So, I'm a little bit blurry on how it all exactly happened, but I think the prequel goes something like this. Last summer, I started buying a few thrift store shirts to frankenstein into something new. As summer turned to fall and fall into winter, the pile languished. Then this spring, somebody I know got a new sewing machine. Then patterns started popping up on my pinterest feed from the somebody I know who got a new sewing machine, and I liked what I saw. I started hearting. Then I created a make folder. And then, I clicked. And then I fell, hook line and sinker down the makey rabbit hole, lured in by what is now the story of my life on things I find on Pinterest and elsewhere, a sewing pattern that had been discontinued. The Lisette Portfolio Dress/Tunic to be exact, Simplicity pattern number 2245. Discontinued. The fact that it had been discontinued only made me want it more. The little square detail and cute roundy neckline that's not on the new and improved version, the mid panel piece that made nice front pockets for carrying goodness knows what. It would be so pretty in the linen I bought forever ago from the garment district in NYC. Oh how could you be so cruel as to discontinue this pattern, shopping gods? If I'dve only found you a couple years earlier, I would have been able to buy this pattern at Joann's for a dollar on a good sale day. But now, if I wanted to make it and be part of the cool girls club, if I wanted to scratch that festering giant creative itch by getting the pattern off ebay, it was gonna cost me a small fortune. So, I better darn well get my people pattern sewing skills in order before I do that. And that is where we begin this summer's ongoing crafty story, because, well, you may not be aware of it, but almost everything usually make and sew is done with my own intuition, my own newspaper drawn patterns, and my own sewing rules. Taking the time to patiently interpret someone else's instructions and cut out precise pattern pieces, marking dots and making notches? Uuuuuuugh. Buckle up people, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
Project number 1 on the Road to Lisette finished up a couple of weeks ago with a dress for little miss Sarah (Simplicity 1787). Trust me, if they had this in an adult size, our story would have ended here cuz it's close enough to Lisette 2245 to make me happy. But they didn't. And I'm not sure this would linen up as well as the 2245. And it seemed like a good idea to start with a kids dress anyway, because little miss sarah and her mostly still stick straight body would be much less of a challenge to fit than me. Skills Improved: cutting and marking patterns, consistently sewing with a 5/8" seam allowance, following almost all the directions, setting in sleeves.
Today's project, Project number 2, was fueled by another Pinterest encounter from a post a person had made a year ago. A giant schlumpy 2XL unisex souvenir T from madwilly's, henry gumption's and my trip to the beach, transformed into something smaller and way more flattering with the help of Simplicity 1808, and some additional piece work. Yeah, I didn't realize until I was beyond the point of no return that tiny chumley and I would be coordinating twinsies if he ever wears his h r d puffnstuff dud when I wear this tee, so, there's that. And even though I have a serger, I didn't use it so, no peeking on the inside. But all in all, a superfudgeable keeper pattern with very happy results! Skills addressed: transferring a pattern to freezer paper, working with knits, using a pattern sized to my high bust size rather than regular bust. Skills regressed: following directions (I read zilcho and just made it the way I saw fit to make it).
Well, if you've read this far and you're still awake, congratulations, because I know this post is rather rambly. And if you don't sew, you might also be feeling as tiny chumley has been feeling these past couple of days. Waiting for something interesting to happen that involves a super cute little dachshund. And I promise, tomorrow, we'll be back to regular monday wednesday friday cuteness programming. Happy Thurday, friends! :)
1 comments:
Haha I don't know if I should apologize or cheer! :) And okay, that Lisette pattern is cuter than the new lisette pattern. Ugh. My summer has looked about like yours so far. Re-learning how to sew clothing. I used to sew anything and everything, but this brain has let some of that know-how fall out somewhere. Looks like fun, I want to do that t-shirt mod now!
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