Sewing for Lack of Fall

In the beginning of the month, we had a few really hot days. As this never happens in San Francisco, I was very surprised to find my desire to knit severely lacking and wondered for a moment if I had either gone crazy or were severely ill. But no, it was just the weather. So the knitting mojo waned, but the sewing mojo kicked into high gear. Over the course of a couple of weekends, I was more productive with my Husqvarna than I had been in my entire life, cranking out three dresses, a skirt, and a pair of pants (the pants and one of the dresses are strategically missing from this post. I said I was productive, not that what I produced didn't look ridiculous.).

The first dress was the first item I have ever successfully made with sleeves (we won't talk about the hideously lumpy jacket I made a couple of years ago). The pattern seems to be a favorite amongst the sewbloggers out there, and was, to my delight, simple to execute.


Pattern: Simplicity 3835, View B
Fabric: Amy Butler Coriander in Pine
Thoughts: The gathering around the neck was easier than I thought it would be, but I still need a lot of practice installing zippers (thus the front shot). Also, the sleeves were insanely tight at the elbows. I thought I had perhaps chosen the wrong size at first, but the rest of the dress fit perfectly. It took a few tries, but I finally got the sizing right, just using a shorter seam allowance for a few inches since I didn't have enough fabric to cut new sleeves.

I was so pleased with how that one turned out, that I immediately made the other dress view... (Please ignore the weird fold across the bust!) (Um, and the dirt on the windowsill.)


Pattern: Simplicity 3835, View A, without the pockets
Fabric: $2.99/yard cotton at the discount fabric place on Clement St. I'm not positive, but it seems to also have some stretch in it.
Notes: As you can tell, this is basically the same dress as above but longer and without the ties at the sleeves. Using my experience from the minidress, I used smaller seam allowances at the bottoms of the sleeves so they would fit better. I think I like this with a belt, too...



...and, of course, with my new boots!

The skirt I have had experience with before, having made a mini version of this in turquoise back when I lived in LA.


Pattern: Simplicity "New Look" 6197, View F
Fabric: Some corduroy I got on sale at Britex several years ago. The color is not nearly as jewely in person, but it's still kind of bright.
Notes: Super, super easy, and cranked out in a couple of hours. I have the perfect shoes (um, boots) for this, but nothing in my wardrobe really matches bright red corduroy. Ah, well, we'll see.

As I impatiently await the arrival of some more purple yarn for my Deep-V Argyle (a hint of which can be seen here), and as the weather fails to cool, there may be more sewing featured here, but probably not much. The Yarniad is a questionable name for a blog, but The Fabriciad just makes no sense.