fanbloomingtastic: developing my own style

Another installment of things I forgot to blog here: the Pinky Blue Skies dress

When I started out on the year-long Sew Weekly challenges last year, it took me a while to get into my stride and get organised enough to sew a new garment or outfit per week AND blog about it here on Fanbloomingtastic. I'm trying to amend this because I'm in the process of building a 'Things I've Sewn' archive page.

So here's a dress I made for the "Make This Look" Sew Weekly challenge that some of you might have seen, but others might not....the Pinky Blue Skies dress, also known as the

“Freaky Déjà vécu” Dress

The Facts

Fabric: Blue sateen cotton solid $7.49, Pink satin remnant $2.99
Pattern: Simplicity 2444
Year: Contemporary
Notions: 18″ zip 74c, hook & eye
Time to complete: 16 hours
First worn: 23rd January 2012
Wear again? Probably, still some fit issues.

Total price: $11.22 (£7.22)

The challenge: “Made This Look: This week, we’re sewing creations based on outfits in the Make This Look archive or our own Make This Look combinations.”

So…..I started off the week with very good intentions. I was going to make a straight forward dress. I wasn’t going to do anything fancy. And I’d choose one from the Make This Look archives.

The idea of making/having a denim dress in my wardrobe appealed so I chose the Indigo Denim Prom dress MTL.

I also liked the Yellow Prom Dress Make This Look based on the same Simplicity pattern.

I went to my favourite bargain seconds fabric shop to get some indigo denim. But…..unbelievably they only had 2 yards in that matched, all the remnant shades were different. Which was a bit strange, they always have loads in…..strange….

So I made a snap decision, this week I would make myself an ‘apprentice piece’ or a muslin to try and learn new skills and get my sizing right (see my week 1 creation my first attempt, getting my head around my different sizes at bust, waist and hips is going to be an on-going challenge). That way I could make this pattern again later in the year with more expensive fabric and not be taking a risk. Don't ask about this pic....I have no idea:

Bearing in mind the Yellow Prom Dress is meant to be made in broadcloth cotton, I picked up 2 sateen cotton ends of rolls in sky blue. Of course me being me I couldn’t just ‘Make This Look’ as I was supposed to…..I had to Tempestify it a little, so I also spotted a remnant of gorgeous pink satin that I thought I could use for the pockets.

And won’t you look at those pockets? They make me happy :)

I also had enough pink/cerise satin to make the facings/linings for the neckline and the armholes….oh and a very 80′s bow for my hair obviously.

Because this was the thing, I was making the dress and getting serious déjà vu (or is it déjà vécu, I know one is feeling you’ve experienced something before when you haven’t and one is feeling you’re experiencing something you actually have experienced before?) I could swear there was something about this dress. But I honestly don’t think I’ve ever owned or made one like this or in these colours. I wore tons of pink in the 80s but it was pastel pink…and the same with blues, I was always a pastel blue girl.

So I put the thoughts aside for a while until I started trying to think up a name for this week’s project. I was going to be simple and go with the ‘Pink and Blue’ dress…..but by this point my plans to keep it simple had been thrown out of the window…..I was doing top stitching in matching pink thread and chose the same colour for the visible zip down the back.

The ‘Pink and Blue’ dress soon became the ‘Pinky Blue’ dress, which then reminded me of an Altered Images album I had in the very early 80s. So then I decided to Spotify this to sew along to…..and the album cover cemented the name of the dress as the ‘Pinky Blue’ dress – would you look at that, it was in exactly the same colours! Things were getting freakier. Do do do doooo do do do dooo (that’s me singing the Twilight Zone theme tune).

Sitting in the queue in the school run one day I decided to put some Altered Images on Youtube……and as the plan was that I was making this dress to go out to my birthday dinner in, I put on the band’s best known hit: ‘Happy Birthday’.

AND this is when I saw it and it messed with my mind – in the 1981 Christmas Top of the Pops performance of Happy Birthday by Altered Images, there was Claire Grogan, the lead singer…….wearing the dress I was making! In the same colours…..Deja Wow!

So hence the name of the dress.

OK, my thoughts (other than freaky ones) about this project:

I wasn’t happy with the shortness of the bodice on my wk 1 dress, so I added 2″ to the length of the pattern pieces for this dress…..I think it worked out quite well.
Simplicity 2444 is a dream pattern. I love the neckline and the ease of fit of the neck and armhole facings. I’d already sussed that seeing it made up beautifully by Oona last year and Mary from Idle Fancy has made a gorgeous lacey version recently too. I’m looking forward to making different versions of this pattern again ala Project Runway.
I also added 2 inches to the length of the skirt pieces because I’m now a 44 year old woman and don’t suit short skirts anymore. I also don’t suit bouncing up and down on my birthday present in a posh frock….but that doesn’t stop me…

As you can possibly tell Mr. D wasn’t around to take the photos this week but luckily I had the help of Goth Child (my 14 year old wunderkind) and my camera’s wireless remote…..and one thing this week has taught me, is you can never leave me alone with a remote control and not expect me to be silly taking ‘shots’ with it:

So now you know that too!

in developing my own style, Sew Weekly Challenge, sewing | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another installment of things I forgot to blog here: The (inspired by Pixar's) 'Up' Skirt

Not to be confused with a different type of 'up skirt'.....

When I started out on the year-long Sew Weekly challenges, it took me a while to get into my stride and get organised enough to sew a new garment or outfit per week AND blog about it here on Fanbloomingtastic.

So here's a make I made for "inspired by the movies" Sew Weekly challenge that some of you might have seen, but others might not....

The Facts

Fabric: all scraps from my stash and leftovers from previous projects (mostly cotton, some silk pieces)
Patterns: Butterick 4686 (2nd time using)
Year: Contemporary
Notions: Value pack of Steam-A-Seam 2 $4.99 (but only 4 sheets used), a sheet of HP Iron On transfers (had a pack from a few years back), white baby rikrak from previous project, old Boy Scout badges found in a thrift store for $2
Time to complete: 5 hours
First worn: 20th February 2012
Wear again? Yes, but not together.

Total price: About $6

Film inspiration provided by: Up

The challenge: “In anticipation for next Sunday’s Academy Award 2012 ceremony, we’re using past Oscar winners and nominees as inspiration for our creations”.

I present for your amusement some Up skirt photos (which I’m sure are going to make some who land on this site after googling “up skirt photos” very disappointed, as I bet they weren't looking for a Pixar-inspired creation):

I've called it my "Using 'UP' my scraps skirt". Oh I'm such a wit.

So as you can see, my inspiration was the Pixar/Disney movie Up. It won 2 Oscars in 2010 (Best Original Score and Best Animated Feature) but was nominated for 5 in all (the others being Best Motion Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Sound Editing).

Up means a lot to our family. It was one of the movies that was showing on the airplane when we flew to the USA to move here. It felt serendipitous - permission to start a new adventure in a foreign land.

I firmly hold with Ellie’s beliefs that life in itself is an adventure and should be lived to the full. You don’t need to go to Paradise Falls to find it….it can be right on your doorstep, if you just keep your eyes open.

I found a pic of the Up house on the internet that I liked and printed it on HP Iron On Transfer paper. Using these instructions I ironed this onto some spare white cotton and put the house to one side for a bit.

I drew a template shape of a balloon and cut out multiple balloon shapes out of lots of scraps of fabric in my stash. I then placed these on one of the tacky sides of the Steam-a-Seam 2 sheets.

As you can see, some of the shapes I just used crescents instead of the complete balloon shape as I wanted to minimise the weight on the skirt. I then peeled off the paper backings of the balloons/crescents and placed them on the skirt and moved them about (they are tacky but don’t stick until you iron them) until I was happy with the shape.

I ironed them onto the skirt in rows, and before adding the final few balloons, cut lengths of white baby rikrak to be secured underneath them. I also put a rogue, floating away balloon and ‘string’ on the front and back of the skirt for added ‘whimsy’.

Pinning the other end of the ‘balloon strings’ under the chimney of the Up house transfer, I used a zigzag stitch that was very thin and very short with blue thread to match the skirt to sew the top half of the house onto the skirt. I wanted some of the house to dangle off the edge of the skirt’s hem.

For the purposes of the photoshoot, but probably not to wear out in public…..unless perhaps for Halloween…..I made an orange neckscarf out of fabric from my stash and a brown sash from an old pillowcase. On one of my regular thrift store treasure hunting expeditions I’d spotted some old Boy Scout patches and badges, a job lot for just $2 and these couldn’t be more perfect to sew onto the sash. Where I didn’t quite have enough I made extras out of felt.

And so there’s my Oscar inspired (using) Up (my scraps) skirt. Made last year inbetween trips to the dentist, oral & maxillofacial surgeon to have a huge abcess dealt with, under the influence of vicodin, and having to entertain the kids on Presidents Day. This could also explain why I forgot to blog it here!

And here’s Melchett teaching me how to climb up a ladder whilst Goth Child took the photos. Yeah, because I've never climbed a ladder before Melchie!

I've worn the skirt quite a lot over the past year, especially with this purple top...seen during last year's Me Made May:

In hindsight I wish I'd used a slightly heavier weight sky blue fabric but it's ok.....the kids I volunteer with love it when I wear it to school. It gets a better response than even my Spider-Man dress.

Hey, do you want to know one of my favourite lines from Up?

Dug (the Dog): “Hey, I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, “I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead.” Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead”.

*childish laughing comes from Tempest's direction because she's a big kid and has a strange sense of humour*

If you want to check out other skirts, dresses, hats, coats, etc I've sewn - check out the new archive page I'm gradually constructing here.

And look at that, I managed a whole blog post without mentioning David Bowie......oh phooey...... ;)

in developing my own style, movies, Sew Weekly Challenge, sewing | Permalink | Comments (8)

Sew Weekly Challenge Week 52 - It's the Final Frock-done (do do dooo doo...)

Final frock sew weekly

The Facts

Fabric: 5.5yds All That Glitters Red & Black Scroll Flocked Taffeta $35.70 (£22.15). I actually bought way too much in the sale so will be able to make something matchy matchy with the remainder next year.
Pattern: Sort of frankensteined from Simplicity 2444 and Vogue 2902 and things I’ve learnt during the year.
Year: Contemporary/retro.
Notions: Zip $0.99 (£0.62), thread.
Time to complete: 20 hours.
First worn: 31st December 2012 (me, last minute?)

Wear again? Yes, whenever I get the chance and don’t feel like death warmed up.

Total Cost: $36.69 (£22.77)

The challenge: “Happy Holidays Dec 31″

I got 67 garments and a crown ain't one.

Ok, I lie….the crown is one. Can you count a crown as a ‘garment’? I made it as part of the Diamond Jubilee challenge outfit….from a Butterick sewing pattern….I even sewed some of it….so I’m going to call it an honorary garment. And anyway I need it to make my end of year stats chart true:

I like numbers, but pictures are good too:

But anyway, back to the final frock of the year, and a glimpse into my closet…..which now seriously needs a clear out and New Year’s tidy:

I saw a dress in a Harpers Bazaar magazine earlier in the year, Salma Hayek was wearing in a stable, brandishing a riding crop. It was a beautiful red evening dress with black velvet flocking….not too dissimilar to this fabric, a larger pattern but this is near enough for me. And this dress is made copying my previous favourite dress of the year, my Papa Was a Roaming Gnome polka dot dress. I just finally managed to perfect the fit on the bodice this time…the Gnome dress is a little tight, I have to sit up properly and breathe in to make it comfortable….this dress was comfortable from the putting on.

Which is useful, because currently I feel awful. Like death warmed up. Do you know how when you stop the whole world catches up with you? Well, I stopped for Christmas Eve through until Boxing Day…..and a minor cold I’d been coping with got to my lungs and wreaked havoc with my asthma. So in these photos I’m actually feeling a bit pooey….and I haven’t bothered to put a full circle petticoat on.

What a delightful photo of me coughing my guts up.

So do you know what I’m going to do this next week? This first week of 2013? I going to sleep, and when I’m not sleeping I’m going to sit on the settee and eat chocolates and watch tatty television. I possibly, only possibly….if I get bored with doing glorious nothingness…..I might open my present from Father Christmas (and my family, and my parents and my parents-in-law…..thank you all very very much) my first ever serger/overlocker. I’m ever so excited about it. I reckon it’s going to half my sewing speed for garments in the future.

But that’s for later in 2013. Before then I have to catch up on curtains for Melchett, my youngest, finishing off decorating my bathroom, and spreading colour throughout the rest of my house (it’s typical Arizona latte brown throughout and you know I’m slightly partial to more exciting colours than that), fixing my flush on the downstairs toilet and other delights I’ve been putting off until the 52 weeks of the 2012 Sew Weekly challenge were finally over.

But worry yourselves not…..I will be carrying on creating costumes and garments galore next year. I hope to be a much bigger part of the Sew Weekly Community (I’m so sorry I haven’t had time this year to contribute to the discussions and commenting on the wonderful creations that you’re all making that don’t get enough limelight) and as I plan to make quite a few bigger projects (suits, I want to perfect suits……and there WILL be a Bowie sew-a-long some time during 2013), you can catch up on my progress and other general ponderings here on my blog.

Until then can I repeat my thanks I’ve been saying for several weeks now – THANK YOU MENA! Thank you for coming up with this wonderful adventure in the first place…..I’ve learnt more than I could ever have imagined and tried making styles I wouldn’t have tried without the prompting of the weekly challenges. Thank you to my wonderful family for putting up with me and my moments of “I can’t do it, I can’t go on. It’s all gone wrong. I’ve broken my machine forever. Etc” I love you all so much. Ok, I’m gushing now and that means I’m going to need my inhaler in a moment, so I’ll shut up and wish you all an exciting 2013. Reach for that dream, dream big and love one another!

in developing my own style, Sew Weekly Challenge, sewing | Permalink | Comments (6)

My Sew Weekly 2012 challenges in numbers

Still one last dress that needs hemming, photographing and posting about to make a complete 52 makes (I know I've already posting 52 times on sewweekly.com, but the first one was describing our favourite makes from 2011....so still one more to come, 53 posts=52 makes) but all the facts and figures are now in so here's the year's makes in numbers......I'll post the complete set of photos of my 67 garments in a day or two:

in developing my own style, Sew Weekly Challenge, sewing | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sew Weekly Challenge Week 52 - The Santa Eartha Baby Christmas Kitt Dress

The Facts

Fabric: 3yds Simply Silks Natural Leopard Peachskin $17.97 (£11.12).
Pattern: Simplicity 3833.
Year: Contemporary.
Notions: thread.
Time to complete: 12 hours.
First worn: 21st December 2012.

Wear again? Yes, this is going to be my go-to party frock…and possibly everyday frock, the type I love so much I want to wear to the supermarket or volunteering.

Total Cost: $17.97 (£11.12)

The challenge: “Happy Holidays part 1: Christmas week”

I’m a bit of a fan of leopard print. I have a leopard print purse, phone cover, sunglasses, sunglasses case, Santa hat, tree decorations, pyjamas, a shirt, bra, knickers (both of which I’m wearing here, but you’ll have to take my word for it)….a lot of leopard print. I don’t have this though if you’re reading this Santa….actually, as much as I love the idea of this, there’s no way I could justify that cost. I’ll just have to google it occasionally and oggle it. (Although I am going to have to buy a food processor next year. I love baking and have survived 3+ years without one, as my Kenwood Chef from the UK doesn’t work on American electricity….but I’m going to save up for a red Kitchen Aid one. When I’m not sewing to complete something every week next year, I’m gonna do some more baking, and diy, and writing etc etc).

I used to have a lovely leopard print dress but last year (before I really started learning to sew) I had a ‘brilliant’ idea of changing it’s neckline from a bateau to a scoop. I cut it badly and didn’t stabilise it in anyway. I rather ruined it. It’s now sitting in my to-do pile. It’s another next year project.

So despite my love of leopard print, I didn’t have a wearable dress in it, until now. And I knew I wanted a leopard print dress for party season.

Knowing I wanted to do this, I bought 5.5 yds of this leopard print peachskin in their Black Friday sales not knowing what I’d make out of it. I tried draping it last week and decided rather than making a dress with a big circular skirt (which is actually coming next week in a firmer taffeta and velvet flocking), the peachskin fabric was too heavy and would suit a simpler style better.

I could have made a wiggle dress (I’ve got a few patterns to try out) but I wanted something very comfy and wearable that would let the fabulousness of the fabric do the work of looking pretty, but I could wear over Christmas without worry of it being too tight or too creasy etc. So I revisited the Simplicity 3833 which I used for my 1960′s dress and added sleeves (but made the curve longer so I could gather them more to get more of a puff sleeve), added pockets and stuck with the pattern’s suggested neckline rather than the bateau I tried out last time. I also decided I wanted to do a Mena and leave out a zip, so rather than grading the pattern from my usual 20 at neckline, 22 from bottom of armsyce, 24 at waist….I made the bodice pieces in a straight 22 and made the neckline at the back a little lower for more head squirming-through room.

I like it. I like it a lot.

The question now is, how much is too much matchy matchy? You’ll see I’ve been restrained here with my brown snakeskin stilettos….I do have my eye on some leopard print heels at Target, but I’m waiting to see it they go into the sales. But do you like the nails?

And look, I wasn’t just posing with the iphone, I was in a photo war with Mr D:

Haha, I got him :) I thanked all of you reading this and sewing along with me last week, this week I want to thank my fabulous family for getting me through a (nearly) whole year of sewing (one last dress left to come). They’ve been beyond brilliant and kept me going, put up with me not wanting but needing my photo taking each week. I think I’ll add to my stats pictogram for the year for next week the numbers of weeks photographed by Mr D, Goth Child or myself. To be honest, you could probably work out who took which if you compare them, but I could not have done this at all without the wonderful Devynes. Thank you, you lot.

OK, one last make to do. For sneak peaks and glimpses of our Christmas festivities, check out my blogfanbloomingtastic.com and my tumblr absobloominglutely. Have a very Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays depending on which one you feel most comfortable with. Have lots of fun and lots of hugs with those you love!

To see all of my 52 Sew Weekly Challenge creations (dresses, tops, skirts, shrugs, hats, a coat and a crown) since the start of 2012 click here.

Next challenge I need to tell you about is the final make of the year, week 53, post 53....but actually only make 52, as our first Sew Weekly post was about our favourite make from 2011, to do a whole 52 weeks there needs to be one final make.....which is nearly finished, just one more sleeve to sew in and a zip, then it's all over. Wow. So watch this space....