Category Archives: thoughts

fix-it-friday: vintage dress let loose

I don’t know if this dress has ever made an appearance on this here blog, but I bought it some six or seven years ago during an impulse trip to Copenhagen with a friend. It was a good trip – my friend had some days off work, I did too, so we took an overnight bus down there and experienced odd people on that bus, and we saw old people dance to live music in the Tivoli, and went to the superb art museum Louisiana, and I bought the best smelling sunscreen ever, and after pinching our pennies all trip long, we ended up having to take a taxi from the bus station back to the apartment we’d been staying at to retrieve… ahem… a bus ticket, and then back to the waiting bus in the nick of time. Oh, and I fell in love with and bought this dress in a basement vintage shop on a cobbled side street after a decadent sandwhich lunch in the sun.

It’s always made me feel like a flight attendant for a cowboy airline. I think it’s the piping, and maybe the epaulettes? It goes wonderfully with turquoise necklaces, by the way, as you can see. And up until a couple of weeks ago, I was going to hem the thing – the vintage length isn’t necessarily too flattering on me, and I figured this was a perfect fix-it-friday thing that would take me all of 15 minutes, and then I’d actually start wearing the dress again.

I had chalk and a ruler out, and I put the dress on to have John help me measure how much to shorten it by, and it hit me. Even with a shorter length, I wouldn’t use it more. Even with fixing the bust which has really always been a little too roomy, I wouldn’t use it more. Even with all the memories of how I bought this, I wouldn’t use it more, and even knowing what it meant to me at the time to have chosen this dress in a style totally different from all of my friends, and the victory that the choice had felt like…. I wouldn’t use it more.

I absolutely love this dress. And for several years, it was the style I had chosen for myself. But the current me doesn’t feel comfortable and invigorated by it anymore, so the right fix for this one (and right up the alley for my 2013 goals of dealing with my fix-it-pile by any means necessary) is actually to let it go and be loved by someone else. So, dear dress – off to e-bay you go.

hello 2013

I went back over my archives for 2012 to round up my finished projects for the year, and I was sort of gobsmacked to not find more than I did. Did I really just sew four things all year? (well, disregarding all the wedding dresses and suits I’ve worked on for my day-job…)

Looking back, 2012 has been one of those periods where knitting things and sewing my own clothes couldn’t be a priority, and that’s ok. I tried tough! Especially at the beginning of the year I started a bunch of projects that were abandoned for one reason or another (stalled on the shape of a pocket; a waistband that puckered; couldn’t finish 12 bound buttonholes in time for a SewWeekly challenge – which, by the way, I totally deluded myself by attempting to participate). Stuff came up in the middle of making these things, and I just left them. So for 2013, not surprisingly, these half-finished sort-of-forgotten projects will be dragged to the forefront to be dealt with. I’m allowing myself to “deal” with them in any which way I feel like, which will probably mean finishing them, but could also be seam-ripping, donating, or burning them in the woodstove if that’s what it takes. But they have to get out of my waiting-pile!

It won’t be all I’ll be working on – like Roo recently wrote about, I’m also feeling the workwear conundrum. I touched upon it briefly after Me-Made-May, that the portions of my wardrobe that feels work-appropriate is quite small. I have a lot of pieces that are casual, lovingly worn, a little baggy, faded around the edges, and therefore just not sharp enough for work. I’ve started (in a small way) to invest in some better pieces – leather shoes, blazers… wait, that’s how far I’ve gotten. Leather shoes and a blazer. I’m am on a budget afterall! Some of the things that have been on my sewing list for ages (ahem… over a year?) will be very useful in order to feel more polished and put together at work – a Liberty of London boatneck dress, a magenta pencil-skirt, a pinstriped blazer, and some blouses. I work in a design-concious field, and while I’m comfortable with, and know how I want to dress, what I’m wearing nowadays is just not in good enough shape. Therefore, enter sewing. I have quite high hopes and big plans for 2013 in other words!

Let’s not forget knitting though! I had quite a few big projects going at once earlier this fall, with a cabled hat with tiny thread, three sweaters, and a lace top on my needles. Those projects aren’t all done, but I did complete these things in the past year (with some pictures from ravelry for ease):

I think it’s really funny how these hats came in next to eachother on my ravelry page. We’re two peas in a pod, obviously.

Mittens I never blogged about since I finished them in the car en route to the recipents house (I know… bad knitter.), and the cowl I use all the time.

I’ve finished a couple of hats, a cowl, and a sweater this year, with one big knitting goal for the next (well, besides finishing the two sweaters, one cardigan, and the lace top I’ve started) – mittens! I was dumbfounded to realize, especially as a knitter, that I had no good mittens to wear when it got chilly! Not good enough. Nobody should have freezing hands in the colder months, and knitters should be able to provide that for themselves. If I start with some stranded colorwork mittens now, I’ll probably have them ready by spring, haha! But then I’ll be all set for the next winter, so that’s ok.

Also 2013, I’m going to floss every day. Just letting you know.

my uniform

Studying in Chicago, I had a uniform of sorts. Most days I would wear some variation of skirt + top + cardigan + belt. It made dressing easy, having a sort of formula to vary on, and in the winter especially it was good for layering tights and fleeces and anything else I could pile on. I grew up in Norway, which isn’t exactly known for being a warm place, but I’m telling you… Chicago winters are about the most brutal I’ve experienced.

Ok, digressing. This past year I’ve noticed a shift in my uniform, to dresses + cardigans + sometimes belts. It’s really quite insignificant, besides the subtle shift to one less piece of clothing to take into the equation, and minimizing the chance that the belt doesn’t sit at the waist of the skirt. My current uniform it is, none the less.

There is one detail about this outfit I want to point out, which is the lack of a belt. I don’t remember where I first saw it (I’m quite sure the clever ladies of acidemichic do this too), but using the wrap belt that is attached to this jersey dress to belt the cardigan as well, is a trick I’ve used for years. You bring the belt to the front of the dress (if it isn’t there already), cross and wrap it around the cardigan, and tie it either in front or in back. Instant color-cordinated belt!

Anyone else have a uniform of sorts?

my handmade wardrobe, arrested

Jen over at Grainline studio recently posted the contents of her handmade wardrobe, and I was inspired and encouraged to follow suit! (har har..)

I totally set up a whole photo studio in my apartment, with spot lights and lamps and whatnot, but it was night so I got some funky colors, and I think the images came out looking like perp shots, or like the clothes are being interrogated!

None the less, here are the handmade clothes that are currently in my wardrobe (goodness knows I have a lot of me-made things that just isn’t getting used, or has been used to pieces already):

Sleeveless tops

Beach blouse, Tiny pocket tank

Tiny pocket tank, Svanvik blouse

Layering things. From the top; my own pattern, two tiny pocket tanks from Grainline Studio, and another of my own patterns. The pale blue blouse is from my graduating collection, and I’m happy it fits me so I can have it in my wardrobe! I have to admit, I haven’t actually used it yet, but next time a fancy artsy dinner or gallery opening rolls around, I’m ready.

Other stuff

Jersey top, mustard shorts

Aptly named since I only have one each of long-sleeved tops and shorts/pants! The corduroy shorts are still going strong, though a little rumply from all the wear. The jersey top is a sample I got to make for myself while interning for Elmidae in Chicago.

Skirts

Mini skirt, Valentine’s day skirt

Minde skirt, another Marie skirt

Wool skirt, Pencil skirt

Clearly skirts is what I make the most of! Including the miniskirt feels a little like cheating since it was a simple refashion, but man, I’ve used that skirt so much I think it’s allowed in. The drapey wool skirt in the middle is from my graduating collection, and the double layer skirt at the bottom is another Elmidae sample I got to make. The black linen pencil skirt is one of the first things I blogged about here, so it’s funny that it still has a place in my wardrobe!

Dresses

Ironwood dress, Grandma-dress

I really like making and wearing dresses, so I’m a little surprised I don’t have more of them actively in my wardrobe! The Ironwood dress is my own pattern, and the floral-patterned dress is a refashion from my grandmother’s old dress.

Knits

Bayview Street Cardigan, Geithus lace knit top

Seamless hybrid sweater

I feel like I’m pretty much knitting all the time, but I guess a lot has been smaller things like hats and scarves, or gifts, but these three self-knitted garments are getting plenty of use. Like I mentioned just a couple of weeks ago, I’m casting on for another one of both the Bayview Street Cardigan, and the Geithus lace knit top, which is my own pattern.

I totally forgot to take a picture of the charcoal wool sweater since I made it for John and not myself, but I tend to borrow it from time to time anyways! So instead of a evidence-like photo of the sweater, you get one of my handsome boyfriend wearing it instead. Deal?

The verdict

I have made way more than is actually in my current wardrobe. I use the Hitterdal coat every once in a while, but it’s not really a regular staple. And then there are things that I made that I’ve worn to death, or that don’t fit anymore, or that I simply don’t like anymore.

There is also a pile of half-finished and alteration-ready projects that I’ve mentally already added to my wardrobe, but that aren’t there yet! I have a Minoru jacket in pieces somewhere, a Beignet skirt just waiting for 12 bound buttonholes (oh yeah, that’ll only take a few hours!), and a myriad of smaller refashions. On a personal note, I actually have changed jobs and am done working in the bridal shop. Now I’ll be doing sewing related things just half of my work-week, so I’m really hoping that means more time and energy for sewing for myself!

how I dress for my strong shoulders

Me-Made-May is right around the corner, and as I mentioned in my last post on MMM, this excersise is more of a personal style challenge for me than anything. This has got me thinking about how I put together outfits, and what I’ve discovered and learned from that.

So, here’s the deal: my shoulders are prominent. They’re wider than my hips (for those who use those things to categorize), and they are angular. They are one of my most pronounced features, but quite honestly, sometimes I don’t want them to be quite so much. That’s when I do one of the following things:

• Duck and run for cover

Cheat. Blur the lines of where your shoulders actually ends. I tell you, this is my most used trick. Usually, tops and shirts and jackets should have their sleeve seam hit right at the tip of your shoulder, but if I followed that, the fit would be too big elsewhere. This means the seam is further in on my shoulder, but that’s ok! It actually hides my wide shoulders through an optical illusion (or the power of social norms – take your pick!). A yoked dress or cap-sleeve shirt are other examples for big-shoulder hiding.

• Vertical lines

Vertical lines take attention away from horizontal lines – at least that is my reasoning and experience! I love wearing cardigans for this reason, and deep v-necks as well.

• Balancing out the hips

By creating volume at the hips, the shoulders don’t look as wide in comparison. There is a reason I love my Marie-skirts! Another way to do this is to wear a layer (like the outfit with the cardigan in this post) ending at the widest point of your hips to emphasize them, or to wear brightly colored shorts.

• Flaunt it!

They’re there, make them the focal point! By the way, the type of sleeve that this top has will work to hide the real width of your shoulders as well, oddly enough.

Now finally, part of me struggles a bit with this – there is a constant battle between the part of me that wants to feel like I look nice, and the part of me that feels I should be accepting of what my body looks like, and not try to “hide” any parts of it. I don’t know if I’ve come to any conclusions, but I’d love to hear other people’s comments. Is it possible to hide things in a “good” way?

2012

It’s almost inevitable to spend the end-of-the-year holidays reflecting on the year you’re leaving behind, and the one you’re approaching. 2011 has been all over the place for me; I completed my fashion design bachelor in May, I left Chicago behind to go on a three-month road-trip/camping-trip, and I moved back to Norway in August. I’ve been living without most of my belongings since leaving Chicago (they’re on their way, but goodness – several months overdue!), so settling in hasn’t been quite complete yet. With this year of adventure and nomadic living behind me, I am hoping for settling in 2012. I’m want to have all my belongings in one place again, and I’m looking forward to some measure of routine!

And for a peak back at what I’ve made this past year – look at that! I think I have some colors I keep coming back to! I’m quite surprised that I’ve knit more items than I’ve sewn this year, but I think the work on the collection skews that – I mean, does one tailored, fully lined coat equal one knit baby hat? I think perhaps not! But that collection has definitely ruled my sewing world this year.

What’s in store for 2012 then? I want to sew more for me. Sewing school-projects has been a ton of fun, especially going through the process of drafting and fitting patterns before sewing the actual garments. But they weren’t necessarily for me! There is a backlog of things I’ve been wanting to sew, and now is the time. For example, I have a Beignet skirt high on my list, and I’ll be doing Tasia’s sew-along for the Minoru jacket now in January.

There are most things still from my fall pallette challenge to sew, like jeans, pencilskirts, blouses, and dresses. I want to do a detailed series on tailoring jackets, and I have a handful of my own designs I’ll be making as well.

Most excitingly, I’ve been working behind the scenes on a line of sewing patterns! I’m still working hard on them, and will be starting small with just one pattern at a time. I’d love your help though, so if you’d like to be a pattern tester, follow this link to my pattern tester survey! Everybody is welcome, I’m hoping to have the first pattern ready for testing early spring.

I’m looking forward to this year, and I hope everybody else is too! Now, if only my fabrics, patterns, and tools could arrive so I could get started sewing again!

fall and winter sewing plans

Well, the blogs are buzzing with talks of fall sewing plans! I technically have an incredible amount of sewing ahead of me, working with the costumes for a show at Haugesund Teater called “Amanda“! But that’s not for me, and after seeing what people are sharing of their plans, I was inspired to make a moodboard of my own!

See my the rest of my Fall Palette Challenge board over on Pintrest, as well as the links. (I joined the bandwagon!)

Sarai over at Collette Patterns has led a couple of sewing challenges, with moodboards and palettes and matching plans with patterns. While I won’t be officially joining the challenge, which is to set some sewing goals and complete them within 8 weeks, it was a good encouragement to think about what sewing projects I have planned, and want to prioritize this fall and winter!

I posted about these fabrics that were gifted to me over the summer, and they are definitely part of my plans. The solid pink (which really is more magenta-purpley in real life) is destined to become a pencil skirt – what a bold statement! And the Liberty-print is a wool that I think would be great in a fairly simple boat-neck dress, like the Colette Peony pattern actually.

And that subtle dark grey pinstripe is going to become a tailored, fitted blazer. I’ve wanted to make another one for a long time, and this time I’d like to share the process here! I think it could be interesting, and maybe even helpful to those attempting a go at a tailored jacket? I’m planning on using all the techniques I learned while making the previous one; pad-stiched horsehair, twill-tape on the lapels, bound buttonholes… all of that good stuff!

It might seem like my perfect pants project has completely gone by the wayside, and that wouldn’t be entirely incorrect. I haven’t abandoned it though! I’m slowly working on tracing the pattern from a pair that fits, and I have the fabric all ready to go. I’d like to use Peter’s Jeans sew-along – he had some really good info there!

Finally, I’d love to try some more jersey projects, and I think a loose-fitting racerback tank-top would be a great staple in my wardrobe… Well, I think all of my projects will be! A challenge for me is actually to get more patterned stuff into my sewing – and my wardrobe – so hopefully I can add some cute patterned blouses or full skirts into my fall and winter sewing too!

Any sewing plans? Colors that are must-haves now that fall is upon us? I’d love to hear – and see!

indigorchid

patterns, stitches, and making things