My New Dress Form Phoebe

Posted on Aug 25, 2014 | 0 comments

It was “Girl’s Day” this last Friday for me and my daughter.  When the time is right and we feel the need, off we go to do whatever we want to do for the day, spending time together talking, sharing dreams and laughing… a lot!  This last Friday ended up being a shopping day for clothing staples and lunch that included a glass of wine for moi!    Mind you, shopping for clothes is not a simple undertaking.  When I look at a garment, not only do I look at the design but I also examine the quality of the fabric, the stitching, and query how well it will hold up with wearing.  Even my daughter who doesn’t sew, shops according to these guide lines though she also operates under the premise that if she works it right, she can get me to make it for her!  If I ever quit sewing, she’s doomed —  unless she learns how to sew!

I should say that quitting sewing is the last thing I can imagine doing.   For me, creating garments is like needing to breath air!  Of course, in order to carry out this life force activity, a number of tools are required that include dress forms.  These shapely life-size mannequins really have multiple purposes and the dialogue in discussing them can fill a book!  For my post today, rather than doing a lot of explaining of their uses, I decided to keep things simple and introduce you to Phoebee!

The choker Phoebe is wearing, I purchased from a Huaorani Indian Community in the jungle of Equador, South America.

Phoebe is a Full Industry Pro Female Roxy Dress Form that I purchased from …. drum roll…. you’ll never believe it… wait for it… Facebook!  Yes, I am one of those Facebook socialites and I am not ashamed!  Especially because it was FB that brought Phoebe and I together.  Long story short, I belong to a fashion trade group on FB and one day last month, her previous owner posted her for-sale on the group site.  Her sale price was $250.00 and it wasn’t very far to drive and pick her up.  Wow!  Now that was a deal I could not pass up!  I was on it like flies on poop!  I have dreamed of owning my very own Wolfie which I discussed in an earlier post, ‘Wolf Dress Forms’, but given the cost of one of them, it has been just that… a dream.  I did some research on the “internets” and discovered that the Roxy Dress Forms are constructed quite similarly to the Wolf, and fortunately for me don’t carry the hefty price tag.  As for the sizing, well… Phoebe is a size 4 which fits my daughter perfectly, fits me in the shoulders and bust perfectly, but I will have to add a couple of inches in the waist and hips!  Yeah… gravity, babies and age do things to female bodies but let’s not go there!

She of course is full length and hangs from a pole on a heavy cast iron horseshoe base with wheels.

We of course had to do a photoshoot together!

Now I finally have a dress form that is a near fit for me, but I discovered one thing that I really hadn’t given much thought to.  Because she hangs, the post above her neck is in the way if I want to test fit for a pull-over-the-head kind of garment.  It can be done but the dress form has to first be removed from the hanging apparatus.  It’s manageable since the form is not drastically heavy, about 14.8 lbs. to be exact.  It’s not often that this will happen so I’m not too worried about it.  Besides, the idea for buying this dress form was for it’s true purpose, draping.  I have all kinds of ideas that I want to explore, only first I need to purchase some cotton batting and pad out those several inches I mentioned earlier!

Yes, I did make the dress.  It is an out-of-print McCall’s pattern, #4444.

This is what the back looks like.

The live back side now including Phoeb’s!

We are having a really warm summer this year in Oregon.  The temperatures are heading back into the 90’s for this coming week.  I will appreciatively and gracefully sweat through it since the rain season is just around the corner which I’m not quite ready for.  Until then, more sunshine, more summer dresses to wear, more Chardonnay to drink and more time to get to know Phoebe before we begin our draping adventure!

Until next post…

Salut!  Jessica

Simplicity 2362 LBD Part 2

Posted on Jul 23, 2014 | 0 comments

 Waldport, Oregon

Okay… I’m back and ready to share with you my LBD (little black dress)! As to where I’ve been… well, the last few weeks have been pretty crazy.  It’s summertime and that means spending time with family and friends, and going on adventures!  Some of the highlights… Portland Blues Festival, a winery concert, and last weekend, a coast trip, hence the above picture taken at a beach in Waldport Oregon.  What’s really cool is that we’re only about half way through summer, which means there’s still more time to play before the sun and its warmth leave us!

Believe it or not, amid all this fun, I have actually been sewing too!  It’s been difficult at times though because my machine and work area are upstairs and on days when we have hit the high 90’s, it’s been too hot to sew!  No, I don’t have an air conditioner.  Maybe I’m nuts, but I like the windows open, rain or shine… or heat!  And I like cheap electric bills!  The worst is only about three weeks out of the year and so why not bond with mother nature a bit, even if it gets a little wickedly hot!   I’ve been wanting to sew some of the Up-Coming Projects posted here on Sewlikeinparis so I can share them with you but alas… I’m kind of stuck in “little black dress” mode so I’ve decided to change things up a bit!  This means… get ready to see a bit more black!

As for my LBD made from Simplicity 2362…

I purchased some black China silk from Mill Ends in Beaverton, Oregon, like I said I was going to do.  Making and sewing in the lining was simple.  I used the same skirt pattern pieces.  Because the bodice was already attached to the main skirt, I just hand sewed the lining to the inside of the skirt, wrong side to wrong side, stitching in the seam allowance along side the actual seam.  Then I folded the center back seam allowances under along each side of the zipper tape and sewed them in place.

Here is the inside…

The black isn’t as dark as it really is, but I decided not to change the lighting because it’s easier to see the details.

Along the zipper.

This is a close-up of the front of the bodice on the outside.  I sewed a rhinestone button on each pleat.  When I was preparing the pictures for this post, I noticed a lot of fuzz or lint!  My excuse… I was out of lint roller paper which I like to use but I have more now!

The straps are pleated on both the front and back ends rather than gathered.  Yes… I didn’t follow instructions but I’m notorious for this!

This is a close-up of the bodice though this picture came out more like its true color.

So now I’m ready for an evening out!

The back of course… hmm… got some weird tan lines going!

Back around…

The front again…with pockets!

And without pockets!

That’s a wrap-up for the 1st “little black dress”.   I have already purchased the fabric for two more and the work is in progress.  Also ready to share with you another one that is in the final stages of hemming.  Lots to come!  However… Right now it’s time for a glass of wine!… or two!

Salute!  Jessica