Coral and Blue Hydrangea

A quiet, rainy laundry day.  I don't have a whole lot of time for crafting today, but I wanted at least to get a small start on my next project.

I was thrilled to discover that I have enough of my coral silk left to make a Sorbetto!  Yes, I'm a copy-cat! Do you think it will make me look as gorgeous as Sarai?  I hope so!

I think I'm one of very few people who really enjoy making bias tape.  That little gizmo is just so much fun!  And then I wrap it on an empty toilet paper roll, because I'm classy.

Last night, I did up my nails in my favorite light blue:  Blue Hydrangea by Nubar.  It has a lovely subtle sheen on its own, but I decided to top it off with some Essie As Gold as it Gets.  I really love the effect:

And it looks nice with my bias tape too!

Two Piece Dress in Action

Yesterday morning Hubby took me on a date to the Chicago Botanic Garden, so I put on my new two piece dress for the occasion.  Hubby did the honors with the camera:

I think if you click you can see the belt.

Hope I didn't blind anyone with my
white, white legs!

In the rose garden . . . . mmmmmmm.

Outfit details:
Hat:  J.Crew
Two piece dress:  made by me!
Sunnies:  Ray-Ban Retro Wayfarers
Bag:  Frye Motorcycle Hobo
Sandals:  Frye Lola Gladiator
Belt:  Anthropologie

I'm so happy with this dress; it's breezy and comfy.  I'm glad I used the heavier muslin for the lining, so that I can wear this without a slip.  And one of the things I love about the Sorbetto pattern is that it hides my bra straps perfectly, so I'm not constantly adjusting!

Pants on Fire

Last week, although I didn't state it outright, I did strongly insinuate that I would be finishing Capri over the long weekend.  Alas, I just couldn't find the patience to sit and sew on twelve #10 snaps.  I did, however, find the patience to do this:

I love this print - it reminds me so much of a
Vera motif.

What have we here?  Another Sorbetto?  Yes, but this time with a matching skirt!

A couple weeks ago, in the midst of Sorbetto Fever and high on the fumes of $2.99 per yard cotton lawn, I bought a yard and a half of this along with a few other goodies, intending them all as Sorbetti.  After I washed them, as I was ironing this offset plaid, I thought what a great skirt it would make.  So of course the next day I went back and got two more yards - wouldn't you?

I then proceeded to hem and haw for two weeks.  Should I make a dress?  Should I make a separate top and skirt?  Which skirt?  And how to line it?  Truthfully, each night as I was going to sleep I would mull over what I wanted to do with this lovely fabric.

On Sunday night I finally made up my mind, and spent the entire day on Monday sewing.

The top is your basic Sorbetto with no modifications.  The only way this one is different from the others I've made is that I turned the bias tape to the inside so that the print isn't interrupted on the outside of the garment.

The skirt is a mash-up of Colette Patterns' Ginger and Gertie's Full Skirt Tutorial.  I used the straight waistband pieces from the Ginger skirt rather than "draft" my own a la Gertie, because I like where the waistband of the Gingers hits me, and my cunning plan is to wear it with an elastic belt I bought from Anthropologie last summer.  The lining too is just a Ginger skirt made of plain muslin - nice and heavy, to give some structure to the floaty lawn on the outer skirt, for which I followed Gertie's instructions.  I want to state here (mostly for myself, because I'm likely to forget) that her 40" wide pieces gave me exactly the amount of pouf with this fabric that I wanted.  (For the curious, I generally wear a size 4 in RTW, which will give you a basis for comparison if you are interested in making this one as well.)

I was having some fun with my lining.

I wasn't really sure how long I wanted the skirt to be, so I just cut the fabric in half (it was either 54" or 60" wide - I didn't measure) and left the selvedge edge at the bottom.  When it was all finished and I'd hemmed the lining a little shorter than my other Gingers, I tried it on and pinned it up to where I wanted it to be.  I ended up taking it up 3.5", and then folding it back an inch and a half and doing a blind hem stitch on my machine.  So it's got a nice, wide hem that gives a little stability to the pouf.  Finished length is 22.5" exclusive of the waistband,  and it hits me just below the knee.

I'm mostly happy with how this turned out, and the parts I'm not happy with won't be visible to anyone but me.  I think my interfacing must have been too heavy for the lawn, because the waistband became crinkly when I ironed it.  But remember, it's going to be covered up by that cool belt.  And I had a hard time attaching the facing to the invisible zipper; it's not my neatest work, but no one else will see it.  Of course, the Colette Blog had a post on exactly how to do it the following day.  Isn't that always the way?!

OK:  now back to our regularly scheduled programming.  Time to sew those snaps on the Capri!

Sorbetto in Action!

I wore my new top this morning to go to the library!

Waiting for the 'L'.

I felt cool, comfy and cute!

Sorbetto-a-GoGo

How could I not bring this fabric home and make it into another Sorbetto, I ask you:

More cotton voile from Vogue.

Is everyone sick of Sorbetto Spam yet?  The end is near, I assure you.  I only have three weeks left in which to do any sewing.  After that, my 9-year-old niece will be visiting for a month plus, and all bets are off!  We'll be far too busy going to the beach and the water park!  So I'm trying to get as much done now as I can so that I don't have yards and yards of unused fabric sitting around.

And I'm hoping there will be a finished Capri in the very near future!

Again

Here's yet another Sorbetto.  This time in a cotton ditsy floral with 3% stretch and store-bought bias tape:

Colette Patterns Sorbetto

I'm nuts about this fabric.  It reminds me of Liberty prints, and is as close as I'm likely to get to any for a while.  I left the bottom two thirds of the pleat open to make the top more swingy.  

Here's a closer look at the print:

The color of the bias tape is called Mediterranean!  I can't wait to wear this with some khaki green pants and teal sandals!

I've really been on a Sorbetto binge, but this is just such a great top!  So easy to make, and a great layering piece.  As I'm making each one, I'm thinking of which of my hand-knit sweaters to wear over them!

Sorbetto of the Day

Here's the Sorbetto I made on Wednesday morning:

Colette Patterns Sorbetto

This one was quite a bit trickier than the polka-dot one.  I made it in the same way, but this fabric is voile - significantly thinner and more slippery than the lawn I used before.  This one required a break for pie as well.

I decided to stitch all the edges in contrasting thread:

But all the seams (French again) were done with a blue similar to the background of the fabric.

I love this whimsical print!  I may end up stashing more of it!

Sorbetto #3: Now with French Seams!

Can you tell I'm in love with this pattern?!  This time I followed the instructions and made a box pleat down the front:

Colette Patterns Sorbetto

I'm so happy with it!  I wasn't sure I would like it with the pleat in this fabric, but I really do!  This was my first time sewing with lawn, and it wasn't as difficult as I'd thought it would be.  In fact, it wasn't difficult at all!  And making the bias tape was actually easier than it has been with the heavier fabrics I've used.  Here's a closer look at the fabric:

Dark blue and pale blue polka dots!

My mother asked me the other day how I made the bias tape, and I realized I forgot to add the link when I posted my first Sorbetto, so here it is:  Continuous Bias Tape. Wonderfully clear instructions and photos!

This time I decided to finish my seams by doing French seams.  I used to use these a lot when I was sewing ten years ago.  I'm gradually relearning all my skills!  It makes a very clean inside: 

A lot of people have reported whipping out this top in an hour and a half.  It is still taking me two hours to make one, even though I no longer have to look at the instructions.  I think I spend an inordinate amount of time admiring my handiwork.

And eating pie.

Exhibit B

My second Sorbetto:

Colette Patterns Sorbetto Top

Made in exactly the same way as the first, except that this time I used the same fabric to make the bias tape:

Once it was done, I wished I'd done the pleat the other way around.  It just seems too plain.  I may add a couple buttons for interest.  My thinking was that the pleat done the way the pattern shows is more formal, and I wanted this to be a breezy, casual summer top.

The embroidered gauzy cotton presented a few challenges in sewing, especially in the making and use of the bias tape.  The embroidery stops the fabric from stretching along the bias as much as it would without it, so there are a few places where the fabric is a little wonky.  The astute among you will notice that I didn't photograph those bits.

Exhibit A

Proof that not only do I purchase fabric, I also sew it into garments:

Colette Patterns Sorbetto Top

This is my "muslin" - constructed to check fit.  Who says a muslin can't be cute?  This fabric cost less per yard than real muslin!

I cut out the pattern for size 2, and the only adjustment I did was to cut the length of a size 4.  Fit is perfect.  Some people had issues with the armholes gaping or the top being too short, but it's just right on me.  The only other change I made was to invert the pleat down the front and only sew it down about 1/3 of the way, a la Casey.

This was the first time I made my own bias tape, and I'm pretty darned proud of myself:

Now I've got at least one more to do!