I know – I’m just in denial. My vacation was a blast.

 If this Superfly fabric by Sis Boom doesn’t make me feel like I’m still on vacation then nothing will! I only wish I had made this easy summer dress before I went on vacation rather than after

Shall I blame it on Tia Dia of Mezzo Couture?  Her recent Vogue 2864 dress was exactly the pattern I wanted to try- a relatively fitted empire waist shift. I ordered the OOP pattern from Etsy before I finished reading her post, and it was waiting on me when I returned home last week.

Would I have bought this dress I made? Probably not, but I will make the pattern again! Due to my haste, the dress turned out slightly too big which I should have noticed in the muslin. So thrilled to be back at the sewing machine I rushed through the muslin – always a big mistake. Take a look below.

But if I stand with perfect posture it fits much better!

Today while listening to a podcast interview with Kenneth King, I learned the couture designer and teacher makes at least two muslins before proceeding with the fashion fabric.

My dress is certainly fun but I believe it could have been a smashing success if I had taken the time to properly adjust the muslin.

While I’m not going to let a couple of wrinkles stop me from enjoying the fruits of my labor, I vow to never cut into my fashion fabric again without a perfectly fitting muslin.

Lesson learned – onto the next!

Until soon

The conclusion of Me-Made-May ’13 was over four days ago, however, my Me-Made-May ’13 page fizzled out shortly after mid-month …….. hate it when that happens!

I diligently wore my Me-Made clothes all month long but taking pictures everyday was another story with conflicting schedules for hubby and me. I even bought a tripod and learned how hard I am to photograph

I’m on vacation now which started with a girlfriend weekend on May 31st and segued into a week of family fun. Thankfully, I’ve had a little time to wrap up Me-Made-May ’13 and  as I reviewed the month of May I realized I wore 25 Me-Made clothes during the month of May…… some way more than once!

Rather than update my page on the blog, I decided to make a video. I have NO idea why this skirt is the featured photo!

A thousand thanks to the talented (and pregnant!) Zoe of So Zo What do you know? for inspiring garment-sewing enthusiasts around the world to lovingly celebrate their creations. I hope to participate again next year, and I promise to be more diligent in my photographic efforts.

Many thanks, Readers for making blogging so much fun. Be back mid-June!

Especially this time.

 Here is McCall’s 6700.

For Moderate Stretch Knits Only

 I had sewn the pattern before and didn’t see anything stretchy about it…… and I had to have this Thakoon Blue Tie-Dye Silk Crepe de Chine Border Print from Mood Fabrics…… and I had to make this maxi dress in this silk.  At 5’2” I rarely wear border fabrics and I knew this was my chance.

It’s been a long time since I broke the rules, but I think it was worth it

Indeed – a perfect dress for Memorial Day or Fourth of July.

I think it would look great with a big bowl of cherries, an armful of sunflowers, or even better walking along the beach – my hope is to wear this dress all summer long!

This is quite the easy pattern with four pattern pieces (five if you include the back ties). The neck and armholes are finished with a narrow hem rather than a facing or lining. Having made the dress once before (blogged here) I knew what issues I would face with the upper bodice popping open, and overlapped the upper front and back bodice an extra inch and a half to solve the problem.

 After sewing the dress in this luscious crepe de chine, I’m still not sure why the pattern was designed for moderate knits only!

I guess one could say I got away with it, but maybe I should have had my wrists slapped for taking a chance with this beautiful silk. It would be perfect for just about anything with its lovely drape and soft hand!

After I sent this post to Mood Fabrics, the store added a link to  Thakoon’s website showing how he used the fabric. I enjoyed browsing this page after I had sewn my vision of the fabric, but do wonder how it would have influenced my decision had I seen these photos before hand.

Regardless of my decision, the page was a great reminder of how thankful I am to be sewing again.

Best wishes for a safe, meaningful and fun-filled Memorial Day weekend!

 I was trying to convince myself that Burda patterns weren’t for me, but had a problem doing so. I really liked the looks of so many patterns!

Was it me or was it Burda?

In the end, it all came down to learning a new way of doing something.

Learning to read and follow the Burda pattern was nothing like learning a new software program! It was more like driving a different route to a destination. I simply had to read the instructions s l o w l y  and carefully along the way. Unlike my last Burda pattern, I could easily sew a muslin with woven fabric, make a few adjustments and get a feel for the particulars.

The pattern, Burda 7081 has summer written all over it and the cotton print with stretch  is from Aunt Maggie’s surprise box – a perfect summer weight.

I was attracted to the flattering neckline created by the front yoke pieces seen below.

Both the front and back yokes produce a nice flat upper bodice with no gaping whatsoever!

I even took the time to make the kick pleat.

 The dress is fully lined. I generally find lining sleeveless tops and dresses a little tricky but with this pattern, the front yokes were lined, turned and basted to the upper bodice. The dress lining was then assembled, attached and turned, leaving only the shoulders to be sewn together. Rather than sewing an awkward continuous seam, the front and back were stitched together through three layers – the fashion fabric and the front yoke lining. The lining of the back yoke had been turned under and pressed and the seam was neatly tucked into the opening and slipstitched. I hope I can apply this technique to future sleeveless sewing projects!

I suppose there is a moral to this story somewhere, but I’m just happy to be over the Burda hump, and greeting the weekend with a fun, new dress

 Have a good one everyone!

]]> http://goodbyevalentino.com/2013/05/17/3135/feed/ 131 goodbyevalentino IMG_1833 (3) IMG_1855 7081chart IMG_1868 IMG_1779 2 IMG_1771 2 IMG_1876 http://goodbyevalentino.com/2013/05/09/simplicity-2497-2/ http://goodbyevalentino.com/2013/05/09/simplicity-2497-2/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 14:00:53 +0000 goodbyevalentino http://goodbyevalentino.com/?p=3097 Continue reading →]]> While sewing my casual knits the ruffles were calling my name, and I answered. The craving to sew ruffles was stronger than any craving I’ve ever had for chocolate, but I tried to be practical and made an all-purpose white shirt.

Of course it’s all-purpose!

Mood Fabric’s Ivory Solid Goes with Everything Silk really does go with everything in my closet!

It’s perfect with my re-fashioned floral pants….

party ready with my celebration skirt….

and very practical when combined with jeans for a walk in the park. That’s right – if Kate Spade wears silk to the flea market then I’m wearing silk to walk the dog

I believe I can even take it to a formal level!

Sewing this converted Cynthia Rowley dress pattern for the fourth time made for easy sewing.  Since the ruffle is gathered down the center rather than along the seam line, my ruffler stayed in its box and I gathered it the old fashioned way. I also widened the ruffle along the lower neckline. The arms and neckline were finished with self made bias-strips from the silk fabric, and I hemmed the top by hand to get a truly invisible hem.

Just for fun I’m including the three previous tops from this pattern below.

Each is unique and my latest will certainly find its place in my wardrobe.

I truly love my new top but I don’t know which I love more, the pattern or this wonderful silk. I’ve already re-ordered four more yards!

… A very practical move if you ask me

Well, Hello!

After sewing almost non-stop for over a year and a half, I’m ready to take the Me-Made-May’13 challenge created by the cute, creative and energetic Zoe from SoZoWhatDoYouKnow.

Her challenge now in its fourth year has gained strength and momentum with over 440 participants. In case you don’t know, the challenge is a celebration of the efforts we pour into creating our clothes by pledging to wear our handmade garments. Participants design their own pledge based on their comfort level. I pledge to wear one handmade garment made by me everyday during the month of May.

I decided to begin Me-Made-May ’13 by wearing the first top I made during my RTW Fast. I was too shy to model it on my September 15, 2011 blog post so here it is today.

It’s New Look 6964 blogged here. I think I’ve come a long way in many respects, but will always appreciate this peasant top despite its shortcomings.

Don’t worry – I’m not going to publish a post everyday about what I’m wearing this month. I have, however created a page found at the top of the blog that I’ll keep updated.

Cheers to all of us sewing enthusiasts!

May our creative energies make the world a better place!

I’m determined to master sewing casual clothes, but mistakenly I’ve confused

c a s u a l  with  e a s y .

After thumbing through a J Crew catalogue, I ordered four fabulous knits from Mood Fabrics’ enormous collection with the plan of making four garments for casual wear.

This was originally to be my Farmer’s Market dress; my toss-on dress for weekend errands.

I searched for a casual dress pattern, designed for knits which had interesting construction detail and found this Burda pattern.  No reviews were available but it was so cute I was willing to take a chance and write the first review on PR.

 It’s just my second Burda pattern to sew but who would have thought the pattern would have tied me in knots?

I should have sent out an S.O.S. to all of the Burda fans out there because there were issues, most of which  occurred in the bodice.

 I’ll post more about it on Pattern Review.

While I love the lines and fit of the pattern, the construction resulted in unnecessary bulk sewing through 5 and 6 layers of fabric in several places throughout the dress.

After twisting, turning and manipulating the multiple layers without really understanding  what I was doing, it all came together transforming my lovely jersey fabric into a garment that will serve me well during the hot, humid days ahead.

I also believe it will pass muster beyond the Farmer’s Market and dry cleaners

As far as my remaining three fabrics……. I have two more left to sew and plan to feature all three in the next post.

I never dreamed I would be more comfortable sewing special occasion clothes over casual ones but I vow to be equally comfortable with both one of these days! In the meantime I’ve chalked up another example of  ‘looks can be deceiving’.

Until Soon!

For readers post November 14^th………..

During my one and only meetup with Oonaballoona, my husband’s camera broke while in her hands at Mood Fabrics. Oonaballoona erroneously blamed herself, and three weeks later this tropical banana leaf jersey arrived at my house along with a chocolate bar for hubby .

Or is feathers? The woman does love her feathers……….

Whatever it is I wanted to savor every inch of this fun print, and I’m celebrating the return of warm weather sewing with my Oonaballoona dress!

Greetings from Edisto Island!

Do you know I’ve never made a fun Maxi dress? The last time I even wore one was at age 15, but after a rendition of this McCall’s pattern by SewWil, one of my favorite Pattern Reviewers, I was all about sewing a maxi dress with Oonaballoona’s gift.

The pattern is super easy and was sewn in a day. All of the edges are turned rather than faced , and my trusty roll of Steam-a-Seam was incredibly helpful in stabilizing the edges for even turning, pressing and top-stitching.

Indeed, I used every inch of this fabric – the belt must be 10 feet long!

Back in my RTW days, I didn’t consider trying on a Maxi because the limited wearability seemed like a waste of money. Now I think I’m nuts.

This dress is so fun and so  w e a r a b l e  -  it’s already made the rounds at Edisto very comfortably………… but don’t think I’ve been lounging around all weekend in my new dress.

Hardly. ….. more like washing windows and scrubbing concrete etc………. but now I’m done and it’s time to live a little –  Oonaballoona style

B o t t o m s  U p !

 What a ham………

I was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response to Aunt Maggie’s International Giveaway – nearly 200 responses with an average of 3.5 entries per person! With approximately 700 entries, I suppose a tux was in order

………and a blindfold.

 The winners are as follows:

1. Black and white plaid wool: AMY @ metrobabylon

2. Hot Pink Wool: YOLANDA REYNOLDS

3. Red and Off White Taffeta: CAROLYN WYNN

4. Beige Wool: BRENDA EVERETT

5. White Pique: AMY MAYER

6. Red, White and Blue Linen: BETH ROTHFUSS

7.Vogue 5850: BRUNA

8. Vogue 8766: ANN SULLIVAN

9. Vogue 8786: ALMEDA

10. Vogue 8491: VICKI @ Hongkongshopper

11. Vogue 8381: ELLA @ ellamanasan

12. Vogue 9607: DANVILLE GIRL

13. Kate Spade Shoes: ANNA CHRISTINA

14. Hem Tape: VANESSA@passfailsewing

 Many thanks to everyone for participating and honoring Aunt Maggie’s generosity and inspiration for my first Giveaway. It was quite fun for me (and hubby)!

Winners, please email your mailing address to  – goodbyevalentino@gmail.com by Saturday, April 13. If I haven’t heard from you by then a new winner will be selected.

WE DELIVER!

Giveaways will be mailed on Tuesday, April 16th.

Best wishes for a great weekend!

]]> http://goodbyevalentino.com/2013/04/11/giveaway-winners/feed/ 40 goodbyevalentino IMG_1308 IMG_1309 IMG_1293 http://goodbyevalentino.com/2013/04/09/the-regis-dress/ http://goodbyevalentino.com/2013/04/09/the-regis-dress/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:30:24 +0000 goodbyevalentino http://goodbyevalentino.com/?p=2965 Continue reading →]]> Sometimes I make embarrassing mistakes, and for a while I thought ordering this white cotton/nylon lace from Mood Fabrics was one of those times.

The flat lace reminded me of a tablecloth upon pulling it out of the box, revealing my inexperience in selecting lace. What can I say – I felt stupid for placing such an order when so many beautiful laces were available.

B u t   w h a t ’ s   a   g i r l   t o   d o  ?

After three worrisome weeks, I bought my first bottle of Rit Dye.

Thirty minutes later….. I had a new attitude,

and two days later, I had a new dress!

Still energized by sewing with lace and the Sew the Perfect Fit Craftsy course led me to make one more dress with Vogue 8766 for an annual event my husband and I attend – this year with Regis Philbin.

This pattern is designed to be cut on the crossgrain. Since I wanted to take advantage of the fabric’s pretty scalloped border I cut the skirt’s lower edge along the border and included the long, darted sleeve (my first).  What beautiful shaping darts add to a sleeve – so much better than easestitching !

I followed the exact method and instructions as I did for the navy lace dress.  Since I was working from a carefully constructed muslin, there were no fitting issues, though early on I melted the nylon netting in four spots on one of the back pieces. Recutting the pattern piece and using a press cloth got me back on track. After toying with several waist embellishments I opted for none.

The dress is lined with  Mandarin china silk from Mood which was designated for another project. I found that the silk’s beautiful depth of color and sheen nicely complimented the matte quality of the lace.

After exploring the lace scene this spring I get the feeling no two laces are alike in appearance or handling. However, sewing with lace need not be scary and I plan to learn more about a fabric that I once considered mysterious.

……….and the Rit dye? Oh my goodness! Did you know the Rit Dye’s website provides formulas for 500 different colors? I am a changed woman!

_______________________________

So how did my dress go over last night? I’m still a little self-conscious circulating my homemade frocks amongst hundreds of $$$$$$$$ garments, but I recognize a driving force behind putting forth my best efforts is wearing my projects - i n  p u b l i c .

When I walked in the venue with a very wealthy woman who repeatedly told me she wanted my dress I didn’t dare go into my tablecoth, Rit dye and sewing saga. Instead I relaxed  and remembered Diane Von Furstenburg’s motto that always rings true – Attitude is Everything!

Speaking of attitudes……….. my next project up is the Oonaballoona dress!

Until soon