Finished Project! Vogue 1212 Princess Seam Coat

I'm pretty happy I persevered with this plaid wool-blend version of Vogue 1212, a "Today's Fit" Sandra Betzina pattern

Even though there's some strange lumpiness where the lining meets the facing — right over my bust, unfortunately:

That's OK. I can just wear it open:

Or keep my back to the audience (the seam lines on the back are pretty darn cute, after all): 

The fabric was pretty unforgiving, and I'm giving the rest away to a lucky reader who I hope has an easier time working with it (you know who you are):

I love those seam lines. What I don't love is a coat that needs to be ironed twice daily in order to look sharp enough to wear out of the house. Let's just call this a wearable muslin. Oh, you wanted to see the collar up, did you?

I think it looks spacey with the collar raised. Not my favorite. (That's my diplomatic way of saying, "I hate it."

I still love this design even though this version of Vogue 1212 is not my new favorite made-by-me item. I'll likely wear it occasionally (I did actually sport it to a Broadway show last week; I took Peter from Male Pattern Boldness as my date to Grace. I had the opportunity to review it for this website I write for. 

So I'll just have to wait until I have more money in my budget for a nice wool that's a little more forgiving before I make this again (maybe next time in a nice black with a crazy lining — and with a hood instead of the collar? That's my (far-off) plan.

In Hurricane Sandy news, it's just starting to get blustery here in the Bronx, and we're all ready for a day at home — no school for my kid, and my husband's office has everyone working from home for the day. There may be some chocolate chip cookies in my future today. Or an apple pie.

Also, if you haven't entered my Hurricane Giveaway, please do. If not for you, for a friend. Give it as a holiday gift! (Say that YOU made it. I won't be around to tell them otherwise).

Work in Progress: Vogue 1212

You're a prudent bunch, dear readers. When I posted about hating the state of my current project — Vogue 1212, a coat pattern, nearly all of you advised me to set it aside and sew something else.

I guess I rebelled. Not because I decided this would be a knockout coat. Only because I went to the Garment District and decided I just couldn't splurge on jacket fabric right now. Everything I liked was so expensive. Plus I had my kid with me. It's too hard fabric shopping with a four-year-old.

So I bought grey zippers and a couple shoulder pads, and soldiered on (thinking if it turned out terribly, I would rip out the zips and use them elsewhere. No loss). If anything, I would learn a little something about coat construction.

I do love how the zippered pockets turned out:

And the bias binding looks cooler  now that it's all coming together. (The coat is still unlined, and the collar unfinished).

There's something vaguely Star Trekky about the back, I do believe:

But did you notice how my zipper needs to be reinstalled? I have never once sewn in a zipper without having to rip it out and try again (and sometimes, more than twice). I post this so you feel better about your sewing tribulations:

So there you have it. Necessity forced me to carry on with this coat. And I think I'll be happy that I did. I don't reckon I will ever sew with this type of fabric again. The weave was so lose. Everything gets off grain so easily. What a pain in the neck.

Unfortunately I already dropped the ball on keeping track of my time. I've worked on it a little bit each day this week, so let's estimate....40 hours. No, only kidding. I'd say I've invested about six hours and 20 minutes (the 20 minutes were spent staring at this squint-eyed, trying to figure out whether it was indeed going to look good when done).

I still have much to do: fix the zip so the front lines up properly. Sew the collar, sew the lining and sew it to the coat. Stare at it some more. Try it on with everything in my closet and ascertain whether I do like it....

I have a couple yards left of this fabric. If you think you can handle it, I will happily hand it over! Let me  know in the comments below. The first sucker (or more experienced sewer) who wants it can have it!

Know When to Run

Friends, how do you know when to forge ahead with a project despite the fact it's starting to look fug and you can foresee that salvaging it will only contribute to your gray hair count?

Or am I simply at the crossroads aptly described by funny Tweeter Kelly Oxford who now and then tweets the following "If you loved what you're writing & now you hate what you're writing, you're halfway through."

Because boy, do I ever hate this:

I'm at the "do I stay or do I go" stage. I don't want to commit any more time or supplies to something so stinky. I'm going down to the Garment District today. Maybe I should just start over — with a solid colour, and NO piping. This fabric, after all, is a NIGHTMARE to work with. I hate it more than words can say. I look at it too hard and it stretches, taking the plaid off-grain. Ugh. I even took the step of sewing twill tape along the edges:

But maybe, just maybe, once it's all together, I will once again see the potential in this? Or not. I hate to so easily abandon a project (because of what that says about my personality? That's one for the therapist), but I don't need one more thing in my closet that I never wear. It shames me when I'm sifting through and say to myself, "Ugh. I MADE that."

So how do you know when to hold 'em (and know when to fold 'em ... back up and deposit at the bottom of the scrap pile)?

Taking Your Time — And the Real Cost of Sewing

I suffer the same malady that I'm guessing some of you do: impatience, particularly when sewing something I'm excited about. It sets in about the time I can see how a project is going to turn out. So I can take cutting slowly, matching prints up at the side seams carefully. I prepare my machine properly, cleaning out lint and oiling it, as well as changing the needle to suit the fabric. But as soon as I sew a couple bodice pieces together and hold them up to my body, something comes over me — and I become an impulsive, shortcut-taking sewing hulk, pressing down harder on my sewing machine pedal: Me want to wear new dress. MUST. FINISH. NOW!

It's a powerful force that trips me up occasionally. It keeps me from reading instructions thoroughly. It makes me forget rows of topstitching. Ensures my gathers are not distributed equally.

In order to keep this impulse in check, I have to be very strict with myself. To illustrate, I'll share how I'm keeping myself from screwing up  Vogue 1212 — a "Today's Fit by Sandra Betzina" pattern, which I started working on this weekend.

I got this pattern last winter during one of Vogue's sales, for just $3.88 (score!). I love the classic princess seams and flared skirt paired with the sporty collar and three-piece sleeve. I see a lot of potential in this pattern (especially after making a muslin, which I will get to later). Here's the line drawing of Option B:

I'm using this white and silvery blue plaid wool blend, which I got from a former neighbor who was culling her stash during a move. I've had on hand it for a few years, but always thought it too "Chanel-suit-wearing-ladies-who-lunch" for me. If not for my friend Lizzi, who has said time and again how much she loves this fabric, I probably would have given it away. (She has cute style, so there must be something there I wasn't immediately seeing). Plus I have no budget for new fabric right now, so I'll give it a shot. I have five yards of it, so there's more than enough to ensure good plaid matching at the seam lines:

All that said, here are my rules for better sewing:

1. Don't sew something today that you need to wear tomorrow (unless it's something you have sewn several times before, or is a jersey miniskirt). Because that's when you end up setting a purple zipper into a black dress because you didn't plan ahead and purchase all your closures. 

2. Read all instructions BEFORE beginning to sew. This prevents me from forging ahead when I think I know what's next, and then backtracking later after I've flubbed up construction in some way. There is more than one way to set in a sleeve, and the pattern may tell you a different way to do it than what you are accustomed to FOR A REASON. (A reason that you will not learn until three steps later...at which point you will find yourself cursing, seam-ripper in hand).

3. If sewing something more complicated, set a daily limit on the number of steps you are to accomplish. It's like giving yourself a set number of chapters you can read before bed, lest you find yourself finishing the whole book at 3 a.m. Do I have a problem with impulse control? Only when it comes to wholesome things like reading and sewing. No judgement.

4. Make a muslin. This step forces me to do No. 1, 2 and 3, essentially. It requires planning ahead enough to allow time for a test garment, so I don't start sewing something hours before I want to wear it. It forces me to not only read the instructions and follow them, ensuring I won't make any stupid mistakes on the precious fabric I intend to use for the actual garment (I can make those dumb mistakes on the muslin). And it gives me a better sense of how to break down the steps, which allows for good pacing. PLUS, it's satisfying enough to try on a muslin that fits well that it tides me over until I can carefully work through all the steps on the actual garment.

Which brings me to my muslin for Vogue 1212:

I love the seaming on this. I plan on drafting a hood to go with this for a future collar-less version, and maybe even taking out some ease, dropping the neckline, sewing up the middle and adding a back zip for a dress version. I like the proportions and the way it hangs. I can totally see it as a dress:

Is that fabric familiar? It's from IKEA. My friend Lizzi gave it to me. Like, a million yards of it. I've used it for so many things now: a jumpsuit for my pattern making class more than a year ago

I thought it made me look like a clown, hence the juggling. I also made a version for my daughter. It was much cuter on her:

I also think it pays to be aware of the actual length of time it takes to sew something. I usually have no clue how long it took me to make something, because I'll work at it over a few sewing sessions, cutting the pattern out one night, and the fabric the next, sewing the bodice one day, and the skirt on another.

It all adds up though, and I think all that time is what gives our handmade things more value (and not rushing is clearly the key for me, at least, in making my me-made garments look less Becky Home-ecky. It also pays to know how long it takes to make something, so that when someone suggests you  make them a jacket, you can say, "Sure, it will only take me 15 hours!" (And cost $50 for the materials).

That in mind, I've resolved to keep better track of the true cost of sewing each garment, by keeping a running tally of the materials used and their purchase price, as well as the time contributed.

So far Vogue 1212 has cost me: $3.88 for the pattern (purchased on sale from Voguepatterns.com), and zip for the fabrics, which were donated to me by friends. (I will have to purchase lining fabric, three zippers and some interfacing, however, which I have yet to do. Wednesday is a professional development day for Lucy's pre-K, and I plan on dragging her downtown. Wish me luck).

I spent 40 minutes cutting the paper pattern, and an hour and 20 minutes sewing my muslin test garment (which is not lined, and does have closures, etc). So my running tally of time and money is $3.88 and two hours.

What about you people? What rules do you set for yourself when it comes to sewing?

My Minoru (I wanna Make Another Two)

You know what I love most about Tasia of Sewaholic's Minoru Jacket pattern? That I didn't have to make a single change to it, and it fit me perfectly. On a hunch and a prayer, I cut and sewed my bright orange version of her all new pattern without testing it first with a muslin. I'm cheap and hate when things don't work (ie, I cry a lot) so I often test a pattern in something disposable before I make it for real, for real.

But Tasia (who is from my neck of the woods: Vancouver, B.C.!) writes proudly about being a pear-shaped gal, so I figured the cut of this coat would actually work with my figure. And it did, beautifully. (In a Size 8, incidentally):

Inspired by Julia Bobbins super cute version (it's one of my faves), I lined my hood with this great print I found at Metro Textile Corp (the pattern doesn't direct you to line the hood, but I think it's much nicer that way, and is easy enough to do). I was hoping to find a geometric print that would contrast the bright orange denim (purchased at AK Fabric Inc. on 39th Street for $9/yard). Kashi told me this blue-on-gray printed cotton was from a designer....though he couldn't remember which one, so he may have been blowing smoke up my booty. (If anyone can identify it, comment below!) I still have a yard and a half left, so I may make a matching spring dress. The zippers were from SIL Thread on 38th Street. They will custom cut them for you there, which is essential when you are using a separating zipper. I chose a navy and nickel zip for the contrast.

Do not adjust your monitors: this coat IS actually that bright

What are those? Spears?

There are just a couple changes I would make when I make this again (and I do think I will make it again; this coat nets me three or four compliments every time I wear it out. My husband is always like, "Did you pay those people to come compliment you?").

1. I will add pockets to the outside of the jacket because every time I wear it, I find myself absentmindedly trying to put my Metrocard, Blackberry or keys into an invisible pocket, like some odd hip-brushing tic. Or I should just carry a purse when I run to pick my kid up at preschool? Nah. Pockets. Like these ones by Miss Jackson. Seriously, look at her version. It rocks. I love the placket with buttons.

2. I will use a longer zipper. The pattern calls for a 27-inch separating zipper, but it falls a few inches short of the bottom hem. I actually find it kind of hard to zip in a way that is too hard to try to explain, but just trust me. A 29-inch zip would work better, I think.

I prefer wearing this jacket zipped to chest level. The collar becomes very stove-pipeish when you zip it all the way. But with the hood on, you're really protected from the rain and wind. Tasia should know about that. Vancouver is mad rainy. See me peep out:

Not my fave way to wear this coat, but still my best photo

Aren't my husband's photos good this time? He actually had to learn how to use a DSLR for school (FYI to the one reader I have who also enjoys his blog:  his continued absence from online writing is due to the fact he started advertising school and each day is about five hours too short now). Anyway, he knows his camera settings now, and we barely even fought for this five-minute photo shoot in front of our building before he ran off to school today.

In closing: Minoru = great first jacket pattern. Especially for the proudly pear-shaped gal. Make it!

Signing up for Minoru Sew-along

Readers, I didn't get what I wanted for Christmas, so today I did what anybody else would do: returned what I got and bought the thing I did — this pattern for the Minoru Jacket by Tasia of Sewaholic:

It's so sporty and cute, right? Tasia lives in Vancouver, which is just a ferry ride from where I was born and raised. This pattern calls for lighter weight fabrics, so it will obviously have to wait to be worn until spring. Which means I'm in no real rush to sew it — though Tasia is hosting a Minoru sew-along starting Jan. 16. I don't know if I'll even have my pattern (not to mention fabric) by then. But I love sew-alongs, and one of my resolutions for the New Year is to participate in more of them.

In other news, Burdastyle.com included my Peacock-print Bombshell Dress in its slideshow of Member Projects of 2011!

If only a gal like me had more places to wear a dress like this. Thanks for the love, Burdastyle!

All I Want For Christmas Is...

All the cool kids are doing it. Sewing a Minoru jacket by Sewaholic, that is. (What, I wonder, does "Minoru" mean? Is it a hybrid minotaur-Suburu? ....uh, actually I just looked it up and the jacket is named for a park in Richmond, B.C. Moving on!)

I've been seeing amazing versions of this new jacket pattern by Vancouver's own Tasia (Home province pride!) pop up on all my favourite sewing blogs:  Julia Bobbin's in blue, Novita's cool version, another by lladybird. The jacket is designed to work with lighter-weight fabrics (canvas, twill, poplin, denim) and winter has barely begun in NYC, so it's not seasonally appropriate for me to begin sewing a decidedly springy coat just now....or is it?

Perhaps planning a spring coat in December is exactly the stroke of genius I need to make me go slowly and carefully. (Sometimes I just freak out over how excited I am to wear a new garment that I take stupid shortcuts). If I sew this coat (and spend $18 on the pattern, plus the cost of fabric, lining, zipper et al.), I want to do it right. Maybe even make a muslin — though I think I may not need to: Tasia's patterns are designed with the pear-shaped lady in mind, so for once I may not need to make any alterations! Halleluyah!

Anyway, in case you were wondering what to get me for Christmas (dear husband), this pattern would suffice. (Also three yards of cotton canvas or poplin in chartreuse and printed lining fabric, a separating zipper and 2-inch elastic).

Finished (with new and improved buttons!): Very Easy Vogue 8626

 

There are some things I've learned in recent years that were at once a revelation and slap in the face that some things are much easier to do than you think. For example: did you know you can make microwave popcorn in a paper lunch bag? You just throw the kernels in the bag, fold it shut, and microwave on high for 2 &1/2 minutes. When I discovered this (I think via ReadyMade Magazine — may it rest in peace), I was pissed at myself for not figuring out sooner. As someone who hates the flavour of fake butter (and is too counter-space-poor to buy an air popper) I thought I had to make it in a pot. Do you know how many pots I have ruined over the years?

I digress. You know what else is easy? Sewing a coat. I don't know why I thought it would be harder (maybe because they're so darn expensive?). Well, probably not all coats are easy to sew. But if it has "Very Easy" in the title, then you can bet you won't be losing too much sleep over it. Witness my Very Easy Vogue 8626 coat in blue plaid wool with new delicious orange (possibly leather or faux leather) buttons:

 

 Don't I look happy despite the fact that I always end up in an argument with my husband when he's taking photos of me in a finished project? It's because I adore the back of this coat:

 Love that pleat and those seams, and the way the collar stands sort of ruggedly over those very feminine design details. I like wearing this new coat with the collar down too. Witness the versatility:

And here's the secret ugly surprise that I am not too ashamed to show you:

Coat of many ugly colours

Fleece lining in not one, but two ugly colours. I can't stress enough how little I spent on sewing this coat, which I do really love: $4 for the blue plaid wool fabric, nothing on the fleece, which was leftover from some costume projects, and $5 on the buttons, which I bought at Vardhman Inc. on 39th St at 8th Ave in NYC (I just looked up the name of this notions store using Google maps; I had to get the street view, which is always fun. Here it is in case you want to find it. I love this place. It's not the biggest, but I always find something, and the whole family seems to work there):

Vardhman Inc

I've mentioned before a few of the changes I made to this pattern: I shortened it through the waist a couple inches (because I have a short torso; that's a standard mod for me), and I also shortened it at the hem because I didn't have enough fabric to make it full length. It's one of those decisions you make and then hope for the best: I worried it would change the proportions of this coat, and indeed the one issue I have is the side seam curves out a little too much at the hip (and I have wide hips for my frame, so usually I need to add ease at the hip). But it's possible in the longer length, that curve would be less pronounced. I actually think the shorter length makes this coat a little younger and more wearable day-to-day — a happy accident I can attribute to my past self who thought two yards of wool should be enough for a jacket. The present me knows better.

Buttons, baby — and LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!

I'm sewing buttonholes this morning and contemplating my good fortune: I got tickets to Saturday Night Live! The tickets are notoriously hard to get. You can enter the lottery for tickets during the month of August ONLY. You send in an email with all your info...and then forget about it, figuring you stand no chance. But I got an email yesterday afternoon saying I won tickets to the Nov. 19 dress rehearsal! Now, a dress rehearsal sounds less-than the live taping, but I am still super stoked. Lining up for hours on end (the other way to get tickets to a taping is to line up at 7 a.m. the day of the show: no thanks!) is no longer an option for us, and I think this will be just as fun, though I stand no chance of being seen in the background during the monologue.

Apparently the lovable Jason Segal will be hosting, and Florence and the Machine is the band. I'm presuming Segal is there to promote the Muppet Movie, so maybe Kermit and the gang will be on hand too (I'm partial to Gonzo; if he sits next to me, I just might explode).

In other good news: my husband shot a small role on One Life To Live. He also got into Miami Ad School (the New York campus). Plus did I mention I placed 2nd in Burdastyle.com's Halloween costume contest? They still haven't contacted me regarding my winnings. I trust them though....but you know, nobody's ever in a hurry to give you money, are they?

As for my Very Easy Vogue 8626 jacket, I'm in agreement with Peter, who suggested a darker button would be better with this dark blue and orange plaid. I had bought these online, hoping to avoid a trip downtown, but it looks like I'll be dragging my three-year-old out this afternoon. If I pair a trip to the garment district with a ride on the carousel at Bryant Park, perhaps she'll forgive me.

UPDATE: I thought I'd include the info on getting tickets to SNL, just in case anyone wants details. From the NBC site:


To enter the Saturday Night Live ticket lottery for the upcoming season send an email in the month of August only to snltickets@nbcuni.com
Please include all contact information and do not request a specific date. If you are selected, you will receive two tickets to a random show date and time. You may only send one email per household and all audience members must be at least 16 years of age. Please note that entering the lottery does not guarantee tickets, and you will only be notified in the event that you are chosen.

Today's Confessional: Or All the Lazy Changes I Made to Vogue 8626

 

The back of my in-progress Very Easy Vogue 8626 jacket is turned in shame (and also to show its best feature: the princess seams and back pleats). Shame because of all the lazy changes I made to this easy coat pattern. I don't know why I feel the need to confess here now, but I will — if only to make you feel better about all the shortcuts you will take today.

To start, I spent a total of $7.60 on the fabric and notions for this coat: the wool suiting was $2/yard at a classroom sale at FIT last spring. I should have bought more though: I had to trim 3.5 inches off the hem to make the pattern pieces fit on my length of fabric (That's the first of my sins). I also trimmed an inch off the sleeves (again, to conserve fabric, which I was short on). But I'm short, so I think the proportions will still work on me.

For the lining I used fleece leftover from a few other projects (so I'm not counting it towards the $7.60 total). The pattern doesn't call for fleece. It calls for lining fabric. But I was feeling cold the day I started cutting this out, so decided to go with the fleece. I didn't line the sleeves at all though, because when it came time to sew those, it was warm again in NYC. Plus it seemed like it would be too bulky. I've been trying the coat on as I go, and I think these questionable (and possibly schizophrenic) fabric choices will work out in the end (so relax).

The buttons were $3.60 for six. Because I changed the proportions of the coat slightly by shortening it (and making it somewhat bulkier), I am the button placement. The rule is always to have a button right at your bust (to avoid gaping problems when you wear it), and I didn't want a button too near the hem. The buttonholes are not yet sewn (I think I will have to do them by hand. Pray for me), and nor are the buttons sewn on. I also need to finish the hem.

So what was one shortcut you took today? Was it worth it? I'll start: I put ALL my laundry in one machine. Don't judge.

Very Easy Vogue 8626 In Progress

When I started cutting the pattern for Very Easy Vogue 8626, a simple coat with princess seams and gorgeous back pleats, it was still fall in New York. Then it snowed and I wondered whether I would even be able to wear it in 2011. 

See the back princess seams:

 I bought this blue and orange plaid wool suiting from a sale at the Fashion Institute of Technology last spring. It was $2/yard. I only had two yards though, so I had to shorten the coat 3 1/2 inches in order to make the pattern pieces fit on my yardage. I'm short though (5' 3"), so I think it will still look good.

I did my best to match up the plaid....which wasn't that successful, as you can see. Oops. I love it anyway. (You love me for my flaws too, right?) 

 The front is much more understated. I'm still waiting for my buttons to arrive. I ordered them online because I can't muster the strength to go downtown to the garment district with my kid again anytime soon. My husband has a lot of gigs these days, which is good for our family's bottomline, but bad for solo notions shopping trips.

I clearly need to research plaid-matching tips, though my front and side seams are good. Should I have the side panels matched up too? It's tricky with the grain lines. Any tips? Send 'em my way.