Beaded Neckline Maxi Dress in the Alabama Chanin Style

As I have said before, I love sewing retro patterns. I especially like imagining them in the Alabama Chanin style. I inherited my mother's pattern collection and she had many great patterns from the 1960's and 1970's. She made some of them and others she had not. I feel a responsibility create some of the garments she did not have an opportunity to create. 
There is a Vintage Contest over on Pattern Review that was a perfect chance to sew retro with an A.C. twist. I dove into my pattern cabinet and found this Vogue Americana/Carol Horn pattern. It is a high fitted and flared dress in mid-knee or evening length. It has a u-neckline, cut-away square armholes, pockets in side seams and princess seaming and top stitched details.

I love a good maxi dress and decided to make this one in  a double layer of blue cotton jersey. This meant I would not need the dress faced so I omitted those pieces. My pattern is a size 10. My size in this pattern and given that I am using jersey, should be a pattern size 8. I chose to omit the zipper and stitch the dress with a 1-inch seam allowance to account for the stretch in the cotton and adjust the size down.

I knew I would sew this in the A.C. style but given the extensive length of the seams I opted to machine sew the interior seams. I lengthened my stitch to the longest possible and used a knit needle. This adjustment solved any wavy fabric problems I might have encountered otherwise.  I felled the seams to the inside of the dress and I used white button and craft thread to hand-sew the top-stitching. I also used my leather thimble to help with getting through the layers of fabric in the top-stitching. I found it much easier to do the top-stitching on the seams when the dress was flat. I sewed all but one side seam together, did the top-stitching, then stitched the final seam to close the dress. 

Top-stitching seams while flat

In keeping with the A. C. style, I used bias strips of jersey to bind the neckline and armholes using a parallel stitch. I used seed and bugle beads to embellish the neckline in the parallel stitch as well.
My handy dandy beading glove was perfect for this. I alternated between a small seed bead, a bugle bead, then a seed bead.  I am struggling to find the correct needle size to fit the interior circumference of the bead and will accommodate the thickness of the button and craft thread. I found a needle thin enough to fit the beads, but I had to enlarge the eye of the needle. The needle was so thin it bent as it went through the four layers of fabric. This made the beading slow going.  If you have a combination that works, please share. 

The red thread seen in the photo above is my basting thread to secure my binding in place. I find it easier to remove the thread when it is different color

 I decided not to hem the dress as it is jersey and will curl over time. I am very happy with the end result. I am working on a shrug to wear over it as the weather changes. Here are photos of the finished dress.

Dress Front

Dress Back

Beaded Neckline

Bead details

Top-stitching Details

 I knew I needed a cover up as the Texas weather changes for our 90 seconds of Winter. I wanted  something with coverage on my back and arms, but would not distract from the front. 

I found Simplicity 3533 in my stash and thought view E was a suitable choice. It was super fast and easy to sew. I made it in a single layer and did not hem the opening.  Beyond that, I made it according to the instructions.
 

                 

Here is B.I.R.A wearing it. The good thing about having a body double, is that I can have a bad hair day and let her work for me.

Happy sewing!

Butterfly Wings Take Flight

Playing dress-up is one of the most favorite activities in our home. On any given afternoon, one would find our family playing hospital, library, school, or grocery store. The clear favorite, though, is "Fairy Princess." Over the last 5 years, I believe we have gone through at least 8 sets of dress-up, fairy, butterfly, and dragonfly wings. Invariably, our Little Miss plays too rough with them or they are to flimsy, breaking, warping, or twisting beyond use. With every broken wing, there is an accompanying desperate plea for me to repair them.

I know toys break. Some toys are made with inferior products, and these have a short short shelf life, which is inherent in their construction and composition. Planned obsolescence of these products ensures the life of the companies that make them.
With every new fairy movie, there is a push for new accessories. In my home, there is greater a push from Little Miss to purchase the new accessories to replace those that broke.

I grew tired of replacing and repairing things that are used in every day play. I shared this frustration with Little Miss the last time she requested yet another pair of dress-up wings. In her infinite wisdom she looked at me and said, "Why don't you just make me a pair that won't break and that I can wear all the time?"

What a fantastic idea! After much planning, drafting, cutting, re-cutting and sewing up prototypes I finally found a design and size that does the trick. Introducing the Double-sided Butterfly Wings pattern.

These wings will spark imagination and creativity as your child “takes flight”. Your child will love the versatility of these double-sided wings that allow for personality expression in fabric choice. These wings come in two styles, one with stitching details on the wings and one without. You will love the durability of these wings. This pattern is perfect for the beginner seamstress and the stuffing task is perfect for little hands.

The pattern is available for sale in my Craftsy and Etsy stores! I know you will love these wings as much as we do.  They will make a fun gift for any occasion. I can't wait to see what your wings look like!

The Giveaway has ended! Thanks to all who entered.

Happy Sewing!

Bianca

When life gives you lemons, cover them in beads.

Over a year and a half ago I made the caplet featured in the out of print Butterick  5843. 

Alabama Chanin had just launched its a line featuring polka dots and I thought I'd give it a try. I did not have an airbrush so I painted the fabric using my old timey spray bottle method. This method was hit or miss for me. Sometimes I got the paint to stay within the stencil shape, but other times it leaked out over the side. 

The spillage seamed minor and given that I was still new to AC hand-sewing, I decided to press on with this project. I used a double layer of jersey cotton; grey underneath and a denim blue on top.  I stenciled black paint to color the polka dots. To secure the layers, I used embroidery floss and a reverse back stitch. Some shapes had two layers of embroidery floss in grey and white. 

After some time I finished the cape. On one hand, I was happy that I finished a project, but on the other hand I was not happy with the paint. In those days, my sewing results were hit or miss and I was just happy to be advancing in my sewing and using pieces they didn't necessarily work as practice. So, I finished the cape and put it in my closet where it hung unused.

Fast forward to the present day and Natalie's Craftsy class. When she got to the topic of beading she mentioned using beading as a decorative element, but also as an aid to help hide mistakes! This gave me the brilliant idea to bring some new life into this forgotten project. I would use beads to cover the spillage of the paint and hopefully get a wearable garment. I used a mixture of bugle beads, chop beads, and sequins to create random half-beading along the outside of the stenciled shapes and embroidery stitches. This did wonders to hide the paint that bled through the stencil.

Beading on the outside of the polka dots.

 

Double reverse back-stitched shapes

Cape Front with a cross stitch binding along the neckline and front

Cape Back

The original cape was secured with jersey ties. I decided to swap that out for a jersey covered button and elastic loop. I am pleased with the result and will not allow this to hang out in the back of the closet anymore.

Happy Sewing,

Bianca

Vogue Jacket made Alabama Chanin style

I have wanted to make a blazer in Alabama Chanin style for a while now. I have been waiting on the perfect pattern and hadn't found it until now. Vogue 8932 has some really fabulous seam lines and look at the curve of the neckline. I think I can work this one up in time for fall.

The details of the back are impressive and I couldn't wait to begin. I purchased some slate grey cotton jersey fabric and used some of it in my beaded sampler. I decided to use the remainder fabric in creating this jacket. My plan was to stitch it up with the seams exposed and adding top stitching. I like the idea of exposed seams felled to the outside. That said, I  haven't made one like this and wanted to have a fall back plan if it didn't work out like I hoped. I decide to stitch it with wrong sides together. That way I have the choice to wear it with the seams felled to the inside if I choose.

I also wanted the jacket to be fitted. That meant winging it and adjusting the size on my custom dress form as I went. My I cut the size 10 and stitched it up using a tip from the Craftsy class, Hand-Embellishing Knit Fabric. I marked my seam allowances before stitching. This really helped me keep the lines straight in this pattern where the lines are key.

  I got to work on it and was making quick work of it.

front only stitched

back stitched, but not attached

Front and back attached.

Love the details of the back

I was having trouble attaching the sleeves. I could not figure out why one sleeve would go in with no problem, but the other was a mess. It would gather and bunch at the middle of the bicep. It is a two part sleeve, so just adjusting the gathers would not solve the problem. 

After a short break I finally figured out the sleeve. I cannot say what the problem was for certain. I am sorry this may not be helpful to you if you make this one. I think my orientation of the pieces was thrown off because I positioned  fabric wrong sides together (intentionally), and didn't mark them (unintentionally). I also think it makes a difference which side of the sleeve you stitch up first. I un-stitched the side I had stitched, flipped it and attached it to the opposite side. That worked! My suggestion to you is to simply mark the wrong and right sides of each sleeve piece before stitching.

Here are the photos of the completed jacket. I love the finished product!

Jacket front

Jacket back

Neckline and binding with the herringbone stitch

Back Neckline

Front binding

Shoulder

 Here is a review of the pattern with the changes I made.

MISSES' JACKET AND VEST: Semi-fitted, unlined jacket or vest has raised neckline, seam detail and shaped hemline. A: front-button closing. A and B: two-piece sleeves. B and C: raw edge finish, seams stitched on right side of fabric, and front snap closing.

Pattern Sizing: (4-12)
I cut the 10 of view B I used larger seam allowances on the sides when I realized it would not be a fitted as I would have liked. Next time I would cut an 8. I wear a 6 in RTW.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes with the exception of my changes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
They were easy to follow. I believe the problem I had with the sleeves was due to operator error.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
Like: I love the seam lines in the back and the curved lines of the front. I also like that the back hem rises higher than the front.

Dislike: From the line drawings there does not appear to be gathers in the sleeves. There is gathering and they are bulky in front. Because they are two part sleeves I cannot space them out the way I like. After fixing my problem with the sleeve, I still do not like the gathers there; it is not a deal breaker though.

Fabric Used: Double Layer of Slate Grey Jersey Cotton. Slate Grey button and craft thread.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: 

• I made it to be fitted my body. I cut my size, to be safe, but ended up using an 1.5 seam allowance in the side  seams (next time I will cut an 8).
•  I used a double layer of fabric throughout. I hand-sewed the entire jacket in Alabama Chanin style. 
• The seams are stitched once, then felled to the inside and top stitched.
•  I omitted the facing pieces and instead bound the front and neckline with a strip of jersey secured with a herringbone stitch.
• I adjusted the snap positions to be sure the front lay the way I wanted.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I like this pattern. I may make it in wool in my regular size and on a machine. I would recommend it for those interested in sewing it in Alabama Chanin style.

Conclusion: I love the lines of this jacket. I am tremendously pleased with the way it turned out. I used my dress form continuously throughout the process of making of this jacket.  The combination of making it fitted and in cotton jersey added a challenge I am not sure I would have overcome otherwise.

Happy Sewing,
Bianca

Alabama Chanin Large Polka Dot T-shirt

I recently enrolled in Natalie Chanin's Hand Embellishing Knit Fabric class on Craftsy. It was on sale at a rate I couldn't pass up. I initially thought that with the three books in my library, I wouldn't learn much more, but I was wrong. The class was like sitting across a workroom table from Natalie as she worked; it is pretty great.

I used to not like road trips. I was born and raised in The Bahamas on an island that is 7 miles by 21 miles long. Road trips, were not a part of my traveling culture and they used to make me very antsy and agitated. I would take trips and think, "If I were flying, I would be there by now!" Now, as a fan of hand-sewing I relish the thought of a long road trip, oh the things that can be created along endless strips of road.

I am returning from a family road trip to the Frio River in the Texas Hill Country. It was delightful, restful, peaceful and a great opportunity to work on Alabama Chanin hand-sewing. As we drove through the cotton fields I stitched away on a shirt inspired by this Large Polka Dot T-shirt in the Alabama Chanin store. The tips she gave in the Craftsy class made this project super fast. 

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Cotton plants in Texas

Cotton fields in Texas

The Polka Dot T-shirt instructions are not described in the book, but based on the photos it was easy to figure it out. I made a stencil of large circles using pennant felt and a circle template.

I then airbrushed black paint on green jersey fabric. I appliqued the circles onto tan fabric using variegated embroidery floss that I won in a contest at the start of the year. Once all of the circles were applied with a back-stitch, I  cut away the green fabric leaving about 1/4 inch of the green along the outside of the black. A super fast tip Natalie gave in the class was to baste the bindings with regular thread before adding your stretch stitches. I would usually pin and hoop my bindings. This tip made the neckline finishing go so much faster. I hand-stitched the rest of the t-shirt following the instructions from the Studio Sewing and Design Book.

 

Polka Dot Detail

Herringbone Stitch on Neckline

 

Large Polka Dot T-shirt

Here is my review of the project:

Pattern Description:
Alabama Chanin Tee shirt from Alabama Chanin Studio Sewing and Design book and website.

Pattern Sizing
S,M,L,XL I made a size medium.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
I think it does with the exception of the color choices.
 
Were the instructions easy to follow?
The books give very clear instructions and inspirations for creating multiple garments. The garment construction is not difficult, but it is time-consuming. (Does time-consuming have a negative implication? It is engrossing, time-dependent, addicting, and repetitive.) The garments in the book require a great deal of work and the results appear complex because of the details, but broken down into smaller parts, easy.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I love everything about the patterns in the book. This polka dot embellishment was fast, easy and uncomplicated. It is a good beginner A.C. project. I also like the look of the variegated floss in the circles. It gives a bit more dimension to a simple design. 
No dislikes.

Fabric Used:
Jersey Cotton in Tan and Hunter Green and button and craft thread in natural.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
I used three strands of floss for stitching the appliques on. Natalie suggests using four strands in the back stitch. I  was in the car as I made this and found the even division of the floss more convenient than storing the two unused strands until later. I can't tell a difference now, but it may not been as strong over time.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes and Yes.

Conclusion: If you have been thinking about making an A.C. piece, this is a good starter project.  

Happy Sewing!