Steampunk: Simplicity 2172

The other day (ok, a while ago actually,before Hallowe’en, this is a scheduled post!) I was in Fabricland and one of the garments on display was made from Simplicity 2172.  I have seen this pattern reviewed elsewhere, and while there are aspects of it that are neat, it’s never called out to me to purchase it.  Still, I was excited to see that someone had made it up, and thought I’d share some quick iPhone snapshots with you.

Brown jacket with purple bustier, brown and black striped skirt.

The garment is a brown underbust cut coat, with a brown skirt, and a purple bustier.  The maker also did a set of goggles, and a bunch of accessories to style the outfit.  Very ambitious!

Shot of the pattern, with the pocket trim for the coat.

Simplicity doesn’t have linkable photos, so here’s a photograph instead.  Sorry for the iPhone quality!

The 'coat' bodice front with fantastic 'gear' 'buttons. The coat is brown, the bustier under it is the bright blue -it's really more of a purple.

The feature that really caught my eye were the ‘buttons’ though on the coat. When I looked at them I thought that they were a slotted button with a brass-toned ring around the outside.  I knew they looked familiar, but I just couldn’t place them.  I started by looking at the buttons, but nothing looked correct.  Then I went back to the garment and looked again, and realized that the centers weren’t buttons, but extra large snaps.  I looked at the snaps – still no luck.  None of them were big enough, and they were all silver-tone or black.  When I worked at Fabricland years and years ago, we were supposed to use as much of their stock as possible for our display projects – so I wondered about these ‘buttons’ – and then finally while looking at the cloak clasps – I saw them!

Extra-large snaps - two shown with the internal (male and female) pieces, and one snapped to the card.

I was really impressed with this sewer’s creativity!  These really do look like cogs, and make big, impressive ‘buttons’.  Of course, there is no shank on them, so there’s likely snaps or something behind the fake buttons – but still really creative!

I bought some for the stash of ideas and parts.  If you have seen similar ideas (normal items seen in unique ways for Steampunk goodness), share them in the comments below!

Book Review: Amy Butler’s Style Stitches

Image from Chapters.ca - click for the original

When I started making a few little totes and purses, I noticed really great Amy Butler purse/bag patterns in some of the quilting shops.  I didn’t pick any up, but instead I looked for a book… and found Amy Butler’s Style Stitches.

The book has great photographs and illustrations, and all of the projects use the beautiful, floral, kind of funky fabrics that Amy Butler is so well-known for.  The directions all seem clear and well-written, though perhaps a little wordy. I confess, I wouldn’t really follow too many instructions in this book, but I rarely follow pattern instructions anymore unless there is an unusual feature that I’m less familiar with.

Generally speaking, the patterns seem quite simple, so I think that they would work for any sewing level.  Advanced sewers could probably whip one up quickly or add their own personal touches, while less experienced sewers might want to take the time to read all of the directions and work more carefully.  The patterns are printed full-size (hurray for not having to enlarge them!) on large format (I didn’t measure but I’m guessing about 20×24″) regular paper – so if I were making any up I’d still want to trace them out.  The book has a great project-friendly binding –  the book lays perfectly flat because of the coil binding.  This is a great feature when you really want to work along with a book project rather than just referring back once or twice throughout the project.   I do find that it’s a little less “sitting-on-the-couch-reading” friendly though because of this binding.  Unfortunately, none of the designs themselves (as nice as they are) really appeal to me today, so I won’t be making up any of the projects right away.

Land of eternal sundresses

To the sewers out there – do you have one pattern that you keep coming back to time and time again?

I used to buy patterns with the idea of using them once, perhaps twice.  I never really looked at the variations on the cover, because I knew that I only liked ONE of them, and that would be the one I would make (if I made it up at all….).  When I started drafting my own patterns, it was a similar fate.  The empire waist, ruffled front long dress was made in tone-on-tone black striped spandex stretch velvet.  It was never made up in a short version, never made with long sleeves instead of the cute cap/puff sleeves that I originally intended.  The crossover blouse was made up in soft grey knit, never extended to a dress length, never made up in alternating colour blocks.  With the exception of my super-simple dress pants (which I’ve made up in about ten different solid and pinstriped fabrics over the years), my ‘perfect’ t-shirt (which has never once been made up in anything that resembles an RTW store-bought t-shirt) and my corset patterns (which each have been made up multiple times) it’s pretty rare for me to use a pattern more than once or twice.  (Three times if we’re counting a muslin version too…)

McCalls 5659

But… then I found McCalls 5659.  It’s just a simple sundress.  Nothing all that special really.  It has a front and back yoke, with a pleated dress section that hangs in an a-line.  It’s short, but not too short, and even the variations on the pattern themselves are minimal.  It offers inseam pockets or patch pockets (which I’ve never added).  It shows an embellished yoke and a plain yoke (I’ve only ever done the plain version).  There is a hem border on one variation (which I’ve also never done).  Yet, I’ve made this dress up a number of times.

The first variation added an extra pleat to the back, and subsequently all of the following versions have adopted that pleat, but in the first variation I enlarged the hem, adding black godets to the hem.  I didn’t end up repeating that, though I do love this first dress – made up in a fabulous grey, white, black and pink print.  Every time I get a compliment on this dress, I point out that the print is girls with tattoos.

The second variation was a black, ivory, and two shades of grey geometric flower print.  I trimmed the hem in super-wide rick rack, and loved the weight the trim gave to the hem.  (Big wide hems like this do tend to get floaty on a windy summer day!)

The third was a bold red/pink/white/green poppy floral print.  I loved this fabric (and still do!).  The hem got more super-wide rick rack, but this time on the inside, so it looks like a little black scalloped edge.  One of those things that I’m sure only I can see.  The second and third dress variations have gone on vacation with me to a few warm places, and have regularly been far preferable than standard shorts-and-a-tank-top that make up the majority of my warm-weather travel wardrobe.  (Plus, being simple cotton, they wash up in a hotel sink nicely!)

At Dressew in Vancouver I picked up some ‘must touch me’ purple striped silk.  Shades of grey and mauve and purple and pink all muddle together in this fabric.  I also picked up some brighter solid purple silk – which became the lining for this dres and the accent piping and bias trim around the armsyce.  I’ll admit, I’ve only worn this one a few times – it’s so precious feeling, that I tend to reserve it for special occasions.

I’m almost finished the fifth and sixth variations as well – the fifth is another poppy print, this time bright red poppies on a red background.  It’s bold and bright and happy – just right for summer.  Since I liked the rick-rack hem so much, I repeated it here too. I couldn’t decide until the last moment if I wanted a contrast yoke or a yoke in the same fabric – so cut both.  This way, the black yoke is lined with the fashion fabric.

The sixth is a black and purple Hawaiian border print I brought back from my first trip to Hawaii.  I found the fabric among a few others in a very old and worn-out looking fabric shop on the side of a road in a small town.  There were rolls and rolls of fabric to choose from, but I stayed away from the bolder, more garish Hawaiian prints in favor of this one which has large leaves on one end (the hem) and small flowers on the other (the neckline).  I love the way the fabric pieces together to form almost a necklace of flowers in the yoke of the dress.  The hem on this one is more black rick-rack.  I think I’m really the only one that notices…

That’s not all though… I also have cut out a mauve embroidered silk (just waiting for the right lining) and a blue-on-blue Hawaiian print rayon (waiting for it’s solid yoke).  They’re both sitting, nicely labeled in the dining room right now – waiting for their respective parts to join, and move from their pile on a chair to under my needle, and then up into my closet.  They will be versions seven and then eight of this dress… more, I think, than any other pattern I’ve used before.

If you want to try this pattern too – I’ll give you a few hints:

• I found adding the extra pleat at the back gives nice fullness and still stays within the fabric width for me.  ‘Your mileage may vary’ based on your size and the width of your fabric.
• The pattern recommends self-bias for the under arms.  I don’t see the point of this generally, as it will rarely be seen, and since I’ve used cotton for most of these dresses, and solid yokes.  I’ve generally used purchased pre-made bias tape instead, except with the purple silk dress, where I used the lining fabric for the trim.
• Easing the dress onto the yoke almost always ends up with weird shapes.  Instead, I sew the dress to the yoke starting at each shoulder and moving into the center.  When I get to the pleat area I stop and go to the other side.  Then I manipulate the pleat into shape, and sew it down to the yoke as well.  Smooth!
• For the facing, I straight-stitch where the fold line will go – this makes it easier to gauge.  However, I don’t turn, press, and then hand-stitch the whole thing down – too fussy!  I turn the yoke right sides together, and sew from each shoulder as far towards the middle as I can. Then I turn back, and hand-stitch the small opening closed.
• To keep the yoke clean and crisp – a nice contrast for the puffy, floaty skirt portion – I top stitch the neckline, as well as the yoke line from the right side.

I haven’t started an embellished yoke yet – perhaps that will end up being variation nine?  I also have some gorgeous black batiste with ivory embroidery that I’d love to make up in this dress as well, and think that a white eyelet one would be super-cute as well.   Ahh.. so many dresses, so little time to sew!

I thought I’d share with you sewing on the rick-rack trim to the hem to create the little scallops:

Sewing down the trim to the fabric.

Step 1: Serge the raw edge of the hem. With a straight stitch, sew the trim down in the center of the trim, to the RIGHT side of the fabric, along the hem fold-line.  If you don’t have a serger you can zig-zag this edge, finish it with french binding, finish it with hem tape, cut it with pinking sheers, turn-and-stitch, or whatever other seam-finish you prefer.  Ideally I would be a bit closer to the serged edge than in this photo.

With the hem folded back but the trim NOT folded back. I did this on one of the dresses I made, but prefer it the other way.

Step 2: Fold in the hem

With the hem and trim both folded back

Step 3: Flip the bottom half of the trim to the back.  Press the hem.

Top stitching the trim while also securing the hem in place.

Step 4: Top-stitch the very top edge of the trim to the hem allowance and body fabric – catching the trim and the hem in one.

Elegant Steampunk – Victorian purse

While at a sewing trade show a few years ago, there was a vendor who specialized in Victorian arts & crafts. I’ve seen the same vendor there a few times now, though they weren’t at the last show I attended.  😦  Looking online, I can’t find their website either. 😦

Regardless, I thought I’d share with you one of the projects I did from a kit I purchased from them.

The finished purse

The kit starts off with a pattern that is vaguely teardrop shaped, though you could use any shape you wanted.  The most important thing about it is to measure the inside of the purse frame and mimic it’s shape for the top of the purse. The body of the purse also needs to be large enough for the scale of the embellishment.

Then cut out two fashion fabric pieces, and matching two lining fabric.  In the kit there was this lovely ivory-on-ivory floral brocade, with a plain white cotton lining.  The “front” of the fashion fabric purse piece gets embellished – first by stitching down a printed ‘portrait’, and then by adding in  hand-dyed rayon lace in lots of pastel colours.  Put the ‘fringe’ lace down first, and then add the floral appliques on top.  Due to the scale, you don’t need actual appliques, just cut them out of lace trim by the meter.  From there I added in some crystal beads as well, and a butterfly pendant from a vintage necklace I no longer wore.

Then carefully sew the fashion fabrics right sides together (being careful not to catch any of the trim in the seams) and sew the lining fabrics right sides together.  You can leave the top open for turning, that will be handled later anyways.  Turn and press the seams of the fashion fabric, and just press the lining.  Then tuck the lining into the purse (wrong sides together) and line everything up. I ran a running stitch to keep the edges together.

From here it depends if you have a sew-on, or a glue-in purse frame.  This one was a glue-in, though a subsequent one I used was a sew-on. Use glue that is suitable to attach metal to fabric (fabric won’t be the problem here, since it’s porous, but the metal might be) and VERY carefully (working a little bit at a time) glue the top edge of the purse into the frame.  Once the glue is dry, the kit included a small length of ivory mini gimp braid to trim the inside edge and hide the raw edges.  This is also glued on over top of the fabric, inside the purse.

Next, the strap – on this one I used a length of chain doubled (since the chain was a bit finer than normal purse chain) and attached it to the purse frame.

Ta-da!

My only complaint about this purse is that it’s VERY, very small.  It will hold my cell phone, but not my iPod Touch, a credit card, ID, and a lipgloss, and that’s about it.  I ended up making a slightly larger one, which I’ll post soon!

What do you think?  I’ve made one other – what do you think you would do differently?  Let me know in the comments below!

Close up of the purse frame

Corset class – Waist and Penny-Pinching

Picking a pattern

Pattern by Jay D

So the next step once you have your measurements is to pick a pattern.  If you’re extra-ambitious and want to draft your own pattern, there are a few online resources to help you – however most (if not all) assume that you have a fairly decent understanding of pattern drafting before you start.  If you only vaguely know what a ‘square’ refers to, or get flustered at the idea of  “1/2 UB + ease” as an instruction, then you’ll probably want to look at commercially available patterns.

The “big four” have come out with a range of patterns for corsets in the past few years.  Most of these are designed for costume wear, not for regular wear.  This means that although they’re meant to look good, they’re not really meant to fit 100% or last especially long right out of the box (erm.. pattern envelope).  BUT, you can still work with them, just by modifying the instructions (and following the instructions that I’ll have in future tutorials instead!) and adjusting the pattern.  There are also a number of other small, specialty corset patterns out there from smaller companies, but few of these will you be able to buy at your local fabric stores.

When looking at a pattern, consider:

• Your sewing level of experience.  If you are an experienced sewer, you can select from any of the available patterns.  For less experienced sewers you might want to stick with the more established companies because they have a lot of experience writing good, clear instructions and testing their patterns well.
• Reviews from other corset makers/sewers
• Does the pattern work for your size & shape? Starting off with something that is closer to your measurements to begin with will be a better start than finding a corset pattern that looks amazing, but will require a lot of work before you even cut out the pattern.
• Experience with that pattern brand.  Different companies use different body types for their patterns.  You might notice that Vogue patterns for instance always fit wonderfully, while McCalls patterns always seem to have extra fabric, or that Simplicity always fits better than Butterick.  Using a brand that is familiar and you’ve had reliable success with can help with a better fit with fewer adjustments.
• Cost & shipping – yep, here’s the penny-pinching part of this tutorial.  You can likely find patterns from the major companies at your local fabric shop.  Better still, most of the major fabric stores have sales on patterns from time to time.  Instead of spending the 15-25$ list price for the pattern, you might be able to get it as cheaply as $1.99 if you can find a really good sale!  In contrast, some patterns are only available through mail-order, where the cost is never (or certainly rarely) discounted, and you’ll need to pay shipping (and perhaps duty) as well.  With that being said, I’d personally recommend picking the right pattern first, and considering cost second.

Non-commercial patterns

If you want something designed especially to fit YOU, there are alternatives to commercial patterns or drafting the pattern yourself.  You can also hire someone to draft the pattern for you.  For this you’ll want to find someone who has a lot of experience drafting patterns for a variety of body types (or at least body types that resemble your own).  Experience drafting corsets is another requirement too!  Keep in mind that with this alternative you likely will not receive ANY instructions for sewing, and the pattern might not even have seam allowance on it.

Since the pattern will be untested, you can still assume that you may need to do minor modifications, just as if you were working from a commercial pattern.  Generally unless you ask otherwise, this will be a basic corset pattern – if you want to do fancy things like adding straps, buckles, etc, you’ll need to do those yourself, or discuss your needs with the pattern drafter.

The cost on this will be substantially higher than going out and picking a corset pattern off the shelf, since the draftsperson is devoting this entire project just to you.  Discuss with the individual the cost before hand, keeping in mind that you are paying for their time and materials, but also their training, skill, and experience.

A note on using commercial patterns for profit

I’ve heard a lot of people comment that they intend to purchase a pattern, and when they get really good at making corsets, that they intend to make additional corsets to sell at fairs, online, or to their friends.  Please remember that most commercial patterns are for individual domestic use only.  Using a commercial pattern without permission of the publisher is a violation of the publisher’s copyright.  If you believe your skills are that good, in my opinion, you should be drafting your own patterns from scratch, or hiring yourself out as a seamstress.  (Where someone else buys the pattern for you to use to make a corset for him/her, and him/her alone.)

Feedback

How are things going so far?  Are you feeling inspired?  Let me know in the comments section below!