Changing blogs

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adventures in t-shirts; or, those darn Japanese

Some tips and other info:
- set the paper size on your printer to A4, cuz that's what they use in Japan
- I did not do the whole bodysuit thing, so no snapping crotches or anything
- the directions are in Japanese, but you basically just have three pattern pieces, so you don't really need directions. I found it easier for my spatially challenged brain to sew the back (raglan) part of the sleeve to the bodice first. There is some curvy stuff happening with the front part of the sleeve, but do not fear it!
- I made the size small (seam allowances ARE included), but I am planning to make a size medium for comparison's sake (I am more comfortable with a tad more ease)
- I used some sort of fleecy base layer fabric that I got at Rose City Textiles a while back. I realize it is summer and I have no business wearing a thermal-type of layer, but ask anyone here--it has been unacceptably cold all summer!

And the beat goes on.

Lazy baker's hand pies

Lazy baker's hand pies, originally uploaded by super eggplant.

So here's a confession. I had some frozen pie dough from Trader Joe's and some frozen berry medley (blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, I think) from Costco in my freezer. Both had been there for much too long. I decided it was time to take control! Solution? Hand pies, and I took a very lazy approach to making them.

I tossed the frozen berries into a bowl and then dumped in, without measuring, some cornstarch (probably a couple tablespoons), some lemon juice, and some sugar (1/4 cup or so?). I mixed it all up. With the pie dough, I let it thaw then cut each circle along the fold lines to create four pie-shaped wedges. I spooned some berries into a corner then flopped over the dough and crimped the edges. I should have brushed the dough with yolk, but I was too lazy even to do that, so I just sprinkled some raw sugar on top and kind of pressed it in.

I baked these puppies at 375F for about 25-30 minutes then let them cool. And there you go. They were not too sweet, and I think next time I would doctor them up a bit more and maybe sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on the dough. I don't really know.

party dress; or, the long and winding road

So, when we got invited to a wedding, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to make a party dress (also because I didn't really have a dress to wear). I had seen a Grecian neckline dress at J. Crew that I really liked, but I tried it on, and to say it did not fit is an understatement. Armed with my patternmaking knowledge (ha ha ha), I decided to go for it:
1. The J. Crew dress had a princess seam, but I was afraid that trying to do a princess seam AND a Grecian neckline was going to really rattle my tiny brain, so I just followed the instructions in my patternmaking textbook for the Grecian neckline and made a muslin. Disaster. I got kind of confused because there was a top piece and a bottom piece, and I wasn't really sure how things were supposed to come together. A horizontal seam across the bustline seemed kind of weird. The muslin looked insane.
2. After that I decided I needed some additional guidance, so I bought a pattern that had an armhole princess and a Grecian neckline. Yay! It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I figured I could adapt it. I decided to just sew up a muslin of the pattern in case it miraculously fit (because then I wouldn't need to do any drafting), but of course it didn't.
3. On to Plan C! I went back to drafting my own pattern, but it was really helpful to have the purchased pattern to refer to. I started with the armhole princess seams then did the neckline. I had to make a couple of muslins but got to the point where I felt I had a workable pattern.

The Good:
- I think the dress came out pretty well, and it is just as I had envisioned it
- I think I did a decent job with the lining. I know that sounds silly, but hey, I like the lining
- I'm very pleased with the fabric and how much it cost. I wanted to use silk doupioni, but I didn't want to spend a ton in case I ruined the dress. Hello promotionally priced silk doupioni from fabric.com! I got 2 yards of silk doupioni, 2 yards of cotton broadcloth for the lining, a zipper, thread, and a couple packs of needles for UNDER $30. Thank you very much.
- Silicone pasties

The Bad:
- Should I mention the puckers by the armholes? Well, they weren't there when I was fitting the bodice. I think they appeared because I tried a trick of sewing some elastic to the lining to pull in the strapless side of the bodice. I think I placed the elastic incorrectly or something. By then it was too late to remove the elastic, so I just figured, screw it, nobody is going to care. After I got home I did take the elastic out, and I think next time I wear the dress I'll just use some double-stick tape (they have that for clothes, don't they?) to keep the strapless side secured.

If you've read this far you deserve a prize or at least a visit to a mental health specialist. Thanks!

the shirt

So some interesting lessons in this. My instructor helped me decide on some style issues. She suggested incorporating armhole darts, as those can be flattering for the chestally challenged. We kept the top shortish, because I have a long torso and short legs, and visually you want to break up the body into thirds: one-third on top and two-thirds on the bottom. The shorter top is supposed to make my legs look longer. I used the waist darts in the back for additional shaping. I apparently wear clothes with too much ease and was encouraged by others to wear more form-fitting items, but you know, I am not sure how comfortable I am with this. I guess at heart I am just an ease-y gal, ha ha. And the experiment continues ...