My first Knipmode

I became enchanted with Knipmode when I saw the skirt Cidell made from a Knipmode. Then I saw the line drawing for this dress. in the Feb 2009 Knipmode The open back is so pretty to me. That is when I went on the hunt for the two Knipmodes that had these patterns.

I searched on ebay and found a seller for the Feb 2009 issue with the dress. It was a little harder to find the one with the skirt, but I came across it. It took me awhile to figure out what fabric I wanted to use for my dress. I came across this lovely fabric at Fabric Mart on deep discount. I don't see it on there anymore but I bought about 6 yards of it because it was $1.99/yard. I am planning to make a skirt, too. When I bought the fabric, I did not have this dress in mind and asked for help on Stitchers Guild. I love that forum. Several suggested a sheath dress and that is when I thought about my Knipmode.

I had never sewn a Knipmode before so I went to Google translate and started translating Dutch to English. As you see in the pic below, I mistranslated the fabric as "stretchable knit." . Thankfully I sought more help on Stitchers Guild and patternreview and learned it was just saying use fabric with stretch in it. This fabric is 97% cotton/3% lycra. It is just as beautiful and in person as it is in the pic. I used lining with 2% lycra(or spandex) for the inside of the dress.




I cut a size 38 and added 5/8" seams like I do with BWOF dresses. However, I had to take a 3/8" seam in the bodice so I could breathe. I also tapered inward toward the neck at the back neck seam from 5/8" to 1" because of gaposis. I am still not a pro at invisible zippers. There is one at the left side on this dress. I have a slight pucker at the bottom that is not noticeable with the print of the fabric. Anybody got any invisible zipper tricks to share? Also, I shortened the dress to the knee. The pattern is to the ankle as you can see on the Knipmode model. Here is a pic of a little of the inside of my dress:


And now, for the most important part of any outfit, the shoes. These are the perfect shade of tiffany blue suede. They are Nine West "James"

I want this skirt !!!!!!!!!

This is the Fluttering Pencil Skirt from anthropologie. There is one small problem---$158. I should never go look on that website. I see too many things I want. I have been stewing for awhile on how to knock it off. I asked for help on pattern review and there were several suggestions made for patterns. NL6897, View E and Vogue 8129. The Vogue pattern seems to fit better because it has a waist band that I could manupilate to make it V downward toward the ruffle.

Here is my dilemma: The ruffle on the anthropolgie skirt seems "flouncier" than the Vogue ruffle, but then I may be imagining things. How would I make the ruffle on the Vogue flouncier? Also, there are little "tucks" (is that the appropriate term?) on the left side of the anthropologie skirt. That is the left if you are facing the skirt. You can also see it on the back of the skirt looking at the right side of the skirt in the picture. It looks like the skirt has just been folded in the seam. Is that what you see? If anyone could offer any websites or tutorial on how I might use this Vogue to knock this off, I would be so appreciative.

Look What I Won!!!

I am so excited!!! Sew-Ann at Sew-Ann's Stitchin had a contest for some gift baskets and I won one of them. It had two wax markers, the cutest ever pin cushion, and the Sophia Amy Butler pattern. The pin cushion top will come off and allow you to store things in the little jar it is attached to. Also, I have been wanting this Amy Butler pattern forever, but I was too cheap to buy it full price. I am so happy to have won it. It is the prettiest purse shape. Thank you so much Sew-Ann!!!

I will have a garment to share with you sometime in the next few days. It has been slow sewing around here because I just got started back to work. It is extrememly hectic because I have new textbooks in all of the classes I am teaching this semester, except for one. That means I have to work all the problems that I assign since they are all different from the previous textbooks. Unfortunately, I have to do some of that on the weekend. :( I am also determined to knit a little every day. I have become addicted to it. My love for it and sewing is equal. Even though my blogging may be a little sporadic for the next few weeks, I am still following all my favorites and discovering new ones.

Blue & white porcelain dress...B5243 and some knitting

I fell in love with this blue and white ITY jersey on fashionfabricsclub.com a few months ago. It reminds me of blue and white porcelain, which I love. I immediately bought it and let it sit in my stash until I decided what pattern to use for it. I finally chose View A of B5243. I made a modification in the way I seamed the pattern pieces together. The pattern has you seam the sides of the front and back bodices, the sides of the "shirred" waistband pieces, and the sides of the front and back skirts. Then you put them all together by horizontally seaming. This jersey did not roll up on the edges like the ITY "pucci" jersey I used to make a dress a couple of posts back.

I did not horizontally seam it like the pattern instructions said. I seamed the sides of the bodice pieces almost to the bottom and left about an inch unsewn. Then I sewed the waistband pieces to the bottom of each bodice and the skirts to the bottom of each waist band piece. Finally I seamed it up the side. The first time I made this dress in View B (see pic below) , I did it according to pattern instructions. I managed to get it over my head, but I thought my husband was going to have to cut me out of it for me to get it off. After doing some contortions that I did not know my body was capable of doing, I got it off. I went back and ripped out seams and did it according to my modifications above. It went over my head and came off much easier.

I made the above dress before I started blogging so that is why you haven't seen it. It is made from a medium weight knit that I bought at my local fabric store. The first time I saw it, I thought it was denim until I touched it. Here is an upclose pic.

The shoes I am wearing with my new dress are these Target patent peeptoes. The shoes I wear with the older dress are some Seychelles navy patent wedges--no close up of them.

I have also been knitting. I am a new knitter who has been knitting about 6 months. I am not one to stay in shallow water very long, so I leapt off the diving board and knitted my first sweater. The name of the pattern is St. James. There are some mistakes in it, but I am just so happy it fits and that I actually got my gauge correct. WHEW!!! I used Caron Simply Soft in country peach. It is drying on a trash bag in this pic.

The skirt I am wearing it with it one I made several years ago. I don't remember the pattern, but I don't wear it much because it is made of wool crepe, a fabric I have discovered I don't really care for.

Now onto the shoes, of course. :) They are some very inexpensive knockoffs from Alloy of some much more expensive (and not affordable for me) Miu Miu shoes from a couple of years ago.

Lastly, I have been so inspired by the nail polish posts of Shannon and Cidell, that I decided to post my fingernails. The color is Parlez-Vous OPI?. It is a smoky violet and I love interesting nail polish colors. Over the years I have collected about 100 bottles of OPI.

Until next time, God Bless You!!

My blue/white porcelain dress...B5243... and some knitting

I fell in love with this ITY jersey when I saw it on fashionfabricsclub.com. It remind me of blue & white porcelain china, which I love. I bought it about 8 months ago and it has been sitting in my stash waiting for the perfect pattern. I decided to use B5243 View A. I sewed it exactly by the pattern except for one minor modification in constructions. The pattern has you seam the sides of the front and back, seam the sides of the shirred front and back midsections, and the same for the back and front skirt pieces. Then you attach it by seaming the pieces together horizontally. I did the opposite. I did seam the front and back bodice pieces down the side almost to the bottom. I left about and inch unseamed and attached the shirred waistband pieces and skirt pieces horizontally. Then I seamed up the sides.

I chose to do it this way because, back before I started blogging, I made view B of this dress by seaming like the pattern tells you. I barely could get it over my head and I thought my husband was going to have to cut me out of it. I managed to get it off and ripped out some seams and did this dress with my modification I described above. I got it over my head much better. Here is View B from about 8 months ago.

It is made from a medium weight knit that I bought at my local fabric shop. I thought it was denim until I touched it. Here is a closeup:

The shoes I am wearing with my View A dress are these Target red patent heels. In View B I have on Seychelles wedges in navy patent (no closeup of them)

I have also been knitting. The pattern is St. James which I started on June 20 and finished August 2 (yesterday). It did not actually take that long, because I also sew (obviously) and have a short attention span. Speaking of short attention spans, there is no way I could go from start (cut out) to finish (hem) a garment in one day. Once I get it cut out, I have to wait until the next day to sew it. I wonder if I have ADD---maybe I just like variety. Who knows? I wish I could start and finish in one day.

The skirt pictured is one I made about 3 years ago--don't remember the pattern, but the fabric is wool crepe. I don't like that material so I don't wear the skirt much. Here is a closeup of the sweater drying on a trash bag.

Here are my shoes. They are inexpensive Alloy knockoffs of some very expensive (and very not affordable) shoes from a couple of years ago.

Lastly, I have been so inspired by the fingernail polish posts of Shannon on Hungry Zombie Couture that I decided to do one. The color is OPI and is called Parlez-Vous OPI? It is described as a smoky violet and it definitely is. It is also on my toes.

Until next time...God Bless You.