Guest Post: Pattern Junkie on Heart Pockets!

Readers, I'm delighted to have a guest post for you today! It's from Jace, the blogger behind Pattern Junkie, of which I have long been a fan. Bonus: Jace is a fellow pinkhead (well, more like a lovely magenta) and is really fun to eat Mexican food with. Enjoy!--Gertie

Hello, fellow Gertie readers!  I’m delighted to be a guest writer today: I’ve been a fan of Gertie’s blog for several years, and had the chance to meet her when she visited L.A.  (Guess what?  She’s as wonderful in person as she is in blogland.)  Like many of you, I have a love of sewing – and a love of (some might say obsession with) sewing patterns.  And why not?  They offer glimpses into fashion history and individual seamstresses’ lives.  Some designs make me gasp at their beauty.  Others leave me scratching my head at their peculiarity.

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, let’s talk about an interesting vintage detail: heart pockets.  Beautiful?  Weird?  What’s your take?  I think they can go either way, so join me on a journey through some examples.  I’m focusing exclusively on women’s dresses with heart pockets: aprons and kids’ clothes with this detail are a little too easy to find…and when you do, they look like this:

 

 ACK!  Didn’t I warn you about the weird?  The more you look at Aunt Martha’s 9619 (1940s), the stranger it gets.  The twin kitties…Sis wearing nothing but an apron, socks, bonnet and shoes with Mom looking so sad in the foreground…I’m about to take a hot iron to my eyes to burn the image from my retinas.  Quick!  Something pretty!  Let’s take a gander at Anne Adams 4923 (1940s):

For me, this works.  The dress is classic and simple and the pockets are a sweet, unexpected touch.  Bravo!

Next: Simplicity 3716, 1950s.  Giant heart pockets are one thing, but hearts on the end of a rick rack neck bow?  That’s taking things too far.

Plaid agrees: she’s looking a little smug.  And you know what?  Now I’m coming around to Blue’s point of view.  It’s a housedress, after all.  Blue, if you want to eat your breakfast looking like a Valentine and getting muffin crumbs stuck in the little pointy bottoms of your pockets, you go!  Don’t let Plaid put you down.

This mail order pattern, Anne Adams 4589 (1940s), does everything right in by book.  I love how the illustration places a plain heart and yoke against a flowered fabric.  It’s not too sweet – almost matter-of-fact.

 Unfortunately, I just can’t get behind Simplicity 1090 (1940s).  I don’t think anyone’s going to take you seriously if your business suit features hearts right above your bust – or anywhere, for that matter:

While the lace-trimmed pockets of Simplicity 3186 (1950) are too sweet for my taste, I love the pattern illustration:

Navy Lace makes a heart with her hands, while Pink Gingham scolds her for being so forward!  And what is Pink about to pull out of that heart-shaped pocket of hers?

Lest you think that the heart pocket faded with the fifties, check out its appearance in Simplicity 5803 (1973):

Finally, a pattern I can’t resist including, even though it technically doesn’t have a heart pocket.  Check out Simplicity 4924:

YES!  You saw that right!  It’s a HEART HAT!  Glorious, isn’t it?!

Thanks for exploring this odd little corner of the sewing pattern world with me, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Thanks again to Pattern Junkie!

Guest Post: Colette Patterns Lace Insertion Tutorial

Today Sarai from Colette Patterns is here on the second stop of her blog tour for her new book--and she has an awesome tutorial to share. Welcome, Sarai! --Gertie

As a big fan of Gertie's blog, I'm happy to be joining you all here on the tour for my first book, The Colette Sewing Handbook! It's really wonderful how supportive the whole community of sewing bloggers has become, and Gertie is an especially wonderful example of that. Isn't it nice to see women supporting each other?

Today I'm going to share a tutorial for a decorative detail that didn't fit into my new book, but be sure to take a look at the link at the bottom as well to see a link to the giveaway I'm doing for the book plus five sewing patterns!

First, a little bit about the book. I wrote The Colette Sewing Handbook as a guide to the five fundamental areas of sewing that I think are so often confusing or challenging for the beginner (and even intermediate) sewist: planning your projects, working with patterns, getting a good fit, understanding fabric, and finishing techniques.

The book is designed to be a hands-on tool for learning these concepts, so each of those five sections has a project to go with it. The final project is the lined dress above, called Licorice.

Personally, I am a big fan of little details that you can add to just about any sewing project to change the look. After I've made a pattern once and spent some time getting the fit right and familiarizing myself with the design, I like to make it up in different ways, using different fabrics and switching up some of the construction details and embellishment.

Today, I thought I'd show you one of those details that didn't quite fit into the book. It's an easy way to add a simple lace insertion, using the Licorice dress. It involves just a teensy bit of pattern manipulation, and it's a great way to work through your stash of lace (I have a ton).

tools needed:
* Dress or skirt pattern. I'm using the Licorice dress from The Colette Sewing Handbook, sewn in a lovely woven mint green silk.
* Lace (about a yard to a yard and a half)
* Ruler
* Pen

First, decide how far from the bottom of the skirt you'd like to place the insertion. I like the way they look a few inches above the hem, but I think multiple insertions around the skirt would also look pretty amazing. Or a really wide one further up. It's up to you.

On your pattern pieces, start by marking the seam allowance on the lower hem. For this dress, the seam allowance is 5/8".

Draw a line parallel to the hem, whatever distance you've decided for the insertion, on both the front and back pieces. Drawing in the seam allowance on the previous step lets you position the insertion just where you want it. Cut your pattern pieces along this line.

Now you have a choice:

(a) If you're using lace that's wider than 1/2", you'll be adding a little length to your skirt. If you don't mind that, you can go ahead and proceed to the next step.

or

(b) If you want to avoid adding any length, that's easy too.  Just take the width of your lace and subtract 1/2". Trim that amount off the bottom of the dress front and back. So, for example, if your lace is 2", trim 1 1/2" off the bottom of the dress front and back pattern pieces at this point.

Mark the pieces so they don't get mixed up.

Cut out all the fabric pieces and sew the dress as instructed. Stop before sewing the center back seam.

With right sides together, stitch the front lower hem to the back lower hem at the side seams, finish the seams and press.

Now that you have the dress sewn together, measure around the bottom of the dress and cut a piece of lace long enough to fit. Add a couple inches to make sure you've cut it long enough.

Fold the bottom hem of the dress under 1/4" and press. Fold another 1/4" and press.

Do the same on the lower hem piece, along the top. Fold the top under 1/4", press, fold again 1/4" and press.

Pin the lace to the bottom of the dress, placing the right side of the lace onto the wrong side of the dress. Align the edge of the lace with the hem crease.

Stitch the lace in place on the dress.

Flip the dress to the right side and edgestitch the bottom of the hem to the dress. The two rows of stitching will keep the edges of the dress neat on both the inside and outside.

Repeat the last two steps for the lower hem pieces.

We used a slightly scalloped lace for this insertion, which worked fine. You may just need to adjust the position of the lace a little if your lace has a shaped edge like this.

Finish sewing the dress, putting in the back zipper, sewing the back seam, and hemming. You may want to shorten the lining on the dress, unless you're using a natural color that won't be obvious through the lace.

And there you are, a simple insertion that you can use on just about any skirt, dress, sleeve… you name it.

For a totally different take on this dress using an insertion, check out this daisy insertion I did during my Spring Palette Challenge project earlier this year. I used a silk-linen blend fabric for that dress, removed the sleeves, added basically a big ruffle for a cape neckline, and did an insertion using vintage daisy trim.

Giveaway

Thanks for joining me today for this stop on the tour! To see the other blogs that are participating and enter the giveaway to win a copy of the book plus five sewing patterns of your own choice, visit my post about the blog tour.

Thanks Gertie!

Guest Post: Draping a Knit Cowl Dress, Part Two

Hey everyone! Remember this post on draping your own knit cowl dress? Well, our knits expert Alyson is back for a second installment. Enjoy! Also, check out the flier for Alyson's trunk show this weekend in Portland (see flier below). --Gertie

Hello folks, so sorry for the delay on the follow up from the first installment of this draping a knit dress. My life got away from me for a minute there! Got hitched, bought a house, adopted a 3rd dog (adopting senior dogs is the best thing ever), and have been traveling. Don't fret though; I've finished writing up the entire thing now. As Bob Ross would say - I've encountered a few happy accidents with this dress, and I'm finally pleased with how it turned out.

Guest Post: Sewing and the Apocalypse

Readers, I've been trying to convince Jeff, my better half, to write a guest post here for some time. And now we have one--on the very day his first novel releases! I hope you enjoy it.--Gertie

Hi Sewists!

Your pal Gertie is working awful hard this week. She’s doing a big photo shoot for her upcoming book as well as trying to keep up with teaching, impending travel, and one neurotic husband who's releasing his first novel this week. The woman is a dynamo! I don’t know how she does it all.

Luckily, though, her harried week has brought me--the aforementioned neurotic husband--the opportunity to do a guest post today. Some of you may know me a bit already from Gertie’s mentions, but for those who don’t: Hi! I’m Jeff. I write novels for teens and my very first one, The Eleventh Plague, is being released today by Scholastic.

The book is about the aftermath of a world war that has reduced the population to about a third of what it is now, causing society to completely collapse. No government. No law. No infrastructure. The main characters in the book survive as nomadic scavengers.

There's actually a short sewing scene in the book where the main character, a teenage boy, has to repair his ragged sweatshirt on the fly. Writing that scene got me thinking about our relationship to the things that sustain us, particularly our food and our clothing. For many people (present company excluded) the production of these things was outsourced long ago. Clothes are made in massive assembly line factories somewhere overseas and arrive in our stores ready to wear. Food is prepared largely in restaurant kitchens or in factories where it’s packaged and frozen before being delivered to grocery store shelves.

Now imagine if the infrastructure that exists to produce all of this failed. The clothes stop coming. The restaurants close. The food manufacturers stop production. I think a significant percentage of the population would suddenly be faced with the fact that they don’t know how to make or repair the clothes on their backs or how to grow, hunt, or prepare their own food. Where would we be then?

And I’ll admit, I’m totally a part of this. I’m not a bad cook, but those other things? Left to my own devices, well, I’d probably be kinda screwed. The good news, however, is that folks like you and Gertie are part of a growing DIY movement that is trying to reclaim some of these skills. Don’t get me wrong, I think a lot of our modern conveniences are awesome (I do so love ordering Chinese takeout on my iPhone) but if you make your own food then you know what you’re putting in your and your family’s bodies, and if you make your own clothes you control how they fit, how they look, and how they’re made. More importantly, I think staying connected to your own necessities by doing things like making food or making clothes is a great way to stay just slow down and stay connected to life in general.

What do y’all think? Does sewing and crafting make you feel differently about mass produced goods? Does it make you feel connected to something in life you weren’t connected to before--or at least give you confidence you could survive the zombie apocalypse if necessary?

Ok, I’m off now to go try and make sure Gertie finds time to relax and have a decent meal amid her thousand duties. If you’re curious about The Eleventh Plague you can read the first 4 chapters here. You can also order the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Indie Bound.

{Ed. note: isn't he adorable?}

Guest Post: Assembly-Line Sewing

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Hi readers! I have a little treat for you today: my friend Robin has written you a guest post on her method for maximum sewing efficiency when you're making multiples of a garment. Enjoy!--Gertie

Greetings, Gertie Readers!  You may be aware that our book-writing, Bombshell-Dress- teaching, sample-sewing blogstress is just a little overloaded these days.  So allow me to pontificate on a topic I don't see much about, but gives me great sewing pleasure.  Imagine you are the proprietress of a small, but well-appointed little sewing factory.  It's OK to sweat in this shop, and in fact, I encourage it.  Crank up some Michael Jackson, and get into the groove to do some assembly-line sewing.

  

The sewing factory is all about efficiency and with that in mind, I recommend using:

•   a tried and true pattern – if you don’t have one yet, how about an apron pattern?  There shouldn’t be any fitting issues or construction surprises for assembly-line sewing

•   multiple pieces of fabric with the same properties - this is very important!

◦       same weight

◦       same hand (amount of drapey-ness)

◦       same background color, so you can use the same thread on everything

•   rotary scissors, cutting mat & pattern weights

Attitude

A good factory worker strives for optimal performance.  Boredom is welcome – just call it zen and relax into it.   As the boss, you get to choose how the employee (also you) will be graded.  Perhaps it’s a matter of punching in on the time clock to sew for 30 minutes.   Or the worker can be rewarded after milestones are reached.  All of the apron straps are sewn?  Let’s order in lunch to boost morale! 

Cutting

By now the fabric has been pre-washed and any fusible interfacing has been obtained. Fold each piece of fabric consistently with the rest.  For example, if the right side is folded in on one piece, make it folded in on all pieces of fabric.

If you aren’t yet a convert, try a rotary cutter, cutting mat and pattern weights.  You can save time by not pinning the pattern to the fabric, which you only have to unpin in order to sew.  Because I prefer my patterns without seam allowances, I love a rotary cutter with a guide. 

It may take practice to gain speed with the rotary cutter, but think of yourself as an ice skater doing your compulsories.  Slow and steady in the beginning will get the job done.  Speed comes naturally with practice.  Hey, all the more reason to cut out multiples, right?  Cut the fusible interfacing, now, too.

Another time-saver is marking the notches and darts with little clips into the seam allowances and for this, scissors are a lot more accurate than rotary cutters.  To mark darts, I insert pins on both sides, like so:

It might be time for the afore-mentioned employee morale-boosting exercise.  Donuts, yoga – boss lady (or boss gentleman) it’s your choice!

Fusing

Here is where the sweating comes in.  Fire up the iron and take the time to fuse each necessary piece now.  After fusing, double check that it hasn’t stretched or shrunk, by comparing the pattern piece your work.  Taking time at this stage increases quality of the finished goods.

Organizational Strategy

Lay out each individual garment in its own pile.  It is not considered anal to lay the pieces in the same order.  No, this is called efficiency and some might even take pride in their little piles of sewing goodness.  

Let’s say you want to sew all of the collars first, then cuffs, which are then attached to sleeves, which are then sewn to bodices.  Lay the bodice pieces on the bottom, the sleeves on top of the bodices, the cuffs next and the collars on top.

The Beauty of the System

Not only will assembly-line sewing generate a wardrobe in short order, these techniques will build the fine motor skills necessary to master techniques.  You will never fear another zipper after you have installed three, four, or, let’s get wild – five in a row.  You can just look at the fifth zipper and see the improvement.  Awesome.

Another benefit is less thinking.  Once you have identified the steps you will take, you can go on auto-pilot.  That allows for turning up the volume on the music, or even having a movie playing in the background. 

One caution:  advise the spouse, the kids, or the pets that mommy gets mad sometimes.  Mommy is just frustrated about ripping out a seam now and then.  You know it will happen.  You will not sew everything perfectly; no factory worker is perfect.  And let’s assume they get a raise every year, anyway, so it is OK!

Fun Decisions – How is it best to maximize The Win?

When sewing assembly-line style, there are many variations on this theme.  I like to repeat as many steps as I can before moving on.  I like to get all of the cutting, the marking and the fusing done before sitting down at the sewing machine and/or serger.  Then it is buckle-down-and-master-the-skill time.  I would rather sew 30 buttonholes so that the last six are perfect than finish one shirt at a time.

Let’s not forget that hand-sewing may be involved.  There may be times to sit and sew.  Remember, boredom can be transformed into zen and/or learning time.

You will choose your own approach – because you are the boss of this shop and you are in charge.  (Can you tell I like that part?)  Whether you finish several garments at once, or you space them out between other projects, assembly-line sewing makes sense.  If you are like me, you have invested time and money into this hobby, so it feels good to get tangible results.  Naturally, you may simply find it easier to buy most things, but if you hanker for the perfect gym shorts, skirts, dresses, whatever – you can fill your closet this way.

Pat yourself on the back for making such efficient use of your time and your resources.  You have leveraged the power of the tried & true pattern, you have saved money, clothed yourself, improved your skills and listened to some good music, too. 

 Check out Robin's blog, A Little Sewing!

Guest Post: Secrets of a Sample Maker

You ask, we deliver! I mentioned my beloved sample maker friend in this post and there were several requests to hear more of his time-saving industry techniques. So readers: meet Jonathan, my bitchy coworker and fellow sewing nerd. Isn't he adorable? He's quite cranky at times, though, especially when I sew my buttons on by hand. Let's give him some space to vent his frustrations with inefficient home-sewing techniques.

I'd like to thank Gertie for allowing me to present a guest blog this week. Even though she is my at-work girlfriend, we do have our differences about sewing. I remember when we first met. After our casual "how do you do's" and life stories, I asked her how she sews her buttons on. Throughly displeased with her hand-sewing nonsense, I gave her an earful about the benefits of doing it by machine while she would scold me for my love of the blind hemmer.

Needless to say it hasn't been an easy relationship. But as in any good marriage, it wouldn't be fun to marry yourself. I've found myself more willing to slipstitch down my facings.  But I'm still angry that I found my girl applying her buttons on by hand behind my back.

Let's talk about seam allowances. First, production patterns are engineered for perfection and speed. Seam allowance differs greatly in production patterns depending on their function and fabric choice. Unlike in home sewing, where 5/8" is the golden rule, standard seam allowance is 3/8" for the most part, possibly ½" if it’s a major fitting seam. Examples of these seams would be the shoulder seams and side seams.  This is because the patterns are drafted to fit a specific standard size and 3/8" reduces bulk. Curves are always 3/8", especially armholes. Test it yourself. Stitch a curve at 5/8" and one at 3/8" and you’ll feel the difference, especially when trying to set in a sleeve.  Another thing about sewing curves at smaller seam allowance is the elimination of clipping and notching. This is because less bulk allows more tension and compression in the system (the garment), which is the main reason we clip and notch. Any enclosed seam is ¼" of an inch, such as in collars or waistbands.  I never understood why home patterns ask you guys to stitch at 5/8 and then cut down to ¼", when you could have just stitched it in the first place at a ¼".

Secondly, don’t pin! Pins are more likely to cause you to be inaccurate. Putting pins in the fabric causes a disturbance in the way the fabric lays, you can see this if you look at your fabric in a profile. Pins can cause your fabric to ripple; increasing your probability of puckering your project. Further, the pins stop the natural progression of the fabric under the presser foot and feed dog mechanism. Which often exacerbates the effect of the different rates of movements of the top and bottom layer of fabric, creating the all-too-familiar mullet pants and skirts.  Instead of using pins, hold your left hand flat on the bed of the machine, on top of your fabric. With your right hand, hold both layers between your forefingers and thumb and providing slight tension. You are not stretching the fabric, but rather holding it nice and taut so the cut edges sit on top of one another, and the machine is allowed to naturally pull the fabric through.
 

Let's talk interfacings. One thing I notice a lot in designer rooms is a lot more use of interfacings in the production of garments than in home sewing. Hems are almost always interfaced with a lightweight fusible, which helps with getting a firm, crisp edge and to help with wear and tear. I also like to use lightweight interfacing to stop fabric from buckling in places such as the back and under the bust area.  Also, nothing is ever stay-stitched as pattern directions tell you to do; rather a light to medium weight interfacing is applied before construction. So the interfacing would be akin to a facing pattern piece, but about ½" and inch to an inch wide.

These are the things I bitch about the most at work. What else do you monsters want? 

Again, thanks, Gertrude, for allowing me to enter your space, with my crazy factory techniques and get 'er done attitude. I promise I'll work on leaving the presser foot down.

A big thanks to Jonathan! Please leave any more questions for him in the comments.

Guest Posts Galore

It so happens that I have two guest posts out in the interwebs today.

First, check out the inaugural post of my new weekly series on the STC Craft blog. I'm doing some freelance editing work on their sewing books, and they asked me to contribute to their blog as well! I have the best job.

Second, remember when I asked for your submissions on the one dress you'd kill to have a pattern for? My post is up today at Sew, Mama, Sew! See which three dress submissions I chose. And thanks to all who gave input!

Guest Post: Exploring the Avant-Garde with Uncommon Thread

When Holly Maynard e-mailed me about the Uncommon Thread Wearable Art contest, I thought it sounded like a really cool opportunity to play around with avant-garde sewing and design. Here's more about the event, in Holly's own words!--Gertie

I want to start off by saying thanks to Gertie for sharing her blog with me today. I have been a fan for a long time and I’m flattered she let me temporarily hijack her corner of the internet. I am here to spread the word about a wearable art competition that I help to organize each year in Baton Rouge called Uncommon Thread. The theme of this year’s show is Transmogrify, and I thought this might be especially relevant to Gertie readers. Not only because you are a creative bunch, but also because of the lively discussions on body image and retro fashion that pop up around here.

The definition of Transmogrify is “to transform in a sudden or magical way.” By definition, it promises that the submissions will be dynamic and interesting. While the arenas of magic, myth and nature are rife with examples of this Transmogrify theme, there are also plenty of transformations occurring everyday during the grooming and beauty rituals of us humans.

Guest Post: Lady Grey FBA!

Readers, the lovely Patty of The Snug Bug has written such a detailed account of her Full Bust Adjustment process on the Lady Grey, that I asked her if I could re-post it here. Luckily for us, she graciously agreed. It's very complete; make sure you click "read more" at the bottom to see the whole thing. And don't forget to check out her fab blog. Thanks, Patty!—Gertie

I've finished the Full Bust Adjustment (FBA) on my Lady Grey for the sewalong and made another muslin! While I'm happy with the fit of the top, now I've got a bit of problem with the bottom. For step by step photos on how I did my FBA and dealt with the gaping lapel, read on. But first, updated photos!

To recap - my first muslin was pretty much a straight-out-of-the box size 18 that was huge around the shoulders. For a full rundown of muslin #1 photos, an explanation of how I chose the sizing for muslin #2, cut down the pattern and tissue fitted to determine my FBA amount, check out yesterday's post. After all of that figuring, I determined I would do an FBA to add 5" to the bust area.

Guest Post: Draping a Knit Cowl Dress with Alyson Clair

This is the start of a fascinating new series with our favorite knits expert and all around awesome lady Alyson Clair. Check back soon for the rest of the series. And hey! Go look at Alyson's lovely new Fall/Winter line. It's fab.—Gertie

Greetings again from Portland, Oregon. I hope all of you are getting to enjoy summer time. The weather here has been more than a bit funky, and I really hope Mother Nature will provide me with a few more lovely days that are warm enough to go swimming. As soon as it's over 75 degrees I'm a total river rat, I even keep a towel and floatie toys in the back of my station wagon. I'm the first one in the water and the last one out. Since the weather has not been so nice to Oregon, I have spent a bit more time working that I usually do.

So a little bit ago Gertie had a post about cowls. This got me all excited because I LOVE cowls, and I have one in my Spring / Summer 2011 line plan. (Sidebar: yes, I am working that far ahead to be ready for market. Sometimes it's a bit hard doing that, since all I want to do is make cozy sweaters and dresses for fall.) But back to the important thing at hand—pretty cowls! I am going to walk you through the process—sketch to finished garment—with draping a lined knit dress with a cowl.

Guest Post: Cutting Knits and Other Tricky Fabrics with Alyson Clair

Welcome back to our guest series with Alyson Clair, who is our resident knits guru. Take it away, Alyson! And super big thanks!  --Gertie

Hello readers! Sorry for the gap in my postings. My contract work, and Fall/Winter production of my line (and also planning my wedding!) have taken up a bit more time than I had planned.

Today I'd like to talk about cutting. For me, this is my least favorite thing to do. I think perhaps it is because I am usually so excited to sew what I am cutting out, my patience for the time it takes to neatly cut something is very small! I've been thinking about the best way to talk about cutting, and first I'd like to give you an overview of how it's done in mass production. I also hope this helps you understand the way things are bulk cut, and that if you're cursing your fabrics for shifting, running away, and rolling that is totally normal. When I'm sampling my clothing line - and only cutting out one item at a time - my sailor mouth comes out rather often.

Knits in a Nutshell with Alyson Clair

 Sleeve detail on one of Alyson's knit designs

Look, your friendly neighborhood knits guru is back! Alyson of Clair Vintage Inspired is taking over here today with an intro post on sewing with knit fabric. Thanks, Alyson! Alyson has treated us to a very in-depth post with lots of fabulous photos, so make sure to click on "read more" to see it in its full glory.

Hi again, all! This post is meant to be an overview on knits in general. I can go into more specifics on different seam applications, fabric, stitching, and machine troubleshooting in the future, but first, I wanted to give a broad overview about the fabric and the different machines that can be used to sew and finish it.

 

Meet Alyson Clair: Our New Knits Guru!

Super exciting news today, readers. Remember when I posted about using stay tapes on wovens, several of you requested a guest post on knits? Well, I have something even better. A whole series on sewing knits from knitwear designer Alyson Clair! Alyson takes her inspiration from vintage designs, so she's a perfect fit here. Please give her a warm welcome! (Also: have specific questions about sewing with knits that you'd like to see addressed in a future post? Please write them in the comments below.)


Hello and greetings from the fair city of Portland, Oregon!

Last month I had the pleasure of finding this blog via a friend, and I have been hooked ever since!

My name is Alyson Clair. I'm an apparel designer/technical designer/pattern grader/marker maker/cutter/sewer/NERD! Basically I just like to make pretty things all day.

I grew up on a llama farm in a small town in Oregon. My mother ran a llama yarn business out of our home. I always had my hands busy with some sort of project. When not running around the woods or being out in the llama fields, I was thrifting from an early age. My family rolled their eyes (and still does) at the treasures I would recover from thrift stores. I have a strong affinity to the 1920s through early 1960's. My first car was a 1961 Bel Air, and the first summer I could drive I had two jobs: one at a thrift store (where I know I didn't make any money), and the other as snack bar gal at the local drive in movie theater. The drive-in was built in 1954 and is still currently in its original state.

I love what I do; working on clothing all day is super fun. And my main focus is sewing and designing with knits. I'm a busy bee and do lots of different projects for a variety of companies and designers: from vintage home patterns to being the patternmaker in an apparel factory. However, my main focus is my clothing line, Clair Vintage Inspired.

The goal of my line is to be the most favorite thing in your closet. I take vintage design inspirations and make them into comfortable knits. I also make a good variety of sizes, XS(4/6) through XL(16/18). As a designer it's more meaningful to me to see people on the street wearing my designs, than seeing them on a runway or in a fashion spread. There's room for boobs, butts, and curves. Fit and comfort are very important to me, as well as looking good. Another priority is making all of my goodies in the United States. Did you know that 95% of apparel is made overseas? I think it's incredibly important to support local economies and to know who is making your clothing,  and how and where it's being made.

Here are some of my favorite pieces from past and current seasons.

Be on the lookout for some upcoming posts about sewing with knits from me. Gertie has given me a fun list of questions from you lovely readers. I 'll answer them, and hopefully teach you about something I absolutely love.

Guest Post: Vintage for Everyday Wear

Readers, do I have a treat for you! The lovely Sal of Already Pretty is one of my absolute favorite style bloggers. The woman knows how to put together an outfit - plus she's brilliant. So I was thrilled when she agreed to do this guest post on styling vintage items for day-to-day looks. Enjoy!

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Although I love the things I love with undeniable passion, I’ve come to accept that, at heart, I’m a bit of a dabbler. I mean I’m pretty durned dedicated to blogging, biking, and collecting gorgeous shoes, but there are countless other things that I have tried, tired of, and abandoned: Playing guitar, studying animal behavior, knitting, Pilates, and the list goes on. So, while I have the utmost respect for people who chose an interest, immerse themselves in that interest, and become proficient or absorbed, I seldom do that myself.

It follows, then, that while I have the utmost respect for women who dedicate themselves to a particular era or style of dress (See Casey, Solanah, and Fleur de Guerre for some amazing inspiration), I could never do so myself. I’m a confirmed dabbler, and although I adore vintage pieces, I will always dabble in vintage.

So when Gertie asked me to craft a post that shares some practical fashion tips with a vintage twist, I knew that - even as a dabbler - I was well equipped to do THAT! My definition of “vintage” is pretty loose, but I’m not sure that matters much anyhow. These strategies could be applied to any unusual garment or accessory, vintage or otherwise. And, of course, I’d love to hear how you all work vintage pieces into everyday dress, especially if you don’t style yourselves
strictly in one era.

The Vintage Centerpiece

Although your vintage items don't have to be the center of attention in your outfits, they certainly can be. And if you gravitate toward showier vintage pieces, you’ll find that they lend themselves naturally to being funky focal points. I’ve got a bright red polyester shirt with thousands of tiny dachshunds printed on it, and I can’t imagine making it fight with anything equally eye-catching. Pairing it with a white tee and some denim works perfectly, but anything more complex simply doesn’t work. Allowing a single, distinctive vintage piece to be the showstopper in an ensemble is a fun and easy way to make borderline-outrageous items more wearable.

The Vintage Accent

Vintage accessories can lend modern ensembles a throwback flair. Whether it’s jewelry, scarves, belts, or hats, including an accent from a bygone era can help make a good outfit great. A scarf with a bright, psychedelic paisley print needn’t be paired with a hippie-themed ensemble. It’ll perk up a pant suit, peeking out of your shirt collar. It’ll add interest to a solid-colored shift. It’ll look amazing tied in your hair with a simple tee and jeans. When utilizing a vintage accent, choosing accompanying garments and accessories that are as era-neutral as possible creates balance.

The Vintage Mash-up

Mixing a decidedly vintage piece with equally interesting but sleek and modern ones is a great way to push your creativity. The vintage item is downplayed a bit, but still adds spice to the ensemble. I’ve worn a decidedly 80s, shoulder-pad-laden, zebra-print sweaterdress with a super trendy pair of studded gladiator heels to great effect. Pulling in of-the-moment pieces when you wear your vintage creates a pleasing mixture of eras and styles. I feel like this technique takes a bit more daring, but trust your instincts: If you think you’ve worked up a killer combo of 50s flair and present-day fashion, go for it.

The Vintage Undercover Agent

Since many vintage items are simple and pared-down, they can often pass for new. Although this may seem to defeat the purpose of buying vintage, I don’t believe it does. Many vintage garments are of fantastically high quality, and endure beautifully for decades, which means that they provide affordable options for wardrobe staples! And even if your 50s shirtdress looks just like the ones that The Gap is hawking this season, it’s fun to know that you’re sporting the real deal. I gravitate toward both undeniably weird vintage and unerringly classic vintage, and enjoy wearing both equally, but for different reasons. Don’t limit yourself to pieces that SCREAM “vintage.” Those classic, workhorse pieces will serve you well, too.

Some of these tips may seem a little self-explanatory, but I find that when I talk to women about vintage dressing they often feel it’s an all-or-nothing proposition. I’ve never dressed in head-to-toe vintage pieces, and wouldn’t have the foggiest notion of what to do with period-accurate undergarments. But I still consider myself a vintage lover, even as a mere dabbler, because I employ these strategies to make the most of my retro pieces.

Do you employ any of these techniques to work your vintage into daily wear? What else do you do to keep those pieces in rotation? Anyone out there prefer period-accurate dressing? If so, do you ever break your era up with modern garb? What’s your favorite way to make the most of
your vintage pieces?