Area 51

There are so many UFOs in my sewing room I am just going to start referring to it as "Area 51."

As I was cleaning and organizing the other day, I found this pattern...everything was cut out, still pinned to the pattern pieces....and completely missing the instructions. No chance of grabbing a cheap one at the fabric store (to get the instructions) because it is out of print!

So...I can't really comment on whether or not the instructions were any good, because I just muddled through and put it together however. It somewhat resembles a dress, so I must have been close!


Anyway, I used a poly ITY from Fashion Fabrics Club that I would be astounded if I paid more than $4.00 a yard for. It is super-slithery, but fortunately didn't roll up on the cut edges. It also stretches in both directions, so rather than interfacing the yoke/collar pieces, I just used a coordinating cotton woven for the inside layer, so it would be fully supported.

I also sewed the waist seams using only the serger, rather than sewing with a straight-stitch and then finishing the seam allowance with the serger. The reason that I did that is because I cut this out SOOOOO long ago, I was cutting a 16 instead of a 20...and I knew that I would need that waist seam to streeeeetch.....

Here is the finished dress:


A little boob-tastic, but hey, when you are my size...even turtlenecks have a tendency to boob-tasticness. For the lack of instructions, the wrong size, and the somewhat questionable fabric choice....


I'll probably wear it anyway!!

In other news, I am waiting for two shipments of fabric...I am planning my winter sewing, and for once...I am Sewing With A Plan! More to come....

Oh, Vogue...Why Must You Do This To Me?

This past week I worked on a pattern I picked up at the last sale at Hancock's, Vogue 8670. I thought, here is a quick shirt that I can zip together really quickly, and I will be nice for this fall. Oh, how wrong I was....


I picked up a length of green knit from the bargain table to put together a quick muslin. Interestingly, almost the same shade as the one in the illustration. The pattern looked promising, there were bust darts which were a nice touch. I could live without the buttons at the shoulder...does it remind anyone else of a baby's onesie?

Anyway, I set off on my muslin, and based on my measurements I cut a size 20 at the bust, morphing out to 22 at the hips. Here is the finished shirt:


The first issue is immediately apparent, the neck. According to the drawing, it is supposed to fit similarly to a turtleneck. But that is not what I ended up with. The pattern describes it as a "scrunch turtleneck collar," and the illustration shows a much closer fit:


However, there are a couple of indications that the collar was never going to look like that. For one, the "turtleneck" collar piece is just a giant rectangle. However, for the turtleneck to fit like the drawing, the pattern piece would have to be contoured in some way. For example, in the recent (September) Burda magazine there was a turtleneck pattern, and according to the line drawing, there is a clear contour to the turtleneck...almost like an hourglass shape:


Also, in the vogue top, the turtleneck collar is sewn directly onto the same neck countour that is used for the crew neck:


So as a result, you end up not with a turtleneck, but with a little bitty cowl:


Which, is not exactly a bad thing. I have other shirts in my closet with similar collars. But one remaining issue is that it is HUGE:


Just look at that mess! Why am I smiling?? And it is just as bad from the back. Look how much extra room is at the hips:


And darts or no, it is utterly shapeless. So, back to the drawing board. I decided that it needed a couple of things, a center back seam for contouring, overall shortening, more contouring at the side seams, and a smaller size overall.

Because I am inherently lazy....I decided to use a pattern that I was already satisfied with and use it as a template to redraft the body of the shirt. I decided to use New Look 6735, a pattern that had been selected a "Best Pattern of 2008" at Pattern Review.


The pattern consists of a close-fitting tee, a skirt, pants, and cardigan. The tee also has the advantage of a center-back seam:


I had made the tee before and was very happy with the outcome so I set out on morphing together two patterns. I used the sleeves and neckline from the Vogue pattern and the body of the shirt from New Look. Morphing together a shirt with raglan sleeves (Vogue) and set in sleeves (New Look) does present a challenge, so as I was tracing, I aligned the pattern using the top of the side seam (armpit) as a marker.

I also ended up going down from a 20 to a 16 in the Vogue top, grading out to what was an 18 at the hips for the New Look top, as opposed to grading out to a 22 as I had in the Vogue muslin. I also cut the sleeves and neckline in the Vogue top down to a 16. I also shortened the pattern significantly. I had some knit left over from my Butterick 5522 dress and my BurdaStyle 08.2010.140 dress, so decided to make a bi-color version:


Here is the final verison:


The center back seam allows for a much-needed contour:


For the crew neck, I just cut a strip of fabric on the cross-grain (with the stretch), folded it over, and stretched it as I sewed it, just like I normally do collar bands:


But of course, the proof is how it fits, not how it fits my butt-less dress form:


Some of the differences in the new pattern includes a lack of bust darts, but the New Look pattern accomodates some extra space for the bust by making the front pattern piece longer than the back, and that extra length is eased in during sewing. The contoured waist makes a HUGE difference, as well, and the shorter length is a vast improvement.

So, what was initially a quick, easy pattern turned out to be a two-week-long odyssey but ultimately yielded good results.

Does Sewing Save You Money?

From time to time, a thread will pop up on PR regarding whether or not sewing saves money. I have to admit, that I am always surprised at the answers. Some say that the cost of the machines means that they save nothing (being viscerally averse to spending more than $100.00 on a machine, the idea of a multi-thousand dollar sewing machine is completely foreign to me. If a machine costs as much as a good used car, it needs to do the sewing for me while I watch tv and eat chocolates). Others say they don't even care if sewing saves anything, they do it so they can have exactly the clothing they want, and with a precise fit.

Given that the title of this blog includes the word "Cheap," this is a question that warrants an answer. On one hand, I don't spend nearly as much on machines as some folks do (even my serger was less than $200.00). On the other hand, I don't want to waste money by making things from cheap fabric (although I should clarify, cheap fabric is not necessarily inexpensive...nor is expensive fabric always high-quality. I've gotten beautiful silk for as little as $1.95 a yard, and paid upwards of $15.00 a yard for suiting that shredded the first time it was worn).

If someone were to ask me if sewing saves me money, my answer would be both yes and no.

Please allow me to explain how sewing saves me absolutely no money whatsoever....

I will use as an example the trench coat that I made recently.


Here is the breakdown of the costs for the coat:

4 yards twill for shell: $20.00 (on sale for $5.00 per yard)
3 yards charmeuse for lining: $15.00 (on sale, 30% off)
14 buttons (from stash): $5.00
Interfacing (from stash): $10.00
Shoulder pads: $2.90
Sleeve heads: $1.10
Thread (3 spools): $7.50
Denim needles: $4.39
Pattern: $1.99

Total: $67.88

Keep in mind, that that is just for the materials, no value for labor is added. Overall, I would estimate that the coat took me a total of 7 hours of work, spread out over the course of three weeks. Now, if I pay myself at the rate of $10.57 per hour (which is what the poverty level in the United States breaks down to if you divide it into an hourly rate, poverty level being $22,000.00 per year per family), that means that the cost of the actual construction is $74.00.

That means that the total amount for the coat is $141.88.

Now, compare this to:


This is a twill, fully-lined trench coat from Target. The price is $49.95. No, it is not the grey color that I wanted, and the fit may be slightly off (as RTW usually is), but it is one third the cost of the coat that I made (with labor, at a poverty-level rate).

Now let's consider labor at a rate that I would find acceptable: $20.00 per hour. This is still significantly less than I make at my "real" job, but payment at a rate reasonable for a "side job," and a rate that I would find acceptable should someone wish to commission a coat made by me. That means that the cost of labor becomes $140.00, so the total cost of the coat would be $207.88, more akin to the cost of this Banana Republic version, which retails for $198.00:


The Banana Republic trench is the same color that I wanted, also has similar details such as pocket flaps, sleeve bands, and epaulettes. However, if I pay myself a fair rate for my labor, my version still cost $10.00 more than the Banana Republic version, and if I pay nothing at all for labor, just my materials cost more than the Target version. So, the conclusion must be that sewing saves me absolutely no money.

Now, let me tell you how sewing does save me money....

I am a complete fashion whore. Love it. Love designer clothes. Love luxe fabrics. Love expensive shoes. I adore every thing about fashion. When I can afford it (and can fit into it), I do buy "the expensive stuff."

If I had the money (and it were available in anything larger than a size 12), this is the coat I would have:


This coat is by Burberry, and available through NetaPorter.com. It sells for $995.00, but is very similar to the coat that I made. It is described as a "shower-proof gabardine" and the shell is 65% polyester/35% cotton. I also made the decision to use a poly/cotton blend for durability and stain resistance.

Many of the details are also similar:

"Black shower-proof gabardine trench coat with double-breasted button fastenings at front. Burberry trench coat has a small collar, long sleeves with buckle-fastening tabs at cuffs, buckle-fastening belt at waist, button-fastening epaulets, storm and wind flaps, slanted pockets at front, a vent at back and is fully lined in signature check. 65% polyester, 35% cotton; lining: 50% cotton, 50% polyester; sleeve lining: 100% viscose."

Given that this is my preference, I can save money by sewing a coat for $67.88 (or $141.88, or $207.88) as opposed to purchasing one for $995.00. Sewing also allows for advantages over even the most expensive of coats, namely I can custom-fit what I am sewing as opposed to paying for expensive alterations after purchase, or doing the alterations myself.

On the other hand, why do I care whether or not sewing saves me money? Why do I have to justify spending money on my hobby? My father collects toy trains. Does he have to justify the money he spends on that? My aunt makes her own silver jewelry. She has a huge set-up in her basement, complete with torches and lapidary tools. Does she have to justify the expense? NO! Neither of them do! So why should any of us have to justify the expense of our hobby by saying "Oh, but sewing saves me money." Or should we just say "Screw the money, it's my hobby. I'm not spending the grocery money, so who cares?"

So what do you say? Does sewing save you money? Do you care? Or does even asking the question imply that somehow we have to justify our hobby?

Grey Trench for Fall

The past couple of weeks, I have been working on trench coat using McCall's 5525. I am using a dark grey cotton/poly twill, and an animal print charmeuse for the lining:


I decided to use a cotton poly blend for the shell because of the durability and stain resistance that that type of fabric has over other types. I know that many people prefer natural fibers, but I don't have any issue with poly and given how clumsy I can often be, any type of stain resistance is a plus for me. However, it has a devil to sew once I got to areas where seams crossed. I ended up having to use a denim needle on it.


For the trench I used version E, which is double-breasted, knee length, with epaulets, pocket flaps, tie belt, back vent, and back buttoned yoke. It has a lot of nice details, similar to what is currently available in RTW:


Above is a grey trench from Banana Republic, which retails for $198.00. Here is one from Fred Flare that sells for $88.00:


And here is the Page Turner Trench from Anthropologie that sells for $228.00:


Trench coats seem to be big this year, and many of them have similar details to the McCall's coat. The pattern is drafted nicely, but there are tons of pieces and well over 100 steps once they break out all the parts for the different versions. I won't say that the coat is particularly difficult...but it is tedious. There are lots of details, lots of buttonholes, lots of top stitching. I finally finished it today, after a trip to the fabric store because I was ONE BUTTON short:


I'll get some photos of it on myself later on...I just can't bring myself to wrap myself up in a trench coat when it is still 85 degrees outside!

I made a couple of changes to the pattern, for example, using white cotton broadcloth rather than sew-in interfacing. I didn't have enough interfacing for the huge front pieces, but had plenty of white cotton that was unusable for anything else because it got washed with a bunch of colored cotton. Not on purpose, but I had a box of fabric in the basement that got wet when we had some leakage issues. It didn't damage the fabric, because the leak was minor and I caught it early enough that it never moldered or mildewed. However, I tossed everything into the washing machine not noticing that there was a huge length of white broadcloth mixed in. It is now vaguely pink, so I can't really use it for anything...hence, it's deployment as interfacing:



I also added sleeve heads along with the shoulder pads for a little extra shaping to the top of the sleeve. With the heavy fabric, I was getting a divot where the sleeve was collapsing at the shoulder. The sleeve head keeps that from happening:

Here is the finished product:


See anything wrong with it? Look at the sleeves. The little bands that go around the sleeves were ridiculously long. So, I remade them cutting the piece 3.25 inches shorter than the pattern piece indicated. Here are the revised sleeve bands:


The cutting lines were confusing for lining back, I almost took a notch out of the lining when I was cutting for the kick pleat:


The lining also calls for a TON of hand-stitching. My poor middle finger is as raw as can be (because I have no ability to use a thimble...it just falls right off!). Some of the nice details include pocket flaps (look at the Banana Republic sample, they are exactly the same):


One of the things that took so long to finish were all the bits and pieces:


There is also a back yoke/flap:


The flap is lined:


And pretty much EVERYTHING is top-stitched. Overall, I am pretty happy with the finished product. One thing I would warn folks of is that for a coat the sleeves are very narrow. Because I am impatient, I forged ahead without a muslin....but had I made one I would have caught that and given myself about another 1/2 inch of ease through the bicep.

Other than that, there are some very nice details...princess seams for shaping, a center back seam for contouring, and a full lining.

If I were to make this again, though, I would consider narrowing the belt. For some reason, that thick belt just says "home-made" to me. I don't have enough fabric to cut another, I may take it apart and narrow it, but for now I will live with it a bit and see if I feel better about it later. Another thing to watch is that there are a lot of pieces that they use a 1/4 inch seam allowance on. The tabs on the shoulder, the collar, and the sleeve bands all use a 1/4 inch seam allowance...I had to take more than one of them apart and fix that!

Also, with the bulky fabric and the interfacing, where there were multiple layers the buttonholes were a pain to cut open. But I have a trick for that....a box cutter. Normally I just use my fabric scissors to open buttonholes, but this fabric was just too tough. So, I got a box cutter from the basement and cut them open with that (don't forget to do it on your cutting mat, or a table that it doesn't matter if you put a big gouge in it).

I can recommend this pattern, though. Just be careful that you are following the instructions for the view that you are making, and just be patient as you work through all the steps.

Woot! An Award!!!

My friend Kristine nominated me for a Beautiful Blogger award. She wrote: "Michelle at Cheap and Picky because we really are friends that chat on a weekly basis. I love her sense of humor and her attention to detail makes my head spin. I know you're busy with your classes, but I really am looking forward to your 10 things..."

How awesome is that?? Although if she saw me at work, she might change her mind about that "attention to detail!!"

So the rules are that I have to tell you 10 things about me that you would never guess, and then nominate 5 friends. And thank gawd that Kristine nominated me because otherwise I wouldn't have ANYTHING to blog about because that darn trench coat has been taking me FOREVER to finish! (Actually I am hoping to get it done this weekend, since we have Monday off).

1. I was raised by my grandparents. All my friends in school used to think that some horrible fate befell my parents, but it didn't. I just liked it at my grandparent's house better, and they didn't mind having me there. I lived there until I was 23 and left for graduate school (although my grandmother claimed that you haven't REALLY moved out until you get all your crap out of my basement). After she passed away, she left the house to me and my Mom, so all my crap is STILL in that basement.
2. I have been to more foreign countries than I have states in the US. Yes, it's true. I have never even been to the Grand Canyon. Although I did tell someone the other day that I had never been to Virginia, and then immediately realized that since I lived in DC that yes...I had in fact been in Virginia. Dulles Airport is technically in Virginia. My friend Mindy's house was in Virginia, even though I drove all the way there on Mass. Ave. But then I didn't correct myself because I didn't want to look like an idiot. On the other hand, I have been to Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, China, Korea, Taiwan, England, Ireland, Austria, Poland, France, the Netherlands, Turkey, Germany, Macedonia, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden....it's kind of crazy thinking about it!
3. I am child-free. A lot of my friends assume that I hate children...because I don't have any. But I adore children! I am with my niece and nephews constantly. I even go on the puke-inducing rides at the amusement park for them. Now THAT is dedication! My husband and I have just decided that children are not for us (plus, the cynic in me thinks that its just a matter of time before my niece and at least one nephew are living with us anyway....my brother is kind of a flaming disaster). Sometimes I get touchy when people confuse "child-free" with "childless." Childless implies that we wanted children and were unsuccessful at reproducing, but that is not the case. Plus my mom is convinced that because we have decided not to have children, that means we'll take care of her and Pop when they get all decrepit and want to wander around the yard in their underwear. I am under strict orders to chain her to a radiator the first time she puts her underwear on over her clothes, or tries to write a check to an exiled prince that she got an email from.
4. I'm a little OCD. Actually, let's just tell the truth...I'm a LOT OCD. When my grandfather was moving to a retirement community, he was giving away a lot of things that had belonged to my grandmother. One of the things that my Mom knew that I liked were a set of tiny, stemless wine glasses. There were 12 of them. The problem was, my Aunt Terry liked them to. Here is the conversation that my mother and I had...."Sweetie, your aunt really likes those glasses, too, so I'm going to split them and you can have six and she can have six." "That's OK, Mom. Just give them all to Aunt Terry." "Why? You love them. Just share them." "No, Mom, if we have to split them just give them to Aunt Terry." "Seriously? Seriously? Are you having a passive aggressive temper tantrum because you have to share?" "No, Mom. Just give them to Aunt Terry." "Why? You have been wanting those glasses since you were a kid. Why would you not just take half of them?" "Mom, if I tell you, it won't make any sense to you, and you will probably be mad." "Just tell me." "Mom, I don't think that is a good idea." "TELL ME." "I don't want six glasses. I want 4, 8, or 12. But not 6. So just give them to Aunt Terry." (silence on the other end of the phone line) "I swear to god you need medication." (I got the glasses though, all 12 of them)
5. My family doesn't call me Michelle. They call me Missy. Which came in handy in school when there were always 3 or 4 other Michelles in class (given that it was one of the most common names for girls in the 1970s. My little brother Ricky couldn't say "Missy" when he was small, so he called me Mimi. Because of him, my niece and nephews all call me "Aunt Mimi" instead of Michelle or even Missy.
6. I didn't take my husband's name when we got married. I tell everyone that it is because I didn't want to be called "Dr. Pfeffer." Because his last name is Pfeffer, all my husband's friends call him "Doc." That's not really the reason that I kept my name, but it's easier than trying to explain "I have a record of publication, and professional and academic reputation that is all attached to one name, if I changed that name I would have to rebuild that from scratch." The Dr. Pfeffer line generally gets a laugh, and then I don't have to explain that asking about things like not changing my name is a little intrusive anyway. Easier to just toss the joke out there.
7. I play the oboe. Yep, the geekiest instrument in the entire world. Except maybe the french horn. Which...I also play. Yep, band geek. That's me.
8. I don't have any gray hair. Everyone else in my family has salt and pepper hair. My mother started going gray in her teens, even! Every year they tell me...this is the year, and it never is. There is only one other person in my family with hair like mine...my grandfather. My grandfather had dark hair, not a single gray, until he turned 40. And then...bam....silver hair, every last strand. So I figure I have 3 good years left!
9. I live in a neighborhood where the streets are all named after presidents....Except....my street is the last "president" street if you leave the neighborhood driving north. Because I always came in and left from the north....it wasn't until probably 3 months after I moved in that I finally realized...Garfield, Washington, Jefferson....Hey! All these streets are named after presidents!! Yeah, not my proudest moment.
10. I love, love, love reality tv. I can't even tell you anything about regular network tv. Because I spend all my time watching Project Runway, Real Housewives, and Top Chef. I can't imagine what would entice someone to be on a reality show!! But I can't stop watching the train wreck....

Well, there it is...10 things you probably didn't know about me already. So now I need to nominate 5 people....I always have so much trouble with this part because I want to nominate everyone....or because the sewing community is relatively small, everyone is nominated already...and I love all the blogs that I follow, and adore all the followers of this blog, and I don't want anyone to be left out....this is so hard!!

1. Knit Machine Queen. I love 'Chelle's blog. We have both struggled through a lot of the same fit issues and....we have the same birthday!
2. Mary Nanna at Make it Smirk. I love the things that she sews, and she sets such interesting challenges for herself...like a full wardrobe from all op-shop fabrics.
   
3. Becki-C...She makes the most wonderful clothes using a lot of Marfy patterns. I have not taken the Marfy plunge yet, but that white shirt she made recently might entice me!
4. Kid, MD(Katie) at Kaddidlehopper...For someone who has two little ones and another on the way, I am always astounded at how prolific she is! Seriously, does she have a machine that extracts extra hours from the day??
5. Amy at I Might Sew...If I Had More Time. I totally adore her tag line..."I'm short. I'm fat. I love to sew and knit." I get a chuckle every time I read it!
   

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday weekend, and hopefully I'll have something sewn to show you on Monday!!