs02H22HX3RkbbDdbCGarBFTnZ9AHsOMmOhYh9XKDgdUfW2NMcvKnEdSVchGWHbeue7Fhbsq04g0VZ31RiuLXoa1Zco/s1600/IMG_20170614_134703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVns0wIllzKju-kwOUwKaeBF8tPfZTiBsPIp_GMoHUxSXiCShMs02H22HX3RkbbDdbCGarBFTnZ9AHsOMmOhYh9XKDgdUfW2NMcvKnEdSVchGWHbeue7Fhbsq04g0VZ31RiuLXoa1Zco/s640/IMG_20170614_134703.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Better, but still flattening things out in front.</div>
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Watson #3</h3>
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Time for pattern manipulation! I tugged at the bra a little, drew on the wrong side, and tried to visualize how this cup size and shape could fit better. I realized rotating the cup down and towards the center would create a shape with less of a diagonal cut across my boob, and I also moved the center seam across the cups so that the base of it still hit the same place on the cradle--this added more fabric to the outer cup and took away from the inner cup. I rotated the cup pieces a total of 3/4" inch in the cradle and shaved this off the of the underarm area, so the side seam aligned. Instead of adding 3/4" to the center of the cup, I shortened the center-top of the cradle to match, in order to give more of a plunge at center front. This is kind of tricky to explain in words, but the diagram below shows the old shape rotated and the new seamlines drawn in red.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEQMEDy9n5POR3QN6QqXkfXuWXrNXvmwb8IxuuWQrgb5YdKaDA4emmQ8oZRaJRqsqzQiwaHyQgfojKeF-VLVYjQLG_r4J6JC0zNezEzwsaoOUdsm1znr6Eg3_6oOn5pApMOnGWfLo40Y/s1600/IMG_20170614_110047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEQMEDy9n5POR3QN6QqXkfXuWXrNXvmwb8IxuuWQrgb5YdKaDA4emmQ8oZRaJRqsqzQiwaHyQgfojKeF-VLVYjQLG_r4J6JC0zNezEzwsaoOUdsm1znr6Eg3_6oOn5pApMOnGWfLo40Y/s640/IMG_20170614_110047.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I actually did this to the pattern by tracing the cup pieces next to each other, so that their bottom seamlines (minus seam allowance) met, redrawing the seamline across these, and then truing to the cradle piece. Something like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93h4V-dAkcnOxb40xzbf27lpXUb95coJodvnxSNB1nEcynQP6OhTYxk62hj3JElqwurlM2joFXTCoYyn5Xnow3_7g-VMZGyviqqfG6LAmvQmOMQBdKtnMLexUiF8tOPiSEWkDazSldXI/s1600/IMG_20170614_153051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93h4V-dAkcnOxb40xzbf27lpXUb95coJodvnxSNB1nEcynQP6OhTYxk62hj3JElqwurlM2joFXTCoYyn5Xnow3_7g-VMZGyviqqfG6LAmvQmOMQBdKtnMLexUiF8tOPiSEWkDazSldXI/s640/IMG_20170614_153051.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The final pieces looked like this, compared to their un-manipulated counterparts:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsGoBCaFtj89vBMOXWC_JpQvptOV9BB4OgdE2BTjjzJT0UecXr1Mb9T7lCS4zCHpQQUiN0eMi0isXrcfOyLTQQAepo00sqDTsXhymLdWqLkoXcgcjyobjLETvvJ2BUGatzhdrSMMhTdY/s1600/IMG_20170614_150339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsGoBCaFtj89vBMOXWC_JpQvptOV9BB4OgdE2BTjjzJT0UecXr1Mb9T7lCS4zCHpQQUiN0eMi0isXrcfOyLTQQAepo00sqDTsXhymLdWqLkoXcgcjyobjLETvvJ2BUGatzhdrSMMhTdY/s400/IMG_20170614_150339.jpg" width="300" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCEp4ebdmGEQUwN8LDGT9oH7y7_cpuazwiENByj_LsBQ5kcqSzEgVcomXjbpOF0r-0TyN3v5-ZBwY-jQtXIv_zQlXVGh57HkMXnK_UOvyMs26R8onyrTlmvDXtK1XjB9Gtq4wRLzLcMo/s1600/IMG_20170614_150449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCEp4ebdmGEQUwN8LDGT9oH7y7_cpuazwiENByj_LsBQ5kcqSzEgVcomXjbpOF0r-0TyN3v5-ZBwY-jQtXIv_zQlXVGh57HkMXnK_UOvyMs26R8onyrTlmvDXtK1XjB9Gtq4wRLzLcMo/s400/IMG_20170614_150449.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I also added 1/2" in width to the back band piece, essentially making a size 31. And here is the fully sewn bra. This was slightly better in some ways (the seamline was hitting closer to my bust apex), but it was clear the center front gap wasn't working well without an underwire to keep things in place. I tried adding a strip of elastic there, but the center front was still tight and caused some bulging as in my first Watson. Still with that neckline spillage!</div>
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I took this one before I added the center piece of elastic. I do like the silhouette, but the support was just not working. You can see the wrinkles in the top of my right cup in the photo, because nothing was being held in place where it was supposed to be.</div>
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Watson #4</h3>
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I had been afraid to add length to the center front edge out of fear that the cup would become too big and gap, but at this point it was clear that it needed room there. I used my updated pieces from #3 and first added that 3/4" to the bottom edge and blended up towards the top, in order to come up to the center of the original cradle. Then I cut and spread to add 1/2" to the inner edge, giving the neckline more room. I used the original cradle pattern and my slightly lengthened band.</div>
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(inner cup shown here without seam allowance)</div>
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This one was so much better!! <i>Finally</i> no bulging or flattening at center front. Unfortunately my pattern tweaking measurements were slightly off and I had some excess fabric at center front, which I just sewed together above the cradle. There was also a little bit of gapping right above that area, just above the center where the cups meet, but the fit above that was finally just right. I finally felt like I could wear this bra without being constantly annoyed at fabric cutting into my cleavage. Hooray! I updated my pattern pieces with these small tweaks, so the next time I made it the cups would fit in the cradle correctly without that bit of gapping.</div>
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Yes! As I mentioned earlier, I made one more of these (not in black! yay!), and I got the fit spot on in that one. I'll post more on it soon! Now I'm probably going to destroy most of these for parts and possibly try to fix #4 up to get the fit just right at center front.<br />
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I hope this was useful or at least interesting to some of you! I learned some things about fitting the Harriet bra recently, too, and can share that soon. I find this stuff really fun and interesting, and hopefully I'm not the only one!</div>
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* Two notable exceptions to the lack of posts out there: 1. <a href="http://helenscloset.ca/2017/02/06/cloth-habit-watson-bra/">Helen</a> posted photos of her Watson bra on, and it was so helpful to see it fit a real person correctly! 2. <a href="http://www.wanderstitch.com/things-ive-made/elementary-my-dear-watson/">This post</a> came out shortly after I had plowed through a few iterations of mine. At the very least her initial sizing issues would have validated my thoughts on the sizing before off before I got started, had the timing been a bit different. It's a great, comprehensive post about constructing the Watson!</div>
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-28242265372783699682017-05-16T15:37:00.000-07:002017-05-16T17:35:47.151-07:00another euler bralette<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yep, I made a second one! I liked the look of <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2017/05/longline-euler-bralette.html">my first Euler bralette</a>, but I made it about a size too big, and instead of fixing it I decided to plow forward onto v2. This time I left off the second band and mostly used supplies I already had from a previous bra-making shopping spree. I also tweaked the sizing just a little, and I'm really happy with how it turned out!<br />
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Materials</h3>
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Back in January I bought a ton of bra-making stuff from <a href="https://tailor-made-shop.myshopify.com/">Tailor Made Shop</a>, so I had almost everything I needed on hand - hooray! The power net cup lining, strap elastic, side cup elastic, hook + eye, and strap rings/sliders are all from there. The cup fabrics are both cheap knits that I had in my stash from a discount fabric store in SF. I love that you can use small scraps up on bras, but it's not going to help resolve my scrap hoarding tendencies.</div>
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The one tricky part to source was the band elastic. All of my hooks & eyes are 1 1/2" wide, and you need plush-back elastic to match that width. I finally found some on <a href="http://www.sweetcupsbrasupply.com/">Sweet Cups Bra Supply</a>, an online shop I'd heard of but hadn't bought from because shipping costs seemed high. Their wide elastic only comes in black, but I do love to wear black so I bought a ton. (Side note - it's <a href="http://www.sweetcupsbrasupply.com/plush-band-elastic-1-5-38-mm-sold-by-the-meter/">currently out of stock</a> and I may have bought them out?? SORRY!) Since I was ordering anyway, I also stocked up on duoplex, underwires + casing, sheer cup lining, and some elastics I didn't have on hand - basically everything I may need for the next several underwire or soft cup bras. Exciting!! And as a bonus, they refunded a chunk of my shipping after it ended up costing less than estimated. Score!</div>
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My materials differed a fair amount from the previous kit that I used: the straps and cup lining are both much firmer on this one, which means more support in both areas. The band elastic on this one is 1 1/2" instead of 1", with a corresponding wider hook & eye. I used plush picot elastic instead of foldover on the cup sides, which gives a little more support there too. My outer cup fabrics are pretty similar to my first attempt—lightweight jerseys with a good amount of stretch in both bras—but they get more support from the firmer lining in this iteration.</div>
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Sizing + Fit</h3>
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The band was definitely longer than it needed to be on my first Euler, but I didn't want to decrease the cup volume at all. I decided to make the medium cups (as before) but shorten the band to the size small. I was nervous about spacing everything on the band without having it seem crowded, but it all worked out fine. The fit is much better than the first one! The band feels nice and firm without being uncomfortable, and the less elastic straps hold everything up better. It's way more comfortable (and unsurprisingly, less supportive) than a good underwire bra - exactly what I want to wear on casual days running errands or working at home. My boobs are less "up and center" than in a more structured bra, and there is sometimes some nipple show-through since the cups aren't padded or very structured. I do think I prefer a bridge, which has more shape and structure than the elastic used here. That said, this is basically what I was looking for in a comfy weekend bralet, and it was a super quick sew the second time around, so no complaints!<br />
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Unlike the previous Euler, I think this one actually fits me better than it does the dress form. Yay! The band is a little too tight on her, and there is some slight bagginess under the bust that is filled out on me.</div>
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Black makes it hard to see, but I'm really pleased with my neat zig zag stitches attaching the strap and the hook/eye to the band! I'm borrowing a fancy Bernina machine from a friend (thanks, Liz!), and while it doesn't have the 3-step zig zag I need for most of this bra, it does the normal zig zag like a champ. I'm sold.</div>
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The insides:</div>
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Pretty matte black hardware from Tailor Made Shop.</div>
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And a few shots of it on my actual body. (Sorry about the background toilet—my mirrors were both destroyed in the move so all I have at the moment is bathrooms.)<br />
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That's it for the Euler for now! I may come back to this pattern someday, but for now I have a <a href="https://shop.clothhabit.com/products/watson-bra-bikini?variant=939719301">Watson</a> to try, and then I have big plans to try drafting my own bras and bralets. I'll keep you updated!</div>
Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-64415713372081061622017-05-12T11:52:00.000-07:002017-05-12T11:52:02.231-07:00longline euler bralette<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm still very new to the world of bra-making, but I want to learn as much as I can. I honestly never thought I would be that interested in making bras, and then I made my first (and second) at <a href="http://campworkroomsocial.com/" target="_blank">sewing camp</a> last October, and I was amazed by how quick and FUN I found it compared to other clothing. I've now made three <a href="http://clothhabit.com/introducing-the-harriet-bra-pattern/" target="_blank">Harriet bras</a>, but I hadn't ever made (or even worn!) a soft bra<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">—</span>ie. one without underwires<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">—</span>with the exception some sports bras that look too intense for everyday wear. I don't really mind my underwire bras that much, but when I'm at home all day sewing, doing things around the house, or walking Tumbles, I would love something with a little support and coverage without going full underwire bra.<br />
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I've seen the <a href="https://shop.clothhabit.com/products/watson-bra-bikini?variant=939719301" target="_blank">Watson bra</a> on instagram and sewing blogs time and time again, and I trust that it's a great soft bra pattern given my experience with its underwire sister, the Harriet. However, the full coverage, vertical cups just never appealed to me aesthetically speaking so I held out. And then I saw the <a href="https://sophiehines.com/collections/sewing-patterns/products/euler-bra-sewing-pattern" target="_blank">Euler bralette</a>! I love the clean style and the curved lines on the cups, and the elastic band simplifies the construction compared to my previous me-made bras or even the Watson. I bought the pattern right before getting caught up in finishing my classes and moving. Before I got around to sourcing all of the materials, the creator also started selling kits, and this was the push I needed to get started.<br />
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<h3>
Materials & Instructions</h3>
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I bought the gray Euler kit at a local fabric store, but you can get them online <a href="https://sophiehines.com/collections/sewing-kits" target="_blank">here</a>, too. I found the pattern and the kit to be straightforward with a few exceptions. There are a couple of places in the instructions where a suggestion is made after it's too late to change something (eg. cut out all pattern pieces, then many many steps later it suggests an alternative which requires you to add seam allowance before cutting). I'd suggest reading more thoroughly than I did before starting and/or cutting out pieces just before you use them.<br />
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The kit was an easy way to jump into this pattern, but unfortunately I was about 4" too short on foldover elastic to make the long line bra. Since I'd already cut the lower band piece and planned to use both included hooks + eyes, I decided to go to a local fabric store to get more elastic to finish that part, and it turned out fine. It was frustrating that the kit didn't have quite enough materials to finish the bra, though! Otherwise the kit was alright, although I don't love the use of foldover elastic as straps. It is <i>very</i> elastic and doesn't provide much support, even when tightened almost all the way. The lining fabric is also stretchier than I prefer. I fixed both of these things in my second attempt, using supplies I already had at home. I really do love bra kits as a jumping off point for a new pattern, and then it's a lot easier to make informed changes on the second try.<br />
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Construction</h3>
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I sewed up view two (with two bands) with view one straps (straight, not crossed). The whole thing came together in about a day, with some distractions and a dinner out with friends breaking it up. This pattern will get you very familiar with the three-step zigzag stitch and with ripping basting stitches out of your elastic, but I found it kind of cathartic. (I'm telling you, I really enjoy making bras for some reason!)<br />
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Sizing & Fit</h3>
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I made a size medium, after a lot of back and forth about which size to make. I have a 29" underbust and 34" bust, and I think my correct bra size is around a 30DD, but this is pretty dependent on the bra. My measurements put me at a small, but I worried the small cups would be far too little, and I didn't want to overthink it for my first attempt. As predicted, the band is definitely too loose, and the bralet is not nearly as supportive as I would like. I took about an inch off of each band before these photos. I could modify it more, but this is much more of a pain with the lower band already finished and sewn on. Instead I'm hoping to send it to my mom if it's close enough to her measurements. The sizing is pretty forgiving, but I prefer to err on being too snug, especially in a pattern like this that won't be uncomfortable.<br />
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Photo Overload</h3>
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omg - I now have a dress form, rooms with natural light, and a clean white table to photograph on. It's AMAZING. I'm still taking photos on my phone, but baby steps, ok?<br />
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Meet my new dress form! This bralet fits her a little better than it fits me - her ribcage is just a bit wider than mine so the bands are snugger, and her paper mache boobs are extremely perky.<br />
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Some more details + inside:</div>
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Those three ^ show the insides. The pattern instructs you on enclosing all raw edges, and it's a nice, clean finish. I did have to pick out and resew a few spots when I cut my seam allowances too close to the basting stitches and the lining started to pull free after the zigzag step, but in the end it turned out okay.</div>
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The elastic in the bottom third of this pic is the one I had to buy locally to supplement the kit. The match is pretty spot on, fortunately. (It's actually the same width as the elastic at the top, but the upper elastic isn't folded over the edge and this one is.) If I'd known earlier I was going to run out of elastic, I could have cut the bottom band with seam allowance and enclosed some elastic from my stash in the seam. The pattern mentions this, just too late for me to make that change without cutting a whole new bottom band.</div>
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Double bands. There's a little pleat in the lower one because i took some length off of the band and the new end was too wide for the hook and eye. I don't think it's a huge issue, but in the future I would determine the right band length before cutting that piece in order to get the alignment right.</div>
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And finally, a few pictures on me! I've always been weirdly afraid of putting pictures of myself in lingerie on the internet. But honestly this is more modest than many (most?) swimsuits I've worn, and I really do feel a lot less nervous about this sort of thing since quitting my job in an industry that's frequently shitty to women. I always really appreciate seeing how things fit on women other than the patternmakers' models, so hopefully this is useful to someone who's thinking about making this!<br />
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lol I didn't realize how uneven my strap adjustments were until looking at this picture :|</div>
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So much ease!! I could seriously take a few inches out from the bottom band, but since it's at an angle and the edges are already finished, it would be easier to just redo that whole band. meh.</div>
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So! That's my first Euler bra. I'm a little on the fence about how I feel about it - I still love the look, but it's just not really doing it for me in terms of support. I actually don't dislike it in these photos, but I want a little more of a "hug" from the bands and straps. I'll share my second one soon (spoiler: it fits much better!), and I'm getting started on my first Watson soon too, so I'll have a better comparison point then. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-8325826790046410472017-04-09T16:31:00.000-07:002017-04-09T16:31:15.782-07:00the waiting game, continuedSo, I posted an impatient <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2017/03/the-waiting-game.html" target="_blank">update</a> about our house/moving sitch last month. Fortunately time <i>finally</i> feels like it's passing more quickly, and in two (very busy) weeks we'll be up in Portland for good! I am definitely operating at unsustainable levels of stress and sleeplessness at the moment, but I'm so glad the end is in sight. I haven't shared much about my school/work/sewing situation in awhile though, so I thought I'd update everyone on what's going on there.<br />
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As you may recall, I <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/09/no-regrets.html" target="_blank">quit my job</a> in September to take sewing classes full time. What I didn't mention at the time was that this was prompted by our (at the time still secret) move - it added urgency in the form of a limited timeline to take classes here, but the soon-to-be lower cost of living also made it much more feasible to drop down to a single income for the foreseeable future. (Side note: HUGE thanks to Tim for being so supportive, both emotionally and financially, as I follow my dreams! <3)<br />
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It's been about seven months, and I have indeed been taking classes the whole time, with a few much needed weeks off in December. It's been really incredible: I've learned a huge amount about so many aspects of pattern drafting, design, construction, and some of the ins and outs of having a business in the fashion industry. The full program at my school, <a href="https://www.apparel-arts.com/class-descriptions/" target="_blank">Apparel Arts</a>, consists of a long patternmaking program (it's estimated at 2.5 years of work, but you can move at your own pace), plus ten elective classes that each run for a couple of months. Each class meets once a week for 3 hours, with varying amounts of homework in between. I won't be able to finish the entire program, but I'm pretty pleased with the dent I've made since starting the patternmaking class while working full time just over a year ago.<br />
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While the program has been amazing and so useful, I've been surprised by how much time and energy it takes up. Working at my own pace, and with a hard end date, has made it really hard for me to take weekends off. I end up doing some amount of work every day, sometimes working way longer hours than I ever did at my previous tech job. As we get closer to move date, I've been putting even more pressure on myself to get as much done as I possibly can while I still have my teachers to learn from. When you couple that with buying our first house and then preparing for a cross-state move, it's been <i>exhausting</i>. I'm ready for a change of pace, and even though I'm sad there are some classes I won't have gotten to take, I'm feeling so ready to take it easy for a little bit and then work on starting my own business soon (and of course, to work on getting my work/life balance into a more sustainable place).<br />
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Since September, I've taken seven electives in addition to the patternmaking program. It's been really cool exploring so many different areas of apparel design and creation. Here's a bit about what I've learned:<br />
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<b>Patternmaking: </b>This is the class that started it all when I first starting taking it after work in March 2016. I've been taking this once a week since then, and I've made it more than halfway through the curriculum. The class teaches flat patternmaking: going from my body's measurements to a set of slopers that act as base patterns for things like skirts, bodices, or sleeves, and then patterning and sewing rough versions (muslins) of tons of variations on those basic components. I've drafted and sewn muslins of dozens of skirts, bodices, collars, and sleeves, and I designed, drafted, and sewed two skirts and two dresses out of actual fabric, including all the finishing touches of a real garment. Soon I'll have completed seven units of the curriculum, and that only leaves two more (pockets and pants) to do on my own.<br />
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<b>Fashion Illustration: </b>This was the first elective I started last fall, and it actually started during my last week of work - so much for time off! I learned how to draw the traditional tall, lean fashion illustration model, as well as how to render various types of fabric and garment details. It was really fun and useful, and I feel like I'm in a great place to use what I learned in my own way in the future. Also - I learned that I really like painting with watercolors and would love to take it up as a hobby if I ever find free time again!<br />
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<b>Sergers & Knits: </b>One of my favs <3 I love wearing knits (ie. stretchy stuff like t-shirts, cardigans, or leggings). This class went over some of the basics of sewing knits, various types of knit fabric, and then some drafting. I love how simple the drafting and fitting process is compared to wovens, and everything just seems so easy to sew and wear! I enjoy the technical challenges of making a well-fitted woven garment, but knits are such an instant gratification palate cleanser in comparison.<br />
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<b>Textiles: </b>This was one of the more "academic" feeling classes, but the things I learned will be useful for years to come. We worked through a huge swatch book, talking about the properties of hundreds of types of fabric, as well as how they are created, dyed, and used. I definitely need to look back through the book several more times, as it was a bit of information overload, but it's fantastic having real sample fabrics to see and touch as I think about what to use for future garments for myself or to sell.</div>
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<b>Construction: </b>I sometimes refer to my current situation as taking "sewing classes", but honestly this was the only class that was specifically about sewing. We covered so many aspects of sewing garments. Some things were review, some were easier/better ways to do things I thought I was okay at, and others were totally new concepts that I'm really glad to know now. Since I'm a self-taught sewer and plan to work on my own for at least awhile, I'm really glad to have this solid foundation to help me construct things in clean, smart ways, even when I'm the one making up the instructions.</div>
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<b>Corsetry: </b>I almost didn't sign up for this class, as it's outside of the standard certificate program and I don't really have a personal interest in wearing corsets, but it was a really cool class and i learned an incredible amount. This class took up all of my Saturdays and one Sunday in January, as well as lots of homework time in between. We used a commercial corset pattern (no drafting in this class) and dove right into fitting and construction. I learned how to install a busk, grommets, and boning, how to lace and fit a corset, what fabric choices work well, what the different boning options are and which are better for different parts of the corset, and so much more. I'm still on the fence about whether I'll make another (it was a TON of work for one garment I may never wear!), but I'm so glad I have the skills to do so if I decide to. And at the very least, I learned some things that will come in handy for creating lingerie or boned strapless dresses.<br />
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<b>Draping: </b>This class is sort of a counterpart to the patternmaking program, and it has seriously been so cool. Basically you take a square of muslin fabric and a dress form, and you create things that might take many hours to draft with flat pattern drafting. It's not a complete replacement for flat patterns, but I've started learning what works best in each medium, and it's just been a lot of fun overall. Since I don't have room for my own dress form, I've had to stay at the school to do all of the homework for this class. Seriously one of the <b>first</b> things I'm going to buy once we move is my own form, so I can play around with draping in the comfort of my own home - I can't wait!<br />
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<b>Design Principles: </b>This is one of the classes I was simultaneously the most excited about and the most scared of from the start. I feel really comfortable learning technical skills, but pushing myself creatively has been scary since I was a teenager. This class was a combination of fashion history lessons and exercises in building our personal design aesthetics, complete with a brand and 8-piece collection at the end of the course. I stressed hardcore about my final presentation, but in the end I left the class with a company name and aesthetic that I hope to make a reality and an illustrated clothing collection that I'm pretty pleased with!</div>
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I'm spending the next two weeks finishing up my draping class and getting as far in patternmaking as I can, in addition to dealing with moving logistics, packing up the whole house, and taking a quick trip up to Portland to see the house in person! Our move date was scheduled based on when my last elective ends, and the timing ended up working out perfectly with the house renovations we're having done.</div>
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After we get to Portland, I'm going to give myself some time to move in and start furnishing the house. I'm also hoping to build myself a drafting and cutting table; <a href="https://closetcasepatterns.com/sewing-cutting-table-diy/" target="_blank">this one </a>looks relatively approachable. Once I get settled at home, I plan to take a few weeks to just relax and sew for fun - it's been so hard to do that when I feel like every minute (and flat surface in my home) should be dedicated to schoolwork while I'm here. I can't wait to have a dedicated room to do it in!! After that little break: business time! I want to try creating and fitting a few things for myself and friends as I work out what direction my business will go in, and I need to find a good small business lawyer to help with the logistics. Ideas around all of this have been solidifying for the past few months, but I'll wait to share more when things are more concrete.<br />
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So, that's my life right now, in this weird limbo period before things change dramatically. I'm really hoping to start taking photos of the things I've sewn again, once we move and have much better lighting and private outdoor spaces for that sort of thing. In the meantime, things will certainly be quiet here for a little while longer, but you can always follow along on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/platycait/" target="_blank">instagram</a>. See you on the other side!</div>
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-87439684273774584622017-03-11T11:55:00.000-08:002017-03-11T11:55:05.839-08:00the waiting game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in December Tim and I closed on our very first home, up north in Portland, OR. Holy shit, you all - I've been looking forward to owning a house basically since I graduated college, although I knew it would be awhile before I was ready and able to make that leap. Even in nicer rentals, we've still had an overabundance of awful beige walls and annoying issues that we would love to just pay to get fixed if it were up to us. Finally, we're homeowners! But sadly, we're still living in our very cramped SF rental for a few more months.<div>
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In the months since we closed, we've been getting some work done to update the house, and I've been taking one more round of patternmaking and design classes here in SF. I know that it makes the most sense to do it this way: the house is going to be so much more our style, with new hardwood floors throughout, a fresh coat of gray-white paint, and a finished attic space for Tim to play guitar; in the meantime I'm learning draping skills, continuing the pattern drafting curriculum, and pushing myself in the design and branding aspects of clothing design.<div>
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But even though I know this is the right path for us, it's still excruciating to wait, especially since we don't have a firm move date yet. We've outgrown our place in SF in many ways, and it feels claustrophobic being cooped up here. I have to take over the unified kitchen/dining/living room area to pattern draft, cut, and sew, and often my finished garments end up smelling like whatever I cooked that night (ew). Tim works from home several days a week and is in that same room with me. Poor Tumbles has been cooped up, not getting as much playtime as as she'd like, and we're all so looking forward to having a yard to play in with her. Storage space is practically nonexistent right now, and it's getting harder and harder to keep some semblance of organization as I amass sewing supplies, coursework, and muslins, as well as juggle several WIPs for classes. And we're just ready for a change of scenery - a new city, more pronounced seasons, quality time with our friends who live in Portland, and time and space from this city that has changed so drastically since we moved here 7 years ago.</div>
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However, each of those frustrations feels so intense because there are so many amazing things on the horizon. I'll have a huge, bright kitchen with natural light and lots of storage space, with french doors looking back onto our private deck and backyard. This summer we'll be able to sit outside, watch Tumbles run around, grill and drink wine, and have friends over. I'm going to have a dedicated sewing and drafting space in a spare bedroom, with its very own closet and room for a sewing desk and a cutting table, so I'm not always hunched over on the floor. There will be space and light for full-length mirrors and a dress form, so I can more easily iterate on and photograph my projects. We'll have a small office for computer work, and a separate soundproofed space for Tim's music (the "before" is shown at the top of this post). There's a full unfinished basement for extra storage, larger than our entire apartment is right now. I am so ready to get cozy and make that house our home, after years of not really feeling comfortable where we've lived. I've always been a homebody at heart, but it's hard when the place you live doesn't feel like home. I'm so ready to lean into this next stage of life.</div>
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For now, I'm trying to live in the moment as well as I can (to varying degrees of success). I'm working through my classes despite the lack of space, enjoying simple things <span style="text-align: center;">like cooking or eating at our favorite neighborhood spots, taking walks with Tumbles to nearby parks that we love. I keep hoping that before I know it it'll be moving day, and our lives will change so quickly in so many ways, but so far that "blink and it's here" feeling hasn't happened. In the meantime, we have occasional photo updates from our contractor to keep us excited and remind us that time is passing. Here are a few before and "in progress" comparisons showing all the changes that have happened so far!</span></div>
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The second floor landing, with double doors to the linen closet. The photos are at totally different angles, but you can see that we replaced the beige carpet and paint with nice new hardwood and brighter, more neutral colors, and it already looks like a different house! We are painting over all the brown wood in the house, sorry not sorry!</div>
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One of the first progress shots we got of the paint colors we picked out. I am so pleased with the bright white and slightly gray paints we chose. Previously every room was a different color, and all of them made the house feel dark and dated. These paint colors are going throughout the house, and I'm hoping to paint a few bolder accent walls over time as I get to know the space a little more.</div>
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A major change - we had a wall knocked out between the kitchen and dining room, and it changes the feel of the downstairs so much! It makes the kitchen feel like a part of the living area and will be so nice for having people over or just chatting while one of us is cooking dinner.</div>
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One last paint before/progress comparison, because I am so excited to say goodbye to the stained wood/orange/maroon combo going on in the living and dining rooms. Also - We got rid of the built-in bookcases, but only because they were low quality IKEA and felt cheap. I'd love to have real ones reinstalled someday!</div>
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-9420575763586217262017-01-21T21:39:00.000-08:002017-01-21T21:39:07.213-08:00excusesA funny thing: once I left my job to sew full time, I stopped sewing as much outside of classes. It's definitely not because it's no longer fun, or because I have everything I want and need in my closet. It's more that I'm overwhelmed by everything I <i>could </i>be doing, and I basically freeze up.<br />
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Sometimes I have homework or projects that I know I should work on, so I can meet deadlines or make forward progress in the class before I move away. But then I find myself tired after a long day in class or getting caught up in one class, and I don't have the brainpower to spend my night doing more work. So instead of sewing, I sit on the couch staring at my phone or watching dumb TV, even though sewing something simple would be just as relaxing (probably more so).<br />
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Other times, I have a project that I promised myself or someone else I would work on, but I find it daunting and avoid it for days or weeks (exhibit A: a self-drafted saddlebag purse for my sister). In the meantime, I don't let myself work on something more fun because I feel guilty. This is ridiculous, especially since the daunting thing usually ends up taking far less time than I spent avoiding it.<br />
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And the real big one that's gotten me so many times since I started learning to draft my own patterns: "Well, I could sew this perfectly fine pattern I saw online. OR I could wait a few days/weeks/months until I know how to draft it myself and find the time to do so, and just create <i>exactly</i> what I want precisely for my body". I go on to convince myself that this will actually save time, because the time spent drafting will be made up for when I avoid having to make lots of fit adjustments on a pattern made for another person's measurements. This may or may not be true. But it is certainly much faster to order and/or print off a pattern than to wait until I learn to draft sleeves, or bras, or whatever. EXCUSES.<br />
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So. I'm determined to pull myself out of this rut, stop making excuses, and just make some damn things. I'm realizing that the energy I spend sewing someone else's pattern, with thorough instructions and no drafting for me to do whatsoever, is not interchangeable with the energy I use to design, draft, and construct my own creation. And honestly, I <i>really</i> miss sewing things just for fun.<br />
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I'm also setting a rule that I have to have a <b>non-school </b>sewing WIP at all times. I have a lot of trouble starting something new, but once I'm in the middle it's so much easier to pick it up in the evening and work on it in spurts. Then, before I know it, it's done.<br />
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After <i>far </i>too much procrastination on my <a href="https://store.closetcasefiles.com/products/kelly-anorak-jacket-pattern" target="_blank">Kelly Anorak</a> (and some brief printing and fabric drama in the middle there - ugh), I'm starting that again tonight and am determined to actually finish before the end of January! I also ordered a ton of bra-making supplies from <a href="http://tailor-made-shop.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">Tailor Made</a> (omg!) and want to at least make another Harriet soon, after my bra-making success at sewing camp in October, and hopefully also some soft cup bras for weekend wear. This is me attempting to hold myself accountable. We'll see how it goes!Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-11187022727507585642016-12-31T13:14:00.000-08:002016-12-31T13:14:48.921-08:002016, looking backWowowow, what a year 2016 has been. No exaggeration, I think it was the best year I've ever had for my personal life, and it certainly felt like the worst as far as world events go.<br />
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I was able to shake off some stagnancy I'd been feeling and make some long awaited changes in my life: I quit my career and started taking lots of patternmaking and sewing classes, I turned 30, Tim and I got officially engaged, and we bought a house in another state! The career change, moving out of California, and homeownership are all things I've been looking forward to for years, and it's so exciting having things all click around the same time (although my impatience has caused some misery over the last few years). I've been enjoying the busyness and I'm not quite ready for things to settle all the way. Fortunately I still have a cross-state move (and discovering the joys of homeownership), an elopement, and a business to start in the coming year (eep!), so things should be anything but boring.<br />
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I've also dubbed 2016 "the year of the weekend trip" for me. I went on two very different all women retreats where I knew no one going in (scary but more than worth the anxiety!!), a solo trip to a cottage in rural California with just Tumbles, a trip to Mexico with my BFF Alex, a long weekend in Portland to visit my other friend Liz, <i>two more </i>long weekends in Portland with Tim (one for house research and another for a wedding), plus two single-day Portland trips for house-related things. My longest trip was only about 4.5 days, but I'm hoping 2017 can be the year Tim and I actually take a real vacation together again.<br />
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Every December I like to look back at all the photos I took that year and remember the defining moments of each month—it's a reminder of the good things that happened, even amidst stress and anxiety, and it reminds me of how much change can happen in just a year.<br />
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January</h3>
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January was a chill homebody month. I cooked and baked a lot, did yoga, hung out with Tumbles, and sewed some things that are still among my favorites to wear. It was good, but I was itching for changes, and fortunately it was my last really calm month of the year.</div>
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By far the highlight of my month was the <a href="http://blog.lizmorrowstudios.com/lizmorrowstudios/2016/5/20/caitlins-wildbride-experience" target="_blank">Wildbride retreat</a>. I'd been feeling depressed and stuck in a rut in various areas of my life, and it was just what I needed to start moving again. I made some wonderful, supportive friends and got some really cool photos of myself in the process, too. I left feeling inspired to make changes in my life instead of just feeling helpless and stuck forever.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9G1waN32bWtGnGHWNHewQBHo15byOM4rq03HdU6opJIlM_AWFVg8q1ZizUAKeiXAHLxcikvVaSdbN4UBzCnxur2cLS56obYMl8LNr_JJj0EqOnkZhL5BSD9SLDOgUrGvgIA0ENRsgvk0/s1600/february2016.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9G1waN32bWtGnGHWNHewQBHo15byOM4rq03HdU6opJIlM_AWFVg8q1ZizUAKeiXAHLxcikvVaSdbN4UBzCnxur2cLS56obYMl8LNr_JJj0EqOnkZhL5BSD9SLDOgUrGvgIA0ENRsgvk0/s640/february2016.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span id="goog_1341886868"></span><span id="goog_1341886869"></span>(bottom left and top right photos by <a href="http://lizmorrowstudios.com/" target="_blank">Liz Morrow Studios</a>)</i></div>
<h3>
March</h3>
</div>
<div>
<br />
Wildbride inspired me to start making time for things I'm excited about, so in March I began leaving work early once a week to take patternmaking classes at <a href="https://www.apparel-arts.com/" target="_blank">Apparel Arts</a>. As you probably know by now, I <i>loved it</i>. March was also the month we began our very long and stressful hunt to buy a home, and we connected with realtors and started searching in San Francisco.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqxQVdEQVM3zht8Ywenn2NrdQ07-IphgASj0-TqS1j9JhZgwswLuTI2CQ1wN9fNGTdea3gE4q_KRBBcItKJZ7O24OdKMwUU-FDCok2OC6JGc-NzzVGWSEMgqdp1YYAFrgdyKTq9Yd3w4/s1600/march2016.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqxQVdEQVM3zht8Ywenn2NrdQ07-IphgASj0-TqS1j9JhZgwswLuTI2CQ1wN9fNGTdea3gE4q_KRBBcItKJZ7O24OdKMwUU-FDCok2OC6JGc-NzzVGWSEMgqdp1YYAFrgdyKTq9Yd3w4/s640/march2016.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
April</h3>
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I brought Tumbles along on <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/04/my-own-weekend-retreat.html" target="_blank">my own little retreat</a> in April, in order to get away from people, immerse myself in nature, and continue to think through where I want to go in life. It was a wonderful getaway and I really need to do this again soon. </div>
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<h3>
May</h3>
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In May I got my very first intern at work, which kicked off a busy summer at my job. We also started house hunting more aggressively - basically every Sunday was spent going to open houses through the summer. At the end of May, I took a weekend to go to Mexico with my longtime friend Alex, and despite the heat (and massive sunburn), it was a fantastic escape from the stress of life and work.</div>
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<h3>
June</h3>
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<div>
June was a lot like January, with no real defining events or trips. Tumbles turned 2 and Tim turned 30, I started on my final skirts for patternmaking class, and we went to SF's corgi beach day with hundreds of other corgis. Work was still busy and the house hunt continued, but it was nice to have a relatively low key month in the middle of a crazy year.<br />
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<h3>
July</h3>
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In July I spent a long weekend with my friend Liz in Portland, and it was amazing. I had previously convinced myself that I couldn't bear the (relatively) hot summer weather there when I'm so used to SF's fog and July chill, but I embraced the joys of summer and fell in love with Portland (not for the first time).</div>
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<h3>
August</h3>
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August didn't have a lot going on on the surface, but there were some major changes starting behind the scenes. We began the process of switching our house hunt from SF to Portland, and I made plans to quit my career to pursue something totally different. At times it was excruciating keeping all this a secret from most people I knew, but we wanted to make sure plans were concrete before being more public about everything. I channeled some of my pent up energy into finishing up my two final skirts for patternmaking and making a tote bag that I've used a ton since.<br />
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<h3>
September</h3>
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<br />
This month was a huge shift for me. I <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/09/no-regrets.html" target="_blank">left my job in tech</a> after 7 years, and I began taking sewing and patternmaking classes full time. I was so incredibly happy to be able to focus my time and energy on something I love, but it was also much busier than I expected! Homework filled most of my weekends, and I had to relearn time management without the more concrete work/life balance I had previously with an office job.<br />
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<h3>
October</h3>
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My busiest month for sure! I started and ended the month with short trips to Portland, and in the middle I flew across the country to attend <a href="http://campworkroomsocial.com/" target="_blank">Camp Workroom Social</a> where I made tons of sewing friends and learned to sew my own bras! I also had a full course load (5 classes + homework) and was sick for much of the month, including a nasty bout of strep. We finally found a house we loved enough to make an offer on, and it was accepted! In the midst of all that, I turned 30 and got galaxy hair colors to celebrate.</div>
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<h3>
November</h3>
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Things settled a little, and as classes started wrapping up I finally had time to make a dress for a lovely wedding I attended right before Thanksgiving. This month was also heavily colored by the presidential election, and I had a lot of really rough days related to that. A bright spot amidst the stress, I had a gorgeous ring custom made, which pushed my and Tim's eventual elopement plans into "officially engaged" territory.<br />
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<h3>
December</h3>
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Ah, December! We finally closed on our new home in Portland after being consumed by the house hunt and then the closing process for most of the year. We flew up to get the keys as a day trip, and there was snow on the ground when I first saw my very own house - it was perfect. The rest of the month was relaxing almost to the point of boredom, which is probably for the best, since things are going to pick up again really soon....</div>
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</h3>
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2017</h3>
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The next few months feel sort of like a holdover from this past year. I'll be taking one more set of classes in the bay area through mid-April, and immediately after that we plan to move, assuming some house renovations all go as expected. At that point I'll be in a new city, in a new house, trying to make it feel like home.<br />
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I'm so excited to really put some effort into this house, after so many years of cramped San Francisco rentals with awful beige paint and absurd monthly rent. There's going to be a lot to do—the new place is several times larger than our current one, which means there will be a lot of empty space to start. I'm ridiculously pumped about having ample closets and storage space (!!!). I'm looking forward to eventually buying things that I don't have room for now: a full sized sofa, lots of house plants, storage and tables for my dedicated sewing room, full-length mirrors, and maybe a dress form.</div>
<div>
<br />
At the same time, once I finish classes it's time to stop procrastinating on figuring out my next career move. I'm hoping to start by making patterns for home sewers, and we'll see what develops from there. While I'm getting a solid technical understanding of drafting and fitting patterns, there is so much about running a business, creating and selling digital or physical goods, and marketing that I just don't know yet. It's going to be a huge learning curve, but one I'm excited to figure out.<br />
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In lieu of resolutions this year, I made myself a list of smaller, concrete things I want to accomplish - stuff like finally having a small herb garden and getting strong enough in yoga to do a handstand without the support of a wall. But mostly, I'm excited about the knowns and unknowns of the next year, excited to stay busy, work on my career, and connect with old and new friends (and my little family) up in my new city. As scared as I am about the world in this next year, I think it'll be a good one in so many ways. Happy 2017, friends! ♥</div>
Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-51221112933289964342016-12-05T13:38:00.000-08:002016-12-05T13:38:04.233-08:00Vintage Vogue 5701 dress construction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYrF62bVR7g/WENwqeMFAbI/AAAAAAABht4/oDyVNB1PKxgg3F3tceYEJ8B4Ql-AymoqQCPcB/s1600/IMG_20161203_155359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYrF62bVR7g/WENwqeMFAbI/AAAAAAABht4/oDyVNB1PKxgg3F3tceYEJ8B4Ql-AymoqQCPcB/s640/IMG_20161203_155359.jpg" width="548" /></a></div>
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I recently posted photos of this cocktail dress, made from a vintage Vogue pattern. You can see more of the finished dress <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/12/sewn-vintage-vogue-5701-dress.html" target="_blank">here</a>! This is the companion post, all about the construction, resizing, and lessons learned from the process (and <b>tons</b> of photos). This was my first vintage pattern, and the fanciest piece of clothing I've made, so there were definitely many lessons :)<br />
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When I first found the pattern online I didn't see it in my size (and in fact, the largest size they made would have been just large enough, with a 28" waist). I went ahead and ordered, figuring I could make it work. I had four months to resize and fit a muslin, then figure out the vintage construction techniques and give it the care and attention it deserved. And then, life happened - <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/09/no-regrets.html" target="_blank">big changes</a>, full time classes and homework, several weekend trips thrown in the mix, and whoops, we were a few weeks away! But I was determined, and spoiler: I finished just in time.<br />
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I didn't see anything online about another modern sewist making this dress yet. If you're giving it a shot and have any questions, please comment or reach out on <a href="https://twitter.com/cupcait" target="_blank">twitter</a>/<a href="https://www.instagram.com/cupcait6/" target="_blank">instagram</a>!<br />
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<h3>
The dress</h3>
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The pattern is <a href="https://www.etsy.com/market/vogue_5701" target="_blank">Vogue 5701</a>, from around 1963. It has a fitted bodice with darts for shaping in the front and the back, a fairly full pleated skirt, and inverted pleats at the sides, which are made from separate skirt panels. The pattern includes ankle- and knee-length versions of the dress, plus a petticoat and a jacket. I made the shorter dress and neither of the other pieces.</div>
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<h3>
Supplies</h3>
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By some miracle of planning ahead, I did manage to pick out the fabric with time to spare. I decided to try a nice textured dupioni silk, and I ordered a few swatches from fabric.com before settling on a medium gray color (<a href="https://www.fabric.com/buy/bt-076/dupioni-silk-fabric-greystone" target="_blank">here</a>). A little boring, perhaps, but also classic and very wearable for my next several years of special occasions! And I loved the color for a cozy fall wedding in Portland, without it being an exclusively fall/winter dress. I ordered the yardage and then let a couple more weeks pass before I was really in a time crunch. Fortunately Britex pulled through with the lining (plum Bemberg rayon) and petticoat net as well as a ridiculous amount of notions. (There is no finished petticoat, but I do have the supplies!)<br />
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<h3>
Fit</h3>
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At this point the wedding was two weeks away, travel had finally subsided and I was more or less caught up on homework, so I got to fitting. I tried to unscientifically grade the pattern up by hand so it matched my normal bodice measurements, and this didn't turn out great. The darts were in very strange places and it just didn't curve over my body like it should.</div>
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By now I had my very own bodice sloper from patternmaking class. I'd just wrapped up the dart manipulation section (ie. moving darts from one place to another to retain fit but create different styles lines). I decided it'd be easier to just redraft the thing to my measurements, manipulating the darts and armholes/necklines to look like the original pattern's. I then had to slash and spread the skirt pattern pieces to match the new bodice waist, and I cut and sewed the whole thing up in muslin, including zipper, because with this little ease, it's pretty impossible to see the real fit without the zip. This was way better than muslin #1! But I overcorrected and had more ease than I wanted - it was loose and the skirt pulled everything down at the waist.</div>
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I made some adjustments - took out ease at the side and shifted darts a bit - and sewed a new bodice. Almost there! I made a couple more minor adjustments, then updated the skirt again to match the waist circumference and ensure the skirt pleats and bodice darts lined up as in the original. This muslin was just what I was hoping for. It also gave me the opportunity to settle on the length I wanted, which ended up being 2" shorter than the pattern called for.<br />
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a little too big</div>
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bodice iteration</div>
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<h3>
Construction</h3>
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<br />
Time to sew! The vintage instructions were sparse in a few places ("insert a lapped zipper"), and in other spots I knew a better way to do things, so I was really glad I didn't dive into this a year ago when I was just getting started. I did still make some mistakes and learn a lot - so many things to do better in the future! Not knowing whether I would need the petticoat, I started with the dress itself, and by the time I attached the skirt and inserted the zipper, I could tell there was plenty of volume for me to skip the petticoat altogether, unless I wanted to go full retro.</div>
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I just finished taking a construction class at my sewing school, and at the start I wasn't sure how useful the class would end up being since I taught myself a lot of things over the last year and a half (thanks, internet). This dress alone was justification for the class! I used tailor's tacks to mark darts and pleats on the tricky fabric (so. many. tailor's tacks.), made my own piping, installed a lapped zipper sans instructions, and used two types of hand sewing - all things I learned in my construction elective.<br />
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basted pleats and tailors tacks</div>
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My biggest frustrations came from the fabric choice. My lining is a beautiful cupro (Bemberg) rayon, which is shifty and slippery but manageable for just lining the bodice. Then I moved on to the silk, thinking things would be smooth sailing, and boy was I wrong. The fabric has a nice texture, so it held in place pretty well, but wow that dupioni frays like nothing I've sewn with. I gave myself only 1/2" seam allowances, which was a mistake because I lost about that much at the bottom of the bodice due to fraying (practically dissolving, it felt like). By the time I hemmed the skirt (the last step), it had lost a full inch in some places. Fortunately I had 3" hem allowance to start so this wasn't a major tragedy. I'm still finding long silk threads around my house.<br />
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I also had a near disaster with my skirt at one point: as I was pinning the raw edges of the skirt and bodice to be stitched up under the lining at the waist, I discovered that one section of skirt pleats had frayed completely past the stitch line and away from the bodice - ie. there was a gaping hole forming at the waistline. I definitely screamed some curse words and had a mini freakout (this was the weekend before the wedding, no time to regroup!), and then worked some magic with a seam ripper, iron-on interfacing, an extra patch of the silk, and a few extra rows of stitches. And... I think it turned out pretty okay, to my surprise! Definitely not noticeable from the outside, and it didn't rip open during my one evening of wearing it. Success.</div>
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The fraying was mostly an issue across the width of the fabric, and most of my seams were lengthwise or on the bias, so I just used pinking shears on the edges. I usually serge or do french seams, but this seemed fitting with the vintage pattern and lighter fabric. In hindsight, I should have finished the seams with more seam allowance and with a finish that would strengthen the fraying fabric.</div>
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I finished all but half of the hem before we flew out the day before the wedding, and I wrapped up hand stitching the hem an hour before the ceremony (cutting it close for sure, but I knew it wouldn't be difficult once I made myself sit down and do it, so I wasn't too panicked). I threw it on with an old pair of heels, after unsuccessfully shoe shopping the day before, and it was everything I'd hoped it would be, despite my months-long procrastination.<br />
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<h3>
Details</h3>
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The bodice is fully lined. At first I used the instructions from the pattern: sew side seams, attach lining + bodice at neck and arms, then flip right-side out and sew the shoulders together from the inside out. The shoulder sewing ended up looking messy and it was difficult to do well, so I regrouped, ripping out the side seams and using the magic "through the shoulder strap" method I learned from the Lilou dress instructions in Love at First Stitch. This worked fantastically, even though my seam allowances and understitching had seen better days, and I made a note to do it this way from the start if I make this dress again.<br />
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inside out, pinning the lining</div>
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In assembling the skirt, of course I added the #1 bonus of making your own fancy dresses: POCKETS. They're basic side seam pockets, inserted in the seam between the front skirt and the side pleat inserts. They're extra hidden because the seam is inside an inverted pleat, but they're still easy to access. These are made from the same rayon as the bodice lining - oh so soft and smooth!<br />
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I made and attached matching piping to the bodice waist, and I'm pleased with the subtle touch it adds. The skirt was sewn onto the bodice, and it was lapped zipper time. This went off surprisingly well, given that I'm still new to lapped zippers and this was my first in anything other than muslin. I wanted to use a standard zipper rather than an invisible one, since the dress is pretty tight and may take some strain, and I think the lapped zipper looks pretty profesh if I do say so myself. The zipper doesn't quite match (they had almost the perfect shade, but not long enough for my dress), but since it's hidden behind the lap I don't think it's very noticeable.<br />
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After I inserted the zipper, I turned the edges of the bodice lining under and hand stitched them to the zipper using a prick stitch. It was tedious but is almost invisible and let me avoid figuring out to how machine-sew a lining inside a lapped zipper. (I feel like this might be straightforward, but at this point I wasn't up for trial and error). The raw edges of bodice + lining + skirt are sewn up under a grosgrain ribbon at the waist. I pinned everything together and stitched in the ditch at the front waistband, and aside from the previously mentioned skirt drama, this worked really well and the stitching is hidden by the piping on the outside.<br />
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teeny tiny hand stitches down the right side!</div>
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I sewed a little hook and eye at the top of the zip, decided to skip the oh so retro shoulder bows included in the pattern, and all that was left was the hem! I kind of followed the instructions, which said to use ribbon seam binding, ie. I bought something that seemed appropriate at Britex and made up a technique that seamed to make sense. I measured up from the totally frayed edges to sew the ribbon 1" from the original edge, then pinked the excess fabric off and pinned up to take the rest of the 3" hem allowance up.<br />
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I didn't want a row of hem stitching to be visible, so I hand-stitched the entire hem. Friends, I never thought I would say those words. I hate hand stitching and will generally do anything I can to make things work on my machine. But when you've put this much time and money and care into a dress, you make sacrifices, and I have to admit it looks really great now that it's done.<br />
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finished hem inside</div>
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finished hem - invisible on the outside!</div>
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<h3>
Cost</h3>
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I'll break down what I spent on this dress, since I always find it interesting to compare to ready to wear prices.</div>
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4 yards of dupioni silk: <b>$90</b> (but I do have a yard or so left over - I wanted to err on the safe side)</div>
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3/4 yard of bodice lining + 1 1/2 yards unused petticoat fabric: <b>$33</b></div>
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lots of notions (zipper, 3 types of ribbon, hooks and eyes, unused horsehair braid for the petticoat, thread): <b>$17</b></div>
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Total: <b>$140</b>, or somewhere closer to $100 if I make it again and don't overbuy!</div>
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This isn't factoring in the cost of my time, but given that I'm a full time student right now anyway, and this was a huge learning experience (and a lot of fun), I'd say it was worth it despite not necessarily being a financial "win". And you know, that $150 party dress you buy at the store probably doesn't fit your body perfectly, or come in exactly the color + fabric + silhouette you imagined. Basically, this sewing thing isn't the worst even when it's not cheap.</div>
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<h3>
Epilogue</h3>
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After all that time and money and effort, the dress is pulling apart at one of the side seams, and I don't particularly trust it to hold up through another party. I'm not very surprised that it's coming apart at that seam. This is where I ripped the seams out, after pinking the seam allowances down to almost nothing, and resewed again later, which is bad news on a fabric that's already very prone to fraying. I really like the silhouette, fit, and fabric choices, though, so I'm strongly considering buying enough fabric to make another. I would use some silk organza as underlining for the dupioni silk on the entire dress, which should help reduce fraying and take some of the strain off the duioni, and I would use larger seam allowances and probably finish my edges better (french seams, hong kong seams, or even just the serger?).</div>
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Thanks for reading this doozy of a post, and thank you especially to everyone who followed along on instagram/twitter and asked about/complimented this labor of love <3 I'm so happy to have friends who are excited about the things I'm working on!</div>
Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-55584698689738059942016-12-03T19:29:00.000-08:002016-12-03T21:37:18.445-08:00sewn: vintage vogue 5701 dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />For 4 or 5 years now, I've worn the same two dresses over and over to any and all "nice" events (weddings, work holiday parties, things like that). They're both decent dresses, but at some point you've gotta change it up a bit. But every time I'm invited to such an event, I completely forget that I need a dress update until the night of, when I look in my closet and feel a tinge of despair. Until now!<br /><br />This summer I was invited to my friends' wedding, happening the weekend before Thanksgiving, and I vowed to do something about this dress situation. None of the indie patterns I've seen out there were quite what I was looking for, so I decided to go all out and find a lovely vintage cocktail dress pattern—something sleek with a 60s silhouette and a knee-length skirt. I found this pattern that I adored: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/market/vogue_5701">Vogue 5701</a>, from around 1963. I had four months to resize the pattern, get the right fit, buy supplies, and make the dress, but of course I waited until three weekends before the wedding to actually start most of that. I'll go into more info on all of that (with way more process and detail photos) in a separate post. For now, the finished dress!<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />A photo from the dress's inaugural outing at the wedding a couple of weeks ago! The rest were (finally) taken today on my back patio at home.<br /><br /><i>shoes from <a href="http://www.modcloth.com/">ModCloth</a>, back when I worked there (circa 2011)</i><br /><br />
Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-77829402882903010912016-10-24T16:33:00.000-07:002016-10-24T16:33:17.877-07:00melilot dress hack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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phew. I made a dress! I'm still very excited about my life choices, but dang, I have a lot less free time than I expected. I'm spending a lot of time on classes and homework, and travel, and being sick.... and verrrrry little time on sewing for fun. I need to seriously work on my planning and time management (and my immune system?) so I can complete more actual projects. But I did finish this dress that I started way back before I left work (ie. early September). It's based on the <a href="https://shop.deer-and-doe.fr/en/sewing-patterns/29-melilot-shirt-pattern.html" target="_blank">Mélilot shirt</a> by Deer & Doe.<br />
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I set out to make a plaid short sleeve version like the example shown on the site. I made a muslin, things looked good, I was ready to go... and then I decided I <i>needed</i> it in dress form instead. So I hacked the pattern a bit, made 3 more muslins, and then finally started sewing up the real thing, in a totally different fabric. I'll probably still make that plaid shirt someday soon, although a part of me really wants it in dress form too... Ah, indecision!<br />
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To change the pattern into a dress, I started by cutting the pattern front and back straight across, just above the highest part of the bottom hemline, in order to keep the waist and hip curves intact - essentially just bringing the hip width straight down for several inches. It was still very snug around the hips (a dress requires more ease for walking than a hip-length shirt does), so I widened the side hips a little more with a few different tweaks. I also added back darts on either side to take it in at the smallest part of my back. The bodice still fits more loosely than most things I own; I have a tendency to buy on the small side and over-tailor when I sew. But I'm happy with the balance I struck between a well-fitting garment and enough ease to keep it casual and comfortable. Once I got the silhouette worked out, I also re-spaced all of the buttons so that they're less dense than on the shirt version.<br />
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backsides of my adjustments</div>
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The dress is made out of what I think is a lightweight cotton chambray. I got it from my local discount fabric store so the content is a bit of a mystery. I used navy topstitching everywhere to break things up ever so slightly, and I went with natural wood buttons for a little more contrast. I used french seams everywhere, as suggested in the pattern. I always hate french seams as soon as I start doing them (why the extra pressing and sewing step when I could just serge??), but it does look really nice with no exposed seams, so I'm happy. I made self bias tape for the inside of the hem, because I've had bad luck with turning up curved hems and getting them to lay flat. I haven't washed and dried it yet, but so far the bias tape seems to be doing the trick.</div>
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I have actually never sewn a button-up shirt or a shirt dress before! This was my first collar + stand, and it was pretty straightforward, although I did reference a tutorial (<a href="http://foursquarewalls.blogspot.com/2013/09/sewing-collar-different-order.html" target="_blank">here</a>) to make sure I got everything in place correctly. My topstitching is a little wonky on the stand (you can see it in the photo below) but ehhh, I'm just going with it.</div>
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I brought this with me on a recent trip to Portland, and it was perfect in the early fall weather (shown in a couple of photos with the cardigan I made from a heavily modified <a href="https://shop.deer-and-doe.fr/en/sewing-patterns/20-plantain-t-shirt-pattern.html" target="_blank">Plantain t-shirt</a> pattern).</div>
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back darts in action</div>
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I can tell the next few months are going to be very busy, but I'm really going to try to sew more (I miss it!) and blog when I do. I'd love to have a more regular cadence here. And I actually have plans for fall sewing, in the hopes that concrete goals will help me get started! Hint: there's a vintage cocktail dress in the mix, as well as some Closet Case Files patterns that I've been wanting to try out for ages.... Fingers crossed that I can knock out at least three things before winter comes along!</div>
Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-26362262038879069862016-09-09T17:30:00.000-07:002016-09-09T17:30:09.860-07:00no regrets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I did something terrifying today: I quit tech. I've quit jobs without having the next thing lined up yet, but this time I quit with no intention of going back into the tech industry. And while I've had more than a couple of moments of "holy shit, what have I done?!", the fear of spending my entire adult life in a career I'm just not happy in finally outweighed the fear of not having a steady paycheck and potentially failing at something I really care about.<br />
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This decision was twofold, even though the two parts are pretty tightly coupled: I wanted to get out of tech and also to start a career doing something more creative that I'm truly excited about.<br />
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A part of me has always wanted to have a creative career. I used to paint and draw all the time as a kid. I even won a school-wide drawing contest, open to K-5, when I was in 1st grade. I dreamed of becoming an artist. And then as a teenager I cracked down, felt like I should something more practical, found the vulnerability of being creative too scary to pursue. I set myself up for the stable and well-paying path I've been on until now. But I've felt the tug of a more creative life - not one that I have to push aside for 40 hours a week and only embrace when I have some free time. One that lets me wake up excited to create things as a part of my job. I read <a href="http://www.designlovefest.com/2016/01/real-talk-why-we-do-what-we-do/" target="_blank">this blog post</a> back in January and it resonated very strongly with me and caused me to start questioning whether my career in tech was <i>really</i> the only option. Then I went on my <a href="http://www.wildbride.co/blog/2016/4/20/caitlins-wildbride-experience" target="_blank">Wildbride retreat</a> in February and was so inspired to see Liz and Kristina living out this dream of road-tripping down the coast, connecting with women and empowering them to feel strong and beautiful. And then I found <a href="http://closetcasefiles.com/taking-leap/" target="_blank">Heather's posts</a> about quitting her job to work on her pattern company, Closet Case Files, full time. I didn't know how to get to that place in my life but I knew I wanted it with all of my heart. But doubts kept creeping in (and still do): Maybe I'm not creative enough, I can't make something anyone actually wants to pay money for, what if I have a great product but can't figure out how to market it to the right people, maybe I'm too old to switch careers? But honestly - I don't think this would be nearly as exciting and (I hope) rewarding if it wasn't also incredibly scary.<br />
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On top of that, it's really hard to quit a job that pays well, is interesting enough, and has lots of great coworkers and perks - especially when I still worry that I don't have any other skills that can actually help me pay the bills. I thought about skimming over this side of the equation, but it's important too: being a woman in tech is tough. Things are getting better, but good lord it's draining sometimes. I'm starting to believe that in order to survive in the tech industry as a member of an underrepresented group, you have to be really passionate about the work you do or it'll eat you alive. My time in tech hasn't been nearly as terrible as it has been for many other women I know, but it has felt like one paper cut after another - <a href="https://medium.com/@JasonShen/an-open-letter-to-managers-of-women-58b1655943ce#.9b55vy50y" target="_blank">this post</a> sums up a lot of it incredibly well. I've never really identified as the "nerdy" type or wanted to spend my free time doing coding side projects, which has contributed to me feeling like I don't belong (as have some real instances of not being taken seriously as an engineer because I wear dresses instead of jeans and tech t-shrirts). I really used to enjoy coding, but over the last few years I've been enjoying the work less and less, and I've just started feeling increasingly drained, unhappy, not like myself. And in turn, it's been difficult to work on all of the non-work things I really care about, because I'm just so worn down. As terrifying as it was to decide to leave, it gradually became even harder to stay. On one particular day it crossed that line for me, and I spent the weekend panicking over what to do and making "what if" budgets based on my (admittedly nice) tech savings. And suddenly this thing that just seemed <b>impossible</b> became an option, and a few days later I'd completely made up my mind.<br />
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So: what's next? I'm still figuring that out, to be honest, but I have some ideas. I'm going to spend now through early spring taking <a href="http://www.apparel-arts.com/class-descriptions/" target="_blank">lots of electives</a> at my sewing school (in addition to the patternmaking class I'm already enrolled in - I wrote about that <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/06/patternmaking-class-update.html" target="_blank">here</a>). After that - we'll see! I'd really love to start my own business, although I think that's even scarier to me than just trying to find a job in the industry. I'm not sure if I'd rather make ready to wear fashion or sewing patterns or something else entirely. There are so many factors involved, like the market potential, the community I could build in each space, what I would really enjoy spending most of my time doing, etc. And I don't really know the answers to all of those yet! I'm glad that I get this buffer of classes to let me ease in and figure things out a little more.<br />
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absolutely perfect pin from <a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/catalog/no-regrets-pin" target="_blank">Colette Patterns</a></div>
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One of my major goals this year was to pursue more things that scare me. That special kind of fear where you know deep down that you really want to do this but are so scared of trying and failing, so you push it aside, but it keeps coming back over and over. I felt this when I signed up for my Wildbride weekend, and again when deciding to take my sewing class despite feeling like I didn't have the time or energy for it, and now with this. So far I'm 2 for 2 on life-changing decisions, and I'm pretty sure this one won't be any different!<br />
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I honestly don't know if I'll be able to create a successful career in this field (where successful means "I'm able to pay my bills and am generally excited about the career path I'm on"), but I'm sure as hell going to try. And here's what it really comes down to: I really, truly don't think I'll regret taking this leap no matter what the outcome, but I do think I would regret taking the safe route and staying in tech indefinitely. So here goes nothing.<br />
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-41477790990438620872016-08-30T20:23:00.001-07:002016-08-30T20:23:45.952-07:00self-drafted mini skirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-piNH89mO6yk/V7qIuc0UZeI/AAAAAAABaRo/e6w5NL23SDcnMFnqep2Q5FimG1pvBbLSwCPcB/s1600/DSC_0050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-piNH89mO6yk/V7qIuc0UZeI/AAAAAAABaRo/e6w5NL23SDcnMFnqep2Q5FimG1pvBbLSwCPcB/s640/DSC_0050.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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Here is my second final skirt, designed, drafted, and sewn by me. (You can see the first <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/08/a-self-drafted-summer-skirt.html" target="_blank">here</a>, if you missed it.) I am really excited about this one - I think it's more wearable and versatile than the first, and I'm excited to sew a few more up in beautiful fall colors and wear them with tights through the colder months.</div>
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My process was pretty similar to the first. I knew I wanted something slightly 70s-inspired, a mini A-line, but I went back and forth on what details I wanted. Buttons or no? Front pockets, back pockets, both? Princes seamlines? I drew a rough technical sketch that I liked and then listed the details I would need to draft: an asymmetrical button placket for a bit of interest, just one pocket (but it's a big one), a center back seam to break things up just a little, and a yoke large enough to remove the need for darts.</div>
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Unlike the first, which was designed around my fabric, this one had lots of iteration on materials and ended up quite a bit different than I expected. I initially bought some heavy stretch denim from the fabric outlet near me, unsure if it would be a wearable muslin or my final skirt. I loved the emerald color, and before I even cut into it, I bought some gorgeous navy blue buttons to go with it from Britex. (The six buttons cost more than the fabric did!) After my first muslin (which fit amazingly well right off the bat), I began sewing it up in the denim, and I realized halfway through that this was not going to work. The fabric was incredibly stiff, and while I wanted something that would hold its shape, this was going to be uncomfortable and have almost no movement. Not what I wanted. But I loved my buttons, so I brought them up to Portland with me on a weekend trip and fabric shopped there. I found a pretty blue canvas/linen fabric (I think), and it went well with the buttons. I was a little disappointed that I didn't find anything in a pretty green, and the fabric was drapier than I'd hoped, but <b>the buttons!</b> And then... when the time came to actually sew the buttonholes and attach the buttons, I discovered that they were far too thick and that my buttonholes would have to be <i>huge</i>. This was a deal-breaker, both because my drafted (and now sewn) button placket wasn't big enough, and because the holes would be ridiculously long and probably unstable even if I'd planned ahead in my drafting. So... I ended up back at the fabric outlet and bought some boring navy buttons to match my fabric, and here we are. Despite this not being my dream fabric/button combo, I do really love the skirt. I'm excited to see how much more I love future iterations now that I have a better idea of what to look for in supplies.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_IbtLqbFag/V8T19zmnYjI/AAAAAAABbWg/xlWo59BaHaMmtSSHqM0fgcCrCCBKh7TXgCPcB/s1600/IMG_20160828_102700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_IbtLqbFag/V8T19zmnYjI/AAAAAAABbWg/xlWo59BaHaMmtSSHqM0fgcCrCCBKh7TXgCPcB/s640/IMG_20160828_102700.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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those beautiful but unusable buttons.... </div>
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Aside from my various shopping trips, this skirt felt very quick to sew up compared to the first. No finicky fabric or too-small seam allowances, straightforward serged seams inside, and very little bias to deal with. I originally interfaced only the yoke lining piece, and there was some rippling along the side of the yoke where the fabric was on the bias, but I took the yoke apart and interfaced the outer piece as well, and it was all good after that. My buttonholes went off without a hitch (always a little scary, even with help from the machine), and I figured out how to make a tidy little hem on the front corners, where the button placket meets the hem.<br />
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muslin!</div>
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muslin fitting - pretty good! and you can see the outline of my massive pocket.</div>
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final production-ready pattern pieces and my to-scale technical draawing</div>
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This was a really satisfying project, and I think it'll get a lot of wear. Now to find something to do with those other buttons.....Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-69865765556279325232016-08-28T10:01:00.000-07:002016-08-28T10:01:01.931-07:00a self-drafted summer skirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iSHc9Bt06kU/V7qIuQVmlNI/AAAAAAABaRo/fBKGCbEJyTQL4R0QvnzVwb1kk8qEAdwZACPcB/s1600/DSC_0031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iSHc9Bt06kU/V7qIuQVmlNI/AAAAAAABaRo/fBKGCbEJyTQL4R0QvnzVwb1kk8qEAdwZACPcB/s400/DSC_0031.jpg" width="267" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0mSE0ic-dCM/V7qIue6s2WI/AAAAAAABaRo/Q7aRn1mnes85ZfRzukoch0uY5HbjeuU9wCPcB/s1600/DSC_0028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0mSE0ic-dCM/V7qIue6s2WI/AAAAAAABaRo/Q7aRn1mnes85ZfRzukoch0uY5HbjeuU9wCPcB/s400/DSC_0028.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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I've previously mentioned my patternmaking class (both here on the <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/06/patternmaking-class-update.html" target="_blank">blog</a> and on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/cupcaitsews/" target="_blank">instagram</a>). I started the class back in March, and after 3 months I got through all of the skirt lessons - learning lots of individual techniques, then drafting and often sewing them up in muslin and practicing fitting them. At the end of the skirts unit is a final project: designing, drafting, fitting, and sewing two real skirts using various techniques I've learned, as well as making production-ready patterns for them both. I naively expected this whole process to take a few weeks, and instead it was a solid two months (and somehow it felt even longer - halfway through the process it felt like things were just dragging on and I could tell I was procrastinating on cutting into my final fabric). But I made it, and in mid-August I "graduated" skirts and moved on to the <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/06/moulage-sewing-techniques/" target="_blank">moulage</a> unit, which is the very start of bodices (and eventually dresses, shirts, and jackets, oh my!). I'm so excited to feel like I can draft and sew just about any kind of skirt I can imagine! It's a powerful feeling. And I also have two skirts to show for it, which I happen to like a lot. Here's the first!<br />
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This skirt was originally conceived because I had this lovely double gauze laying since after ordering it last September, but none of my patterns seemed quite right for it. I decided it would work well in a flowy summer skirt, so that was the start of my brainstorming. I wanted something more interesting than just an A-line, so I decided to add knife pleats across the center front. The rest of the skirt has princess seams, and there's a slightly contoured waistband, an invisible side zipper + matching button, and a lining that was drafted separately (sans pleats or princess seams). The front pleated panel is cut on the length grain, and all of the other skirt panels are cut on the bias for maximum flowiness. This was a bit of a gamble, but aside from some creases near the zipper and some excess fabric on one side of my back waist, the whole thing came together pretty smoothly and without much bias drama. (Fabric like this can stretch way out of shape when cut on the bias, so it's fairly easy to end up with two seams that are supposed to line up but just don't at all.)<br />
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Back to the process: I started with a sketch, and once I listed the various details that would go into it, drafting was more or less straightforward. Then I made a muslin (and was surprised by how much I liked the shape in the less drapey muslin fabric). After a few small adjustments with my teacher, I made a second muslin, this time out of a (single) gauze fabric and some cheap lining. It was slightly different from my final fabric but gave a reasonable view into the final skirt's fit and overall look.</div>
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Then it was time to cut out my final fabric, which was no longer for sale online, and I was irrationally nervous about screwing something up and ruining the fabric, so I did everything possible to procrastinate. I worked on my second skirt: drafting, making a muslin, buying fabric and buttons, and even began sewing the final garment. I got most of the way through the final pattern pieces for both (lots of notches and seam allowances and awl punches marking various details). Eventually I realized I was just stressing myself by avoiding it, so I took over the large cutting table in class one night and cut the whole thing out, including the fancy <a href="https://www.britexfabrics.com/fabric/lining-fabric/rayon-bemberg-lining-fabric/white-bemberg-rayon-lining-made-in-japan.html" target="_blank">lining fabric</a>, and things started moving again.<br />
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Construction was pretty simple from there on out, with a few small caveats (mostly lessons for the future).<br />
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<ul>
<li>I did french seams throughout, which look great but were time-consuming enough that I really regretted them for a few minutes while I was halfway through all 6 of them. I don't really think I care about the insides enough for the extra time to be worth it, and they do add a tiny bit of extra bulk. If I made it again, I'd just serge the raw edges and be done with it.</li>
<li>I only left myself 1/4" seam allowances for the top of the skirt and the waistband, and that was really pretty awful with gauze, which loves to fray and shift.</li>
<li>I ended up with a button that was larger than the one I drafted for, and it may be a bit comically large. It turns out drafting for a 3/4" or 1" button isn't really a common thing when you go to buy buttons (a mistake I made on both of my skirts, as it turns out).</li>
<li>And this was my first experience with a really bias-y hem, so I got to practice the "measure up from the floor" hemming technique on both the skirt and the lining, which was pretty annoying compared to just using the bottom of the fabric as a guide. </li>
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<br />But honestly I think the whole thing turned out okay, definitely good enough to wear in public :) And I learned a ton!<br />
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Some progress shots:<br />
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muslin #1, in actual muslin fabric (with bonus sharpie from fitting with my teacher)</div>
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muslin #2, in a very light gauze</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gyxmUHow8eI/V8MOoewCR1I/AAAAAAABbOo/8sOkORk3erA8nWZtG9Z9L8ULe-A1ZjtIgCPcB/s1600/1469158329014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gyxmUHow8eI/V8MOoewCR1I/AAAAAAABbOo/8sOkORk3erA8nWZtG9Z9L8ULe-A1ZjtIgCPcB/s640/1469158329014.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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cutting into that double gauze, eeeep!</div>
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ready to sew</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aNGUzsgNNc4/V8MOoZvpISI/AAAAAAABbOo/ZN79gZIWuFscqRPEVzdGPwYoZO4JgK11QCPcB/s1600/IMG_20160724_141056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aNGUzsgNNc4/V8MOoZvpISI/AAAAAAABbOo/ZN79gZIWuFscqRPEVzdGPwYoZO4JgK11QCPcB/s640/IMG_20160724_141056.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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french seams e'erywhere</div>
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pinning the lining up for hemming</div>
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thank goodness sewing school has dress forms, as I certainly do not.</div>
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Thanks for reading about this adventure :) Keep an eye out for my second final skirt on here soon!</div>
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<br />Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-51966930318900078612016-08-06T09:48:00.000-07:002016-08-06T09:48:37.358-07:00i made some bags: manhattan purse #2This is the last bag post (for now), I promise.<br />
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This year my mom's birthday fell on Mother's Day, as it does every so often. I didn't have any exciting ideas for her, so when she asked if I could make her a purse <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/08/i-made-some-bags-manhattan-purse.html" target="_blank">like mine</a>, of course I said yes! And then... work got busy (I had deadlines and <b>my very first intern!</b>), there was <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/05/the-story-of-thurlow-shorts-that-werent.html" target="_blank">Thurlow shorts drama</a>, and I was caught up in sewing class homework, and a full month went by before I even got started on the purse. :/<br />
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The preparation took the most time by far - picking out and ordering contrast + lining fabrics online, and then going to the fabric store to find exterior fabric and a zipper to match. And of course, cutting out all the pieces (seriously, so many!). Fortunately, I had extra interfacing and magnetic snaps left over from the first one I made. Once I got everything ready to go, I kind of breezed through the construction in a weekend morning or two, and it felt super fast this time around.<br />
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I took some of the things I'd learned with mine and incorporated them into my mom's purse, and I feel like hers is much sturdier and more professional than mine. I used a much heavier fabric for the exterior, which makes the bag feel less flimsy and also works better on the strap. I got better hardware (no d-rings!) and a strap slider, all from Britex in downtown SF, so there are none of the weird strap issues mine has.<br />
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I'm really happy with my fabric choices for this one. My mom wanted something dark and not too flashy, but I still wanted to give some interest with contrast panels, so I found this pretty <a href="https://www.fabric.com/buy/0399589/art-gallery-hello-bear-summit-twilight" target="_blank">abstract mountain fabric</a> by Art Gallery Fabrics. My mom has always loved <a href="https://www.fabric.com/buy/0407331/natural-history-butterflies-cream" target="_blank">butterflies</a>, but they felt like too much for the exterior, so they make up the lining. And the navy exterior is a sturdy mystery apparel fabric from the Fabric Outlet I go to in the Mission in SF.<br />
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I sent this to my mom in mid-July, and she seems to love it :D I don't often selfless sew, but it warms my heart when I do get around to it. Happy (very late) birthday, mom!!<br />
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<br />Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4478294870551447101.post-86192931424620271072016-08-06T09:13:00.000-07:002016-08-06T09:13:49.527-07:00i made some bags: oversized pencil pouch<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mRUkJYKBpYk/V6YIC02JD7I/AAAAAAABZTM/COISpcc4MiMNTPW5aFr_h1kg2PFAUBuNQCPcB/s1600/IMG_20160327_154836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mRUkJYKBpYk/V6YIC02JD7I/AAAAAAABZTM/COISpcc4MiMNTPW5aFr_h1kg2PFAUBuNQCPcB/s640/IMG_20160327_154836.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Another bag for sewing class. I realized I needed a place to store a ton of sewing and drafting tools - pencils, sharpies, red colored pencils, chalk pen, eraser, tracing wheel, seam ripper, fabric & paper scissors, thread clippers... the list goes on. So a zipper pouch seemed like just the thing.<br />
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I made this bigger than a typical pencil pouch - I basically sized it to be roomy enough for my large fabric scissors, and everything else fits beautifully. I found a <a href="https://modernquiltlove.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/perfect-box-pouch-tutorial/" target="_blank">tutorial online</a> to make a boxy one, rather than a flat rectangle, and I modified it a bit. I did some math to figure out how much of the length I would lose in the box shape and made my initial rectangles large enough that my scissors would still fit. I think I even traced it out of pattern paper so I can recreate the same pouch in the future if I need another.<br />
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I also sewed the outside and lining separate from each other so that there are no raw edges on the inside. This basically involved attaching the zipper as in the tutorial, and then instead of sewing one seam across both fabrics to create the bottom, I created one inside-out pouch, seams showing, on either side of the zipper (see below). I left an opening in the bottom seam of the lining fabric until everything else was finished, and then I flipped the whole bag through the hole, which was super fun. So fun that I made Tim take a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDcVa1nOeBy" target="_blank">video</a> of it.<br />
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This fabric is one that I saw on instagram back when I very first started sewing, and I <b>needed</b> it. It's from <a href="http://birchfabrics.com/" target="_blank">Birch Fabrics</a>, but all of the normal retailers had sold out and I snatched up the few yards I could find on Etsy. I had planned to make a <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/01/sewn-megan-dress.html" target="_blank">Megan Dress</a> with it, and then I made a Megan Dress and wasn't in love with the dress on me, and then I started questioning my ability to wear such a loud print on my body, and then before I knew it the fabric had been sitting there for a year. So I decided at the very least I could make something I'd see once a week, and I can still make something for myself with the rest if I get over my decision paralysis.<br />
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The lining is a nice golden yellow cotton that I had left over from one of my many <a href="http://blog.cupcait.com/2016/01/sewn-clemence-skirt-x3.html" target="_blank">Clemence skirts</a>.<br />
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Even with the enclosed seams fanciness, this was a really quick sew and so useful. Hooray for instant gratification sewing projects!!<br />
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03598296111400435848noreply@blogger.com0