Rare Singers and Liebsters

We're just finishing a very fun run of house guests here in Surf City. The Boy, The Man's Brother, my 12-year-old computing consultant and our friends Larry and Carole have all passed through in the last couple of weeks.

Larry and Carole were on their way home from the Alameda antique flea market, where Carole found a rare, tan Singer Featherweight. Carole has had a bunch of Featherweights pass through her maestro hands, but only a couple of the tan ones. She said this one was from the 50's, and that it was a particularly rare find because the case is in super shape.

It looks like the 50's somehow, huh? Kind of like a princess phone in sewing machine form

 This is the third selfie I've ever taken. Believe it or not, I'm getting better.

Carole and yours truly

On another note, Tracy H. of Tracy Sews Happy has very kindly nominated me for a Liebster!

As a blogger, I sometimes feel like a stand-up comic, tapping on my mic and asking, "Is this thing on?" It's really fun to see that there are a few people out there reading my meanderings. I always like seeing the Liebsters making the rounds. I've discovered some great, new-to-me blogs by clicking my way through to the nominees.

So here are the rules, as I understand them:

1. Thank the person who nominated you, linking back to their blog (thank you Tracy!).
2. Copy and paste the Leibster award to your blog.
3. On your blog answer the 5 questions that have been set 
4. Nominated 5 blogs that you think deserve to get noticed for the award
5. Let your nominees know they have been chosen  by leaving a comment on their  blogs
6. Set your nominees 5 questions of your own

So here goes!

1.  Do you have a current challenge you are hoping to master to improve your sewing?

My goal this year is to sew myself an everyday bra that really works. I hate shopping for bras. I have a hard time finding anything that seems to fit my more mature assets, or that gives me much of a shape (I need all the help I can get!). I've treated myself to the Bambi soft bra pattern from OhhhLulu. Now I just need to gird up my loins and make a muslin.

2.  What is your motivation for sewing?

A big part is the creative aspect. I love playing around with color and texture and shape. And how cool is it that my play sessions end up in a new shirt, or a pair of pants?

Also, I really enjoy seeing how things are made, from sofas to houses to clothes. Yep, the Discovery Channel has my number. I'm that person who stops people in the street to ask if I can see how their sleeves were inserted, or how their button band was attached.

3.  What do you like to sew best?

I actually enjoy making the everyday staples! Nice, simple tee shirts, a pair of pants, the occasional skirt... Though now that I'm getting back into my sewing groove, I find myself eyeing patterns that are a bit more challenging.

4.  Do you have a favourite pattern company?

I've been sewing a lot of Burdastyle Magazine patterns lately. I have enough of those puppies by now that I suspect I could find a passable pattern for pretty much anything I can imagine, from a tee shirt to a wedding gown, just by flipping through my back issues. Their patterns seem to fit me pretty well and I can bank on the measurements they provide without running into major ease issues.

I also treat myself to a pattern from Sewaholic or Grainline or one of the other indie pattern companies now and again. I've watched those young companies being birthed over the last few years on the internet. I feel kind of like a fond Aunt. 

5.  How many blogs do you read regularly?

Oh. My. God. Hundreds! If I spent half as much time sewing as I do reading sewing blogs, I could open my own boutique. Thank god for Bloglovin - otherwise I'd spend my days obsessively clicking to see if my sewing ladies had updated their blogs, kind of like a lab rat hoping for a food pellet.

Coming up with 5 blogs to nominate was a challenge, and not just the narrowing down of my list. Liebster's are intended for newer blogs that have fewer than 200 followers. I'm so lame that I don't know how to tell how many followers a blog has unless it's posted up top on the sidebar. I also didn't want to nominate someone who had recently received a Liebster, so I asked my friend, Mr. Google, to check that for me. If I messed up on either of those jobs, my apologies.

The blogs I love best meet the following criteria: they feature  lovely, fun, quirky items and the author has a distinctive voice (and a sense of humor).  It's a special treat if the blog has a sense of place. I love hearing little details about the weather in Toronto or how to make Brazilian coconut cake. It satisfies my arm-chair traveler bug. The following 5 sewing ladies tick all those boxes for me:

Gladys and Viv
The Sewing Princess
Sewing in Athens
Physics Girl on the Loose
Notes from High Road


I liked Tracy's questions so much that I will shamelessly copy all of them, with one small change:

1. Do you have a current challenge you are hoping to master to improve your sewing?
2. What is your motivation for sewing?
3. What do you like to sew best?
4. Do you have a favorite pattern company?
5. Do you have a favorite sewing trick that you think everyone should know?

Kicking Up the 80's

Back in December of 2013, Winnie (a.k.a. The Scruffy Badger) issued a challenge to all comers to sew up one of her fabulous patterns from the 1980's and to see how we might work them into our 2014 wardrobe. One of her lovelies was this classic:

Vogue 2753 ‘ career wardrobe’, size 8-10-12

Now I was a lass in the 80's and I remember wearing those pleated pants with panache way back when. I could hardly wait to get my sewing fingers on that envelope.

My chosen fabric

I picked out some slightly tweedy suiting at Hart's and got to cutting.

The pattern was nicely drafted and the directions were very clear. I had to do a bit of adjusting at the waist, as I'm a tad larger than a size 12 in that area. Otherwise, the cutting and sewing was a piece of cake.

These ain't no wimpy pockets

Besides the signature pleats, there were other features that harked back to the 80's. Check out those pocket pieces! Back in the day, cell phones (called "mobiles") were the size of a shoe box, so you needed a pocket that was not playing around. With these pockets I can easily stash my keys, my cell phone, a lipstick, a handkerchief, half a dozen do-nuts and a cup of coffee.

I finished the pants a while ago, except for the hemming. Once, back in high school, I hemmed a pair of pants too short. The experience scarred me for life. I still cut my pants way too long and then agonize about cutting any length off. One evening, after some deep breathing and a glass of wine, I leaped into action and they were ready for their closeup. But I needed to find the right setting for the photo shoot. Something that would do them justice.

When it comes to 80's fashion, you have to think of that icon of the decade:

Check out those shoulder pads! You don't mess with gals like that.

 As I'm sure you know, Dynasty was filmed at Filoli.

Filoli is the summer home Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers Bourne II built in 1915. The Bournes were the owners of the Empire Gold Mine, outside Grass Valley, California. The Empire produced 5.6 million ounces of gold during it's active years. The Bournes  did not skimp on their house. It's now part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, along with its 16 acres of formal gardens.

Fioli is just outside Woodside, California, about halfway between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. So I talked The Man into gassing up the Bentley and we drove up north on a beautiful Saturday morning, when gardens all over central California were drying off after basking in some of the first rain they've seen for quite a piece.

I give you -- the pants

This was really a two part challenge: the first part was to make the pattern up, the second part was to "show how 80s styles can still kick a punch today." Part one was quick and easy. Part two was a bit hard for me. My style is what might kindly be called "eclectic." I'm pretty clueless about putting together an outfit that looks current. I tried on a few different tops and asked The Man for advice. We agreed the pants look best with something that has a bit of shoulder action going on to balance out the belly pleats. I decided on one of my Maria Denmark Kirsten tees and a pair of boots.

I recommend a fabric with drape for this style of trousers. There's quite a bit of fabric pleated into that waistband. Here's a shrug shot to give you a feeling for how much room I have in there.

I dunno. Where do you think we should go next?

From the side those pleats hang nice and flat though. The back is shaped with a couple of darts and the fit there isn't much different from the non-pleated pants I've made.

Pretending to admire tulips in the atrium

Sure they hark back to an earlier time, but I like 'em! They're the most comfortable pair of pants I own. I think I'll make them again, but I'll add belt loops. I remember wearing this style of pants with a button-down shirt and a belt cinching in the volume at the waist.

I think they'd be cute with a cropped blazer. Maybe the Victoria blazer from By Hand London. I've been eyeing that pattern.

Here they are as I wore them to work this morning. 

Photo-bombing Zoe dog.

If you're in the area, grab a chance to spend a pretty day walking around the grounds at Filoli. You can tour the mansion too, but the garden is where it's at.

 We were a bit too late for the daffodils and tulips and a bit too early for the roses, but we hit the peonies right on the button!

Bloglovin tells me I should claim my blog, so here goes: <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11384815/?claim=md9phdbznhj">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

A New Top and Me Made May

This tee shirt is Burdastyle 126 from February of 2013. It's my March contribution for my Make a Garment a Month challenge.

I really did have it done by March 31, but I haven't had a chance to grab a photo. It's been raining on the Central Coast - yahoo! It's not enough to turn around our current drought, but my garden is looking much happier and when the sun comes out everything is so bright and fresh and sparkling - just what Spring should look like. It does make fashion shoots more challenging though.

Let's try a close-up so you can see the sleeve detail a bit better:

Hmm. Not that much better, huh? This is a raglan sleeve tee shirt. The sleeves are gathered in the front and back before you attach them to the body of the shirt. I think it gives an otherwise plain tee shirt a bit of va-va-voom. Too bad the design details are overpowered by the pattern on my fabric. Though I do like the fabric a lot. It's very soft and comfy and seems to have great recovery. I grabbed it on my knit-buying extravaganza at Backstitch in Nevada City. I got a giant piece for $10 - enough left for a dress or a couple more tee shirts at least.

I'm wearing it along with another pair of pants (a.k.a. trousers) made from Burdastyle 127a from October, 2013. I've been wearing my first version so often I figured I could use a back-up. I altered the pattern to use a cut-on fly rather than separate pattern pieces. It made inserting the fly a lot easier, but I can't say my results are much better. The inside still looks pretty messy at the bottom of the zipper, and, despite diligently ironing on interfacing, my fly shield stretched out towards the top, causing a sad pooch right below the button. I don't normally wear my shirts tucked in with these pants though, so I'm not stressing about it too much. Otherwise I really like the fit of this pattern. The legs are narrow but not tight and the pockets are just the right size.

Zip pooch on display. More zipper practice will make perfect, I hope

In other news, I'm going to be hopping in the pool for Me Made May this year.

Back when I first retired and friends and family would ask me what I was going to do, I'd say that I wanted to sew all my clothes. They'd mumble, "How...interesting," give me the side-eye, edge back a few steps and in other ways indicate that they questioned my sanity.

About that time I stumbled on Zoe's blog, where she was hosting one of the early Me Made Mays. I had a fabulous time following along with her daily documentation of her efforts and followed links to other people who thought sewing your own clothes wasn't crazy at all. I fell down the internet rabbit hole of sewing where I've been happily wallowing ever since.

By now I've come pretty far in my quest to make my entire wardrobe, so to kick up my challenge a notch, I, Nancy D, will attempt to wear nothing but me-made items for the month of May. Excepting underwear and shoes. Though I do want to try the Bambi Soft Bra from Ohhh Lulu. And I have a pile of knit scraps that would make excellent undies. I was wondering aloud a while back about how I could make my own shoes and my son said, "Mom! Stop it! You're scaring me!" Do you think cobbling is taking it too far?

My review of the tee pattern is here on PatternReview.com

Sewing Like a Mad (Wo)Man

As you can see from my side bar, I tossed my hat into the Mad Men ring this year, along with Julia Bobbin and a raft of other sewers around the planet.

My inspiration

I took Megan as my inspiration, partly because I can't imagine being able to carry off a Joan or a Betty. I was looking for something not too full-skirted or narrow-waisted and with minimal design details. Something that resembled a 1960's pattern that just happened to be waiting in my pattern stash.

I ended up doing green, but the bow-belt of Miss Pink

The pattern was intended for a coltish young lass with a 32 1/2 inch bust and a 24 inch waist. Ha! My bust is more like a 36, and I didn't have a 24 inch waist even before birthing a baby. I adjusted the waist just by leaving out the gathers called for in the directions. The bust mysteriously wasn't too small even without making any changes. In fact, I could probably take it in some, though I think the wrinkles you'll notice are at least partly due to the fabric and my period-inspired hip thrust.



I found this pattern at our local antique flea market and had to get it because I liked the squared-off arm scythe. You can't see it too well on the pattern envelope. We tried to get a good arm pit shot but they're remarkable hard to stage elegantly. This is the best we could do:

See how the side bodice is cut flat at the top?

I used a cotton sateen that my friend Jessica kindly gifted to me. It's a green that's actually pretty close to the dress worn by the blond on the pattern envelope. The fabric is a little light-weight for this pattern, plus cotton sateen wrinkles like there's no tomorrow. I swear I ironed this dress mere moments before I finagled The Man into yet another photo shoot.

Whoever owned this pattern in it's previous life must have been very similar to the teen-aged me. The poor thing was hacked to death and the front and back skirt pieces were ragged and two different lengths. My knees are no longer designed for public viewing, so I added 5 inched to the skirt and still took up a super narrow hem.

The bow-belt is from Tilly's tutorial

I had to settle for indoor shots today. We're having a rare and much-needed rainy afternoon. We had to hunt to find a room where there was enough light, so we ended up in my sewing room (a.k.a. the guest bedroom) and the kitchen. Holy cow! I never noticed how much stuff we have on our kitchen counter! It's all shoved to the side in this photo, and I'm trying to use my body to block the dishes in the sink.

A little less wrinkly here. I'm trying to stand up straight.

I was rushing a bit to get this done before April 1. Between that and the not-so-great fabric choice, this dress is a maybe-wearable muslin. Though in a dimly-lighted bar with a cocktail in hand, it just might do.

I didn't have anything that resembled a cigarette to use as a prop, so I hauled out a martini glass. Might need to fill that bad boy up and relax in front of the fire this evening, listening to the storm outside.

Gertie's Shirtwaist Dress

The Boy and his girlfriend were in town for a visit last weekend. I had a great time playing tourist with them. We went to the aquarium in Monterey on Friday and drove up to the Wine Country for the day on Saturday. Gorgeous weather both days.

Awww. Aren't they adorable?

I figured I'd ask The Boy to help take a few pictures while we were in such scenic locations. I actually finished this dress in the pre-blog days. I made it at a sewing retreat at Asilomar that was hosted by Heather Ross. If you ever have a chance to attend one of her retreats, do it! I had a fabulous time sewing for two days with a really fun and creative group of women. And one of the co-teachers was Gertie herself! What a kick to have the designer advise me on fitting one of her creations! I actually got to try on the shirtwaist dress that's photographed in her book, which saved me from having to make a muslin. My version is a little more Angela Lansbury that Paris in Spring, but I like it.

On the patio at Stirling Vinyards, with the Napa Valley behind me

I'm trying to train myself to wear dresses more often. I tend to think of dresses as appropriate for fancy functions, to be worn with stockings and high heels. Must be the influence of my jeans-and-workshirt youth. Really, dresses can be very comfortable to wear, and can look just fine with bare legs and flats. Heck, look at those farm women who fed the chickens and plowed the back 40 while wearing a dress. Plus, dresses are fun to sew and they make a change from my usual trousers and tee shirt. 

View from the side

This dress has a nice full skirt so it's easy to walk in. I kind of like it with a belt, but the waist is defined with some pleats at the side front and with shirring in the back so it feels wearable either with or without.

Pleats on the side in front to give me a waist

This was my first (and so far only) experience with shirring. It was pretty fun and easy to do, but my Babylock did not enjoy the elastic thread in the bobbin. My fellow workshop ladies recommended keeping an eye out for an older, mechanical machine that wouldn't be so picky about bobbin tension. They highly recommended I find myself a Featherweight, and, wouldn't you know, The Man hunted one down for me within the month.

Shirring in the back

I used a cotton fabric I got from one of my very favorite fabric stores that, sadly, is no more. It was called Findings and it was just off the main drag in Carmel. The woman who ran it (also named Nancy) was sweet as pie. She had a small but very nice collection of fabrics and a great selection of buttons, ribbons and lace. I have a couple of other lengths of fabric in stash that I got at her going out of business sale. I'll make them up with a bit of a tear in my eye.

Baby grapes, destined to be an expensive Cabernet some day.

My review is here on PatternReview.com

Fabric Prospecting in the Gold Country

The Man and I took a quick trip up to the Gold Country last weekend. The ostensible reason was to attend a Western show, but we managed to squeeze in a few sewing-related stops along the way. 

For those of you not from California, the Gold Country is a slice of the foothills on the west side of the Sierra Nevada range. Over the eons gold eroded from those granite peaks and ran down streams and rivers to deposit itself at the base of the mountains, where it was discovered at Sutter's Mill in 1848. In 1849 half the country moved west to strike it rich. Highway 49 runs right through the heart of the gold rush area, where all the little towns play up the the wild west history, serving it up with fabulous food and great wine.

Santa Cruz is on the North end of the bay on the lower left.

The area is really gorgeous, especially on a perfect spring day with temps in the 70s, fruit trees blossoming and daffodils busting out like crazy.

Creek in Amador. They took $3,500,000 in gold out of the hillside right behind me.

Enough history, now for the sewing! On our way up we paid a visit to our friends, the Meekers, who run Antiques of a Mechanical Nature. Carole gave me a tour of her workroom, where she takes in homeless and neglected Singer Featherweights. She gives them a good cleaning, adjusts their innards and generally gets them humming again. She had a bunch of exotic attachments she let me play with, including the mythical zig-zag foot.

This is where the magic happens!

I got to see a white Featherweight, along with it's carrying case. And she told me about the tan Featherweight, which is the rarest of the rare.

I told The Man this machine is like the Great White Whale of sewing machines

The incoming Featherweights standing in line for Carole's attention.

Carole very sweetly gifted me a copy of the Singer Sewing Book, copyright 1949. I can hardly wait to play with this! There's a great chapter on Binding and Edge Finishes, and another on Cording, Tubing and Self-Trimming that's making my finger's itch.

 Here's a bit of one of my favorite parts from the introduction:

"Prepare yourself mentally for sewing...Approach the job with enthusiasm. You must want to make something lovely, to have the fun of putting pieces of fabric together, to make a garment, to handle the fabric with appreciation, to watch the beauty of the article grow as a result of your planning and effort. Never approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaisically. Good results are difficult when indifference predominates. Never try to sew with the sink full of dishes or bed unmade. When there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so that your mind is free to enjoy your sewing."

Boy, howdy!

Nevada City got it's name before there was a Nevada State.

We spent the night in Nevada City, where I had a chance to visit one of my favorite fabric stores ever, Backstitch. Deanna, the proprietress, is a designer and seamstress herself.

She sells some of her designs in the shop and also on Etsy. Her clothes are primarily knits and are super cute. When she has fabric she doesn't think she'll use, she sells it in the back of the shop. I always jump on a nice knit when I find one, especially at these great prices, so I stocked up good and proper.

The back wall of knit goodness. And check out the cute dress on the right!

Deanna also sells other handmade items produced in Nevada County. Her shop is light and pretty and a lot of fun to poke around in.

Me and Deanna

 The Man waited patiently while I fondled all the fabrics and picked my favorites. I drove home with the pile of loveliness you see below. And I was only $67 out of pocket. Well, actually, The Man was $67 out of pocket - is he a peach or what?

My tower of knits

A Fair Wind with Fehr Trade

When I was considering taking the RTW Pledge the garments I thought would give me the most challenge were running gear. I've made the odd pair of shorts, but I had no idea how to make a running top that was actually functional. Just as I was wavering, Melissa released this pattern. Problem solved!

I did the Y back for my first version

I finished my first make of the Fehr Trade XYT Runnning Top last Sunday. The designer, Melissa Fehr, is a runner herself. The kind who runs marathons. The kind who makes a 10k look like child's play. I figured if there was anyone who could produce a pattern for a running top that would be comfortable, supportive, and wouldn't rub you the wrong way, she would be that gal. Sure enough, she is.

Front view

I hate buying running tops. They're rediculously expensive and I have a hard time finding something that I like. I prefer a bra that's all one stretchy piece - just pull it on over my head and go. What I see in the stores lately is much more structured. They have a bunch of underwires and buckles and winches that someone of my size just doesn't need. I figure the more doodads they include, the more likely I am to have chafing.

The XYT is just my preferred style. The cut is simple and the built-in bra is all stretch and no hardware. Melissa has you use two layers of power mesh, each layer rotated 90 degrees to equalize the squeeze.

The directions are super-clear. I discovered I need to work on my stretch-and-sew skills, but practice will make perfect and even my first creation is totally wearable. I don't have one of those fancy-dancy sergers, but I could do everything I needed for this pattern on a sewing machine with a zig-zag stitch.

Lime green picot elastic

Due to my math-challenged brain, I bought the wrong width of elastic for the neck and armholes. Note to self: 3/8 of an inch is less then 1/4 of an inch, not almost 1/2 inch. I did some stash-diving and found some 3/8 inch elastic in lime green with a little ruffle on the edge. Melissa's directions have you turn the elastic as you finish the edges to it's totally encased and there's no chance of rubbing. I decided I liked the hint of lime enough to try leaving it exposed. So far, no problem.

I took the top out for it's maiden voyage the morning after I finished it and it worked great! I have to wriggle around a bit to get into it, but once I'm there it's comfortable and I feel like I have plenty of support. I gather from cruising the interwebs that even ladies with more cargo than I can use this top for running with no issues.

I love the cute style of my top, but I think the next one I make I'll try a small pattern hack. I like to limit my sun exposure because of the whole skin cancer thing. I think I'll try just shortening the outer layer to make a running bra that I can wear under a long-sleeve top even on a warm day. That way I can run myself silly and not worry about what's happening with my melanin.

Here's my review on PatternReview.com