A Little Black Day Dress for Travel and Hot Summer Days

I made Vogue 8486 specifically for travel and to keep cool during the hot summer days. Just like the ones the east coast has been suffering through recently.

Pattern Description, Vogue 8486: "Dresses A, B are slim-fitting with or without sleeves, front stitched pleats, back neck opening and back slit. Length is mid-knee." I made the sleeveless version.


Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, definitely. An advanced beginner could tackle this pattern with ease. The pleats are simple to assemble.

Why did I gravitate toward this particular pattern? I chose a shift style because I think there's nothing like a simple shift dress in the summer for easy wearability. Seriously, who needs fabric binding you at the waist on a steamy, sweaty day?

Fabric Used: Black lycra jersey from Spandex House in NYC. You have to love a fabric that doesn't wrinkle and feels like nothing against your skin.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes I made: I omitted the center-back seam, because why do you need one in a jersey dress that just pops over your head? It required some extra fabric to accomplish this, I think maybe 3/4 yard? (Wish I could remember....)

I finished the neckline and armscye edges with a self-bias binding.

Neckline embellishment: When I was done with the dress I thought it was a little blah around the neckline. So I made a long bias tube, draped it around the neckline, and loosely anchored it with teeny silver nailheads that I bought at M&J Trimmings in NYC. I tied the tube into a bow at the center neck and then knotted the tube ends.

Here's a closeup of the neckline. You can see how nicely the pleats fall.

Would I sew it again? Would I recommend it to others? Yes, I will be making this again as I love wearing it. This dress has a high coworker compliment factor—even colleagues who normally don't say anything about my clothes have told me they really liked this dress. And this dress has been a great way to take the summer heat wave we're having here on the east coast, because it's so lightweight and flow-y. The large center pleats fall in such a way that it creates a nice inverted V shape that's very slimming.

Sewing: Younger Generations Need Not Apply?

Let's hope these two young women can make teens and twenty-somethings want to sew. Allyce King, left, and Melissa Watson are the hosts of DIYStyle.net, a "biweekly vodcast (video podcast), an online community, and sew much more." They're both college students with sewing in their blood: Melissa is Pati Palmer's daughter, and Allyce is the daughter of Cindy Cummins, the former education director for the Sewing Dealers Trade Association. I stopped by their booth at the ASG convention and was impressed with their enthusiasm. Allyce recommended trying to get my non-sewing DD interested in sewing with DIYStyle's "Low-Sew, High-Style Halter" pattern.

I'm still thinking about how young I was compared to most of the American Sewing Guild's annual convention attendees (see Wednesday's post), and now I'm wondering: Is the home sewing industry doing enough to attract and retain teenagers and people in their twenties?

DIYStyle.net seems to be off to a good start positioning itself as a watering hole for young craftsters, and I like the creative energy I see over at Burdastyle and Etsy. "Project Runway" has been phenomenal at encouraging would-be designers, and one of the characters on the hit TV show "Gossip Girl" has a sewing machine.

But I personally think the teen sewing market may be a lost cause, especially in metropolitan and suburban areas. The reality is teens today are way more over-scheduled and under far greater pressures to get into good colleges than we ever were. Sadly, there just might not be enough time for teens to indulge in a hobby like sewing, and Meggie LuLu on PatternReview could be an anomaly. (My own 15-year-old daughter has no interest in sewing nor do any of her friends, though they all think it's cool that I sew.)

Which brings us to this week's Fun Friday poll: What's your degree of optimism that enough new and younger sewing enthusiasts will continue to take up sewing—giving the home sewing industry a reason to both stay in business and to keep serving the older generation? Do we need to see more efforts like Simplicity's Project Runway line? Should a sewing machine manufacturer sponsor traveling roadshows that teach and encourage younger wannabe sewists? (Just tossing ideas out there.) Or are we indulging in a hobby that future generations will know only as something their grandmothers used to do long ago? Tell us what you think by taking the poll at right (please click through if you're reading this in an RSS feed).

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Welcome to all the new visitors of Lindsay T Sews who stopped by as a result of my posts about the ASG convention. I enjoyed reading your comments and hope you'll keep visiting. I'll leave you all with a few shots from the fashion show sponsored by DIYStyle.net and Project Design that showcased Chicago indie fashion designers. Have a great weekend!

P.S. I'm mildly optimistic that future generations will continue to love sewing as much as we do. And for a glass-half-empty person like me, that's saying a lot!

I Wasn't Expecting To Be One of the Younger People There

I don't care how old I am, if you ever see me wearing something like this, just shoot me. Or take pity on me because I've obviously lost my marbles—could you wipe the drool off my face while you're at it?

Sorry, today's post is not devoted to exploring why U.S. women over 65 are (generally) among the worst-dressed on the planet. We'll save that topic for another day. Instead, I'd like to find out why I felt like one of the youngest people around at the American Sewing Guild's annual convention last week in Chicago—and I'm no spring chicken. I chose the photo above because it seemed vests like this and sweatshirts converted into patchwork jackets were the convention uniform of the 65+ set, who had to easily represent 70 percent of the attendees. (I heard there were some 1,000 attendees daily.)

Why so few of the younger crowd here? The instructors were top-notch; the class subjects were varied enough to please anyone's tastes. I do understand retirees have more time to travel and possibly more available funds for discretionary spending on events like this. So I'd expect women 65 and older to come out in strong numbers for this convention. But I just can't figure out why so few women younger than 45 were there.

I am a brand-new member of ASG, having joined it as part of this conference. I don't know anything about the organization other than what I read on its web site, and I've yet to attend a local meeting. So I'm asking you, dear readers, to fill me in if you can: Is the ASG really as gray as it looked at the convention? Do you belong to—and participate—in a local ASG chapter? Why not? Have we reached the point where we're satisfied to network through our blogs, Stitcher's Guild and PatternReview, and face-to-face contact with other sewing enthusiasts is nice—but not really necessary in this busy world of ours? I'd love to read your comments.

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If you'd like to learn more about this year's ASG conference, Lori just posted a Sew Forth Now podcast about it, where she shares some of the tips she learned and urges younger sewers to join ASG.

More ASG: Meeting Lori, Answers to Your Questions About Interfacing

What was one of my highlights of the American Sewing Guild annual convention? Meeting Lori, of course!

I was thrilled to meet fellow sewing blogger Lori in person at the ASG convention. I love everything she makes; in fact, I frequently beg her to just please make duplicate versions of her clothes for me, though in a bigger size 'cause Lori's much skinnier than I am. She wowed pattern designer Christine Jonson with her BWOF poet's blouse in white cotton, and I loved the BWOF top she has on in this photo.

Lori and I had a great time talking. We bonded over the fact that we were among the youngest attendees there, even at our advanced ages. (I'll go into that more in another post this week.)

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Interfacing: A number of you asked about alternatives to Pellon interfacing, which my instructors absolutely lambasted. Pellon keeps making icky, stiff interfacing because that is what the home sewing market has been conditioned to think it wants, according to industry expert Connie Crawford. Uh-uh. We don't want this stuff. Look at your better RTW: You won't find stiff interfacing.

In fact, it's often hard to tell where the interfacing is or if there is any interfacing at all in good RTW. Peggy Sagers says we use interfacing more than we need to; when in doubt she likes fusible knit interfacing. But there are times when our garments could use a little more body. Quality interfacing is very soft to the touch. In her class on interfacing, Connie Crawford gave us all samples of different interfacing and explained their usage. She recommends (and sells) four types of interfacing:

• Fusible tricot for knits
• Polyester fusible tricot for sheers, georgettes and very lightweight fabric
• Weft interfacing in a nylon/rayon blend for jackets and dress-weight fabrics
• All purpose polyester/nylon that works with almost any fabric and has a special glue designed for rayon and other hard-to-fuse fabrics
  

Sources for quality interfacing

• Sew Exciting
  
• Peggy Sagers
  
• Connie Crawford
• Mood Fabrics in NYC
  
• Greenberg & Hammer

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Here I am with designer Christine Jonson. I bought the pattern I have in my hands, and Christine is holding up a new dress pattern of hers that will be out in about a month. Check it out, because I think this is a dress that's going to be very flattering on a lot of us, regardless of age and body type.

The ASG Conference: My Takeaway

The ASG conference offered workstations like these where attendees could try new things, like making panties.

Stop sewing like a home sewer/sewist.

That's the key message I took away from two days of classes at the annual American Sewing Guild conference in Chicago. The home sewing industry has trained people to sew in a fussy, antiquated way that is vastly different from the efficient sewing done on the factory floor. Granted, most of us aren't sewing on speedy industrial machines and we assemble an entire garment at a time rather than sew one piece over and over again on the factory line. But, my teachers urged, if we adopt a factory style of sewing we will produce garments faster and will be more relaxed at the sewing machine.

Some factory sewing tips

• No pins! Use weights while cutting patterns, and learn to hold the fabric correctly while you let your machine's feed dogs do the easing work.
• No more 5/8" seam allowances. Use 3/8" SAs, or 1/4" if you're comfortable with that. If you're concerned about fit use 1" SAs in the vertical seams.
• If you're worried about perfect seams, sew your matchpoints first and then come back and sew the entire seam
• Sew with a longer stitch length, 3.0 or greater. Peggy Sagers of Silhouette Patterns uses a 3.5 stitch length.
• Pellon interfacing is the worst stuff you can use. I had a couple of instructors go on and on about how awful it is. One told a story about meeting the CEO of a major men's pants manufacturer; this particular brand has a lower price point. She asked him what interfacing he used and was surprised when he said Pellon. Turns out Pellon was a strategic choice for this company because, according to the executive, it only lasts for 60 washings and then their customers have to buy new pants.
• Two of my instructors advocated using fusible interfacing as an underlining to provide more body to fabrics, and more as the rule rather than an exception. Both of them sell interfacing, so I wonder how much of this theory is gospel or a way for them to sell more product.
• Edgestitch instead of taking the time to staystitch followed by topstitching.
• We need to stop torturing ourselves trying to achieve perfection when no one is ever going to notice the teeny imperfections we think are so glaringly obvious.
  

I hadn't taken classes with a live instructor since high school, so attending this conference was just what I needed. Thursday I took an all-day workshop called "Industrial Shortcuts" with Rosebud (yes, that really is her name). Rosebud is an informative, patient and relaxed instructor and my classmates and I all felt her class was well worth the trip.

Rosebud demonstrates the way to hold your hands when you're guiding fabric through your machine.

On Friday I took three classes: "The Perfect Sizing Worksheet" with Christine Jonson of Christine Jonson Patterns, "A Dozen Favorite Construction Techniques" with Peggy Sagers, and "Choosing Interfacing" with industry guru Connie Crawford. Christine Jonson's class involved way too much math for most attendees, which was unfortunate because Lori and I (yes, we met up and had such a great time together! I'll post a photo of us tomorrow) met Christine the night before in the exhibit hall and really liked her. I absolutely loved Peggy's class and if she is ever anywhere close to my area to teach a class, I'm there. She was funny, straightforward and empowering with her message that there's no need for perfection (Peggy: "I've never produced anything that's perfect, including my kids"), so "get over it" because sewing can be "way fun." And Connie is incredibly knowledgeable. I only wish I could have stayed longer to take her class "Sew Like a Pro."

Peggy Sagers (left) with a student. This photo doesn't do her justice: She's a very attractive woman who exudes that Dallas sense of style.

I had to take a photo of the back of Peggy's jacket, which the whole class oohed and ahhed over. She made the jacket and then an embroidery expert (I'm sorry I've forgotten her name) did the embellishing.

The exhibit hall was disappointing, Lori and I both agreed. The fabric prices were expensive and many of the booths featured crafty stuff aimed at the convert-a-sweatshirt-into-a-jacket crowd. I did pick up two patterns from Peggy's 2008 line and a Christine Jonson top pattern, plus some twin stretch needles that I desperately needed.

Bottom line: I'm glad I went to this conference. I learned a lot in just two days and I feel like I'm ready to take my sewing to the next level. Next year's conference will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico, one of my favorite places in the United States. It's a bit far for me so I doubt I'll make it, but if you like the idea of taking classes taught by industry experts, I highly recommend you go.

Heading Off to the ASG Conference in Chicago!

Chi-Town here I come!

Can I just mention how excited I am to be going to the American Sewing Guild's annual conference in Chicago? I'll be taking two days' worth of classes, checking out the exhibit hall, and meeting fellow sewing enthusiasts in the flesh. In fact, Lori and I are going to try to meet up while there. I have no idea what to expect of the conference but my hopes are high. I'm taking my camera and notebook so I can share the experience here after I return.

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Thanks to the miserable weather in the NYC area this past holiday weekend, I got a lot of sewing done—all pieces on a travelwear theme, just stuff-it-into-your-suitcase kind of clothes. I finished up a Vogue dress in a black lycra jersey that turned out really well, and I made three skirts and one top. I hope to get photos up next week.


Be back soon....

Not Just Another T-Shirt From the Gap

This Kwik-Sew knit top I made recently is one of the few things that actually looks better on me than it does 0n my daughter, who is modeling it here.

Would you believe the inspiration for this top was a photo of Rachel Bilson wearing a Chanel dress on the cover of DD's Seventeen magazine? The photo only showed the neckline and shoulders but I could tell it was knit and had striped contrasting neckband and sleeves. Kwik-Sew 2874 looked like it would do the trick, and many PR members have liked this pattern.

I made View C, but constructed the bodice as one piece rather than three as shown here. My fabric is incredibly soft pink cotton lycra and contrasting stripe knit, both from Spandex House. I had planned to make the sleeves long, with the flared part out of the contrasting striped fabric, but when I tried it on I could tell that was too much stripes and threw the whole thing out of balance. So I cut the striped part of the sleeve off to the elbow, played around with different cuff options, and then decided what the hell and left it unhemmed. Lots of RTW shows unhemmed jersey, right? (I'm trying to convince myself I wasn't just being lazy.)

This shirt represents the first time I attached a knit neckline binding since I took a Stretch & Sew class in 1974 as a teen. For a refresher course I relied on Sarah Veblen's video tip on the Threads site, and it was a big help. My neckband lies perfectly flat on me.

I love this new top! It is such a contrast to all the boring Gap Ts I typically live in during the summer. My take on this pattern: Another one of those Kwik-Sew gems hidden behind a dated pattern illustration. With the right mix of knit fabrics you can make a really fashionable top that doesn't look like just another t-shirt.

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Did you see that cute maxi dress Renee Cidell made for a Fourth of July party? The last time I wore a maxi dress I was a sophomore in high school and I think it looked something like this. Egads! (Image from vintage pattern site Scissorhappy.)

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Day Two of our Fourth of July long weekend and the weather is again unbelievably dreary here in the metro NYC area. Rain rain go away. No beach for us today. Good thing I have several sewing projects to keep me busy....

It Only Looked Like a Journey to Hell

This way to the dead bodies...

 [Note: Please visit my web site Shop the Garment District for the most up-to-date information about fabric and trim shopping in the Garment District.]

Yeah, I descended these stairs today and lived to tell the tale. Here's the backstory: I need to fuse underlining to the bouclé that's going to turn into a coat one of these days. An especially helpful and chatty FIT grad student who helped me at Mood a while back told me about a place in the garment district that fuses fabrics for design houses and others: Quick Fuse & Cut (212-967-0311), though I would have to "journey through the bowels of hell to get there." It's in the basement of 260 W. 36th (between 7th and 8th) and you have to go down these stairs and past the door that says Beware of Dog.

Quick Fuse & Cut is where designers and clothing manufacturers go to get their fabrics professionally fused.

So I dropped my three yards of fabric off, did a little shopping in the garment district (I took the morning off from work because we had to take DS into the city to meet the bus that would take him and the other campers off to sleepaway camp), and came back three hours later. It was fused beautifully and, wait for it, I paid $10. Ten dollars! That's it! It would have taken me hours to fuse this fabric with my trusty Rowenta Professional. It must have been 300 degrees inside Quick Fuse & Cut, but I'll sweat for this kind of convenience any day.

Note: If you need to get some fabric fused, I strongly recommend you call Quick Fuse & Cut first and find out what their turnaround time is likely to be on the day of your visit. Get the name of whomever you are speaking to and be specific about when you will be there. They were very busy on the day I went and I had to beg, plead and cross my fingers that they could get to my fabric before I had to head home. They will not ship fabric either.