Finished: Vogue 1067 DKNY suit

This weekend I finished the DKNY suit jacket after weeks of work. 

And I must be honest (sigh): I just don't love it!  My main problem with the jacket is that the pattern does not seem to allow for "turn of the cloth" and the seams are very visbile on the collar and facing. This may be because, per the pattern instructions, the edges are supposed to be raw and have a fringe trim.  Also, the thickness of the boucle adds bulk, despite that I trimmed the seam allowances. I dunno, I think it looks homemade. 

This stinks because I so adore the fabric.  It's a wool boucle from Paron's in the Garment District that I purchased over the summer (3 yards at $14/yard).  I just love the flecks of primary colors: red, yellow, green, light blue, black.  It's such a distinct material.

I spent a lot of time making this: making sure that the princess-seamed lining eased in without wrinkles, covering the jumbo metals snaps with fabric, hand-stitching the pockets and sleeves. But I question whether I will end up wearing this much because of its "loving hands at home" feel.  I fear that I'm not at the point where I should be making jackets. I made one earlier in the fall, and I liked it, but I didn't end up wearing it. I feel so much better about the dresses I've made.

The one good thing about this project is the skirt, which I am obsessed with!

 I couldn't wait to wear it to work today!

The pattern is McCall's 3830, which Amber recently raved about.  I agree - it's a great pattern.  This is the view that hits right above the knee.

I ripped out the side seams a few times before I got a perfect fit: I had cut a size 12, but graded out to about a 14 at the hips, and tapered the skirt in 2 inches (an inch on each side). The wool seemed to stretch a bit today, so I may take it in, and perhaps taper it more, before I wear it next. The pattern itself is super easy, especially if you follow the instructions and don't line it (though I did).

I'm trying to look on the bright side here: I got experience making a jacket, including constructing a collar with a stand (shockingly easy!).

And I do rather like it styled casually!  Here with 7 for all Mankind Ginger high-waist jeans, a yellow knit shirt I from a store in Rome (a random foreign purchase, I know, but when do you see yellow shirts here?!) and Nine West flats.

  So all I wasted was a bit of money, and some time.  No big deal.

"But dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for
that is the stuff life is made of." - Benjamin Franklin

Oh, shut up Ben.

Boston Store Review: Windsor Button

On Saturday the Husband and I took a trip to Boston on the pretense of my wanting to visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History, with a "quick stop" at Windsor Button in Chinatown.  He asked if I wanted to visit "that fabric store nearby" (WinMil) as well.  I'm a lucky girl! 

(Well, I later learned that my husband wasn't being completely altruistic - he believes that if he enables my fabric purchases, I won't be able to give him crap for his expending significant sums on golf every summer weekend.  I really don't care that he does, but he is insuring himself.  If you can't tell, he's an attorney, too.)

I wanted to stop at Windsor to find covered snaps for my DKNY jacket, which the store ultimately didn't have.  I did find plain jumbo metal snaps, however, which JoAnn's does not seem to stock.  (And I found a solution for them.)

I was expecting a huge notions emporium, and was slightly disappointed.  The right-hand side of the store is mostly craft items and yarn, and JoAnn's notions section is just as big.

However, as the name would suggest, Windsor does have an extreme selection of buttons.  Half of the store's left wall is covered top to bottom with buttons.  The prices were okay: about $1.49 - $2.49 for most one inch buttons; smaller were less, larger buttons were more.  The service was great: the young clerk was more than willing to pull down as many bins as I wanted to see, and was helpful with suggesting other options. In addition to the snaps, I ultimately chose coconut shell buttons for an upcoming project, and picked up decorative bamboo rings.

If you are looking for a completely random belt buckle or obscure snap, it might not be at Windsor Button, but you will be able to find any button you could wish for there.  And if you live/work downtown, it'd be easier to get notions here than driving to a big-box JoAnn's in the 'burbs.


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Every time I visit, I can't get over the fabulousness of WinMil Fabrics.  It doesn't rival the size of Mood or even Paron's in NYC, but what the store lacks in selection it makes up for in price and quality. 

The winter woolens are all marked down to $6.98 a yard.  There were some nice pieces, though not a whole lot left.

In preparation for spring/summer, there was a rack of Nantucket-appropriate cottons for $4.98 - $5.98 a yard.  I picked up an oversized plaid for a sundress. 

WinMil has a small, but enticing, selection of silks and satins.  I was thisclose to purchasing an uh-mazing floral watercolor 100% silk.  I mean, this fabric was gorgeous.  Even Husband exclaimed a "Wow".  For *9.99* a yard.  But it was even less than 45", and I had to buy 3 yards of it, as WinMil has a policy of not leaving less than 2 yards on a bolt (the store's one negative). 

I wanted this fabric so badly, but I really need to start saying no.  It's not as much a matter of cost... budget is of course a factor, but in the past I would have sprung for a $29.99 Banana Repbulic dress.  Instead, time is the issue:  I have a bin of fabric (not including the winter box upstairs) and a list of at least 20 projects.  Of course, this was an ultra-special fabric.... but I just didn't need it.  Aren't you proud of my restraint? 

Lying in bed last night, still thinking of the fabric, I realized that it would have made a perfect dress for my little cousin's North Carolina wedding in June.  Ugh.

DKNY Suit Jacket: Almost There!

I decided to disregard the pattern instruction's raw edges and finish the jacket the traditional way.

Your comments made me question whether the raw edges - and the style - would hold up.  This is a traditional piece that I want to wear for years, and the wool was already starting to fray in some spots just from being cut; I began to doubt that the edges would last for even a few wears.

I have a lot of hand stitching to do - adding the pockets, fasteners, and attaching the lining - but will hopefully finish later this week!

DKNY Vogue 1067 is one weird pattern...

Thanks for your help in deciding what suit jacket to make - though it was about an equal split between Vogue 1067 and Vogue 7975!  I like them both, too.  I decided to use the multi-colored tweed fabric to make the DKNY jacket, because I began to envision the classic Chanel-style jacket in a still-yet-to-be-found cream boucle. 

Tthe lining of the DKNY jacket is complete:

Fine so far.  Though the side panels were a pain to ease in: it took a lot of snipping and spreading of the seam allowances.  But I wouldn't settle for a wrinkly seam.  The sleeves were much easier to insert: this is the first time I used the gathering method to attach the sleeve, and it was so easy!

But it's gonna get crazy: the lining is attached to the fashion fabric in the oddest way.  The strips of fringe surrounding all the edges of the jacket are to be sandwiched between the wrong sides of the fashion fabric and lining, with the raw edges showing!  The layers are topstitched together.  Wha....?!   

Click to enlarge the instructions - I'm not crazy, right?!

I searched for the original version to determine if the edges are raw, but can't see enough of the detail:

DKNY RTW Fall 2007, Images style.com

I fear this will look terribly Becky Home-Ecy.  I don't know if I will admit that I made this, for fear people will say/think: "Yeah, I can see that."  But then again, I've been feelin the deconstructed look lately, so maybe the raw hems will seem... kinda cool?  Perhaps the point is to make the sophisticated style of the jacket less stuffy? 

Yikes!  I'm excited to see how it turns out, good or bad...!  Stay tuned....

Vera Wang Lavender Label Fabrics $1.95/yard

Fabric.com has marked most of the Vera Wang Lavender Label fabrics to $1.95 a yard.  The fabrics appear to be from the Fall 2008 collection. 

I purchased 3 yards of this purple red-flecked wool:

To make a similiar skirt suit:

I had originally pegged this teal boucle:

for a skirt suit, but I love the coat Vera Wang made of the material:

I also grabbed a yard of this chartreuse woven:

for a skirt:

The "techno tafettas", which the above jacket and top are made of, are on sale, but there aren't many colors.  I wish the blue above was available, as I adore the yellow and blue combination! 

There are other fabrics from the same collection (which I did not get), such as the jacquard for this dress, and a navy circle jacquard as well:

Ultimately, I picked up enough to make 4 skirts, 3 suit skirts, 3 shirts, and 3 dresses (plus 2 lining fabrics) for *$35.42* (with a 30% off a $50 order coupon code).  I almost feel guilty about how cheap the order was.  Most of these fabrics will go into storage for next fall, though I did get some spring/summer appropriate cuts. 

I just love off-season shopping: insane prices and, if you pack the items away and forget about them, a pleasant surprise later on.  I purchased a large order of Ralph Lauren chino from fabrics.com last year when they were marked down to $1.95/yard, and now have a large stash to pick from for spring.  Since I am not buying clothing, I'm glad that I can still get an off-season bargain thrill from fabric shopping! 

If you have Monday off as I do, happy long sewing weekend (or shopping?)!

Party Frock: Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2472

I made this dress for my husband's aunt's Twelfth Night party this past weekend. 

It is Simplicity 2472, view B (the middle-length dress).  It appears to be a simple tunic (the muslin looked like a hospital gown!), but the neckline band, large band at the bottom, and gathered sleeves give it interest.  This is a shape I don't often wear, but I love it!  I think it's my favorite sewn item yet.

I *heart* the fabric - it's a navy and cream (snakeskin print?) satin from WinMil in Boston.  The fabric is very thick.  It was $5.98/yard, and the pattern takes 2 yards. Overall, this cost well under $20 to make.

Pear-shape girls beware: this pattern is designed for thin, straight up and down figures.  I usually sew a size 12 in dresses, but I made this in a 10 because I thought the fit would be blousy.  However, I had to go out an inch at the hip, so this is probably more like a 14 at the bottom. Seriously, save yourself the heartache and add some width to the pattern's bottom before you even make a muslin. I ultimately had to make 2.

I stitched-in-the-ditch to fasten the neck facing, something I am mysteriously competent at (the pattern says to topstitch).  I couldn't get the arm facings to pull in far enough to catch the edge to stitch-in-the-ditch, so I used 2 rows of topstitching to secure the band.  There is top stitching above the bottom band as well.

I think there is an error in the pattern instructions for attaching the bottom band; I could not figure out what it says to do.  So, I treated the bottom band like the neck or arm facing, and just folded the band into the inside.  Ultimately, it looks like the pattern picture.

I really love this.  I think the fabric has a lot to do with it, but I also like the modern, fun shape.  I'm pleased with my construction, too.  I can wear it now with navy opaque tights and strappy silver sandles, topped with a cream tuxedo jacket, and in the spring/summer with neutral heels (with accessories, of course, which are seriously lacking in these photos).

Deconstructed clothing: has it gone too far here?

A recent Threads article commented that "we're living in an era of deconstructed clothes.  Raw edges have become fashion elements."  I am all for it!  I love the modern touch that exposed seams or obvious zippers can bring to a garment, especially a more traditional one.

For example, the obvious seams on this skirt in Twinkle Sews give it a rough edge that keeps the long skirt out of old-fashioned territory.

You either love or hate an exposed zipper. Personally, I like the bit of cool it brings to an outfit, especially on a conservative piece like a pencil skirt or shift dress:

Stella McCartney

Ann Taylor

I covet Gertie's exposed-zipper shift dress here.

But I think deconstructed detailing has its limits, and my limit is ripped clothing.  I've always hated the idea of "distressed" jeans with manufactured holes.  I still remember a neighbor's teenage granddaughter's shredded acid-washed pair, circa 1987, that made me think, even as a youngster, "WTF?".  But well-loved jeans are supposed to develop holes at stress points, so if you want to force that look, fine I suppose.  But I just can't stomach rips as a design feature on what would otherwise be very beautiful clothing.

Images from style.com

I think Raf Simons for Jil Sander Spring 2010 RTW went too far here. It's just too subversive, for the sake of being subversive.  It's too much for me.

Or am I being fuddy duddy?  What do you think of rips as trim?