The Blue Gardenia learns to sow her blossoms

I completed a sewing challenge! Let me share my Mad Men dress.

So. Here it is: My interpretation — or rather Vogue's – of a Joan Holloway dress, made for Julia Bobbin's Mad Men Dress Challenge. I chose not to make mine quite as figure-revealing. And I can hardly take credit for sewing it. My brilliant and patient sewing teacher Leslie did more on this dress than I did. In fact, if it had been left to me, it would have ended up in the trash long before it was finished. Thank you, Leslie. You are a big ole luscious Georgia peach.

The problem: the darts. The darts on the pattern are different than the darts on the envelope. The side dart on the pattern actually comes above the outside dart and stops just above the interior dart. Perhaps a bullet bra would make this design work?

We redid dart placement four times. Sheesh! What a headache.

This is the Joan dress that inspired me. Once upon a time. Even though I look better in red, I wanted to use fabric in my stash. I chose a stretch cotton sateen from Gorgeous Fabrics.

And, yes, Joan looks much better in this style than I do. In fact, she'd look better wearing a brown paper sack.

Sew how? Marie's odyssey has been successful. Absolutely.

Marie of A Stitching Odyssey is as delightful as the blog she writes, as cute as the clothes she makes. And she was kind enough to share her experience. Take the trip with me.

How long have you been sewing? 

I've been sewing for just over three years now, so not that long and in many ways I still consider myself a beginner . . . there's just so much to learn!

What inspired you to learn? 

A friend of mine was giving me a tour of her new house when I spotted a dressform draped with a lovely handmade dress. Up until then I had no idea this was her hobby, or that a hobby like sewing even existed. My interest was definitely piqued then!

Did your mother or grandmother sew?

My mother was very good at sewing when she was at school, but she didn't really carry on with it afterwards. The most interesting thing I found out just a few months ago was that my great-grandmother not only sewed, she also spun and wove her own silk fabric. She even nurtured the silkworms herself. I never knew this before, and I was very moved when I found out.

How did you learn? A class? Your mom? Home ec? 

I went along to a Sewing for Pleasure course with the friend I mentioned above. It was made up of 10 evening classes, and you literally took in anything you wanted to make and the teacher would help you. It was a really nice and informal environment to learn in actually.

What was the first garment that you made? 

It was a dress – Simplicity 2591 – which you can see here).

Did you wear it? 

I wore it a couple times, but as my skills improved I realised how many things were wrong with it — gaping neckline, uneven hem, generally a little bit wonky. It's now sitting in my scraps box, because I really like the fabric still.

How long did it take for you to get the basics down? 

Maybe about 6 months or so, but I still find myself having lightbulb moments now. I'm still discovering better ways of doing things that I thought I was doing correctly. For example, up until this very recent post by Tilly (http://www.tillyandthebuttons.com/2013/01/before-you-cut-your-fabric.html), I was folding my fabric wrong sides together when cutting out patterns. Haha! It worked fine, but it's not the correct way, and it certainly makes transferring markings harder!

How long did it take you to feel confident of your dressmaking skills? 

I think I must be a slow learner, because I'm only just starting to feel confident in my dressmaking skills now. The last couple of things I've made have been of a much higher standard, so I finally feel I'm getting there . . . only three years later!

Do you still make things that you simply won't wear?

Sadly, yes, but I've made a good start this year that I hope to keep up. I want to focus on quality rather than quantity in 2013, and I want to stay away from making things I know don't suit me . . . which is a trap I often fall into due to admiring makes on other bloggers with completely different bodies to me.

How many hours a week do you sew?

It varies a lot for me. I don't tend to sew much during the week due to work and other commitments, but I do make an effort to cut stuff out and generally prepare for projects. If I have a free weekend, I will spend most of it sewing, and if I don't, then I will try and sandwich a couple of hours in. So it will vary from 2-3 hours to over 10 hours on a good week.

What are your five favorite sewing books?

Hmmm, I’m definitely more of an online tutorial kind of gal  . . . but there are a few tried and tested titles on my bookshelf.

The Colette Sewing Handbook by Sarai Mitnick

Sew U: Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin

Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear by Winifred Aldrich

Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (mine’s the 1978 edition)

Are there any sewing DVDs that you like? If so, which ones? 

I can't say I've ever stumbled across or used any sewing DVDs I'm afraid. I do keep meaning to watch the DVD that came with my overlocker though.

If you're a fan of free online tutorials, name five for the beginning sewer, please. 

Am I!?! I absolutely love online tutorials, and I have the utmost respect for the talented people who go to the effort of producing such helpful materials. Anyway, I'm going to cheat as there are so many brilliant ones out there:

Zips can be really tricky, but these tutorials can invaluable to helping you master them – Invisible zips by Colette Patterns (http://www.coletterie.com/tutorials-tips-tricks/tutorial-installing-an-invisible-zipper)

Handpicked zips by Sewaholic (http://sewaholic.net/a-hand-picked-zipper-progress-on-the-picnic-dress/

Exposed zips by BurdaStyle (http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques/exposed-zipper)

Skirts are a fun addition to any wardrobe, and I personally love – Vivat Veritas Scalloped Waist Skirt tutorial (http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/free-pattern-month-day-18-vivat-veritas.html)

Elegant Musing's Circle Skirt sewalong (http://elegantmusings.com/10525/) / Tilly's Picnic Blanket Skirt sewalong (http://www.tillyandthebuttons.com/p/picnic-blanket-skirt.html)

General tutorials of infinite interest – anything by Elegant Musings (http://elegantmusings.com/tutorials-2/, anything by Colette Patterns (http://www.coletterie.com/category/tutorials-tips-tricks), anything by Sewaholic (http://sewaholic.net/category/tips/)

What garment would you suggest that a newbie make first?

When I first started I had naivity, and therefore lack of fear, on my side, and I got stuck in with a dress. It was brilliant making something so pretty, but I was being helped in a class. So if you're going at it solo, I would probably recommend a simple skirt or top, or even a cute little apron or some fun pyjama bottoms.

Second? 

I guess this would depend on how you feel after your first make. You might want to move onto something more challenging, like a dress, or you might want to revisit something similar to your first make so you can perfect it.

What is the favorite of all the garments you have made?

I think it might be my Hazedale) — a marriage of the Hazel and Lonsdale patterns — because it's so pretty! The muslin for my Hazel was just terrible, so I was relieved that I was able to turn it into a success by combining two patterns.

What was the first item you sewed that made you beam with pride? 

It absolutely has to be my Armistice Blouse! Aside from it being a gorgeous pattern, this make has great sentimental value, too, as I made it from the silk grown, spun and woven by my great-grandmother. It’s a really special make for me.

Name your five top tips for beginners, please. 

1. Relax, enjoy the learning process and don't be too hard on yourself. You'll make plenty of mistakes, but learn from them and move on.

2. Don't rush your sewing, you'll only end up dissatisfied and probably never wearing your poor make. There's something to be said about breaking projects into nice bitesized parts.

3. Always prewash your fabric to prevent your make from shrinking after its first wash. It's a good idea to wash your fabric as soon as you buy it, so it's all ready to go when you need it.

4. Pick projects that excite you and don't waste time on something you're not happy with. And if you discover you really dislike a make halfway through sewing it, don't feel like you have to finish it . . . life's too short!

5. Take advantage of online tutorials and sewalongs, I really can't recommend this enough. Despite finding evening classes helpful to begin with, I can honestly say that I learned the best methods and techniques from other bloggers.

What's the last garment that you made and are you pleased with it?

I was actually a pattern tester for Tilly and the Buttons' first ever pattern — the Mathilde Blouse — which is pictured at the very start of this interview. I'm genuinely really happy with the result, even though I didn’t think white would be my colour.

Have you sewn with unprinted vintage patterns? If so, please share pointers for newbies who might want to try them.

Although I have many in my collection, I haven't sewn with the unprinted ones yet. I imagine they seem more daunting than they are though  they have plenty of perforations, so you just need to make sure you transfer them all to your fabric.

How long does it take to get to the Vogue "Plus Difficile" rated pattern?  (I can dream, can't I?)

We can both dream I think!

Share with me your funniest sewing adventure, please. 

Oh dear, I knew this was coming! I wanted to make some sassy pyjama bottoms as part of Karen's Pyjama Party Sewalong (http://didyoumakethat.wordpress.com/tag/pyjama-party/) and I totally misjudged my fabric print. They turned out truly hideous . . . you literally can't tell me apart from The Big Lebowski's The Dude! If you fancy a good laugh at my expense, see them in the pic above. (Editor's note: I love 'em! She could go out and buy milk in them and give The Dude a run for his money, fashionwise.)

And your most exasperating or difficult.

Definitely the sad story of my very beautiful Lonsdale. I totally managed to perfect the fit at the muslin stage, but I must have accidently cut the bodice a size smaller in my fashion fabric, because when I finished it, it was too small. I had followed Sewaholic's sewalong closely, and a lot of work went into making this dress as lovely on the inside as it was on the outside  . . . so needless to say, I cried when I made the shocking discovery. I've now learned to try on makes as I go along! And there was a silver lining to this story – the dress fit my mum perfectly, and she proudly wears it all the time!

What's your favorite pattern ever to sew, if you remember? 

I don't have one really, ideally it would be a cute go-to dress pattern. However, I have made six Renfrews to date, which is my own personal record. It's such an easy and satisfying project to whip up when you want a quick sewing fix!

Do you sew vintage patterns? 

I do, but not nearly as many as I'd like to. This year, I would love to make a dent in my vintage sewing pattern collection.

Do you find instructions easier to follow on vintage patterns?

In my experience, this totally depends on the pattern company, the type of garment and the year the pattern was printed in. I find that many vintage pattern instructions tend to assume you have a quite a good understanding of sewing techniques and knowledge, so I often find myself Googling and YouTubing a lot of it. It’s easy to be hard on vintage pattern instructions, especially when you compare them to the often more comprehensive modern ones, but at the end of the day you buy and use them for the unique and very beautiful details that are rarely found in modern patterns.

How many hours of sewing do you think it takes for the average person to become proficient?

Goodness . . . how long is a piece of string? Everyone’s definition of proficient is different – for some it may mean grasping the basics and for others it could well be conquering tailoring. I think a year is a good aim for mastering the basics, but the sewing learning journey never truly ends.

 Now. Rush over to her blog and read every word. That is, if you haven't already! 

Shame? What's that? It's my birthday. I have the cake to prove it.

It is my birthday. It is. And I know I should be a quiet little mouse, and keep it a secret, but I love birthdays! And I love birthday blessings. So. I say, bring them on. Don't be shy. 

I started the day making Vogue 1256, designed by Badgley Mischka. Perhaps I should clarify: I started it. Fabric: Scarlet bamboo knit. One day, I shall share pictures of my garments with you. Really. Truly. That day is coming! Soon.

Then, exercise. Marvelous dinner with both deconstructed lemon meringue pie and red velvet cake. Can it get any better? Yes. His Bertness gifted me with a lovely onyx necklace. That would be the one in the picture. 

Yes. I know the picture is less than flattering. Perhaps I should reconsider growing my hair into Jane Fonda's Klute shag? And hide my bra straps like a proper southern woman?

Shameless plug: Pucci culottes, sassy shorts, bias slips, and more.

It's true: We've been lazy lately. So very. But we finally took a break from eating chile cream chocolates and reading Ruth Rendell novels, and got together an update. Hope you love it. Hope, in fact, you just can't resist these lovelies. A few favorites (and there are many more!):

Vogue 9419, a luscious bias slip from 1943.

New York 1387, sassy pleated shorts with three blouse options and an overskirt for those demure moments, also from the 1940s.

Advance Import 76, figure-revealing jacket worthy of those days when you simply must channel Kim Novak.

Vogue Couturier Design 2249, the perfect culottes for those summer patio parties, courtesy of Pucci. Of course.

And, yes, these fabulous patterns — as well as many other new vintage additions —  are available at The Blue Gardenia, where the patterns are counted, the jewelry is sparkling and domestic shipping is free. (We happily ship abroad, for less than the cost USPS charges us.) And do recall: We put new patterns at the start of each category. Enjoy!

Learning to sew: My Gertie coat. What do you think?

Finally. My Gertie coat. Sure. It took time. But I am pleased with it.

It's made of wool flannel.

And lined in 3-mummy ice blue silk charmeuse. I did not make bound buttonholes. My one regret. My sewing teacher encouraged me to enter it in a local contest, and my bound buttonholes aren't quite up to snuff.

 

Well. There is one other regret. I was so busy sewing that I missed buying tickets for The Mavericks. By the time I realized they were going to be in Santa Fe, all the good seats were gone. Drat. I'll just have to settle for Raul Malo's voice on CD. See and hear what I'm missing? At least, we have Pink Martini tickets for consolation.

An overflowing cornucopia of style at the Oscars. Doncha think?

As always, my favorite thing about the Oscar ceremony was the fashion. This year did not disappoint. My tip-top selections:

Perhaps not the popular choice — I noticed while trolling for pics that this made some worst-dressed lists — but this is my favorite 2013 Oscar dress. Donna Karan Atelier's design for Kelly Rowland simply stunned. It's sexy. It's unique. 

I am also smitten with Fan Bingbing's Marchesa design. There are those who think it overwhelms the Chinese actress — and I admit it does indeed look better on the runway model. But Ms. Bingbing still looks lovely and smart. It's a perfect update of a 1950s look. Vogue, Butterick, copy this pattern, please. It's just the attire for my lifestyle. Perfect for reclining on the sofa or baking cookies.

Another favorite: Naomi Watt's armored column, courtesy of Armani Prive. Sophisticated. Strong. And she looks most fetching in it.

I also love the Valentino Couture frock of Jennifer Aniston. Gorgeous tomato red. And a style fit for a princess. She never lets me down. 

So. If you could command a pattern company to make up one of the Oscar gowns, which would it be? Do share. One of these gowns? Or something entirely different? I am eager to know. I am.

I'm back. As Elvis and Chris Isaak say "It's Now or Never."

 

I've rediscovered a truth about blogging for me. If I take a break, it's easy to procrastinate about starting again. So easy. Very.

I find there are so many things to do: painting my nails, rearranging magazines, making nearly every red velvet brownie recipe on Pinterest and not being pleased with any of them, watching crappy made for TV movies like Liz & Dick. That was the name of that Lifetime movie in which Lindsay Lohan was so miscast? Only Teresa Russell saved it for me.

Anyway, I plan to get back to the daily grind soon. Very, very soon. I have some fascinating interviews for you. And some clothes I've made. With my very own hands. Surprised?

I am. For now, enjoy this Chris Isaak version of It's Now or Never. It reminds me of Marticia, who used to play the Elvis version on Friday nights at the Prescott ballroom dances. I swear she did it just to watch us trip all over each other as we attempted to speed rhumba. She probably still chuckles at the thought!

Baby, it's cold outside . . .

but, alas, you can't stay inside by the fire, listening to Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting. No. You have errands to run. Lots of them: Costco, Petco, Whole Foods. But you will be snug and toasty warm: jeans over tights, that fabulous cashmere sweater that your beloved wrapped up so nicely for you at Christmas, and your new coat, made from Simplicity 1278. You've made the version with the double row of buttons. You used a bee-yoo-tee-ful and oh-so-forties inspired alpaca blend herringbone from Gorgeous Fabrics. With the scarf and hat you knitted in November, you won't have to worry one bit about that chill wind blowing.

The details: Simplicity 1278 Coats Bust 34 Complete Copyright 1944 $35

So. Rush over to The Blue Gardenia, where the patterns are counted, the jewelry is sparkling, and domestic shipping is free, and snap up this lovely. (We happily ship abroad, of course, although there is a fee, less than the postal service charges us. You may choose Global Priority or Global Express. We love them both. We do.) And we take American Express, Discover, Mastercard, Paypal and Visa. And cold, hard cash. Anything to make you happy, dears. Anything. Almost.

The countdown begins: The Blue Gardenia sale ends tonight!

So. You have mere hours to take advantage of The Blue Gardenia's terrific sale. And you want to, don't you? I want you to, and so do our little canine pals. They like their treats. They do. Absolutely. And treats cost money.

The details: 

Spend $50 - $99, get 15% off. 
Spend $100 - $249, get 35% off. 
Spend $250 - $399, get 40% off. 
Spend $400 or more, get 45% off.

Isn't that grand? I think so. And the limits are all before the discount, which means if you spend, for instance, $250, then your tally will only be be $150. It includes every pattern, every piece of jewelry. May I say wow?

Sale ends at midnight PST January 7, 2013 — yes, tonight! So hurry, scurry! All payments must be received by January 11, 2013.

Now's the time to sew that sleek, chic Valentine's Day number.

Valentine's Day seems so far away. But. She's got a very busy January and February. Business trips to New York, San Francisco and Brazil. So. If she is going to make a special dress for her special date with her very special someone, now is the time to start. It can't be just any dress. Her requirements: irresistibly sexy, extremely original, sinfully '60s. And Prominent Designer M406, designed by Wilson Folmar, meets each and every one of her musts. She'll find a strawberry ice cream pink silk satin. Red for V-Day is such a cliche.

And is there any better time to shop than this moment, during the sale at The Blue Gardenia? Of course not. She's going to let her elegant Lotus Rouge-tipped fingers glide there right now.

Sale details: 

Spend $50 - $99, get 15% off. 
Spend $100 - $249, get 35% off. 
Spend $250 - $399, get 40% off. 
Spend $400 or more, get 45% off.

Is that a deal or what? The limits are all before the discount, which means if you spend, for instance, $250, then your tally will only be be $150. 

Sale ends at midnight PST January 7, 2013. So hurry, scurry! All payments must be received by January 11, 2013.

Breaking news: The Blue Gardenia extends its end-of-year sale!

Yes, dear readers, it's true: Due to the sale's success (and my laziness and His Bertness's recent health fright) we're extending the sale through Sunday at The Blue Gardenia. The scoop:

Spend $50 - $99, get 15% off. 
Spend $100 - $249, get 35% off. 
Spend $250 - $399, get 40% off. 
Spend $400 or more, get 45% off.

How's that? The limits are all before the discount, which means if you spend, for instance, $250, then your tally will only be be $150. Isn't that the cat's meow? We think so. 

Sale ends at midnight PST January 7, 2013. All payments must be received by January 11, 2013.

So. There ya go. Shop, shop, shop!

And sew to dress: Debi of My Happy Sewing Place

Oh, how I love this feature. Pretending I am stylist to the sewing blogger stars. Today, I shall focus on Debi of My Happy Sewing Place. She is a major fan of vintage McCall patterns (as am I). And I think she would look swell in McCall 4583. It's from 1943. It's so versatile: smart jacket, Hepburn slacks, sassy shorts, classic shirt, comfy vest — perfect for walks around Edinburgh. (Well, it's a little chilly for the shorts, but she could wear them on a visit to warmer climes.) Don't you love it? I do. Indeed.

By the way, she's having a sale at her Etsy shop, Weaving Destination. Just use this code: Happy 2013. That entitles you to 10% off. Yippee! And you'll not only be saving, you'll be doing good. How's that for a way to get the new year off to a great start?

Speaking of sales, don't forget The Blue Gardenia's end-of-year sale. For details, click here.

What a long (and short) strange trip December has been.

First the good news: This December, I started out sewing. Made two skirts, a fabulous 1950s dress, McCall 9572,  and finished my red jacket. 

Now, the bad: His Bertness had minor inpatient surgery (planned), my dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and a week later, hubby had a heart attack. Totally unexpected, as he had many heart exams before the first unrelated surgery. Pass the Puffs, please.

But. The prognosis is good for both. Yippee skippee! Bert has quit smoking (all you who smoke out there, take this as a personal caveat) and he starts cardiac rehab Monday. My dad will have surgery in January, and his doctors expect to be able to remove all the cancer.

And in January, expect pictures of all my garments. And I expect comments. Lots of praise. Many pats on the head. You get the picture. I'm cutting out a 1950s McCall top today. 

So. December has seemed like a long month. And it's seemed like a short month, too. It's been terrifying (the health issues). And satisfying (the sewing projects). Wow. What a month. I'm still catching my breath.

Don't miss The Blue Gardenia's end-of-year sale!

 

The Blue Gardenia's

annual attitude-of-gratitude, our-customers-are-the-best, end-of-year sale is here!

Here's the scoop:

Spend $50 - $99, get 15% off.

Spend $100 - $249, get 35% off.

Spend $250 - $399, get 40% off.

Spend $400 or more, get 45% off.

How's that?  The limits are all before the discount, which means if you spend, for instance, $250, then your tally will only be be $150. Isn't that the cat's meow? We think so. So, shop, shop, shop.

 

Sale ends at midnight PST January 3, 2013. All credit card and Paypal payments appreciated within 48 hours of order placement and all check payments by January 7, 2013.

 

And I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday!