Japanese Sewing Class, Part 3

Now for the technical sew-y part about this dress: Despite the fact that I added 4 inches to this dress over the largest Japanese size and did the most ridiculously tiny rolled hem, this dress is only JUST long enough to wear by itself. My husband thinks it looks great (as he should :) but I intend to wear it with leggings or tights and boots and layer a cardigan or jacket over it this fall.

When I added the length, I initially just added it to the skirt but, as you can see there is a back bodice piece and then the skirt is attached. When I stitched the skirt to the bodice it was hilariously high. I appeared to have a skirt coming out of my bra line! It wasn't so hilarious when I had to rip it all out and recut a longer bodice (by two inches). I also ended up extending the front pleats (or are they darts?) by two inches and moving the bust dart down two inches. Doggone tiny tiny tiny Japanese women!

I was a little fearful that this full tunic would have the dread pregnant effect. It is pretty loose but overall I am pleased with how it turned out and I feel comfortable wearing it. I even wore it out on a (rare) date with the Wise and Bearded One the other night. He obligingly took these photos.

Japanese Sewing Class, Part 2

Here it is! Stylish Dress Book (#1) Dress E which is the same dress on the front cover. I learned a lot about sewing from Japanese sewing books with this dress.

First of all, why didn't I hear about using Swedish Tracing Paper before? This stuff is amazing! It's sort of halfway between tissue paper and a thin interfacing fabric. You can see through it enough to trace off a pattern. It cuts up nicely and is more sturdy than tissue paper. In fact, I've been told you can even baste pieces together if you're not sure whether the pattern will fit correctly.

Secondly, I learned how to add seam allowances to the Japanese patterns and how to determine sizing.

And that brings me to the third fact I learned: Japanese women are tiny, tiny, tiny. I'll admit that a bit of swearing occurred when trying to figure out how to make the largest Japanese size (probably a US size 8 or 10) fit me (size 12/14). Fortunately most of the Stylish Dress Books are meant to have ample ease so an exact fit isn't necessary.

Apparently Blogger and my laptop are fighting a death duel this week so I am attempting to post from Flickr instead. My apologies if this looks a little goofy. I mean, I know the PICTURE looks a little goofy--that's me trying to pose and I don't like that side of a camera lens very well--but the actual post might look a little goofy too.

Japanese Sewing Class: Love!

I am in love with Modern Domestic! I took my first class there over the past three weeks--a class on sewing with Japanese pattern books--and it was fabulous. For those non-Portlanders, Modern Domestic is sewing studio/workroom with really great sewing machines, sergers, irons, etc. for your use. It's always fun to meet other people who share your interests, especially relatively arcane ones like an interest in Japanese sewing books. The class was relaxed and friendly but there was a certain amount of intensity as everyone worked to draft their patterns, cut, stitch and steam while still trying to find a bit of time to chat.



I loved this tunic dress that Daniela had in the window as a sample, so I made a very similar one but I don't have any good pictures of me in it yet. The Wise and Bearded One is working late these days on a deadline so I'll try to get him to take one of me over the weekend.

It's late and I know I won't be able to write articulately so I'm just going to post some photos here for now.





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Of course, a little saki helps ease the Japanese sewing along....

DIY Pattern-making: Pencil Skirt v.1.0

So....you know how I was all psyched about this book (still am) and also about 40's fashions and then we were invited to this party where we were supposed to wear 40's inspired clothes? Well, I decided to make myself a pattern for a pencil skirt and then make myself a skirt out of wool. I know, I know, this was not the EASY way to acquire a pencil skirt. But I'm not necessarily known for taking the easy way.

First I got the Wise and Bearded One to measure my body what seemed like a zillion different ways. I didn't need that many measurements to make the skirt pattern, but I've been married for a couple (13) years now and I know that when I've got the man doing a favor for me, I'd better take full advantage of the moment. Plus, I've now got ALL the measurements for any pattern that I want to try to draft in the future. High waist, natural waist, low waist, I've got it. Wrist to shoulder, I've got it. Thigh circumference, I've got it.

I followed Cal Patch's directions for drafting a skirt pattern. I found the directions clear and easy to follow and suddenly all the patterns I've "read" in the past seem to make so much more sense. I sewed a mock-up "muslin" of my skirt. I made a few adjustments, less dart in the front, more dart in the back, etc. I'm not a skinny girl so these types of adjustments are crucial to get a good fit. When I thought I'd worked out the kinks, I did a final draft of my very own pattern.

And then off I went to Mill End. (A little aside: If you're a Portlander and haven't found Mill End Fabrics, you really need to hunt it down. It's housed in an old factory--an old woolen mill if I have it right. It's full of fabric of all kinds--upholstery, silks, bridal fabrics, quilting cottons, knits and woolens. I think it has more wool than any other shop I've ever been in. Along with the funky, old fabrics, you never know who will be assisting you at the cutting table. Last week I had an elegant, well-preserved woman who told me about the linen dishtowels that she's had for forty years that look just as good as new. Then I had a free lecture from the woman at the register about giving in to the dark and rain of winter and enjoying it as a season to "go inside myself". But, I digress.)

Two hours and thirty dollars later, I had the soft gray-black wool (on sale!), rayon lining, zipper and thread that I needed for my skirt, and I headed home. I spread out my newly drafted pattern on my fabric, and I took a deep breath and cut into the lovely wool.

And then life happened. Not sewing.

In typical Deb fashion, I didn't make it back to the sewing machine until the day of the party. The skirt was still a pile of wool and rayon on the sewing table. But I had faith in myself. It was a simple pattern, and I'd already sewn the muslin. I could do this. I sewed the darts. I sewed the side seams. I sewed the lining to match, and I attached the lining to the skirt.

I was running out of time. I had planned to carefully put a box pleat in the back. It became a slit. I had planned to hand stitch the hem with some hem tape so it would be less bulky. I did a quick and dirty doubled up hem. It WAS a little bulky, BUT I got it done in time!

I wore it to the party. It looked ok. It fit my curves perfectly (better than these photos show) and the wool was so, so sweet to wear. But there was a slight catch. I had decided to skip putting a waistband on the skirt. My muslin had been a pretty tight woven piece of scrap poly-cotton I had laying around and it had held it's shape really well and didn't need a waistband. My wool was a bit stretchier. As the night of the party wore on, what was supposed to be a high-waisted pencil skirt slowly worked its way down to my natural waist, and then it kept creeping on down until it was more like a low-waisted skirt. Doggone it! I guess it really needed that waistband.

And that's why I'm calling it Pencil Skirt v. 1.0. Sometime in the not-too-distant future I want to draft a wide waistband to add to the skirt and then I also want to rework the hem and lining so it's not so thick and bulky.

Overall, I think making my own pattern has been an excellent learning experience and I plan to fix this skirt and then make a second skirt pattern (more A-line) and sew it from some muted plaid wool that I bought at Mill End. And then I want to draft a shirt pattern. And then a simple grey dress. And then a long coat. And then....

(Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Slowly now.)

Design-It-Yourself Clothes

I am currently obsessing over this book. I saw it at Borders a couple of weeks ago and was intrigued. Then I remembered that my mother-in-law had given me an Amazon gift certificate for my birthday, and I miraculously had not spent it yet. A quick trip to Amazon for the book and Amy Karol's killer gift labels, and I'm in business. Maybe.

I've hated sewing clothes ever since I HAD to in high school home economics classes that resulted in several hideously ill-fitted items. I hated the fabric choices available. I hated the patterns. And I hated spending so much time on a project only to have it turn out so very, very wrong.

The last couple of years I've been slowly turning the corner. With Fabric Depot, Mill End, Bolt, and Cool Cottons all within easy driving distance, I have thousands of great fabric options at my disposal (Yes, thousands, it can be a bit overwhelming). And I've come to like great fabric made from natural fibers. Give me cotton, silk and wool any day over the synthetic fabrics used in the mass-produced clothes in my price range.

But I still have a hard time with patterns. I can go into the store with an idea in my head and end up completely frustrated that I can't find a pattern to match the idea. Or I can find a pattern but it seems exorbitantly expensive for tissue paper on which is printed a pattern that may or may not fit my body.

Enter Do-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified by Cal Patch. I am so stoked about this book! If it works the way I think it will, I'll be able to think up a simple silhouette in my head, draft a pattern on my own, and sew a garment that is uniquely fitted to my body. So far, I read most of the book which was pleasant and easy-to-understand. I sweet-talked the Wise and Bearded One into measuring me 18 different ways, and I've drawn up my first simple skirt pattern.

I'd be in my studio sewing up my prototype skirt this very minute if it weren't next door to my lightly-sleeping daughter. Hopefully I'll get to tackle it tomorrow.

So if you're a latent fashionista, a Project Runway devotee, or simply tired of crappy cheap clothes, this might be the answer. I'll let you know how it works out for me. I have high hopes, friends. High hopes.

P.S. You can get a taste of the book over on this tutorial on Etsy.