All Style and All Substance

Giveaway winners!

2012-01-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the three giveaway winners:

Pattern 1 -- B @ Sweet Limes
Pattern 2 -- Suzy
Pattern 3 -- Melizza

I'll be contacting you shortly for your contact info.

Thank you to all who participated, and thank you for reading All Style & All Substance.

Giveaway!

2012-01-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

To celebrate my 50th Reader as well as over a year and a half of blogging, I am hosting this giveaway.

Two years ago, my partner Olivier decided he was going to learn to sew. He was going to make me a dress (no less!). We found him a sewing machine; we went together to Frabricland. In the process, he found out that sewing wasn't really for him -- but I, on the other hand, completely fell back in love with it.

So Olivier got me back into sewing, but you, Readers, have been inspiring me ever since to keep sewing bigger and better. Because of you, I am more creative, more adventurous and more technical with my sewing. Most of all, you have inspired me to be more generous with my knowledge of sewing.

Thank you for reading. And thank you such an amazing and supportive community!

Giveaway

Three patterns to giveaway to three different Readers. All patterns are factory-cut and unused.

The giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere in the world. To enter, simply leave a comment bellow telling me about your main sewing goal for 2012, as well as which pattern you would like and what would make with it.

The winners will be determined on Monday, January 9th, 2012 at 5 PM (Eastern Standard Time). Good luck to all!

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Urban Bohemian Apron

2012-01-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, I also made an Anthropology-inspired apron for my partner's sister. We won't tell her, but the apron was actually finished about 6 hours before Christmas. My father told me that my mother used to do this too when she was my age -- panic at the last moment when she hadn't finished sewing her presents, with no backup plans. I guess Mom did not only pass along her passion for sewing, but her bad habits too!

Fabric: cotton steen, linen and quilting cotton.
Pattern: self-drafted.

Petals of Rose

2012-01-03T12:17:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, I made my sister a pink version of my Granny Smith blouse. (I called it "Petals of Rose" -- if you knew my sister, you would agree that this is a perfect name!)

The fabric is a silk-like polyester and the pattern is self-drafted.

The pictures were taken a little after Christmas during our family brunch at my uncle's restaurant.

No space? No problem! How to transform your kitchen into a sewing lab

2011-12-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

You don't necessarily need a lot of space to sew. Right now, I live in a tiny attic apartment in Granada, Spain, and I manage just fine. The key is smart storage solutions as well as accepting to spend an additional 5 min. before and after your sewing session to set-up and put away your gear.

1) Pick a cupboard or a section of your closet. This will be your "sewing cupboard". In my case, my low kitchen cupboard was always a bit inconvenient for food stuff. Also, it was close to a power outlet for my sewing machine, and offered a lot of light from the window.

Top shelf: sewing supplies, tracing paper, and iron.
Bottom shelf: sewing machine, pedal and patterns.

When visitors come, simply shut cupboard door!

2) Set up your ironing board close to your sewing machine and power outlet.

When you are done, simply tuck away your ironing board behind a door...

and hang your work-in-progress behind that door using a skirt hanger.

3) For folks who don't have enough table space, remember that a couch makes for a great pin board...

and that a foldable table can easily triple your work space.

Important tip: set up your sewing machine close to the fridge so you can easily reach for snacks.

There you go! When everything is tucked away, no one will guess your kitchen is in fact a secret sewing lab!

Moving on...

2011-12-22T21:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all those who gave me their advice on fitting the Rooibos and who shared with me their experience with the pattern! It made me feel better to hear that I wasn't the only one experiencing problems with it! As great as it is for other body types, I think it's just really difficult for pear-shaped figures.

So, after officially abandoning the project, I seriously needed something uplifting and easy-breezy to focus on: Simplicity 2451.

This is what the muslin looks like. Pardon my wearing it over jeans, ~~I haven’t shaved my legs in 2 months~~ it was very cold in myapartment.

The pattern and construction is fairly simple, so I amreally taking my time to construct it perfectly. Also, I’m lining it for warmth and to wear with tights this winter. Lining a skirt with a vent turned out to be fairly tricky, but more on that later.

On the subject of perfecting the construction, I’ve had amajor breakthrough when coming across Gorgeous Thing’s post. Readers, I’m tellingyou, pressing correctly makes a world of a difference! All of the sudden, my stuff looks like couture! (Barely exaggerating. Seriously!) How could I have been unaware of the importance of pressing solong??

You know, it’s not that I didn’t press before – it’s just that I wouldoften attempt to “save time” and press everything at the end. Either that or Iwould quickly tap my iron on the garment without doing the proper “three steps.”Did you know that “pressing” and“ironing” are two completely different things?

Readers who’ve been following me for a while areprobably wondering why Adrienne is churning out so many boring skirts.

“Is she done yet?”

Well, Readers, no, she's not done yet.

Name the three things these skirts have in common

Because I’ve not (yet!) participated in Me-Made and Self-Stitchedevents, I've never really talked about the wearability of my garments. If I had, you wouldknow that every single one of those skirts ended upeither:

a) in The Black Hole (a.k.a back of the closet),

b) donated to Value Village, or

c) being worn by someone in rural Nicaragua as a resultof not having been sold at Value Village.

What was wrong with these skirts? I look at the pictures and think “they lookOK.”

But they’re not great.

And great (or at least the intent of it) is why I sew.

Roobois dress = big mess

2011-11-23T10:33:00.001-08:00

After disgressing a little bit in my last post (you must admit that Granada is gorgeous!), I now return to sewing to show you my muslin for Colette's Rooibos dress.

This project has been on the back burner for a while now. Ever since I saw Karen's version, I began fantasizing about my own wool Roobois whenever the humid and cold climate of Britain would cause me grief (pretty much every day of last year). Now that Spain has become a little chilly and humid as well -- but not nearly to the same degree, thank goodness -- I naturally went back to the Roobois.

Well, I can't decide quite yet if this pattern is actually worth my time. This is again a confirmation that Colette patterns are designed for women who are heavier in the top than me, as in, robust shoulders and full bust. Maybe I should give up on Colette altogether.

There are several problems with the fit. And due to the complexity of the pattern, fixing these would be anything but a piece of cake. (Speaking of which, cake would be good...)

Here is why this Roobois dress is not working for me:

1) I'm pear shaped, so this means I have to cut a different size for the top and the botton. In this case, though, there is not "a top and a botton," but "a top, a middle, and a bottom". Also, the bottom part is made up of SIX different sections! So basically, I've got myself a fitting nightmare. In the picture above you can see the problems I've had with joining the pieces at the side: the top, middle and bottom are respectively size 0, 4 and 8.

2) Problem with the top: The top is too tight. The pattern advised a size zero according to my bust measurement. This is what I cut. However, it was a mistake because now the other sizes are gone. I did not think that I should have selected my size according to my rib-cage measurement -- and then done a Small Bust Adjustment (SBA). Also, I just had a look at the Coletterie tutorial for performing an SBA on the Roobois and it looks a-scary. The main problem is that the other sizes are gone, so I would have to grade my size zero up to a size 2 (or 4?). Again, this would be alright on a simple pattern, but on this one, it would probably involve several muslins.

3) The shoulders are too wide. I know a lot of people have had this problem with the Roobois. In my case, the adjustment wouldn't be just a matter of narrowing the straps, but I would have to re-draft the angle as well so it would not drop off the sides of my shoulders. You see what I mean? I'm pretty sure this dress is not supposed to be crew-necked... Lol.

Straps falling off my shoulders

Conclusion: All these things taken into account, I think it would be less time-consuming for me to draft my own dress pattern from scratch.

In any case, I will be putting this aside for a few days in order to clear my head.

Beautiful Granada

2011-11-22T01:58:00.001-08:00

As promised, pictures of my new city. These were taken in the Alhambra, in the city and in Monachil (Los Cahorros hike).

Inspiring patterns of La Alhambra

More than my fair share of restaurants!

Los Cahorros, only 15 min. from city

Los Cahorros

Lucky Lady

2011-11-17T15:35:00.001-08:00

Readers, I’m telling you, I'm a lucky lady.

First of all, earlier last week, the mail brought me a packagefrom the USA.

“A package from the United States?”

Yes, from the United States. From none other than Natasha of Natty Jane Sews, of course, because she had participated in the Pay it Forward project a few months back!

Here are all the wonderful handmade pretty things lucky mehas received. I noticed everything is perfectly crafted, down to the most minute detail -- this is very "Natty Jane"!

Please pay no mind to the poor lighting in this picture that really do no justice to Natasha's beautiful things

I love the little fox pouch not only because the fox hasalways been my animal alter ego, but also because it turns out to be theperfect size for my passport.

See! A match made in heaven

My favourite part of her care package was without a doubt readingher grandmother’s stories. She moved to Hull UK when she was around my age andI could easily imagine her riding her bicycle to the school where she taught. Howdifficult and crazy it must have been to go through the war and the bombings… Whatan interesting lady, and what an interesting life! Natty Jane, I think youcould write a whole book about your grandmother’s life and many people wouldbuy it – I know I’d certainly be the first one in line!

Thank you Natasha for such a thoughtful gift!

Now moving on to the second reason why I’m a lucky lady,readers…

Ta-daaaah! Proud owner of Alfa Next 30.

Seeing that I was becoming pretty miserable without my sewing machine, my mom and my boyfriend conspired to buy me this pink and white wonder! It’s a Spanish brand and it’s pretty extravagant considering I’ll be using it only 6months, but it feels very strong and sturdy, which is very good. I know I can count on you, Alfa Next 30!

Thank you mom! Thank you Olivier!

And now, let the sewing begin!

Next post, some pictures of my life here in the beautiful city of Granada.

Sewing Machine Hunt in Granada

2011-10-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Germano and I went shopping for a used sewing machine. We spent over three hours digging through junk stores all over the city. Not only did he show me second-hand stores, but along the way he also showed me the best fabric stores and sewing machine doctors in town. I was surprised to see how vibrant the sewing community is in Granada -- certainly more so than in Hull, unfortunately. I cannot thank Germano enough for being so generous with his time last night. What a great sewing tour of Granada.

Germano, surrounded by sewing machines

In the end, I didn't buy anything because I'm not willing to pay CAD$150 for a machine I'll have to leave behind at the end of the year. As much as I am itching to sew, I also want to find the right machine -- at the right price. After all this work, I must admit that I felt a bit disappointed when I came home, but I'll keep going to these stores regularly and hopefully the right machine will show up.

Other than that, we came across this beauty! It wasn't working, but we still enjoyed it as an eye candy. So cool!

Surprise from England

2011-10-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

When I got home yesterday, I was greeted by a surprise from England. Marie's package had arrived!

Back in September, I was the lucky winner of Marie's giveaway. I was still homeless then, so Marie had to wait before shipping her lovely gift. Sending Marie my new address was probably one of the first things I did when I moved in (can you blame me?). Thank you Marie for the cute fabric and the wonderful vintage pattern. I can't wait to work with it.

Update from Granada

2011-10-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

Although my last post was only two weeks ago, it feels like it was over a month ago. So much has happened since then. I'm now all settled into my new apartment, here in Granada, I've familiarised myself with the city, I've started classes, I've stuffed my face with tapas and I've even made a few new friends.

Only one is thing missing right now (aside from my dear Olivier, who is still back in Canada) and you've guessed it, it's a sewing machine. My hunt is proving to be more challenging then last year's. The first thing I did was to look in the local newspaper for the classifieds. I did find the classifieds, only the wrong kind of classifieds (ehem). My next strategy was to look online. No luck there either.

When I came across a used sewing machine store near my university, I really thought I had scored. From the window shop during the siesta, I could see the exact model of the 80s Singer I had in Hull. I was already imagining myself with her, sewing away all kinds of cute summer dresses.
"This is meant to be." I thought.

I was in for a surprise when I went back and inquired about the price.
Turns out, the machine was almost 250 euros. I believe my reaction went something like:
"WHAT??? 250 euros!?!? for a 30-years-old machine?!?"

How that stores stays in business, I do not know. And they would not budge when I tried to negotiate the price. My only explanation is that they cater to naive older women who still have the mentality that any sewing machine is something very, very expensive.

So my hunt continued, and just as I was getting a little discouraged, something unexpected happened. I saw a young woman reading a fashion illustration book on the bus. I don't why -- because I don't usually talk to strangers, I'm too shy -- but I started talking to her. And you know what? I'm really glad I did. It turns out that she is part of a craft collective (no less) and she is pretty sure she can help me find a sewing machine.

Fast forward a few days and I have a date with Germano, a Brazilian designer who kindly offered to take me to a market to buy a used sewing machine. We are meeting on Wednesday: I'll keep you update, Readers!

Sewing and The Happiness Project

2011-09-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

I’m reading TheHappiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin at the moment. With two beautifuldaughters, a husband she loves and an apartment in New York’s Upper East Side,the author wonders one day why she is not feeling happier. She decides todedicate an entire year to becoming a happier person.

Every month, she focuses on a different aspect of her life:eliminating clutter, improving her marriage, and so on. During the fifth month,she resolves to add more fun to her life. She explains there are three kinds offun:

Relaxing fun. The easiest to do, it requires noeffort from you, but also does not challenge you very much. Watching televisionis a prime example of this one.
Accommodating fun. This one requires a bit moreeffort. You engage in it to maintain social relations rather than because it istruly pleasurable to you. Bringing your children to Disney World might fall inthis category, or organising a dinner party.
Challenging fun. This one requires the mosteffort. It often involves “frustration, anxiety, and hard work”. In the end,however, it is by far the more rewarding kind of fun.

Now, what does all this have to do with sewing? Well, Readers,I think we all agree that sewing falls into the third category. Sewing has certainlycaused me frustration, anxiety, hard work. On occasions, it’s even made me cry!But it’s undeniable that sewing has given me a satisfaction and reward unmatchedby anything else in my life. I’m so glad I started sewing seriously a year andtwo months ago. I can’t imagine what my life would be if I hadn’t.

I’m writing from Montreal airport, waiting for my flight toToronto. I can’t believe it’s already time to leave for Spain on Sunday. As Imentioned in my last post, I will be looking for a sewing machine. Anyone inGranada looking to sell or rent their sewing machine?

The Barter Babes Skirt

2011-09-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

I am writing from Montréal, where the sky is blue and theair is crisp.

This summer, I participated in Shannon’s Barter Babes project. She proposed to assess 300women’s finances in the context of a non-monetary exchange. Thank you so much Shannon for your financial advising session -- it was very useful! For my part of theexchange – surprise, surprise – I decided to sew her something.

I did this little sketch to show Shannon what I had in mind, andwas glad when she responded with enthusiasm.

I found a flashy hound’s tooth woolblend, which I paired to Simplicity 2451 (the same Zoe used in Big Flowers, Little Skirt).I wished I had more images to show you of both the making of the skirt and ofthe final product, but I will try to make up with words what I lack in pictures.

The Making

I learned the hard way that when you are making somethingfor someone else, it is not the time to be ambitious. You should pick somethingthat you know for sure you can dowell. For example, last Christmas, when a friend ordered a baking bonnet, Idecided to try my hand at making bias. I was under a tight deadline because ofexams and left myself very little room for error. Unsurprisingly, the endproduct was pretty catastrophic, and I had no choice but to send it anyways.

Apparently, I hadn’t learned the lesson when I tackled Shannon’sskirt. This was the first time I was making this particular pattern, and, toadd another level of difficulty, I also decided to self-draft a lining. As ifthat was not enough, I had never worked with a fabric that was as thick and hadsuch an extreme tendency to fray. During the 48 hours I had to work on it,I would go to bed thinking about the project, dream about the project, and wakeup in the morning with the project in mind. Lord, did I sweat.

The waist piece was truly what gave me the hardest time. For one thing, the thickness of the fabric made the insertion of thezipper super tricky. In one area, I had four layers of fabric PLUS bias. I onlysucceeded on my third attempt, and everytime I unpicked the zipper, more of the fabric would stray. This made menervous that the skirt would end up being toosmall because I was constantly cutting part of the waist piece. Little did I know that I should have been worrying about the opposite.

I took the time to make a muslin first and go over toShannon’s house to carefully fit it on her. Unfortunately, when she tried on thefinished skirt, the waist turned out to be toobig. This left me scratching my head. How this could be? The most likelyexplanation was that my fabric stretched while I manipulated it. Lessonlearned: it is important to stay-stitchyour fabric to stabilize it. I’m never going to skip that step again.

See, I did fit the muslin on my client!

Shannon insisted the waist was fine: she would simply wear it loweron her hips. She did seem impressed by the overall quality and finishing of theskirt, which gave me a bit ofsatisfaction, but of course I would have preferred that it fit perfectly. Myoffer to adjust the skirt still stands, Shannon!

The finished skirt -- there is actually a clip holding the skirt at the back here!!

Ottawa skirt v.2.0

2011-09-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

In South Carolina, I found a big tunic at a second-hand store and immediately saw potentiel in the soft, high-quality denim for an improved version of my Ottawa skirt. I wish I took a picture of the original garment! Quite dramatic transformation.

Anyways, the main problem with my original Ottawa skirt was the length, which I'm not sure is flattering. Also, the type of denim I chose was fairly low quality and stiff. I still loved the idea of a denim skirt though. It doesn't take much room in a suitcase, doesn't get wrinkly and goes with every pretty much any top.

I test-drove version 2.0 for a morning of shopping before finishing the edges. I'm glad I did because I realised it clung to my tights like crazy and rode up my legs when I walked -- fashion disaster! I obviously needed to line it so I unpicked the waistband in order to do so. My criteria for picking this particular lining fabric was "those colours look pretty good together". Wrong!! I learned that cotton lining -- however lightweight it is -- will not prevent static and clinging, but will amplifie it. So to redo the lining, and unpick the waistband once again in order to redo the lining. Not too excited about that, Readers.

Since I'm going to Montréal today for a few days, I may not even have time to do it before I leave for Spain on the 25th. And once I'm in Granada, I have to look for a place before I can think of looking for a sewing machine. The latter is more fun, tough!

The Baseball Shirt

2011-09-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

I made this shirt earlier this summer (can’t believe summer is already over now) and wanted to share it with you. I wasdefinitely an “instant gratification” kind of project because it’s made from my Grannysmith blouse pattern, a tried and true cut-sew-wear. The fabric is a light-medium weight cotton sear sucker.

I wanted to try something less girly and frilly than my originalGrannysmith blouse (which I still love very much). I’m thinking I may havegone too far in the opposite direction. I don’t know why but it reminds me of abaseball shirt. I tried to add a little bow on the pocket in an effort to feminize it abit, but I think this kind of collar is probably more successful with frills.Next time I’ll feel drawn to clean lines, I think I’ll go for a classic dress shirtcollar. I actually have never made a dress shirt and I’m dying for a perfectly tailored white dress shirt in luxuriousshirting cotton.

That day, my sister Katheryne and I spent the afternoon cooking and biking. Here, we are at the Rooster Café on Broadview – a super trendy place I discovered recently. I will definitely miss hanging out with her when I’m in Spain this year!

Why I've been MIA

2011-09-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Where has Adrienne been all this time? Readers, she’s been traveling.

First, to South Carolina, where she was completely charmed with Southern accents and food. The primary goal of our trip was to visit Mr. AS&AS’ American family in Charleston, but we also detoured through Florida.

Highlights of this trip:

- Finally meeting Nana, Mr. AS&AS’ paternal grandmother in her perfectly preserved 1960s home,

- A big family dinner of the freshest shrimps I’ve ever had

- The town of Celebration

An inner courtyard of Charleston in baking heat

Cypress trees and retro downtown of Savannah, Georgia

I wore my Lobster dress to the Charleston Aquarium!

Our American trip did involve a lot of driving, but not nearly as much as our Northern Québec trip, where we drove 2,500 KM in 3.5 days to visit two Cree native reserves (Nemaska and Wemindji) and one of the biggest hydro-dam in the world. As you can see, it's another world out there and it really makes me want to continue exploring Canada.

Poutine, a québécois delicacy

Beautiful nature

I discovered that many Cree families still have teepees in their backyard, which they use for traditional cooking

Other than traveling, I’ve been spending my days “collecting and reading material for my thesis,” and “getting ready for my move to Spain.” Really, I’ve been spending my time feeling unproductive and unhappy about not sewing and not updating my blog! I agree with Tilly's paper: sewing does make people happy. And I should sew more.

All this to say that last night I re-immersed myself into the world of sewing by reading blogs and I felt better afterwards. My favourite blogger right now is the lovely Marie, who is about to open her Etsy shop. Seeing everything she's produced during the summer really has inspired me. Also, it warms my heart to see her progress towards a goal she has set for herself, which she had mentioned at the Fabric Fandango last Spring.

Wait a minute, what?!? You went to the Fabric Fandango and you never told us???

That’s right friends. I went to the Fabric Fandango and I never told you. That is how delinquent a blogger I am. In the spirit of redeeming myself, you get to indulge in these never-before-seen pictures of the sewing event of the year.

Our group consisted of Melizza, Marie, Dibs and Justine (with Portia and Zoe in the far-right background)

In Dibs favourite fabric shop, where she is known on a first name basis and her haggling skills are feared

Have a nice day everyone!

Val-d'Or Blouse

2011-07-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

(You can see my muslin for this project here.)

I'm still enjoying life here at the cottage in Val-d'Or. We've had such wonderful weather this week. I spend my days mostly sewing, reading, cooking, swimming in the lake, riding my bicycle to town and canoeing. What more could a girl ask for?

I fell in love with this silk from the first moment I saw it in the store. Its quality and colour combination... It ended up being a perfect match for Vogue 1152. However, sewing with silk proved to be more challenging than expected. It's just so delicate. For example, I had to unpick my side zipper after making a mistake, which left holes in my fabric. I thankfully managed to hide the damage inside the seam allowance, but made a mental note to avoid unpicking silk in the future. The fact that my stitch length was pretty short also probably didn't help...

It's funny how a tiny change -- such as elevating the front bands by two inches for the SBA -- disrupted a fine balance in the garment. As much as the bust of my muslin was too big, I think the mock-up looked better than the final garment. The bust should still be altered, but I need to find a way to do it without moving the two bands. The final proportions were a little off. The garment is absolutely wearable, of course, and I love the fabric. But it made me realise how tricky it is to design something that looks commercial/professional, and not home-made. The designer, Rebecca Taylor, and her patternist must have made so many finicky adjustments to perfect this pattern.

In spite of its low-cut neckline, I whole-heartedly recommend Vogue 1152. It is sooo flattering -- especially if you have a pear figure.

Vogue 1152 -- in progress

2011-07-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

We are spending the next few weeks enjoying life at a cottage in Northern Québec. I look forward to showing you more of the gorgeous setting here, but in the meantime, here is my muslin for Vogue 1152.

The fit of this pattern is extremely forgiving and there are only minor adjustments to be made.
1) Shorten the length to make a blouse rather than a skirt
2) Raise the bust by 2 inches and do small bust adjustment

Other than that, it's looking good!

Linen Pants for Mr AS&AS

2011-07-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

It was during our trip to India last year that Mr AS&AS encountered the joy of linen pants in humid weather. After wearing his first pair to pieces, it was time to make him a new one.

Since I had kept his pant pattern from last winter, I could whip these out in an afternoon. I used a piece of linen I had picked up for £4 /yard in Leeds Market. I'm really satisfied with the quality of the fabric (for once!).

He insisted that I not bother with pockets, but still mentioned that a small pouch in the front could be useful for cards and keys. I really wasn't sure how to do that. It seemed to me that adding a small pocket to the front of the pants would make it look too feminine. A trip to H&M menswear allowed me to figure it out. It appears the secret lies in tucking one end of the pocket in the side seam for a more masculine look.

The making of Vogue 9850

2011-07-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

(You can see the finished skirt here!)

This seemingly simple project taught me several things. First, darts don't work in heavy-weight fabrics. I did read the back of the pattern, which recommended a light- to medium-weight fabric, yes. But it's all Genny's fault! I went fabric shopping with her a few weeks ago, and we had so much fun that I ended up buying the wrong thing!

Bellow, my catastrophic first version. Press the darts all you want, they won't look better.

Take my word people: you will burn your fabric if you press too insistently. This is what happened and the discoloration looked pretty bad in real life.

After internally weeping for a few minutes, I decided to "Make it work" and altered the pattern to do away with the darts. (Happily, I had bought enough fabric to cut a second skirt. I usually get frustrated when a pattern instructs me to buy more fabric than I actually need, but in this case it was a good thing.) So I carefully measured the darts on the original pattern and transfered them on the sides, as you can see.

Another thing I learned with this project is how to make bound pockets. I've mentioned before that front bound pockets would be a good solution to side pockets for curvier hips. I thought this would be a good opportunity to learn this new technique. I decided to really take my time figuring out how to make them. I referred to this tutorial, as well as to Tasia's on bound buttons holes, which were both helpful. I did four trials before the Moment of Truth came. Luckily, things went smoothly. :-)

And finally, another problem I had was that the sides of the skirt would stick out too much. This would normally not happen with a fabric with more drape, but again, the pattern was not intended for a heavy-weight fabric. It was easy to correct: I simply took in a bit of the sides at the bottom.

Vogue 9850 -- The Ottawa Skirt

2011-07-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Mission accomplished! A new denim skirt for summer. (You can read more about the making of the skirt here!)

Speaking of summer, I'm so happy I'm not spending the summer England. When people say "There is no summer in England" they are not joking. When I first heard that, I thought: "Yeah right, they are just exaggerating." Until I experienced the month of June in Britain. No sun, no warmth. Just rain, wind and humidity. Summer where you can't wear shorts and sandals is just not summer to me!

And the final touch.

Sweater: H&M from my sister's closet. Not sure which season.

Shoes: H&M Spring 2011

Bag: From Indonesia bought 10 years ago

Next post: the making of the skirt!

The good and the bad

2011-07-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

The bad: I learned my favourite fabric store in Toronto is closing (the Fabricland at Yonge & Bloor).

The good: Everything was going at 50% off until July 31st -- and the patterns 66% off!

I can't believe what I found. I could splurge on a few patterns I had my eye on for a while at a pretty decent price.

Karen's jacket is totally the inspiration for Simplicity 2443. I look forward to re-reading her posts before making it to learn from her experience.

This last one is the one I am most excited about. I've been dreaming about it ever since I saw this post. This is a really good design for pear-figures.

Muslin for Vogue 9850

2011-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

(You can read more about the making of this skirt here, and see the final version here.)

Remember, this is the pattern I found in my mom's vintage pattern stash.

You can't really see it here, but I am having the same problem as with the Beignet: The side pockets are adding volume where it is least needed. This means I will have to try my hand at bound pockets.

Exploring Ali Baba's cave

2011-06-29T15:02:00.001-07:00

If you know me and my family in real life, you already know that we have a serious tendency towards hoarding. I finally discovered the benefit of that when I came across my mom's pattern stash. I never realised she had kept every pattern along the years, with some dating back to the 1970s. You can imagine how much fun I had digging through her boxes -- it was like Ali Baba's cave. Here are those that have caught my eye.

I would do view A of this Donna Karen pattern, but with shorts rather than pants.

I see good quality linen or sand-washed silk in tan for this Ralph Lauren dress-jumpsuit.

Everything about this 3-piece pattern is fantastic. I have a perfect light-weight wool in the same colour scheme for it.

And finally, this vintage Vogue 9850, which is first on my list. I think I will go with view B in light denim.

Granny-smith Blouse

2011-06-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to introduce... the Granny-Smith blouse. I could not resist the temptation of adding little apples as buttons. (^-^)

In my last post, I forgot to tell you that my Beignet skirt was made from cotton piqué. My green blouse here, on the other hand, is definitely not as breathable as cotton piqué. It's made of American crêpe purchased on Goldhawk Road, London, for £3.5 per yard. In my excitement over the colour and price, I forgot to ask about the actual composition. Turns out it's polyester. Womp, womp, womp... don't light a match near me!

I'd like to point out that the first five photos bellow were taken by Alessandra Mondin. I promised in my last post to tell you the story of the photo-shoot. I've been wanting to collaborate with Alessandra for a while now, ever since I realised what a talented photographer she was. So, I was very happy when she accepted to shoot the Beignet Skirt.

When she inquired about what I was going to wear, I said something like "A new blouse I made! It's bright green!"
Only problem was, this "bright green blouse" did not exist yet. And the shoot was in two days. And postponing was not an option since I was leaving Hull the next day.

Let me tell you, dear Readers, that I've never been so fast in my life. I can now imagine what it is like to work in a sweatshop now -- or be contestant on Project Runway. It took three hours to draft the pattern, and about nine hours for the actual blouse. That's twelve hours from start to finish. When you go this fast, you can't pay attention to details, so I won't include close-ups here! Anyways, five minutes before I was supposed to meet Alessandra, I was still sewing. The hem, the seams and the buttonholes aren't finished in the pictures she took. The opening is held together with pins!

***Warning -- The picture below is unsuitable for young children.***

In spite of that, I'm very pleased with how it turned out. It was a big hit with my aunts, who were visiting this weekend. My sister wants me to make her one. I was surprised to find out that the pattern actually fits her. Actually, I think it looks better on her than on me!

This is me having fun with my new labels. Maybe this is a bit cheesy, but it adds colour! Plus, this is a great way to reuse your fabric scraps.

I drafted the pattern from my bodice block. It wasn't too difficult. I used the same sleeve pattern as for the Lobster Dress and the other modifications were fairly simple. The ruffles are simply rectangles of 3.5" x 11", which I gathered. Lucky for me, my first muslin worked.

What did I learn?
- Putting together this blouse is fairly labour-intensive because of the ruffles, the buttonholes and the collar. Next time, I will definitely pick a higher-quality fabric to get more bang for my time. I'm picturing sand-washed silk, which is very trendy right now.
- Don't start planning your photo-shoot until after the actual garment is completed (!).
- Needles matter. They didn't invent different needle sizes just for the fun of it. It's not a marketing gimmick. The right needle really does make a difference. In my case here, my American crêpe was very thin and delicate, but at the same time pretty resistant (if that makes sense), so my machine had a hard time piercing the fabric, especially at lower speed. So I ended up with the irregular, awful stitch bellow. At first I thought my machine was broken, but then I realised the problem was actually my needle. The moment I installed an extra-fine needle, it made a world of a difference.

And look, I found my match! Farewell, Hull!

The Skirt of Second Chances

2011-06-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened since my last post, Readers. I have now moved back to Toronto for the summer and it feels like a new beginning. No more rain, no more wind – just lots of sun, and sewing ahead.

So, remember my Beignet muslin?

Influenced by Tilly’s love of her Beignet, I momentarily forgot the reality of my own figure: “Better to stay away from high waists, Adrie.”

But really? Is this what sewing is about, though? Sticking to what you know?

I decided that sewing was also about experimenting. So I listened to the encouragements of Petite Josette, Karen, Jane -- and none other than Tilly herself -- and decided to give Beignet another shot. So there you go, "The Skirt of Second Chances."

The nice pictures here are by Alessandra Mondin (first two).

The awkward tugging you you see happening bellow is because I was in a big hurry to photograph this skirt and could not press it before rushing to the photoshoot (more on that later!). Also, I cut a size too big, and made a mistake in my adjustments, which means it ended being too tight. It's not so bad now, thankfully, because the fabric has stretched.

But still, I’m not going to lie, this is probably not my most successful piece. That being said, I wore it four days out of seven this week (it’s in the wash now, I promise). Ok, there is the fact that all my summer clothes are stored in Northern Québec and that this is the only skirt I have at the moment. But you know what? Beignet has grown on me. I love the lining. It brings the garment to a whole other level.

Bellow, the label doubles as a hook.

Also, when I went into The Workroom, a sewing store on Queen West, my Beignet garnered a bit of attention (that’s right!). I met the owner – a very cool lady – who sells and sews Colette patterns herself and was interested in finding out how I made out with it.

Here is what I told her:

- Colette patterns tend to be big. The instructions advised to cut a size 10, but I really needed a size 6.

- When you make your muslin, don’t forget to write down the size you cut somewhere – on your pattern, in your sewing notebook or on your computer file. I forgot to do that, and I unfortunately ended up cutting the wrong size!

- If you are curvier at the hips, omit the side pockets and add bound pockets on the front instead. Also consider adding a jeans-style pocket at the back to structure your bootylicious frame.

- Make sure to mark your pattern pieces carefully (notches and everything), because they all look alike and are easy to confuse.

My favourite part about being in Toronto? Lots of fabric stores! Do I really have to tell you what I'm doing today?

Next post, I'll tell you all about the green blouse I'm wearing.

Introducing... the Lobster Dress!

2011-06-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

Readers! I'm back from my hiatus! And I have the Lobster Dress to make up for it!

Let me remind you of my initial inspiration: this amazing skirt from the Horrockses show at London's Fashion and Textile museum.

I wore my dress to the races, a traditional British pastime. It was the first time I've ever been -- exciting!

At first, I felt like a walking seafood platter! I don't usually wear such eccentric clothes. I was expecting reactions from people, such as: "Excuse me Miss! You have something on your shoulder! A lobster!"

But nothing of the sort. British people are well-mannered after all. I did get a little joke from an employee at a convenience store: "When you can't go to the sea, you bring the sea to you!"

This was one of my most challenging projects to date. As I said before, I drafted the pattern myself, which was without a doubt the most complicated and time-consuming part of the project (to give you an idea, it took 25 hours for pattern-drafting vs. 10 hours for the actual making).

For the top, I worked from my bodice block pattern, modified to create an opening for the front, as well as lapels which were ~~a nightmare~~ interesting to draft. I used the sleeves of my vintage McCall's 6749 which I also modified. For the skirt, I used NewLook 6872. I added extra-deep pockets to satisfy my latest obsession with big pockets! They are my favourite part of the dress.

And finally, the finishing touch. The labels, first discovered by Handmade Jane. When I first came across Jane's post on the Crafty Christmas Club, I was on the verge of paying $80 for custom-made labels. Then I discovered these for only £3.99!

In my next post, I will show you the new Beignet skirt I just finished. I am currently working on a bright green blouse. More details coming soon!

Have a nice day everyone and thanks for reading!

An interview with a jeans connoisseur

2011-04-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Check out what, in my opinion, is the best sewing post of the week.

http://malepatternboldness.blogspot.com/2011/04/mpb-jeans-sew-along-emergency-upstart-i.html

Peter's jeans sew-along is starting soon, and he interviewed Taylor, a self-taught jeans tailor, for the occasion. If you're a perfectionist and you're obsessed with details like me you will really like the interview. My sewing motto is "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well." I think this guy would agree.

I'm off to France to escape the Royal Wedding frenzy. See you next week!

Lobster Dress Muslin

2011-04-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers!

I'm back from Russia and I've finished my second muslin for my Lobster Dress. Remember the lobster fabric from a while ago? Well, I had a very precise vision of what I wanted and couldn't find the pattern for it. So the only thing to do was to draft my own!

So yes, this is the muslin. I got this fabric for £1/ yard in London's Portobello market and the price was the only reason I picked it up (orangy, polyester... yuk). However, it doesn't look bad at all in this dress. I actually regret not making the muslin with more care so I could wear it. This shows how difficult it is to evaluate the potential of a fabric until you see it as a garment.

Any who, the dress in its current form is not perfect yet, but it's an encouraging start.

I need to fix the pockets, fix the opening, fix the collar, and maybe raise the waistline. Or should I keep it lower? It's supposed to sit directly at the waist, but this waistline has grown on me... it's really comfy. What do you think?

As usual, pattern drafting is such a time-consuming process, but it's getting increasingly easier as I accumulate the various basic pieces tailored to my body (i.e., bodice block, skirt block, sleeve block).

Once I'm done with all the alterations, putting together the actual make should be a breeze. Expect to see many of these dresses from me this summer.

From Russia, with love

2011-04-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

I've been silent lately because I'm traveling in Russia! Of course, sewing has not left my mind (does sewing ever leave my mind?) and I am finding here plenty of inspiration that I wanted to share with you.

First, I found a magazine from 1959 in an antique shop in Saint-Petersburg. The cover says "Clothes for young people Moscow".

Weirdly, the magazine has appealed to my current obsession with big pockets. I'm just dying to make a dress with big pockets! There is just something about it! Maybe it's my practical side?

The magazine features so many interesting design ideas that could be incorporated into more modern garments.

Second, I found myself in the land of Burda pattern magazine! As you can see, I got a little carried away and bought all the issues I could find! Now, I just need to trace the various pattern pieces using tracing paper and assemble the pieces following to the instructions. Wait -- the instructions... they're in Russian! Oh well, a good way to practice.

This is the pattern I most likely to make. This cut usually fits me well.

I even found the Burda headquarters in Moscow! Of course, the offices weren't open to the public, but I could still visit the small fabric store. (I am proud to report that not a single button was bought, and that I stayed strong in the face of the many gorgeous fabrics trying to seduce me.)

I can't wait to get back to Hull and start sewing -- I miss my Singer Samba!

Pay it Forward 2011

2011-03-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled across a lovely post from Natasha. She is taking part in 'Pay it Forward 2011', which is a wonderful project about friendship and sharing. I love the idea of sending handmade surprises around the world to like-minded people!

This is how it works:

The first five people who comment on this blog post will receive a handmade gift from me.

The only requirement in return, you must first write a blog post explaining 'Pay It Forward 2011'.

Then, about the most exciting part, make and send a handmade gift to the first 5 visitors who comment and commit to do the same.

Don't worry about time. You don't need to send them all today or tomorrow.

Gifts from the heart take time and are worth waiting for them!

Beign-yikes!

2011-03-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at the library, I was supposed to be gendering detective fiction and studying Russian. Instead, I daydreamed about sewing.
"I can always study later... time for a sewing break! Yeah, great idea!"

Maybe not such a great idea...

Two hours and a few BBC podcasts later, here is the muslin for my Beignet...

Beign-yikes!

Once again muslins have proven to be anything but a waste of time. The general consensus with this make is that it doesn't flatter my figure. I think I just got carried away with Tilly's Beignets -- ordering the pattern and planning away my makes -- and forgetting that high waists never actually have looked good on me! (Tilly, I'm blaming you.)

So long Beignet!

I now have to find another use for my grey linen and thick cotton piqué... Any ideas?

Fabric Shopping in Leeds

2011-03-26T02:50:00.000-07:00

My wonderful day starts with a pain au chocolat and a cappuccino at the train station. It seems it can't get any better, but it does.

Beeline from the train station to the Kirkgate market: I have been dreaming about this moment for days! This is Ali Baba's cave!

We spent almost three hours in there. Poor Mr. All Style and All Substance... The shop attendant told me "He's very patient."
- "Yes, I am a lucky woman!"

I ended up spending a very reasonable £50 for two bags full, including five meters of pure wool (which, in retrospect, may have been a little excessive). I spent over £100 in London for a similar stock-up this fall, which is incredibly expensive when I convert this into Canadian dollars. Leeds market is the way to go, my friends. Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks so, because we met a London designer who had come all the way to Leeds to buy several rolls for her line.

The happiest woman in the world:

Here are some of my purchases:

A type of crêpe for a blouse

Linen for a Beignet skirt. (I love the fabric, but I do regret going for the grey. I'm afraid it will be difficult to integrate in my warm-hued wardrobe. Note to self: stick to black or brown next time.)

Wool for a Rooibos dress from Colette patterns.

And cottons for facings and crafts

And finally, for the pièce de résistance, lobster madness! I bought it because the price was right (i.e., low) and it reminded me of a skirt I saw in the Horrockses exhibit this fall at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London. I was thinking of making a kooky summer dress or skirt, but I now think it would be difficult to pull off without looking like a seafood-restaurant.

First sewing lesson!

2011-03-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today I gave my first sewing lesson (sewer expert now). I showed my housemate Albane how to turn her dress into a tunic.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a "before" picture, but here you can admire the end result. Not bad for someone who's never used a sewing machine before!

And the details...

As you can see, it was a gorgeous day in Hull today. We've been really spoiled in terms of weather these days, especially when I know there is still snow in Toronto. It makes me appreciate it all the more. :-)

Last Monday I went to Leeds for an academic event. What is the first thing I did there? You guessed it: check out the fabric shops. To my great chagrin, the stores were closed in the early morning and late afternoon, but they looked so promising that I shall go back to Leeds this Friday to cheer up my poor fabric-deprived self. (By the way, I never realised that Leeds was the second biggest city in the UK. It's huge.) I'll let you know how the fabric shopping goes! (Can't wait!!)

Surprise from the mail

2011-03-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

I was woken up this morning by an envelop being thrown at my head... What on earth?

From the US! My Colette Patterns!!

After seeing all the beautiful Beignet skirts popping around the blogosphere, I finally broke down and ordered it. And since I was already paying for shipping, it simply made much more sense to order a second one in the same order. (Pure logic.) I picked the Roiboos dress because I liked Karen's version in wool so much. So warm and comfortable for winter... just throw it on and start your day.

Following a suggestion from a BurdaStyle member, I decided to wear the Korean schoolgirl shirt in a bow. I certainly seem to fit in the decor of this colourful vegetarian café, where we were celebrating my friend's birthday -- Happy birthday Alessandra!

Bodice Block

2011-03-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Here is what my bodice block looks like (using the eSewingWorkshop method). Here are some ideas and inspiration for what to do with it.

Sibeli from Burda style has designed a beautiful open-back dress with her bodice block. This would be nice for summer!

Courtesy of Sibeli

I love this one as well.

Courtesy of Sibeli

I could make one of these two dresses in this vibrant cotton I bought in London.

Finally, Sibeli has also made this beautiful dress which has in turn inspired Natasha from Natty Jane Sews. It is based on a Colette pattern, I believe.

Courtesy of Sibeli

Courtesy of Natasha

Natasha has also made another version of the dress, in a light and feminine cotton.

Courtesy of Natasha

Madame Gray

2011-03-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

I had made this dress last year and I realised I had never posted it for you Readers!!

This was the first dress I imagined and completed. I used basic dress pattern See & Sew’s B5168 and changed the neck opening to make it V-shaped in addition to adding a collar and cap sleeves.

I can't tell you what the fabric is other that it is synthetic and stretchy (I really must work on my fabric knowledge!). It's this type of fabric that a lot of cheap retail skirts and pants are made of, in stores like Dynamite and Suzy Shier, you know what I mean? Probably a kind of polyester with Lycra. Anyways, this fabric was extremely difficult to work with because of its slippery quality and its stubborn resistance to my iron! I will leave this fabric for the more experienced sewers.

Pendrell Blouse 2

2011-03-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Ta-daaah! My second Pendrell. Can you tell I love this pattern?

The fabric is viscose. I cut a size 2 everywhere this time, trading off a more taylored look for comfort in the back.

Another thing I did was cut the binding pieces a little bigger, because I found the ones the pattern prescribed were too small last time, for some reason. The armholes were a lot easier to bind with slightly longer pieces this time around.

I was feeling experimental and I tried different things at first. One of them was this version with no sleeves and black bands instead of frills. It doesn't look so bad on here, but it looked a little weird in real life. The bands wavered a little, and the general look was just homemade. So I opted for the frills again.

Productive Weekend

2011-03-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

I've been extremely productive this weekend. In addition to everything I had to do for uni, and to my other obligations (such as it being my turn to clean the entire house this weekend, which took 3 hours), I managed to finish my second Pendrell blouse and to draft my bodice block to my measures.

What is a bodice block? Well, remember the pants I made for Olivier? I followed the tutorial from eSewing workshop for the bodice and drafted my basic torso pattern. I can now use this pattern to create new designs by modifying it. I should be a lot easier than the previous method I was using.

Note: Mr. All Style & All Substance is currently traveling with my laptop and I haven't yet found a way to download my pictures from my camera to his computer, so bear with me Readers as I try to figure this out.

Pendrell Blouse

2011-03-04T02:54:00.000-08:00

I could not narrate the inner process that led me to the Pendrell blouse better than Karen, from Did you make that? Her post really made me laugh!

I decided at the last minute to change pattern, even though I had already cut my fabric for another blouse (risky, I know!). I ordered the famous Pendrell blouse pattern from Sewaholic recently, and the red floral fabric was just perfect for it, with all its drape. The website said I could expect the pattern to arrive towards the end of March, but to my great surprise it arrived four days later, so a month earlier! Tasia from Sewaholic has started her own pattern line that is flattering to the pear figure. I am really happy she is doing this because I think there is definitely a market for it. Most clothing stores – and pattern companies – use a V-shape or hourglass model. These don’t suit a pear figure at all.

My verdict is that the Pendrell blouse was indeed as great as everyone said. The first fitting was pretty close to perfect - which never happens usually. I still had to make minor adjustments:
- The chart suggested a size 4 for my measurements, but the mock-up turned out to be a little big. I made a combination of size 0 (upper part) and 2 (lower part).
- I created an extra opening at the back to fit over my head.
- I reduced the size and length of the frills. (I am now not sure this was a good idea, because it reduced the illusion of wider shoulders.)

Overall, it was a really good pattern to work with. The instructions were very clear and the style is so flattering to my figure. I recommend it warmly and I am impatiently waiting for her next pattern. (I hear it's going to be a skirt.)

Another thing I liked is that I learned a new technique for finishing neck and arm openings. My first attempt was pretty irregular, but I think I got it now. It makes for a very clean and professional finishing and I will definitely use this technique again.

I am already planning my next Pendrell blouse. I have a great fabric for it...

Teaser!

2011-03-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Readers!

Here is the mock-up of my Pendrell blouse.

Stay tuned for pictures of the finished garment!

New Design

2011-02-17T02:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, you are on the right page. Welcome to the new All Style and All Substance. A special thanks to Olivier for the new design.

Here is a sneak preview of what I am currently working on. Remember the 8th project of my Seven-Week Challenge? Well, I never made anything with the red fabric with the big flowers and I am making a shirt with it. I should have pictures for you before the end of the week.

I've really been struggling with drafting this shirt pattern and it made me realise that I need to draft my bodice block ASAP. I think it will help me greatly in the future. Trial and error is really not the best method.

Korean Schoolgirl Shirt

2011-02-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

And my second project for the week….

When I saw this fabric in the ‘80s vintage pile in York I just HAD to buy it. There was only a metre left and parts of it were yellowed and dirty, but no matter! I could not resist the cuteness of the little sailboats. A good wash and it was as good as new!

Once it came time to cut, I realised I didn’t have enough fabric for the pattern I drafted. My mind was really set on this particular design, in this particular fabric, so I thought long and hard about a solution. Finally, I figured that cutting the sleeves as separate pieces would allow me squeeze the most out of the fabric. Never in my life have I been so efficient! I think I had like 10 square centimetres left over.

My vision was of a loose-fitting, kimono-sleeve shirt – an ‘80s classic. Unfortunately, I realised that my initial design looked more like dentist scrubs than a hipster shirt (see mock-up version bellow).

In this situation, you must listen to your fabric. The fabric told me to exaggerate the kimono sleeves and add a Korean school girl collar. Of course, at this point, none of the original fabric was left so I chose to make it in black. I wasn’t sure at first, but the more I look at it, the more I find the contrast adds to the design.

Yellow Bag

2011-02-03T13:49:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,

I’ve finalized my timetable and it looks as if I will have more time to sew this semester. Yay!

I’ve come up with a system of sewing goals for the new year. Every week, I have to finish something – draft a pattern or sew a garment – and then I get a reward at the end of the week. My partner is doing the same thing with his book project. So far it’s been really motivating.

I’m happy to report that I’ve achieved my goals for this week. Once Olivier achieves his goals, I get a nice dinner at our local Chinese restaurant. Hurry up Olivier!

This bag was inspired by a Reversible Bag tutorial by Very Purple Person. I made mine a little bigger because I wanted to use it for textbooks and all my university stuff. The outside fabric is a beautiful rich yellow canvas that I bought in London and the inside is a true '80s vintage fabric that I found in a fabric shop in York. The result is pretty bright, I must admit, but I'd rather be brighter than boring! I doubt I'll wear it on the '80s side though.

If you are looking to start sewing, this is a the project for you. It's fun and quick and the tutorial really could not be any clearer.

Eloise Apron

2011-01-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

I made this apron as a Christmas gift for Olivier’s gourmet sister and soon-to-be doctor, Eloise. I would have loved to make it more colourful, but Eloise's aesthetic is very minimalist, so I stuck to this nice white and blue cotton. Could I have asked for a more beautiful model?

Baking Bonnet, part 2

2011-01-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

It was a crafty Christmas for me this year. Remember the baking bonnets I made for Céline last summer? Well, she asked me to make one for her sister-in-law.

For some reason, I found myself very nervous about this project. Maybe it had to do with making something for someone I didn’t know. Anywho, I was so nervous that I bought three different fabrics for it! I ended up chosing this one but I realise smaller prints work probably best.

An additional challenge was making my own bias tape. I found it was a lot more difficult than other bloggers claim! Maybe I'll have better luck with 100% cotton next time?

I hope my package reached its destination in time and that Céline’s sister-in-law liked it! If not, I can make her another one!

Reusable Bag

2011-01-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

Readers!

This post is looooong overdue! I have not forgotten about you, but my new Masters program has kept me uber busy.

This fall, I spent a nice weekend in London with my friend Mélissa. To thank her, I made her this reusable bag. (Coincidently, she lost hers on the street that very weekend!)

(Mélissa with loaf of bread)

(Mélissa with partner Renaud)

(Renaud)

They even cooked a delicious breakfast for me on Saturday morning… Yum!

Look, my first made-to-measures pants!

2011-01-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

Olivier’s Christmas list only had one item this year: made-to-measures running pants. His old ones were in pretty bad shape and they are important to him because he runs almost every day. Olivier’s dad is also a regular runner and we thought it would also make the perfect present for him. So I naively ventured into this difficult project a mere three days before Christmas, innocently thinking it would be as easy as simply copying the old pants. (FYI, I started three days before only because that's when I finished my essays!)

My first version had major problems in the crotch area. The crotch, Readers, is the heart of your pants. The slightest variation in its curve or length will entirely change the fit. Turns out it’s basically impossible to make a proper crotch without precise measurements and complex calculations. I wish I had a picture of my previous tries to show you just how wrong they looked!

But I only learned this fact after 2 days, 4 pants and 5 metres of muslin. I was then faced with an ultimatum: giving up on the project entirely OR teaching myself pattern-drafting in, gulp, one day.

Bellow, my previous four failures.

I took a deep breath and found a tutorial online. There was only problem: after all my previous attempts, I was out of muslin to test my newly-drafted pattern (very important since the actual fabric was not cheap at all!). Let me remind you, Readers, that there are no fabric stores in Hull.

Then I remembered that we had a extra set of sheets in our wardrobe somewhere.

Seeing Olivier in these bedsheets-turned-pants made me so happy. At that moment, I knew my project was going to be successful!

The online video tutorial I found is called eSewingWorkshop. Not only is it fool-proof, but it really works (and it's Canadian!). That particular tutorial is more than an hour long. Access to the website is not free, but it’s well worth the price at around $15 CAN a month. Now, I know how to draft the perfect pants for any body type.

This is the version I made for Olivier's dad. They fit like a glove!

And these are Olivier's...

I lined the inside with ultra-soft bamboo cotton and the outside is a type of water-proof, high-tech nylon from London’s SoHo district.

Olivier is really happy about both the fit and the feel. On my end, I must say that I am excited about my new skill. All I’ve been thinking about since then is what kind of pants I’ll make for myself. We all know how hard it is to find nice-fitting pants!

Success!

2010-09-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Readers, I found a sewing machine today! I saw an ad in the local paper for a 1980's Singer.

I really like the Eighties-style instructions!

Alice, the seller, lived in the lovely town of Hessel, which has a nice church.

Surprise-surprise, it was rainy today.

My large table will be delivered tomorrow, which will make me even better equipped than I was in Ottawa. I can't wait to work on my shirt project in the flowery fabric!

By the way, sorry about the quality of the pictures. I forgot my camera at home and had to take them with my phone.

P.S.

2010-09-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

By the way, it might be the end my my Seven-Week Challenge, but it is NOT the end of my blog, au contraire!

You can see that I've changed my tag line and description (on the right), because I am no longer a "Translator by day, designer by night"! I am now a student again, which means I will have loads more time to sew. Yay!

Also, I want to thank Diann Chea for taking some of the pictures of the Black Bow Dress (the nice ones are hers).

And finally, I am not sure when it is that I will find a sewing machine, so bear with me... But it is definitely a top priority on my list.

The End of my Seven-Week Challenge!

2010-09-25T03:13:00.000-07:00

And now, the 8th and last project of my Seven-Week Challenge (drum roll)...

a baker's hat for aspiring-baker Céline!

Readers, you were probably curious about the "secret project" I wrote about in a recent post. I'm sorry I made you wait so long! I couldn't talk about it because I didn't want to spill the beans for Céline's birthday gift.

Céline seemed soooo surprised and touched by my present, which made me really happy.

You can see that I've used some left-over fabric from my yellow dress (and added brown bias), some left-over fabric from my green retro top, and a new fabric I bought for the occasion. The three hats are all so cute and I feel like the pictures don't really do them justice... Maybe Céline will indulge All Style and All Substance with more pictures? Maybe she will also bake us some croissants?

I made the pattern myself and I'm pretty happy with the result. In fact, I was thinking of posting the tutorial online for you people to make your own (if there is an interest).

Also, some of you might be wondering what has happened to the flowery fabric that was supposed to be Project #8. Well, I'm making something with this fabric and you will see it as soon as I find a sewing machine here, in Hull, UK (by the way, can anyone help me with this?). I just didn't have enough time to do the baker's hats AND project #8. So the baker's hats became project #8. :-)

Would anyone rent me a machine for 10 months?

Black Bow Dress

2010-09-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

To answer your question, yes, I have finished my Seven-Week Challenge. What a sewing marathon!

In the whirlwind that has been the last week, I flew to the UK, looked for and found a place, among many, many other things. I'm very happy to now have time to focus on All Style and All Substance!

To update you a little bit, in the few days prior to my departure, I worked very very hard on projects #7 and #8. I would fit in about 5 hours of sewing every day -- on top of continuing to go to work and everything else. One night, I even sewed until 2 am! Only when I stepped on the plane, did I feel like I could finally relax.

As you may or may not have noticed, I have granted myself a little extension on the 7-week challenge, which was technically supposed to end on Septembre 17th. I was planning on giving myself a few days to relax before I left, but some problems in Project #7 turned into huge time sucks.

I don't know how I managed to keep sewing, but I did. I resisted the temptation to botch my projects by repeating to myself: If I’m going to make something that looks cheap, that is poorly crafted, or that doesn’t fit perfectly, I better just go out and buy it at the store.

This was the first version of the dress. I think the gold was not a bad idea in itself, but for some reason, it did not look right. I don’t know if it was because of the quality of the lame, or the way I sewed it... I even tried to remove the bottom layer, but it still looked so homemade and crafty!

At this point, I was feeling really discouraged. "I'm never going to have time to finish and I'm going to let everyone down..." Thankfully, a good night’s sleep eliminated my negative thoughts and I came up with a wonderful solution: cute little bows!

The lining almost took more time than the dress, but it makes it so luxurious!

Voilà! I nice addition to my Fall wardrobe!

Just brilliant

2010-09-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

A genius.
Natalie Rae Richardson.

Moving and (some) sewing

2010-09-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

After an extremely hard weekend of moving everything to Northern Quebec for storage, we had a bit of time to enjoy the cottage and sew.

What more could I ask? An actual TABLE, a VIEW, a lot of LIGHT?

I did work on my last two projects, but I must confess that I mostly focused on my new, secret project. Is that reasonable considering I'm soooo close to my deadline? No! But you will know all about it very soon and you will understand.

From Amish to Amazing

2010-09-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

6 projects done, 2 to go, and 10 days left!

I had purchased this skirt at a vintage clothing store on Queen West in Toronto. It's hard to believe I actually wore the skirt in it original form in high school!

From Amish...

...to amazing!

It's all just a matter of measuring...

...and cutting. (Can you see my feet through the glass table?)

Making of "Teal with it"

2010-09-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hello readers!

I'm sorry I haven't updated my blog in the past while. I've been uber busy planing and packing. We're putting everything in storage this week; there is a lot to do.

You can still rest assured that I haven't forgotten about sewing and my last three projects (it's always on my mind). I am still confident that I can make it. ;-)

Here is something to snack on until my next post (very very soon) -- the making of "Teal with It".

Teal with it

2010-08-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

For the record: 5 projects done, 3 to go and 19 days left (gaaah).

Sewing is my favourite and most unreasonable thing to do at the moment... If you saw my ginormous To-Do list before my departure, you would understand!

After the Andrew Sweater fiasco, the success of project #5 has cheered me up. I did make a mock-up version this time around, and was so glad I did, because I had to basically redraft the entire pattern! It actually took a few days.

I instantly fell in love with this pattern from 1963 in an online store based in Utah. I must admit that I was bit apprehensive about working with vintage patterns at first. I was told the instructions sometimes condense 4 steps in one line that takes a whole night to decipher. (!) Luckily, the instructions were one of the clearest I have ever read, with very cute, detailed drawings. (Is there such a job as pattern instruction artist? Can someone tell me what I have to do to get one?)

Quilting cotton with black piping around the collar and sleeves -- all bought at trusty Fabricland!

Figure Skating

2010-08-24T14:25:00.001-07:00

4 projects done, 4 to go and 23 days left

Here is what this dress looked like before... In Olivier's words, "a figure skating outfit". I have not worn this dress a single time.

Here is what it looks like now, as a tank top with jeans. The perfect outfit for a night out.

It was such a difficult project.

Stay tuned for the next one -- a cool retro shirt with a peter-pan collar.

Andrew Sweater

2010-08-15T21:07:00.001-07:00

3 projects done, 5 to go and 32 days left.

Hello Readers!

I have worked SO HARD this weekend. I am exhausted and also very proud to have another finished project to show you. (Although not necessarily proud of the sweater itself... I have mixed feelings about it and I am still thinking of ways to improve it.) Olivier says he is happy with it, but the real test will be to see if he wears it. ;-)

There were a lot of adjustments to make. Woah. The original Burda pattern was very short -- or maybe Olivier is just very tall! In any case, I learned a valuable lesson. No matter how tempting it is to skip the mock-up of a new pattern (in muslin or pattern paper), don't skip it. If you do, it will cost you. Making the mock-up really doesn't take that long (relatively) and you will be so grateful if the pattern doesn't fit perfectly -- which is most of the time. Readers, learn from my mistakes!

Another thing I learned through the Andrew Sweater is to not overthink things too much. I am very much "think-do-think," while I should be more "do-think-do" when it comes to sewing. Like our guest Martin was saying yesterday: all everyone will see is the finished product. No one will think about all the possible ways it could have looked, all the other decisions you could have taken. Most of the options you showed me yesterday were so minor, I couldn't notice the difference between them! Try to take decisions faster. So yeah, I think he is right and I am trying to make decisions more quickly instead of agonizing over which option is the right one.

I can't even begin to explain all the hurdles I've had to overcome this weekend. I think I need a really easy project now. Like the green skirt or something.

Blue shirt, part 2

2010-08-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

(This is a redesigned shirt. See the before picture here.)

More pictures of the blue shirt that I have worn all weekend.

Blue shirt

2010-08-10T07:58:00.001-07:00

2 projects done, 6 to go, and 36 days left

OK Readers, I’m done the blue shirt. Let me remind you what it looked like BEFORE.

AFTER

I initially tried to keep the sleeves, but I ran into some problems and realized puffy sleeves are just not meant to be tapered, just like apples are not meant to be bananas.

Instead, I opted for a summer shirt with ruffles, inspired by a Thread Bangers project. (You can find the complete tutorial here: http://www.threadbanger.com/post/16802/how-to-make-a-ruffled-top-from-a-mens-shirt).

After I made the ruffles for the bust, though, I realized it looked better as sleeves. (Great idea Olivier!)

I will definitely be wearing this baby.

Once again, I realized that things always take much longer. (Surprise, surprise, Adrienne underestimates time.) I was like, “This project is going to be a breeze! Adjust the sides here, taper the sleeves there, and we’re done.”
No way José. I think I spent 10 hours on it. Hard to believe, isn’t it?

Other than that, I have been working on the Andrew sweater this weekend. I printed the pattern from Burda Style and I hope to cut it tonight.

Of note, my friend Martin has come all the way from Germany, via British Columbia, just to cheer me on! (And visit Ottawa).
Left to right -- Stefan, Martin and me, with a plant on my head.

Sneak Preview

2010-08-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

As a result of some lobbying from my lobbyist partner, I am now directing my energies towards the Andrew Sweater. Here is a sneak preview of what’s to come…

A Sunny Dress for a Rainy Day

2010-08-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

Project completed: 1
Projects to go: 7
Days left: 49

Tah-daaah! I finished my dress!

As you may have noticed, I am not doing my projects in the exact order that I’ve set out in my previous post. (I am sorry if this upsets you, but I encourage you to see it as a weekly surprise!)

Today was an awful, rainy day, but I wore my dress and it made it OK. I am usually pretty sensitive to weather -- I've already started mentally preparing myself to England's rainy weather. I might have to wear my yellow dress a lot.

It was funny because I didn’t have anything much to reply at work today when I was asked what I had done this weekend. While everyone was like “I explored grottos”, “I partied like an animal in Montréal”, “I went camping in a nature reserve and bathed in a natural thermal spa.” I was like “Huh… I sewed…”

It made me think: Should I really be locked inside, sewing, when it’s so beautiful outside? Summer is so short! I think a better solution is to enjoy the weather when it’s nice, and to leave sewing for another time. (But not too much, because I still have 7 projects to go!)

I designed the pattern myself, from my basic dress pattern that I have perfected (and that I still am perfecting). Here you can see that we make do with what we have -- floors work just fine!

I was thinking of lining the dress at first, but I then realised that this was going to make for a very hot dress – and go against my idea of a light summer dress. And the awful polyester lining that I picked... not breathable. Question: is rayon that much better? What do you use for lining?

I felt sad to completely discard the lining that I made – I had put so much time into cutting and assembling the pieces, and positioning and sewing the darts – but I certainly knew that it wasn’t working.

So what I decided to do, was to crop the top to only keep the skirt, which I turned into an underskirt with the help of a simple elastic band. Practical, versatile and cute.

The front ornamentation consists of giant, vertical “pin tucks”, which I have folded into what I believe is called “box pleats” (one single horizontal box pleat, to be precise). Readers, correct me if my terminology is wrong, but on that, I laid a band of bright yellow fabric to bring the whole thing together.

As I was telling someone today, it wasn’t that the front piece was difficult to make, but it was rather that it was time-consuming to make, in the sense that I had to figure out the exact proportions for each part so that it looked balanced.

My Seven-Week Challenge

2010-07-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

Readers!

It hit me, today, that I have exactly seven weeks left before I move. That means, exactly seven weeks to use all my fabrics (because I unfortunately can't bring them with me overseas!)

To help me stay focused, I am committing myself -- right here, right now -- to the completion of 8 projects in 7 weeks.

Is this reasonable? Maybe not.
Am I up for the challenge? Absolutely!

Details of my crazy project:

1- Make this shirt wearable. I found it at a second-hand store and I just love the round collar, the contrast between the light blue and the white, and yes, the puffy sleeves. Although I will be making them a lot less puffy and less 80's. It think it has great potential!

2- Make a 60's blouse from this mint green cotton (although this picture really doesn't do justice to its colour).

3- Turn this ankle-length wool blend skirt into a pencil skirt for winter. Also a vintage find.

4- Make the "Andrew sweater" for my boyfriend Olivier, as seen on Burda Style. This is member Kitzler's version.

5- Make something of this great 80's print fabric. A type of crepe I think.

6- Turn this dress into a top (an easy project for a little break).

7- Make something out of this print that I am absolutely in love with. I'm thinking a skirt, but I don't know yet.

8- Make a dress with this. I have a strong vision for this one!

Let me remind you: I will do all of this in seven weeks. I am counting on you, Readers, for your support and comments.

And now, as my sister would say:
Alright? Alright!

Black Pencil Skirt

2010-07-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

Now for part 2 of my entry, a nice black skirt I made with the same McCall's 2129.

The zipper gave me a bit of a hard time, as you can see! I'll do better next time.

Green Grass Skirt

2010-07-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

So I used McCall's 2129 for this project. It's a breeze to make and fits great -- I recommend it!

This is actually my third version of the pattern. I think I made the first one when I was 14 or something. The fabric came from curtains that I bought at a second-hand store. (I really do love the colour but it still smells of moth balls whenever I press it.)

Look out for the second part of this entry for a great basic black skirt!

My own Weekender Bag

2010-07-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to make this bag for a few months now, ever since I came across Ron’s post on his Weekend Designer blog. (I can’t recommend it enough, although, it is sadly no longer active… sniff, sniff.) You will find all the instructions as well as the pattern. Scrolling down to the comments, I found Sarah’s version of the Weekender, which really inspired me.

The ubiquitous Longchamp Le pliage was also a source of inspiration. There is something about the simplicity of this bag, with its clean lines and good proportions.

I’ve altered the pattern a bit. I used a sort of plastic-coated nylon (much like the Pliage) that I bought at Ottawa’s Rockland Textiles and leatherette (much unlike the Pliage, but friendlier to animals) that I bought in Toronto’s fashion district. I’ve made it a bit smaller, but, as you can see, it is still pretty huge! Contrary to my initial intention, this is way too big for an everyday bag.

But I’m still pretty happy with the result! I wonder who will end up using it more, my boyfriend or myself? I must admit that the complementary shades of dark brown are pretty masculine.

For those of you interested in the details:

And the handles were made with leftover fabric from another project that I braided and covered with leatherette.

Welcome to All Style and All Substance

2010-07-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

I was 10 years old when I first started sewing, thanks in part to my grandmother who graciously subsidized my lessons. I come from a family of sewers: my aunts, my grandmother and my mother all nurtured my passion for sewing. My mom, an excellent seamstress, can be credited for my attention to detail and my patience.

Lately, sewing went from being an occasional hobby to a total obsession. The Project Runway series might have had something to do with it… Or else, it was the online community of sewing bloggers (including Burda Style). In any case, I now wake up in the morning thinking about sewing and go to bed at night thinking about sewing.

So, here it is: a blog about sewing!