blue anchor design

miz mozelle dress

2012-02-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

I recently made this dress using a pattern from Jamie Christina Designs. I was introduced to this pattern through a class I signed up for at my local sewing shop on how to use a serger. Since I sew any pattern calling for knit fabric on a regular sewing machine, I thought it would be fun to test drive a serger. The class was taught by the shop's owner. One could immediately tell that she enjoyed owning a sewing shop and that she has some kind of experience in the fashion industry (which she would not reveal even though I was nosy enough to ask!).

There were two classes in which to complete the dress. I was skeptical that the dress would be finished within this given time since the pattern was pretty detailed but thought that somehow that the serger must make sewing a snap. We spent the first class just preparing the pattern and cutting the fabric out. The second class afforded about 15 minutes of work on the serger, mostly just testing it out---much of the actual pattern work takes place on a standard sewing machine. At the end of class, she announced that we could come back and rent either the serger or sewing machine.

I was disappointed at not having learned how to use a serger, so I took what little I had completed back home and finished the pattern in the comfort of my pajamas on my plain old sewing machine. As I worked I was able to pick out how the instructor herself did not understand this beautifully put-together pattern. The dress she made as a sample to hang in the shop differs from the original pattern in wonky ways. If one follows the directions, nice details are revealed, such as the inside collar, which is finished with a single-fold bias tape.

The dress took a while to complete and was well worth the time and effort: I am truly pleased with this dress. The top blouses nicely over the A-line skirt. The sizing and fit are pretty spot on. I like how double-fold bias tape trims the sleeves and the keyhole opening at the front. Plus, I have a weakness for Peter Pan collars!

I would definitely make this dress again and am pretty sure that I will need to since this dress is so comfortable that I anticipate wearing it over and over again this spring and summer.

The fabric is an organic jersey knit cotton from the sewing shop as is the cute red button at the neck.

wraparound top

2012-01-26T11:09:00.000-08:00

The pattern for this shirt comes from Simple Modern Sewing: 8 Basic Patterns to Create 25 Favorite Garments by Shufu To Seikatsu Sha. It is the first Japanese sewing book I have purchased that has been completely translated into English. The directions are pretty clear, although the pattern sheet drawings are surprisingly difficult to understand, even in English. I think it is because there are similarly sized patterns that are drawn + printed on top of each other in black. If some of the patterns were printed in an additional color then all the patterns would all read a little better.

This particular shirt is Pattern 1 and is a combination of the wraparound dress with the baby doll top. The main adjustment is that the top has short sleeves, + I wanted long sleeves, so I used the sleeve pattern from the dress.

The pattern is supposed to have a loose fit, so I decided to make it in an xs, + it is still sized pretty generously. There are darts in the front, although I am unsure why they are there since it is not a form-fitting blouse. As a result, the darts actually look slightly wonky to me even though I followed the pattern perfectly. It is a very easy pattern to follow, and I recommend it for a beginner sewer.

The shirt has two ties: 1 for the inside, + 1 for the outside.

I really love this fabric. It is from Japan + was given to me by my husband's aunt, who lives in Mexico City. It is a beautiful navy linen that is dyed with white flowers.

I added bias tape to the sleeves for an extra "something."

pants that fit like a glove

2012-01-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

Eureka! I have finally sewn something that finally feels as if it was custom-made for my body. This is a pattern that I have used before. The material is Italian wool that I purchased from B + J Fabrics last time I was in NY. It wasn't too expensive, maybe about $25--30/yd, which isn't bad considering some of the wools went for over $100/yard. I love the heathered grey. I actually don't wear too much black (the NY'er stereotype, right?), but find that I gravitate towards grey + navy blue instead.

There are 2 darts in the back (forgot to photograph these). For the first time ever, the darts are and equivalent both in their placement and length. (yessss!)

I lined them with muslin, which I prefer for linings instead of that satiny stuff (acetate? polyester?) that is typically found in lined pants. My legs feel less constricted, + the fabric feels more natural to me.

The pants tie at the top, which I actually enjoy rather than sewing in zippers, belt loops, + hooks. (ok, I am lazy.) I know that the pajama pant is kind of trendy, so I suppose I will fit right in when I wear these.

These pants fit beautifully + are very warm. I made them just in time for some bitter weather we have been having up here in Cambridge. I have a meeting later this week at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and think these will work perfectly.

more on tatami

2011-11-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

I recently sewed these bags on request by a local shop where I live. Based on the ideas from the Tatami Bag Series, these samples are made from wool felt. The colors are brilliant, and the fabric is sturdy + soft. While they liked the bags, the shop couldn't decide how many bags they wanted, whether they wanted to sell them as stand-alone items or if they wanted to feature me as a local artist. Dealing with business owners (selling, marketing, etc), just isn't my, er, bag. I am more of a maker/doer, so I am thinking about changing direction with my bags + selling them on etsy or craftsy.

This first bag is a little larger than the cross-body bag, like a true shoulder bag, with the proportions based on the 3/4 tatami mat. When the handle is removed, it's size also makes it fun to carry around as a clutch.

The next sample bags are similar in size, shape, + function to the tatami bags made out of canvas. This is the combination of the half zip case and full zip case. The one difference is that the leather strap can be adjusted so that the bags can be worn as either a cross-body or a shoulder bag (in addition to being carried as individual zip cases).

The last bag is a tote bag, designed like the canvas tote bag except that the handle is removable and usable with the other bags mentioned above.

This was my first experience working with wool and leather. It was challenging + fun to figure out how the handle could function in a useable manner for all three kinds of bags, how the fasteners would work on the strap, and also the kinds of glue that would work to fuse the two colors of wool together.

one skirt, twice

2011-11-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

I made this skirt about a year ago, following the directions from a blog on making a quick foe (fold-over-elastic), pull-on skirt. The skirt never fit correctly, bunching up around my waist, causing awkward folds around my stomach and back. The sweep of the skirt was also a bit strange---I think there was just too much fabric.

Here is the skirt re-done. I followed the directions for drafting my own pattern from Cal Patch's Book, "Design-It-Yourself Clothes." I can't tell if the directions are slightly off or whether my fabric was tricky to work with since it has some stretch since I found that I needed to make many adjustments on the fly after I drafted my pattern and cut the fabric.

After drafting my pattern, I took the old skirt apart and cut my pieces from the fabric. I needed to sew the darts a few times, adjusting the length, and found that I needed to take the skirt in on the sides quite a bit. I guess I need to re-draft my pattern to see where I can make it more exact. The is also my first project using an invisible zipper. It's not a perfect fit, but it is the first truly form-fitting piece I have ever made. It's perfect for the office, or rather, the pretend office I have in my home.

The fabric was in the clearance section of Joann's Fabric. It is a heavy stretch cotton.

fall tunic

2011-11-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

(front)

(back)

(detail)

This is yet another shirt I sewed last year that I took apart, re-cut, + re-sewed. The fabric is from my stash (duh, of course), but I can't remember from where I purchased it. The pattern comes from the "Every Day" Japanese sewing book series. I can't find the exact book on line, but the wide pants book from this series is nice. This book has other tunic + dress patterns that are similar (or even nicer!). I like fabric that features nature and animals, so this makes me smile.

2 everything shirts

2011-10-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

I recently made 2 long sleeve shirts for running. The material is some kind of cotton + lycra blend. I forget from where I purchased it. It is soft very comfortable to wear. I printed the circles and stripes by hand using freezer paper and fabric paint. I cut the shapes out of the freezer paper, creating a stencil. I ironed the paper onto the fabric, making it stick pretty firmly. After painting in the stencil + allowing the paint to dry, I peeled up the freezer paper + set the design with a hot iron on the dry setting. Next time I do this, I will photograph each step for better clarity.

Anyway, I am so pleased with how these shirts came out. The fit feels really custom. The sleeves came out perfectly including both the shoulders and the sleeve length. And I didn't even use a pattern. I based the shirts on another shirt I purchased at Target a year ago, although that shirt does not have an Emipre-style top and is a lot boxier in fit.

I call these "everything" shirts because they are the first running shirts I own that I would actually wear with jeans or when I am not necessarily running. I usually feel like an uber-athlete (which I am far from!), when I happen to be wearing my running clothes for activities other than running. I also feel that a lot of workout clothes have a specific aesthetic (usually hi-tech), that doesn't necessarily go with food shopping or lazily walking the dog. The shirts I made are fun and a little more relaxed in style and go along with most casual activities---even running.

some notice for SOY CUBA

2011-10-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

I am shamefully posting a small list of web sites + blogs that have mentioned my new book, to date:

Dwell magazine
Imprint
The Art Enthusiast

Happy day!

simple blouse

2011-10-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

I made this blouse last year, and like most of my clothing, it got big on me, So, I made some quick adjustments, and now it fits well. The pattern comes from "Sew U: The Built by Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe" by Wendy Mullin. (I don't make everything from Japanese sewing books!)

I created a Peter Pan collar rather than the standard because I think rounded collars are so darn cute.

Because I was sort on fabric, I made the sleeves simple, without cuffs. This shirt is very comfortable. Am not sure, but I believe the cotton fabric is Michael Miller.

another item redone

2011-10-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Recently, I resewed this skirt:

Now it looks like this:

The photos don't really do the skirt justice. It's very nice on, with a shirt tucked inside or a boxy shirt layered on top. It's essentially a wrap skirt with pockets. On either side, towards the bottom, I created a few accordion fold pleats.

(skirt side)

I altered the design of the skirt for a few reasons. First, the skirt has gotten way too big on me, so even though it is a wrap skirt, the pockets were falling incorrectly, so it needed adjustment. Second, I have to admit that once in a while I find a pattern in my fave sewing books to be a dud. I don't understand why this one didn't work since the photograph showed an adorable 50's-style skirt. Maybe I am just the wrong body type. In any case, in order to make this skirt work, I took the entire thing apart, and instead of creating one fold on each buttock (as if I really need something to emphasize my bum even more. . . .), I created gathers all around.

This is more Olympus fabric, a beautiful woven cotton, which I purchased at Purl Soho sometime ago.

linen pants redux

2011-09-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

I made a pair of pants at the beginning of last spring, but since I lost some weight, they were way too big to wear. Last week I finally took the pants apart and re-sewed them. The pattern comes from this book:

A detail of the pattern:

I mentioned before how in Japanese sewing books, all of the patterns are drawn out on a giant, poster-sized sheet. In my pattern-making process, I tape this sheet to my work table and place my super-large roll of tracing paper on top. I do a bit of hunting through all of the intersecting lines to find those that comprise the pattern, then I trace + cut each pattern shape out of the tracing paper.

Even though there are great diagrams to follow, the directions are not always the easiest to follow since I know absolutely no Japanese. For example, I still don't understand exactly how to finish the zipper area, so I skipped that altogether, since these pants tie at the waist.

These are the finished pants as designed in the book:

These are mine. I forgot to iron them before photographing them (oops), but they actually do resemble the fit + drape of the book's images, so I am pleased with the result. They are comfortable + have a nice flow from the hips through the legs. The wide leg width is flattering. I fixed these just in time since it is getting cooler in the mornings + evenings.

The main fabric is linen by Echino, and the fabric at the waist is Olympus, which is a beautiful Japanese fabric used to make traditional robes.

something else new

2011-09-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

OK, so even though it is advertised all over my blog + site, I want to make it official: I am an author! My new book, "Soy Cuba, Cuban Cinema Posters From After the Revolution" is, after 5 challenging years, a real book available for purchase on amazon.com. You can also check it out on my publisher's site, D.A.P. Please read about it here. I am incredibly proud of this project---you can imagine how difficult it was, being American, to earn the trust of the Cuban government in order to access their archive of beautiful + rare silk-screened film posters. Through this process I had the opportunity to meet + work with many smart + talented Cuban artists, designers, film makers, photographers, + historians.

Like I did when I saw them, I hope you will drool over each gorgeous poster layout as you take in the colors, images, + typography as well as the original interpretations of a movie's theme. I wish film posters could be designed in this manner in the U.S., but film companies are too conservative, + as a result, they are bland + forgettable. Nothing is left to chance: one sees large title type and big images of the movie stars. Cuban film posters, on the other hand, have the power to move you + are almost like a movie in that they are atmospheric pieces of art unto themselves.

something new

2011-09-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have been very busy this summer redesigning my web site. It is a constant work in progress, + I know that it will need some revising after having some time for reflection. It took a while to contemplate + reconfigure how one accesses + navigates the site. How to organize the content + present the images were concerns. The layout, color + typography were also very important in terms of expressing the fundamental philosophy of the site. So, here it is---for now.

The impetus for the redesign was so I could present my Tatami Bag Series, which has taken several months to conceptualize. Designing + sewing the samples also occurred over many months. I am very lucky to have been able to work with such a pretty + delightful model. Not only did she wear the bags beautifully, but with a mere positioning of a hand or a slight change of expression, she brought such life to the images. These are outtakes from a photo shoot in Acadia National Park:

leftover fabric

2011-08-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

I recently made this blouse from this book. The fabric used is leftover from other projects. The bright blue is linen from Kokka, + the dark green + blue fabric is Nani Iro double gauze.

I didn't sew the darts in the chest area, but since I have lost a few pounds (yay!), I will be adding them in.

tiered skirt

2011-07-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

The pattern for this skirt is compliments of Yoshimi the Flying Squirrel. She is an amazing sewer who makes the most beautiful clothes. I only dream about sewing as well as she. . . .

Both fabrics used to make this skirt are Japanese, although I cannot remember the name of the company. I bought them at Purl Soho last time I was in NYC. They are lightweight cotton + very comfortable. I have been wearing it with tank tops + have been feeling very stylish as I walk my dog through our sleepy Cambridge neighborhood.

polka

2011-07-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

I love polka dots + stripes. This fabric was a giant scrap that someone gave me when I attended Squam last year. The scrap was heading to the trash pile, + those little orange dots were looking at me, pleading to be saved. The scrap hung around until my apartment I found this free kimono shirt pattern at the Burda web site. Instead of sewing in a drawstring at the hem, I opted to cinch the sides (just an accordion fold sewn in place). This t-shirt was quick to make, + the material is super-thin cotton jersey---just the kind of material one needs in this mid-summer heat.

peach jam

2011-07-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Even though peaches aren't yet in season in MA, I couldn't resist buying a bunch at the market recently. What better way to celebrate summer? I ran out of jam + like to make my own (although I end up buying jam at the store during the winter since I don't can enough during the summer to last throughout the year.) I am also into eating pretty simply these days, so this recipe is just cut up peaches and about a 1/3 cup of filtered water that's been cooked for about 20 minutes on the stove over medium heat. I did not sweeten the fruit, + it turned out pretty tart, which I like.* I am thinking about dividing this jar in half and adding basil to one half.

A few months ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism + have been over-hauling the way I eat ever since. Not that I was eating poorly before, but I wanted to see if I could heal myself before resorting to taking the medication my doctor prescribed. First, I went on a juice detox for a week. Next, I have been eating very simply, consuming a combination of vegetable juices, nuts, grains, beans, + fruit + vegetable salads. There has been some dairy + fish here + there, but for the most part, I have been sticking to this simple way of eating. I am really excited to report that 6 weeks into this, I have been able to heal my body, so I no longer have hypothyroidism. I also feel lighter + more energized. One book that was helpful because it contains lots of delicious fruit + vegetable juices is the "Raw Food Cleanse" by Penni Shelton. Now that I am back on a "regular" diet I have made a few delicious salads from "Plenty" by Yotam Ottolenghi. I can highly recommend the watermelon, feta, + basil salad as well as the cabbage slaw with lime, lemongrass, cabbage, macadamia nuts, + mango.

* After sitting in the refrigerator for a day, I tasted it, + it was super delicious: just the right amount of natural sweetness + actually not tart at all. I could have eaten the whole jar.

winging it

2011-06-30T05:07:00.000-07:00

This is a jumper I made on my own without any pattern. I don't recommend making clothes this way since it is hit or miss when it comes to fit. For example, the shorts were originally too big for me, so I added pleats, which solved that issue. I like the butterfly fabric I used for the shirt: "Whisper Wing" by Alexander Henry. I was surprised and excited at how well the collar came out.

I once bought a book on drafting patterns on the recommendation of Hodge Podge Farm, whose workshop I took last year at Squam, but I have still yet to actually make my own pattern. Maybe now that my sewing skills are improving (slightly), I will give it a try.

only a few more ounces to go

2011-06-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

Today is my second day of my juice detox. This morning's 32 oz. concoction includes lots of parsley, celery, cucumber, lemons, + spirulina.

Why a detox, you may ask. Well, aside from the nice benefit of shedding a few pounds, I just found out that I have slight hypothyroidism. Instead of automatically taking medication, I want to see if I can reset/heal my body. A blood test three weeks from now will reveal the results.

Today my energy level is a little low, but it might be because it has been grey + raining for the past number of days. If the rain takes a break, I may try to go for a run, which may end up being more of a walk.

Or maybe I will just take a nap. . . .

one pattern, 2 dresses

2011-06-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

I made two dresses based on one pattern from another Japanese sewing book.

dress 1

I sewed this a-line shift for an upcoming meeting. It is made from a miniscule hounds-tooth check shirting. I like how the pattern calls for simple, but decorative stitches to make the pleat in the front.

dress 2

I made this dress slightly larger to emphasize the a-line silhouette. The fabric is shot cotton. I really like the pleats in the front. The pattern was easy--just two pieces (plus binding around the sleeves + neck), but there were plenty of opportunities for me to make mistakes--I always ask people to not look too closely at my clothing. I am happy to report, however, that these two dresses came out rather well, without any mistakes at all. Maybe I am actually learning how to sew. Actually, I am finally learning to take my time + not race through projects, as I am inclined.

japanese sewing books

2011-06-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with these books. They are difficult to find. I usually buy a few at Kinokuniya when I visit NYC. The ones I own are written entirely in Japanese with a few phrases in English, such as "how to make" and "wide pants."

Since it is hot, hot, hot outside, I am wearing these apron-shorts/skort I made from a book series titled "Everyday". There is extra fabric that wraps + ties around the front or back.

option 01

option 02

The pattern comes from this book:

These books are great, even if there isn't much English since they are filled with lots of pretty + clear photography of each finished garment.

Although the diagrams differ in style, all of the books illustrate each step (or most of the steps, at least), of construction.

The books also contain all of the patterns drawn out on one giant poster. The challenge is to learn how to distinguish each pattern + size.

My knowledge of Japanese is nonexistent, so each finished piece I make is always a little quirky. For example, I may not understand exactly how I am supposed to attach a collar or cuff, so it either takes a while to figure out or I end up improvising a bit. Somehow, though, I manage to finish each project and keep gravitating towards these wonderful books.

what in the . . . ?

2011-06-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

Just what the world needs: another blog, right? My goal is to use this space to occasionally document my various sewing projects and other random explorations that don't quite fit into my regular web site.

So, without further ado, onto the first project: the tatami bag series, which I designed since I love bags that have a bazillion specific spaces for the stuff that gets hauled around every day. There are two cases that can be assembled together and worn as a cross body bag. They can also be used as separate organizational cases slipped inside the tote bag. If you want to learn more, please visit my tatami bag site. I hope to sell them individually soon, but for now, they are only available wholesale.