Tape Measures Cambie-Hack

This is one of the projects I finished during my "blog-goes-dark" months.

As soon as I saw this fabric I just HAD to have it.

Full Price? Not a problem.
Weird Heavy Drill Fabric? Don't Care.
Probably not the best colours on me? Still don't care.
IT.
HAS.
TAPE.
MEASURES.

Seriously!!! TAPE MEASURES!!

I'm slowly learning that I in fact have a love of kitchy, novelty prints. I'm also slowly learning that I am in fact a hipster and really what is more hipster than a self-employed artisan dressmaker in a tape measure dress made from an independent pattern company design...

I should also point out that I f*cking love this dress. Literally so much love it has to come with swearing because this is awesome! Also there is a LOT of goober face in these pics as they were taken on timer after a long night out but sorrynotsorry I'm not taking more so this is the best you get.

The bodice is the Sewaholic Cambie Dress in a size 6. I add about 1.5cm to this size in the side/back seams since the Cambie is really designed for pear shapes and I'm definitely not one of those! I could probably do a Full Bust Adjustment but I'm lazy and on me this simple add makes all the difference I need so why get fancy if I don't need to?

Goober Face but Pockets = :)

I changed out the gathered Cambie skirt for the semi-circular one from Vogue 8615 including pockets! Now all my ready-to-wear dresses feel like they lack pockets cos I just love having them in everything I wear sooooo much.

The fabric is from Spotlight of all places and seems to be some kind of novelty cotton drill. It's quite heavy and has a lot of body so I thought the sleeker circle skirt would be more flattering than all those gathers in the original Cambie. Bonus side effect? The heavier fabric means the interfaced waistband holds its shape beautifully, whereas past versions in cotton lawn have tended to roll in at the waist even with interfacing. The downside is there isn't a heap of stretch in the fabric so no big meals in this dress. Plus I've already had to repair the sleeves after ripping them bowling at my work christmas do. But how could I not wear this dress bowling? Such a cute 50's vibe right?

Doing the "Dior New Look" Pose lol

The bodice is lined in pale pink cotton lawn and the skirt portion is unlined to save on weight since this fabric is quite heavy. Construction wise there isn't much more to add - I just love how fun and ridiculous this dress is! 

Bought even more fabric today - I seriously have a problem, maybe someone runs a fabric rehab somewhere I can go to? Will just have to get sewing again I guess... Good thing the sewing room has aircon in this heat!

Happy Sewing!

Stacey

OXOX

Wedding Dress

Today is our wedding anniversary - eight years together and three years since our wedding in 2011. *Warning: This is a picture heavy post (sorrynotsorry hehehe)*

Photo courtesy of Daryl Lynch Photography

Since I didn't even really know what blogging was back then obviously I didn't record the process of making my dress or any of the other home-made parts of our day. Plus Design by Lindsay inspired me with her recent post about making her wedding dress. So in honour of our anniversary I thought I should include my dress on the blog and this is also a way to say thanks to my Mum who did most of the work on my dress while I encouraged her!

Photo courtesy of Daryl Lynch Photography

I wore Mum's veil as my "something old" - Photo courtesy of Daryl Lynch Photography

I wasn't certain we would make my dress initially but once I started trying on dresses I realised 1) how expensive gowns were (at least those that lived up to my expected construction standards) and 2) that I simply wasn't going to find exactly what I wanted off the rack.

 

Mum was fantastic - we started working on my dress with plenty of time before the wedding but as this was nearly 4 years ago I was no where as confident sewing as I am now and as a result she did all the major work while I just assisted and cheered her on in the tricky, challenging bits. Plus it is bad luck to cut out your own wedding dress so I needed her help for that stage of the process at least!

Mum stitching on what seems to be hundreds of buttons!

I really wanted straps - I hate strapless wedding dresses on me as the dresses tend to be so heavy I feel certain they'll just fall right off! I love a fishtail shape with no waistline since I felt like it made me look taller and leaner. I also really wanted a romantic, vintage feeling dress with a heavy lace fabric but struggled to find anything I loved in the shops that we could afford. Since we got married the same year as The Royal Wedding it meant I missed out on the beautiful lacey gowns around now that were influenced by Kate Middleton's gorgeous gown.

Photo courtesy of Daryl Lynch Photography

We ended up using New Look 6670 mixed with Kwik Sew 3401(now OOP). The New Look pattern was actually what I wore as a bridesmaid for my cousin's wedding so we knew the dress style worked and was reasonably easy to sew. The Kwik Sew pattern was more dramatic in the skirt and I felt that this shortened me but the fit of the bodice was better than the New Look pattern. Mum and I ended up combining the Kwik Sew  bodice fit with the style of the New Look dress to create my own perfect fitting gown. I loved the shaped train on the Kwik Sew pattern so we ended up using this pattern piece for my detachable tulle train.

Photo courtesy of Daryl Lynch Photography

We bought my beaded and sequined alençon lace and the duchess satin underlining from House Fabrics in the US after getting loads of samples sent out. Their service was excellent and the price was fantastic - often this type of lace in Australia is over $200/m but we only paid around $60-$70/m! The Italian Shimmer tulle in my train came from Studio Fabrics in Sydney on our first sewing group shopping trip. Originally we weren't going to use this satin in the final dress but when we made up the 'mock up' it fit perfectly and the ivory satin looked great so we thought why re-do this? So after this we constantly referred to my dress as "the practice run"!

Safety First! Glasses on while hammering ;-)

Mum and I had heaps of fun working on the dress together - especially when we got on to the lace overlay and had to hammer the seams to break the beads before stitching! We closed the back with real buttons-and-loops thanks to Grandma's expertise and we hemmed the lace using the scalloped edges of the fabric. Just stitching the hem took 45 minutes together! I handmade the stiffened silk rose for my train which could be detached but I loved it so much I wore it the whole night anyway. The train is two layers of shimmer tulle, hand gathered at the top and the edges left raw.

Silk Rose Close Up

I loved my dress even more for the fact that Mum and I made it together - it's packed away safely for now as befits a future heirloom - but I often want to get it out just to admire it or put it on merry-the-mannequin and pretend I'm in a bridal store. That was how Mum and I gauged if we were on the right track: we would put the dress on her mannequin and put it in her window then go outside and pretend it was a shop. If I felt like I would go in and want to try it on then we were doing well!

Pretending it's a shop!

We also handmade one of my bridesmaid's dresses, mum's dress (including a back-up option) and my going away dress plus I hand made my headpiece, headpieces as my bridesmaid gifts and several other pieces as thank you presents for some close friends. My amazing cousin made all our gorgeous silk flower bouquets, my uncle kindly took our pictures and my mother-in-law baked and decorated our awesome cake. Even more friends and family pitched in and helped us out on the day and being surrounded by so much love and creativity really made our day feel so special and personal, just as we hoped.

Photo courtesy of Daryl Lynch Photography

All up it took us probably 2 months of actual sewing time to make my dress and it was such a wonderful process I would absolutely recommend it to anyone. It was so special to wear a dress handmade with such love and it means I will always have this gown to remind me of our wedding and how much love was shared on that day. So if you're wavering about making your own dress I would absolutely say go for it!!

Thanks Mum so much for agreeing to make my dress - I never would have managed this on my own and it meant so much to share this fabulous experience together!

Photo courtesy of Daryl Lynch Photography

The wonderful man who became the Fabric Folding Assistant - you are an amazing partner and I'm so glad I get to share my life with you (although not my dressmaking shears)! Looking forward to many more years together OXOX.

Hope this was an interesting post even if it isn't a new garment ;-)

Happy Sewing!

Stace

Diane Von Furstenburg Inspired Wrap Dress

Happy Long (sewing) Weekend!

Hope you all are enjoying this Monday off work - although the day has started off a bit grey and gloomy here, I'm hoping for a little sunshine later on!

I had a whole variety of plans for this weekend until I ended up sick from Thursday to about Saturday. Ugh, how unfair does it seem when there is a glorious weekend in front of you but you just feel rotten? Fortunately I was feeling better on Saturday and Sunday and finally back to normal today :-)

So all the usual plans went out the window this weekend. Yesterday however, I did feel the sewing bug. I wasn't looking for too much of a challenge and a quick make was definitely on the cards so I went with my TNT pattern New Look 6429 (now out of print).

This pattern was originally my cousins but we have come to a pattern borrowing/holding hostage arrangement since I have now made 4 of this dress across 2 different sizes...

1..2..3..4...Short sleeves, Long sleeves, No sleeves? Yep think this qualifies as a TNT pattern

Although not a true wrap dress, I always think this design reminds me of those classic Diane Von Furstenburg wrap dresses (especially in this print!). This style flatters pretty much every shape and, just like that other classic - the shirt dress - can be worn practically anywhere! I love that it is a faux wrap since I often have trouble staying in true wrap dresses as I'm short from shoulder to bust which in turn = accidently low cut necklines. The gathering falls right over the area most women are most self conscious about and is part of what makes this such a flattering pattern to wear. Seriously, every time I wear this design I get heaps of compliments from people about how figure flattering it is!

I decided to try something new this time around and finished the neckline with a stretched on band including clear elastic (a la Nettie Dress) instead of the pattern's facings or using non-stretch tape. I was hoping that this would fix the gaping problem that still happens after wearing the dress for a few hours. I am so thrilled to report - it has! This is definitely my favourite finish for knit garments now - I will definitely continue to add this where needed.

Woo! Look No Gaping!!!

I sewed a size 8 and the only alterations apart from the neckline was to shave 1.5cm from the neckline side of the front shoulder seam as I hoped this would help raise the neckline. It did change the fit but I'm not sure if it is almost too high for me now. This change also meant I had to cut out the armholes slightly as they were raised marginally too high after this alteration. What do you think on the neckline position? Too high? I finished the neck band, sleeves and hem with a twin needle.

What do you think? Neckline too high?

How awesome is this fabric by the way??? It's Italian Jersey and is a relic of our March Melbourne Trip. I bought this at The Cloth Shop and while it wasn't cheap, it is definitely the best quality jersey I have ever worked with. And just look at that print!! I LOVE IT!

You can just spot the stretch band I added to the neckline here

The Cloth Shop is a great place to shop if you're around Melbourne, the wonderful staff there really know their stuff and are so friendly and approachable - I really enjoyed shopping there! Plus there is a delicious cafe across the road for lunches on fabric shopping days :-)

Whee!!!!

Hopefully the rest of your day feels like this!!

Happy Sewing!

Stace

OXOX

Cherry Bomb! A red hot Nettie Dress

Sewing for myself has been on the back burner for the past few weeks. With one thing and another I suddenly found myself with a pile of orders to fill for StaceyMade :-O which is no bad thing but did mean I wanted to knuckle down a bit and get stuck in.

Fortunately one of those orders was for a new pattern - a Nettie Dress from Closet Case Files. If I've never used the pattern brand or design before I like to make a trial version for me first since I know my shape better than anyone's. This way I can iron out any fit issues or strange sizing etc. before cutting into my friend's fabric. Bonus here was I have been eying the Nettie Pattern since it came out. It looked like such a good basic design and although I doubt I'll ever make the body suit up (maybe as a costume?), the dress can also be altered into a t-shirt so for only $10 or so you get a good basic dress, t-shirt and bodysuit pattern. When I had a friend after this exact design I rejoiced because now I had a reason to buy the pattern finally!

I won't lie, part of the appeal of this pattern was the very low scoop back combined with a built in bra. I adore low backs, particularly in combination with long sleeves and high necklines - I think it is the epitome of understated sexiness. Add in fire engine red fabric and I think this is one hot dress!

Ok maybe not so understated sexy from this side...

I cut a size 6 high neck, low back dress after a LOT of deliberation given the pattern is designed with negative ease and I am not a hugely confident stretch sewer. I have been dipping my toes into stretch sewing this year and I do love how quick and easy it is to sew up but I still struggle with fitting and sizing issues simply because my brain isn't wired to think in stretch fabric terms just yet. The size 6 turned out to be a perfect fit even though the body measurements given for this size were slightly smaller than mine. I think it also depends on what sort of fabric you use so each new make will have to be individually assessed.

I used some cheap and cheerful bright red cotton interlock stretch fabric I bought in Melbourne at G & J's fabrics (I think). It only just had enough stretch to make this dress but as it is a little heavier than a jersey it did help smooth out my silhouette lines in the final dress so :-).

I included a built in bra which I've never attempted before. The process was relatively easy although I wanted to insert foam bra cups to give a little more support than just the standard elastic + fabric set up. They look ok in pictures but in real life they are a little lumpy and poor fitting. I think the main problem is that between buying these cups and making the dress I've lost weight and now the cups are too big. I'm probably going to rip them out and see how it looks without them and if needed I'll buy some smaller, lighter ones to try again with. This sounds quite tricky and there was a lot of mirror scrutiny time but the actual process of inserting the cups was quite easy - I followed the Nettie sewalong on Closet Case Files site and the instructions were excellent and easy to follow for this step :-)

Overall, this is a fantastic basic pattern that is quick and easy to sew up. I finished all the seams on my overlocker and top stitched the neckline and hems using a stretch twin needle. My only DUUUUUH! Moment came when I perfectly attached the neckband using my overlocker only to discover it was attached right side to wrong side! Cue cutting off that band and starting again. As a result of this the back neckline is quite narrow on the shoulders and has a tendency to fall off a little but I don't think this will be a problem if you sewed it normally in the first place!

This was a great run through before making my final version for my friend - she was after the scoop neck and high back version of the dress and since we are the same size (yay) I could try this version on to check fit and there will definitely be a version of this in my life soon, along with a t-shirt version with the medium back using the left over scraps from this project. I'm actually planning a lot more Netties. They are quick and easy to sew up - great instant gratification sewing, they look great on and are super comfy to wear while still looking really polished :-D wins all round!

It's so nice to whip up some quick sewing projects :-) I love beautiful detailed makes but sometimes you just want a finished project right now!

Special special thanks go to my awesome Dad (Happy Fathers Day!) for taking these great photos - so much better than the goober shots I usually take on timer at home ;-)

Happy Sewing!

OXOX

Stace

P.S - If you'd like to see the other version of this dress I made up, head on over to my Facebook page for StaceyMade Fashion at https://www.facebook.com/StaceyMadeFashion

Some Very Special News

Hello hello!!

I'm back after a bit of an internet hiatus as such - our trip on the Strzelecki and Birdsville tracks was a wonderful break from reality (and technology lol)!
First things first - no I am not pregnant! I'm sure at least one or more person(s) was assuming that so I'm gonna be upfront and say no, no babies here now ;-)

However, I do have a bit of an exciting announcement - I am starting a project called StaceyMade Fashion!

I met the lovely Pemily from The Pin Up Lounge in Port Adelaide a few weeks ago and she was SO excited about my home sewn clothes and asked me if I had ever considered selling the things I make. I have been thinking along those lines lately (after years of swearing I would NEVER sew for anyone but me!) so I have actually taken her up on the offer in a small-side-project kind of way.

Halter Dress in Cotton Rayon blend, Size 10

So I have been cloistered away the past week or so, whipping up a handful of lovely frocks that I've been wanting to make for myself - the catch is I'm not keeping them. Instead these lovely items will be available for purchase through The Pin Up Lounge's lovely clothing boutique! I have started small and all these dresses are my size (Australian size 10-12 roughly) so I didn't have to think to hard about pattern changes/fit etc. If there are people looking for these styles in a different size or a custom design/fit I'll consider branching out.

Sheath Dress in Cotton Sateen, Size 12

Please note this is still only going to be a part of my life (I suspect I will still have to have a 'real job' and I'd like to still have a life too!) so I may not be able to take on complex custom designs yet - I want to see how things go and not overwork myself so I stay healthy. Just a little disclaimer so no-one expects miracles from me ;-)

Sundress in Cotton Lawn, Size 10

That disclaimer aside I'm really excited to be trying this out and to be sharing my style of hand-made fashion!
The dresses will be available in Pemily's beautiful vintage shop at 7 Holmes Street, Port Adelaide - Pem has such a gorgeous set-up and is such a beautiful person - it was really just her sheer enthusiasm that convinced me to give this a go in the first place. She is also wonderfully talented with hair, make-up and styling - the whole creative package (I wish I had her around when I got married - seriously, her bridal looks are to die for!) She also offers Pin Up Photo shoot packages which are terrific fun and lead to some amazing shots!!

The Dress that Started It All - Vintage 1950's design, not for sale (sorrynotsorry) but if you're interested in a custom version please contact me!

I have a facebook page at www.facebook.com/StaceyMadeFashion Please like and share my page if there is someone you know who appreciates handmade touches and is looking for a vintage-inspired look.
If you like what you see, head on into The Pin Up Lounge to see for yourself and maybe buy something beautiful and handmade!

Sundress in Cotton Lawn, Size 10