Simplicity Blog Social & Giveaway

Hey hey! Several weeks ago I found a fantastic surprise in my inbox from Simplicity patterns. They asked if I would like to participate in a blog hop and pattern giveaway. Why, yes. Yes I would.

They sent me each of the three patterns in the giveaway, and my task was to choose one, stitch it up, blog about it, post for y’all to see, and link to my fellow participants. Easy as pie! I knew immediately that I wanted to make Simplicity 1913, a lovely sheath dress. And I knew that it would be in a navy linen, with the front tab, and either flat or standing collar. A fun nod to nautical for the coming summer months.

Fantastic, right? With plans set in clay, I started shopping around for the perfect linen or linen/silk blend. Then came the email listing my fellow bloggers. I let out a little squeal upon seeing the talented ladies who would be participating, and then countered with a dangitall. Miss Zoe is the Queen of Nautical. Her post is coming up, so I don’t know which pattern she chose, but still. So I then started shopping for a red linen blend locally, in vain. Good thing that didn’t peter pan collar out, because Miss Sunni is so smashing in her rust 1913 dress. Prom drama avoided by lack of desired fabric! Though we’re all hemming this blind, so it’s all good.

After my initial efforts to procure the perfect red linen/silk blend turned fruitless in the allotted time, I did what any stash-buster does. I have my mom to thank for this dress. Every single bit of it comes from the bundle of goodies I recently confiscated and made my own. Chambray, red bias tape, turquoise metal zip, Yale blue lace hem tape. Everything but the thread and interfacing has been waiting patiently for decades to be used. R did not trust my vision of this sheath in chambray, but I like the casual simplicity. Pun intended. Not my original intent, and I still plan on making a nice red dress, something my wardrobe is seriously lacking. Yet this dress is still welcome to shine while that one waits in the wings.

These patterns are fantastic, and have that “choose your own adventure” aspect of the Project Runway line. Seriously, they beg you to throw every design feature their way. Dare you… make the bias collar and the flat collar, add the buttons and the tabs. Go overboard. Draft some captain’s epaulettes, why don’t you. In the end, I stuck with the flat collar, jazzed up with red piping. I had made the front tab with red piping, too, but it was overwhelming, so left it off. I’m a huge vintage fan, but find I feel like I’m in costume if I go too far. This is the brink for me, though if I’d left off the red contrast, the tab would have been an okay addition.

Eek... looks like I'm coming unzipped. Saucy photographer.

I hand-picked the zip, and opted for red contrast bias tape on the neck and armscye instead of lining the bodice. Everything was absolutely perfect. Until I put it on. Oh. My. God. Neck gape. Yes, I made a muslin. Nope, it wasn’t present then. (***maybe i needed to change my contacts. or just wanted to start cutting out the chambray. in any event, most likely user error.) Neck darts fixed the back, caused problems in the front. I had just enough fabric to redo the bodice. Lots of unpicking (serger threads, too) later, I’m fairly happy with this dress. I slashed/spread to compensate for my round shoulders, added neck darts, pinched out the CB/CF to bring the armholes up a bit more snug. Because I’d used up every bit of the red bias tape, I unpicked the topstitching, understitching, seam stitching on that, too. Sheesh. There’s still a wee bit of neck gaping. I should have angled my neck darts a bit more, and this may also be in part because of the bias tape (despite stay stitching). I’m okay with that, though I will make the thread bar smaller.

The bodice is not super fitted, but I have to say it left just enough room for beer and dancing at the latest Pretty Things party. Their new Fluffy White Rabbits brew is oh-so-tasty! As usual. That’s where my dress made its debut. Then again on Ben & Jerry’s free ice cream day. Again, thank you semi-fitted bodice. These shots were taken at the Harvard Lampoon building. My cone of choice? Stephen Colbert’s AmeriCone Dream. This dress taunted me that much.

After all that, I just had to put off my regularly scheduled spring/summer sewing program one garment further. My inner Little Urban Achiever told my inner Dude to put down the white Russian and make another dress. That dress will make its internet debut on the Sew Weekly some time next week. It will make its real life debut for my mom’s birthday. Happy Birthday Mummy!!!

In honor of the lovely lady that started me on this stitched path, hop on over to the shop for a sale. HEYMONA will get you 20% off any item, pattern or clothing, until midnight Sunday.

And while you’re at it, go check out what my fellow seamsters have made with these patterns! Be sure to enter the giveaway, too! Five winners will receive three patterns: 1913, 2444, 2282. You’ll be choosing your own adventure before you know it. Entries are accepted until April 15, 2012.

• Suzannah at Adventures in Dressmaking made a fun modified version of 1913
• Sunni at A Fashionable Stitch couldn’t look better in a rust 1913
• Zoe at So, Zo… What do you know? will be unveiling on April 9
• Tilly at Tilly and the Buttons rounds out the fun on April 10