Reader Poll for Book Two: Fly Front Pants?

Hey readers! I'm hard at work planning the skills and designs to go into my second book, Gertie Sews Vintage Casual (due out Fall 2014). I've come to a conundrum that has completely flummoxed me: do vintage enthusiasts care about fly front pants? I thought I'd go right to the source: you, dear readers.

Fly front trousers were very unusual for women in the 40s and 50s; the majority of pants had a back zipper. However, there are always exceptions to the rule! The great Katharine Hepburn's signature clothing item was beige gabardine trousers with a fly front. Here's an example from her actual wardrobe.

Sewing patterns for fly front pants are almost impossible to find in this era. Here's a lone exception from the 50s.

My point is: sure, fly front pants are not completely historically inaccurate. But does that mean that we want to make them? I personally do not like a fly on a high-waisted trouser since the fly opening has to be so long, making the pants look strange proportionately (at least to my eye). But on the pro side, I think sewing a fly front is an invaluable skill, and one that I've been teaching a lot lately in my classes at Marist College.

So I'm going to leave this up to you, dear readers. I've arranged a highly democratic voting system (i.e. the time-honored blog poll). Please vote below and leave your comments as well! As always, I appreciate your feedback.

Update: the fly front pattern and instructions would be in addition to side and back zippers, not in place of them. 

Finished! Butterick 5882, the Shelf Bust Dress

Whew! That was a whirlwind. I made this dress over the course of a week, flew out to Dallas to wear it to a wedding, and flew back home the next day.

To catch you up, this pattern is part of my line of retro designs for Butterick Patterns, "Patterns by Gertie." (And they are all currently on sale for $1.88!) This particular design is number B5882 and was inspired by a 50s style called the "shelf bust."

Here's how my process works: I make the pattern and sample garment (all in a size 10), send it in to Butterick for grading and photographing and all that stuff. When the pattern is officially released, then I get a copy and can make it for myself in my own size (which is a 14, for reference).

Here's the model-y version.

And the Gertie version.

I added pockets!

And just happened to have the perfect shoes in my closet, never worn.

They're by Poetic Licence (the style is called "Faithfully"), and they are black on the outside and white on the inside of foot! Perfect for my black and white dress.

It was unseasonably cold in Dallas (I spent the outdoor reception huddled in Jeff's jacket) and crazy windy. Hair at the beginning of the day:

Hair one hour later:

Yikes!

Anyway, back to the dress, with a few construction details.

I added 3" wide horsehair braid to the hem. I bought this horsehair from Steinlauf and Stoller by the 36 yard roll. That's how much I love it. It's the best quality horsehair I've come across, very firm with a strong cord for pulling to shape the braid. (If you're curious how to use horsehair braid, here's tutorial to help you! I also have a segment from It's Sew Easy if you're more of a video person.)

The unmentionables! I added bra cups to the bodice. I just tacked them in by hand.

The waist stay is a wide petersham ribbon from a millinery supply store. The bodice is steel-boned all the way around. I made the boning channels by cutting two bodice linings, sewing them together wrong sides together, and then stitching lines to make pockets for the boning. (I detailed this method on my yellow dress from 2010, the days of yore. Thankfully I've figured out a better way to cut steel boning since then, which I will share one of these days.)

I borrowed a pocket pattern from a skirt pattern I own and sewed them into the side seams.

The fashion fabric is a silk and cotton brocade with flocked velvet polka dots from New York Elegant Fabrics. AMAZING. The contrast is a silk satin shantung from Paron Fabrics. I lined the whole thing in a lightweight cotton-poly blend from Metro Textiles, and finished the hem on the lining in black contrast narrow hemming on my serger.

Lapped zipper.

Okay, about the straps. I wrote a post about how I originally intended them to be worn, which is with the band flipped down under the bust and then twisting at the upper edge of the bodice.

And after all that, I ended up sewing mine differently. I kept my band flipped down all the way around the bust, no twist. I just liked how it looked on me when I tried it on.

I tacked the band down just where it turns into the strap, to keep it in place.

Whew! I think that's it! Overall, I'm really happy with the dress. It's a special kind of thrill being able to make my own pattern design. Here's a couple shot to end with.

The Great British Sewing Bee: AMAZING

Oh my. I've discovered my new favorite TV show. (Okay, it doesn't quite compete with My Little Pony. But really, what does?) Have you all heard about The Great British Sewing Bee, a BBC show designed to find Britain's best home sewer? I mean, just the concept alone is amazing.

The show starts with 8 contestants.

And hey, look! One of them is our very own Tilly from the lovely blog Tilly and the Buttons. How cute is she? She looks gorgeous on screen and performs beautifully under pressure.

I've only watched one episode (you can watch it here), and I savored every minute of it. There were three challenges: make an a-line skirt from a pattern, design and sew a new neckline for a simple cotton blouse, and make a custom dress for a client. The exciting thing about this show is that it really is ALL about the craft. The judges examine each sewn product with care, admiring facings and handstitched hems. It's like a full hour of garment sewing porn. The narrative goes into great detail on construction, and even has some sewing history segments thrown in. The least successful part of the show (in my opinion) is the short sewing project. In episode one, it's a drawstring laundry bag. They rush through the construction (not that I'd want to see it, honestly) so it feels tacked-on and very separate from what the contestants are doing on the show.

The most charming thing is how very quiet and quaint this reality show is. Between challenges, the contestants sit down for tea at a local cafe for a nice little chat. The bitchiest comment from a judge so far was (whispered furtively behind her hand as a contestant cut some lining fabric from a bolt): "that's way too much fabric for a lining." She was promptly chastened by her fellow judge, because after all, the sewer could have been making a full-length skirt. (He wasn't.)

If you'd like a taste of the drama, check out this video, the ominously titled "Sandra's Mistake." (Spoiler alert: she sews her neckline facing on her blouse with the right side facing up.)

My major complaint is that the series is way too short overall: only four episodes! Hopefully it will be a smash hit and come back with more. Oh, my other complaint is that there's not yet a Great American Sewing Bee. Because I would so be there.

Episodes two and three are available to watch online, and I seriously cannot wait. Who will win this thing? I've got my money on Ann, an 82-year-old whose flawless construction reflects decades of experience.

Are you readers watching this show? If not, no excuses! Run, don't walk, to YouTube and check it out. Happy viewing!

Nancy Zieman's Santa Fe Dress Pattern (with Giveaway!)

Well, I am just tickled pink (ha!) to have been asked to participate in the blog tour of one of my sewing heroines, Nancy Zieman herself. She's launching a new book, Sew Knits with Confidence, as well as four new patterns specifically designed for knits. Read on for my version of her knit dress design, plus a lovely giveaway of the book and all four patterns!

Nancy's publisher sent me a copy of the book plus the patterns, so that I could choose one to make. I was super excited to read Nancy's tips on sewing with knits--they've become more and more part of my wardrobe, fabric stash, and plans for my own next book, which has a casual twist. But I was also very impressed by the four patterns. I think there's something for every type of seamstress in this selection. I chose the Santa Fe dress, mostly because it reminded me of a simple knit dress I owned from Anthropologie and wore til its tragic death.

But I was also incredibly tempted by the skirt and top in the Monterey collection. So cute!

The dress won out, probably because I'm in a summer wardrobe state of mind. But both these patterns provide particular opportunities for the retro-loving seamstress, in my opinion. I chose view A of the Santa Fe, which is dress-length and sleeveless. For my fabric, I used a black organic cotton jersey (purchased here and highly recommended).

First let me say this is a FAST project. I started cutting it at 2:30 in the afternoon, and was setting up my camera to take pictures at 4:30--and that includes time for fitting and style changes!

I chose to make the size small, knowing from experience that I like my knits to have little to no ease. However, I used the length and flare of the XL size, since I like my skirts swingy and on the longer side.

The bodice came together super quickly.

When trying it on, I found an easy way to "retro-fy" this design: pinching the neckline pleats to each side and stitching them in place to make a sweetheart neckline.

While I do like the original design very much, I think this small change makes it way more me. 

Seriously, all I did was pull the neckline pleats to the side in a pinch. Then I used some black embroidery floss to stitch it in place by wrapping it around the pinch. You could also add buttons or small brooches here!

The other change I made was to nip the dress in at the waist. It had a very flowy empire silhouette and I knew a more dramatic waistline would work well for me. I started by chalking in just an inch on each side, machine basting it, and then trying on. I eventually took two inches out of each waistline side, tapering down in a straight line to the hem (I got rid of that hip curve you see below since it has a distinctly fin-like appearance on the body).

Here's the overall result. Hopefully Nancy won't shun me for bastardizing her pattern! The changes were fairly small but resulted in a garment I'm in love with.

Easy to dress up or down, and all sorts of other fashion clichés that I won't subject you to.

The back has a basic high scoop neckline.

The pattern instructions were great, explaining all the ins and outs of sewing with knits. I learned that jersey curls to the right side of the fabric--good to know!

I love the little notes from Nancy throughout! She tells you how to sew with either a sewing machine or serger, and even specifies when to use one over the other (for instance, she suggests sewing the bodice pleats on the machine for more control, then switching to the serger for easier bits like  the side seams). I did use my serger, but it's definitely not necessary.

I'll definitely be sewing this dress again since it's perfect for summer (and for standing awkwardly with armchair).

Okay, now for the giveaway! Nancy's publisher provided me with a copy of the new book Sew Knits with Confidence as well as ALL four new patterns to give to one lucky reader. Please leave a comment here by the end of the day on Wednesday, April 24th. All countries eligible. Make sure that you link to your blog or include a way for me to get in touch with you in your comment!

I'm going to be eagerly following the blog tour to see what everyone else comes up with. Good luck in the giveaway!

Update: the giveaway is now closed for entries. See the winner here!

Time-Saving Trick for a Boned Bodice Muslin

When I went through my corset-making obsession, I learned a lot of cool tricks that can be transferred to dressmaking. And this particular trick is my absolute favorite.

When making a muslin for a dress with a boned bodice, it's imperative to actually put boning into your muslin. A boned bodice generally has little to no ease. But without the boning for stability, it just looks like a too tight, wrinkly muslin--which makes it impossible to evaluate the fit. Obviously, however, sewing boning into a garment is time-consuming and often makes it difficult to alter the seams of a garment--exactly what you need to be doing in the muslin stage!

So, meet your new best friend, masking tape. Yep, you can tape lengths of spiral steel boning into your muslin for fitting purposes. (Does masking tape have different names in different countries? It's that parchment-colored tape typically used to cover molding or door frames when painting walls.)

Center the steel boning over the seam allowance (or wherever you want to place it) and secure it with a length of masking tape.

The only rule is that you don't want the boning to extend into the waistline seam allowance. The boning must end right at your waistline seam allowance.

It's perfectly fine for it to extend over the top of the bodice, though, as long as it doesn't poke into your armpit or anything awkward like that. Here I let the back boning extend past the upper edge of the bodice, just for the purposes of fitting. This way you don't have to cut the boning to length until you've figured out the fitting issues. 

Another time-saving trick is to fit only the bodice (this works if the skirt is full and only needs to fit at the waist). If you're fitting yourself, it's really important to put a dress-length zipper into the muslin--just let the extra zipper length hang below the bodice.

I'm currently working on my design, Butterick 5882, to wear to a wedding next weekend! Sorry for the mirror photo, but it's about all I could handle this weekend. The only fitting change I needed to make was removing some ease from the waistline. The taped-in boning made this super easy: I just removed the boning to take in the seams, and then stuck it back in place to re-fit. You don't even need new masking tape since it stays sticky!

I'm making it from this amazing brocade with flocked velvet polka dots. The bustline and straps will be in coordinating black shantung.

More to come on this design, including the long-promised FBA post.

Hope this sticky trick helps you out on your next party dress muslin!

Reader Question: Will Tissue Paper Dull My Shears?

Yesterday I wrote about using tissue paper to stabilize slippery fabrics for cutting. A few readers brought up the question: "Won't using this method dull my shears?"

It's come to my attention over the years that my attitude on this subject is more lax than others'. I would never use my shears for the purpose of cutting regular paper, but cutting tissue with them does not bother me one bit. Here's the reason: any use--short of leaving your shears sitting unused in a drawer--will dull them. Think about kitchen knives. Even if you only use them for their intended purpose--slicing and chopping food--they dull considerably over time.

In the same way, even just cutting fabric dulls your shears. That's why shears (and knives) must be sharpened periodically. (You can actually take your shears to a knife sharpener, FYI.)

Yes, cutting tissue paper will contribute to the gradual dulling of your shears. But it will not make them irreversibly dull. Get them sharpened, and they'll be as good as new! In my opinion, using tissue paper makes cutting silks about 1000 times easier and more accurate, which is worth the slight extra dulling of my scissors. Though, honestly, I haven't noticed them getting any duller than usual with the use of tissue paper.

My problem is remembering to take my shears in periodically for sharpening! But it must be done.

What do you think, readers?

Cutting Slippery Fabrics with Tissue Paper

This is one of those tips I’ve heard a million times but never actually tried: sandwiching slippery silks between two layers of tissue paper to make cutting easier and more accurate. Well, I finally tried it and it’s basically a MIRACLE.

I recently lined a garment with habotai, aka China Silk. Habotai feels lovely: light as a feather and silky soft. However, it is a veritable nightmare to work with (in my humble opinion). It is so weightless that it practically floats away when you try to cut it, plus the layers slip around on top of each other. Argh! You’re lucky if your cut piece of habotai even vaguely resembles your actual pattern piece.

So, obviously, I was dreading cutting and working with the habotai lining. (Why do I buy it? Usually to save money. It’s under $10 a yard, usually less than half the price of crepe de chine, which would be my first choice.) The college where I teach stocks rolls of tissue paper for the very purpose of cutting and sewing tricky fabrics, so I decided I needed to finally put this method to the test.

Here’s how it works. It’s best if you can get a roll of tissue paper, which is usually around 36” wide. Roll out a single layer on your cutting surface. Lay out your fabric on the fold, right sides together. Arrange the fabric so the selvages line up with one side of the tissue paper and pin them in place. Then fold the tissue paper in half lengthwise so that it’s sandwiching the fabric. Pin all the layers in place together.  You’ll have a tissue layer on the bottom, the two layers of silk, and the second layer of tissue on the top.

 

Next, place your pattern pieces on top of the tissue/fabric sandwich, using the selvage or fabric fold to align your pattern grainlines as usual.

Then just cut around your pieces! There’s no need for special scissors or anything. The tissue paper keeps the layers in place, making cutting a breeze.

Look at those neat edges of the cut pieces.

Now that your fabric is cut, you can also use the tissue pieces as a stabilizer while stitching seams. Leave the tissue piece on your bottom piece as you’re sewing, and it will feed through your machine as easily as quilting cotton.

Then just rip away the tissue paper from the seam. Sew with a short stitch length (like 2.0 mm) to make tearing the paper more perforated and easier to tear away. Keep some tweezers handy to pick out any stubborn bits of tissue.

That’s it! This method is fabulous for all sorts of slippery silks, like charmeuse, chiffon, georgette, etc.

Are you a fan of this method? Have any good sources for tissue paper by the roll?