Just a couple pictures...

Finished brown capris. Still not 100% happy with them, definitely like the pattern better as shorts.

And my measuring tape skirt now has pockets!

Update! Everything's Coming Along Nicely :)

I finished the green knit shrug. It's made from a remnant of my favorite knit, rayon spandex, that Joanns sells. I used a free shrug pattern from Tanit-Isis (one of my favorite bloggers, y'all should check her out), but altered it. Instead of a band all the way around and on the sleeves, I added a drape-y collar from a piece of left over material. The sleeves are unhemmed (for  now at least) but I did finish the back hem with a band. It's not super pretty looking but I think it looks well enough, especially to non-seamstress trained eyes).

The reversible retro swiss dot jacket is also DONE. Basic construction was done on the machine, then the two sides were machine basted together and I did the binding called for by the pattern in white, by hand.

I'm still working on the red and black bodice.

Close up of the red and black gingham I'm making the shorts and matching bodice out of.

The measuring tape skirt is DONE, except for the pockets. I feel like its a little too big, so I have have to rectify that at some point...Or just wear it as is. I'm planning to do buttonholes at a friend's tonight (my machine doesn't do them) and then hand stitch on the pockets and buttons. I have some red ones picked out!

Finished measuring tape circle skirt. I did all the hand stitching in red. Btw I used a vintage zipper!

And I decided that I needed my brown capris for this weekend, so I cut those out Monday night and put them together. The zipper's in, I need to finish the waistband and hem them. Before I hem, I'm going to give them another try on. It's the same pattern as the shorts, just a longer view, and somehow I'm not sold on the fit of these...

Speaking of this weekend, do you know how hard it is to plan four or five outfits that look nice, cover my tattoos (which if you are unaware cover a good portion of my body from shoulder to knee), and will be cool in mid to upper 80 degree weather?

So right now, I'm looking to:

• Finish the brown capris for this weekend (obviously)
• Get the pockets on the measuring tape skirt (even though its wearable without them)
• Finish the red and black bodice
• Finally make that 40s seersucker blouse
• Start working on the lolita commission I have waiting for me at home 
• And then cut out the blue linen dress and pink and white blouse
• I'd love to make another pair of the shorts I did in red and black, but in denim

June Steampunk Blog Link Party! at Steam Ingenious

I was just asked by Violet over at Steam Ingenious to join her monthly blog link party. So you should all go check out the great blogs involved!

Now to choose what to link to for this blog...

Retro Inspired Summer Wardrobe Progress

I've been up to a lot of sewing lately.

I finished that Mad Moxxi commission (and she LOVED it). And I've taken on some Lolita style skirts and vests for another commission. Fabric's in my car, waiting to be prewashed this weekend.

As for my summer retro-inspired wardrobe:

• The red and black gingham shorts are DONE, the matching top is maybe halfway there. The shorts ended up awesomely high waisted, totally need to make another pair, maybe in denim... The zipper, hooks and eyes and hem were done by hand.

• The red pique pencil skirt is DONE, hem and zipper by hand. I used some lace on the hem as hem tape to make it a little prettier.

• As is the black and pink plaid pencil skirt. Which I am very proud of, because it was my first foray into matched plaid.

• The Star Trek wrap circle skirt is DONE, with a hand sewn hem.
  
• I used my walkaway dress pattern to make a wrap blouse out of striped white on white sateen and trimmed it in the black Paris print. And that's DONE.
• The top I made using a retro Butterick reprint dress pattern out of said Paris print is DONE, the collar is the white striped sateen and so is the binding on the hem (by hand). 
• My 60s shift dress is DONE, my first use of a vintage pattern was successful! I took in the back darts a little, I think if I made another dress I'd mess with the front as well. Has some extra slack there.

The wrap blouse, red pique skirt and shift dress in progress.

• And the dotted swiss dress is DONE as well, hand hemmed the skirt and the lining.
  

In progress:

• A green knit shrug to wear this summer when I don't want my tattoos to show
• A retro style cropped reversible jacket out of left over dotted swiss - one side white on white, the other blue, trimmed in the white on white dots.
• The black and red gingham bodice.
• The measuring tape circle skirt - It's put together, and I made a couple pockets (lined w red pique); needs the zipper, waistband and hem.

• I have the 40s striped seersucker cut out, but haven't worked on it yet. And the brown capris, the blue linen dress and the pink and white blouse are still waiting til I'm done with what's already cut out. I think the pink and white might end up a Colette Sorbetto...

Miss Wilde's Weekend

Was spent, as I'm sure you can imagine, sewing.

And watching Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Arrow and Star Trek (2009, not the new one, unfort), while sewing.

So what did I do during all that sewing time?

Well, the Mad Moxxi commission is mostly finished. My client is coming over today for me to figure out snap placement and hand it off to her. This jacket is one of the most complicated things I've ever made.

I painted the stripes with spray fabric paint and lots of masking tape. The yellow braid is all hand sewn on (just tacked, not intensively sewn down). The lining was basted in by hand. The buttons were of course sewn on by hand.

And I MADE striped fabric for the collar and cuffs -- sewed doubled face white satin ribbon down onto the cut out cuffs and collar of black satin. 

The tails of the coat also have wire sewn into the seam allowances so that they can be flipped up.

Told you it was intensive!

It looks pretty fantastic though.

I also:

• Put together my Star Trek wrap circle skirt (to make it a wrap skirt, I added an extra piece on one side, put on a waistband, left a slit in where the waist band attached so that the waist band / sash could slip through). Because of the weird way I cut out the skirt, the sides ended up being short so I had to then measure the short sections and measure all around the skirt, marking, drawing a new cutting line, and trimming off the bottom. Now all it needs is hemmed!

  

  Skirt before I put it together

• Worked on my dotted swiss sundress. I ended up buying a dusky green poly cotton for the lining, because the blue dots weren't blue-blue, but more of a blue-green. I put together the lining, stitched down the elastic in the dress waist, tacked in the skirt lining, then sewed the bodice lining down to cover the waist seam. The green lining darkens the skirt a bit, but it makes the blue dots pop, so I think I'm okay with it. White lining is just so boring, you know? It's going to look so pretty with a petticoat underneath! Right now it's hanging on the back of  my closet door so the bias cut skirt can settle before I hem it. 

  

  Dotted swiss sundress hanging so the skirt can settle

• Made my sister in law a new nursing cover. - She's of Dutch ancestry and we just got in two Dutch prints at work: one with windmills and a stripe with windmills and wooden shoes. I asked what she wanted and she requested a new nursing cover. I think it's a bit of a different shape than the first one I made (because I didn't follow the pattern) but I hope it works for her. I lost the pocket on the original pattern, but kept the boning and adjustable strap because she said she liked them. Yesterday I finished it by hand stitching the facing in place along the top edge. So that'll go down to Cincinnati the next time I visit!
• I've cut out a lot of my new summer wardrobe pieces AND pinned the darts and seams as well. (My office has been SLOW lol). - As of right now I have cut out: The black and red gingham shorts and top. The pink 60s shift. The red pencil skirt. Half of the measuring tape circle skirt (it was giving me issues so I gave up, the fabric needs ironed before I try again). Turquoise and white striped 40s blouse. White striped sateen - I went with a wrap blouse as an experiment, used the bodice from the walkaway dress, lengthened the bodice a bit and made both the front and back pieces a bit wider to accommodate a closure in the back and a tie front. Black and white Paris print cotton bodice. And I cut out the black and pink large gingham check plaid pencil skirt, hopefully I did it right and my plaid will match up!

  

  Vintage pattern I'm using to make a 60s shift dress

And the cut out 60s shift with the darts pinned.

That's all I've got for now! A bientot!

PS - Almost forgot that I picked up a super cute retro inspired McCalls dress pattern the other day randomly. No idea how I missed this pattern! lol So I'm going to use my blue embroidered linen to make McCalls 6503 instead of a skirt, once I decide which neckline I like better...