Debra and Marcy I Apologize…

Posted on September 19, 2014 by West Zen

My BSF made this dress by Marcy Tilton (Vogue 8975) and tried to convince me to sew one with her. “It will look like a big gunny sack on me” I scoffed. Well I tried on Debra’s dress when she finished and loved it! It’s comfy, clever, perfect for the change of seasons, and no, it does not look like a gunny sack. I should have modeled it, since it actually looks better on me than on Roxy.

One does need to read the directions for this dress. The garment goes together fairly quickly despite many pieces and a few odd instructions, for example attaching a point on the hem to the bottom of the pocket.

I made three minor modifications to the pattern. The collar is my invention and I am very happy with it. You may see it again in the very near future. I used three fabrics instead of two, and I shortened the dress two inches so it doesn’t overwhelm me. There’s a lot of fabric in this dress, but it is light and soft so it all works. The back is pretty jazzy too!

Can I Still Wear Linen after Labor Day?

Posted on September 2, 2014 by West Zen

I just finished this linen shirt this past weekend. Obviously, I don’t care about the rules of textile seasons, because I plan on wearing this shirt as a transitional weight until the cold sets in. It’s 85 degrees out today so I think linen will feel great. The Lynn Mizono shirt (vogue1274) is such a fabulous place to start. It’s funny how you start to make a pattern exactly as is, but if you just take a critical look at each stage things begin to change. “I don’t like the way this looks” can turn into “what a cool detail”.

The spotted linen on the left was a little too heavy for the wings that this pattern is known for. I could have pulled them to the back like the pattern suggests, but I had already decided to add a detail on the back that would be covered up. So I lightened the front by the asymmetrical hem at the placket. Then I added a tab on the back to hold just one wing. The tab detail gave the back an asymmetrical hem to balance the front.

Just cut off the extra wing? No way, I turned it into a pocket. I love pockets!

Perfect Summer Black Tes

Posted on May 29, 2014 by West Zen

I wanted a black shirt that was just a bit dressy, comfortable, looked good under a sweater or jacket, but would also look good on its own if it became warm. I couldn’t find what I had in mind, and now I don’t know why I spent the time shopping. This is exactly what I wanted and it took so little fabric that all of it came from my stash. I love sheer sleeves in summer. They give a little coverage, but are still cool and look good under vests. I used my TNT pattern Vogue 8952 and just made it shorter and the sides straighter. I didn’t hem the sleeves and I just added another sheer knit to finish the collar and hem. I don’t think this t-shirt took more than 3 hours to make. I’m sure I spent way more time shopping without finding anything. Next time I want something this specific in my mind I am just going to start sewing!

Citrus Summer Tunic

Posted on April 30, 2014 by West Zen

I made another tunic top from my favorite pattern Vogue 8952. This top is for summer so I used a sheer mesh knit for the sleeves and the ruffle on the bottom. I fused the mesh to a piece of solid knit to make the pocket.
I may add a bit of stenciling later. Both the fabrics came from a store in Dallas that we passed by while visiting my delightful mother-in-law.

I’m not sure I love the combination, but I also made this vest layer piece out of a knit that has sheer stripes on the solid black. The black is very intense so it seems a bit too opaque on top of this tunic, but I love the lines so I’m sure there will be a match with a few tops in my wardrobe.

Party Pants!

Posted on April 24, 2014 by West Zen

I reviewed the Jacket for this outfit a few weeks ago. Here is the entire ensemble, which I wore to a charity event last weekend.

I felt wonderful wearing my head to toe look with lots of metallic! I constructed the palazzo pants with Vogue 8955. They took 4 yards of gold lame fabric that is actually a stable knit, and very light and liquid. The pattern was relatively easy to sew, but the waistband must fit perfectly. Tight enough to hold up so much fabric, but too tight and it would be uncomfortable for a 4-hour event. I couldn’t find a pattern for the top that I envisioned so I drafted my own! It took two muslins to get it right but in the end I was very happy with the lines. The entire outfit was comfortable and glamorous at the same time.

Dressy Jacket

Posted on March 26, 2014 by West Zen

I’m working on an evening look for an upcoming benefit gala. Dressing up for an event is always fun to plan for. I’m making palazzo pants, a slinky top and then I’m topping it off with this jacket. I’ll show the pant and top as I finish them, but both are already under construction.

I’ve had this fabric in my stash for at least 5 years just waiting for the right moment. The texture has some dimension and a bit of stiffness, but also drapes enough for this Vogue pattern by Geoffrey Beene (V2232 out-of-print).

Black, copper and bright blue threads are woven together to make this slightly iridescent textile. It’s the blue threads that really make the copper pop. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but the other pieces have a lot of gold metallic so I added the gold studs on the pockets for just a dash of sparkle.

Valentine’s Vest and Tunic Top

Posted on February 11, 2014 by West Zen

I bought this cool fabric from The RainShed back in September when I returned from my Diane Ericson retreat in Taos. A fellow sewer, Gwen was making a cool vest out of the fabric, which is grey wool laminated to a black knit. Both sides are attractive and the fabric does not ravel so Gwen was cutting holes out to add interest to her project. I had to try some of this fabric!

Finding the right pattern for me took a while, but I finally settled on Vogue 8932, since it has so many panels to show off both sides of the textile. I like to wear layers so a vest is perfect. I added 2” to the length of the pattern and eliminated any facings. Frankly, I think the final vest looks more like the photos on the pattern cover and it would have felt too short if I had not added the length. Instead of facings a knit stripe finishes off all of the edges.

I added the cut outs to emphasize the lines of the front, and placed a few appliqué pieces to carry an asymmetrical line on my left. The piece needed a little sparkle so I added a small triangle of metallic paint to each of these larger triangles. Just one triangle brought the design to the backside.

Finishing the vest left me with the question of what to wear underneath. I had pulled out a number of coordinating knits when deciding on the edge treatment. Since several of them went well with the grey/black fabric, I decided to whip up a knit top to wear under the vest. Vogue 8952 is so easy and only took about 2-3 hours to cut out and put together.

I can’t wait to wear this on Valentine’s Day! Hmm…red pants might be a fun look.

2T Vest #2

Posted on January 20, 2014 by West Zen

I published the 2T Vest #1 knowing I had more than enough materials to make at least one more vest. Well here it is!I like this one even more than the first, but wear both constantly. The vest is so simple to make without a pattern, by using a couple of Goodwill knit shirts and a little left over black knit. The altered neckline in this version flatters using various fabric scraps. The front hem has a diagonal cut. The piece removed added to the back continues the diagonal theme.I just filled in with a hem/ruffle made up from one of the purchased shirts. I didn’t have enough of the existing curly serged hem so I just made some extra to match. The stencil mimics the print and ties the three fabrics together.It’s warm, washable and has a pocket making this vest perfect for hanging around the house or running errands. Love it!

Special Occasion Tee Shirt

Posted on January 16, 2014 by West Zen

I’m still catching up after the holidays (aren’t we all?). In November my BSF (Best Sewing Friend) Debra and I got together to dye fabric. A stretch rayon and silk velvet from Dharma Trading was our main focus for the dying session. Shown below is the effect we obtained using low immersion method of dying with fiber reactive dyes. Imagine this velvet started out white!

We both wanted a comfy, but dressy tee to wear to holiday events. Pattern Vogue 8962 was the perfect answer for me. Debra used Vogue 8952 and her top was equally beautiful. I’m hoping to do a photo shoot of her clothes soon, since sew together so often.The only change was a small ruffle added to the bottom adding a little flare and a bit more length.The tee is stretchy and comfortable, but still a little dressy. I wore it on multiple special occasions, and will still be able to wear it any time this winter. The contrasting yoke was intentional, but yes, I did have a cutting snafu and had to piece the darker velvet!

Hand-me-down Vest

Posted on November 18, 2013 by West Zen

I’m still working with some wool left over from my Log Cabin Coat. I wanted to make a muslin for a vest and ended up with a finished project. I’m not even sure when I will get to the actual vest planned since I have also been playing with making pullover tops and vests from knit shirts purchased at Goodwill. I’ll show those on a later post. Starting with jacket pattern 6656 from New Look made sense since I wanted to have darts and a closer fit and this pattern has a good basic shape. I made so many changes including adding a second dart that not much is left of the original pattern except the collar. I added the bright magenta lining for a bit of punch. The glove pockets were something that I remember seeing quite a few years ago on a children’s sweater. I love them! I may add a bit more detail in the back, but for now there is at least a little pleat of the magenta lining for a little surprise.

	West Zen Studio on The Year (+) of Moving to Sant…
	West Zen Studio on The Year (+) of Moving to Sant…
	West Zen Studio on The Year (+) of Moving to Sant…
	West Zen Studio on The Year (+) of Moving to Sant…
	West Zen Studio on The Year (+) of Moving to Sant…