From Drape Drape to Cape Cape

After several weeks of distraction with the Drape Drape series I have returned my focus towards capes.  That's not to say I'm completely finished with Drape Drape.  Oh no.  I've already bookmarked another four styles that I plan on making later this summer.  Curses Kelly for introducing me to these books ;)  For now though it's all about capes.  

My cape was so well-received that I've decided to design a few more and eventually put them up for sale.  I know, it's totally the wrong season to be making wool capes.  On the other hand the summer will give me a chance to try out some prototypes before fall arrives (a.k.a cape season).  And who knows, maybe I'll be able to squeeze in a few summer capelet designs too!

I have been ordering swatches of herringbone wool for my capes.  It's very hard to make a call on a fabric colour when you're just looking at a laptop screen and so I was excited to get them in the mail.   Surprisingly though it is still a challenge to picture what an entire cape might look like based on a tiny little swatch.  I liken it to choosing your living room wall colour based on a tiny paper scrap from the Benjamin Moore palette.  Ooof.

I've been concentrating on finding neutral colours because they seem more appropriate for cooler weather and they appeal to a greater number of women.  Here are two greys that I like.  

Then there are the browns.  That caramel swatch turned out nothing like what I expected from the picture.

And here are some charcoals.  I wonder if these are bordering on too masculine.

Aside from the neutrals I have been searching for a nice red herringbone wool to make my very own version of a Red Ridinghood cape but it's been nearly impossible to find something that I like and that is affordable. Admittedly I have been extremely picky. Sadly the selection of red herringbone wools is very slim.  I've even resorted to contacting sellers on Etsy who used red herringbone wool in their products and asked where they purchased it.  It was a shot in the dark, and I suppose they might have suspected that I was simply trying to copy their exact product.  I'm not...but it didn't matter.  I got zero responses.  

Here are samples I found online that I had bookmarked.  The one on the left is from an Etsy shop. Beautiful but way too expensive. I thought the price was for one yard but it was only for a fat quarter. The other downside is that the herringbone pattern isn't visible unless you get up close.  The middle one is called "Brick/Dirty Beige Herringbone".  Kind of neat but I thought it might look a bit orangy from afar.  The Harris Tweed wallet on the right has a great red and navy mix but I couldn't find the actual fabric for sale anywhere.

In the end I found this red wool during my herringbone wool expedition on Monday along Queen street. It's more of a Dusty Rose meets Red Wine but it works.  I just want to hint at Red Ridinghood and not actually be mistaken for her.  I took a swatch, then walked over to the Leather and Supply Co. for some notions. That's when I came across a piece of leather that I thought would compliment this red wool perfectly. I don't even know where I'll put leather on this cape but nonetheless that sealed the deal. 

Next I found a great cherry-coloured binding that I ironed flat and sewed into piping.  It's going to give that pop of red that is otherwise missing from the wool.  Finally I've paired the wool with a large floral print for the lining.  

I have been completely absorbed in the cape project for the past few days (a fair amount of redesign under way) and hope to have something wearable by the weekend.  Here's a sneak peek!

Herringbone swatch collection so far...

Drape Drape Project #4: Drop-Waist Gather Drape Dress

Save the best for last.

I love this dress. It was the first pattern that I bookmarked from the Drape Drape series but I left it for last because I thought it would be the most challenging of the four.  It's the only fitted piece where sizing actually matters and on top of that it requires a zipper.  Well as it turns out it didn't take me much more than an afternoon of sewing plus I nixed the zipper altogether without a problem.  Oh, and counter to the sizing chart (see discussion at the bottom of this post) the large-XL didn't end up being quite right for me after all.  It was fine in the shoulders but I had to chop off about 2" from the back seam, and that still allows me to pull the dress on without a zipper.

The gathering detail on this dress is fantastic (and I'm complimenting the design, not my own handiwork).  I love the bodice of this dress.  First of all, it blows my mind that this whole dress was cut out of a single piece of fabric.  How does someone think up such a thing?  Second of all the sleeves are about the cutest I've ever made - gathered in the front and flat in the back.

A clever seam along the sides and back of the waist allows for more gathering detail in the skirt portion of the dress.

And finally instead of putting in a zipper I was able to sew up most of the back seam leaving a short opening near the top that I closed off with a loop and button.  Usually I don't shy away from invisible zippers but I was a bit anxious  to use one with stretch material.  The slightest misalignment in installing the zipper would surely result in ugly wrinkles accentuated by the stretchiness of this beautiful teal microsuede fabric.  It's too bad I didn't take better care to match up the left and right seams of the neckline.  I think I'll put the dress through one more quick pass under the Singer and clean that seam right up.

Here's a better view of how beautifully the dress hangs.  Don't be surprised to find a few more of these dresses hanging in my closet by the summer.

Drape Drape Project #3: Drape Vest with Oversized Pockets

The charm of this third Drape Drape project (obviously) is the oversized pockets.  They really are big.  This vest is basically the ultimate mama wardrobe accessory since I can pack just about anything in these pockets when I'm on the go with Adam.  Seriously, I can probably fit diapers, bibs, napkins, and even a book - all that in just the left pocket :D

It was on my recent shopping spree for knits and stretch fabrics that I found this pretty olive cotton with a slight bit of stretch.  It looked more green at the store than it does in these photos right now.  And strangely when I initially got home with it and showed Mike it looked dark brown to both of us under the living room light.  The colour is quite lovely, I assure you, but it clashes pretty terribly with my dress form.

The pattern calls for W=1.55m x L=2m but boy is that way too much fabric!  I had enough material for two full Drape vests plus another short-sleeved shirt.  That's actually what helped me decide to double up on the fabric here.  The book doesn't call for a sweatshirt fleece but it's what I imagined the vest to be made of so I went with it.  

Off I went sewing the right sides of the main bodice together to produce a double-layered finish panel.  I think that's what ended up making the rest of the project a challenge.  All of the seams ended up being extra bulky and awkward for putting through the serger.  And then when it came time to finishing the neck I realized just how thick this would end up being.  For the section of fabric that rests along the back of the neck  the two edges of the panel are sewn together to form a closed cylinder.  I suppose this design creates more draping around the shoulders but means my layers x2 just got doubled to x4 in that one localized section.  That's a lot of fabric around the neck!  For cooler temps it's not bad, kind of like a warm scarf to protect against a chilly breeze.  For warmer spring/summer weather those extra layers are gonna be damn uncomfortable.

Anyway it's not my favourite of the Drape Drape projects but was definitely worth trying.  And hey, I'll be the most stylish and well-prepared mother at the next toddler drop-in class, dazzling everyone with how much food and bum wipes I can pull out of thin air (or gi-normous pockets).

Close-up of fabric detail (tiny chevrons on upside, stripes on reverse) 

Pictures of You

This week I was delighted to receive photos of the kiddies trying on their gifts.

The Anna dress was a perfect fit and this smile is absolutely priceless.  It was followed up by a priceless email:

"dear Dani

thank you for making the dress for me I love it!

I am going to wear it for my party.

Love Anna."

And take a look at this cutie.  The newsboy flatcap is still a bit too big for this little guy but he'll grow into it soon enough.  Thanks for the photos :) :)

Drape Drape Project #2: Drawstring Detail Top

Drape Drape Project #2 was a lot of fun to make, even if the instructions were hard to decipher at first read.  There were several steps that I had to read, re-read, then read a third time while staring at the pictures in order to understand what the heck the instructions were asking me to do. 

For example: 

Step 3: Fold the right side of the bodice front back from the hem so that the wrong side (reverse) of the fabric becomes the upside.

Or this one:

Step 5.  Fold the right side of the bodice front at the hem, fold the bodice back at the shoulders, and sew together the front and back sides at the left and right.

Fortunately there weren't too many steps and the pictures were helpful.

So far I've found that because these Drape Drape projects really try to limit the number of pieces to just one or two, I end up with a tonne of fabric left over after cutting out the pattern. I can almost make a second drape top with this (definitely enough for a regular top).

The drawstring detail is really the best part of the shirt which no doubt is why the project is named after it. I debated switching the detail over to the left shoulder rather than the right one because it would be a good way to break up the huge continuous drape on the left bodice.  The right half is already naturally broken up by having the left side cross over it.  In the end I stuck to the pattern since there was already a seam on the right shoulder where the drawstring detail was supposed to go.  I am still tempted to add some sort of beading or detailing to the left side though.  I just can't help myself!

Oh, and here's a little tip with the drawstring.  I found that in order to maintain a nice ruching detail (i.e. lots of gathering) at the right shoulder I had to tie the drawstring bow pretty tightly, otherwise the fabric would just spread out with a loose bow.  Unfortunately a tight bow pulls the two edges of the right shoulder (on either ends of the ruching) forward and towards each other so that the underside of the fabric faces out.  With jersey knit material the right and wrong sides of the fabric are not all that distinguishable from each other but it still looks messy to see part of your shirt flip inside out. Therefore I cheated by sewing the drawstring to the shirt at the two ends after achieving the right ruching that I wanted.    Now I can tie a loose bow and the gathering stays in place.  A bonus is that I don't have to worry about the drawstring getting lost in the wash  :)

Drape Drape Project #1: One-Piece Side Drape Tank Top

After tracing and assembling the pattern pieces for four Drape Drape projects I debated which to start with. Having avoided working with stretchy fabrics for years out of fear (and partly due to lack of a serger) my selection of knits on hand was limited to the violet striped fabric recently turned into a sweater wrap.    

I was leaning towards starting the Drop-Waist Gather Drape Dress but the pattern was too big for the remaining piece of fabric.  How about the Drawstring-Detail Drape Top?  Also too large for the fabric.  I was surprised because I actually had quite a lot of fabric left over (mostly because it was on sale for only $5/meter and it was the last of the bolt).  It turns out that these Drape Drape projects require quite a large piece of fabric since the designs are usually one continuous piece. I'm sure the remaining fabric would have been plenty for a regular shirt or dress constructed out of several smaller pieces but in the end, the only pattern that would even fit on the remaining knit was the One-Piece Side Drape Tank.  And even that only just barely fit.  The pattern edge touched the fabric edge in three places, essentially fixing the orientation of the stripes and allowing for no leeway.

This was unfortunate because the stripes wouldn't be symmetric and would actually be almost completely vertical along the back piece. Ugh.  Not desirable.  Oh well, I went with it so I could see the finished product and decide whether it was even the right size for me.  It's really a shame I was missing that top left corner of fabric but it couldn't be helped; my sweater wrap needed sleeves!

The great thing about this project was that cutting the fabric and sewing the piece together was so simple. I didn't even follow the instructions to be honest.  I skimmed over it, disagreed with the order of the steps, then just serged the whole thing together based on what I had learned on my stretch T-shirt serging date with Kelly  back in March.

So here's the final tank top.  Left side view - not bad.  Right side view - not great.  Back view - bah.

I'm truly not a fan of the vertical stripes.  They remind me of a basketball player's jersey.  And the crazy intersection of near-vertical stripes with near-horizontal stripes is bordering on downright ugly. 

Crazy stripes - an unfortunate incident of "making-the-most-with-scraps"

But not a bad start.  It was a quick project and gave me more practice with knits.  I'd definitely give it another go, possibly even with stripes again but I'll be sure to get a large enough piece of fabric so that everything is symmetric.  Also I think the stripes should be going diagonally downwards to the side with the draping (see my previous post for a photo with the model) to accentuate the drape.  Mine on the other hand go diagonally upwards just slightly before the drape, then get pulled down again.  That's another unfortunate fallout of not having enough fabric to change the orientation of the pattern.

Finishing the edges were pretty easy with the serger.  Too bad the final result looks a bit messy with the differently-oriented stripes playing tricks on the eyes.

Here's me with it on.  Pretty good fit, very flowy and comfortable.  Definitely a good maternity top option for anyone expecting.  I think I will add a wide ribbed cuff to the bottom of my next tank top for extra weight.  Looking forward to my next Drape Drape project!

Drape Drape Series

Back in February when I attended Kelly's winter retreat weekend she was kind enough to lend me her series of Hisako Sato pattern books Shape Shape, Drape Drape, and Drape Drape 2.  These are lovely pattern books from the Bunka Fashion College in Japan, now translated into English.  The patterns featured are simple to make but the end results can be quite stunning because of the draping and gathering design details.  The bigger challenge by far is tracing out and assembling the patterns from the master copy provided in the back of the book.  

The many designs featured in each book are packed into only four pages, and that includes patterns for each of the sizes (s, m, l, xl)!  When I first unfolded the master copy my jaw hit the floor and I was instantly cross-eyed.  Unless you really follow the lines with full attention it is easy to make a wrong turn and find yourself on the way to making a skirt when you set out to trace a blouse.

On the one hand I love the efficiency with which 17 designs (each multi-piece) were crammed onto two double-sided master copies.  It really is quite impressive, and somehow it seems to appeal to my engineering brain.

On the other hand I think the publishers could have afforded an extra page or two in order to make things a little less busy.  Seriously, it was bordering on comical.  One big improvement would be if at the very least the patterns could be colour-coded so pieces for the same design would be easily distinguishable from others on the same page.  Yes, that means requiring colour-printing rather than the cheapo black-and-white printing but surely usability plays a role here, no?  Another suggestion is to not include extra lines for hem if possible and simply add it as a note in the individual pattern instructions.  Let's not clutter the page with more lines for the sake of shock value.

Now, having gotten that little bit about pattern challenges off my chest let's take a look at some of the designs I've bookmarked for upcoming projects.  This Drop-Waist Gather Drape Dress is really interesting.  Take a look at the pattern below (left page).  Now imagine making a whole dress with gathered sleeves and waist out of just a single piece of fabric!  The top and bottom of the dress are actually cut with two different pattern pieces but then taped together so that you cut the fabric as one piece.  It's quite the mental exercise picturing how that crazy looking pattern is transformed into a dress.  

Here's another Drape Drape 2 project on my to-do list.  Should be straightforward once the pattern is assembled.  Again the entire top is cut from a single piece of fabric.

Third on my list is this fun Three-piece Drape Vest with Oversized Pockets.   It's no surprise, the pockets won me over.

And finally I have bookmarked this Drawstring-Detail Drape Top.  Clearly it will require wearing some sort of camisole underneath!

Oh, and as a warning for those who want to try these projects do make sure to look at the sizing chart at the front of the book before you start tracing your pattern.  I usually wear a small size for clothing and charged ahead tracing, cutting, and assembling the pattern for the Drop-Waist Gather Drape Dress.  I figured when working with stretch materials the overall sizing is pretty forgiving anyway.  Well it took loooaaads more time than I had expected to trace the pattern, being my first experience with the master copy,  and it wasn't until I was tracing out my second pattern did it occur to me that these designs were from Japan.  I panicked.  When I used to get presents from my family in Hong Kong they'd send over a XXL for my brother and an XL for me.  I'd end up taking my brother's XXL because the XL was simply too small.  When I went to Tokyo one summer with my cousin I once tried on the largest blouse hanging on a store rack and couldn't even button it closed.  Asia Asians are just not the same as North American Asians.

Sure enough I checked the sizing chart and I am somewhere between a L to XL.  Fortunately the second pattern I was tracing is a one-size only and I didn't have to redo it.  It will be interesting to see how a Japanese "one-size" fits me.

Violet Striped Sweater Wrap

Here is a simple project for a knitted sweater wrap that can be worn in several ways.  Years ago I received a black one as a gift and wear it all the time. I like the way it drapes and had worn it for quite some time before I actually opened it up to see that it was such an easy design.  The whole thing is literally a rectangle with two armholes for attaching sleeves!  Honestly that's it in terms of shape.  Talk about great beginner's sewing class....or should I say serger's class.  I only needed the Juki for the entire thing. 

The main piece is a rectangle that measures approx. 34" x 75".  For the sleeves I simply measured the length of my arm from wrist to shoulder and then jotted down the circumference at my wrist, elbow, and shoulder.  It was pretty make-shift to do it this way instead of digging out one of my dress patterns that has a sleeve but sometimes I just like to wing it (especially for a spur-of-the-moment 11pm project).

For my original black one I added a button in order to help the wrap stay in position when draped across the body. I think I will do the same here in a few places to keep the whole thing from unraveling.  

Below is the wrap just worn open (no biggie).

And here's how I usually wear my black one - over one shoulder.  Easy peasy.  Now run out and get some knitted fabrics already!

Anna versus Elsa

I was driving home from work not too long ago and heard on the radio how Disney underestimated the popularity of their latest mega-hit movie Frozen.   As a result the Princess Elsa dress, retailing regularly for $50, quickly sold out driving prices up on eBay as high as $1500.  Really, folks?  Fifty bucks is already a bit steep to pay for a kid's costume in my opinion (I know I know, just wait until Adam is older) but then to turn around and pay thirty times that amount?  Madness.  Here's the dress that drove people nuts.

Well my friend's daughter is celebrating a birthday in just over a week and I have heard that she, like every other little girl around us, is obsessed with the movie Frozen.  Her school is even having recitals featuring several songs from the movie's soundtrack.  So as I continued sitting in rush-hour bumper-to-bumper traffic it occurred to me that I should just make her the dress for her birthday!  Couldn't be that hard right?  (Actually at the time I was hearing about this on the radio I had no idea what the dress looked like in the first place).  Anyway after consulting my friend about the idea he suggested making the dress for Anna instead of Elsa.  I think it was based more on the character's integrity rather than the coincidence of his daughter being named Anna but I'll have to see the movie to know for sure.

Here's what Anna's dress looks like.  Less fairy-princess and more peasant-style which I think is actually quite nice.

And here's what I came up with.  Now I took some artistic liberties with the detailing, especially in the skirt, but hopefully it will do.  Mike warned that sometimes children can get really upset if it's not exactly like the "real thing" but there's only so much I can do with ribbon!

Here is the vest which I made with black velvet and outlined with gold ribbon.  You'll probably recognize the ribbon detailing of the green stems which is similar to some of my past projects.  I also had black beads left over from the Easter Weekend top I made for my mom's birthday two years ago.  I cheated with the roses though - those were store-bought.

I made the skirt with four panels to get the full shape I wanted and put in an elastic waist.

Then I became paranoid that fully-stretched the skirt might still be too tight to pull up over the hips so cut the back panel in half and inserted a zipper.  Whew.

Finally after completing the final touches on the vest I closed off the back with an invisible zipper. Here I debated whether to put it so that the vest opened from the top (typical) or opened from the bottom.  In the end I went for the bottom since I thought it would be easier for Anna to get her shoulders and head through the vest which has zero-stretch.  I'm no longer so sure why I thought that was such a good idea and have become paranoid once again.  I think the vest will fit once it's actually on but getting it on might prove to be a challenge. I ran out today to buy a fully separating zipper which would solve the problem entirely....only the shortest I could find was 10" and of course the length of the back is 9".  

Now, I could go ahead and modify the zipper with some pliers, rip out the old zipper, and put in the new zipper to avoid any chance of disappointment.  BUT I think I'll sit on this for a while.  And to be honest the invisible zipper is so much nicer than the separating one which doesn't glide all that well.  

Ok.  I'm going to chance it.  Anna can try this on the way it is (at the risk of completely delighting a young child only to then completely disappoint her) and if it really is too difficult to put on, I'll take it back and change out the zipper.

Oooh...seems kinda harsh now that I've said it aloud.  What to do, what to do....