I spent an hour yesterday afternoon at the Anthropologie website clicking through every image in the dress, blouse, t-shirt, sweater, and skirt sections to gather inspiration. Normally, I love this website and find much to inspire me. This time, there were a lot of shapeless styles and I prefer more fitted clothing. I decided to show you what I found in four postings since there won't be much sewing going on until Thursday next week when I get to the workshop.
The workshop is with Ron Collins. He's a technique and fit expert. It's in Nanaimo at the Snip & Stitch, the same shop that I went to in September. The classroom space was small with one large cutting table down the middle that made it a little difficult to work in. My plan is to cut out my projects ahead of time and arrive ready to begin sewing. I'm focusing on patterns that I've already fit and sewn and am debating a dress and sweater. I want to add more creativity to whichever design I pick.
Soft Structured - $148.00 - is a jersey knit dress with soft pleats and pull over styling. It reminded me of Vogue 8511 even though the Anthropologie dress has a faux wrap skirt and the Vogue pattern has centered pleats. If you click through to the Anthropologie website, you'll be able to hover the mouse over the image and see the details enlarged. It's a beautiful dress with a four star rating out of sixty-nine reviews. Apparently, I'm not alone in appreciating this style.
If you hover over Side Stepping - $138.00 - you'll see the polka dot fabric and what appears to be multiple seams with a flared hemline that - according to their description - will swish. It's the kind of dress that makes me feel quite feminine when done in the right fabric and like a little girl playing dress-up when done in the wrong fabric. If you click on the back view at the website, it seems to pull up funny. I'm not that impressed with the back however - since I sew - I could sew it any way I wanted. I have a dotted fabric in stash that just might work and it's been there for at least ten years, maybe longer. Perhaps, it's time has come except that...
... I wanted to make something with more than one fabric like Seaside Fields - $138.00. With a fitted skirt and fuller top, this style would balance my figure quite well. I can wear this width of shoulder strap to work only I'd be more comfortable with sleeves of some kind or a cardigan.
My favourite dress was this one, Blooming Goldenrod - 138.00 - with it's four different fabrics. It seemed like a wonderful opportunity to mix and match some of the fabrics in my stash. If you enlarge the details at the Anthropologie site, you'll see that the dotted fabric from the sash appears in two strips down center front. These can't be a Hong Kong finish turned to the front since the wrong side of the fabric does not appear. It's more like an embellishment placed over top. Interesting but not necessarily a feature I would need to incorporate, after all...
... I don't need to make an exact replica. The Vogue 8667 pattern that I just perfected would be a viable starting point for an "inspired by" version.
When I clicked through to the Vogue website to get the pattern links, I noticed they're having another 3 day sale and then I clicked away. Maybe it's working in a fabric store. Maybe it's equating all my purchases in terms of how many hours I'll need to work to pay for them. Maybe it's my already full to overflowing stash. Whatever it is, I don't need or want any more patterns. I'll just focus on being more creative with what I have.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - a free weekend to pack
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