A Challenging Sew

Marfy 3201 finished....just in time for summer!!

 

 

 

 Never let it be said I don't suffer for fashion, 80 degrees with a full winter coat, thats committment!

 

 

I won't rehash all the previous posts, but in summary....

The front panels are tailored, the remainder of the coat is quilted in the French jacket style with a layer of ice wool for extra insulation.

The outer sleeves, cape and hem on main coat all have chain attached...it helps with the drape tremendously, and feels weighty and sooo beautiful to wear.

All the side seams  and button holes were sewn by machine but the remainder of the coat was done by hand with the tiniest of Japanese size 9 needles  for a couple of reasons:-

 The wool layers were so thick around the collar/armseye and shoulder flap areas that they probably would not have gone through a machine neatly, it was easier to control with two rows of backstiched seams.

and  also because some boucle wools fray faster than you can sew them  (this being one of them)  there would have been areas that would not have caught properly in a machine.   In some places there were only milimeters left above the seam line........to be fair though,  this fabric was over handled really for the delicate nature of it.

To give you a idea how long this took, this is what I watched/listened to.....

Nashville Season 1 - 21 episodes

Chicago fire Season 1 - 24 episodes

Mad men - four episodes

The Good wife - six episodes

Movies - Django / Les Miserable / Argo and Silver linings.

Audio - The Aviators Wife and Anderson Coopers Dispatches from the Edge.

Obviously this does not include the week of classes  in Baltimore! ....just the time sat at home and in the hotel at night. 

 

CONCLUSION

Overall I absolutely love this coat, the fit is great, its so unique and I imagine its going to be crazy warm. 

I really want to try making this the way it was intended with tailoring and a full lining and am already thinking of a lighter weight V2 in a red silk wool I have, but will be changing a couple of very minor things:-

I'm going to increase the size of the button holes, right now they are just under a inch for the eight on the main coat and only 3/4 inch on the pockets and shoulder flap. (try bound buttons on those...Susan stepped in and did all three, my face must have shown terror at the thought! )  

I had to use a 3/4 inch button on the main coat  and  1/2 inch on the remainder, and they look pathetic. Seriously pathetic.

I wanted to show a picture before I take these off and work out a way to use bigger ones.

Also I'm not sure if this was me, the quilted fabric or the pattern, but for reference the cape and outer sleeve look like it would have benefited from being sewn further down into the seam. There's about a inch that is just doing its own thing and looks "off"   Luckily I added another layer of chain which pulled the cape down and it all disappeared but here is the before picture.

and the hem is quite short.  I'm 5'7' and had to add another two inches to get it below my knees.  There is so much going on up top that I felt it needed the extra length to even it out in this fabric.

So....final details.....Chanel wool is from Mendel Goldberg  they are back in their original store and its been so beautifully restored.    I was there last Monday and Alice has some amazing new stock from Europe.  I will add my finds to another post...

Silk charmeuase used as a lining is from Mood fabrics.  I bought this a couple of years ago and think it could be Versace? but probably wrong.

I bought the same buttons I used in my black French jacket but this time in blue....although they look black again here.

 

and chain was all from Susan Khalje.....her store stocks loads of useful stuff!

 

I did write out the order of construction I used , omitting all the quilting details but will add that one next post if anyone wants to attempt it? highly recommend!

Download Marfy-3201-instructions

So this week I find I have a lot going on, my Mother in law is here for the next couple of weeks,  the kids are all home from Wednesday until September!, (whats wrong with America?? who needs ten weeks off school?  I remember being thrilled with six in England!) 

My eldest graduates High School and my middle daughter is off to New Orleans for a conservation camp....which means I get to fly down there for the first time ever to drop her off.  Can't wait, its been on my list of places to visit  for years.  We are making a long weekend of it with my MIL and eldest daughter. Any suggestions?!

In my head I will also be productivly sewing, but of course its never going to happen so am going to take next week off and enjoy a break.

Wishing everyone a lovely week....I'll be back in two!

Leisa :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marfy 3201 and Couture sewing camp...

 

I just got home after a mindless day of Sunday traffic delays,  exhausted but still on a high from a week of sewing!

This was my fourth time at Susan Khaljes Couture class and yet again I can only say what an amazing group of women.  There  were a lot of first timers and some repeats, they had come from everywhere, flying from Perth and driving from Nashville.......All ages, all skill levels, supportive, friendly, helpful and funny..... Six days that flew by.   

I think its a extrodinary testament to Susan that each class is as wonderful as the last.  Everyone came with a speciific  project, two wedding dresses, one for a daughter and one for a granddaughter, a little blue dress, beautiful sheath dresses, a cashmere trench coat,  an incredible boucle dress. Nothing was to big or to small to tackle...there was not even a flinch when my coat emerged from its bag in pieces!

Its a experience I would wish for  every serious sewer, new skills, more confidence and new friends.....I don't have adeqate words to explain what you walk away with...

I got a lot done while I was there and was incredibly glad I had done as much prep here as I could, it really paid off.  

Marfy 3201 is a exquisite coat. It was a joy to make, although it goes without saying this really is a advanced pattern, I don't know how far I would have got on my own.....

I'm not done, there were eleven bound buttons holes alone but  I have every single piece attached and it looks like  a real coat, although there is a lot of reinforcing, quilt closing and shoulder/arm finishing to be done this week.  

Today (Monday) I am meeting a couple of the ladies from last week for a shopping trip at Mendel Goldberg  and M & J trimming  before they head home.   I need a belt buckle and buttons and of course will be looking for some amazing fabric .  Can't wait!

This is going to be a tough coat to photograph, but here are some progress pictures.... I think once its finished, the details will be clearer....

The original line drawing.

The back with the cape flipped up....the cape and the oversleeves are all finished and even have their chains attached.  Its gorgeous and seriously weighty!

I also have pinned sleeves on my two short jackets which makes me so happy!

So this week I am going to wrangle the inside of my coat into some kind of order, and try to get the contractors to finally finish my kitchen before my Mother in law arrives on Sunday......

I'm also going to work through all my notes and write detailed instructions for anyone that is interested....there is a very very specific order that the coat should be assembled in and as I know I am going to make it again, I want to make them clear for future reference  

Wishing everyone a lovely week,

Leisa.

 

The sound of crickets......

This was never going to be a exciting sewing post , as all i've done is continue to work on my jackets .....but between the kitchen construction,  the work involved in leaving four kids and a husband for seven days and life in general, its even worse than I thought!

So i'll apologise :-)  and  resort to pictures with promises of some detailed notes  and finished pictures next week?!

 

A basted coat, ready for my first fitting..... so happy to have put extra warmth in..felt great in 93 degrees!  Poor dog was regretting sneaking out to see what we were doing....look at his face and mine, this weighs a ton and we both had burning feet!

If I was making this at home I would say the fit was pretty close but its hard to tell with so much going on inside, however Susan will know immediately, thankfully.....this is lovingly called the Shaggy dog look in the French jacket class!

Once its fitted and the adjustments are made, the seams are graded down and the silk lining is folded one seam over the other and then hand sewn in place.  Every. single. panel.  thats a day at least with my lack of hand sewing skills.....boot camp!

I'll also need to open up the shoulders at that point to baste in the cape, as I imagine it will effect the way the coat hangs.

The ice wool will need to go on the front panel around the same time and  I wonder if applying it to the facing is the way to go?  It will certainly be hidden, and the lining will close the whole are up....

Anyhow...

My lovely undercollar, all steamed and rolled into place..the stand is completely hidden at the top but its about a inch and a half deep and is on the inside ready to be joined to the coat.

 

It was getting really bulky around the seams, so I cut the hair canvas seams off and zig zagged them to reduce the layers.  The wool still has its seam allowance and is cut on the grain, the canvas is cut on the bias.

and that is about it.....but I am in Baltimore and as ready as i'd hoped to be for class tomorrow.  I am absolutely determined to get this finished and sleeves at least attached to the two short jackets from March and  just can't wait to get on with it!!....

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Leisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marfy 3201 .....prep work pt 2

 

Happy Memorial day!  After a week of rain and nasty temps, the sun came out this morning and we hit 70 degrees, just in time for the town parade....such a nice way to start the day, watching my  youngest marching in the school band!

I had  a whole lot of nothing but prep work going on this week ,  of course eventually it will be fabulous?!  but as of now ...ehh....we are also  heading into  week three without a kitchen, which is always fun with kids, cats and  dogs and thats  been slowing me down.

The upside to buying a very old barn are the established flower beds and trees....these peonies are the size of  two cupped palms, right outside my sewing room window

and the downside has been all the upgrades needed inside. (although to be fair we choose the house because thats what we wanted to do) ....I put the kitchen off forever but it still had not sunk in that the carpenters and painters would come, seal of the kitchen entrance with plastic and then start work...no fridge, no pantry....but they worked yesterday and are here today, so impressed!

but onto the important stuff!

 Marfy 3201 has won my heart, its a gorgeous pattern, very detailed, just meant for tailoring.   Roll lines, seperate collar, under collar and stands,  all individually cut and then sewn per preference..I have cut the upper collar and lower on the bias and the stand on the grain.  I'll post pictures next week of all the stages...I have to finish the pad stitching today.

I know there are always questions  about why these kind of designer fabrics cost so much, but just look at what it consists of....yards and yards of these strands.Its kind of mind blowing!   The three different sizes are woven into the black thread which is on the straight grain.  The smaller is black and has flecks of white embedded into it randomly, the other two are similar to each other  but different sizes. 

 

This coat took a full  six yards of fabric with just fistfuls left  but it was a very narrow 46" wide.  This is the entire pattern layed out end to end... I have held onto all the selvedges in case there is a way of "Chaneling" it up when I finish!

     

All cut and  thread stitiched...it a deep pile!

The quilting took some time to figure out, normally a walking foot is a absolute must but the ice wool was causing havoc, being sandwiched between the two and  so I went back to the  regular foot and used a 4.8 stitch which  although is much bigger than I have used before allowed the fabric to lay flat and not resemble a puffa jacket!

The lining design is  making  the quilt stitches  look distorted but I promise they are even :-)

The upper image is just after quilting and the lower is after a pressing, amazing difference....there were a lot of panels to do, I am so glad I choose to do this here, it took a while.

and  even longer to tie off every single row of quilt stitching top and bottom on the inside of the layers.

Then it was onto the front panels, these do come with facing panels, so in theory the fronts are tailored and then they join the quilted front sides with the facings hiding it all seamlessly.  

This was a little tricky as I wanted to go to Camp Couture  this time to learn how to do the "finishings", professional bound buttons,  the most beautiful pockets flaps, exquisite top stitiching!  so I thought it would be better to tailor as I normally would and remove what I need to when I get there. I don't know quite how to add the bound buttons holes  to the jacket now its at this point but  its always quicker to take something off or cut a chunky square out, then it is to add it!

The roll lines have been taped and catch stitched, I have left big areas free for the bound button holes and rather than taking the hair canvas into the front side pieces as normal, I  have reduced them to within the sewing lines along with the twill tape so that they can be a little more flexible like the remainder of the coat, .....or thats what I hope anyway.

Although the basting is quite tight around the upper body  I kept it loose and flexible towards the bottom so that it will be less rigid like the rest of the coat.

and they are now chilling out after a good steaming so they remember how to roll correctly when the time comes!

 

I also decided to stay true to the original pattern, and insert the cape permanantly while lining it with the patterned silk so it matches the coat....Marfy knows better than me,   I can change things up  with the second version once I know what I am doing!

I have a list of things to get done before next  Sunday when I leave which include the collar, ice wool quilting of the front facing and joining the coat for a first fitting.

Also need to cut and quilt the sleeves for  both the small red and blue jackets, insert the main trim in the red and close it all off....

On another topic, my MIL Gill sent some futher pictures of the quilt she is making.  Knowing nothing about quilting  I asked if she could explain it in more novice terms  for me and so she did!

She found this image in a book called "Compendium of Quilting techniques " by Susan Briscoe.

This is the basic idea of the first quilt she is making, but as its for my son and an aquatic theme  the colours will reflect that .. these squares will form a border with the image inside.

 

The full size will be be 49"x35".  Each  ruled out square represents a 7" square " block" . Each tiny square on the graph paper represents a square inch.

She adds....I love the fact that I don't know how it will look when finished. To me, patchworking is an iterative process, it develops as I go along...I do not even know how the next block pattern will look..  I cannot start  sewing it together until all 130 blocks have been made, as each design will need to be scattered evenly over the quilt, whether I have 5 or 15 of them; and that is governed by the quantity of each bit of fabric. Sometimes I have enough for just one more basic block, but the border has to be in a different colour because I might have run out of the original fabric...

Its so cool for me to match the garment to the fabric here!

 

Thank you thank you Dan Brown for Inferno.  I have listened to it all week and its taken my mind off the hours and hours of knot tying!      I was rolling my eyes at one point but it took a great twist which showed me!   Love the history he includes.

Off to pad stitch for a while before we fire up the grill and open the beer!

 

Have a great week, back Monday!

Leisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marfy 3201 ...eek!

 

 Oh this is going to take a long time, I looked like a deer in the headlights when I started this, to funny!.....its a really detailed pattern. Once all the pieces are cut as directed you end up with 46 in total,  a recipe for disaster if you ask me :-)

 

There were some questions about whether  the cape was detachable or not, the catalog picture made me think that this was a option after seeing it shown both ways. 

Its not, sadly,  as it stands its only possible to attach a permanant cape or leave it off entirely.

I like the concept, although it complicates construction as you have to sew the left shoulder and armseye into the cape at the same time as you join the coat together. 

However, after thinking about it I see no reason why I can't also add the front right epaulette to the left side and have some kind of attachment at the back (thinking small  leather straps right now but time will tell) which along with the front button should keep it secure.

This would make the cape an individual piece that granted could only be worn with the coat but would be a perfect  additional layer for those unbearably cold  East coast January through March months and make the coat more versatile for the warmer winter  months.

Burberry has a vaguely similar look going on right now...but I prefer that Marfy has gone all out with a proper cape as opposed to a hint of one.

The basic muslin is all made, I did not make a sleeve as I will use the three piece one that I have for my french jackets, so I can cut that in advance as well knowing it already fits.

 

The fit is pretty good, the  lower back needs some shaping but the shoulders and front bust area have a sweater amount of ease built in which is perfect and a front belt for waist shaping.

I want to quilt this coat in the French jacket style but also need to tailor the lapels with hair canvas because its impossible to put bound buttons holes into a quilted soft jacket due to the flexibility or give it the crisp looks it needs.    As well as add a layer of ice wool between the wool and lining for extra warmth....I know, completely over the top but until it goes wrong I'm going all in!

I only have five days in Baltimore next month and they go fast.....I  have to finish the sleeves on my other two jackets as well,  so maybe three days for this?

I have no idea how to finish a coat to a couture level, this is my first attempt at even making one.   However I know how to get it to the fitting stage before I go and can  have the front panels tailored as well as the collar and the rest of the panels quilted  and tied off.

This is what I am going to use, a Ice wool, silk charmeuse lining,  and wool .  I don't think I will use a patterned fabric  to line the cape, it could get very distracting, there is already a LOT going on with this.....I am thinking black silk instead.

But on a more productive note I did get the blue jacket done and ready for the sleeves...yay!

The trim colour is close to the picture above, not below!

and the inside all sewn up......

So for this week, onto the short red jacket....I don't have the bead trim made yet  but I have dyed the fabrics for the inserts  to a perfect colour so they can be sewn in and then the inside closed up.....

and I hope to cut out all the jacket and cape, quilt and tailor.....wishful thinking probably!

 

Of course all these projects are adding up to a very large collection of fabric scraps, which I had no idea what to do with....So I asked my  Mother in Law if she would be interested in a box every now and again, she was so enthusiastic about the idea and decided she could incorporate them into her quilts, amazing!...and the first box went off to the UK.  Not sure she knew what she was in for....I sent a lot.

 

 

But as a extra bonus she has thrilled the  kids by offering to make quilts for them all (four of them!)....so this is the beginings of my sons, the eldest....

The technique is called Seminole patch-working, a technique originated with the Seminole Indians, who used bright plain fabrics to make strips to decorate clothing as well as quilts.

Its going to be an appliquéd marine scene for the area of the quilt that would be covering the top of the bed, which is perfect for the Cavalli scraps alone!

She is going to keep me updated on the progress (no pressure Gill!!) and I thought I would post pictures as she sends them....shes is a extremely  talented artist so I am excited to see what she creates.

I know the kids will treasure them...such incredibly special gifts.

 

I finished reading Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney , really enjoyed it. She was so driven and yet very very unconventionable....the pictures alone were worth the $

Can't put down Lets Explore Diabetes with owls by David Sedaris....all incredibly funny but Attaboy...I can't stop laughing..so true and so sad.

The Great Gatsby soundtrack.....amazing....now to find the time for the movie..

 

Off to chop up some Chanel.....as you do!

Have a great week!

Leisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marfy 3171 the long and now the short of it......

 

This is my third and final version of Marfy 3171.  Its time to move on but I intend to go out on a very bright note,  i'm going to get a lot of use from this dress, so happy with it!

Trying to get one decent detailed picture became a family activity today,  we could not get one that was not completely saturated with colour, the red is so vibrant it would not dull down ...and we pretty much failed so here are the best we could come up with, until I have more time to get better ones...grab your sunglasses!

and a couple toned right down to show some of the fabric detail..

I had just under  two and a half yards of the most amazing Silk Gazar that was waiting for the perfect pattern and this was definitely it. 

Fussy is the word I often use to describe this fabric, its organza stiff with stunning pleat and  simple detail potential but is as stubbon as can be.  It does not like to be molded,  shaped or gathered into anything complicated and can crease easily if not underlined properly.  

That said I am a huge fan as it sews like a dream,  hangs beautifully, always holds it shape and just elevates a simple silhoutte into a statement piece. 

I have a very sentimental attachment to this particular silk and really wanted to do it proud.  The fact that the bodice gathers were small and there were no other pleats or folds to deal with made it a ideal simple canvas to showcase the amazing embroidery details.  

The circles are a guaze with a feather outline that I kept wanting to snip thinking they were little loose threads but they give a extraordinary 3D look once you get past that!

All the emboridered detail is raised slightly off the silk and it makes for  a very heavy fabric.  I was worried for a while it would look like I had cut up the drapes but as the dress came together I got more and more excited.

So as this is the last one, I thought I would add more pictures as I have had a few emails regarding linings and construction details.

The whole dress is fully underlined with a silk organza, the circles in the fabric had a net backing so I used a orangey red organza for the upper bodice as it has little ease  and I was concerned that a lighter colour would show through and stuck with white for the lower knowing the lining would compensate. 

All the seams were then graded and catch stitched.

I played around but decided in the end to replicate the full pattern for the lining as the only bulk was the pleating and it was minimal.  As I like to leave my hems and facings almost rolling rather than ironed flat, I pick stitches the lining in place by hand at the arms, front and back neck and zipper.

I think the Cavalli lining shows the front detail a little better, both are a light weight crepe de chine.

 

IN SUMMARY

I would highly  recommend this pattern as a straighforward sew.   Marfy have marked it with lots of details and there are no tricky fit pieces.  There are two front bodice, two back, one tie to be cut twice, one single bodice and skirt front panel, two side and two back  skirt panels with a center back seam and zipper.

Its not easily adapted to a patterned fabric as the front skirt panel is cut on the straight of grain and the remaining four skirt panels are on the bias.  Matching a obvious print would be impossible withhout pattern alterations and ultimately the skirt flows so beautifully because of the bias.

The only fit alteration was to  the shoulder seam , which I left until the zipper was installed, I had  to shorten it a inch on the outside tapering to almost two inches near my neck to ensure the back V  lay flat.

I also removed 15" from the bottom hem for the shorter version and added pockets five inches down from the waist line , making them slightly lower than is standard to reduce any potential additional bulk around my hips. 

 

 

Can I take a minute here to rave about a Japanese basting thread that you can see in most of my pictures, I do a lot of hand basting and really wanted to pass on how wonderful this is.

I first got to try this at Susan Khaljes March class . It really is  amazing, it glides through fabric, stays knot free and seems to cut the time in half as well as being easy to remove at the end, I just pull gently and the whole thread comes clean out  (so far on silk, cotton and wool) ..... we were all shocked by how good this is, there were long conversations about it, trust me!

Inna who writes the great blog the Thewallinna was in that  class.  She mentioned that as it was so hard to find anywhere but Japan,  she had  started a Etsy  and was selling it without a mark up as a lovely service to all sewers. (although she is moving to England in the summer so it won't be for much longer unless she loads up a suitcase or two!)  I ordered a few as soon as I got home..

It comes in a almost wool like skein and you tie a knot around the middle and cut one end  to open it to almost 46" in length pulling a thread as needed.  It lasts a long time and I really wanted to recommend this to anybody who bastes on a regular basis as it really is kind to fabric and easy to use and at only $2.32 so cheap.  (I'd  also recommend the needles, they are all I will use now, tiny tiny eye but these things are hardcore! seriously great and this thread fits the eye) 

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ok just wanted to share, everytime I use it,  I love it more! ...... moving on!!   :-)

 

NEW PROJECT

Dare I say jackets???!!!  I have to spend some time on the two I have already started  this year as my next Susan K class is coming up fast, and I have to have them ready for sleeves...

and as I am already doing French jackets, and I find I work better when focused on one thing, I thought I would also make this while I was there, Marfy 3201,  beautiful right?!? and the removable cape..oh my!

This is my inspiration,  its been in the back of my mind for a while,

So I have been on the  look out for potential fabric for a while , and was thrilled to find a almost exact copy in Mendel Goldberg this year. I believe that Chanel hold their fabrics for four years before resale so I was not expecting to find this so soon

Its a darker blue but its a genuine Chanel  in a thinner wool rather than a boucle which is  perfect for a trench with more intricate details.

So I will put together a muslin this week to see what the fit is like and if its still worthy enough to sacrifice my gorgeous fabric to!

as well as start the beading process on the blue jacket and dye/add the trim to the red one.....ever wish the days were much much longer?

Back next Monday...wishing everyone a lovely week.

Leisa 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marfy 3171 meet Cavalli...

 

The problem with matching a large repeat is where you draw the line. What I really needed was to buy another three yards to match the skirt panels perfectly, could I in anyway justify it??!!... Er no...and let's be honest, it's a dress to wear in my real life not my imaginary Nina Garcia fashion editor one...

 

The back bodice was easy, no darts or pleats so I just picked a large fern for interest, there is a 22" all purpose black zipper down the middle, which I inserted by hand for better control.  

The front took way more time than I imagined, there are a row of pleats on each front panel which distorted the look I was aiming for  so I kind of moved the folds around to keep the main detail cohesive.It also helped stop the front from being as low cut as my white cotton one . I really like it, no need to wear a necklace with this!!  I had to turn the  print  upside down but did manage to keep it on grain to match the front skirt panel.

Luckily the drapes are so deep, the less matching skirt is not a issue.....

The original pattern drawing:

The starting point , its a good 55" wide...a really sturdy charmeuse..gorgeous to work with..

I underlined the whole dress in the thinest drapiest organza I had....

Just after I had catch stitched the entire skirt it occured to me that this would make a perfect maxi dress if the organza was removed, as it would reduce the skirt to just a casual flowing silk rather than the almost crinoline one it gives it now. I will consider doing that I think eventually....but I do like the more formal  look.

and I have to admit I don't think I am done with this pattern, I feel like I want to try one more dress...I have a red silk gazar that could work beautifully as a knee length version, I am going to roughly drape it for  a couple of days and see if I still like it although I am concerned it might be a little to stiff..

Its very  rare for me to make more than one version of any garment but  this is such a simple flattering fit, I absolutely love it and highly recommend it for anyone looking to try a slighly more complex Marfy.  I could fill a closet with ten versions of this and be done for summer!

I'll certainly have something by next week!

 

 

I started reading Coco Chanel by Lisa Chaney absolutely hooked...facinating with lots of new material.   She certainly had a personality...I really had no idea.

Audio books this week were good and bad!  Touch and go by Lisa Gardner  if you can get past every cliche ever written and then repeated again and again and the weakest female  characters I have come across in a long time, the story is actually good .....if completely unbelievable when you stop to think about it!

and Dreaming in English by Laura Fitzgerald turned out to be a real winner, total chick lit but a easy feel good read that was food for thought.  

Pink  has been playing all week...amazing as always  and Daughter her voice is so beautiful.

 

Back on Monday, have a great week!

Leisa  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marfy 3171 my Eleutheran beach dress.....

 

We went away in the end, it was Spring break, my son was turning eighteen,  and its been what feels like the longest winter ever..

So we headed to Eleuthera, a small island in the Bahamas.. .so incredibly beautiful and remote. There are  very few tourists here as you have to take a twenty minute flight in the smallest of planes  to get there from Nassau,  there  are no real hotels on the Island but lots of houses to rent,  a handful of  restaurants, one grocery store and endless empty pink sanded beaches.  We love it there, truly love it.  

I could bore everyone with a long post about what we did but I won't  I promise!  but this is very cool...

This is the thinnest  point on Eleuthera, the Island is  only two miles wide at its widest but here  its down to feet, you can see the Caribbean sea on one side and the Atlantic on the other.....you kind of pick each day ...calm swimming or wild waves  and head that way...thats probably the biggest decision we made  along with which fish to buy from the locals for dinner.

Walking down to Governers Harbour, the main town on the Island.

I did finish the lining in my dress while I was there, add some beading to the handpicked zipper and put my trim on, just in time for some beach pics..

Meet Debbie an Island stray, looked after by all, she hung out with us last year and practically moved in with us again .. there were even dog treats in the pantry when we arrived!

Have you met my husband and youngest??!! 

See?  really really empty beaches!!

 

So here is my wearable muslin, the front panel is a fabulous design ...and the shoulder bows are a surprising nice finish.

The back lies really well...I had to taper the shoulder seams a half inch to get them to lay flat but it was a simple fix.

So today I  tried to get a better close up at home , where I was so happy to see we had not missed all the blooms on the lovely old Magnolia tree in our yard.

I wanted to show what the dress looks like with a bra instead of a  bikini top.....it kind of puts them out there....I would imagine anything bigger than a B cup is going to need some adjustments, its very  low cut.

So the plan for this week  is the same dress

but in something completely different.....this is what goes on in my head as I fall asleep....and then I can't sleep thinking about how to cut it to its best advantage....and whether I have enough..or B&J have it in  stock still....and on and on it goes...

This is the  Cavalli silk charmeuse I just used as a lining in my French jacket, I bought a couple more yards as  my sleep deprived mind tells me it was destined to be used in this dress.  The front panel is perfect for the design, although i'm going to have to be thoughtful because of the Georgia O'Keefe undertones!  I have it laid out to start cutting today, and will underline with Organza and line with silk crepe de chine again...

 So along with a small bust adjustment , maybe just a inch at the lowest point , the only other thing i'm going to alter on this version are the bodice seams.   The cotton version fits beautifully but there is no ease, which I  personally like......however in a silk charmeuse even with a organza underlining I can see it putting strain on the main seams.. I think a quarter inch on each of the sides and back will stop that and still keep it very fitted.   

I did nothing else last week apart from read: 

Cheryl Stayed's Wild which I could not put it down. She lost her mother to cancer when she was in her early twenties and it sent her on a spiral which led her on a thousand mile trek across the Pacific Coast trail in the 90's.   So beautifully written.  It really resonated with me as I had a similar loss with my Mum, but I was lucky to have my own family to tether me.......highly recommend,  I am not often sad when a book ends...but I really wish it had been longer. 

and watch the finale of the sewing bee, was it me or did it all fall flat at the end?  Surely it should have gone to Lauren, not only did she show amazing skills for a self taught seamstress but she finished with a very ambitious evening gown.    

If I had to define what I wanted from sewing it would be intuition, to know exactly where the problems will occur, eight/ten/twelve steps away....Ann had that skill or you would hope after seventy five years of sewing , Lauren did not and yet still managed to produce a completed technically difficult final project. Bah....

 

and Project Runway, a real winner finally!!  self taught, kind, worked well with others , thought big, stayed true to her aesthetic and could patternmake.....thats what its should be about... I'm sure it will all go belly up again next season! and shame on them for the Europe stunt..

As for Mad Men.....what is wrong with all those men???!!!  really?

Oh well back to reality and mountains of laundry!

 

Have a great week, hoping to have a completed dress next Monday...

Leisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Great British Sewing Bee Pt4 (Finale)

 

Marfy 3171 and the wearable muslin (plus a pair of Colette Iris shorts)

Oh I like this one......I have two more fabrics picked out for different versions, its a keeper!

 

Now  I've made a few Marfy's  I know that apart from the occasional natural waist and/or shoulder adjustment they are going to fit almost perfectly, and it got me to thinking about muslins.

I still need to make a muslin regardless  (of the lack) of  fit issues  as I have to work out a construction order that makes sense and leaves me with a garment looking as close to the original drawing as possilbe ( although  its gone slightly off a couple of times I admit!)  

Marfy come with no instructions or seam lines, the only reference is the illustration  but I find I  have a lot of muslins that are sitting in a drawer and it has begun to really bother me,  its  just seems so incredilby wasteful,  so I  thought I would use this dress to try my hand at a wearable muslin as I like the concept a great deal. 

I wanted to use a light,  easy to work with cotton  that would be forgiving to adjustments and unpicking...and had a $10 a yard  voile from Mood fabrics that I bought a few years ago and just stashed.  The fact that  I am also desperate for warmer weather made this fabric seem like a step in the right direction.

Interestingly I now  appear to have made a wedding dress, admittedly more for a casual beach affair!!, but even in a cotton voile, it seems seriously elegant.  

I think what initially attracted me to this design were the long graceful  lines and panel detail  at  the front  but its the skirt front that really takes this to another level.  Its huge and flowing while being  incredibly flattering.

I am almost finished but I wanted to keep the gentle rolling  lines of the shoulder and neckline by avoiding the machine and iron so the lining has to be sewn in completely by hand after every seam is catch stitched down.   Its a slow slow process.  

Sometimes  posting once a week  makes me cut corners, but  I felt the need to finish this properly, right down to a hand picked zipper. Its going to be worn a lot I hope.

So at this point I only have dress form pictures..... It really really needs a lining before I put it on for pictures, its completely sheer. :-0    

The only technical issue I have had with the whole dress has been the pleat placement on the front.  Its supporting the entire panel from bust to floor, and that means its surprisingly heavy so I had to reinforce the stitching with a extra layer of organza and add a additional row of stitching.  I tacked the pleats very carefully as well before sewing as they have to line up as a mirror image and the panel pulls them downwards.  I think its hanging slightly off on the dress form but I did measure!

 

 I found the perfect trim for a subtle  belt....I love it when hoarding pays off...but again  it really takes it to that wedding place.... although in all seriousness this would be a lovely dress for a slightly more dressed event, swapping the belt for something bright and modern would change it completely.

And I finally wore one of the kids down,  I now have a daughter who has sewn something wearable.... 

 

We picked a Colette  pattern  that she loved,  and she stash shopped my room picking a Anna Maria Horner fabric.... and off she went...

 

The pattern was easy to follow and beautifully illustrated (seriously impressed)  but we did make a muslin as she is not as curvy as the measurements and I wanted her to have a practice run...

I think the only issue we had was a fabric that needed matching.  It was time consuming but it  paid off..... we matched the waistband as best as we could....its only a single cut piece and the shorts are panels.

 There are two seams in this picure alone, so happy with the matching..   the pocket is divine, again the instructions are fabulously clear and concise.  

 

I added a roll up hem on the opposite grain for interest, and she is silly happy with them. Its very cute. Other than the matching which I helped her with,  she did them all herself,  just asked questions when something came up...  she has plans for a few more now..

 

and on a completely different note I  saw Macbeth this week on Broadway, with Alan Cummings, this review  sums it up far better than I ever could, but I have never been so emotionally wrung out or humbled by a show before.  It was a extraordinary ride.   The man is as close to a genius as I have ever seen.  They are few and far apart in reality.

 

So a fairly non productive week coming up , all four of them home  on Spring break with tons of  various plans..... if I finish my lining and start work on my jacket trim I will consider it a win..!

 

Have a great week, back Monday!

Leisa