Wednesday, February 27, 2013

fo: red the color of desire


Though I have to admit, sometimes I pair this sweater with Blue, the color of little falls of rain, or White, the color of singing soliloquies about stars.

I really do like how this sweater turned out, even if it took forever and a half to get it done. And then pictures...I was going to reshoot these. Make myself look more like Eponine, who I love. Because seriously, the chair pictures in front of our one window? Not exactly cutting the mustard...But it's all I have.

What's that interesting thing on the floor?

I have some clothes that go out of wash, onto body. They're the things that always seem to be in the wash if I want to wear them, unless I just did the laundry. (Ah, the life of a lazy college freshman). This is one of them. I love this sweater...mostly. I made the sleeves a tad too short and the sleeve caps a tad too shallow, which makes it a little awkward to wear if I don't semi-block it well after the trip through the old washing machine.

Pattern: February Fitted Pullover by Amy Herzog

Yarn: Hobby Lobby Bamboospun in Dark Rust

Techniques and modifications: I added an inch in between the waist shaping. I also (and this is the big one) lengthened the sleeves from three-quarter to full length. Though apparently not enough.

Raveled here.

Parting thoughts: Considering I finished this over winter break (long time ago, especially as mid-terms approach!), these aren't really parting. But still, I liked the pattern a lot, but I thought a few things would make it better for me, as a lazy teenager. One would be knitting it top down, which I thought about, and then rejected. The seams aren't doing anything for shape and support in this sucker. So I could've just saved myself some time. (sigh) The good ideas that I don't do... I also am not sure what went on with the sleeve caps. Was it the yarn maybe?

This is the "self-timer go off already!" face. 

Lace detail: I love this lace in this yarn! So fluffy... :)

Saturday, February 23, 2013

procrastination and vintage inspiration

I happen to love some of the style elements of the twenties. The detailing on all those gorgeous dresses, for one thing. Even a day dress was buttoned and a little experimental. Nothing plain for the flappers!

That being said, I'm not a very big fan of the silhouette. I don't have that figure--I have more in common with Marilyn than Twiggy. In other words, genes dictated that I would actually have curves. (Aside, why the heck did they decide it'd be flattering for a grown woman to wear clothes with the same cut as a five-year-old girl's? Not a good idea...) I do, however, like the fifties silhouette. New Look and I get along fairly well, what with all those waist friendly cuts.

So while I was looking through my copy of Decades of Fashion that my lovely roommate got me for Christmas, I found this picture and fell in love with the details...if not the cut.

Shamelessly taken from my book; source above.

So I got out my pencil and my sketchbook and got to thinking. How could this translate to a more flattering-to-me silhouette? This is what I came up with...my first attempt at translating one time period's qualities into another. 


It's not anything amazing artistically, but I love taking details from one time period and changing them up, so I'll probably doing more of this in the future, whether with princesses (like I thought about here with Belle) or with vintage pictures. It's so interesting to think about what would change and what would stay the same!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

perfect timing: the American Duchess giveaway!

So what happens when you post about a favorite shoe company and their lovely new shoe that you wish you could but can't afford to buy?


Not only do you write convoluted sentences like the one above, that shoe company just might hold a giveaway for that very shoe that reinstated your shoe envy.

American Duchess is hosting a giveaway for her lovely, oh-so-Edwardian Gibson shoes. Which, coming after that shoe envy and a two episodes of Downton day, is the perfect addition to a slightly sick day.

I have to say, the Gibsons look amazing. They may not be Astorias (oh Astorias, someday I will own you!), but they are still amazingly cute. I could easily imagine wearing a black pair with my Titanic prom dress or with a skirt to look all shnazzy for walking to class in...or even jeans for just Those Days when caring is harder to do (I am a college student after all!). I would love to own these shoes--they're just beautiful!

Monday, February 18, 2013

looking to the collegiate past

While camping out on the stairs the other day, waiting for the previous class to end so my class could begin, I started staring at the flight of stairs opposite me. Their steel beams were clearly stamped "CARNEGIE". As in, steel from Mr. Andrew Carnegie's steel company. That got me thinking: the building I was in was built in 1900. The stairs on which I was sitting were probably part of the original structure. Even if the interior had vastly changed, there was a feeling of collegiate history that permeates the whole building.

For over a hundred years, young men and women have walked some of the same hallways and through the same quads. And it got me thinking, what was it like to go to school back then? And then I started looking up pictures.

Washington University in St. Louis class of 1908

Pictures from commencements are fairly easy to find. I love these girls' graduation outfits. And the hats! But that's not quite real college life. 

students in class, 1910

A classroom...more like it. I love the 1910s for fashion and these ladies look so professional and polished. I love the way that looks much more than the sweats that I sometimes wear other people wear to class.  The idea of lacing myself into a corset each morning before my lit class...not so much though.

Vanderbilt's Yale dorm room in the 1900s

This was apparently what a turn-of-the-century dorm room looked like--specifically, Vanderbilt's Yale dorm room. Gotta say, this looks somewhat shnazzier than my modular furniture. Of course, it is a Vanderbilt's room. I have to believe that the scholarship kid who worked to get a room did not have it this nice.

Washington University in St Louis dining early 1900s
As far as I can tell, there wasn't always a dining hall where you'd go to eat cafeteria style. It looks like you would have a dining hall inside your dorm. What I love best about this picture is the difference in variety of food. My dining hall now is full of options. Tonight I can decide between Indian, (fake) Mexican, stir fry, grill-type foods, sandwiches, pizza... All depending on what I feel like. Can't say that I envy them their one option. 

I'm still very curious and I'll let you know if I find out anything interesting!

Friday, February 15, 2013

linkety fun stuffs

I fully intended to do a Filmspiration Friday. Fully intended. And then, all of sudden my computer had trouble (over the entire weekend) and the week became a mess of papers and homework assignments and reading and...college. Yeah. Blame it on the school.

Anyway, these are some of the things that have been keeping me reading instead of working on my rhetorical analysis (due--eep! Monday), illustrated with random pictures 'cos I hate big blocks of dry text.

'Cos Valentine's Day was yesterday and it's beautiful
(ignore the messy fridge top...)

This reminded me that as a sewist (seamstress? sewer? person who sews? still don't know where I stand on that debate), I already have all the skills to make something from scratch. I don't need to blindly rely on McCall's or Simplicity, no matter how much confidence I may lack.

These shoes are making me wish I wasn't a broke college student. American Duchess shoes never fail to do that for me though. I wanted a pair of Astorias so badly! I still do, actually. They're my idea of the perfect black heel--not too high, interesting design but not cluttered, classy, and the big one for me, wearable with a lot of different things. But the Gibsons are pretty darn nice too. What can I say? Anything Edwardian/WWI era gets my little chispita heart a-thumping.

I know I haven't talked about my love for dance or Les Mis here yet, but dance is a big part of my life (as in over ten hours a week) and I fell in love with Les Mis when I got to go see it on stage last semester. Especially Éponine, who I've loved since I was a sophomore in high school and I read an abridged version of the brick. This costume combines dance and Hugo's masterpiece...and I had something close to a tumblr fangirl moment (no disrespect to tumblr fangirls! I love tumblr fangirls, I'm just not one.) Curtain Call has a Les Mis themed mini line this year and it's making me wish I was picking out my senior solo costume again.

What Tara did with this dress was amazing. I always love a good refashion, but it's something else entirely when the refashion is with something you yourself sewed. She took a dress that could've lied unworn in a closet or a drawer and instead made it into something absolutely darling!

Gratuitous cute penguin picture from our trip to the zoo. 




Friday, February 8, 2013

filmspiration friday: fruition

I actually have succeeded in taking one dress from filmspiration on the screen (TV) to actual sewn dress reality. (Other than that mess of a sweater recreation from this summer. I try not to think about it.)

It was my senior prom dress, inspired by the wonderfully-costumed Downton Abbey. I went from this dress that Mary wears in Season 1 (shortly before her scandalous tryst with that most-mentioned, yet shortest-living character Kamal Pamouk)...


To this final product...


Once again, sorry for poor picture quality. I've always meant to take nice pictures of this, outside perhaps, with good lighting, instead of the crummy one light bulb I have in my bedroom. Also with someone taking the pictures, instead of me armed with a stack of books on my dresser and a self-timer. But until then...


The dress itself is a combination of a couple of patterns: Simplicity 2252 (which was my original prom dress idea, until re-watching season 1 of Downton) and Sense and Sensibility's 1912 Kimono Dress, along with some so-so self drafted straps. I used the pattern for the bodice lining of the Simplicity pattern to make a princess-seamed, Empire-waisted bodice, which I then attached to the skirt from the Sense and Sensibility pattern. I did the same with the lace. I was planning to puzzle out that cute little v from Mary's dress...and then I went and saw Titanic in theaters essentially a week before prom. And this dress made me change my mind about the straps. 


So I made a last-minute change and went with lace straps to give a (albeit small) reference to the dress I would have made had I had the guts to attempt it. (sigh) Someday, my dear!

It was a lovely dress (in my very-biased opinion), and I had a lovely time. 

Me actually on prom night (cropped so I don't have
 to ask permission to put pictures up on the internet)


Friday, February 1, 2013

filmspiration friday: northanger abbey

So I came up with a feature last night (which was a Friday as I wrote this) and got most excited about it. Why?

This is why.


This coat. Oh my, this coat.

I watched the 2007 production of Northanger Abbey, which is my favorite of her novels, possibly because Catherine reminds me of, well, me. I know, self-centered teenager.

The costumes though...Jane Austen interpretations tend towards the period costume dramas, and this was no exception. I essentially want everything Felicity Jones got to wear as Catherine Morland. But especially this coat. It was absolutely darling and she wore it in several scenes, which gave me many more chances to admire it.



The coat front has several lines of what looks like folded bias tape across each flap, with buttons on the center edges. One row looks decorative, with a very slight overlap on the other side so that the other row is functional. There is a very small controlled shawl collar with a rounded-but-pointed back (you'll see in a second) and oh so period puffed sleeves. I've got to say, I'm not a big fan of puffed sleeves. They just don't really do it for me.

There's a midriff-y waistband connecting the bodice part and the skirt part, and then the back--which got me almost as excited as that stylish little front.


Look at those pleats! The volume just looks fun. There's also a couple of buttons that match the front on the center back waistline, and some princess seaming, if I'm correct. 

The top of the coat looks like it would have some interfacing to make it have those clean, sharp, tailored edges. 

I actually have something of a need for an in-between temperature kind of coat, so I'm actually hoping to make it, probably in a navy blue or a charcoal grey, because I'm not so much of a pretty pastels type of girl. Also, probably not ankle length. My dresses are not that long, folks.

View D of this pattern by Simplicity looks pretty close to the original front, but I believe that's something easily added on to any pattern. Plus, the back there is wrong. 

As far as I can tell, the Big Four are not fans of this whole pleated back for volume idea, but I think that's something else that could be drafted in with a little bit of pattern experience. 

Altogether, a simple yet absolutely elegant coat that I would love to be able to throw on instead of my starting-to-get-ratty hoodie. But these are the things that a sewist/seamstress/person who sews can fix, right?

I love finding new projects. 
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