7.03.2011

sew weekly sunday: room for improvement


in an effort to jump back on the sew weekly challenge wagon, i decided to kill two peacocks with one stone and use the UFO challenge as a muslin for my next "oona does it!" challenge.

this did not work.  details mañana.

BUT.  i did get really careful and work really hard on a big time honest to god muslin (mrs cisco is proud.  she's also kind of pissed that y'all are calling her mrs crisco, which i love).  i had a UFO in the form of a maxi skirt laying in my closet for a year.  there was so much material in it, i couldn't see getting rid of it, but i made an extremely poor choice with some very beautiful leather that had been laser cut to look like crochet...


that beautiful piece of remnant was about a foot long and five inches wide before i hacked it to pieces, thinking it would be so cool; who puts leather embellishment on a maxi skirt?! i am the BOMB! mama balloona sure did raise one free spirited child!!! 

and then it ended up looking like regular crochet.  a doilie, to be exact.  on a maxi skirt.  alls i needed was the wagon and the campfire.  having successfully ruined a coveted piece of leather, into the closet it went.

so.  UFOs.  i gotz em.  and in this one, i had the yardage for a small town. glutton for punishment that i am, i chose another burdastyle mag online pattern. actually, it lounged in my shopping cart for days, but when i saw the exquisite alison dahl's liberty version, that sealed the deal.  

but!  lo and behold! their petite sizing rocks.  way happier am i buying le petite pattern from burdastyle. i still took an inch off for my short waist, but the proportions suit my diminutive stature... and no swayback adjustment!

however, today i noticed gaping all over the front and back top panels.  must've been the merlot. it's getting darts tomorrow, so i guess it's still a UFO.  

my scheming needs work.  and i must have a red belt as well. for the independence celebrating and all, dontcha know.




fabric: cotton print, ($1 yd)
pattern: burdastyle dress with a-line skirt ($5.40.  peeps. can we get a little creative naming?)
notions: invisible zip ($1)
time to complete: 4 hours
first worn: today
wear again: tomorrow, avec something red.
total cost: $9.40

14 comments:

  1. Just getting back to le internets after some busy-ness and mini vacation-ness and WHAT do I find, but Miss Oona is now Queen of the Internets with her own column at Sew Weekly, AND has sewn like, four HAWT dresses in the last week!?!?!?!

    I have a little something to send to you, and don't have your NYC address! Email me :o)

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  2. Well, except for the gaping problem, it turned out beautiful! Fix it soon, because it would be a pity if it went into a pile of UFOs again.
    And salvage the leather, and it will be a project of WIN!

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  3. I didn't know there was PETITE sizing and I totes forgot that Alison Dahl (with her awesome hair) is on Burda Style!

    Red belt, red shoes (and if it were Melbs - black or white tights) PRONTO

    xoxo

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  4. Pretty! Is that top-stitching on the princess seams? You'll rock today with some red accessories! Happy 4th!

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  5. I find that high waist line so exquisite! It gets you a point of "naughty girl". Please use the leather lace for some project, it's a shame to waste it, so beautiful!

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  6. It looks great, gaping or not. Nice save!

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  7. Good save, although what a shame about the leather lace! I hope you can salvage it for something else (individual applique motifs maybe?)

    I was seriously disturbed when the first petite pattern I tried (a junior petite, no less) fit with remarkably few alterations. I'm 5'7".

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  8. emilykate: oh NOES! no way i'm sending you my addy till i'm done with yours! oh gawd. and i still have the PIFs. big talk, little kalkatroonan.

    hana: the leather is still here... i'm still too disgusted to salvage it yet!

    veronica: get thee to the petite sizing! it's shorter waisted & shorter lengths, it's fab. got the red shoes; but the tights will have to wait for fall. WHITE TIGHTS!!!

    alessa: indeed it is, i was going to go red but then went mustard yellow instead. highly patriotic.

    rosy: thanks! it's actually still about 1/4 inch lower than my actual waistline. i LOVE high waists.... i sort of have to....

    bella: thanks girl! i've noticed that alison's gapes too, so i guess it's the pattern. but i'll feel like a superhero if i can get it to close...

    tanit-isis: you have the very singular dilemma of having a petite body on a model height frame. that must be so hard for you. are the evil rays shooting out of my eyes coming across?

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  9. Love, love, love this fabric!!! You look lovely in this little number:)

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  10. Before I got to the red belt line, I was thinking, this would look perfect with a red belt. Bingo! Love the fabric and cut. Glad to know le petit Burda mag patterns are better than el grandes. Can't wait to see how Oona does the next one!

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  11. I love your fabric and I'm glad it was saved from the UFO goulag by that Burda pattern. It's on my list and I love it too!

    I make a straight Burda Petite 19 and, though my back length is about 1cm (3/8in) shorter, I usually don't bother.

    BUT I do have narrow shoulders and the standard Burda shoulder is 12cm when mine is 10,5 cm. I either trace a different shoulder/armscye or remove the 1,5 cm (5/8in) after cutting out.

    Totally unrelated yet interesting aside: it seems you know my cousin Dominique? Because I sent her your blog url, thinking you reminded me of her physically. Small [virtual] world!!!

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  12. Love this dress, even with all its gaping. Fix it, wear it, drink a margarita in it and all will be amazing :)

    word verification: horap: the sound a frog's jump makes.

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  13. Great dress! simple dress which fits really well. Nice work!

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  14. victoria: thank you!!

    daughter fish: great minds, babe.

    lakaribane: dominque! please tell her hello for me!! and, i just did another burda petite... had to shorten the waist by 1.5 inches. EGADS!!!

    meg g: i just love you. let's listen to frogs jump together over sangria.

    mahalia: thanks so much! it fits even better now :)))

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!