Help me decide + a finished Jennifer Lauren Bronte top

This is going to be super short, because it's almost dinner time, and post dinner, there might be enough time to actually finish my second Bronte top and cut out the skirt to go with it.  I need your help though deciding which side of the fabric to use.  A little background.  This fabric was bought in August 2013 in Moscow.  I got it because it was actually made in Russia, and an interesting design.  I plan on making a pencil skirt with it.  The main design will be offset.  Anyway, which one do you like?

 

 Choice 1. (Alex is also behind the fabric about to run out of it.)

 Choice 2.  After this shot, Alex grabbed the fabric and decided to play with it.

 It's the happiest I've seen him all day.  He's been a cranky-poo as his tummy has been bothering him.

Leave a comment to let me know which side you like better.  And here's a quick peak at the Bronte top.

Beco do Batman and finished V1353

I hope that everyone had a great fourth of July.  As we're winding down our time in Brazil (we leave in less than four weeks!  Egads!) I decided that it's good to revisit some of our favorite spots.  My favorite place to go is Beco do Batman or in English-Batman's Alley.  Now, I know what you're thinking, why would her favorite place in Sao Paulo be an alley.  Or you might have seen the Anthony Bourdain show about Sao Paulo.  Beco do Batman is the preeminent place for graffiti in Sao Paulo, or if you prefer street art.  I kind of like the term graffiti better, because it catches the presumed illegality of creating the art. In most South American countries, graffiti is not necessary illegal, especially in Sao Paulo.  If you've ever seen Sao Paulo, it is covered in both the street art style of graffiti and pixacao style.  (Pixacao is an own language of itself once used for political statements, but now usually used by youth to write their names and or rival gangs- here is more information.)

Anyway,  I figured since I was going to be taking loads of pictures anyway, as the art continually changes in the alley, I might as well wear my newest make.  Let's get started with the pictures.  (Warning- there are a lot!)  Oh I forgot to add that the Alley is named Batman, because the original piece of graffiti was of Batman overlooking the alley.  He's gone now, but the name remains. 

We'll start with the dress, and then end with some of my favorite pieces of art. So I've decided that it was raincoating material after all.  It's definitely waterproof, and a pain to iron.  I made it work, and even got a compliment on it by a shop assistant.  (On a side note, if you're looking for Brazilian designer clothing, the street next to the alley is great.)

Hopefully it's just the lighting, but it really looks like I'm going gray.

Here is a closer look at the top.  Notice only one row of top stitching.  We'll discuss that later.

 Here are some closer looks at the dress.  Don't look too closely at the zipper.  It's not perfect, even after six tries.  Yes... six tries.  It was cursing it by the third, but I persevered.  Granted, the sixth try was to fix the fit, but it was still five times unpicking the thing.  I had to take out an inch at the neck line tapering it to nothing at the waist.  This is a common alteration I have to make.  I took in the shoulder about a half inch.

 

 I gave up on serging the edges, as it's waxed cotton/raincoating/whatever.  Those edges are not going to fray.  I decided to skip the hem facing.  I used seam binding instead, so then I could just turn up up the hem and sew.  This also preserved more of the length.

For the lining I used a bemberg rayon that I had lying around.  I decided to only line the bodice, since the outer fabric decided to be fairly unbreathable.  I hoped that this would help keep the dress cooler.

I used the same black bias binding to finish the hem of the lining.  I still need the tack the lining down... And clean up those threads.  Now back to the Alley!  I'll let the pictures talk for themselves.

The lining kept on popping out.  When I got home, I added a second row of topstitching to keep it down.  I think this was the result of the silk organza interfacing.

This is one of my favorite pieces.  It's so nice and simple.

 

We happened upon another photo shoot.  Their outfits were decidedly more interesting than mine.

Look it's a real Space Invader.  There are actually quite of few of his works around Sao Paulo.  It's fun to try and find them.  I'm a tiny bit bummed about the Alley constantly changing.  My favorite piece has since been painted over.   I can only imagine why.  Until next time, I have a Bronte top to finish.

Happy Independence Day!

Good morning everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July.  Make sure to blow up a little bit of America for me.   Today Brazil plays in the quarter-final of the World Cup, so I'm sure we'll get our share of fireworks.  Work celebrated the fourth officially the other day, so it's just a free day off for me.  What will I be doing today?  Hopefully finishing the dress I started two days ago.  I need to go get a zipper for it, but have to wait until 10 AM to do so.  So anyway, as it's not finished, I thought that I would show you some in progress shots, as well as wrap up the me-mades I wore this week.  Let's start with the dress.

It's Vogue Patterns 1353 a pattern designed by Kay Unger New York.  It is rated easy, but has some interesting little features.  Shall we take a look at the Vogue version of it?

It's a fully lined sleeveless dress with pleating at the the neckline and at the waist.  Honestly, I looooooovve the fabric they used for this dress.  It's amazing, right? Well of course when Vogue actually uses a print that you like, it's nowhere to be found.  This also happened a couple of years ago when they used a green plaid wool, but whatevs right.  Anyway.  I got this pattern in August 2013, but have never used it, even though it was love at first sight.  I finally found a print that would do justice to the dress this last Saturday at Bras. 

 

That's right, my coated cotton.  It's looking a little gray here, but in real life, it's a army drab green with black/gray/white abstract flowers on it.  I think it's going be fantastic- maybe with a bright blue belt?  The fabric is easy to sew, but weird to iron.  I've been using a silk organza press cloth, but when you iron the backside, you then have to peel it off from the ironing board.  Also it sticks to each other.  I don't think this fabric is quite rain gear, but maybe they silk screened it?  I like it though.  

This is a little closer to the correct background color.  I think it's slightly more green.  One of the interesting things about the pattern is the use of sew-in interfacing at the neckline and the armholes.  Once you sew the front and back together (sides only) you then sew the lining to the neckline and armholes and then turn.  Then you sew the should seams.  How you sew the shoulders is the only thing I'm going to change.  When I altered a Lilly Pulitzer for my niece, she used french seams in the shoulder for this type of style.  I think that's how I'm going to do it.  I love a good french seam.  Oh I guess the other thing I might change in the construction is that Vogue has you using a four inch hem facing to finish the bottom.  I either might just do a narrow hem, or a smaller hem facing.  This fabric will not hide stitches, so I don't think I can blind stitch the hem. 

Anyway....  this is my first of two dresses with this pattern.  The other dress I plan on making is an ode to a dress that Angelina Jolie wore recently.  This picture of it was found here.  

It's got the same neckline, but has 3/4 length sleeves and a straight skirt.  (I will not be making it full length).  It should be super easy to frankenpattern this pattern with another Vogue sleeve pattern, and my trusty V2514 skirt.  What do you think?

Oh in case you are wondering... This is what I am wearing today.  It's difficult, when Brazil is playing on your national holiday, how do you marry the patriotic red/white/blue with the yellow of your only Brazil tee-shirt?  I think I did ok.  I'm going to wear it with my pink floral shoes (so then there's a member of the 'red' family).  It's a cotton sateen self drafted pleated skirt. The fabric was picked up during the Male Pattern Boldness 2012 meetup at Mood Fabrics.  I was newly pregnant (and feeling it) so this was the only fabric I ended up with.  I wish I could go this year, I'll be in the states during that time, but really can't fly halfway across the country for one day?

Anyway!  Happy Fourth!  Vai Brasil!  Until next time.  Oh P.S.  I finally figured out how to fix my button dilemma for my coat.  I need to cut out a new button placket and facing, and then dammit I'm using giant snaps!  I think it should work.  I already deconstructed that part of the coat, just need to resew it.  After this dress.

Shoe Tuesday Continues

Well it's Tuesday.  For a short day at work (we got out at 3PM so everyone could be home to watch the 5PM US-Belgium game) it lasted forever. And then what a disappointing end to the US-Belgium game.  The US Mens team fought so hard, but it just wasn't meant to be.  But enough about soccer, let's talk about shoes.  I received a lovely package in the mail yesterday from G.H. Bass company, from whom I bought on a sale impulse buy some new loafers.  I wore the first pair today.

 

It was a funny picture, but of course you can't really see the shoes nor the dress.  Let's try again.  

 

 A pair of floral loafers (technically I think they are drivers, but loafers work). They are insanely comfortable, and are part of my quest to make up for the cream and tan Bass Weejuns with hearts on the strap that I literally wore a hole in.  I think that they work pretty well.  Now as this is a sewing blog, I of course wore them with something I made.  The dress is another Vogue patterns, made sometime in 2013 post baby.  Most likely May/June 2013.  The pattern no longer appears to be on the Vogue Patterns website, and I'm too lazy to get up to figure out which one it was. 

 It's made out of a cotton sateen from Gorgeous Fabrics, which I bought four yards of, made this dress, a jacket and a skirt.  Then I bought 3 more yards, made another skirt and a pair of pants.  I've gained a bit of weight since making it, making the lack of the FBA (full bust adjustment) very apparent in these pictures.  I could have really used an extra inch in length on the upper bodice.  If I make it again, I will definitely make that change.  I still got loads of compliments on it today.  I really like the pleating and the skirt.

 

Here it is from the back.  The wrinkles I think are more from the weird posing to try and get my remote shutter release to work.  The little guy is helping direct the photo shoot.  He was very into it.

 

As it was all of 48 degrees this morning in Sao Paulo, I wore it with my Pappercut Patterns bomber jacket.  I love this jacket.  I have decided to stick with the floral theme for the rest of the week as well.  I'm sure that I can do it.  Brazil has made me covet all things floral.

When I finished with taking the photos and was looking at them, Alex decided it was his turn.  Here are some photos of him, mainly to placate the grandparents, well that and he's super cute.

He was dressed in his 'Where's Waldo' outfit to root on the USMNT.  He also decided that it was floral week, and he had to wear the new shoes. He stole them off the chair.

Who wears them better?  Anyway, in other news, I have been studying up on shoe making for the last couple of months, and finally ordered a kit to make my first pair.  (I have been slowly ordering all the supplies over the last couple of months.)  It should be meeting me in Kansas in August.  I am super excited. Then we really can have a shoe Tuesday theme.  Would you make your own shoes?  If you could, what kind of shoe would you make?  Until next time.