Dress Appropriately

Well, I got a Summons for Jury Duty in the mail today.

I need to be ready to report the week beginning November 23... the week of Thanksgiving! And get this, they don't even give you a postage-paid return envelope for the mandatory Juror Profile Questionnaire (but you do have the option to fill it out on-line).

If they use me, this will seriously cut into my Thanksgiving preparations!

As I was reading through the form with all of the instructions, I saw a box on the back side that says "ATTIRE - Jurors should dress appropriately in keeping with court room decorum."

Immediately a little light of excitement went off. Perry Mason!!!!!! Della Street!!!!!! I just love that show. My grandmother was the biggest Perry Mason fan on the planet; she drooled over him. That show was on constantly, in reruns, from as long as my memory goes back.

I can show up to dressed in perfect 1950's courtroom attire... a nice wool dress or suit (like the Thanksgiving dress I'm planning to make). Conservative, but not prudish. Serious but feminine. I could even wear a hat and gloves.

This inconvenience suddenly turned into opportunity!

My son was laughing at me. Maybe the hat and gloves would be too much. But then again, why not? No episode of Perry Mason is complete without a courtroom surprise!

Wool Crepe

What the heck happened to October? Other than finishing my red coat, not a lot of sewing got done in October. We did have fun decorating for Halloween, though. I hope everybody else was sewing away and having fun!

I managed to get half of my sewing room re-organized; the annex portion is still a tip! But at least it was a start and I'll get pictures soon!

Now that it's November, I can move on to two projects using one of my favorite fabrics: wool.

The first project is going to be a dress and jacket ensemble using a gorgeous, embroidered wool crepe. I want to wear it on Thanksgiving. I made a wool blend dress last Thanksgiving and I think I will make this my new Thanksgiving tradition!
The second project is a coat from a to-die-for wool herringbone coating called "Ivy League".

I'll get more pictures soon, but wanted to get posting to get myself in gear!

Oh, the Shame of It!!!!!

It is with great shame that I am posting pictures of my sewing room and adjacent annex.


Ever since moving last June, I've not really ever managed to get it set up in a way that works and flows well. However, with the latest furniture shifting, I think I this layout may be close.

The sewing annex section (over the garage "bonus room") houses not only sewing stuff, but other craft supplies and all of the vintage jewelery, accessories, games, toys and pop culture things I covet. With no structure in place, it's turned into a dumping ground.

I've made a few efforts over the last several months to sort it out by purchasing little shelves for under my sewing table and long shelving racks on the low/apex walls of the annex section (DH hung those for me).

The whole area is stifling me. I've done nothing this last week because I walk in and don't know where to begin. AND, my fabric haul from Louise's auction isn't even in here! It's been sorted into categories on the big table in my basement until I can wash/treat it and bring it up.

Hopefully these shameful pictures will motivate me into getting my back side in gear. I've just printed off labels for plastic storage bins that need sorting through. I thought that would be a good starting point.

I also need to address lighting, but I'll do that after it's organized.

The Red Twill Coat

This coat was a mixed bag. Some parts were easy, other parts gave me fits.

I had issues with the topstitching - it was loopy underneath. I adjusted the tension, used a topstitching needle and thread, used cardboard to keep the fabric flat (chunky SA)... it helped a little but still wasn't perfect.

The instructions would have you sew the bodice lining to the fabric. I skipped this because I bagged the lining. It is so much faster. If you've never bagged a lining before or need a refresher, here is a great article in Threads - How to Bag a Lining.

I continued with the construction of the jacket. Next were the sleeves which gave me great fits. I'm not happy with them. I've never had problems with set in sleeves until this coat. There was a huge amount of ease at the sleevecap. I could not for the life of me ease it in without sewing in pleats. It took me three attempts to finally sew it without pleats, but it is still puckered at the top. I think this is due to the twill because when I did this step on the lining (a softer, more pliable fabric), I had no issues. **I'd be interested in anybody's thoughts or experience about this.

The skirt construction was straight forward; more topstitching along the waistline seam. Here I didn't follow the instructions that have you topstitch through the fabric AND lining. I was already having issues due to the thickness so I topstiched before the lining was added. Same issues.The lining was constructed the same as the jacket, then bagged. I understitched all along the top neckline and front edges.

Because of my topstitching issues, I decided to not topstitch along the top, front and bottom edges. The twill provided structure and understitching preventing rolling.The sleeve edges (fabric and lining) were pressed under and slip stitched into place. I blind machine hemmed the lining and hand blind hemmed the coat fabric. I've grown to love hand hemming!!!

Then I made French tacks at the three seams. It was my first attempt at French tacks, which didn't turn out well. I do something weird with thread (and things like appliance cords) and always manage to twist them. (DH curses me when he pulls out the vacuum.) My tacks were more like French twists... or French tangles! Maybe one day I'll redo them...

After that was done, all that was left were the buttonholes and buttons. Thankfully, the end of the project went smoothly! I used fun buttons that blended from black to gray, to add some contrast and interest. I envision wearing the coat with these colors. The buttons will bring outfit and coat together.

This coat has many flaws and imperfections. But I still like it. Projects are funny like that. Sometimes a garment can be perfectly constructed, but it doesn't send you "the love." This coat, on contrast, has issues that I wish it didn't, but I will still wear it and have fun doing so. It's a great style and I love the vintage red twill. DH said that it looks very retro, like something off of the set of Austin Powers. My DS 11 y/o said it's futuristic! I say it's got style either way!

Win a Vintage Pattern!

I want to thank all of the people who read and follow my blog, read my reviews on PR and those who voted for me in PR's Vintage Pattern Contest earlier this year. I'm humbled that my projects and ramblings are of interest to people when there are so many talented people out there in the blogosphere.

Therefore, as a token of my appreciation, I'm going to conduct a drawing for a vintage pattern. I have a huge stash of vintage patterns acquired from auctions and would like to share them with others who are passionate about vintage.

Here's how it will work:

1. During the month of October, 2009 sew a project. It doesn't have to be vintage, just made during October.
   
2. Post a comment here on my blog that includes a link to your project. I will keep track of the names.
   
3. On November 1 (or shortly thereafter), I will put all of the names of those who participated into a (vintage) hat. My son will then draw two names from said hat.
   
4. There will be two winners; the prizes will be the patterns pictured below. My son will pick the winner for Pattern #1 first, and Pattern #2 second. It will be completely random as to who wins which pattern.
   
5. I will post my email address when the drawing is finished so that the winners can send me their mailing address.

I hope that people will participate! While most of us sew year round, projects have lots of exciting possibilities this time of year with all of the holidays just around the corner!

Thank you for visiting my blog; Happy Sewing!


Pattern #1-Vintage Simplicity 3528: late 50's/early 60's, B32, Partially cut, complete, instructions included


Pattern #2 - McCall's 2619: 1970, B36, factory folded, instructions included.

The Vintage Hat from which the names will be drawn: 100% wool, original price tag still attached, price paid $4.99. Any help dating?

In Memory of a Great Red Coat

I have/had a great, red wool winter coat. It was calf length with bulky, cuffed sleeves, a high collar and a dramatic drape that went of the left shoulder.



I bought the coat when I was 18 (er, um 1984) and it saw me through numerous winters. When I lived in the Virgin Islands for three years, I stored it at my grandfather's house. When I returned to Chicago and moved downtown in late '92, my beloved coat was reinstated into service.


The coat was warm and cozy with all of its bulk and high collar. And it stood out. On more than one occasion on a snowy-bad weather day (the kind when you and everybody else in Chicago is trying to hail a cab), I had a cabbie tell me he pulled over to me because he saw my red coat! Another time when out do dinner, I overheard a gentlemen at a table say to his friend as I walked by "That woman in the red coat looks like a model." (This was obviously a LONG time ago.) Who wouldn't love a coat that get that generates that type of reaction?

My poor coat did not fare well during my England years. It was damaged by moths, along with other silks and woolens, despite my efforts to protect my closet. I was devastated.

It's been eight or nine years since I discovered the holes and I could never bear to discard my wonderful coat. Maybe if I put it to the side, the moth holes will go away...

Well they haven't; I still have the coat. Maybe I'll be able to reconstruct it or salvage parts of it. It's a mess now, wrinkled, covered in dog hair and lint... I mourn this coat. I will bring it to the dry cleaners and see what I can do.

In the meantime, in honor of the red coat, last week I started a lightweight coat. I need a coat for autumn/spring weather, when there's that bite in the air but it's still too warm for a winter coat.

While looking through my stash, Louise's vibrant red, cotton twill kept jumping out at me. Originally, I wanted to make a trench from it. However, it's a vintage 36" wide and with only 3 yards, there wasn't enough fabric.

So I'm marrying old with new and making a stylish, modern coat from Vogue 8548 with this gorgeous, vintage fabric. I love the bucket collar; the twill should hold the shape well. I'm lining it with flannel back satin.

The coat has a fair amount of topstitching. Thanks to the ladies at PR I received some wonderful advice about which thread, needle, etc. to use. I'm using a heavier, topstitching thread by Gutterman and a topstitching 80/12 needle.


It's progressing well although there is considerable ease in the sleevecap which is giving me some fits. I usually don't have issues with sleeves, but I'm geared up to head to my sewing room and get this coat finished!

Must Have Red Coat!

Update - Me Wearing the Blouse

DH took some pics of me in the blouse. As lovely as Doris is, it's always nice to see it on the person for whom it was made.