Chickens or Eggs?

So I was picking up a couple more sale patterns today (I know, I am bad!  But also, I passed big scary exam, so I will conveniently ignore this problem for today, so, lalala can't hear you), when I found some nice remnant fabric that just needs to be made into a coat.  Sadly, there is barely a yard and a half, so some perfect pattern picking or strategic fabric usage must be put into play.  While I was adding my new patterns to my virtual catalog (see my previous post), I got to pondering which pattern I should use with my new fabric.  I love having the virtual catalog, because I can scroll through patterns and think about what might suit the fabric, and, actually, I found a pattern (from one of the Burda Style magazines) that would be perfect for my new fabric.  It was a style I wasn't originally planning on making, but now I am rather enamored with the idea.

Originally I didn't care for this pattern, but now I really want to make one!

This, of course, led me to ponder: do I usually choose fabrics first, or patterns?  When I started sewing, I used the same Kwik Sew for all of my skating costumes.  I already had a large stash of stretch material, but most of my plans are original designs, and I modify the Kwik Sew pattern as needed for each costume.  With the skating costumes, the fabric nearly always comes first.  I usually see something in the store and get a flash of an idea of what it should become.  I buy it and think about it, and sketch it out for a time, before I actually make it up.  Or the fabric is simply too fabulous to leave, and I buy it and use it when I think of a design and go stash busting.  Since it is a skating costume, I usually know how much I need to get (1 yard for a practice dress or a dance dress, 3 yards for a figure dress, since I like sleeves and I have super long arms) so I usually don't have a problem of running out of fabric.

When I started sewing non-skating things, I always got a pattern first, then bought fabric and notions, and whatever else.  But, as does happen, my stash grew faster than I could sew things up, so now I do have quite a bit of fabric waiting to get made.  Some of this fabric has a definite plan - I know exactly what pattern I want to use, and how I want it to look, and have even thought about design changes.  Some of it there is a vague plan - I know I want pants, but there are 2-3 patterns I am trying to choose between.  And some of it.... I have no idea.  It was either purchased and ended up not working, or I bought too much and have enough to make something else, or it was a great deal I simply couldn't pass up ($4/yard silk anyone?).

Then there is the other side of it.  I have been stocking up on patterns.  And again, there are some that I purchased with a specific fabric in mind (some of today's shirt patterns were purchased with specific fabrics in mind), but some are just patterns I would like to have as an option but don't have specific plans for as of yet, and some I don't know if I would ever have need to make, but I want the option if the opportunity rolls around.

M6035.  One of my new patterns!  I want to make the blue and red styles...

So I guess, for me, it just depends.  Sometimes I have a pattern I love, but I have to look for the right fabric.  Sometimes I love the fabric and need to find a pattern.  With the coat I am working on for the wedding, I had a style and a color in mind, and I had to look for both the fabric and the pattern to make what I wanted.  So I guess I don't really have a set process.  It just depends on what I have, what I want, and when I can find things to get from one to the other.  I know some people have much (much much) larger stashes than I do, and they simply shop in their closet when they want to make something (I am not there yet; I don't usually stock buttons, zippers, interfacing or the like.  Probably after pattern satiation that will be the next area of concern.  I have recently started using Gutterman thread; the machine seems to like it better than Coats&Clark, so stocking up on color options might be fun in the future...).  I also know some people pick a pattern, then simply waltz over to their fabulous collection of fabric stores and pick up exactly what they need.  While that might be a more fun way to live (clutter free and always an excuse to go fabric shopping), I just don't think it is practical for many of us who don't live very close to great fabric stores.  Now, I know I have it a lot better than many people (since I do have non-JoAnn's options in the area, although no more Hancock's), but so often the fabric I love is gone the next time I go to the store.  I have so many fabrics that I am so excited to sew up eventually (especially for the skating... I have not found a lot of great fabric lately, which is why having the stash is amazing) that dealing with the storage is totally worth it.

So I guess I wonder... How do most of you sewists out there plan your projects?  Does the fabric speak to you?  Or do you have to hunt it down to service you fabulous pattern?  Do you start with chickens or eggs?

(BTW, yes, yes, I know.  The egg came first.  The chicken was just a freaky mutation.  But then, so are frankenpatterns.  So, you know, the analogy fits.  Kinda.  Just go with it.)

Mother's Day Apron

Apologies for the long time away.  Now that really big scary day-job related test event is over, more time will be had for posting about fun stuff.

Last weekend, as I am sure many are aware, was Mother's Day.  Which of course meant making something fast, because usually there is more time between Easter and Mother's Day.  Ah, well.  In any case, since I like it when my mom bakes me cookies, I decided to make her an apron to assist with this endeavor.

No pattern was used (I didn't even really make my own, I just measured and cut into the fabric).  It was a cotton print from the JoAnn red tag (half off) sale.

Fabric!  I love the turtles.

There was less than a yard on the bold, so really I was dealing with remnants.  Not that I should be bragging about being cheap on the Mom day, but the entire project probably cost less than $2.  I tried to upgrade the swankiness by using a twin needle.

Top-stitching yumminess.

Apron!

The print is fun and bright - fish, shells, and sea turtles in bright neon colors on a black background.  I used bright green top stitching to go with the bright colors.  I wanted to add pockets, but didn't have enough fabric.  My mom is a bit broader but shorter waisted than I am, so it looks a little large on the dress form, but actually fits her rather well.

Apron strings.

I wanted to make the apron strings really long, so that they would be easy to take on and off, but I also made the apron strings 4 layers thick (double folded fabric twice) so they would easily stay tied without being so thin as to get knotted.

Sadly, no cookies have yet been made, but hopefully there will be some forthcoming.

Also, now that crazy exam has ended, more sewing, pattern reviews, and skating posts will be on the way.  I am in the middle of a lot of books, so book reviews won't be popping up for quite a while...

Also: today through Sunday Jo-Ann's will be having $3.99 Vogue, $1.99 McCall's and 50% rotary cutting supplies.  Time to stock up on some blades.

Pattern Organization

As I mentioned in my previous post, I did some major stashbustin' when I was scrambling for a replacement for the flop that was Simplicity 4014.  It was about that time that I realized I need to have a better organization method for my patterns.  I know this has been a hot topic on quite a few blogs lately.  And I am aware of the sewing apps Pattern Pal and Fabric Stash for the iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad.  But, as I have none of these devices (or even anything resembling them), I really can't be relying on them for my organization methods.  However, I do like being able to look through patterns on my computer - I can think about sewing stuff while I am eating dinner and make plans without worrying about food getting near the fabric or I can plan things when I am not near my stash.  Granted my method is not perfect - I can't look up yardage requirements on my computer, and it doesn't help when I go to the store.  But so far I am liking the arrangement, and I think it will work quite well for the time being.

So anyway, I decided to create a "Pattern Catalog" folder on my computer.  Inside I made a folder for each category of patterns I have: Coats & Jackets, Costumes, Dresses, Pants, Skating Patterns, Skirts, Sleep & Other, Tops, and Toys & Crafts.

The sewing stuff on my computer... Pattern Catalog is subdivided by pattern type.

Then, when I want to make something (like a coat) I open that folder and switch the view to Cover Flow mode.  You can see on the top left of the pictures how I selected a different view in the Finder.

I do like this recent Burda Style jacket from the May 2011 issue!

I like organizing my pattern by type on my computer, because when I want to make something I can look at all the options regardless of brand.  Each image is a screen shot, a picture saved from the pattern website, or a scan of the patten envelop.  I don't have the yardage requirements saved to the computer because I feel like they are too small to read and would take too long to organize.  Anyway, I can usually narrow my options down to 2-4 choices, then pull out the actual patterns to look at requirements for fabric and such.

McCall's shirt I want to make!  You can see a Kwik Sew to the far left and a Simplicity to the far right.

So once I figure out what patterns I want to use, I can go to the stash.  I now have the patterns organized in my pattern bin by brand, then by pattern number (I have only one bin so far but I probably need another).  Storing them this way (like in the fabric stores) makes it easy to find the one I have looked up on my computer since I save the picture file using a code letter and the pattern number.  (My code letters: B=Butterick, BD=Burda, BS=Burda Style Magazine, DL-BS=Downloaded from BurdaStyle website, K=Kwik Sew, M=McCall's, NL=New Look, S=Simplicity, V=Vogue.  Eventually I would like to get some Jalie patterns as well, but haven't ordered any yet.  They have lots of skating patterns and some nice tops and those jeans!).  The only exception to my filing system - I store costume, doll, and craft patterns separately.  Since many of these patterns are for full length gowns they take up a lot of storage space.  But even these I organize by company and number, so my system is consistent, except for separating regular patterns and costume patterns.  The other exception is skating patterns.  Since I have so many self drafted skirts and I use them so often, these patterns are stored separately because it would be a hassle to keep pulling them out and putting them away.

In terms of storage, as of yet I don't do anything special for patterns which have been used, although the Burda Style magazine patterns that get traced do go in a manilla envelope stored next to the magazine.  I may have to change this system in the future (as I use more patterns) but so far this hasn't been a problem.  On the computer, however, I denote used patterns by right clicking (or ctrl-click for the mouse-less Mac users out there) and choosing a label color.  I use red for TNT (bright, easy to find), orange for not quite TNT (yet) patterns, yellow for perfected fit/alterations but will not be a TNT, green for good but not yet perfected fit, blue to indicate that somewhat extensive pattern adjustments are needed (usually because I made it a while ago before I knew about swayback and FBA alterations), purple to indicate I only made it for someone else so far, and grey is for sad patterns that won't be used again (like my latest flop - Simplicity 4014).

The Kwik Sew 2601 is red because it is a TNT pattern.

S4014 is grey because it is a sad pattern.  NL6966 is blue because I like it but it will need some more adjustments.

Eventually I would like to get some sort of plastic drawer system that might be easier to look through the pattern numbers (especially some of those Vogue pattens that put the number on the bottom of the envelope....) and maybe move my costumes, dolls, crafts, and self-drafted patterns to the bin.  Although I don't think my pattern stash will be growing by large amounts in the near future (I seem to have acquired a lot of my wish lists through recent sales) thinking ahead about storage is probably a good idea.

In the mean time, I should probably figure out a better way to store and categorize my fabrics.  Right now I have a bin for new skating fabric (will be used for competition and nice practice dresses in the future), a bin for leftover skating fabric (that could be used as accent fabric, straps, etc.), a bin of knit non-skating fabric (so many shirts I want to make up for summer!), and a bin of wovens, which is actually mostly leftovers from costume projects and recent stash accumulations.  I also have the Big Bag O'Scraps, which I actually will be using for a project (a costume) when the time presents itself.  I most definitely have a plan.  But, I think, I maybe don't have enough scraps yet.

Pattern Review: Simplicity 4014

Alright, as we all know I did some major stash accumulation a few weeks ago.  And I have a long list of things I need to get working on located on the left side of the blog.  Top of the list: make a dress for the wedding I am going to in June.  So I did that... sort of.

I had a great vision for what I wanted the dress to look like: the shape, style, and colors.  And I sort of accomplished that, but, well, the pattern let me down.  The offending pattern: Simplicity 4014.

Simplicity 4014

See, you can make a pattern fit, but that doesn't mean it looks great on you.  In all honesty, it is probably the best fitting dress I have ever worn (which is actually sort of sad) but it just doesn't look that good.  The seams are smooth, the zipper is invisible, and we don't have any major gaping issues.  So, what is not to love?  Well, let me show you:

So over this dress I didn't even clean the floor for the pictures....

Now, on the dress form it sort of looks ok-ish.  But on a person... it makes me look 40 miles wide.  And five years older than I am.  Which is not exactly the look I was going for.  I tried adding a belt, adding jewelry, adding shoes.  As we all learned from Nina Garcia on Project Runway - styling is important and it can send you home.  But alas.  Nothing helped.  So, what went wrong?  I pondered over blaming the print.  We all know I can't wear prints (aparently not even subtle ones... sigh).  I have tried.  Just doesn't work.  But, well, the print is really really subtle here.  Like, not even noticeable from a distance.  So, somehow I don't think it is the fabric.  And the color is a little deeper than it looks in the picture - more of a deep blue-teal and less of a bright neon blue.  And the color splotches are definitely less noticeable in person.  So no, I think this fabric could have worked in a different dress or as a shirt or somehow in some other capacity.  Alas.  I am not crying over this one, but, well, tis a little sad.

Even subtle patterns do not work for me....

These colors aren't quite so bright in real life.

I can't blame the fit - it actually fits pretty well.  It fits much smoother on me than on the dressform (those side and back wrinkles are NOT there on a real person...), and other than the non-smoothness around the bust it is actually is made pretty well too.  So it doesn't actually look too poorly constructed, and I like the shape of the skirt.  And yet, it still doesn't look good on me.

Look at that zipper!  And the sway back adjustments!

So, in the end, I have to blame the pattern.  Really, my problem is that the princess seams don't actually hit anywhere near the bust apex, but rather far to the side of it.  This is why they add bust darts to the center front of the pattern.  The positions of the seams make me look super wide from the front and the bust darts don't really help since they are on the front piece and not the sides.  And, since the bust seams are sort of wide, the entire seam is sort of wide, which makes my waist look super wide.  Which, I will be blunt, it really is not.  I am always (even on this pattern!) taking inches in around the waist, so I don't think the result should be for me to look like I have a wide waist.  It's no wonder the picture on the envelope has the jacket over the dress - I think this dress needs a jacket to cover the top and waist.  And, granted, I am going to make a coat for the wedding, but since it will be outside I don't think I will be wearing it the whole time.  So I need a cute coat and a cute dress.  *Sigh*  I mean, I have seen this pattern on Pattern Review and it did look good on many people of different sizes, but it doesn't look good on me.

On the one hand I am pretty pleased with my construction here:

From the side - my waist is not big!  But it looks that way from the front...

I do like the fit on the back.  And LOVING my new invisible zipper foot.

I also used my narrow hem foot!

I added lace to the lining for some extra detail.  It doesn't help my opinion of the dress.

Extreme close up of my rolled/picot hem.

So, yes, Simplicity 4014, it is official - I am going to a wedding and you aren't invited.  My mother usually doesn't care about such things but she was quite relieved when I told her I wasn't going to wear it.  That alone would have prevented it from going.

So what to do?  Some serious stash bustin'!  My recent bout of pattern accumulation allowed me to have some decent choices for both woven and knit fabrics, so I didn't have to limit myself based on fabric choice.  This of course led to about 2 hours of wading through the stash playing with fabrics and ideas.  I have pointed out that this wedding will be held outside in June, and most of my fabric stash consists of material for skating costumes, t-shirt knits, and black stretch lace.  Also, I have some material for making jackets and pants.  A little bit of leftovers from some costumes, but really not too many options for a fun summer party dress.  Everything is either too formal or too casual.  I like a woven for a knit pattern or vice versa.  The patterns are too fancy or too simple.  Luckily, just before I abandoned all hope I remembered something stored way down at the bottom of the heap, and yes, indeed, we had a winner.  Then all I had to do was decide on the perfect dress pattern and it was off to the fabric store for a zipper and a few other odds and ends.

This seems to be the year of "making it work."  Neither of my skating costumes turned out as planned.  And I had been planning my dress since late last year when I was first invited, but in the end it will look nothing at all like I had first envisioned.  I am using fabric which I had originally bought for a different purpose, and a pattern that I had originally dismissed as being "boring."  I will inform you that indeed, my new dress is nearly completed, is now officially the best fitting dress I have ever worn, and looking significantly better than the Simplicity dress in all regards.  It is the perfect mix of formal and casual; young and sophisticated.  It is a nice bright springy color, without going into crazy neon territory.  It is, dare I say, trendy.  I have never really worn anything trendy before.  And yet it is simple enough that I could also classify it as stylish.  It is, in a word, perfect for this event.  So now that I've got you all excited, I have to disappoint you - you won't get to see it until after the big event.  I have to have some element of surprise!  However, as a hint, I will say I hopped on the lace trend and the pattern company name starts with a B.  Yes, I know, I am such a tease.  Now I just have to make a smashing coat to go with it (especially after the royal wedding - if I am going sans hat I must have a coat!) and then we should be good to go.

As a side note - I don't know how some of you churn things out in "a couple of hours."  It takes me at least 2-3 hours just to make all of my necessary pattern adjustments, let alone tracing and cutting the pattern to start with, and cutting the fabric?  Granted, I only get to sew about 3 days a week, but still.  I can totally appreciate the TNT pattern love; sadly I havn't really found any TNTs for myself yet (other than the skating pattern).  Indeed, I am still on the hunt, but my new dress may be heading into that territory.  I really don't need another dress, but I am sort of dying to make the new one again out of some stretch taffeta I saw at a fabric store a while ago.  I really may have to go back and get some.

Anyway, bringing us all back to reality, here is the full pattern review for that other dress:


Pattern Description: Lined dress and unlined jacket pattern.

Pattern Sizing: Sizes (10-18) and (20W-28W).  I made a size 12 (with FBA) on top and size 16 on bottom.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? I made the dress in style B.  I changed the neckline, but other than that it did look like the envelope picture.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, they were very simple.  There was even good information about how to finish darts, etc. that would be good information for a beginner.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? Likes: I like the back and the skirt.  The back makes my shoulders look wide to balance out my hips.  Dislikes: I HATE the way this fits in the front.  I do not like how it fits near the bust, the position of the bust darts, or where the seams hit me around the waist.

Fabric Used: Polyester chiffon over peachskin.  Used some sort of polyester lining as well.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I changed the shape of the neckline slightly - I made more of a diamond point and less rounded. Pattern adjustments:
- add +1" to lengthen line
-raise arm hole by 3/8"
-cut 1/4" of of back of armhole (since I did not have sleeves)
-3/4" FBA (full bust adjustment)
-1/2" swayback adjustment (I probably should have done 1" but overall it worked out ok...)
-raise neckline by 1.5" (it is VERY low to start with)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I will not be sewing this dress again.  I don't think I would recommend the dress pattern for someone with my body shape.  I do think it could look good on other body types (very slim all over), but I think it would look best with a short jacket over it, as pictured on the envelope.  I have not made the jackets from this pattern, so I cannot speak on how those fit.

Conclusion: I don't really like this pattern for my body type.  I like it from the waist down, but not at all on the front from the waist up.  I have seen it look good on others on Pattern Review, but it just didn't work for me.  I think I may find a different pattern that fits better in the bodice and use this pattern for the skirt at some point in the future.  I don't think I will touch it for a long while though - too many other patterns to test and try.

2011 Ice Worlds: Recap

Alright, so while there are most decidedly more important things going on in regards to the state of the US right now, let us all take the time to appreciate the fact that the United States now has World Ice Dance Champions.  Not only that, but the US also had the third place team as well.  And the podium was a North American sweep.  What's more, all of the North American teams were in the top 10.  Not only that, but this all went down in Moscow.  Which, I am sure, long time figure skating fans are either chalking up as Karma being the bitch that she is, or as a sign of the Apocalypse.  I am still on the fence.  In either case, it was quite an end to the longest season ever.  I and my fantasy team picks are quite happy for the Shiblings.  And while I do like Virtue and Moir as a team, I maintain that there was no way they should have been first after the short dance (their Golden Waltz was not good and I think that is a bigger sin than a bobble on the twizzles by Davis and White).  I suppose all is well that ends well; I do think I actually mostly agree on the overall results of the dance event for possibly the first time ever.  Shocking.  I am excited to see the new routines from Team Canton next year.  I ponder how they will deal with the mess of a short dance that will be the Rhumba.  It should also be interesting to see if Samuelson and Bates can get back into top form; US nationals in ice dance should be quite the event next season.

The ladies event was sad.  No one had a clean event.  As was noted by Tyra Banks in a recent Top Model, consistency is even more important the simply being the best (Note: I don't actually watch that show, but not much else was on and I needed noise while I was stoning a dress).  That seems an accurate assessment of the ladies at worlds.  Miki Ando is not the best skater in the world, but possibly the most consistent.  Even she had a bobble, but nothing like singling two jumps.  Yu-Na did not skate well.  It is sad, because her training videos looked so nice, but she had too many mistakes, and her overall form and lines do not look improved.  Her spin positions were not as good as they were last year, and overall she looked uncomfortable.  She was crying on the podium.  After the split with Orser, the season in seclusion, and the poor showing at worlds, one wonders what she will do about next season and her coaching situation.  Commentator Tara seems to think she has to come back to regain her world title, but I wonder if she will continue to have the drive and desire to come back and work hard all season.  Not skating at Four Continents was a mistake, and possibly cost her the world title.  Also of interest will be to see how Mao does next season.  She is clearly committed to working through 2014, but after a rocky season it will be interesting to see how her confidence and jumps are doing next year.  I am both very sad and very happy for Alissa Czisny.  On the one hand, a fall and just missing the podium is really sad.  On the other hand, once past the first jump she looked and skated like a world champion.  We most decidedly saw Alissa 2.0, and I hoping next year we get to see Alissa 2.1.  I used to be not a fan, but Yuka Sato and Jason Dungen have done wonders for her and showcase her to the best of her abilities.  They deserve a major raise.  Now just to work the wonders for Jeremy Abbott and we are in business.  Rachel Flatt did not skate well.  If she knew last Friday that she had a fracture in her tibia, she should have withdrawn and we should have send Mirai.  With Mirai and Alyssa at worlds we would have had a serious chance at three ladies spots next year.  Once again, next year we will be down to two, and with chemical engineering keeping Rachel off the ice at least some of the time, she stands a much better chance of withstanding injury and returning to her state of boring consistency.  Let us all hope that Mirai is out for blood and Alissa 2.1 skates next year.  Next year the US ladies need to seriously make their move if we have any hope of sending three skaters to Sochi.  Also, having a Lutz-less routine will not make you world champion, but apparently it makes you a shoe in for the bronze; at least if you are European in post-Olympic times.

The pairs event was actually fairly entertaining.  I enjoyed the Pink Panther.  The side-by-side spins matched.  This further corroborates the Apocalypse theory.  Hmmmm.  In any case, I am also glad the season is over and they can move on to something else.  I would love to see something classy from the Germans; their recent routines have been a lot of energy and show, but it would be nice to see a bit of a change.  Sadly, Pang and Tong did not win, and the other Chinese teams were not near contention with the Russians, so they will not be allowed to retire.  I mean, I am glad to see them continue to skate, but I think they were ready to be finished and move on with life.  In other news; wow the Russians have pairs teams again.  If only they were all training with Tamara Moskvina.  I would love for her to create one more truly spectacular pair for Sochi.  Also, the US team skated respectably.  They need to go through some serious butt whipping, because they have the talent to be competitive if they can master harder content.  It will be interesting to see if Caydee Denney can get a new partner, and to see how quickly Brubaker and Marley mature and how Evora and Ladwig will hold up against all of these newer teams.

Haven't seen all of the men yet (I know, I know, slacker....) so no comments there yet, except that we should have sent Jeremy Abbott.  We may still have lost our third man's spot, but our showing wouldn't have been quite so sad.

In any case, what with the talk of having skaters compete at three grand prix events and other things afoot for the new season, next year should be interesting.  Somehow, I get the feeling that three grand prix events will be too much and will drain the skater's energy too early in the season.  Should also be interesting to see how things go this summer with coaching changes (probably nothing so dramatic as the Yu-Na/Orser split of '10), retirements (far less likely this summer), and injuries (will Carolina finally take care of her knee?  Is Tessa really all better?  Has Evan Bates fully recovered?).  In any case, while this is all winding down, the roller skating season will be picking up, so the focus of skating posts will most decidedly shift in the coming months.

Hip Hip, Chin Chin

We finally got to see Virtue & Moir's free dance!  As you may recall, they only got about 30 seconds in at Four Continents.

But, they came back to worlds with new costumes and made it through.  Tessa looked like she was actually in better shape at Four Continents, but I do think the extra month of training did probably work in their favor.  Sadly, it lost steam a little way through but I think if they had had the training time without the injuries it could have been great.

Also, they used the same music that the 2010 world roller skating dance champions used in their OD.

So, who danced it better?  Thoughts on costumes?  The hair?  The makeup?  The music?  Discuss!

Skating News: 2011 Regional/National Draw Posted!

Alrighty everyone, it's May 1!  That, of course, means the figure and dance draw for the 2011 Regionals and Nationals have been posted.  Read 'um and weep!