What's up with the E-Commerce, Shams?

You may have noticed that I have added a few widgets to my blog designed to promote a few avenues I am experimenting with to earn some extra money.

"Why, Shams, why?!?! Why have you gone to the dark side of e-commerce, when you have always maintained an ad-free, commercial-free zone?", you may ask.

Well, it's just one of those fiscal realities. DD1 begins university in a few weeks. DD2 begins next fall. There are other reasons I am not willing to post publicly. ('Cause once posted, it's out there forever.)

I don't want to belabor the point, but I am selling some of my historical costuming books on Amazon (which has been the most lucrative avenue, so far), some clothing on Ebay, and I just opened an Etsy shop, Textile Exile. I plan to slowly populate it with a few handmade items. None of these endeavors will be all consuming, because I do have a full time job, as well as my own creative work (and if I shut that down, I might blow, and it wouldn't be pretty), but earning some extra money is pretty useful about now.

Design Outside the Lines

There is something else in the offing I am fairly psyched about. I've had a rather late-breaking opportunity to attend Design Outside the Lines in Taos, New Mexico, at the end of September. This is one of those bucket list things, so I am going to make it happen, obstacles be d*mned. :)

If you aren't familiar with DOL, it's a creative sewing retreat hosted by Marcy Tilton and Diane Ericson in three locations throughout the year. It runs for three full days, a partial day at the beginning, and another partial day at the end. The focus of the retreat seems, to me, to be about goosing one's creativity. This appeals to me very much.

Since embracing this opportunity, I have been thinking a lot about creativity. I have been (inconsistently) journaling, thinking about how to focus my energies. Or at least how I think I want to focus - the power of this event is to be a bit loose, flexible, and willing to "go with the flow".

For example, I do not plan to focus on making garments - to my mind completing a garment is an inefficient way to use the limited time available. I want to focus on techniques, new approaches, new ways of thinking. I do not plan to bring a sewing machine. I have to fly (not enough vacation days to drive), and schlepping a machine does not appeal. I hear there will be a machine or two available if needed, but I hope not to need one too much.

I am especially excited about visiting Taos. I have always wanted to visit New Mexico. While I won't be able to spend much time seeing the sites, it's a start! And, by the way, I hope to blog during the retreat - I've already inquired about wifi.

As mentioned, I have been thinking a lot about creativity. I've never felt like a legitimate "creative" person, believing that if you are an "artistic" person you have to be able to draw and paint, or write poetry or fiction, or play an instrument and compose music. I've always felt like a "craftsman", rather than an "artist". It's really only in recent years that I've started to understand some of the nuances of creativity and to see my place in that sphere, if only orbiting along its edge.

It occurred to me that I am not the only person who thinks about these things. I started imagining what kinds of questions I would like to pose to Marcy and Diane about this subject. I asked them if they would agree to an "interview." I would send them a list of questions that relate to creativity, they would email me their answers, and I would post the results on my blog.

Both Marcy and Diane graciously (and speedily) agreed. In fact, Marcy replied so quickly I thought my email had bounced. So, in the near future, I plan to post an interview with each of them. I'm curious - if you could ask a question of Marcy and Diane relating to creativity, what would it be? I have quite a list already, but am interested in hearing your thoughts. If I use one of your questions and it doesn't replicate one of my own, I'll give you credit.

And speaking of Marcy. Did you see that she has started a blog on blogspot.com? I was one of those people who badgered her (a tad) about having a legitimate blog with RSS feeds and all that goodness, so I was very happy. She plans to slowly migrate the blog from her webstore over to blogger.

Stay tuned for more talk about DOL!

Vogue 1317 - Sleeping with Ralph Chado Rucci

When this Ralph Chado Rucci pattern came out at the end of July, I was smitten. Where most saw an awesome dress, I saw an awesome bathrobe!

If you recollect, I have discussed my bathrobe woes at length. While I wear, and enjoy, my Russian Princess robe, I felt that my bathrobe needs were not completed sated.

Russian Princess robe

The best bathrobe I ever purchased was from the J.Jill catalog maybe 15 years ago. What made it superior to other robes, is that it had a fitted waist inset in the back, similar to the one in Ralph's dress. That is the feature that attracted me most to this pattern, though I also love the interesting seaming.

I used a French Terry purchased from Fashion Fabric club over a year ago, when I was obsessed with the idea of the perfect robe and bought too many robe fabrics. This is a very nice, very soft, mid-weight French Terry. The pattern calls for double top-stitching on every seam. The French Terry didn't react well to this treatment, and rippled on every seam. I was able to press out the worst of it, but this was not the best seam treatment for this fabric.

For the closure, I used jumbo snaps. But I wanted to break up the front with visible buttons, so I raided my button box and found some black buttons inherited from grandma. These were rather beat up, with threads still attached from whatever coat she rescued these from, but they worked and I was able to use all 5!

Alterations and Modifications:

I started with a size 24.

• Eliminated the back zipper.
• Reshaped the seam at the shoulder and upper sleeve - the shoulder "bump" was at the wrong location.
• Eliminated the waist tie. Note that if I had a small waist, I would have kept the tie, but a tie-front robe does not function well for my figure. See my post on this subject, with photos.
• Lengthened 13" to full length.
• Eliminated the front skirt overlay, which is used for the pockets. Instead, placed the pockets in the side seam.
• Converted to a front button opening, including creating a front facing.
• FBA, adding 3" to the width and 2" to the length.
• Shortened sleeves?

Detailed info on alterations:

• Full Bust Adjustment
• Lengthening the Bodice

Full Bust Adjustment

Just last week I mentioned that I am a fan of underarm gussets - the busty woman's friend. Coincidentally, this design features an underarm gusset. This is a very unusual gusset, which extends into the back and causes a graceful, curved seam that ends in the back yoke. But it is still a gusset.

I received my pattern last Friday and I spent Friday evening trying to a) study and understand the gusset and b) figure out how to alter it. You see, the whole point of a gusset is to add fabric to enable ease of movement. When you have a gusset, you shouldn't need a bust dart. I wanted to figure out how to modify the gusset so I could avoid a dart. Adding a dart to this design is a bit of a kludge.

I finally realized how it could be accomplished and I'm going to show you what I did.

First I had to select the size to start with. The largest size this pattern comes in is a 24. The 24 has a finished bust measurement of 48.5" and a finished waist of 42". I decided to use this size, but I still needed to add 3" to the bust. The waist was fine without modification.

I traced the gusset off in a size 24 and annotated each edge of the gusset so I could mull it over:

Here's what I came up with:

Start by marking your bust level on the gusset piece. Note that I used the plus-inside-of-a-circle notation, but this is a bit misleading. This mark only indicates the level of the bust, not the actual bust apex.

To add width to accommodate a larger bust, slice from the tip of the sleeve down to the waist, creating a tiny hinge at the circle. Spread the appropriate amount at the bust level. In my case, I spread 1.5" at the bust level, for a total addition of 3".

Note that this creates extra width at the bottom of the gusset. This will be dealt with when sewing this seam to the upper yoke. In my case, I created a tuck under the bust. Gathers or a dart would have also worked. Note that the precise location of the tuck/gathers/dart will be under the bust, not in the gusset. It's best to put the garment on the body and mark this point. (If you are spreading only a small amount, you can most likely ease the fullness in.)

Add paper to fill in the gap and tape it in place. I also needed additional length to go up and over the bust. I wanted to add length to the front of the gusset, but not to the back of the gusset:

Draw a curved line parallel to the bottom of the gusset, and about 1.5" from the bottom edge.

Slice along the line, creating a hinge 5/8" in from the back edge.

Pivoting from the hinge, swing the bottom down the amount desired. I used 2" based on the tissue fit of the pattern. Insert paper to fill in the gap and tape it in place. Use a ruler on the front and back edges of the gusset to true them up. (Shown in the previous picture.)

Restore the straight edge to the bottom front edge of the gusset. You can see the straight line drawn in, in the following picture.

Cut off the excess along the straight line. The front pattern piece must now be lengthened to match the corresponding seam on the front gusset.

That is all the needs to be done for the FBA, however I also converted the pattern to a button front. The CF of the bodice had a seam, so I extended it by 1-1/8". The front yoke and front skirt were originally cut on the fold, so I extended those by 1-3/4". The following picture shows the final alterations to the front and front yoke:

Lengthening the Bodice

I want to point something out for those who need to lengthen or shorten this pattern through the torso. Vogue has provided horizontal lines on the front and back yoke for lengthening or shortening. There are no lines provided for lengthening or shortening in the bodice itself. (See the previous photo to see the lengthen line in the yoke.)

If you have a long waist, lengthening along this line might work for you. But if you do not have a long waist, lengthening the yoke could be problematic. Even shortening the length is problematic; as the yoke is narrow in front, there is not much room for shortening.

I recommend that you lengthen the bodice using a technique similar to the one I used for the FBA, but carrying it through the entire gusset and through the back bodice.

Conclusions:

• Doing an FBA in a bathrobe is a bit problematic for me. Do I locate the bust apex based on their location when wearing a bra? Or sans bra? The problem is, I don't plan to wear a bra when wearing the robe. But I don't really want to locate the bust apex at belly button level, either. I try to find a happy compromise but, in this case, I don't love the result. If you look at the photo where I am standing still, it's obvious that the robe is too long for the torso. I refuse to show a picture sans bra, because you would see a very different effect then, where my bust falls into the waistband. Meh. If I were to make this again, I think I would eliminate the waistband in front, while keeping it in back
• I like how the front gently curves from the bust up to the shoulder, so that there is no overlap. I really like this effect.
• Double rows of top-stitching was a very bad idea on this fabric. It caused ripples galore, which I minimized with pressing and avoiding pulling on the fabric as I sewed, but could not entirely eliminate. I can live with it in a soft, yummy bathrobe, but I won't be taking this to a show and tell anytime soon.

So, while this was a useful exercise, it was not the most successful garment. I could see playing with it further, though. I think the design has lots of possibilities. For example, if I try this again, I would play with the gusset shape, especially in front, and move the slash point in, closer to the actual hinge of my underarm. That would give me a better range of motion. I love how the gusset extends into the back and would preserve that detail.

So, be kind. I almost did not blog this effort, but thought the gusset discussion might be useful.

More Pictures

Blogger Meetup at Cañada College

Cañada College, nestled in the hills off Hwy 280

It's almost here! Another opportunity for local bloggers to gather, network and gab! Not to mention the eating and the sharing.

If you are a blogger who will be in the vicinity of Cañada College in Redwood City on Monday, August 13th, from 7pm-9pm (building 3, room 255), please come!

I know that JillyBe will be there, as will Amy and Beth. Others have mentioned it to me but not posted it publicly, so I am not going to call them out.

Please RSVP to Ronda Chaney, head of the fashion department at Canada. I hope to see you there!

Teagarden Twist - Striped Tube Scarf

One of the bloggers I follow is Jane, of Lucky Sew and Sew. Last month, Jane made a top with a twist, a "tube scarf". (Click either picture to see her blog post.)

I loved it!

I decided to try my own version, using the Teagarden T. Mine is fun, but Jane's is more versatile. I may have to try this technique again. :)

Zipper Talk - Part 2

Let's talk about zippers for a minute.

I love zippers, but am bored by functional, utilitarian zippers that lack design interest. I've been ordering zippers for awhile now from ZipperStop in the garment district, which sells YKK zippers. It can be overwhelming to face the choices they offer and, still, most of their zippers are fairly vanilla. They are wonderful quality, yes, but the zipper tape, the zipper pull... it doesn't inspire excitement.

I needed a lightweight separating zipper for a current project and decided to order from ZipperStop. If you look at their offerings, they have a page of zipper pulls. It was not clear to me how this works. How does one swap out a zipper pull? I decided to give them a call.

I spoke to a woman, Barbara, at ZipperStop who really knows her stuff. She explained to me that I could change the zipper pull myself or they would do it for me.

Hot dog!

They charge $1 to customize a zipper, which includes shortening it, but they will also swap the pull for the same $1. So, if you want a 14-3/4" zipper with a ring pull, they will charge you $1 total to modify it, on top of the price for the zipper and the pull. However, you might want to phone in such an order. If you do use the website, select "shorten for $1" and then explain what you want done, even if it's just to swap out the pull. (But don't forget to also order the pull.)

I ordered the YKK color card. I've been meaning to forever, but had been holding off because, at $35, it's not cheap, but I am so glad I bought it. It has over 400 snippets of different colors of zipper tape. I will be able to use this with any vendor that sells YKK zippers.

I ordered a few sample zippers to try out the zipper pulls. I really wanted a lightweight (#3) zipper for this project, but they do not offer fancy pulls for #3 zippers. Most of their pulls are for the medium weight (#5) zipper. So I ordered a selection of 18" and 20" separating zippers, both brass and aluminum teeth, with three different pulls: foxtail, ring, and donut. I also ordered the lightweight zippers in 18" and 20".

Top to bottom:

1. #3 (light weight) molded plastic separating zipper, 18" ($2)
   
2. #3 (light weight) molded separating zipper, 20" ($2.10)
   
3. #5 (medium weight) aluminum separating zipper, 18" w/ ring slider ($5.10 total)
   
4. #5 (medium weight) brass separating zipper, 18" w/ foxtail slider ($5.25 total)
   
5. #5 (medium weight) brass separating zipper, 20" w/ donut pull slider ($5.30 total)
   

The prices for these zippers are quite reasonable!

I phoned my order in on Thursday morning. Barbara was incredibly helpful - fabulous customer service and they really know their zippers. The package arrived on Saturday by priority mail. I like my new zippers though, unfortunately, the medium weight is really too heavy for my project, so I will be using the lightweight zipper, sans interesting pull. I will just have to console myself with a superior zipper at a reasonable price. ;)

At the same time, I also ordered some zippers from a couple different sources, so there will be more zipper talk!

• Zipper Talk

Fallout from New Bras and ACC Craft Show

I took the day off work yesterday to attend the ACC Craft Show in Fort Mason. I've been wanting to attend this show for years, but more on that in a bit.

Of course, I wore one of my new bras. Now, let me preface this by saying that I thought my old bras were working pretty well. Oh dear, was I wrong.

• I decided to wear my polka dot Au Bonheur coat. It no longer fits me properly.
  
• All my TnT patterns now have the bust fullness located too far down.
• Most of my sewn clothes now have the bust fullness located too far down.
• Bummer.
• I was paper fitting a new Vogue pattern yesterday. My bust is now located at the same level as Vogue believes a bust should sit. I did not think this was possible. In my natural state, my bust is at the same level as my belly button. I did not believe it was possible to find support that would hoist me to that level. Wow. This will make it easier to alter patterns in future.

The ACC show was nice and a couple reasonably priced items followed me home. Wandering into Susan Otterson's booth, I caught her taking a picture of my coat. We struck up an enjoyable conversation and I bought one of her Merino spiral scarves. She knits all of her fabrics, as well as does the sewing, and her work is beautiful. She is a fan of Koos van den Akker, so we had a nice chat about his designs. She doesn't have a website yet, but you can email her.

Susan Otterson's booth

My other purchase, from Tess McGuire, was a cloche-style felted hat. A very sweet lady, who posed through several photos with humor.

Tess McGuire

My friend Sue also made a purchase. She bought a beautiful necklace from Nature's Creations.

This necklace, made with real dogwood blossoms that are encased in copper and electroplated, then finished with a green patina. (By the way, Sue made this top from a great stripe knit that we both bought from Hart's last March. I've also seen this fabric on Marcy's site.)

His work is beautiful and he collects leaves from all over, even from Japan and Europe. (He has a special import license - I asked.) Additionally, these are two pins that are attached to a waxed linen necklace, so they can be removed and worn as pins, switched to a necklace of a different length, worn separately, etc.

From this booth, I bought a teeny tiny pin, about the size of a penny. I can't remember what plant it was from, but it looked like curly kale. I like kale, so that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

After viewing the show, Sue and I ate at one of my all-time favorite restaurants, Greens. A gourmet vegetarian restaurant, I haven't eaten there in years, but it has fabulous views of the marina and Golden Gate Bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge, encased in fog

We'll see how much sewing I get done this weekend. I am doing some college prep with DD1 and a friend of DD1. I have finished the project with the spaghetti tubes, but I'm not sure when I'll get photos.

Have a great weekend!

Edited to add: Several of you have asked which bra I ordered. I didn't think to add that info, so here it is. Funny enough, I am wearing the same brand and model of bra as before, just several years newer (and one cup size larger, at a 36H). It's the bra Oprah recommends, the La Mystere Dream Tisha. I also ordered the La Mystere Lace Tisha, but have not yet worn that in any photos.

Teagarden Twist - Front Zipper

My most used TnT (tried and true) pattern is Sewing Workshop's Teagarden T. I've made at least 13 of them, in different colors and patterns. It is my version of a t-shirt and perfect for my large-busted-but-small hipped figure. The reason this pattern works so well for my figure is that it uses underarm gussets. I love gussets. I wish more patterns used them. It's a great way to add bust room without bloating the rest of the pattern.

I've now started playing with the pattern – mixing it up. For this version, I used a doubleknit fabric from Marcy Tilton and I added a zipper at CF. Because this fabric is a fairly stable doubleknit, I added 1" to CF when I cut it out, for an increase of 2", in the front only. In fact, I placed the front of the pattern along the selvedge when cutting it out. The resulting top fits just right.

I finished this top a couple weeks ago, but it's been almost relentlessly foggy and cold, so I wasn't impelled to get outside and take pics. It's hard to believe that 30-40 miles away it's 90 plus degree weather, when here it's in the 50s and 60s. Micro-climates galore.

The zipper is a very nice one from Zprz that I purchased two years ago at PIQF.

At first I was planning to use one of my great striped zippers, and I auditioned it before I even cut out the top. I liked it and was prepared to use it.

But when I had the top to the point where I was ready to insert the zipper, I pinned in the striped one and took a mirror picture. I didn't like the effect. From a distance, the black and white stripe merged into grey and the result was bleh.

The striped zipper is pinned to the top, and I left a lot of the tape showing. After seeing the photo, I decided to use a black zipper and to leave less of the tape showing. (Note to self, clean bathroom mirror.)Oops, I didn't notice that the top is a bit skewed on the hangar, as evidenced by the crooked CB seam.Closeup of the great zipper.No comment.

Oh, I will mention that these pictures are the first I've taken since receiving some new bras. It feels like I'm wearing a vise, so it must be working. ;)