am I crazy?

I just came across this picture of Karolina Kurkova and thought "huh, i kinda like the fringe cape. Especially with jeans. In the cascading shades of grey. It wouldn't be that hard to make one. Maybe I should make myself one." and then I thought that i would look totally crazy in a fringe cape because I am NOT Karolina Kurkova or any other model fashionista person in New York City. What do you think? Is a fringe cape crazy? even in neutral shades of grey?

Welcome Back!

Hi Everyone! I am back from my travels and I know I have been slacking in my posting seeing as I haven't posted anything on either blog yet. Bear with me though I have lots I want to share including the spoils of my Get Out of Re-Fashionista Jail Card (yes. i went shopping in Israel) and the shirt I have been working on and some knitting. I am having some issues with downloading pictures right now since my computer memory is mostly full and my external hard drive and my computer are no longer getting along so it will be a bit longer.

BUT i cam across this today and had to share with you. I haven't looked at it too in depth yet but looks like an interesting project.
Garment Industry History Initiative

let me know your thoughts and hopefully I will have a real post for next week.

I'm an Arabian Princess and my Daddy just bought me a tiger...

I bought this dress in Tel Aviv 2 years ago. It is one of my favorite dresses and I feel really special when I wear it. Last year I put it on to see how it would work as a skirt and all the elastic shirring popped and I was just left with a swath of fabric. It sort of just sat in the closet because I thought it would be a huge pain to fix. Then I cam across this post from Sugar City Journal and realized it might not be so bad. Then I forgot about it and it continued to sit in the closet. Then it joined the list of items that I own that I need to fix or re-fashion or alter. Then I thought I might want to wear it on the trip I am going on so this week I did it.

I bought some elastic thread and now I am a princess again! And it was SO easy and fun. I want to do more smocking just because but it will have to wait until September.

And the title of this post is what B taunted me with when I first wore this dress.

So I have tried to be good about posting every week as per the rules of the game but I am leaving the country tomorrow. I am going to Israel for 3 weeks, part with a group and part just hanging out with my fam and friends. For more info and updates on the first part of my trip check out www.israeldiplomaticfellowship.wordpress.com.

A Guide to Better Sewing

I am in love and obsessed with Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing. The idea is based on this book from the 50's

which claims to be able to make you a better seamstress one project at a time. There was a line of patterns that corresponded with the projects in the book but were sold separately. Gertie has tracked down some/most of the patterns and is sharing her experience of working through the book and use of sewing techniques from the 50's (copious tailor tacks and hand overcast finished seams, anyone?).
The thought that i probably do not have to add for those of you who have been on this blog before or who know me even just a little bit is: I TOTALLY WANT TO DO THIS. I am generally not as much of a fan of the 50's as the 30's and the 40's (the huge skirts are fun but not so practical, same with the wiggle skirts) but the pattern's in the book and the projects of Gertie's that she has posted on the blog seem really nice and fairly practical. i love the portrait collar blouse, the background dress and of course the evening dress. The bow tie blouse and the shirt dress are of course classics. And initially not really taken with the slim skirt until i read Gertie's post about her slim skirt where she talks about the construction of it, now I want to make one whether or not it is flattering. The skirt is made with only one yard of fabric and has only one seam, up the back, and it is shaped only by a the series of pleats at the waist line. it is the vintage construction techniques that really get me. That is what I really want to learn. (and more on that later)

In other news, I am trying really hard to post something every week. Thursday seems to be the day with the exception of this week. i mostly have bits of vintage stuff i have found to show you as my own sewing has been a bit off and going slowly right now. I did pick up the green sweater i was knitting again and have just about completed the body and will start the sleeves soon-ish. I did sew up a dress a couple weeks ago but i broke one of the straps on it during our last trip and need to mend it. I will hopefully post that for you next week. I have also been working on the muslin for a shirt and it is going really slow. it has been hard to find my mojo in my new sewing studio. it is cute button down with short sleeves and gathering along the yoke. i think I want to make a shirt dress out of it too.

So in lieu of photos this week go check out Gertie's blog and report you thoughts back to me!

Memphis Belle dress

Jules and Suzanne

Jules and Suzanne run my favorite little antique/vintage shop. My Dad and I used to go in there all the time but since i have moved out of my parents house and the shop is not very near my new home and we all have crazy schedules we have haven't been there in awhile. Like years. We went a couple weeks ago since Dad had a day off. We decided to go antique-ing together, we were looking at treadle sewing machines. Jules and Suzanne did not have a sewing machine but we had to go anyway. We lovingly refer to them as "The Girls". Suzanne wasn't there when we went but Jules was (as well as Jackie, Jules' little dog) and upon entering we received a cheerful greeting followed by a "I haven't seen you in awhile". I had been wondering if we would be remembered or not. We used to shop there a lot but not all the time and we usually bought stuff. Its a hard store to walk out of empty handed. We were there for over an hour digging through everything. The store is very literally packed and you never know what you will find. My grand total was about $13. here is what i brought home:

Paris Scarf, Silk I wore it the other day. I really like scarves. I just usually don't know how to wear them.

Button-er, I have no idea what these are actually called. i think I am going to start collecting vintage sewing/dressing implements. Because I need another thing to collect.

Patterns. I have no idea if they are complete or not but they were $2. The shirts in the 60's pattern have a separating zipper all the way down the back. My first thought is "Is that neccessary? can I change that to a shorter zipper?". My second is " Ouch, if you are sitting in a chair with a back".

And they have a huge selection of buttons. So i am starting there next time I need buttons even though it wil be an hour nad half trip on public trans... but the perfect vintage buttons are always worth it!

Wardrobe Refashion Pledge

I __Amy_Sobotta____ pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 6 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Dart and Hem blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings! Signed__Amy Sobotta___.

That is my pledge. I have to let you know, especially those on my cheerleading team, that I am not officially signed up at Wardrobe Refashion. Why? because according to their rules i need to post on their blog once a week. I don't think I can post once a week, but I will try. I will also be out of town July 5-12 and August 9-30 with no access to my blog at all during those times. That is the only exception to the rules that i am making. After August, depending on their sign up schedule i may officially sign up with them. I was originally going to do 2 months, and then 4 months, and just now i decided to go for the gold and do half a year. That is today July 2, 2009 through January 2, 2010. Cheerleaders I hope you are ready for your job.

So here are the official rules:
1.
No buying new! (handmade is excepted; So this allows for Etsy purchases etc!!) All clothing must be Recycled, Renovated, Preloved or Thrifted, or Handmade only for the term. Employment related and special needs clothing (ie sports, school), shoes and undies are excepted from the rules, although you are encouraged to have a go at making these.
2.
In extreme circumstances, maybe a special event, or the worlds greatest and most amazing never to be repeated sale that you simply can not pass up, you may use the Get out of Refashionista Jail Free card. You are able to use this card once during the 2 month part of your contract; ie 1 for 2 months, 2 for 4 months etc. Of course you need to fess up on the blog and display the button!
3.
You must post on the blog at least once a week to let the community know what you've been up to. This will not only give you brag points, but inspire and encorouge others! Of course you need to display the button on your blog and have copied the pledge in at least one post, and provide a link to your pledge under the button.
4.
You need to be honest and admit when you've fallen off the Refashionista Wagon! Go directly to Refashionista Jail, do not pass GO and do not collect $200! Apply for parole once there.

almost forgotten...

I brought these home form my parents house a couple of weeks ago. Some of it I had forgotten i had. I am very excited about the patterns since I was lamenting having to buy some since they are so expensive. And all the little bits are very fun and should spruce some of my upcoming projects.

mystery knitting...

Skein 3

70%merino/30%silk, cutch, pomegranate, quebracho green, wattle, chestnut, logwood gray

The last skein I dyed in blocks of color. This one I dyed by pulling out sections and dyeing them. I spent about 2 hours on this and I left part of the yarn blank. It is a very tedious process. I am not entirely happy with the results. i might re-wet it and add some pop of purple or some other color to it. Though a nice subtle mix was what I was going for. it was inspired by this colorway by Three Irish Sisters.

Skein 2

70%merino/30%silk yarn, Indigo overdyed with madder, chestnut, cutch and fustic



And here are some pics of the finishing process:

The yarn is wrapped in plastic wrap or put in a plastic bag and steamed for 45 minutes. My extra rice cooker worked perfectly for this as it fits one 100g skein very nicely.


Then you hang it up to dry for a few days and then you wash it and let it dry again. We dyed on Wednesday nights and I steamed on Thursdays and washed on Monday so it would be dry again for Wednesday. I just washed in the sink with my usual sink soap.

Slow Fashion Meet High Fashion

I have been wanting to knit this turban as my new winter hat. (I left my elf hat on the train accidentally while trying to meet up with a friend) I love vintage clothes and here I am thinking I am being semi-original and slightly demode and I find these on the Sartorialist:

I think a burgundy, marooon, wine-y color would be fab for my turban but my coat is that color and that i think would be a bit much. Maybe for wear with my brown down coat so I don't feel so dowdy...(the contrast of the turquoise snakeskin clutch leaves me completely done in by this look. Simple with some pop of color. I love it)

As elegant as I think white can be, as it is here, I think it would just get too dirty. And I think it would fail to make me happy in the dead of winter.

Skein 1

So here it is folks, my first hand dyed skein of yarn!


It is a 70% Merino 30% Silk blend hand dipped in Indigo. The whole skein was dipped to give it a light blue base and then I pulled out individual sections randomly several times and re dipped them for scattered darker hues throughout. It dried down a lot so it is overall quite light.

i am currently obsessed with this colorway from Three Irish Girls. I feel like i need a matching tam/beret, scarflette, and mitts set out of it. In something textured like moss stitch. it is my inspiration for the hand painting we will be doing this week in class.

DROOL...

Cat: The Ultimate Fashion Critic

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Clothes Swap

I went to my first clothes swap. A friend of a friend was hosting at her apartment. I had 2 bags of clothes and a bag of shoes. It was hard picking out things to give a way. I kept saying "no i can refashion it somehow," but that pile is big enough already and I haven't done any of it yet. I was kinda worried that I would come home with as much stuff as I brought over but I tried to be really picky and only took things i really liked.
I highly recommend a clothes swap. I have tried to get some friends to do one for a while and no one seems to want to because i am too small. Unfortunately for them i gave away some awesome pieces that were too big for me. I also gave away some stuff that I didn't really think anyone would take so your trash may very well be someone else's treasure. There were also several pieces that had been swapped before. Start one of your own with a group of friends and some snacks or do a google search for one in your area (Chicagoans find some links below).


I really liked the colors on this scarf/wrap and thought i could make something out of it. I am thinking a simple sheath dress. and there should be enough fabric, it is wide and folded in half it is much longer than i would want the dress to be.

and its from the Women's Foundation of Nepal.

This dress was my friend Erin's. Erin has awesome clothes. She suggested and I might take the sleeves off to make it more versatile. I wish you could see the texture. it is kinda crochet-y

I took this sweater because I kinda liked the color but more than that it is the style of sweater that i want more of. It hits around my waist instead of around my hips which is way better for dresses. The hip length ones get overwhelming and I think look kinda frumpy with a dress. The only thing i don't like about it is that it is kinda thin and the button band is a little too heavy for the rest of the sweater so it gaps. But i can easily use it as a pattern to make my own sweater(a theme for my taking home items). A concept that I have been thinking about heavily lately. i will post my ideas on this later.

more on a theme. This skirt is way too big for me but it is the exact style of skirt that i want to make for myself for the summer. A-line with a kinda 70's feel.

It also has this great pocket detail. That's why I took it. Just so I can copy the pockets.

later that evening when I went to yoga my teacher gave me this shirt. its a cirque du soleil shirt nad i think the pattern is really fun. I also don't have a lot of long sleeve shirts.

The whole thing made me kinda laugh because i went to the swap and then my yoga teacher had more clothes for me. It was kinda funny.

Chicago Clothes Swap Links:
Clothes Swap Meetup(other cities might have meet ups too)
Chicago Clothes Swap(Seems to be very organized and has multiple drop off locations. Drop off your stuff pre-swap in exchange for chips that you can "purchase" items from the swap with)

Handpaints by ME!

In just a couple of weeks I am taking a class on painting yarn with natural dyes. Handpaints are some of my favorite yarn. I am a sucker for anything that changes color. I don't always know what to do with them but i love them. achkoiguchoo. Need I say more? So I am super excited about this. Maybe I will start selling my very own handpainted yarn on Etsy and become one of those... I have also started being really interested in spinning. I spun once in college with a drop spindle and found it incredible annoying but i feel like picking it up again and trying. I found this kit on the MVFF blog. Its not expensive and the spindle is hand made on the farm where the alpaca are raised. Sounds right up my alley.

Swatches!

These are from NearSea Naturals, a company that specializes in organic and sustainable fabrics. I haven't ordered yardage from them but I have ordered 2 sets of swatches and they are sent out promptly and there is a handwritten thank you on the invoice.
I am planning some summer skirts and dresses and I think that it would be fun to do some dyeing (hence all the white and natural colored fabrics). I really would like to make all my own clothes. Even jeans. Am I crazy?
The curly looking rich brown chambray on the middle left is the swatch I ordered for handkerchiefs. It was mentioned on the website as being good for handkerchiefs but is has a sort rough texture and a slightly loose weave. I think that the poplin will be better but I need to test wash it first. The lace was for trim on handkerchiefs. So I can be all fancy.
The jerseys and knits are beautiful. I think that they will make nice t-shirts and maybe some skirts. The melton I swatched with this pattern in mind. I have been thinking about what I want to do with it for a while now. I also just found this one. i love all the vintage patterns especially the dresses.

For HH...

My knitting and sewing has been sort of lax recently. I have been concentrating on my gardening in between yoga classes and whatever other classes I happen to be taking. I am still working on my green sweater and am starting some socks next week for a Wodehouse knit-a-long. We are reading Uncle Fred in the Springtime.

I designed this dress awhile ago and I have mentioned it before. It is the HH dress. I keep telling her that I will post the sketch for her but I keep not doing it. Here it is:

The collar isn't snug around the neck. it is a little wider and stands a bit away from the neck but not quite a cowl neck. it will be somewhere around knee length and the skirt is a-lined but i am not sure if i will cut it on the grain or on the bias. On the bias will be drapier but the plaid will be on an angle (like the pockets on my school tote)
Here is a better shot of the plaid:

It is similar to a Gordon plaid with an added red stripe.

The fabric actually has a very nice drape because of its rayon content. i haven't started on it yet but i am trying to be better with my time and schedule myself more time to work on sewing and knitting projects. So hopefully more soon and more regularly in the future!

the tartans and plaids discussion continues...

I actually finished this bag before christmas but I put it to use right away and the holidays were kind of busy... I am incredible pleased with it even though it looks exactly like my high school uniform! I picked up the fabric when I bought the fabric for the Homely Heroine dress. I will post about that shortly and it is next on my sewing list. The fabric is a poly/rayon blend. Not my first choice but it does have nice drape which is good for a dress. The bag is pilling a bit where it rubs against my coat but it is holding up well otherwise and I put my bags through lots of abuse. It is lined in a forest green and I added a big divider type pocket and some organizer pockets on the inside. I like the design so much i want to make another one. I am thinking a snakeskin print interior design fabric so it is a little more sturdy and more season neutral. I really like snakeskin bags. i need to make a few adjustments to the pattern and construction so it is a little simpler to finish but other than that it came out perfect on the first try (though my plaid matching is a little off).

Please click the title of this post for more information on tartans and plaids. The plaid here is Black Watch.

the tree dress, finally, and a bit of disappointment...

I started this dress back in April and I just finished it last week. It has been a long and harrowing experience. I finally got the muslin to a place that i liked and altered the pattern and then finally got around to cutting out the fabric maybe 3 weeks ago and started going and realized that i hadn't referenced my little sketch before i cut and had to recut a few pieces. Then i had some guests and it got put on hold again. Then I finally finished it.

And I don't like it. The top part is still too big and it looks funny on. Bryson thinks it is because the feel of the dress is more feminine and the fabric is more stark and sort of structured. And on me the proportions are off. The black makes the top half heavy and while i like the length on me it is almost too short to compete with the top. I have some ideas on how to make it look better and i want to take in the top half but not right now. It is going to sit in my closet while i work on some other things before i come back to it.
I had such high hopes for this dress. sigh. oh well...at least i have a new black sash.

I have another dress idea that I want to work out the pattern for and I would like to make myself some handkerchiefs. Right now I am taking a sewing break and working on some knitting that has been hibernating awhile.