Cate at Vintage Gal had a wonderful post about Anna Sui in September. I loved the dress she made from the Anna Sui pattern (vogue 1619). I have looked (unsucessfully) for this pattern, but did get Vogue 1789.
I have started working full time and decided to make a few pieces of winter work as this time last year I worked in a store with a ‘uniform’ so made some pieces to fill some gaps.
In all I have made 2 skirts, 2 sweaters, one blouse (this one), and one dress (this one).
Vogue 1789 is a really useful pattern. There are 4 different styles of dress and some made for knits, and some for woven. I made view C and managed to eek it out of just over a metre I think. The yokes are cut on the bias and the other main detailing is the darts and seams are top-stitched. I went rather ahead of myself when I cut the pockets and decided in my head it was a double welt pocket and then changed to what it should have been after cutting one, and ended up with uneven pockets. I ended up darning these and turning the pockets to patch pockets and am still pleased with the dress.
The other nice detailing is the zip goes half way up and the yoke is a 3 button close above. I did the buttonholes with the singer buttonholer, this attachment is so worth getting, my husqvarna does nice electronic buttonholes but I find the singer ones as good. Besides making a ‘haimes’ (translates as mess) of the pockets, I am rather pleased with the dress, the cut is very tidy and effective, it sits just right. I hope to try the apron style next.
The other pattern I tried out was the Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 8264. Its a much simpler pattern and I picked it up on a whim from ebay. The illustration shows a pleated collar and cuff as well as gathered, but the pattern is for a gathered , which I didn’t like as much. I got the black off-cut in a charity ship for €2.50 and used half of it to cut this blouse. Not too much to say, it was a quick sew, although I have yet to wear it as the shorter sleeves seem more suited to Spring. The funny thing is, although I keep thinking I must make more blouses, in truth I rarely wear thing with collars besides base layers or sweaters with polo necks!
My other sewing has been my Christmas sewing and this year I used old denim jeans to make ‘hotties’. I put it to a photo montage as the local ‘health food’ shop asked how I made them when I popped in to get the wheatgrain. Funny how things turn over. 15 years ago I was in the same ‘health shop’ trying to figure which grain to use and the store assistant advised me, and fast forward (a bit too fast) and this store assistant last week didn’t realise you could make them with grain and asked could she put it on the stores facebook page, I did a small photo montage and steps for them. (I sometimes do find it strange when I get these remarks re when you say you make or sew…. but then figure I did something similar when I was 15 and I kept repeatedly saying to my friend’s mother…..’you really made this mayonnaise…..that’s amazing…..’ and I think now with hindsight she must have wondered did I think everything came from a jar.)
This one I showed was rather plain here, but basically I will cut the legs of jeans about 12 inches long and sew one end and half sew the other, half or three-quarter fill with grain and sew up the ends (or lazily top sew it all shut as I do!). The ones I made as Christmas presents I embroidered with initials so my niece and nephews don’t fight over who’s is who’s. I use denim as its much harder wearing that the pretty cottons I used use! I use 750 g oat groats/wheat grain per bag, and heat for 2-3 minutes.
upsew 
The Anna Sui dress turned out lovely. I remember her going through the whole Sixties phase, which this is obviously inspired by.
I have a hottie that I’ve had for about 20 years!! It’s a flocked velvet covering but with lavender inside. I bet your family will be happy with yours though, I love the idea of using old jeans. That’s genius! xx
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The flocked velvet must be a good fabric, as the ones I made 4 years ago with upholstery samples here are wearing thin now, but the denim is going strong. Your post on Anna Sui was so great, I had only seen a few bits of her clothes and that exhibition looked amazing – she really had some lovely cuts – I am so impressed with this pattern. I got another since V2734 – which I am going to try a tweed patchwork skirt with, but I am not sure where its going in the sewing queue !
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Beautiful dresses! That is too funny about the mayonaise! I find as I am older with Type2 diabetes I have to cook everything. Can’t rely on pre-made. Which is good! But time consuming. And people are surprised a lot! LOL!
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Thank you Eliz – sometimes when I feel lazy I tell myself to go for a convenience meal but when I look at the cook times (and ingredients/sugar amounts) I always think ‘sure I can make that in the same time’ and end up picking up the raw materials in the end and just go home and cook…….I confess though….I have never mastered mayonnaise, I tend to find a slight oily taste from mine so ‘blush’ have helmanns in fridge…
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Hi Eimear
I’m going to be stupid here and ask, is a hottie like a hot water bottle!?
I still think everything food like comes out of packets and jars, I’m not very interested in cooking and am just pleased that the children grew up not suffering too much!!
Your new makes look great. Don’t you find, as I do, that this full time working malarky eats into the sewing time!!
Enjoy the festive season.
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Yes – Hotties are the hot water bottles, except these don’t leak after too many boiled kettle fills! which is why I had to change to these ‘heat packs’, they are really handy and I am often wondering if I could make a whole mattress of them and be cosy all winter (but no microwave big enough).
I have become time poor for sure, but trying to focus on home repairs and dreams of better home insulation for next year!
A very happy christmas to you too Linda
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How wonderful to have created this out of two garments! I absolutely love it, the colours and fabrics really complement each other.
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Thank you very much! you have done some great sewing this year too – congratulations on your magazine feature!
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What a fab outfit! I really love the dress 🙂
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Thank you Toria -I am crazy for the dress pattern, I love the detailing and determined to make another from this pattern – except for a rather long sewing queue I am not sure when that is…. I would highly recommend the Anna Sui pattern as there is great variety and all are classics.
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Super cute dress and top! Thank you so much for stopping by Feeling Stitchy and sharing your blog with us!
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Thank you Floresita – I really enjoy your ‘Feeling Stitchy Blog’ – the work you share is so inspiring
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