Butterick 6722 in thrifted purple

 

One of the things I finished in August was a purple dress that I've wanted to make for a while - ever since I thrifted this purple fabric a year ago! It was a slightly narrower fabric but I had over 3 m. so I thought I'd be fine. I was waffling between two Butterick patterns, 6758 and 6722, which I bought around the same time. They are quite similar, but I ended up going with 6722 because I liked the bodice more. 

I made View B, which has one ruffled tier at the bottom. I'm not really a big ruffle person, but I like it in this design. This went together very easily. The front skirt has a placket and buttons, but the waist is an elastic one so I knew I wouldn't need the actual buttonholes. I sewed it all together then stitched black buttons through both plackets as permanent buttons (you can barely see them anyhow). 

One note, if you are planning on making this with actual buttonholes -- the instructions have you sew it all together and then insert the buttonholes last, while wrangling the whole dress and the sewn together top of the placket. I would definitely sew the buttonholes in before attaching the skirt to the bodice to make it easier on yourself. 

Anyhow, the rest is pretty straightforward. View B has little slits on the top of the sleeves but I wasn't keen on that detail so sewed them up quite normally (and boringly I suppose, but it works for me!). I considered adding the sleeve bands from View A but thought they might weight down this fabric too much. I'm glad I went with just a plain sleeve as I really like it as finished. 

The sash tie is quite long but I think it all works nicely together. As usual for me, I cut a 14 at the neck, 16 at bust and 18 at waist. It fits well. And I moved the pocket bag up to be caught in the waist seam to reduce flopping. I know I shortened both bodice and skirt but can't remember exactly how much as it was a month ago -- I believe I only shortened the bodice by 1/2" and the skirt pieces by 1" each but am not 100% sure any more! In any case, it's such a rich purple and I'm so pleased I have finally used it. This was a fun project started at the beginning of August and completed quickly. I really like this!

September Sewing Plans!

 

I am back after a lovely August break & ready to get back to sewing and blogging! This year I'm feeling more "back to school" than I have in a long time. Hoping to learn some new things this fall & try out new projects & techniques.  

In September I will have a couple of things to share which I finished in August. Then I will try to finish and share a few items I started in July & August! I have a couple of those to complete but I am already feeling like it's time to move on to some fall sewing projects so that will be what is next. 

Related to that I have a bunch of Burda patterns to trace out, a few recent ones & a couple of oldies which I think will be nice fall outfits. 

And I hope to share the next Literary Sewing Circle pick by the end of this month as well. Lots going on but a busy month at work too so I will have to be organized. I'm ready to go 😄📚🧵

August = Blog Break!

 

Photo by Elin Melaas on Unsplash

Hello loyal readers! Just a quick announcement that I will be taking a blog break for the month of August.

 I may pop up on IG now and again but I'm taking some time away this summer. 

I will be back in September with new projects, book reviews, and our Fall Literary Sewing Circle round, late in the month. See you all then!

McCalls Josie in a purple print

My latest dress is one I had in mind for a while. I wanted to use a colourful batik in my stash and decided that McCalls 8030 (otherwise known as #JosieMcCalls) was a good pattern for it - I always like a shirtdress! 

I cut it at 16/18, and found that it went together quite easily. I decided to make the longer version with the straight hem and standing collar only. I didn't add sleeve bands to this version, either. 

I made a few changes to the pattern: I lengthened it by 2" since when you put a belt on, it usually lifts the hem somewhat. I don't think I needed 2" -- could have gotten away with just 1". I may go back and shorten it even if I do have to unpick the bottom of the button placket to do so neatly. But maybe I'll just see if I get used to it... ;)

I would also change the pockets - the opening for my hand is really small, just big enough to fit but I don't like to have to wiggle my hand out again! I find the armhole openings really deep (definitely would show off the side bra at a certain angle. I might pin it up to test whether I can reduce the depth without it looking too weird. 

I chose vintage buttons with a bit of contrast, and since I'm not that fond of D-rings, as called for in the pattern, I replaced those with a vintage sliding buckle that I had in my stash - I picked up a whole bag of random vintage belt buckles a while back at a thrift store and so many of them are very pretty. I made sure to slightly adjust the width of the belt when I sewed it up so it would fit snugly into the buckle.

What do I think? I like it, but I don't love it yet. I like the fabric, the buttons, the overall shape - but I'm not crazy about the fit. I think I need to do a few adjustments and then will be more satisfied with it. Or perhaps leave it in the magic closet for a bit?? It's a really cheerful, bright fabric, which I love, so I do want to be able to wear it! 

Weekend Review: Daddy Dressed Me

 

Daddy Dressed Me / Michael Gardner & Ava Gardner
illus. by Nadia Fisher
NY: Aladdin, c2023.

This charming picture book is a lot of fun to read, especially if you followed Michael Gardner's original blog about his journey to sew for his daughter Ava. 

The storyline is that Ava has been asked to recite a poem at school and is very nervous about it. Daddy agrees to make a very special dress for the occasion. But both of these projects are hard! So they help each other - Ava practices her words while Daddy is sewing, with his help with the hard bits. And she encourages Daddy as he goes through the steps of this challenging new dress. 

In the end, Ava wears a beautiful dress and recites her poem perfectly. This is a sweet story of the gentle relationship between these two. And the illustrator has done a fabulous job of capturing the essential charm and all of the sewing details too! I really loved the way that the words Ava is learning are made into bright colourful parts of the text, alongside all the fabric designs and colours there. It really works well and was a satisfying read. 

There is a short afterword by Michael Gardner about how and why he began sewing for Ava, and it was a great addition for the adults reading this. Definitely worth searching out this lovely picture book. 

In Progress: things I'm making and listening to!

I didn't quite finish the project I'm working on quickly enough to be able to share today - but it's just over halfway done! Maybe next week... I'm really enjoying the colour of this fabric and think it will be a fun dress when complete. I have this dress and one more on my July list, and I'd like to be able to complete them. Somehow I always think that life will be a bit slower in the summer like it was when you were a kid and had the whole summer off...that never happens now ;) 

I have been listening to some interesting things while sewing, though, and thought I'd share a few in case you're looking for something to keep you busy while you work, too. 

There is a series called Textile Talks on Youtube that I really enjoy. It's easy to watch while sewing and inspiring too! They describe it as "Textile Talks features weekly presentations and panel discussions from the International Quilt Museum, Quilt Alliance, Studio Art Quilt Associates, and Surface Design Association.". They interview artists, have themed presentations, and more, all about textile arts. I've just been watching one on text in textiles, something I'm very interested in. There is a huge back catalogue of these talks so you would be able to find many of interest, I'm sure. 

I've also been catching up on the podcast Haptic & Hue, which is a very calm, relaxed and informative podcast all about textiles and history - it's just fabulous if you haven't listened before. 

For specifically sewing content, I enjoy listening to the Seamwork podcast for a lot on wardrobe planning and style, to Sew Organised Style for features on people in the sewing world including Sew Over 50, and also Stitchery Stories for some embroidery talk! These all keep me company in the sewing room, where I only wish I could spend more time lately ;) 

What are some of your favourites? 

Cover Designs! #43: Did You Hear About Kitty Karr

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well. Today's pick is Did You Hear About Kitty Karr, by Crystal Smith Paul. 

Here's the summary of the story (from publisher):

When silver screen icon Kitty Karr Tate, a white woman, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the three Black St. John sisters, it prompts questions.

A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty’s affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty’s journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal could—and between a cheating fiancé and fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty. The truth behind Kitty's ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the Jim Crow South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them.

How could we make something similar to this cover image? With a couple of interesting patterns, I think. 

That's a classic pencil skirt, and there are two patterns I immediately thought of to make something like this. You might try the Extra Sharp Pencil Skirt by Liesl & Co. It's snug and has some nice panel details, but definitely has the same look as the cover skirt, including back walking slit. 

Or, since we can't see the front of the skirt on the cover, who knows, it might have some extra details to jazz it up from that view! The Malmo Skirt from How to Do Fashion has a delightful pocket detail on the front, and an interesting walking slit that's filled in, if you like that detail that is just slightly different from our cover pattern. 

Or of course you could also just go for a free pattern, like the Layla pencil skirt from Tiana's Closet for an affordable option! 

As for the retro blouse, you could try the Romi blouse by Seamwork which could look similar from the back to the one on the cover of this novel. 

Or you could use any favourite fitted knit top, worn with one of these dickies by the Assembly Line, to give it an even closer similarity! 

I hope you've had some fun perusing these pattern ideas! And that you are enjoying your summer reading, too.