Sew Colette 2
Are you surprised to hear from me so soon? I know, I have been posting up a storm the last few days, but today I have an exciting announcement: Rochelle from Lucky Lucille, Sarah from Rhinestones and Telephones, and I are doing another sew-along! This one is going to be a bigger one, we're sewing through the Colette Patterns library. I know, at first it sounds like a lot to take on, but since it's bi monthly it will be a lot easier to fit into everyone's schedules. Plus, you can pick and choose which patterns you would like to sew along with.
The first pattern will be the recently released Hazel dress, but future patterns will be decided by you. Participants will vote on which patterns they would like to sew. The pattern with the most votes will be the next project.
I hope that you will join us in one, some, or all of the patterns. This sew-along is not just for experienced sewers. Remember, at the start of the last sew-along (Sew Colette) I had only sewn a handful of patterns. With the help of others in the online sewing community and using the Colette Sewing Handbook as a reference I was able to learn so much. I hope that you will consider joining us!
Thank you to Rochelle for making these buttons. Feel free to take one and add it to your blog.
Week of October 1st: Sew-Along Kick-Off (Muslins, measurements, etc)
Week of October 8th: Fabulous Fit
Week of October 15th: It's All About Fabric!
Weeks of October 22nd - 31st: Be Our Guest
Week of November 5th: Peony Parade - upload your finished dress into the sew-along Flickr group!
Week of August 1st: Muslins!
Week of August 5th: Fit Tips and Techniques
Week of August 12th: Fabric, Fabric, Fabric!
Week of August 19th: Sewing Macaron and Guest Bloggers!
Week of August 26th: More Guest Bloggers!
Week of September 2nd: Macaron Parade and Giveaways
The Hazel Schedule
Monday, June 4th: The Muslin
Monday, June 11th: Fit Techniques
Monday, June 18th: Fabulous Fabrics
Monday, June 25th: Sewing Hazel
Sew Colette - The End (for now)
This is how I feel when I think about Sew Colette being over.
Wow. I'm still in shock that we are done sewing all five patterns from the Colette Sewing Handbook. Didn't the last five months just fly by? And if you are like me then you have learned a LOT in that time frame. I learned about fabric choice (and I'm not as scared of some of them!), sewing techniques, and how to adjust the fit to make a garment custom for me. Well, I learned a lot more than that, but you don't want me to go on for hours, do you? :) The book has been an invaluable source for me, as I am sure it has been for you. Thank you SO SO SO much to Sarai for writing such an amazing book, designing adorable patterns, and for being nice enough to let us do the sew-along. Thanks to Caitlin and Kenn too because I am know they are involved in a lot of the behind the scenes work :)
The best part of the sew-along (to me) was getting to meet so many new, talented, inspiring, and motivating people. Everyone has been so nice and helpful, especially all the ladies in the Flickr group and all of the guest posters (Rochelle, Jenny, Tabatha, Oona, Meg, and Melizza)! You helped me when I needed advice, inspired me with your beautiful garments, and boosted my confidence when I was feeling low. Thank you so much!
To be honest, initially I didn't want to co-host the sew-along. I felt that I was too inexperienced and didn't think that someone who was as new to sewing as I was should be a leader. Sarah encouraged me to host with her and I am so glad I did! I realized that my lack of experience wasn't necessarily a bad thing because there are others out there in the same boat. If someone who had only sewn five patterns in her life can sew the ones in this book, then you can too! So, thank you all for your patience and kindness towards me.
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And if you aren't sick of me yet, then be sure to look for an announcement from Rochelle, Sarah, and I tomorrow :)
Licorice Parade!
Jirian made this dress which is part Licorice part New Look 6022. The two patterns together make for a perfect summer dress. I love the yellow belt she added, it really gives a fun pop of color, don't you think?
Another pretty, summer dress! I love how Daisy-40 omitted the sleeves and left the collar. It's also cool how she tied her belt in the front. She mentioned that she is going to post more photos of the dress and I can't wait to see them!
KJL (aka Mommy in France) made a version on the Licorice dress without the collar or sleeves and it give the dress a whole new look, which I love. Next time I want to make one like hers!
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Schedule for sewing the Licorice dress designed by Colette Patterns.
May 7th: Muslin
May 14th: Fit and Fabric
May 21st: Guest post by Tabatha
May 14th: Fit and Fabric
May 21st: Guest post by Tabatha
May 23rd: Guest post by Jenny
May 25th: Guest post by Rochelle from Lucky Lucille
May 24th: The Final Countdown
May 24th: The Final Countdown
May 30th: Licorice Parade
May 31th: My version of the dress
May 31st: Sew-Along Wrap Party
May 31st: Sew-Along Wrap Party
Licorice dress is completed!
It's no secret that Joan from Mad Men is my favorite character on the show. I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to her and the cast! So when I saw the image below I knew that I wanted to make my Licorice dress look similar to hers.
I can't look like Joan :( so I have to make dresses inspired by her hahaha. And of course I have her necklace! Off the topic of my dress, but did you watch Sunday's episode? She bummed me out.
It's funny, while sewing this I did not like the dress at all. I liked the pattern, but hated the pink and purple combo (sorry, Joan!) and wished I had chosen a print like Tabatha's. Then when I was finished I tried it on and my opinion suddenly changed on the color. I am happy with the fit and I don't know what happened, but I like the colors now. My mind is all over the place!
I'm excited that this is my first project for Sew Cinematic!
Do any of you subscribe to Snippets? A recent tip was very helpful and I used it on this dress. It suggested that when you need to turn under a raw edge 1/4 inch to press (for the hem) do a line of basting stitches first, so you will know exactly where to turn it. Genius!
Guest post - Rochelle from Lucky Lucille's Licorice Twists
One of my favorite things about this sew-along has been meeting new people that love sewing as much as I do. When I saw Rochelle's Meringue skirt at the beginning of the sew-along I knew that she had awesome style. What I didn't know was how much I would look up to her! I'm so lucky to have such a friendly, talented, and inspirational lady as my new friend. Thank you for sharing your "Licorice Twists" with all of us!
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Hi there :)
First off let me express my supreme sadness for the fact that this is the last project in Sew Colette. Can you believe it’s been FIVE MONTHS?!? Crazy! Thank you Sarah, and Erin, for making this sew along possible, and giving me the opportunity to meet such amazing/creative/positive women. It’s been a blast!
So with that said, I guess through this sew along I’ve become a bit infamous for my pattern “modifications” (*cough* directional A.D.D. *cough*). Just when I promised myself I would stay true to the final project and follow it word for word, Sarah and Erin asked me to share some tips for making a dress more your own! That just goes to show you, you should always stay true to yourself :)
By the end of this post, I hope to have sparked some ideas for you to add your own “twists” to Licorice.
One of the easiest modifications you can make is to pick a non-typical fabric! The Licorice Dress as shown in the book is a bit too formal for me to wear every day. I often find myself using cotton varieties for all my projects because it comes in a vast array of colors, prints, and weights to choose from. Not to mention it’s a sure fire way to make a garment a little less party, and a little more practical.
Try playing with different color and print variations for a fun and easy modification without any actual alterations to the dress pattern itself.
Oh, but you want actual alterations? Great! Try these…
Honestly, I’m not much a fan of the stock sleeves on Licorice. They’re just not my preferred style. Shortening the sleeves, or removing them all together, is simple to do and gives the dress a completely different look. Try an elastic-free version by gathering the bottom of the sleeve and binding it in a circle of bias tape. Or use blanket binding for a wider looking cuff. (Just remember to make sure the circle fits around the widest part of your arm since there will be no stretch!)
The collar on this dress also gives you a lot of options to make the Licorice your own. Or you can simply remove it more a more streamlined look! Try using the same split collar piece for both the front and back of the dress to give you a cute peter pan style. How about a collar made of lace or eyelet fabric? Very chic!
Last but not least, don’t forget all of the small details! Adding a few buttons or some ric-rac is a great option for those who are little hesitant to start slicing and dicing their pattern pieces for something other than a size adjustment. I’m sure most of us have some extra trimmings laying around in our sewing stash just waiting for love. You can always pin or baste your extras before committing. If you have a fancy computerized sewing machine, try some decorative stitching around the hemline. Embroidery fans can show off their skill with some awesome embroidered details on the skirt or neckline. The possibilities are truly endless here!
I recommend printing out Colette’s line drawing for the Licorice dress and dreaming up your own twists to put on this project. Having a set plan is definitely helpful when modifying a pattern, but sometimes you just need to have an epiphany and run with it! That’s how I ended up with a collar and no facing on my Pastille dress ;)
Do you have any mods planned for Licorice? Go for it! I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with.
Happy Sewing!
Rochelle
Rochelle
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Schedule for sewing the Licorice dress designed by Colette Patterns.
May 7th: Muslin
May 14th: Fit and Fabric
May 21st: Guest post by Tabatha
May 14th: Fit and Fabric
May 21st: Guest post by Tabatha
May 23rd: Guest post by Jenny
May 25th: Guest post by Rochelle from Lucky Lucille
May 24th: The Final Countdown
May 30th: Licorice Parade
May 31st: Sew-Along Wrap Party
May 24th: The Final Countdown
May 30th: Licorice Parade
May 31st: Sew-Along Wrap Party
The final countdown
Speaking of the Licorice dress, I'm making some progress! My muslin is completed (for the main fit at least) and while it looks a little wrinkly/loose on the form, it fits better when it's on me. I'm such a procrastinator, hopefully I will get this done by the deadline. How are all of your dresses coming along?
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Schedule for sewing the Licorice dress designed by Colette Patterns.
May 7th: Muslin
May 14th: Fit and Fabric
May 21st: Guest post by Tabatha
May 14th: Fit and Fabric
May 21st: Guest post by Tabatha
May 23rd: Guest post by Jenny
May 24th: The Final Countdown
May 30th: Licorice Parade
May 31st: Sew-Along Wrap Party
May 24th: The Final Countdown
May 30th: Licorice Parade
May 31st: Sew-Along Wrap Party
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