May in Review...

It was a quiet month on the sewing front. There is still quite a bit to do on the spring coat.

Sew far this year, I managed to stash-bust a total of:

• 46.61 metres of fabric, 
• 16 previously unused patterns, 
• 5.6 metres of trim, 
• 4 zippers, 
• 12 spools of thread, 
• 3 sewing machine needles, 
• 8 snaps,
• 43 buttons and
• 2.8 metres of elastic.

And this this year I've added to my stash:

• 37.4 metres of new fabric, 
• 12 Vogue patterns,
• 1 Simplicity pattern,
• 2 Burda Patterns,
• 2 metre of trim,
• 7 spools of thread
• 2 sewing machine needles,
• 6 buttons
• 2 new sewing feet
• 4 metres of elastic.  

Happy Sewing!  

Lessons from Me-Made-May...

I picked up a few lessons from Me-Made-May.

Vogue 1325

Besides failing at the Me-Made-May challenges that I set out to conquer. My me-made wardrobe is seriously lacking some trousers and jeans. Okay, maybe not jeans. I really could use a couple of pairs of pants though. It is the one item that I've been hesitant on sewing because I fear the fitting issues. Vogue 1325 is on my wish list for this challenge.

Vogue 8821

And there is also Vogue 8821 that has been in my pattern stash for some time that I also wouldn't mind to try. This pattern is for a straight legged pants with a back zipper.

The other garment that was lacking from my me-made rotation were undergarments. I made a pair of knickers but to be completely honest I only wore them once and they're not the most comfortable fit. I would like to give it another shot with a couple of Kwik Sew patterns that I picked up recently.

Well I have have to get busy on these items in the year ahead to get ready for next year's Me-Made-May festivities. Oh and brush up on my photography skills.  

Happy Sewing!

A nation of slobs - CBS News Video

There has been quite a bit of talk over the internet as to whether the west has become a "nation of slobs" since CBS News ran a story on May 19th. I just saw this video for the first time this evening. If you haven't, check it out.



This professor has stirred up quite the debate in the blog landscape. I love this debate. The journalist asks if we've become a nation of slobs in this piece. Linda Przybyszewski, Norte Dame Professor of History and author of Nation of Slobs:  How Americans Learned and Forgot How to Dress teaches a course on this very topic. Must remember to check if it is an on-line course!

She examines literary and historical texts that teach how to dress and present oneself. Ah, the golden days before personal shoppers and celebrity stylists. The days of soup and fish.

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She tries to pin point the cultural shift where we slid down that slippery slope to sloppiness.

The journalist questions if the 1960s with the simple styles played a role in the rise of casual attire.

Przybyszewski focuses a critical eye on the advent of the suburbs. Suburbs invited a more casual lifestyle as outdoor entertaining grew in popularity.

{Source}

The casual styles of the sixties and the demand for cheaper clothes, Przybyszewski adds, moved from "simplicity and then slipped into stupidity."

I would like to throw in the appearance of the shopping mall as a contributing factor in sloppy dressing. Stores crammed with fast fashions that have to turn over quickly because the the next season's items are piled sky high in the cramped back rooms. Shopping centres also made a spike in popularity at the same time as suburban living.

I don't agree that America has become a nation of slobs. Canada has its own fair share of pajama/yoga pant/flip flop wearing folks this side of the border as well.

I think that it more an act of defiance and rebellion to dress in a non-conventional manner--a rebellion against dress codes. That with a dose of fashion narcissism. Consider the university student's statement at the end of the video where she describes a fellow student that shows up in pajama bottoms while wearing make-up. They are making a statement or a demand to be noticed. It seems like they fit into a fashion subculture.

What I do like about this interview is the fact that Przybyszewski embraces the small details in her own creations. Yes, Professor Przybyszewski sews! She is right, if you want the unique and exquisite details  of by-gone fashions, resurrecting sewing skills is the way to go. I don't think it is too late or that these by-gone skills are totally lost.

What do you think?

Progress on Burda 7304

Waistline gathers

Sleeve Pleats

I finally figured out how the sleeve pleat works! Basting is a very important step.

There is only one sleeve done. But I thought I would snap some photos. I'm actually kinda giddy that it worked out.

Still hurting from that back injury so this project has been proceeding at a snail's pace. The sleeve is all I managed to get done this weekend. Well, I also did manage to finish off the sleeve seam edges with the bound seam finish.

Tonight though, I'm going to lay low and take a wee break from this project. Perhaps tomorrow night I'll tackle the other sleeve.

Happy Sewing.

All Bound Up

Have you seen this little tool before? It is called a binder foot. It is suppose to a handy little tool to help in attaching bias tape.

For thinner widths of bias tape you would feed the tape through the grooves on the side choosing the appropriate sized groove.  The choices vary from the five holes located on the conical tape guide. If you have a wider width of bias tape you and feed it directly into the inside of the conical tape guide from the front of the foot. That is the bonus of this foot there are lots of options when it comes to tape widths.

I'm not sure if you can tell in the the above photo but at the narrowest point of the conical tape guide there is a little screw.  This allows you to adjust the tape guide position. It is very flexible.

I'm sure that once I master the fine features of this foot I could produce some nice looking bound seams. But I quickly abandoned this tool early in the project I was working on.

I went back to my old ways and a sense of comfort in doing things the old fashion way.

Once I stitched my seam I would press them open to get ready to attach the seam binding.  I would open up the seam binding and stitching it close to the edge of the seam following the pressed fold as my guideline.


Then I would fold it over to the other side and stitch it down. I used a store bought double fold bias tape and I have to say that I'm thrilled with how it looks.

The binder foot would save me time as I wouldn't have to stitch two lengths of the seam to achieve the bound seam. And I could have followed the pin and stitch method illustrated over at Colette Patterns or at Sewaholic. But I just felt more comfortable with this method and I didn't mind the extra time sitting at the sewing machine.

Well, I have a few more bound seams to take care of...

Happy Sewing!  

In Sewing News Today...

Burda 7304 is still on my sewing table.  Oh my, has this project been eating up much of my free time this week and I still feel that I am no way near done.

Never have I put sew much time or expense into the inside of a garment. I believe now that they call bound seams a couture finish because of this expense of time and money. It is worth every minute and cent spent.

I promise to write a blog post about bound seams soon.

Right now I'm taking a break from another challenge. The sleeves are providing a bit of a mental challenge. I'm taking this step slowly and carefully. I've read on the internet that I'm in good company and Burda provide a response to this plead of help.

In other sewing news, I've been binge pattern buying lately. Vogue patterns had a sale and I'm weak. For many of these I think I can share some of the blame on some other sewists for encouraging me to buy.

Peter over at Male Pattern Boldness made this men's shirt. I think it looks fabulous and thought that it would be a great shirt for my nephew. My nephew would like a long sleeve version despite the fact that the last men's long sleeve shirt I made ended up being a short sleeve shirt. Oh the blind faith! His favourite colour is green and the only green fabric that I have in my stash is a light weight green linen that I was saving for a Marcy Tilton dress, Vogue 8876. But it really would be great with Vogue 8889 instead.

I can blame my purchase of Marcy Tilton's shingle dress pattern on Shams over at Communing with Fabric for this fabulous version. I do like that this is a multi-sized pattern that have sizes 14 to 22 in one envelope. I think I might be able to fit my hips into this size range.

Debi over at My Happy Sewing Place was my enabler when she made a sailor's dress. Do I need a sailor's dress? No. For goodness sakes I live in the prairies. But I do love the look of that collar. I finally broke down and picked up Vogue 1171 to go with some blue sateen stretch that has been sitting in my stash for some time.

The other patterns I've run out of others to blame. ;) I'm going to have to buck up and take responsibility for these myself. Vogue 8710 made it into my pattern stash because I would like a tee-shirt that does not cling to my mid-section.  And Vogue 1357 was just plain and simple an impulse purchase. It happens some times.

That's all in sewing news today...

Happy Sewing!

The Good Old Days...

I happen-ed to be in the local Value Village when I came across this vest. It still has the tags on it.

This item is from more than a decade ago. Actually, more than fifteen years ago. How do I know? A vest just like this one was once part of my wardrobe. And I have a picture with it on, holding my then-baby-nephew at the hospital. The only reason that I no longer have it is because I outgrew it gained some weight. But I came across it hanging on the rack packed in between layers of cheaply made rejects.

Oh the contrast! You won't find quality pieces like this in the stores now-a-days. The vest is completed lined. It has front and back facings and fabric covered buttons. And are you sitting down? The front of the vest has an interlining. This vest is not a designer piece. And the best part of this garment when I owned one just like this is that the fabric never pilled--never.

This vest was a piece from The Work Connection line carried by EATON'S back-in-the-day. I still to this day mourn the loss of Eaton's from the Canadian retail landscape.

Retail has changed over the years since Eaton's demise. Our landscape has become polluted with low-end retailers offering low prices. It sounds good at the surface but for lower prices you'll have to sacrifice something. You never get something for nothing.

Millions of jobs in North America were traded off and shipped overseas in a plan to exploit cheap labour. In returned they shipped back poorly made clothing from even less impressive fabrics. Many styles that come back are less than imaginative. And there you have another reason why I sew.

But when I came across this vest with the tags still on, I had to pick it up. It was mostly a nostalgic purchase. And it fits. I plan to proudly wear it as a tribute to when clothes were well-made in Canada and as a reminder to never take short cuts in my sewing.

Happy Sewing!