Jos Tan: sewing & makeup: February 2010

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

2010 SPU 3 - Fab Opera, But Sew Frustrated

The update is a day late because I seem to be having a perpetual headache, fourth day now, and it's aggravated by staring at monitors. I'm a mainframe programmer by day, so staring at a monitor occupied most of Monday that I had to give my eyes a rest from 8pm yesterday. And I still don't feel refreshed!

It's been a busy week. Fab was here for a visit and we went to the Opera House to watch La Traviata. It wasn't as sleep-inducing as I thought it would be. It even brought me close to tears. But it was the costumes that really caught my eye -- they were sumptuous! Too bad I couldn't take photos.

Then, there's Avatar, dinners, work and being sick. So again not much sewing this week.

The only sewing I did was an utter failure -- the Hepburn/Givenchy inspired dress turned out to be too tight. I got so used to not having any fit issues with Japanese patterns (all very loose), that I did not take the time to measure the pattern before cutting out the fabric. What a n00b!

Physically sick and sartorially frustrated, I spent the weekend catching up on chores while watching Project Runway Season 6.

I started working on Fit for Real People, and I made it up to the body graph section -- thanks to ever-sweet Ric who was also sick, but patiently traced my outline on brown paper taped to the wall. But making a fitting shell seems so daunting, depressing and boring that it's not something I could tackle in my current state.

For now, all these failures will be moved back to Future Projects.

I need work on something easy and immediately wearable. Possibly another Japanese pattern.

But I really should be planning and prepping fabric on Sundays, so that by Monday I know what my current project will be.

Current Projects

none

Future Projects

Hepburn/Givenchy inspired dress (muslin) - need to fix
Fitting Shell
Baby quilt
Headphone Case
Ruffle Halter
Wrap Dress
Top using Nani Iro 1m fabric
Casual shirt for Ric
Pants for Ric
Coffee Date Dress
Minimalist cowl top (dark blue fabric from tessuti)

Completed Projects = Sewing Prowess

Sleeveless Top from Happy Homemade Vol. 1
Plaid Shorts for Ric
Plaid Pants from Happy Homemade Vol. 1
VD Fabric Envelope and Card
Minimalist Cowl (Retro Print)
Coffee Date Dress (Muslin)

Repair Projects

Reinforce Ric's jeans' zipper
Hem pants 1
Hem pants 2
Change bag handle
Remake linen jacket
Remove unnecessary zippers of 3 tops with side zip - completed
New zipper for Ric's pants - completed

Coffee Date Dress (Muslin)

I love this dress. It's too bad I used an unwearable fabric, polypop (polyester poplin?), as muslin.

If I'd made it in a nicer fabric, I'd have worn this a week ago. When I was taking the photo this morning, I actually considered wearing to work, but just five minutes in it and I was sweating like a pig.

It fits really well after I raised the waistline, widened the waist and narrowed the back. However, I cut corners and did not include a zipper for this dress, because I was too excited to try it on. It's a contortion act trying to get inside this dress.

I already picked out the fabric that I'll be using for this dress, but I'm worried about ruining the fabric!

Btw, the coffee date dress pattern is a free download from the fabulous Selfish Seamstress blog.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Minimalist Cowl (Retro Print)

This is my first knit project. I've tried to make a tube top before on a second-hand modern Singer, and the fabric puckered along the stitches and since then I've been reluctant to sew knits. In fairness to the machine, I was probably using a dull needle, wrong stitch, wrong thread and/or wrong tension.

I bought the fabric on sale in 2008 when I hardly did any sewing -- all I did then was amass fabric, vintage sewing books and vintage patterns.

But when I saw this free pattern on The Selfish Seamstress blog, I knew I found the perfect project to get acquainted with knits again. Albeit, the thought of having to print, then tape the pattern together and the cut the pattern was quite daunting.

One afternoon I finally decided to take the plunge. It was so easy that I printed and taped and cut two more free patterns on her blog. I am so hooked on The Selfish Seamstress blog as her garments are so gorgeous and she's such a funny writer! I'm a little afraid though of incurring her wrath for using her pattern on such a crazy printed fabric.

Again, it's a test garment. A test garment so good and comfy that it has seen daylight.

I've made it a bit shorter and looser at the waist. But I would have to make shoulders narrower next time. Next time should be soon as I just bought some lovely dark blue knit from Tessuti.

Monday, February 15, 2010

2010 SPU 2 - Happy Valentine's Day & Happy Chinese New Year!

Edit: I forgot to write a summary/intro or whatever to this update.

2010 SPU 2 = 2010 Sewing Prowess Update 2

Today's photo is another one of my favorite model, Scampi! She's the sweetest, always making sure I have company when I sew or lurk in sewing blogs.

Valentine's Day was a relaxing day at home after the flurry of Chinese New Year celebrations -- very yummy, but tiring! For VD, I made sewn card and envelope and it is very crafty-looking and private so I'm not posting it here. But suffice to say, I spent a few late nights completing it under the radar.

For myself, I completed the coffee date dress muslin and I'm eager to make it in proper wearable fabric.

Also, I found myself having lunch near Tessuti, and of course, I couldn't resist going in for a quick look. I still couldn't bring myself to spend so much money fabric -- $100+ per meter of Italian silk? i want, but I'll just ruin it!

I did score a few things from their remnant table: 2 meters of a wool-blend for Ric's pants, 1.5 meters of shirting cotton (perhaps the fashion fabric for the coffee date dress) and 0.7 meter of a thick, dark blue knit with black flecks. All half price! Still way more expensive than what I'd usually pay for, but the fabrics are way gorgeous.

As soon as I stepped of Tessuti, I started staring at men's pants and realized I have no idea how to make welt pockets! Ay yay yay, need to practice that before I attempt the pants.

Current Projects

Minimalist Cowl (Retro Print) - Completed and post written, but photo not taken yet.
Coffee date dress (muslin) - Completed, but post not written and photo not taken yet.
Hepburn/Givenchy inspired dress (muslin) - Muslin fabric cut
Fitting Shell

Future Projects

Baby quilt
Headphone Case
Ruffle Halter
Wrap Dress
Top using Nani Iro 1m fabric
Casual shirt for Ric
Pants for Ric
Minimalist cowl top (dark blue fabric from tessuti)
Coffee date dress (suiting fabric)

Completed Projects = Sewing Prowess

Sleeveless Top from Happy Homemade Vol. 1
Plaid Shorts for Ric
Plaid Pants from Happy Homemade Vol. 1
VD fabric envelope and card

Repair Projects

Reinforce Ric's jeans' zipper
Hem pants 1
Hem pants 2
Change bag handle
Remake linen jacket
Remove unnecessary zippers of 3 tops with side zip - completed
New zipper for Ric's pants - completed

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Sleeveless Top from Happy Homemade Vol. 1

This is another easy sew project from Happy Homemade Vol. 1. I made it with 1 meter brown cotton voile found in the remnant's pile in Lincraft. I omitted the bottom ruffle because I didn't have enough fabric and I thought the neckline ruffles were enough detail.

Who are we kidding? It was omitted because the ruffles would just add to my girth. Still, the top looks wide on me and I've already taken an inch or two vertically from the back and front so that the pieces would be within the 1 meter fabric.

Despite the width, I still have worn it out. Twice now as it's very comfy. In the photo, the top has been washed once and the fraying ruffle shows it. Next time I make this, I'll have to somehow finish the edges. But I'm not really happy with zigzagged edges. But a double fold seems too thick. Hmmm, quandary...

I really love working with Japanese sewing books. The garments are so simple and easy to make, even if you have to trace the pattern and add seams, because there are very few pattern pieces, and the illustrations are so easy to follow. Much easier than written instructions in the Western patterns. And they all turn out to be so comfy and fit well since there's a fair bit of ease in the designs.

I also like how with each simple project in the Japanese books, I learn something new. With this one, I learned how to do a folded-in bias binding on the sleeves and neckline -- again not sure if that's the technical term but...

One more item to blog about, then back to sewing my current projects!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Plaid Pants from Happy Homemade Vol. 1

Never thought I'd wear harem pants. But last year Agnes was extolling the fab qualities of harem pants -- comfy, versatile, etc. Plus it's on my Japanese sewing book I own, so it must be made!

And I love these pants! They're sew easy to make and sew comfy -- another garment that I meant to wear as "pambahay" (lounge wear), but ended up wearing to the shops on a rainy Saturday.

The fabric is the same as the vintage shorts (I had 4 meters). It is a soft, cotton flannel with the wrong side out -- soft comfy flannel-y right side on the inside, and sleeker wrong side on the outside.

I managed to match the plaids on every seam (side seams, inner leg seams, pockets), except for the back part of a long strip of fabric that is sewn between the pant legs from the front round the croth to the butt. I am still not well-versed in the sewing vernacular so it's hard for me describe it, so I'll just leave it at that.

I actually like working with plaids now. The hard part is laying out the pattern and cutting, but sewing is easier with the lines serving as pre-made markings.

The part that took the longest is finishing the seams. Instead of the zigzag suggested by the book, I did welt seams which give the inside a nicer finish, no fraying edges that can be itchy.

No, I haven't worn it the same time as Ric has worn the vintage shorts. Maybe on VD, we'll be the couple wearing matching outfits :)

Monday, February 8, 2010

2010 Sewing Prowess Update 1

I'll be tracking my progress into sewing prowess with a weekly status update on all my projects. Hopefully, each week will see me move projects from one stage to the next: Future Projects -> Current Projects -> Completed Projects -> Sewing Prowess

I'll be dividing some projects into two - muslin project and actual fabric project since I consider finishing a muslin a feat worthy of celebration. Also, I try to use wearable fabrics for my muslins because spending so much time, effort and tears on something I'm not going to wear drives me insane. By wearable, I mean "pambahay" or lounge wear. Wearing them outside the house is another matter altogether.

Current Projects

Ruffle top from Happy Homemade Vol. 1 - I completed and wore it in January, but I have not blogged about it.
Plaid pants from Happy Homemade Vol. 1 - I completed and wore it on Saturday, but I have not blogged about it.
Minimalist cowl top (muslin) - I completed and wore it yesterday, but I have not blogged about it.
Coffee date dress (muslin) - Need to insert the zip, do the hem and finish the seams.
Hepburn/Givenchy inspired dress (muslin) - Fabric cut

Future Projects

Fitting shell
Baby quilt
Headphone Case
Ruffle Halter
Wrap Dress
Top using Nani Iro 1m fabric
Casual shirt for Ric
Pants for Ric
Minimalist cowl top (red)
Coffee date dress (suiting fabric)

Completed Projects = Sewing Prowess

Plaid shorts for Ric

Repair Projects

Remove unnecessary zippers of 3 tops with side zip - done
New zipper for Ric's- in progress
Reinforce Ric's jeans' zipper
Hem pants 1
Hem pants 2
Change bag handle
Remake linen jacket

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Japanese Sewing Books

This year I resolved not to buy any clothes in order to (1) save money, and (2) channel my shopping energy to sewing. But it seems that the meagre shopping fund I should save with this resolution is just being poured into acquiring sewing books and cheap fabric.

For some reason, I am willing to shell out big bucks for books, but not for fabric. Actually, my fabric stash isn't as cheap at it would be if I shopped at op shops -- but where to find op shops in Sydney?

Still, I have not let myself buy nicer fabric, because I'm afraid of making wonky garments in beautiful fabric. I don't think I can bear the disappointment.

Ah, but sewing books are possibilities. I can sit and leaf through them and imagine how my sewing would magically turn out perfect and gorgeously photographed, too.

And the best ones are the Japanese books!

The garments are easy-breezy, and the photographs are amazing. My favourite is the Stylish Dress Book series. No back-breaking slouchy couture poses by "fierce" models. The Stylish Dress Book contains images of vulnerability, solitude, quiet desperation, heartbreak, on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown and whimsical wonderment (eh?)

Stylish Dress Book 1
ISBN 9784579111855

Stylish Dress Book 2
ISBN 9784579112265

Happy Homemade Vol. 1
ISBN 9784579112425

Nani Iro – Colourful Fabric Dress Book
ISBN 9784579111831

Style Dress Book
ISBN 9784579112678

ISBN 9784579110438 - to buy

Saturday, February 6, 2010

My First Vintage

This is the first garment I made out of a vintage pattern -- from 1969!

Apart from the tab on the zipper fly, I don’t think there’s anything vintage about it. I’m not even sure the tab is vintage, except I haven't seen one in any of Ric's pants or shorts.

It took me two whole days plus a few week nights to complete this just in time for Ric's birthday -- that's half the time I spent on Ric's xmas present (a wonkier pair of shorts), so this must mean I’m getting better at this sewing thing.

I had to lengthen it by a couple of inches to make it wearable outside the house. The plaids matched up quite well. For a n00b, I feel this is quite an achievement and I’m very happy with it.

It's a bit wrinkled in the photo since this was taken when the garment was on its way to the laundry basket. I must remember to take photo of garments before wearing/wrinkling/staining/ripping them!