Polka Dot Wedding Dress

Faithful Readers!  I've been married a month now and, whew! what a whirlwind.  We're still settling in, still getting The Conductor's stuff moved in and put away, trying to squeeze it all in between working our dayjobs and tending the garden.

I don't want to overload this post with tons of pictures of people ..and this is blog mostly about sewing and home ownership so I'll post a few that show off, what else? The Dress!


First, my bouquet.  I made it all out of buttons!  I didn't start out with a theme but ended up doing most of our stuff in polka dots and buttons went right along with the motif. 

Here's The Conductor and I with our parents. 

 And no, you're not seeing things!  My dress isn't completely white!  At the start of wedding planning, I was just getting inundated with all of the "you have to do this" kind of comments.  And I thought, "Why?  Who says so?"  I stumbled on The Offbeat Bride's site.  There are some *really* offbeat brides out there, let me tell ya. I love how the site just gives you permission to be...offbeat. 

In particular, I found this dress made by Princess Lasertron totally inspring.  I don't like her color choices, but I LOVED the idea of incorporating a print.  And I knew I wanted a vintage style skirt, pouf and all, so I was drooling over her colored crinolines underneath.

Here's our party people.  You can hopefully see that the bridesmaids are wearing the darker, watermelon pnk, from the polka dot fabric.  My nephew, our ringbearer, is wearing the sea green, also from the polka dot fabric, and the same color as my crinoline.

Here's us at the alter afterwards.  You can see that the colored parts go all the way around and the green peeks out from the bottom.  I also wore green shoes which was a fun surprise for my mom and step-mom (I wore white ones to practice in at the rehearsal so as not to blow the surprise).

Here's a back view.  I used Vogue 1172 for the skirt pattern and self drafted the top.  I wanted to make sure that no bra straps would show.  I also wanted to make sure that the sleeves were loose enough to allow air flow (it was HOT that day) and be long enough to cover my not so flattering upper arms. 

I also wanted a sweetheart neckline like the one in my grandmother's dress and my bust area  is large so I needed to make sure I got the chest fit right.  I've never self drafted a pattern so that was the most chllenging part.  It was all I could do to just finish the dress, so I didn't take very many technical pictures, which I'm now regretting.  I have no documentation of *how* I arrived at the final dress, or the mistakes I made along the way.  Oh well.

   I think this picture gives the best view of the bodice.  The bust area had a perfect fit, I assure you.  The fabric is just floppy because it was hot!  And our church has no air conditioning. 

This was right before I walked into the church and I was already roasting. 

This view gives the best idea of how the skirt spread.  Vogue 1172 is an AWESOME pattern to use if you want a very full skirt.  With two godets in front and two in back, a good petticoat or crinoline is essential.

(I'm holding my baby niece, V, here with her face whited out in case that is confusing anyone, by the way).  Wanting a crisp hem, and less work, I sewed the polka dot to horsehair braid and then sewed the other end of the horsehair to the dress, flipped it up, and machine stiched again.  (I am only wearing this dress once, no way in heck was I hand hemming!!  Who'd even notice?)

But before you can get a crisp hem, you need to make sure it's straight.  Fortunately I have a dress model that has my figure which I had been using the whole while to fit the bodice correctly.  After sewing on the skirt, I marked the hem using purple grosgrain ribbon and put the dress back on good old Grace.   

Then I simply cut along the top of the ribbon.  The fabric was actually bridal satin so my shears mostly slid around the ribbon, making for quick work. 

As you can see, my other objective was to ensure that the hem was short enough that the colored crinoline could peak out.

By the way, I actually wore two crinolines.  One was a simple one made out of nylon that I used in place of lining to make sure nothng (i.e. my undies) showed through the dress itself.  I also wanted a piece that I could wear again and again, as opposed to something permanently attached to a dress I'm only wearing once. 

The second crinoline was made out of - catch this - 24 yards of netting!!!  I had no idea it would take THAT much netting.  I made 7 trips to the fabric store just for netting becauase I kept thinking I had enough.  I made most of it white with just one strip of green around the bottom.  Again, I wanted to be able to cut off the green and use the main part again and again. 

I'm STILL sick of  the fabric store, all because of this crinoline.  I never thought I'd ever get sick of the fabric store.

So, that's the story of my wedding dress.  Next post I'm hoping to share a few pics of the honeymoon and show you the start of my next project. 

Apron Challenge

I'm back. I've been busy - too busy to stop to post.  But I was inspired by a recent blog post I stumbled upon by BoPeep who blogs at Willow Homestead.   She's a Wisconsin gal like me.  I raise dandelions on my city lot.  She raises sheep in the country.  How cool is that?!?!

She recently found a clipping from a 1959 article of the Milwaukee Journal (now the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  Or, if you live in Milwaukee, but disagree with the Journal's slant on stories, you might refer to it as the Milwaukee Urinal. 

We're a classy bunch in this town, aren't we? 

Anyway, the article issued a challenge to ladies of 1959, which  BoPeep has passed on to us:  to make a differnt apron for every month.  With today being the VERY last day of October, I'm squeaking in my entry:

I used McCall's 6132, which was super easy to do and, the way it's set up, you actually line it which I love since I USE aprons when I wear them.  Thin cotton just won't cut it for this messy cook.  Here's some detail:


I used candy corn printed black for the base with a witchy orange for the pocket. The trim is another shade of orange with little spiders on it.

Here's a closup of the pocket.  It's such a whimsical print~  I asked The Conductor to zoom the camera in on the pocket and rick-rack.  And he said, "Ok, sure!!  But what's rick rack?"   Boys.....

Here's the kitty's face.  Isn't he cute?   More of the spider print for the ears and nose, ribbon for the whiskers, and green buttons for the eyes - because every Halloween cat needs green eyes.

I worked on this while the neighborhood kids were out trick or treating.  I followed my Grampa's annual tradition of closing all the curtains and turning the lights off to keep the trick or treaters away.  (I don't have kids so I don't hand out candy.  But my Grampa sent his kids out.  I think that's awful not to give out treats when your own kids are getting them!)

I finished this right when Trick or Treating was over - just in time to pack it up in a box for next year.  ~Sigh~

One final shot:

Happy Halloween!  This apron wasn't the only cat I got recently....In my next post, I'll tell you all about my new kitty cat! 

Me Time

Happiness is



a sweetheart

that totally gets it

when you tell him

"Yes, I have the night free

but I really need some me-time."

Still No Spring

Well, spring still hasn't come to Wisconsin. 

In my Magical Garden, Veronica here is looking over dirt and mud as if to say, "For the love of God, grow!!"

Gabriella has simply given in to despair and collapsed in grief.

But there's some hope that Spring is on the way.  Some tulips poking out:

Some crocus emerging amid the snow:

The irises my friend The Gardener gave me last year look like they were a successful transplant.  They're out by the curbside so, hopefully, my sloppy neighbors don't squash them:

And finally, I left these nurserty pots of sorrel on the side, too lazy tired at the end of the season to dig a hole and throw them in anywhere.  Sorrel is a perennial and it looks like one of the two survived.  Hopefully they'll last enough so I can plant them for real:

Since spring clearly doesn't want to come to Wisconsin, I continue to try and cure my cabin fever indoors.  This past weekend, I tried a new pattern, Simplicity 2615.

I've been in search of a blouse with either kimono or raglan sleeves because I am sick of setting in sleeves.  I also wanted one that had no buttons down the front, since my bustiness makes positioning buttons a real chore.

I'm not sure I completely love it becuase the tie, combined with the gathered fabric might, I worry, create a maternity top effect over my potbelly.

But the fabric I used is a bit stiff.  I'm going to try it again with a more drapey fabric and see how the effect is.  I really like the pattern since it was incredibly easy to work with.

Vogue 2787

I made this dress back in February, intending to wear it to the symphony.  I tweaked it over the weekend and I finally got to wear it out on the town. 

I used Vogue 2787 which is a reprint of a vintage pattern from 1948.

The pattern is labeled "advanced".  But fortunately I checked Pattern Review.  All reviewers said to mark pieces carefully and make good use of all markings.  Because of the design, there's really no way to do much altering either.  Thankfully I used markings - even notches which I tend to not bother with.  And it turned out to be a perfect fit. 

Here's my version

I actually didn't think it was all that advanced.  You just really have to pay attention to your cutting and use the markings just like the reviewers said.  I asked the Conductor's opinion and he said the skirt would look better a little shorter on me.  My sister Carrie always tells me to wear my skirts shorter, too.  I briefly thought of shortening it...but it's supposed to be a vintage design and this version falls just to the length of women's skirts from the mid-40's.  So I'll have to think about whether I want to stay true to the era - or go for a cut that's more flattering. 

The fabric has small, white polka dots on it so I got the idea to use piping to make the dots pop out more.  In retrospect, I shouldn't have done this.  The top portion, where the S-shaped seam is, involves the top of the left side being under the right....up until the bottom tucks.  Then it flips to being on the top. 

So, because of the switch in the middle, it was impossible to get the two ends of piping to meet up in one flow.

A noticeable flaw.  My only recorse was to cover it with a button. This, naturally, will draw the eyes right to one of my problem spots - my potbelly.  Ugh!

Pattern Review posters all said they wouldn't make another version of this dress, but I would.  Next time I'll be smart and not use piping!

So!  The show!  First we started out with dinner at Mader's - a German restaurant.  I'm German.  I've lived in Milwaukee more than half my life.  But I've never been to Mader's.  Boy, what a treat!  Milwaukee has a ton of really good restaurants.  But Mader's is one of only two or three that draw out of towners and celebrities.  So you know it's awesome. 

We started out with (what I thought would be) a before dinner cocktail of brandy old-fashioneds, a southside Milwaukee tradition.  This is what we got:

Holy Horseradish!  They were huge!! Like three cocktails in one.  I was drinking mine all through dinner and finished the last of it after my meal.  And it was well made too - considering the size, it was mixed right and didn't have any overly boozey taste.  Plus, they put a TON of cherries and oranges in it so by the time I got to the bottom, there was a crazy-delicious sludge that I ate as my dessert. 

I got the German sampler which came with five favorites - wiener schnitzel, sauerbraten,  sauerkraut, a smoked pork cutlet (that totally reminded me of my Gramma Nancy's smoked pork butt) , and red cabbage that tasted like candy.  Man!  If cabbage didn't make you do what it makes you do, I'd've eaten a plateful of just that. 

But the most exciting part of the meal was I got to have a food adventure.  I always keep my eye out for flavors or dishes I've never tried before and at Mader's I found one.  Take a guess what it is:

It looks like an unassuming bowl of beef or veggie soup, no?  It's really:    Oxtail soup!!  Contrary to Saturday morning cartoons, it does not come with two cut off, hairy ox tails draped across the top of the bowl.  (That was a childhood vision totally shattered).  This soup was amazing.  Very deep, loaded with barley, the ox-y meat was yummy (tasted like really great beef).  And the broth!! The broth was like liquid silk.  If I can find a way to duplicate that, I'll be as close to nirvana as a person can get.

After dinner we went to the symphony which featured a crazy mix of wonderful music - a fanfare by John Adams, a ballet suite by Aaron Copeland, and Beethovan's 9th which ended with the famous Ode to Joy.  Which they sang in German.  I don't speak German, so I found myself making up words to the music in my head.  It was pretty much a song about all the good German food I just ate. 

And for as much as people talk like Milwaukee is so uncouth, and as though we're all just a bunch of working class slobs that don't have any class or appreciation for the arts....this was the second symphony in a row the Conductor and I have been to where the seats were sold out.  So take that, all you snoots!

Lady Grey part 2

Back with the Lady Grey sew along.  Last time, I stopped short of putting the sleeves in.  I prefer one piece sleeves because I find them easier to set in.  But this pattern features a two part sleeve.  I started by sewing together the top and bottom of the sleeve.  Because I only paper pieced the sleeves before cutting the fabric, I wanted to try on the sleeve first before I connect it to the body just to double check the fit in the bicep - my problem area.

As you can see, I'm wearing the same shirt I wore last time.  I'm doing that because this shirt has a typical weight of clothing I wear in spring/fall and  I want to to ensure a consistent fit as I go along.  Hmm....there's (thankfully!) enough room in the bicep area.  But I'm a bit concerned that my sleeve pokes out of the bottom.  The pattern is described as having a 3/4 sleeve...but I just had getting a draft up the arm.  Hopefully it will fit better once it's attached - otherwise, I may need to consider modifying the length.

My biggest challenge with sleeves is getting a nice, smooth shoulder.  When the sleeve isn't set in right, there tend to be puckers up at the shoulder.  The result is either an amateurish looking piece or the poufy little girl shouldered look.  Neither of which I want. 

Taking advantage of this jacket's current status as a muslin, I decided to experiment with two different sleeve methods.  I used blue thread on one sleeve, maroon on the other so I could remember which method I used on each. 

For the first method, I started by basting in only the top three inches or so of the shoulder seam.  This will guarantee that the top is pucker free.  (Once I was done setting in the sleeve, I noticed a pucker at my high bust.  Now I know I need to sew from my high bust and *then* over the shoulder by about two inches so there's no puckers at the bust).

Once I did this, I then sewed the side seam of the body.

Then I went and pinned the rest of the sleeve into the armscye.

Drat!  The area in between the yellow headed pins reveals extra fabric. 

Fortunately, this twill has a slight stretch and all I had to do was ease it in by stretching slightly.  Smooth as ice!  I forgot to take a picture of the finished sleeve.  It resulted in a nice, smooth seam all the way around except for the slight pucker at the high bust.  Which will be no big deal to deal with, should I go with this method.

At this point, I had to take a break because my airheaded dog (ONCE AGAIN) got her leash wrapped around a planter and was barking for help.  I put the planter there because she used to wrap her cord around the mailbox.  You can see how well that strategy worked. 

Egad!  I really need to fix my porch steps. 

Back to the second sleeve.  For this method, I first pinned the sleeve in, stopping where the side seam would go.  You can see in this

picture that I'm short.  Galdarnitall! 

But I sewed the side seam.  Then I sewed the sleeve in.  I left a two inch-ish opening so I could set the sleeve in. 

This time, there was NO stretch to simply ease it in.  That meant I had to "pin the heck out of it", as my home ec teacher used to say, so that all the extra gets flattened by the pins. 

Except that no matter how much I pin in situations like this, I never eliminate all the tucks.  Fortunately I sewed the sleeve in from top to bottom again.  So:

by this method, I also achieved a nice, smooth shoulder.  (The puckers were from me yanking on that piece of basting thread like an idiot).  But....

Horrors!  Look at all the puckers under the arm!!  Some good all that pinning did!

Yea, yea.  It's the armpit. Who's going to notice, right?  Well, I'LL know they're there.  And I'll feel like an amateur wearing something I can't be proud of.  Now that I know that my first method allows the sleeve to set in super easy, and that it gives me a smoother seam all around, I know which method to use on the final version.

BING!!  This is the point at which the lightbulb went off and I finally understood the value in doing a muslin.

I'm so glad I took advantage of the chance to try different techniques to find the best one. 

So, now it's time for a first fitting.  Here's the front:

Clap!  Clap!  Clap!  By the looks of it, the "too short" sleeves actually aren't too short.  Yippee! 

I also wanted to check the back, since many sew alongers are having swayback issues: 

Yippee!  Turns out having a Polish dupa sometimes pays off.  No swayback problem for me!  I do need to press all my seams and try it on again. I see wrinkles in both views so I want to make sure, before I go on, that these are just due to lack of ironing - and not the fabric being pullled oddly.  But I'm loving it so far!

Lady Grey Sew Along

Don't think me being stuck on my Nina Garcia project means I haven't been sewing.

I am SUPER excited to be joining Gertie's Lady Grey Sew Along.  I've always wanted to participate in a sew along but never caught one right at the beginning. 

Plus, I desperately need a nice looking spring and/or fall weight jacket.  The only ones I have are very casual sports jackets or jean jackets.  Nothing I can wear with fancy clothes. 

The first step was to choose your fabric and get ready for the muslin.  I've always hated muslins because I feel like I'm sewing the same thing twice but I only get to wear one of the two things I made.  It feels like a waste of time - and fabric!  But I've read so many good blogs out there, like Gertie's, that show how much better the quality of your item becomes when you use a muslin.  Plus there are all the projects I've had to scrap because I mistakenly thought I could sew things right off the pattern without making adjustments first.  Muslins prevent wasted fabric.  And if I'm gonna waste fabric, I'd rather waste muslin than fancy fashion fabric.

And yet...all that work on a muslin and you can't even wear it!  That's why I'm in the camp of sewists who use "real" fabric - cheap fabric or old sheets and the like - as a muslin.  That way, if it's screwed up immensely, it's affordable enough to rip apart or toss.  But if the muslin works out, you can finish it appropriately and have an item you can wear. 

So, for the sew along, I bought two fabrics from the same group - cotton twills.  This green one will be my final product, made after I work the kinks out on my muslin.

Gertie recommends having fun with the lining since the jacket is wide in the hips and the inside will be visible when it's opened up. 

The print is the lining I chose.  It's an ugly fabric I've passed by on the "value" table many times.  Too ugly to use as a blouse or dress, but a fun lining,  indeed.  I'm hoping I'll have this green jacket done in time to wear this fall, yet.

This pink one will be my muslin and hopefully I'll land up with a nice spring jacket. 

Isn't the lining fabric insane?  It's a bunch of fashionable girls in turquoise, lime, and pink against a black background.  By itself, it's even uglier than the other one.  It's been on the store shelves for EVER and they have the gall to charge $3.95 a yard for it!  It hasn't moved in months.  Until today.  I thought it would be super fun to use as the  lining. Something very unexpected.  Added bonus, it was on sale for 60% off!  Plus the store clerks gave each other that "oh my God I can't believe someone's actually buying this" look. 

I'll show them! 

With my fabric prepped, I started to cut.  Because the pattern is a swing style in the hip and falls over the shoulders, I'm taking a leap and assuming I don't need to adjust for two of my problem fitting areas - the bust and belly. 

But I thought I'd paper piece the sleeves and try them on over a medium weight sweater since my arms are another problem area to fit.

It looks like I'll have extra room which is good - I'm not so hot at adjusting arms

I cut out the muslin pieces:

Easy peasy.

Then I basted most of the shell.  I didn't do the arms today because I was starting to get tired.  And I tend to make dumb mistakes when I'm tired.  So far, this is what I have:

This fabric is amazing to work with.  I'm hoping to do the sleeves and sides in the next few days and then I'll have my first fitting.