Colette
Showing posts with label Colette. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colette. Show all posts

Colette, You Did It Again!

Colette's new patterns are up and I've already purchased the Anise jacket and the companion guide which I'm really excited about! I contemplated getting the Juniper pants but I have a million pants pattern and I've only made 2 pairs so far, both using the same pattern, so I reigned myself in...

Anyway, I'm already brainstorming what fabric to use. Maybe I'll start it this rainy weekend. I feel like Fall is going to be the season of the jacket in my sewing room...


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Parade of Dresses: Day 2 Gingham Hazel

Confession time. I made this dress to wear to a "western" themed rehearsal dinner for the fiance's cousin in mid-July and I'm just now blogging about it! Yikes y'all.

Anyway, the invitation said western so I immediately thought of this piece of pink gingham quilting cotton that's been hanging around in my stash for a hot minute. It's medium weight and a little stretchy so I thought it would work well with the Hazel pattern. Plus I think I saw someone else make it in gingham. Maybe? Can't remember...

As always with Colette patterns, the dress went together really easily, I even was able to use my favorite french seams on the bodice pieces (although it wasn't easy, see picture below). I'm really appreciating the fact that my skills have finally caught up with my need to sew things really quickly (aka my ADD). I'm able to turn out garments that are finished really nicely in SO much less time than it used to take me! I guess practice does make perfect(ish)!

 
 



So here's my complaint. You knew I'd have one right? I can't remember what size I cut but I know it was a size smaller than my measurements said it should have been. I checked the finished measurements and thought it would fit snug-ish but with enough ease in the bust and hips for comfort. I even used less of a seam allowance at the waist to make sure I could breath easily. Turns out, I should have listened to Sarai and gone with the size she recommended. This sucker is tight! And a little shorter than I like too. I felt slightly hoochy hanging out with the future in-laws in this dress. Luckily they've known me long enough to know that I'm not too trampy...

Here are a few detail shots that are way better quality than the full body shots. I seriously have to figure out what's going on with my camera...


 
 
A few more dresses to show you, then maybe I'll be back to real time! Hope you're having a good week! I'm working from home with an eye infection. Yuck. At least the week is half over!
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Iris Shorts (That You Can't Really See...)

These shorts are really cute and really hard to photograph at the same time.

I've been wanting to make shorts lately because honestly every time I see a pair of shorts in a store they look like underwear. Seriously, do people wear shorts that short? Or am I just 100 years old? Anyway, I thought the Iris pattern from Colette looked great because the shorts are not too fitted, not too short, and have a pretty simple style (aka it wouldn't take me a year to make them).


These things are so quick and easy to sew it's crazy. I used a stretch black cotton leftover from my Clover muslin and I seriously think I got these done in about 2 hours. Love patterns like that! Unfortunately, because they're black and I'm back lit in these pictures it's impossible to see any detail but I'm assuming you can tell that they fit pretty well. I cut a size 6 (I think... maybe it was a 4) and didn't make any modifications.


Kind of high waisted...


The back view is not too bad...

Here they are up close. Please forgive the lint and lack of ironing. I used the view that has buttons but didn't make buttonholes, I just sewed the buttons to the front of the pockets. I don't ever see myself buttoning front pockets like that...


So this is a very short review but in conclusion, A+! Next up I'm planning to make these in a fun stripe! Yay for summer and shorts that don't show my lady parts!
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What I'm Sewing This Winter...

I'm preparing for a social hibernation this fall which largely has to do with 2 estate sales I visited last weekend. The first I planned. I'm a frequent visitor to estatesales.net, always searching for a sale with sewing related paraphernalia. Like these 2 incredible ones last year... As much as I love my new job, it is a bummer to work Friday afternoons, which used to be my estate sale time. Now I worry that by the time I get there on Saturday morning, most of the good stuff is gone. Like at the first sale, I got a bunch of great stuff, but how much more great stuff was there on Thursday when they opened?




Anyway, the main score at the first estate sale was the piece of teal wool on the left side of the picture. You see, I've been dreaming of making a teal Lady Grey coat for at least a year but every time I think about buying the wool for it I stop myself. I've never seen it for below $15 a yard and I just can't bring myself to pull the trigger, especially since the pattern requires over 4 yards. I think this piece is around 4 1/4 and I got it for $1.50. AMAZING!!!! I also picked up a few lining fabrics and light cottons from this sale, one of which is a raspberry color that I think I'll use to line this coat. I'm planning on following Gertie's Lady Grey sew-a-long, complete with pad stitching and all!






The second estate sale I happened upon while driving home from the first. There I found several large pieces of a light grayish/blueish suede leather above. I've been wanting to make a motorcycle style jacket for awhile, like the one below but much more fitted and shorter, and I think this will be great material for it. I already have Simplicity 2056 and it will work pretty well for my purposes, unless I can find something better in the meantime.



I'm really excited to work on these projects, because up until now, the Minoru is the only outerwear piece I've made. Plus I'll really have an opportunity to learn some new techniques, traditional hand tailoring and working with leather, in the process. I'm hoping to start the Lady Grey in late September, so it will be ready when it gets cold in late November and the leather jacket in December because I think it will make a nice transitional piece in spring. Basically this means I won't be getting out much this fall/winter. I can't imagine that these jackets will be anything less than a TON of work, but it will be totally worth it...

Last but not least, I forgot to show you the gorgeous fabric I bought when I was out of town for the wedding last weekend! Such pretty colors right? Keep your eyes peeled, I'm cutting these up this weekend so hopefully they'll become dresses soon!
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The Incredible Expanding Pink Clovers

Warning. The following pictures contain:

a. greasy mullet hair
b. a too tight, old, grimey white t-shirt
c. visible bra lines
d. my midriff
e. incredible expanding pants

Still here? You're brave. Ok, let's disuss my pink clovers. Ironically, I was planning on posting these pants today anyway, but was validated when I saw this post by Mika of Savory Stitches. So here's the deal. My pants are growing. Just like Mika's. I used exactly the same pattern as my black clovers, along with some pink stretch corduroy from Gorgeous Fabrics and they are stretching out like crazy! Even after washing them in hot water and sticking them in the dryer!

They start out sort of normal fitting in the morning, then they become this mess by lunch...




I'm sorry you have to see this. It's for scientific purposes only...
If only this problem was due to weight loss. I mean, this could seriously be in an ad for some Kardashian-promoted diet pill.
 
Please ignore my dying basil plant in the background. Why do I insist on trying to grow plants when my aparment is a dark cave?
So the plan for now is, like Mika, to take apart the waistband and take them in on the outside leg seams until they fit correctly again. I really don't wan't to take them apart entirely, and I certainly don't want to deal with the inseam or crotch seam. Does anyone have any other suggestions for this craziness? Or is this basically an excuse for me to eat ice cream until I grow into them?
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Celebration Time! 100 Followers!

First of all, thank you so much for all your kind words regarding our engagment! I've been overwhelmed by all the love coming my way over the last few days! I'm so excited to share all the sewing/diy/craftiness I have planned for this wedding with all of you!

Secondly, I hit 100 followers today! Time to celebrate!



Number 100 is Cara who left this comment this morning...

Hi sweet lady! CONGRATULATIONS!!! I found your blog via I love you to the moon and I'm SO glad I did! I'm your newest follower! xoxo

Cara, you are such a doll and I love your blog! So beautiful and inspirational!

Of course you are ALL beautiful and inspirational to me so I wanted to send you a little thank you giveaway for being such fabulous and lovely followers! 

I know we're all gaga over the new Colette Patterns, I personally am trying to restrain myself from buying all three, but I definitely am having a hard time choosing just one! Anyway, one of my lovely readers will win one of the new patterns, Hazel, Lily, or Iris! In order to win you have to be a follower of my blog and leave me a comment telling me which pattern you want and in which format (print or PDF) by Friday, April 20th at noon!




Best of luck my loves!
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