Tale of Two Dresses, Part 1

Nobody's Better Than the Best! (aka Ms BTTB)

Sometimes I think I fret too much – sweat the small stuff. The thought gained momentum recently when I was lucky enough to catch some quality sewing time with my youngest daughter.

An aside: In a past post, I referred to my youngest daughter as DD#3, which, strictly speaking she is, but she is much, much more than that, so I wanted blog-name that would better reflect her wonderfulness. This is a tad difficult, since I already picked the perfect name for her at birth. Then I remembered a handle she gave herself when she was young, said in one long, loud, fast breath, “I’m The Best and Nobody’s Better Than the Best!” (Can you picture her siblings’ reactions?) For brevity’s sake, I’m going to use the initials from the last part of that long-winded moniker, Better Than the Best, so I hereby christen her Ms BTTB. The Best would be a simpler nickname but if I wrote that, her siblings might develop strange notions about our family dynamics that would take years of intense therapy to undo.

A second aside: I am also a DD#3, and I was called The Boss. Hmmmmm.

Anyhoo, back on topic....

Ms BTTB had a fancy function to attend – a masked dance. My poor little Cinderella had a flat wallet. However, in her cupboard, she had a long length of black cotton-spandex knit material (aka t-shirt fabric). With only an idea in her head (no pattern) for a drapey dress, she chopped, chopped, chopped into that fabric and made basically two rectangles. Gathering it on one side about halfway down, she sewed it together, leaving the prerequisite spaces for head and arms and legs. Ms BTTB tried it on, decided it was butt ugly, and tossed the homely thing in the corner.

Time passed. Unfortunately, her wallet didn’t gain any weight. Necessity being the Mother of Invention, she picked it up, dusted it off, and tried it on again. Assessing the design, Ms Better Than The Best decided she liked the cowl neckline, but lumpy, dumpy middle ruined the silhouette. She pinched, she twisted, she created magic. When she was finished, Ms BTTB had an interesting asymmetrical, sleeveless, cowl-neck dress. The addition of a bit of bling on the side twist took the garment up that final notch. Voila! A gorgeous dress!



Button sewn on the edge of cowl

However, don’t focus too closely on the finishing detail. The seams... well, they stayed together. The hem... unfinished is au courant. The super-long facing in the back... turns out it helps smooth bra-band area nicely.

Button creating weight - imagine
it hidden inside

Button hooked on bridge of bra, creating
a stationary, non-risque neckline

One detail was sheer brilliance. On the bottom of the cowl, Ms BTTB sewed on a small clear button. It adds weight, so the cowl hangs nicely. Better still, the button can be tucked into the bridge of the bra, creating a sharp, low V that stays in place and doesn’t show anything. Nada.

Ready to party!

What I love best is the joie de vie that went into this creation. Sure, the dress spent some time balled up in the corner. But enthusiasm started the project, and enthusiasm finished the dress. With the goal firmly in mind, BTTB went at it, full steam ahead. She put her heart in it.

I wanna sew like that.
    
         - Lady T

Couture Trouser Class with Jon Moore

L-R: BAD, Jon Moore, and Lady T

Some days you hit it lucky. You’re in the right place at the right time. That was me last summer when the email from Kathryn Brenne’s Academy of Fine Sewing popped up on my computer announcing the Couture Trouser Class with Jon Moore. I jabbed the Reply button so eagerly, I almost dislocated my finger.

Good thing my reflexes were so fast; the class sold out immediately. Anyone who hesitated or was vegging on vacation ended up on the waiting list.

They missed a most excellent class.

As I discovered last year when I took his Couture Jacket Tailoring class, Jon is a fabulous teacher. Skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced – he’s also surprisingly modest. I didn’t realize why he was so skilled, knowledgeable and experience until after last year’s class when I googled him. Most people talk up their credentials, but not Jon, not even on his own website. He didn’t just work for The Royal Couturier Hardy Amies, he was a Royal Couturier. (Just imagine, he’s custom fit me and the Queen! Now that’s a not-to-be-expected-in-this-life combination.)

My trouser draft

As a student, I especially appreciated his inexhaustible patience and his ability to explain why one (time-consuming) technique was used instead of another (simpler). By the way, the answer always centred around control of the fabric, which reigns supreme in couture sewing.

For the first step, I drafted a pattern using my personal measurements. The crotch curve was the trickiest line to get right. Jon corrected the line on my draft, then further refined it on my muslin. The end result was something that looked like it had truly been designed for me. (Not too surprising, since it had, but it still came as a shock that my pants fit so well.)

My dainty behind highlighted in muslin

Once my pattern had been adjusted, I cut out the pieces from the softest, lightest, drapiest wool flannel ever. No lining for the legs, though. Jon feels that lining interferes with the fabric’s ability to stretch and drape. Plus it’s very difficult to press lined trousers. If a lining is needed, he prefers the wearer to don a trouser “slip”.

Immediately after the trouser pieces had been cut out, I finished the raw edges with a simple zigzag stitch, with the zig on the fabric and the zag falling off the edge. Alternate methods: hand overcasting (traditional couture seam-finishing technique that barely changes the hand of the fabric), or serging (standard RTW and/or home sewing technique that can be stiff and bulky). As I always race the clock during classes (and usually lose), I was happy to use the quick, but still unobtrusive, zigzag option.

Lined fly and yet-to-be-lined contour waistband

The zipper fly was constructed with two separate facing pieces plus a lining. The lining wrapped around the fly facing creating a mock piping edge. It was a time-consuming construction process but unbelievably elegant.

By far, the lined contour waistband took the longest to construct, involving oodles of basting, stab-stitching, crossing-stitching and fell-stitching. The entire waistband was interfaced with canvas, giving the rest of the pants a firm foundation from which to hang. Again, it’s a time-consuming technique but oh so elegant!

SAW from Ohio

KH from British Columbia

Lady T's squishy tushy (Hey! How did those drag lines get there?)

All in all, it was a fab week. I ended up with a great fitting pattern, a fuller understanding of couture sewing, and the inspiration/synergy that comes from spending a week with a dozen highly creative people. 

    - Lady T

Tale of 3 Shirts

Plaid (left) for Tall Boy. Navy linen (centre)
and striped chambray (right) for Stud Muffin.

Two handsome men, three new shirts. The numbers don’t come out even, do they? In this case, my sweetie, Stud Muffin, came out the double winner, and my son, Tall Boy, got just one. I made these shirts in preparation for my One Shirt, Two Ways class a couple of weeks ago auditioning techniques to decide which ones I would include.

Perfecting my shirtmaking abilities has been an on-going project for the past few years. It began one fall when I sewed four shirts in a row and wasn’t happy with a single one. That was when I had the lightning bolt revelation:  there had to be another way of doing things. Notice I didn’t say better. As far as I know, there isn’t one BEST way of doing anything.

Continuous placket - not my fav.
The top "roof" isn't easy to make.

David Page Coffin Placket - I like!
Smooth and easy to sew

Fortunately, I like research. Armed with a shoulder-wrenching load of books and enough videos* to turn my eyeballs red, I dug for new ideas. David Page Coffin, Sandra Betzina, Mike Maldonado, Margaret Islander, Rusty Bobbin, Nancy Zieman, Ron Collins, Pam Erny, and Louise Cutting became my new best friends.

* My darling children called these sewing videos my sewing porn. Charming.

Love the fun with the stripes!

I learned. I experimented. Just when I thought I was done, more shirtmaking resources popped up (got to love the internet).  Yet another variation on a theme. I was amazed – who knew there could be so many ways to sew such a basic garment?

Buttonholes made with vintage Singer Buttnhole
attachment. Simple, perfect buttonholes
every time!

What techniques do I like? Margaret Islander made me rethink seam allowances. I love the 1-piece collar (Zieman, Collins, and Cutting). For front plackets, Nancy Zieman offers several great options. Pam Erny’s blog shows how to reshapecollars for a better fit. Rusty Bobbin has the best shirt deconstruction tutorial I’ve ever seen. David Page Coffin’s book is an all-round great resource and demystifies sleeve plackets.

Do you have any favourite shirtmaking techniques?

                - Lady T

Teacher's Pets

To really learn a subject, you should teach it.

Isn’t that how the saying goes? I agree wholeheartedly! I learn more every time I teach. Somehow the sharing of information generates more knowledge. It’s magical.

I’ve taught a few sewing classes recently, and I thought I’d share the fun with you.

The lovely NM who helped me cut out 8 kits

A couple of Saturdays ago, I taught One Shirt, Two Ways to eight of my fellow Sewing Guild members. The idea was to construct a sample shirt, with each side sewn with different techniques – two different sleeve plackets, two different collars, two different ways to make pockets, etc. A rather ambitious goal for a 6-hr class, and as it turns out too ambitious, as we didn’t finish to my everlasting dismay. (Note to self: two-day class next time.)

JP likes sewing it this way!

MB assessing this method

Fun for me, as teacher, was listening to the comments the students made as they tried each method. Some adored the new technique and laughed with glee, while other abhorred it and thought I was some kind of sewing sadist for teaching it. Same technique, two opposite reactions. Just proves the point that finding a technique that gives you the results you want without driving you crazy is the key to happy sewing.

SC inserting her green zipper into 8-gore skirt

Occasionally I teach private lessons. These classes are student lead and follow their agenda. This really keeps me on my toes, and I often have to rethink how I do something. Take zippers – they no longer match the dominant colour of the fabric and hide discretely inside a garment.

Recently, SC and I tackled pattern drafting. She’s a woman with distinct ideas of how things should look, and what better way to make that happen than by making your own pattern! For our first project, we made an 8-gore skirt using this draft from The Weekend Designer. Hers rides low on her abdomen, mine hits the waist. Guess which one of us has the mid-thigh length, and which one’s goes down to the knee? Here she is, hard at work. (We swap and she becomes teacher for piano lessons.)

Little T's first sewing lesson

Let's end today's blog entry with one of my favourite students, Little T, having his first lesson. Last year, when he was fussing as only a newborn can, Little T and I would wander over to this splendid piece of machinery (Husqvarna/Viking 6440) and discuss its finer points. He was riveted and it never failed to change the mood. I promised him when he was a little bigger, I would show him all its wonders, and here we are! As you can see, he loved the up-and-down motion of the thread uptake level. I think it'll take a few more lessons before he can be an independent sewist, don't you?

     - Lady T

Sewing Rebel

Construction guideline sheets in pattern envelopes are a mixed blessing. On one hand, they outline the steps needed to complete the garment. On the other, their techniques and sequence of construction are often awkward and give less than lovely results.

For the majority of my sewing life, I followed construction guidelines scrupulously. Even if I knew an alternative method, I would use the stated one. That’s what the pattern company recommended, and they should know, right? After all, they were the experts. If the finished results were not great, I blamed myself, my sewing ability, my fabric choice, the way I held my scissors, the rush I was in. It was always my fault, something I did.

One day, something snapped. I lost my blind faith in sewing patterns and their instructions. I no longer believed that the thick black lines on the pattern pieces were in the perfect spot, or the fine black print on the pattern instructions showed you the best method.

I decided to think for myself.

I became a sewing rebel.

Suddenly I was altering pattern pieces as well as the construction order. Sometimes I went even further, and threw away parts of both. I did what I wanted, what I thought was best. If I didn’t know how to do something, I researched it. There is a world of information out there – books, magazines, videos, blogs, classes. I experimented. I tried new ways to do things. If I was going to make mistakes, then I wanted them to be my mistakes.

My sewing world was transformed. I became more involved. More enthusiastic. I had fun.

I became the boss of my own sewing.

What about you, dear reader? Do you follow pattern guidelines? Do you cut your pieces along the thick black lines?

Or are you a rebel sewist?

         - Lady T

Intimate Apparel - A Play about Sewing, Underwear, and Love in 1905

Program cover for Intimate Apparel

Forget the famous Jerry Maguire love-at-first-sight quote, “You had me at hello.” The play, Intimate Apparel, did one better. I was hooked before the action even started, while the stage was still dark, by a single sound - an old-fashioned sewing machine. The distinctive clicky-clack made my heart go pittypat.

To my ear, it sounded exactly like a treadle machine in need of a good oiling. However on-stage, they used a beautiful old hand-crank. This lovely antique was more than a prop – Esther’s livelihood and the play’s plot centred around her prowess with the machine.

For anyone involved in the fabric arts, the play was sheer (or worsted or jacquard) delight. One of Esther’s love interests was a fabric merchant. The way the two discussed fabric made my fingertips tingle.  Only being trapped upstairs in the balcony prevented me from rushing on-stage to feel the materials for myself.

But my fascination wasn’t limited to the sewing machine and fabrics. Like me, Esther made her living sewing intimate apparel. She specialized in corsets, while I made mostly bras with the occasional bridal corset for fun. Esther’s corsets caught my eye. I must confess, I never sewed beaded fringe on any of mine.

As a corset maker, I’ve had my ethics challenged several times. Usually questions about feminism and subjugation and archaic torture. A paragraph in Intimate Apparel’s program’s wardrobe notes made me smile. It said:

Historically, women have been moulded into many shapes that are quite different from the natural shape of the body. Today it is women’s feet that are reshaped and constricted by stiletto heels and pointed toes....

For most people, the play focuses on the race and class issues of 1905. For me, it was the story of a woman’s life as told through fabric and thread.

Mishmash

Two of my uber-fans complained to me yesterday about my lack of recent posts. One I could’ve ignored, but two. Two seemed like a message from the Universe to get to work.

The problem is the work. What I’ve been working on lately is hardly noteworthy. In fact, some of it is downright embarrassingly ugly.

First up: jeans. I think I’ve got a pattern that works! It covers most of the flabby bits and shows a wee bit of shape (the wee bit I still have), so I am happy. I have to hem them and attach the waistband button, then they will be good to go. Photo coming.

Second up: doll clothes. You’d think this would be a fast and easy project. Hahaha! It’s painfully slow and rather difficult. Seam allowances must be teeny tiny to look in proportion. Finishing the raw edges is a nightmare!

Jenny, Mandy, Jenny and Mandy keeping me company
in my sewing room.

I’m making clothes for vintage Fisher Price My Friend dolls. My Friend dolls are similar to American Girl dolls, except 30 yrs older and 2” shorter.  Mandy (followed by her friends Becky, Jenny, Nicky, and Mikey) came out in the late 1970’s, just before the Cabbage Patch Kid doll crazy hit. The Cabbage Patch Kids dolls totally eclipsed the My Friend dolls and my poor beauties were discontinued soon afterwards. To me, this was a pity because My Friend dolls were the nicest dolls I’ve ever seen. They had sweet little girl faces (verses teenage tramp or alien morphed), could stand and sit on their own, and were machine washable, with stylable hair. Fisher Price even included sewing patterns with the dolls to expand their wardrobes. (Please note: I’ve never seen an American Girl doll in person, and they may be equally as lovely. But it’s hard for a Canadian to get excited about something called an American Girl doll.)

Anyhow, figuring out the world of doll clothes has been an unexpected challenge. I found a vintage McCall’s pattern for My Friends clothes on Esty, and snapped it up. But guess what? The shirt/blouse doesn’t have enough overlap for a fastener. So even doll clothes patterns have to be adjusted and fitted. Bum-mer!

Last up: shirts. I’m teaching a shirt-making class at the end of the month. It’s called One Shirt, Two Ways. Each half of the sampler shirt will be constructed using different techniques. In other words, I’m teaching two ways to do a collar, two ways to do a collar band, two ways to do cuffs.... You get the idea. To prepare, I’m sewing a shirt for my Stud Muffin, but it’s been slow going because I have to stop and write the notes and do research. There are far more than two ways to do each section, so I’m auditioning the possibilities. Picture shortly.

That’s it for now. Thanks, DD3, for the suggestion to do a mash post!

               -  Lady T