Sewing Bee Round #3

I have to admit, I groaned a little when I read what the challenge for round #3 was. I think the Pattern Review Winter Street Dress is very cute, but just not my style. I guess that was my personal part of the challenge--to make it into some I would wear.
Another challenge was that I had just purged the knits from my stash and shared with a co-worker who is learning to sew on knits.
I had a couple of pieces, but not 2 I would pair for this pattern (because we had to use 2 knits for this challenge, and only 2.)
I pulled out a wool double knit I got in trade for some pattern work--it had quite a few moth holes, but enough large areas without damage that I could cut out the dress.
Though I was trying very hard to only use fabric from my stash, I knew I needed something different for this challenge.
I found a paisley print in grays, reds, white, black and silver which looked great with the charcoal grey I already had.

I'll post more details about my thought process and construction, but for now, I'll let the photos do the talking:
First, here's the pattern we were required to use: http://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/65379

Although the pattern is drawn as though the sleeve is cut on the bodice, it is a set-in sleeve, and the tucks at the waist are box-pleat style. Also, the flounce on the sleeve is shirred where it is sewn to the sleeve.

Sketch 1--peplum, v-neck

Many thanks to Carol Kimball's excellent fashion sketching class, I was able to try out some different ideas before I even cut into the fabric:

 

Sketch 2--skirt made from
weaving wide bands of fabric

Sketch 3--Cowl neck

Final Sketch--faux jumper with 'under dress'

 
and now for the final product:

Wayne said I looked British in this outfit, which take as a compliment. I've entered this is in the challenge and now must wait until after the holiday to find out if I've made it to the final round.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and those in US have a great holiday!

Juliette

Sewing Bee Round #2

So, I made it to round 2 and there was a communal groan when the second challenge was announced: Make a new garment out of men's shirts. We could pick 1 - 5 woven men's shirts, any size. I hit Goodwill on Monday after dropping off my big machine for service and found these:

I got the shirts washed and dismantled by Tuesday night, then started construction on Wednesday. Thursday we had our first hard freeze and of course, this is when my heater stops working. So, I spent my lunch break on Friday moving the machines and supplies to the house so I could finish the dress.
At one point I was top stitching something and Wayne came over and stood there for a bit. Then he said, "So this is what it looks like when you sew." I realized that any time he comes to my studio, I stop what I'm doing and pick it back up after he leaves. So even though we've been together for 20 years, and I've always sewn, he's never actually seen me 'in the act'.
This morning, I was (trying) doing some hand-stitching while chatting with him and realized I cannot do both things at once. I take for granted how focused I get/need to be when I'm working. I also realize that this is one of the reasons I find it so meditative.
I finished the dress earlier today, but when I went to take pictures, my camera wasn't cooperating. Every picture is blown out. So maybe they'll be a new camera in my future.
Update: Wayne reset my camera and is working! (so glad because I love this one and I know how to use it. ;) )

I borrowed Wayne's camera and got the photos taken and the review done and entered in the contest.
I love this dress. Too bad I didn't make it my size. (Maybe if I lose some weight, which I want to do anyway.)

New Look 6208

 My shop is still cold, and I've got knitting to do, so I'm on the couch for now. The girls are very happy.

Juliette

Round 1 of the Sewing Bee

I just submitted my entry for the first round on the Pattern Review Sewing Bee.
You can see my entry here:
http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/104640

Juliette

Back in the Studio Again

I've been doing a much better job getting to the studio (even though I have a sweater pattern to write, patent papers to review and a couple websites to get together). The new machine has helped, as has recently watching a few episodes of "The Great British Sewing Bee".

The yellow girls hangin' on the porch.

My husband walked into my studio the other day and said "this place is a wreck!" (He seldom enters my studio due to my successfully instilling in him both a great respect for my workspace and a healthy fear of my wrath should he damage anything.) Of course my response was "I've been cleaning and organizing. You should have seen it before I left for conference."
I like how my dear friend Rae Cumbie puts it: "This is a working studio and I am VERY creative."
Truthfully, it has gotten past my personal comfort level of chaos, but I prefer to work through the piles of projects to clean up rather than put everything away, then turn around and pull it out again.

One project I'd been meaning to do is a pattern that was included in the goody bag for the Pattern Review weekend in Austin earlier this year: Have It All Wallet. Whenever I get a new machine I like to do a project to get a sense of what it can do, so I did this project on Melly.
I'm still not used to the default far-left needle position, but I understand the reasoning (you get better control by having the fabric entirely on both feed dogs and under the presser foot.)

Melly with our first completed project together.

Yesterday was the first day of the Pattern Review Surprise Sewing Bee, so I also did that project on Melly. I did cheat a little by using my Bernina 350PE(Madeline) for the zipper and hem, but only because I don't have an invisible zipper or edge stitch foot for Melly.
I also did some machine embroidery (on Mathilde, Bernina 830) which is outside Melly's skill set.
I'll post a link to the review and photos as soon as I'm done.





And in spite of spending more time in the sewing studio, I am making progress on the pattern for the Gabrielle Cardigan. This is my first original design and first attempt at writing a knitting pattern, so I am going very slowly. Thankfully I already have a very experienced knitter who has agreed to review the pattern, and quite a few folks willing to be test knitters.






One of the piles I mentioned earlier is fabric and partially done knitting bags for a couple of my mom's sewing buddies. Her instructor sent me a huge number of vintage sewing magazines, books and patterns, and a fellow student sent me back issues of Threads Magazine.
The fabric is cotton and laminated cotton that I purchased at France Duval-Stella in Paris when shopping with my friend, Ségolène. This is her favorite fabric shop in Paris, and one I would have never found on my own.
The two bags are based on ones I picked up at Papa Pique et Maman Coud in Lyon. The round one is my own design--a holder for a ball of yarn.

And finally, I've been planning my next DeskAway. I'll be on my own for most of the trip, and I'll only be going to London and Paris. I loved the apartment in Knightsbridge, but would like to check out a different neighborhood, so this time I'm staying here: WEST END STUDIO LONDON COVENT GARDEN
I'll be staying in the same apartment in Paris: AMAZING TERRACE EIFFEL TOWER VIEW
This time I'll be staying there for a little over 2 weeks since I've invited my mom to spend a week with me. Since she took her first transatlantic flight earlier this year, I decided it is time to share my favorite city with her.

Back to my studio...
Juliette

I'll Bee Sewing...

After watching a few episodes of "The Great British Sewing Bee" generously recorded by a colleague in London, I decided to join Pattern Review's version of it.

To challenge myself a bit more, I've decided I will use my new machine which I'm not very familiar with.
I am confident I'll have the supplies needed (I could probably supply ALL the participants and not even notice anything was gone.)

I have to admit, I'm mainly interested in the Eilliot Berman gift certificate. Not because the other prizes aren't awesome (they really are), but I now have more machines that I need (I had move my backup overlock off the counter to make room for the Babylock). Okay, NEED may be too strong a work--I already had more than I need. I just bought the Reliable Sensor iron, and LOVE it. It steams like crazy when you pick it up and stops as soon as you put it down and has an auto-off override. Yep, no more shaking your iron to turn it back on since that auto-off feature seams to be timed perfectly to shut off right before you need your iron again. Seriously, did some evil designer do a test?: sew a seam, press open, pin to next garment piece, sew seam, return to iron: yep, the iron just turned off--that's the exact right timing.

Anyway, good luck to everyone who enters!

Juliette

Say "Hello" to My Little Friend

Okay, she's not really little. She's actually pretty big. I'm talking about the BabyLock Melody that arrived today, compliments of BabyLock USA. I took a few photos of the un-boxing before I got her set up for a test drive.

 This is the underside of the quilt table. I love that the presser foot knee lift snaps into place here.

You can see this is not a small machine, and it weighs a decent amount (which makes me think there may be some metal parts in there!)

 It came with quite a few accessories, including a walking foot. I wound a bobbin, tried a few stitches, the auto cutter and knee presser foot lifter, and changed the language to French. :)
It makes a very nice stitch and is really quiet. Now I just need to figure out what all the buttons do.

I think Melly and I have some great times ahead if I can just figure out where to put her....

Many thanks to the judges of this year's ASDP Threads Challenge for selecting my suit as a winner, and to BabyLock for donating such fabulous machines to all the winners!

Juliette

It's been awhile...

I always promised myself that I'll be better about blogging when I'm 'in country', but then I get back and life takes over. Dogs want to be fed, the house needs to be cleaned (at least once a month) and my husband expects me to listen to him sometimes...and that's on top of knitting, reading, sewing and all the other stuff I try to do on a regular basis. Oh, and the full time job.

I have been knitting and sewing since we got back in April, but most of it was for the annual challenge for the Association of Sewing Professionals (ASDP) put on by Threads magazine. This year was "Rethinking the Power Suit". These challenges are blind-judged, so I couldn't share anything about what I was doing--the fabric, the techniques, the finishes--anything that might give away which entries were mine.
As much as I'm enjoying knitting, it really has become a problem for my sewing. I sit down in the living room thinking "I'll just do a few rows." Then I get a cup of coffee, find something interesting (enough) on the tv, and then the dogs join me. 3 hours later I haven't gotten to my shop and no sewing has gotten done.

I submitted 3 entries this year:



"It's Not What You Think"
Knitted herringbone sweater in Hikoo by Kenzie(wool, nylon, angora, alpaca, silk) in color Kale with a front zip and seed stitch peplum.
Full leg Italian wool trouser with self fabric loops and shell buttons down the side seam that expose a silk charmeuse panel when open.



"M'en Fiche" (I don't care)
Faux fur cropped jacket with leather waistband
High-waisted sequin skirt with chiffon band at hem
I finished the jacket enough to show it in the fashion show, but my relationship with the skirt fell apart at the last minute and she stayed home. She wasn't fit to see any of my sewing friends in any case. We'll start therapy next week to try and work things out.

"Going Places"
Silk Denim jacket over-dyed with Pecan brown acid dye. Double princess seams front and back, a wide back vent, waistband and tab peplum. Lined with charmeuse and hand top-stitched with 2 colors of jeans thread.
Printed ITY knit dress with draped neckline and elastic belting waistband

I was really happy with the first and third entries, but left "M'en Fiche" to finish at the 11th hour. Entries were due by midnight, and that last one was time stamped 11:55. The one I spent the most time on by far was "Going Places" and it was the one I was the happiest with overall. So I wasn't surprise that the other 2 were not selected as finalists. But "Going Places" was selected! If you know anything about the caliber of the men and women who are and have been members of ASDP(formerly PACC), you know how high the bar is for these challenges.

I know my skills have improved over the 9 years I've been a member, and it isn't just the classes I've taken at every conference, or the projects I've done for clients, myself and for the challenges I've entered. It's also from the conversations I've had or observed with other members, in person at conferences(sometimes other places) and on the discussion list, and by example with the amazing work my fellow members do and share with the rest of us. I've been inspired, challenged and encouraged by the most talented group of people I know.

I was still shocked when my name was called this year as a winner. They created a category (which they often do depending on the challenge and entries each year), "Best Suited for Travel". This especially thrilled me, since every decision I made for this outfit was geared towards it being a travel suit. The silk I used for the jacket is warm, lightweight, acts as a wind-breaker and dries quickly. The tabbed peplum moves around the body while sitting and moving so it doesn't bind or bunch up. The wide back vent allows the wearer to raise her arms in front of her--to grab her bag or work on a laptop. The knit of the dress is comfortable, forgiving and never wrinkles, and the attached belting means you can be fully dressed in about 15 seconds.

I'd love to share photos, but Threads now has first right to publish, so you'll just have to wait until the Spring when all the winners garments are featured (tentatively issue 178).

I'll get some photos of M'en Fiche over the weekend.

Juliette