Not ANOTHER Google Reader post + New Patterns, New Life!

If you read sewing blogs -- or any blogs for that matter -- you've probably heard that beginning July 1, there will be no more Google Reader.  I'm not sure how you're choosing to handle this, but there's a BlogLovin' button on the right side of this blog (beneath my bio); I don't think Feedly -- the other popular RSS feed -- has a button available, alas.  UPDATE: Reader Claire found the button and I've posted it -- Thank you, Claire!

In other news, Michael continues to get compliments on the vintage gray cotton print shirt (up top) whose front button placket is 1/2" off center, so much so that I can't bear to take it back from him.  (My mother could not identify said flaw, for what it's worth.)  To console myself I bought myself two new patterns.  And socks.

McCalls 1961 (below) was a very reasonably priced "Buy It Now" eBay purchase.  It's missing the strap piece and the tiara, but I can live with that.  It's both glamorous and hilarious and I hope I can make it for you-know-who this summer.  After a 1940's suit pattern, is there anything better than a 1950's McCall's swimsuit/tutu pattern?





Since I'm likely to have some stretch cotton knit left over from Michael's July summer wardrobe project, I picked up this boxer brief (and jockstrap!) pattern, Jalie 3242, which must be the most erotically charged pattern envelope featuring minors out there.





Meanwhile, today I laundered all my new fabrics and I hope to get started sewing soon.  Why the salmon eyelet photographs hot pink is anybody's guess.



Also on my summer to-do list is Simplicity 2339 -- I was thinking of making my mother a blouse with it.  We'll have to see whether that happens or not.



Readers, that is all for today. 

I wish you all a very smooth adjustment to whatever blog reader you choose for yourself in the future.  If you have a particular recommendation, feel free to share it! 

Happy Weekend, everybody!

MPB DAY 2013-- All the Details You Need to Know!

Friends, the rumors are true: our Third Annual MPB Day is Saturday, August 10th!

Here's what's planned:

1. We'll meet outside the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum entrance at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street at 11 am.  See that sculpture below?  That's the place!   (Directions here.)

From 11 am to noon we will catch the very lovely RetroSpective exhibit currently showing there.  (Admission is free.)

2.  After the museum, we'll grab a healthful lunch one block north at Panera Bread between 28th & 29th Streets -- plentiful seating and clean restrooms!  We'll be there till approximately 1 pm for those who wish to skip the museum and meet us for lunch.

3.  Following lunch we'll wend our way approximately ten blocks north to the heart of the Garment Center (also called the Fashion District), where we'll shop, shop, shop!  We'll be visiting some of our favorite fabric and notions stores, including Mood*, Paron's, Sil Thread, Pacific Trim, Chic Fabric, and Around the World Books.  If there's a store you especially want included, please let me know!

*Meg over at Mood has arranged for MPB Day participants to get a 10% discount and a free Mood tote bag!





4.  We'll shop away the afternoon and perhaps grab a quick pick-me-up at the cafe in the Japanese bookstore, Kinokuniya (Japanese pattern books galore + yummy snacks and drinks), on Sixth Avenue near 42nd Street.

4) Finally, we'll all meet up in Bryant Park, where we'll quench our thirst, rest our weary pins, and drift off as needed.

Expect the day to wind up around 5 - 5:30 pm.






 
Early Bird Special!

As in years past, those hearty souls who wish to start their MPB Day earlier can meet me at the 25th Street entrance to the Chelsea Flea Market at 9:30 am and spend an hour or so hunting for treasures.

We'll meet outside The Garage, just west of the southwest corner of Sixth Avenue and 25th Street.

MPB Day is a free event, but you'll probably want to bring some $$ for food and fabric.  A bottle of water is highly recommended!

***

I'll be reminding you as we get closer to the date, but please RSVP by sending me an email at peterlappinnyc at gmail dot com, so I have an idea of who's coming (and how many yards of purple corduroy to package).

If you know you'll be joining us at the museum, the flea market, or Panera Bread, please let me know that too.

NOTE - This is a rain or shine event.  In the event of earthquake, check the blog.

You can read about previous MPB Days here and here.  Hope you can make it!

Fabric Shopping with (and for) Michael + MPB DAY: SAVE THE DATE!

Readers, you must think my entire life revolves around fabric shopping, sewing, and blogging.   I also swim and walk dogs daily.

Which reminds me: our third annual MPB DAY is scheduled for Saturday, August 10th -- just six weeks from this coming weekend.  I'll be posting the details shortly, but if you need to make travel arrangements, prithee do not tarry.  (NOTE: those attending MPB DAY twice or more are immediately eligible to attend MPB NIGHT,  a full-fledged pajama party in my apartment tentatively scheduled for 2014!)

Moving right along, having tired of sewing for myself and my ungrateful cousin Cathy, I've decided it is time to make some summer clothes for Michael.  True, he got the vintage gray cotton print shirt, but the more time passes, the more I think I may take it back.  Would that be wrong?

When I go to Mood I often bring home swatches for him to look at, but it's really hard to shop for somebody else -- especially a very fussy somebody else.  Earlier this month I brought these home.  Do you think any of them passed muster?  (He actually did like the peachy dotted swiss.)



Since Michael had some free time today, he agreed to come fabric shopping with me.  It was a very productive visit.

First, for a shirt, Michael chose this deep salmon cotton eyelet.   I'm thinking camp shirt (like the Colette Negroni).





Next, he chose this liver-colored linen for shorts.  We also picked up matching thread and a zipper.





Finally, Michael chose a lovely rayon knit print for a tee shirt (or tank top).  I also bought a yard of a coordinating knit solid for a neck and/or arm bands.  With what's left of the solid knit, maybe I'll make him boxer briefs.







The two shirts and the shorts will be Michael's summer ensemble and (most probably) my next Mood Sewing Network post.  Somehow these posts have ended up being whole outfits rather than just a single garment, which is actually more fun for me though more work.

Naturally I poked around Mood for myself a bit too, but we were really there for Michael. 



I loved this toile-like linen print (below and top pic) for him.  Alas there was only a yard left on the bolt.



Friends, that's it for now.  I hope you like our fabric choices; you'll be seeing a lot of them in the weeks ahead!

In closing, don't forget to add MPB Day to your calendars.  Even if you can't attend in person, you can still celebrate at home (think backyard barbecue, balloons, or a day of decluttering).

Happy Thursday, everybody!

Sewing Pattern Magazines -- YEA or NAY?

Readers, there is still so much about sewing I don't know.

For example, those thick pattern inserts in pattern magazines.  How on earth are you supposed to trace off THIS?

This looks like something I made with Spirograph when I was six.

Does one put translucent paper on top and trace with a marker, or put dressmakers tracing paper (the kind coated with colored wax, i.e., carbon paper) underneath and trace with a tracing wheel -- or something else entirely?  I know people do it, I just don't understand how.

Longtime MPB reader Pam O. very generously sent me a copy of the Italian sewing pattern magazine "La Mia Boutique", which arrived today.  It's the May 2013 issue and includes some nice looking men's patterns, including full men's evening dress: tailcoat, vest, pants, shirt with plastron -- the works!







The smallest men's size is a 48 however, which I suspect corresponds to a men's 38" chest (32" pants) which would be too big for me, but I could be wrong.  (Anybody know for sure?)  It's weird since Italian men are often on the slim side.





There are some lovely women's patterns in this issue, nicely styled and photographed, particularly a Grace Kelly-inspired spread.





There are also some oddities.

First, doesn't this...





...look an awful lot like this? 



Next, just how tall is the model below in blue ?  Look closely -- on what planet do women with those dimensions live?



Finally, I'm no expert, but if you're going to wear a very sheer top....



...should your bra be bright white?

Most Americans sew from printed paper patterns.  We don't have our own pattern magazines like "La Mia Boutique" or "Ottobre Woman" or "Patrones" here.   (I wonder why -- tradition?)  From what I read on the sewing blogs, people are forever considering dropping their Burda (or other imported pattern magazine) subscriptions or writing scathing/hilarious commentaries on the latest issues.

I totally get the appeal of these magazines: instant traceable patterns at your fingertips, multi-sized, and (usually) contemporary looking.  Also kids patterns, men's patterns, and even craft patterns included!  But how much time does all that tracing take and how do you actually do it?

Readers, I eagerly await your opinions.

Sewing pattern magazines -- YEA or NAY?   

(And for you YEA-ers, do you have a favorite?)

"Dots a lotta look!"

What's Wrong With This Shirt? + When Other People Look Better In Your Clothes Than You Do

The vintage flea market cotton print shirt is done!

And it has a problem.  Can you tell what it is?



In case you can't or are too polite to say: the front button placket is roughly 1/2" too far to my right.

You may recall that I adapted V8889, which has a covered front button placket formed by folding multiple layers roughly as wide as the placket itself to form four layers of fabric: two for the placket and two for the top layer.







However, the pattern I worked from was Butterick 4712.  This has a placket that is formed by folding a facing under, then folding again and stitching a 1/4" tuck.  When opened flat, the front now has a placket with raw edges cut caught in the tuck.  Does that make sense?





But what that tuck does is shift the center front 1/2" to the left.  I didn't account for that shift when I added the additional facings from V8889.  As a result, the covered placket is too far to the right.  (This also means the collar/collar stand relationships are slightly off, though it's hard to see and easy to fudge.)







With Vogue 8889, since you're just folding over multiple times, there's no tuck and hence no shift.

The covered placket on the Vogue hits dead center -- especially obvious on fabric like this semi-sheer white cotton. 



I should have noticed this issue sooner but I didn't.  The problem was evident in photos of my work-in-progress but I missed it.  Argh.  

UPDATE: It has occurred to me that I should have just added the extending facings from V889 (that fold up to form the covered button placket) to the right front piece (turned upside down so that it becomes the left side piece, if that makes sense).



Here's the good -- well, better -- news.  Michael loves the shirt as-is and it looks great on him -- I don't know why since gray isn't one of his colors (he's an Autumn).  I guess it's his hair.

He thinks the off-centered thing looks intentional and finds the shirt vaguely kimono-like.

No gray in Michael's color chart!

So Michael gets the shirt and all is well.

I really do like the shirt. I love the print and the cotton is soft as silk.  But I don't think I could ever wear it without obsessing over that off-center button placket.  Forgive me.

Friends, in closing, two questions:

1) Could you have worn this off-center-placketed shirt in peace, knowing it was a mistake, or would you forever be pointing out its flaw whenever people complimented you on the shirt, provided they sometimes did?

2) How do you feel when other people -- perhaps family members, perhaps friends -- look noticeably better than you do in the clothes your sewn for yourself?  Does it frustrate you or, as in this case, does it actually come in handy when something you've sewn doesn't turn on quite right?

Have a great day everybody!