Second verse, same as the first

Don't mind me, just lurking in an alley in the exact same outfit I blogged about in June. Different fabrics, different colors, and print usage reversed....but nothing new or ground breaking.

Generally I don't blog repeats much.  Both because the drive to try out new patterns is strong and because the things I remake are usually simple basics. Wouldn't want anyone's head to rage explode over having to read yet another blog post about a new Renfrew. (At this point Renfews just breed on their own like rabbits. There's some questionable fiber mixing happening.)

At the same time many of my favorite bloggers, Gillian and Roisin for example, often remake patterns and I enjoy seeing how they look sewn in different fabrics. So hopefully you'll indulge me in a little pattern rehashing today.  I picked a pretty alley to make it go down better. ;)

In recap I'm wearing the Nettie bodysuit and the bottom half of the Emery dress turned into a skirt.  This time Nettie is made up in a rayon knit, still in stock, from Emmaonesock.com. The fabric is described has having a dry hand, which I can say is completely accurate after fondling it in person. In the future I'd prefer to buy rayon knit with this sort of finish. The texture is very pleasing and it's more matte looking on the right side than standard rayon.  Mo matte, mo better. Is that what the kids say?  Probably not.

Just like my previous Emery skirt, this one is a rayon woven. I bought this last year from the now out of business Waechters. (It still hurts) It's hard to see in the pictures, but the color is not solid. If you're into knitting, it's similar to a semi-solid yarn.  The fabric looks like it was over dyed with a hue very close to the original, giving it small areas that are a slightly lighter or darker blue.

A big thank you to Twirl Designs for suggesting using spray starch on the rayon before cutting.  I found that it made my cutting and sewing process a lot less stressful. There was a slight bit of shifting in the fabric during cutting, but it was loads better than cutting starch free. After finishing the garment I washed and dried the skirt and my rayon returned to it's normal billowy self.  Made me momentary consider stock piling more rayon wovens....but stash busting. It's for the better anyway. Those pesky rayons are always making my stacks of cottons fall over out of the closet. Usually right when my husband is entering the room which makes him give me the side eye. Too much fabric? I haven't a clue what you're talking about. Just step over it and carry on with your day.

Annnnyway, it's great having some patterns that can be considered a "seasonal uniform." Items which coordinate and make me feel put together. Certainly helps on those days were I'm strapped for time or don't really know what to wear. However what's great for your closet isn't always what great to read about on a blog.  So what are your thoughts on repeats/blogging about them and so on?  OK in moderation, or horribly snooze inducing and when is the crazy frog going to show up again?  You know he's got talent.

The dream of the 80's is alive in my sewing room

Why yes I did repurpose that song from a Portlandia sketch.  It was running through my head the whole time I was sewing the new Nettie bodysuit pattern. There's just something about bodysuits that remind me of the 80's. How else were you gotta show off your rad gathered yoke mom jeans? You don't wanna cover that ass enlarging design detail with a boxy tee. Bodysuit all the way.

But enough about my deep seated traumas about 80's fashion. Nettie is a modern take on the bodysuit designed by Heather over at Closet Case Files.  And you know that girls named Heather won't steer you wrong fashion wise.  We might band together to kill people, but we'll make sure you look good first. (Wait did the Heathers get killed in "Heathers"?  That's bogus.)

My first Nettie was made during a time crunch, so it had no fitting alterations other than combining the 10/12 sizes. The turquoise version is a good wearable muslin, but I wanted to have another go at the pattern before reviewing it on the blog.  It also seemed sensible to put some thought into how I would wear a bodysuit in a "causal" outfit.  To be honest I'd never thought about wearing a bodysuit again.  My torso is very short and with a low set bust I literally have 3" between my bust and natural waist. My natural inclination is to hide that fact with long shirts that visually lengthen the area.

But I loved how Nettie looked on so many other bloggers. They all looked like chic ballerinas playing hookie from the theater.  My brain started playing the theme to "Fame"* and I thought, "Hmmmm ballerina chic? That might work."

The stash was consulted for inspiration and it did not disappoint.  This rayon parrot print almost flew at me and squawked, "Sew me into a gathered skirt! That will look great with a bodysuit"  But parrots, I replied, I don't really like gathered skirts.  The parrots gave me the evil bird eye** and said, "Oh yeah? Why do you like that Anna/Emery dress so much then, you punk?"  Crap, the parrots did have a point and they looked like they might get ill tempered if crossed.  I took their advice/orders, attaching the Emery Skirt to a self drafted curved waistband to make a light swooshy skirt

Since the parrots were back and white, (fine ivory. Damn computer screen fooled me again) it seemed right to break out my other favorite neutral. That's right peeps, the color red is a neutral in this house.  So I "liberated" some Lillestoff from the kids stash and made myself Nettie #2. This time with fitting alterations!

Did I nail the ballerina chic? If so can I join the "Flashdance" gang?  Word on the street is that they run around dosing people with buckets of glitter.

Pattern
Nettie Bodysuit from Closet Case Files with enough of the Kitschy Lady skater bodice grafted on to mention it.

Bonus Pattern - Christine Haynes Emery.  No changes were made to this other than attaching it to a waistband.

Fabrics used
Lillestoff cotton jersey.  You can get a 10/12 sized combo out of a yard of Lillestoff and still have enough over to color block a T-shirt for your son. You know, if you feel any guilt about stealing fabric earmarked for him.

Pattern changes/alterations
My biggest fitting problem with Nettie was that the upper back width was much too narrow for my figure.  I felt constricted when moving my arms forward and the shoulder seams would pop up off my shoulders in an odd manner. There were two ways a girl could go about fixing this. Slash and spread, then make up a few muslins to check fit or use a pattern I knew fit me and trace off the shoulder/armhole position. I went the easy route and pulled out the Lady Skater to trace off the back dimensions.

1. Lining up the shoulder seams I traced the shoulder/armhole/side seam area of the Lady onto Nettie. This gave me 4 extra inches across the upper back. Awesome, that should be enough room for the sweet dowager hump I'm working on.

2. However, the change to the back meant that the front now had to be modified to get the shoulder seams to match.  I went the easy way and traced the lady skater front into Nettie.  This gives about 2" more width across the upper part of the bodice.

3. Then to complete my cycle of lazy fitting, I changed the neckline to the Lady Skater neckline and used the LS sleeve.

4. The LS sleeve did look a little big with the tightly fitted body.  I took 3/4" out of the circumference at the underarm sleeve and also made them a cap length.

5. The crotch length was reduced by 1" because it was a little long on me.

Confessions/Advice
1 - The directions are really well done, but I've been full of the "sewing dumb" lately. One of the crotch pieces/snaps got sewn to the wrong side of the garment before I noticed.

2. Guess who's still in denial about needing a sway back adjustment for all garments?  This girl. Next version will get one.

3. I'm pretty pleased with this version but would like to tweak the pattern a bit more.  Next version I'm going to lower the neckline back to it's original position and try the Nettie sleeve in the narrowed lady skater armhole.

4. Bonus skirt confession - I really hate cutting and sewing rayon wovens.  But wearing them is makes you forget all that just like childbirth.

Husband Comment
"You look puuuuurty."  Then later the same day he said, "What do you wear that bodysuit thing with?"  Ummmmm with a skirt.....like I was wearing a few hours ago.  He was distracted by the color red. It happens.

My Final Thoughts
Oh man, is this outfit comfortable.  I was really sad when the bodysuit had to be taken off to get some detail shots and, confession, finish sewing on the snaps.  Comfy and cute......I need 4 more.  Can I get a summer wardrobe staple alert. "BEEP BEEEP!"

P.S.  The necklace and earrings are from Bluehourdesigns on Etsy. I picked them up last month with some birthday money and couldn't be happier.

*The "Fame" theme song still makes me want to enroll in ballet classes immediately. Too bad I'm horribly uncoordinated.
** I'm sure not all pet parrots are evil spawns of satan. However every one I've met tried to take a chunk out of me for having the gull to enter their human's house.

Now You'll Sleeeeeep.....then I'll steal your shoes

Hello all. I hope you have your shoe closets locked up tight, cause I'm about to knock you out with one heck of a dress. That's right, I was not speaking in hyperbole during the last #sewdollyclackett post about hemming a poppy dress. The "Painterly Poppy Dress" is real, and it's amazing. (I'm really getting into this whole dress naming thing. Long live Dolly Clackette!)

Are you feeling woozy yet? No?  Darn!  Frog say in a ready position with the shoe boxes, I have to soften them up with a few more photographs. I know, let's pander to the pocket lovers. Back side of pocket bag matches skirt, front pocket doesn't. Ooo La, la.

This is my #sewdollyclackett dress number two, a pattern mash up of the By Hand London Anna bodice with the Christine Haynes Emery skirt.  OMG, don't these two patterns looks fabulous together. I just want to squee all over myself and make a couple more. The credit for this idea goes to Jennifer Lauren and her amazing Christmas Dress.  Upon seeing it I drooled all over the keyboard and then plotted to make one of my own.

That must have made Ann, over at Gorgeous Fabrics, spider senses tingle.  She went and posted the perfect fabric for this type of dress, a giant floral boarder print. The print starts out as kind of like a multi-colored polka dot that gradually morphs into poppies and foliage. YES, YES, YES, take my money!

If you can believe it, this was my very first border print purchase. The plan was to make the Anna/Emery combo and put the largest flowers on both the hem and top of the bodice. However my Christmas cookie addled brain neglected to realize that I'd need extra yardage to do this. It just though, "Hey 2 yards of 60" fabric is plenty for a sleeveless dress."  Yeah dumb dumb, if it's an all over print.....but you only want to use the one edge!  Past Heather, buy another yard!!!  Past Heather never listens. She probably couldn't hear me with her head buried in a cookie tin anyway. It was time for Present day Heather to put on the thinking cap and came up with a solution.

After playing around with the pattern pieces, I could see that after cutting the skirt some of the large floral area would still be left. I could also cut the bodice upside down on the print, to get some of the smaller flowers in the shoulder area. Then a few large flowers could be cut out and appliqued to the bodice.  This crazy plan might just might work!

I cut the skirt and bodice pieces as planed and then used the lighter print area for all the pieces that wouldn't show.  Except for the one side of the pocket bag, they needed to blend nicely in with the skirt. See my brain was working on that day.

After completing the rest of the dress I turned my attention to harvesting some of those large flowers. To keep the edges from fraying, I block fused the fabric before cutting. Then for added insurance I put fray check on the backside edges.

When it came time to attach the flowers on inspiration struck.  I had some left over beads in my craft supplies, why not use those to hide the hand stitching?  Get out the needles, cause we've got some beading to do. Who am I doing all this hand work? Frog hand me some chocolate, I think these poppies must be making me a little high.

Tadaaaa, a pop of red color on top, balancing the bottom. Perfect!

After completing this dress I knew it needed some very special shoes......and none of my red shoes matched the orange red poppies. Oops, I once again bought a fabric that is not in my color scheme. At least the background isn't ivory this time.  Then Frog told me I was thinking about this all wrong.  A dress that necessitates a shoe purchase should be a plus. Thanks Froggie, you'll always be my number 1 enabler.

So we asked ourselves WWDCD - What would Dolly Clackett Do? Purchase Miss L Fire heels with the grapes on the toes?  Yes, yes, she would.

Oh sweet, I think those shoes finally made all of you pass out.  Frog, plan "Rudy Slipper" is a go! Start filling the shoe boxes.  Muhaa haaa! You didn't know I was the wicked witch did you? My color correcting and my new nose totally had you fooled.  "I'll get you my pretties and all your little shoes too." Then I'll instagram my new ensembles, I'm not a monster after all.