A Challenging Sew

Marfy 3201 ...eek!

 

 Oh this is going to take a long time, I looked like a deer in the headlights when I started this, to funny!.....its a really detailed pattern. Once all the pieces are cut as directed you end up with 46 in total,  a recipe for disaster if you ask me :-)

 

There were some questions about whether  the cape was detachable or not, the catalog picture made me think that this was a option after seeing it shown both ways. 

Its not, sadly,  as it stands its only possible to attach a permanant cape or leave it off entirely.

I like the concept, although it complicates construction as you have to sew the left shoulder and armseye into the cape at the same time as you join the coat together. 

However, after thinking about it I see no reason why I can't also add the front right epaulette to the left side and have some kind of attachment at the back (thinking small  leather straps right now but time will tell) which along with the front button should keep it secure.

This would make the cape an individual piece that granted could only be worn with the coat but would be a perfect  additional layer for those unbearably cold  East coast January through March months and make the coat more versatile for the warmer winter  months.

Burberry has a vaguely similar look going on right now...but I prefer that Marfy has gone all out with a proper cape as opposed to a hint of one.

The basic muslin is all made, I did not make a sleeve as I will use the three piece one that I have for my french jackets, so I can cut that in advance as well knowing it already fits.

 

The fit is pretty good, the  lower back needs some shaping but the shoulders and front bust area have a sweater amount of ease built in which is perfect and a front belt for waist shaping.

I want to quilt this coat in the French jacket style but also need to tailor the lapels with hair canvas because its impossible to put bound buttons holes into a quilted soft jacket due to the flexibility or give it the crisp looks it needs.    As well as add a layer of ice wool between the wool and lining for extra warmth....I know, completely over the top but until it goes wrong I'm going all in!

I only have five days in Baltimore next month and they go fast.....I  have to finish the sleeves on my other two jackets as well,  so maybe three days for this?

I have no idea how to finish a coat to a couture level, this is my first attempt at even making one.   However I know how to get it to the fitting stage before I go and can  have the front panels tailored as well as the collar and the rest of the panels quilted  and tied off.

This is what I am going to use, a Ice wool, silk charmeuse lining,  and wool .  I don't think I will use a patterned fabric  to line the cape, it could get very distracting, there is already a LOT going on with this.....I am thinking black silk instead.

But on a more productive note I did get the blue jacket done and ready for the sleeves...yay!

The trim colour is close to the picture above, not below!

and the inside all sewn up......

So for this week, onto the short red jacket....I don't have the bead trim made yet  but I have dyed the fabrics for the inserts  to a perfect colour so they can be sewn in and then the inside closed up.....

and I hope to cut out all the jacket and cape, quilt and tailor.....wishful thinking probably!

 

Of course all these projects are adding up to a very large collection of fabric scraps, which I had no idea what to do with....So I asked my  Mother in Law if she would be interested in a box every now and again, she was so enthusiastic about the idea and decided she could incorporate them into her quilts, amazing!...and the first box went off to the UK.  Not sure she knew what she was in for....I sent a lot.

 

 

But as a extra bonus she has thrilled the  kids by offering to make quilts for them all (four of them!)....so this is the beginings of my sons, the eldest....

The technique is called Seminole patch-working, a technique originated with the Seminole Indians, who used bright plain fabrics to make strips to decorate clothing as well as quilts.

Its going to be an appliquéd marine scene for the area of the quilt that would be covering the top of the bed, which is perfect for the Cavalli scraps alone!

She is going to keep me updated on the progress (no pressure Gill!!) and I thought I would post pictures as she sends them....shes is a extremely  talented artist so I am excited to see what she creates.

I know the kids will treasure them...such incredibly special gifts.

 

I finished reading Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney , really enjoyed it. She was so driven and yet very very unconventionable....the pictures alone were worth the $

Can't put down Lets Explore Diabetes with owls by David Sedaris....all incredibly funny but Attaboy...I can't stop laughing..so true and so sad.

The Great Gatsby soundtrack.....amazing....now to find the time for the movie..

 

Off to chop up some Chanel.....as you do!

Have a great week!

Leisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marfy 3171 the long and now the short of it......

 

This is my third and final version of Marfy 3171.  Its time to move on but I intend to go out on a very bright note,  i'm going to get a lot of use from this dress, so happy with it!

Trying to get one decent detailed picture became a family activity today,  we could not get one that was not completely saturated with colour, the red is so vibrant it would not dull down ...and we pretty much failed so here are the best we could come up with, until I have more time to get better ones...grab your sunglasses!

and a couple toned right down to show some of the fabric detail..

I had just under  two and a half yards of the most amazing Silk Gazar that was waiting for the perfect pattern and this was definitely it. 

Fussy is the word I often use to describe this fabric, its organza stiff with stunning pleat and  simple detail potential but is as stubbon as can be.  It does not like to be molded,  shaped or gathered into anything complicated and can crease easily if not underlined properly.  

That said I am a huge fan as it sews like a dream,  hangs beautifully, always holds it shape and just elevates a simple silhoutte into a statement piece. 

I have a very sentimental attachment to this particular silk and really wanted to do it proud.  The fact that the bodice gathers were small and there were no other pleats or folds to deal with made it a ideal simple canvas to showcase the amazing embroidery details.  

The circles are a guaze with a feather outline that I kept wanting to snip thinking they were little loose threads but they give a extraordinary 3D look once you get past that!

All the emboridered detail is raised slightly off the silk and it makes for  a very heavy fabric.  I was worried for a while it would look like I had cut up the drapes but as the dress came together I got more and more excited.

So as this is the last one, I thought I would add more pictures as I have had a few emails regarding linings and construction details.

The whole dress is fully underlined with a silk organza, the circles in the fabric had a net backing so I used a orangey red organza for the upper bodice as it has little ease  and I was concerned that a lighter colour would show through and stuck with white for the lower knowing the lining would compensate. 

All the seams were then graded and catch stitched.

I played around but decided in the end to replicate the full pattern for the lining as the only bulk was the pleating and it was minimal.  As I like to leave my hems and facings almost rolling rather than ironed flat, I pick stitches the lining in place by hand at the arms, front and back neck and zipper.

I think the Cavalli lining shows the front detail a little better, both are a light weight crepe de chine.

 

IN SUMMARY

I would highly  recommend this pattern as a straighforward sew.   Marfy have marked it with lots of details and there are no tricky fit pieces.  There are two front bodice, two back, one tie to be cut twice, one single bodice and skirt front panel, two side and two back  skirt panels with a center back seam and zipper.

Its not easily adapted to a patterned fabric as the front skirt panel is cut on the straight of grain and the remaining four skirt panels are on the bias.  Matching a obvious print would be impossible withhout pattern alterations and ultimately the skirt flows so beautifully because of the bias.

The only fit alteration was to  the shoulder seam , which I left until the zipper was installed, I had  to shorten it a inch on the outside tapering to almost two inches near my neck to ensure the back V  lay flat.

I also removed 15" from the bottom hem for the shorter version and added pockets five inches down from the waist line , making them slightly lower than is standard to reduce any potential additional bulk around my hips. 

 

 

Can I take a minute here to rave about a Japanese basting thread that you can see in most of my pictures, I do a lot of hand basting and really wanted to pass on how wonderful this is.

I first got to try this at Susan Khaljes March class . It really is  amazing, it glides through fabric, stays knot free and seems to cut the time in half as well as being easy to remove at the end, I just pull gently and the whole thread comes clean out  (so far on silk, cotton and wool) ..... we were all shocked by how good this is, there were long conversations about it, trust me!

Inna who writes the great blog the Thewallinna was in that  class.  She mentioned that as it was so hard to find anywhere but Japan,  she had  started a Etsy  and was selling it without a mark up as a lovely service to all sewers. (although she is moving to England in the summer so it won't be for much longer unless she loads up a suitcase or two!)  I ordered a few as soon as I got home..

It comes in a almost wool like skein and you tie a knot around the middle and cut one end  to open it to almost 46" in length pulling a thread as needed.  It lasts a long time and I really wanted to recommend this to anybody who bastes on a regular basis as it really is kind to fabric and easy to use and at only $2.32 so cheap.  (I'd  also recommend the needles, they are all I will use now, tiny tiny eye but these things are hardcore! seriously great and this thread fits the eye) 

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ok just wanted to share, everytime I use it,  I love it more! ...... moving on!!   :-)

 

NEW PROJECT

Dare I say jackets???!!!  I have to spend some time on the two I have already started  this year as my next Susan K class is coming up fast, and I have to have them ready for sleeves...

and as I am already doing French jackets, and I find I work better when focused on one thing, I thought I would also make this while I was there, Marfy 3201,  beautiful right?!? and the removable cape..oh my!

This is my inspiration,  its been in the back of my mind for a while,

So I have been on the  look out for potential fabric for a while , and was thrilled to find a almost exact copy in Mendel Goldberg this year. I believe that Chanel hold their fabrics for four years before resale so I was not expecting to find this so soon

Its a darker blue but its a genuine Chanel  in a thinner wool rather than a boucle which is  perfect for a trench with more intricate details.

So I will put together a muslin this week to see what the fit is like and if its still worthy enough to sacrifice my gorgeous fabric to!

as well as start the beading process on the blue jacket and dye/add the trim to the red one.....ever wish the days were much much longer?

Back next Monday...wishing everyone a lovely week.

Leisa 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marfy 3171 meet Cavalli...

 

The problem with matching a large repeat is where you draw the line. What I really needed was to buy another three yards to match the skirt panels perfectly, could I in anyway justify it??!!... Er no...and let's be honest, it's a dress to wear in my real life not my imaginary Nina Garcia fashion editor one...

 

The back bodice was easy, no darts or pleats so I just picked a large fern for interest, there is a 22" all purpose black zipper down the middle, which I inserted by hand for better control.  

The front took way more time than I imagined, there are a row of pleats on each front panel which distorted the look I was aiming for  so I kind of moved the folds around to keep the main detail cohesive.It also helped stop the front from being as low cut as my white cotton one . I really like it, no need to wear a necklace with this!!  I had to turn the  print  upside down but did manage to keep it on grain to match the front skirt panel.

Luckily the drapes are so deep, the less matching skirt is not a issue.....

The original pattern drawing:

The starting point , its a good 55" wide...a really sturdy charmeuse..gorgeous to work with..

I underlined the whole dress in the thinest drapiest organza I had....

Just after I had catch stitched the entire skirt it occured to me that this would make a perfect maxi dress if the organza was removed, as it would reduce the skirt to just a casual flowing silk rather than the almost crinoline one it gives it now. I will consider doing that I think eventually....but I do like the more formal  look.

and I have to admit I don't think I am done with this pattern, I feel like I want to try one more dress...I have a red silk gazar that could work beautifully as a knee length version, I am going to roughly drape it for  a couple of days and see if I still like it although I am concerned it might be a little to stiff..

Its very  rare for me to make more than one version of any garment but  this is such a simple flattering fit, I absolutely love it and highly recommend it for anyone looking to try a slighly more complex Marfy.  I could fill a closet with ten versions of this and be done for summer!

I'll certainly have something by next week!

 

 

I started reading Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney absolutely hooked...facinating with lots of new material.   She certainly had a personality...I really had no idea.

Audio books this week were good and bad!  Touch and go by Lisa Gardner  if you can get past every cliche ever written and then repeated again and again and the weakest female  characters I have come across in a long time, the story is actually good .....if completely unbelievable when you stop to think about it!

and Dreaming in English by Laura Fitzgerald turned out to be a real winner, total chick lit but a easy feel good read that was food for thought.  

Pink  has been playing all week...amazing as always  and Daughter her voice is so beautiful.

 

Back on Monday, have a great week!

Leisa  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marfy 3171 my Eleutheran beach dress.....

 

We went away in the end, it was Spring break, my son was turning eighteen,  and its been what feels like the longest winter ever..

So we headed to Eleuthera, a small island in the Bahamas.. .so incredibly beautiful and remote. There are  very few tourists here as you have to take a twenty minute flight in the smallest of planes  to get there from Nassau,  there  are no real hotels on the Island but lots of houses to rent,  a handful of  restaurants, one grocery store and endless empty pink sanded beaches.  We love it there, truly love it.  

I could bore everyone with a long post about what we did but I won't  I promise!  but this is very cool...

This is the thinnest  point on Eleuthera, the Island is  only two miles wide at its widest but here  its down to feet, you can see the Caribbean sea on one side and the Atlantic on the other.....you kind of pick each day ...calm swimming or wild waves  and head that way...thats probably the biggest decision we made  along with which fish to buy from the locals for dinner.

Walking down to Governers Harbour, the main town on the Island.

I did finish the lining in my dress while I was there, add some beading to the handpicked zipper and put my trim on, just in time for some beach pics..

Meet Debbie an Island stray, looked after by all, she hung out with us last year and practically moved in with us again .. there were even dog treats in the pantry when we arrived!

Have you met my husband and youngest??!! 

See?  really really empty beaches!!

 

So here is my wearable muslin, the front panel is a fabulous design ...and the shoulder bows are a surprising nice finish.

The back lies really well...I had to taper the shoulder seams a half inch to get them to lay flat but it was a simple fix.

So today I  tried to get a better close up at home , where I was so happy to see we had not missed all the blooms on the lovely old Magnolia tree in our yard.

I wanted to show what the dress looks like with a bra instead of a  bikini top.....it kind of puts them out there....I would imagine anything bigger than a B cup is going to need some adjustments, its very  low cut.

So the plan for this week  is the same dress

but in something completely different.....this is what goes on in my head as I fall asleep....and then I can't sleep thinking about how to cut it to its best advantage....and whether I have enough..or B&J have it in  stock still....and on and on it goes...

This is the  Cavalli silk charmeuse I just used as a lining in my French jacket, I bought a couple more yards as  my sleep deprived mind tells me it was destined to be used in this dress.  The front panel is perfect for the design, although i'm going to have to be thoughtful because of the Georgia O'Keefe undertones!  I have it laid out to start cutting today, and will underline with Organza and line with silk crepe de chine again...

 So along with a small bust adjustment , maybe just a inch at the lowest point , the only other thing i'm going to alter on this version are the bodice seams.   The cotton version fits beautifully but there is no ease, which I  personally like......however in a silk charmeuse even with a organza underlining I can see it putting strain on the main seams.. I think a quarter inch on each of the sides and back will stop that and still keep it very fitted.   

I did nothing else last week apart from read: 

Cheryl Stayed's Wild which I could not put it down. She lost her mother to cancer when she was in her early twenties and it sent her on a spiral which led her on a thousand mile trek across the Pacific Coast trail in the 90's.   So beautifully written.  It really resonated with me as I had a similar loss with my Mum, but I was lucky to have my own family to tether me.......highly recommend,  I am not often sad when a book ends...but I really wish it had been longer. 

and watch the finale of the sewing bee, was it me or did it all fall flat at the end?  Surely it should have gone to Lauren, not only did she show amazing skills for a self taught seamstress but she finished with a very ambitious evening gown.    

If I had to define what I wanted from sewing it would be intuition, to know exactly where the problems will occur, eight/ten/twelve steps away....Ann had that skill or you would hope after seventy five years of sewing , Lauren did not and yet still managed to produce a completed technically difficult final project. Bah....

 

and Project Runway, a real winner finally!!  self taught, kind, worked well with others , thought big, stayed true to her aesthetic and could patternmake.....thats what its should be about... I'm sure it will all go belly up again next season! and shame on them for the Europe stunt..

As for Mad Men.....what is wrong with all those men???!!!  really?

Oh well back to reality and mountains of laundry!

 

Have a great week, hoping to have a completed dress next Monday...

Leisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Great British Sewing Bee Pt4 (Finale)

 

Marfy 3171 and the wearable muslin (plus a pair of Colette Iris shorts)

Oh I like this one......I have two more fabrics picked out for different versions, its a keeper!

 

Now  I've made a few Marfy's  I know that apart from the occasional natural waist and/or shoulder adjustment they are going to fit almost perfectly, and it got me to thinking about muslins.

I still need to make a muslin regardless  (of the lack) of  fit issues  as I have to work out a construction order that makes sense and leaves me with a garment looking as close to the original drawing as possilbe ( although  its gone slightly off a couple of times I admit!)  

Marfy come with no instructions or seam lines, the only reference is the illustration  but I find I  have a lot of muslins that are sitting in a drawer and it has begun to really bother me,  its  just seems so incredilby wasteful,  so I  thought I would use this dress to try my hand at a wearable muslin as I like the concept a great deal. 

I wanted to use a light,  easy to work with cotton  that would be forgiving to adjustments and unpicking...and had a $10 a yard  voile from Mood fabrics that I bought a few years ago and just stashed.  The fact that  I am also desperate for warmer weather made this fabric seem like a step in the right direction.

Interestingly I now  appear to have made a wedding dress, admittedly more for a casual beach affair!!, but even in a cotton voile, it seems seriously elegant.  

I think what initially attracted me to this design were the long graceful  lines and panel detail  at  the front  but its the skirt front that really takes this to another level.  Its huge and flowing while being  incredibly flattering.

I am almost finished but I wanted to keep the gentle rolling  lines of the shoulder and neckline by avoiding the machine and iron so the lining has to be sewn in completely by hand after every seam is catch stitched down.   Its a slow slow process.  

Sometimes  posting once a week  makes me cut corners, but  I felt the need to finish this properly, right down to a hand picked zipper. Its going to be worn a lot I hope.

So at this point I only have dress form pictures..... It really really needs a lining before I put it on for pictures, its completely sheer. :-0    

The only technical issue I have had with the whole dress has been the pleat placement on the front.  Its supporting the entire panel from bust to floor, and that means its surprisingly heavy so I had to reinforce the stitching with a extra layer of organza and add a additional row of stitching.  I tacked the pleats very carefully as well before sewing as they have to line up as a mirror image and the panel pulls them downwards.  I think its hanging slightly off on the dress form but I did measure!

 

 I found the perfect trim for a subtle  belt....I love it when hoarding pays off...but again  it really takes it to that wedding place.... although in all seriousness this would be a lovely dress for a slightly more dressed event, swapping the belt for something bright and modern would change it completely.

And I finally wore one of the kids down,  I now have a daughter who has sewn something wearable.... 

 

We picked a Colette  pattern  that she loved,  and she stash shopped my room picking a Anna Maria Horner fabric.... and off she went...

 

The pattern was easy to follow and beautifully illustrated (seriously impressed)  but we did make a muslin as she is not as curvy as the measurements and I wanted her to have a practice run...

I think the only issue we had was a fabric that needed matching.  It was time consuming but it  paid off..... we matched the waistband as best as we could....its only a single cut piece and the shorts are panels.

 There are two seams in this picure alone, so happy with the matching..   the pocket is divine, again the instructions are fabulously clear and concise.  

 

I added a roll up hem on the opposite grain for interest, and she is silly happy with them. Its very cute. Other than the matching which I helped her with,  she did them all herself,  just asked questions when something came up...  she has plans for a few more now..

 

and on a completely different note I  saw Macbeth this week on Broadway, with Alan Cummings, this review  sums it up far better than I ever could, but I have never been so emotionally wrung out or humbled by a show before.  It was a extraordinary ride.   The man is as close to a genius as I have ever seen.  They are few and far apart in reality.

 

So a fairly non productive week coming up , all four of them home  on Spring break with tons of  various plans..... if I finish my lining and start work on my jacket trim I will consider it a win..!

 

Have a great week, back Monday!

Leisa

 

 

 

 

 

The Great British Sewing Bee Pt 3

The Great British Sewing Bee Pt 3.

Marfy 3171 the beginnings of a summer dress.....

Oh how I love this dress....the bows, flowing skirts, deep v's...it just screams summer..

and then add the simplest of patterns, does it get better?!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

The center front which is cut on the fold.                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The side front, cut twice.      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The back half, which comes in two pieces and needs to be joined before cutting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

and the bodice, each piece cut twice again.  The long strip is the shoulder detail.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

The only down side to this pattern is the immense amount of fabric it needs, I used a standard 55" wide cotton voile and needed 5.25 yards in total, with just little scraps left over.      

I  would suggest for  anyone interested, lay out the skirt pieces first and then slot the bodice in between, it does reduce fabric usage by about a yard, you just have to be a little creative, although I cut with my usual two inch seams and just managed it, reducing to a inch where necessary.                                                                                                                                                              

I am all cut out, the softest of silk organza is thread basted on to the cotton  and I am ready to start construction today.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

A close up of the pattern, its such a delicate pretty fabric.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

It has a large repeat that is actually transferred on to the fabric and slightly raised.  I bought this a few years ago in Mood for maybe $10 a yard and have waited to find a pattern that would do it justice. I have a white crepe de chine for the lining that should make the pattern pop even more.                                                                                                                                                                     

I could not resist pinning it outside after taking pics of my jacket, it was windy and its pretty shapeless but it feels like summer is coming!                                                                                                                                             

Most of the week was spent making my French jackets workable....I swear I am taking a break from both talking about them and working on them!                                                                                                                    

I took the bulk of them apart, something was off  and it was easier to see what the problem was re-constructing them.....I ended up taking big chunks of the back off...                                                                               

and I am finally completely happy with the blue one, I have to transfer the changes to the red one ...its so hard to take a decent picture of such a dark fabric, so I hauled my dress form outside.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                 

This is the side,  with a heavy silk satin bias trim, which I made and organza selvedge I had kept from a dress made years ago.                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                           

The back wings, the bottom panel will curve once the sides are tacked down and it will also have trim.           

                                                                                                          

With a tny piece of beaded trim tacked to the corner.                                                                                                           

I am keeping the front of the jacket in a more tradional style,  but with the hem subtly arcing up to the wings at the back for visual detail.                                                                                                                                               

The kids have spring break coming up soon, so will put this away until then , its always to hard to get any length of time sewing with all the running around with them  home, so this will be a perfect project.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Amazing how fast the week flies with almost nothing to show for it!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Audio books this week:  Silver linings My eldest daughter raved about this book, and the movie has had so much buzz, I was really looking forward to it......I just did not get it. Honestly found the whole thing a little far fetched.....especially the main female character...I don't know maybe the movie is better?  My daughter and I had a lot of discussions about it and she defended it well but it just came across  more as a daytime soap?!                                                                                                                                                              

However did enjoy Macbeth again this week read by the incredible Alan Cummings, as I am  seeing it live this week in NYC.  So incredibly excited.  We got great tickets as I booked the day it was announced and I cannot wait, the reviews from Scotland last year left me so jealous.... its not for everyone I know but I would see a Met Opera at least once a week if it was possible......so this is right up there!!!                                                                                                                                                                                                   

I finally finished In Between Days, if ever there was a book written about choices this is it.  Just such a wonderful thoughtfully written novel.  Highly recommend.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Of course Mad Men is taking over the spare time I do have.....I'm sure most people know about this site but can I just say without it most of the show would be lost on me,  Matthew Weiner is tricky!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Also Inna posted some great pictures on her blog from our week in Baltimore.....her jacket is stunning and so beautifully finished...   and Devra wrote a great series of her week with the additional bonus of Indy the cat pictures,  a very handsome man!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

I am off to finish my dress, leaving the doors open while I sew as today is almost 60, which is fairly tropical after our winter!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Wishing you all a lovely week, back on Monday.

Leisa.

The Great British Sewing Bee

I am seriously loving the Great British Sewing Bee although it does make me horribly homesick....The fact that it celebrates  such a wide  level of skills and age while also being informative is the BBC at its very best (and the UK Tim Gunn is divine!!)

Episode 1 -
Episode 2 -

Marfy 2826...the Betty inspired dress....

 

I remember reading Julia Bobbin's Mad men challenge  last year and absolutely loving the idea.   SO much work and thought went into each and every dress and I wished I had been organized enough to enter.

This year I was on it....immediately....I knew exactly what dress I would re-create.  Basically the only one that was not too retro. As much as I love the look, the style does not suit me..

My inspiration came from the episode Souvenir, there is a beautiful scene in Rome where Betty sits waiting for Don, dressed in a classic LBD.

I had ordered Marfy 2826 as it reminded me of this.    Original post here 

I had genuinely thought I would replicate her dress with the neckline details and 20's finish but after making a muslin I was surpirsed by how thoroughly bored I was by the whole thing.

I guess it was more about how she looked in the dress than the dress itself...so I spent a day or so thinking about it.  I knew I still wanted to make it but would have to use the dress  as inspiration instead.

Of course at that point I could do whatever I wanted and after lusting after all the leather and lace coming down the runway how could I not have a go?!

I had never used either material before, and the whole  purpose of this blog is to really push my sewing skills and take me firmly out of my comfort zone...and I can honestly say it did all of that!

I also got to make my daughter very happy...she has a lot of sweet sixteens coming up and is the only one of my four kids with my aesthetic.

Lila watched every inch of the  construction, willingly became my fit model and offered advice on changes..bless :-(    She's slightly taller but has a shorter torso so the fit was already close enough but knowing she would get more use out of it than me ,  I did do some small alterations, removing a couple of panels in the skirt  as she wanted it a little less full, adding pockets big enough to hold  a cell and making a extra long belt for a big front bow.  

We were trying to get her to relax and smile, it took a while! 

and back to me, who finds it almost impossible to relax and smile when a camera points my way regardless of how many silly faces are being pulled!

Some construction close ups...

The inner corselette which has a white  zipper that disappears when closed  and red waist stay.

The back bodice.  I spent a lot of time handsewing lace all over the bodice to give it more of a 3D effect and while it needed a full zipper I thought it would be nice detail  to hide some of it.  The lace that overlaps is heavy and just stays  there behaving when  closed.

The front bodice.  I encased all the lace with leather strips to help  strengthen it , and also added small pieces of lace to random areas again for added interest.

 

IN SUMMARY

This pattern turned out to be a real winner.  The fit was excellent, the construction straighforward and it was easy to change a few things without affecting or redrafting the whole pattern.

Instead of gathering the skirt I had to use inverted pleats because of the leather, I shortened it six inches and added three inches of lace attached to the outside with a machine stitch. I also omitted the overskirt.  The seams were folded back on the inside and then I topstitched from the outside for a more finished look. 

The lace was so lovely to sew, espeically as it has no stretch.  I will be using it a lot more in the future.

Working with leather was not as hard as I had imagined but I would stress that you have to be incredibly prepared before you start.  A muslin is a must...every seam must be perfectly matched and over marked with chalk before you sew.  You cannot unpick a stitch as the hole shows  so I triple checked everything and checked again.

It was frustrating at times as there was no way of holding the bodice and skirt together or other larger areas  to check  they matched before sewing...pins mark the fabric, clamps distorted it and tape was not strong enough. The leatherI used had a surprising amount of  stretch so I sewed very slowly stopping to check it all lined up after every two or three inches.

I will definitely use it again because my biggest sewing screw ups come from rushing and this really reinforced slower more methodical sewing, I have to say I like it!

 

Audio book this week...David Sedaris's various audibles over and over again.  He started his book tour a couple of towns over on Tuesday night,  I bought my tickets months ago and was so incredibly thrilled to hear him read some stories from his new book.  That man is so funny, and smart.  He talked for a hour and a half and then did a Q&A for thirty minutes...it was a fabulous night.  I'm considering stalking him :0 

Music - Mumford and Sons, David Bowie, Ed Sheeran....kind of stuck in a rut....need to find some new stuff.

Still reading In Between Days By Andrew Porter.  I don't remember the last time a book took me so long to finish, and its a GREAT story.  Just had such a busy few weeks.

 

NEW PROJECT

I am still working on the French jackets, I have been playing with proportions.  Melanie from Seamstress: Poppykettle made my day by sending me info on a addtional picure of the Chanel Jacket.  I can't decide if its exactly the same or if they changed it in some way from the still shots?

 My front is way off from this picture, its the first time I have seen it face on...  I think I will get more use from a more classic look but will decide in the next few days.

I did go into NYC last week and spent a lot of time in bead and trim shops.  The red boucle is going to be so hard to match, its got a lot of orange in it but look what I found in M&J Trimming,  its a really nice base to then embroider over and around.  Its layed on a double bias satin strip here and will certainly save some time.  I might get one jacket done this year after all!

and because I need to be sewing as well to stop the beading boredom,  I am going to start the muslin on Marfy 3171 which is probably my favorite look from the new catalog.   I can find places to go in this!

Wishing everyone a lovely week....back Monday!

Leisa