Betty Lee and Me

One of the great delights of living in Washington, DC is all the quirky little events that pop up and this was one of them - the Jane Austen Ball:Mr. Darcy's Delight hosted at Gadby's Tavern in Old Town Alexandria.  The event highly recommends attending three dance classes prior to the event to learn all the English country dances - some easy, some mindbendingly hard - but for me it was all about the costumes! For the design of my dress, I did some research (Sense and Sensibility - Col. Brandon over Mr. Darcy any day!) and then got to work. For my dress I used the Basic Bodice from Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book and then took off about three inches from the bottom in the front, four inches from the bottom in the back and added a button placket.  The neckline I cut lower in the front and back to make it more appropriate to the period.  I had some perfect crisp, white cotton in my stash for the classic Regency look. Testing out necklines For the skirt of th...

One of the most common questions I get from people about sewing is where to buy fabric in DC.  Unfortunately, there isn't a single fabric store within the District!  I know, it's crazy!  But just outside of DC there are some great little shops where you can find the perfect fabric for your project. First, a brief word on what type of fabric you should buy for your project.  There are two big categories of fabric: woven and knit.  My general rule for beginners is to stick to woven fabrics such as chambray, cotton lawn, or even quilting cotton.  These fabrics are easy to work with because they hold their shape and don't stretch.  Skirts, shirts, dresses, pants, they can all be made from these materials - and they come in a lot of great prints! Quilting cottons have a lot of personality. Knit fabrics, with either a two way or four way stretch, are more difficult to work with because of the stretch and usually require a serger or two-needle...

Now for the fun part - behold, the dress! The crepe-backed satin that I loved the look of was actually a total nightmare to sew with.  I though the crepe would add a stability to the garment and, while it did, it made the fabric surprisingly voluminous and it was actually hard to get the darts ironed just right. The wrap overlay is also two pieces of fabric and not just one, adding to the volume even more.  I was a bit worried about sewing the darts correctly but it was actually the simplest part of the whole dress - lots of folding, ironing, and then sewing one straight stitch.  The belt adds a nice detail to the dress and I definitely plan to replace the buckle with something a little more 1950s.  I'm also on the hunt for a covered belt kit so if anyone knows where to get one, please let me know! I'm most happy with the fit of this dress.  I have another fancy, pencil skirt dress that looks fantastic when I'm standing ... but when I'm sitting I'm a...

As I've started sewing more complicated patterns I constantly wish for more thorough reviews of fit and technique but, aside from quick notes on Instagram most people don't do that!  I then I realized I don't do that either ... oops.  But no more!  I'll be using this blog to do reviews of the patterns I make, the techniques I use to make it fit juuuuust right and, of course, lots of photos of the finished piece. First up, Butterick B5880, originally printed in 1951.  I've had this pattern in my stash for awhile, and even bought the royal blue crepe-backed satin six months ago, but it's not an everyday dress so it was easy to put to the back of the line.  Enter the M cCalls Royal Wedding sew-along contest .  The prize: a gorgeous Singer sewing machine (Hi McCalls - pick me!). Step one is figuring out all the fit adjustments for this pattern.  Based on the measurements, I should be fine to sew a 14 in the bust and waist but will need to add...