Second Blogiversary Giveaway!

Hey, guys!  Happy Wednesday!  May is one of my favorite months– the weather really starts to get nice here in the northeast, and there are so many things to celebrate!  Last week was my seventh wedding anniversary, next week is Man Friend’s 30th birthday, and we’re just a few days away from celebrating our first Peggy-versary (one year since we adopted our cheerful girl dog from Animal Haven)!  But amidst all the hubbub, I missed my second blogiversary on May 11th!  But don’t worry– I didn’t forget about you guys!

I picked out some amazing fabric for you guys on my trip to Mood over the weekend!  It’s two yards of a gorgeous silk charmeuse, with one matte and one shiny side.  My (grainy due to the crappy, dark weather) photo doesn’t really do it justice, but it’s a lovely gray with a hint of lavender in it.  Suzanne at Beau Baby made an awesome blouse with a different colorway of this print in chiffon (Mood often carries silk prints that are offered in both chiffon and charmeuse, which is fun)– check it out here!

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment!  If you already know what you would make with it, let me know in the comments, too– I always love to snoop!  I’ll ship it anywhere.  Just enter by 11:59PM next Wednesday, May 29th, one week from today.  Hooray!

Thanks so much for reading my blog over the past two years!  It’s been so much fun getting to know you guys through your comments and blogs (and in person, whenever I get the chance!)!  Thanks to you, sewing is a fun, communal activity for me and not just solitary time spent hunching over my machine, cursing and seam ripping!

Ginger Made: Naughty Kitty Petrouchka Top

It’s still January, right?

OK. I may have technically missed Jungle January, but I was with you in spirit and have been dying to add some animal print madness to my wardrobe! As soon as Anne announced the month-long extravaganza, I pulled this jersey out of my stash and started plotting. I picked it up at Mood several months ago during a mega shopping expedition with my sister, and the whole time I couldn’t stop saying to her, “This is so awful… I HAVE to have it!” It’s neon leopard print jersey, people! It’s too obnoxious NOT to bring home with you (ladies: this mantra does not apply to dudes). I found out at the cutting counter that it’s Betsey Johnson… makes sense, right? Homegirl loves her crazy prints!

I used Papercut Patterns‘ new(ish) Petrouchka Top pattern, a raglan-sleeved peplum top with a curved seam at the midriff (totally obscured by the print, but it’s an adorable detail). It was mondo easy to put together– seriously, the most difficult part was trying to figure out what 1cm seam allowances are equal to (I spent a ridiculously long time trying to do that math… before I figured out that there’s a 1cm mark on my sewing machine…). I made an XS, and I had to remove a ton of excess from the side seams and sleeves (like, as much as 4″ in some places). I wish that there was a chart of the finished garment measurements (OH WAIT, THERE TOTALLY WAS BUT I IGNORED IT BECAUSE, AGAIN, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT 99 CM EQUALS IN REAL NUMBERS???). So yeah. After I’d already made all the alterations, I spent 3 seconds Googling “99 cm to inches” and realized that 39″ in the bust would never work for me, so I should’ve known better and just sized down from the get-go. Live and learn. Let’s see… I also re-serged the seam joining the peplum to the bodice to raise the waistline a little. I still think it’s a bit too low, but I don’t want to lose any more length in the front, so I’ll just leave it. I’ll shorten the bodice and lengthen the peplum if I make this again.

I’m still not 100% sold on the peplum trend. This doesn’t emphasize my hips, luckily, but I’m not sure how flattering it is to have all that fabric hanging from the waist. But I definitely wouldn’t have tried a peplum at all if I hadn’t loved this pattern so much, so that says a lot. I will probably make this again before ye olde peplum’s 15 minutes of fame in 2013 is up. I’ll say this, though– I definitely feel like a bit of a naughty kitty in this top.

Wicked, wicked kitty…

I’m so glad I finally have a reason to get this out of my stash and onto my body! It’s so trashy and fun– I feel like throwing a cosmo at someone when I’m wearing it! I’m sure Anne would approve this message– if she’s not president of the Sewing Bad Girls Club, I don’t know who is.

Meetup Mania 2.0: I Double Dog Dare Ya

So you’ve all seen this #sewingdares nonsense swooping around the internets, yes?  Blame Gillian– it’s alllllll her fault.  Well, in my hubris, I dared Oona to finally sew a shirt for Ruggy, which naturally led to me accepting a dare from her.  THIS MADWOMAN DARED ME TO LET HER CHOOSE THE FABRIC FOR MY NEXT MOOD SEWING NETWORK PROJECT.  Obviously, I don’t back down from a dare, so we set a date and headed to Mood this weekend to decide my fate.  But shopping is WAY more fun in a group, so the ridiculously cool Suzanne, Wanett, and Peter joined in on the madness.

Suzanne, moi, Wanett, Peter, and Oona yukking it up (photo by… someone else who knows how to use the self-timer on their camera)

As you can see, we had a great time!

Does Wanett not OWN the color yellow??

We tore through the store laughing, shrieking, and petting bolt after bolt of fabric.  I think we terrified all the poor Mood employees!  (Thanks for all your help, Kendrell and Eric!)

No, girl, YOU totally look prettier!

Oh, and we took LOTS of pictures.  After much deliberation, a fabric selection was made (and I’m only a little terrified).  I’ll reveal the project next month– hold your breath and WAIT ANXIOUSLY.

Peter’s a summer, def.

After Mood, we popped a squat, had a bite to eat, and chatted for AGES.  Friends, I don’t want to make you even more jealous, but these folks are smart, cool, interesting, and FUNNY.  I’m so grateful to have met such a great group of peeps.

To summarize: A) it was the best day EVER.  B) I’m a little scared to make the Oona Dress of Doom And/Or Destiny.  PRAY FOR ME.  C) If you’re ever in NYC, for the love of all that’s holy, schedule a meetup, dood!

Ginger Made: Sister Kniturday!

First of all, I hope that all of you guys in the eastern U.S. survived Hurricane Sandy without any damage or harm.  We’re just fine– some damage to our neighborhood, but none to our house or car, and our power (and more importantly, cable!) stayed on the whole time (just not the internet at home, so I’m a bit behind on my blogroll).  I feel so grateful and blessed, and my thoughts are with the folks who weren’t so lucky (and the millions of people who still don’t have power and probably won’t for several days).  And thank you so much to everyone who emailed to check in and make sure we were OK– that really meant the world to me.  THANK YOU!

I spent this weekend, before the hurricane struck (gosh, it feels like a month ago!), with my sister, who came up from Baltimore.  She has recently started sewing garments, in no small part due to my heavy peer pressure gentle encouragement, and has been really interested in, but afraid of, sewing with knits.  So I was pretty excited to sit down with her this weekend and have a little jersey sewing bootcamp (a Sister Kniturday, if you will)!

I thought that Cindy’s Dolman Sleeve Top pattern would be a nice pattern to start with, since you don’t need to set in any sleeves (AND IT’S A FREE DOWNLOAD, PEOPLE!).  I made a version first to test the fit on my sister and give her a chance to see how it goes together before cutting into her own fabric.  I used an organic bamboo/rayon knit that I picked up at Mood about a year ago with a Renfrew top in mind, but had set aside thinking it was too slinky and stretchy.

And hey, look, it IS too slinky and stretchy!  It was OK to sew with, but it’s so very drapey that anything you’re wearing underneath the top is outlined clearly.  Hello, bra!  Definitely didn’t realize how bad it was until I looked at these photos– I should wear a tank top underneath!  But hey, stash-bustin’ feels good even if the results aren’t picture-perfect, amirite?

Damage on the block courtesy of Hurricane Sandy… (sidenote: do you like my giant phone case?  safety first!)

The shirt is really comfy and easy to wear, so that’s a plus, and the pattern is BEYOND simple to put together (AND DID I MENTION IT’S A FREE DOWNLOAD?!?!  Thanks, Cindy!!!!!).  I flew through it!  I also really like the green color– it’s slightly more vibrant than a hunter green without veering into primary color territory (which is only OK if you’re dressed up like a crayon for Halloween).  [EDIT: I forgot to mention that I lengthened the sleeves by 6", so yours will be much shorter if you make it without alterations.  I also found it a bit too long, and the band a bit wider than I liked, so I just serged the waistband seam at 5/8" a second time and it was the perfect length.  My sister has a longer torso than I do, so we kept hers the original length.]

My sister made a version in a cotton jersey blend (also from Mood, picked out Saturday in what can only be described as a merciless raid on the Garment District).  Doesn’t it look cute on her?

Isn’t she cuuuuuute?

It’s kind of a perfect top for her– dressier than a tee, but still really easy to wear, perfect for her job as an elementary school teacher.  You have to be comfortable when you chase little kids around all day!

A side effect of a sister Kniturday is that now my sis reallllly wants a serger!  A second side effect is that now I wish (even more than usual!) that she lived in NYC so we could hole up like a couple of nerds and sew away every weekend!    Well, Baltimore isn’t THAT far away, but we are popular, busy, lazy people who don’t get it together to see each other often enough.  But now that’s she succumbed to the siren song of my little Brother, I bet she’ll be tempted to Bolt Bus her way to NYC more often!

Side effect of dolman tees: instant mega-biceps! Raaaaawwwwwrrrr!

Mood Sewing Network: You, Too!

Hey-0!  If you’re interested in becoming a Mood Sewing Network blogger, too, check out Meg’s post for more information!  I can think of so many of you awesome bloggers who would TOTALLY CRUSH IT blogging for Mood, so you should apply now!

Ginger Made: M6553

Oh, hey!  I didn’t see you there… I was too busy strutting around in my NEW DRESS!

I’m kind of in love with this dress, but I’m not really sure why.  It departs from my usual style quite a bit– I never wear anything this loose since I’m pretty rectangular, but while it may not be flattering, exactly, I love the comfort and the unusual silhouette.  It feels so trendy and fun!  And while shaped hemlines will probably be out of style next season, I can just trim it even and hopefully get some more wear out of it.

It’s McCall’s M6553, made in a size 6.  There is TONS of ease included in the pattern, so I didn’t bother making my standard size (the smallest has a 43″ bust!).  I’m happy with the fit, and I made no adjustments to the pattern.  The pattern was super easy and came together quickly, so that was pleasant.  I really felt like I was taking a risk with this one– I felt like there was a 50/50 chance of this being an epic fail.  Oh, and I didn’t make a muslin.  GO AHEAD AND SUE ME.  I’m a loner, Dottie.  A rebel!

I used a lovely linen from Mood.  I know it’s a bit late in the season to make a linen dress, but I couldn’t resist making one last summery dress before fall sets in.   The color is so perfect, though… how could I say no?!  I’ve never worked with linen before, so I was excited to try it out, and it’s really great!  I was worried about it fraying or wrinkling like crazy, but it was honestly a dream to work with!  I really recommend linen for this pattern– it’s drapey, breezy, and lightweight, but not slippery or transparent.

The belt is designed to loop the front of the dress only, leaving the back loose.  However, I don’t really like to wear it like this as the weight of the belt tugs at the belt holes in the side of the dress, so you can see bare skin!  Eww!  I kind of prefer it unbelted– it feels free ‘n’ easy, and it’s super no-fuss.  But Man Friend thinks that it looks like a muumuu, and he really likes it belted.  Of course, like the Contrary Mary I am, I’m not crazy about wearing it belted– it feels like there’s too much bulk strapped around my waist, sort of like fabric saddlebags!  What do you guys think?  Would you belt it or not?

I really like this pattern, and I’m thinking about making it again (even though it’s sort of a distinct style and not one I really need multiples of).  But if I made it again, I would probably shorten the belt a little and attach it at the side seams, so I can tie it at the front or the back and not have to worry about exposing too much skin where the belt feeds through the dress.

What do you think of this style?  Would you wear a dress like this?  Have you made anything lately that’s a departure from your usual style?  Are you contemplating any fashion risks?  I wanna hear from you guys!

Mr. Photographer, stop making me laugh!

Ginger Made: Chloe Dress

Why, hello, everyone, and a happy Monday to you!  Hope you all had smashing weekends!  After what feels like decades, I finally have a finished object to show you!  I guess it hasn’t been THAT long, but I spent four solid weekends working on this dress.

This is the Chloe dress from Victory Patterns.  I really like the lines of this dress– it feels very classic, but also kind of mod.  I wanted to keep things very clean and simple, but also a bit dressy, so I used silk taffeta from Mood.  I love the body and weight of taffeta– it’s so luxe!  I’ve never sewed with silk of any kind before, so it was really exciting to use something so fancy!

Pockets!

Silk does present a few challenges.  I hand-washed it prior to cutting out the pattern, which softened it up quite a bit, but also made it CRAZY wrinkly.  Seriously– I spent an entire evening pressing out the creases in the fabric!  Fortunately it’s not crazy slippery or unstable, so it wasn’t that difficult to sew.  It’s tough to press the seams sharply with your iron on the low silk setting– my seam allowances don’t want to lie flat, and the seams aren’t quite as smooth as I would like.  Worst of all, after the dress was assembled, I serged the seams, and the seams got so puckery and wrinkly in the back that I almost gave up and threw out the whole project!  I’m still not sure what I did wrong– I checked the tension and tested it out on scraps of taffeta with no sign of trouble, but after I had serged everything, I noticed that the seams were all bunched up and uneven.  This didn’t happen to the seams in the front, or to the separate bottom band– wha?!  It looks OK when I press it like crazy, but after wearing for a little bit (read: minutes), it wrinkles up and looks terrible.  Ugh!  Any suggestions for what I could do to fix it?  I’m planning to just rip out all the seams and restitch them, but since I’m not really sure what went wrong the first time, I’m not sure what I should avoid the next time around!  I wish the copy of Claire Shaeffer’s Fabric Sewing Guide that I ordered on Oona‘s suggestion was here already– I have a feeling it will help to clarify what’s wrong.

I can’t believe I’m showing you guys this horror. Every part of me wants to delete this picture, only look at myself from the front, and pretend like this sh*tshow isn’t happening behind me!

The dress is fully lined with silk crepe de chine, which feels amazing, but it’s a complete bear to cut and sew.  I spent FOREVER cutting out the pieces, and I have no idea if they’re on grain or not as the fabric kept shifting and wiggling, even with tissue paper and pattern weights to stabilize it.  But it feels great against the skin and is nice and light– perfect for lining a summer dress!

As far as the pattern goes, I really like how this turned out.  Everything went together smoothly and I didn’t have to make any adjustments other than lengthening the dress by 2″ (this sucker is short!).  I really should have raised the armscyes, but I didn’t notice how low they were in the muslin stage (whoops!) and I didn’t want the dress to be any shorter, so I didn’t raise it at the shoulders.  I may go back and add a little wedge of fabric under the arms.  Ha!  I guess this dress isn’t a finished object after all!

I wanted to add a little more of the contrast color to this dress, so I drafted a bottom band.  It’s really simple to do, but I would be happy to explain it in greater detail if anyone is interested.

Ginger Made: Colette Hazel Dress

Hi, guys!  I’m really excited about finishing the first dress for the Sew Colette 2.0 sewalong!  Hooray!  It’s just so fun to make something alongside lots of other fun ‘n’ fancy gals!  I’m really excited to see your dresses!

OK, are you ready?  Here’s my Hazel dress!

First things first, a huge thank-you to my sister for surprising me with this pattern!  Ain’t no pattern like a free pattern, AMIRITE??  Thanks, B!

In keeping with the whole cash-efficient theme of this dress, I opted to stash-bust and used this cream/slightly peach cotton shirting that I bought from Mood last summer.  It’s really sheer, so I underlined the entire thing with cotton batiste (also in my stash!).  I thought this fabric was so sweet when I bought it, and I still really like it, but from a distance, it looks exactly like muslin!  Whoooooops!  It’s got a subtle stripe to it that’s really pretty up close… you’ll just have to trust me on that!

Thank goodness for pockets… I’m like Ricky Bobby– I don’t know what to do with my hands in photos!

This dress came together so quickly and easily!  I kinda couldn’t believe it… there’s usually SOMETHING for me to fight with!  I made a straight size 2, and it just about fit perfectly right outta the gate.  I really liked the unhemmed length, so I added 5/8″.  The bust darts were too long, so I shortened them, but then they stuck out like crazy, so I returned them to just about the original length.  Too long is better than crazy pointy, right?

See? I told you it was striped! You should have believed me.

The bodice fit PERFECTLY when I made the muslin, but after I wore it for a while, I decided that I wanted a tad more ease.  Look– it’s hot, it’s sticky, and I don’t really need a sundress clinging to my sweaty stomach.  So it’s a little more loosey-goosey (and a little frumpier, to be honest) now, but I can deal with that.  We’re all about comfort right now, folks.

I played around with lace trim and little buttons down the front, both of which were cute,  but in the end I opted to keep this really simple and unadorned.  It’s probably kinda boring this way, but it just seemed cooler and breezier without any added trims or doodads.  I pinned on a felt hair clip from Gertie in Roses today, and that was just the ticket to jazz it up a little.  I’m looking forward to trying out new accessory combinations with it!

Next up, the Macaron dress!  I’m looking forward to making this– I’ve had the pattern in my stash for a while, and I’m excited to prioritize it!  If you haven’t been following along with Sew Colette 2.0, now’s a great time to join in on the fun!  Anyone out there making the Macaron?  Have you chosen your fabric yet?

Out-Of-Towners

I played host today and yesterday to a childhood friend of my brother’s and his wife who are passing through NYC.  Here’s the conversation we had while riding the subway and looking at the map this afternoon:

Friend: “Where’s Madison Square Garden?”

Me: “Over here by Penn Station.”

Friend: “Where’s NYU?”

Me: “There, in the Village.”

Friend: “Where’s Mood?”

Me: “… ???????????????!!!!!!!!!!”

YES.

This guy races bikes, drives fast, plays hockey, and downhill skis faster than I’m willing to drive my car (seriously… I’d tell you how fast, but it would just make your palms sweat unnecessarily), but his favorite show is Project Runway!  He and his wife are hoping to meet Swatch, the Mood dog, next time they’re in town.  Amazing.

Doug and Peggy would like you to know that they don’t think Swatch is all that cute.