Finished project: Lekala 4457, aka "Curves, Points, and Things Not Made of Lace"

Welcome back! Remember when I said I'd be making more Lekala patterns (Lekala 4456, aka "Russian Mechanic's Top")? It happened. This time around, I took a stab at  Lekala 4457, "Blouse with lace inset". Wanna see?

Finished project: Lisette for Simplicity 1419, aka "Skull-tastic Chambray Dress"

The skulls made me do it. I mean, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you snatch up a 2-yard remnant of this tiny skull-printed chambray? 

Skulls. And stars and lightning bolts for some reason. Do not question this chambray, or it will zap you.

With the help of Simplicity 1419, I transformed it into a perfectly cromulent pickle-flavored angel food cake of a dress that combines the weird with the conventional.

Finished project: Butterick 5880, aka "Slippery Boatneck Flower Explosion"

Hello! Here, have yourself a martini. We're going into retro cocktail dress mode!

Butterick 5880, originally released in 1951, reflects a style that's much earlier than Mad Men, but I would still classify it as a "Joan" dress. Just look at the wiggle silhouette, the luscious diagonal side darts, the cut-in sleeves!

Have you finished your martini? Come on, down the hatch.  Because here's a bombshell: my version does not include the draped flounce at the hips. I know. It's a main feature of the dress. But what respectable pear silhouette needs all that fabric pooling there? By eliminating the flounce, I allowed this dress to become a (sort-of) office-wear garment. Which I need. Because I work in an office five days a week. Rarely do I attend fancy flounce-appropriate cocktail parties.

Wanna see more pics? Read on. I'll make you another martini while the images load.

Finished Project: Lekala 4456, aka "The Russian Mechanic's Top"

"Здравствуйте"! Google Translate tells me that means "Hello" in Russian. (Da?) Today we venture to Moscow, where Russian pattern company Lekala is headquartered. I made model 4456, a cap-sleeved blouse with a curved yoke and welts over faux pockets.

Lekala offers print-at-home patterns that take full advantage of digital media. Instead of coming in pre-set sizes, Lekala's software customizes each pattern to your individual body! It uses 8 basic measurements, plus 11 tweaks to increase/decrease specific body parts, such as neck and arm lengths.

Because of this, I took a leap of faith and eschewed both muslin and the usual adjustments (FBA, hip width increase, etc.). Was that a mistake, or did Lekala's digital customization come through for me? Let's find out.

Finished Project: Simplicity 1779, aka "Pointy Peter Pan Collared, Flutter Sleeved, Blue Watercolor Floaty Object"

Biceps. I got 'em. Chunky ones. Great agrarian sheafs-of-wheat-hauling ones. (Disclaimer: I have never hauled a sheaf of wheat in my life, but ancestral vestiges linger)

Flutter sleeves? No thank you, ma'am.

So why did I make a top with flutter sleeves? Because I had a remnant, and there was exactly enough fabric to make a top with flutter sleeves. Not an inch more. And you know what? In this floaty, drapey polyester crepe de chine from the Hancock remnant bin, I think I can actually live with how they look on me.

Finished project: McCall's 7053, "An Homage To Two Eras -- Now With Salmon"

Oh, look! McCall's resurrected this loose-fitting retro blouse pattern from their archives.

And it's amazing how the line drawings are nearly timeless. In different fabrics, one or both of these blouses could fit into nearly any modern decade, no?

Finished Project: New Look 6184, "Silky Camo Sophisticate"

New Look 6184 has been a stalwart standby in Simplicity's stable for, oh, about eleventythousand years. Why? Because it's versatile and interesting, yet easy to make. If you are of average bust (I'll get into that later), I predict you'll get a lot of mileage out of this gal.

Finished Project: Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2215, aka "Hayley Mills High On Creamsicles"

Confession: I've always had a thing for a look I'm calling Mid-Century Gamine Picnic-Wear.

Casual and comfortable, but also polished, these outfits usually involve some kind of rolled-up jeans, ballet flats or saddle shoes, and a crisp gingham slightly-cowboy-influenced "camp shirt."

Love the gingham. So wholesome. So not in sync with my dark, ironic soul.

Finished project: McCall's 6503

This pattern is quite the popular lady! See the different versions that sewists have made already: McCall's 6503 on PatternReview (you might even see an abbreviated version of this review on that site)

McCall's 6503 in an embroidered cotton lawn

I opted for View D, with its gathered bust closed with buttons (or not), pleated skirt, and no sleeves.

Girl's Smocked Dress Sew-Along #10: The completed project

Here it is: the big reveal! After nine sessions and a veritable carnival of techniques applied to this thing -- from the idiosyncratic Burda pattern method, to the honeycomb smocking style, to a handmade loop closure -- we're ready to step back and take a gander at what we accomplished.

Here it is!

Wait, what's that turquoise embroidery around the neckline, you may ask. It's a little somethin-somethin to tie it all together.