Kind of Blue

I'm so happy to join Toy's Accessory Hop today!  This fall I've abandoned my typical hues of gold, burnt orange, and brick red for shades of blue and grey.  These bags are simple clutch bags which I made with two different flap styles.  The grey is made in a super soft leatherette and lined with silver dupioni silk.  The blue boasts an African lace embellishment on the flap.  Its lining is a blue and silver brocade. 

All of my Fall accessories are made to coordinate with this blue jacket I made early in September.  Here is my first experiment with making an infinity scarf.  If you'd like to try, take a look at this Youtube video by wowzzy.  It's a quick and easy way to use up leftover fabric.  I used a crinkle silk from a previously made cocktail dress.

No Fall wardrobe is complete with a hat, and I cannot really resist a beret--no matter what's on or off trend. I made this beret from a luxuriously soft wool suiting, again, leftover from an old vest project.  And just for fun, I lined it with the same royal blue silk used for the scarf.

I don't make jewelry (although I probably will someday), but these pieces from my jewelry box complete the accessory wardrobe. Silver hoops are classic, and these have a little texture and personality.  The dark blue ring is a souvenir from a Buenos Aires vacation.  I remember meeting its maker in a street market just outside a large cathedral.

DJ Mary's Pick:
To best complement my "kind of blue" accessory wardrobe, I'm thrilled to share an amazing rendition of Miles Davis' "All Blues."  You may know Thomas Quasthoff for being a master lieder crooner, but did you know he could scat? And SWING?

Man in Black



Smooth Criminal

New York City is generally considered one of the fashion capitals of the world, along with Paris, Milan, London, and Hong Kong.  I regret to report, however, that a city teeming with intellectuals, architecture, music, ethnic diversity, artists, and veritable fashionistas is stuck in a color rut. Why, why, why are New Yorkers so hung up on wearing black every day regardless of the occasion or the weather? Why, with the exceptions of the Village and Chelsea, does the city seem devoid of clothing in color?

Yes, black is sleek and elegant.

My other car

Mysterious, enigmatic.

Schuster's Nightmare

Prestigious and authoritative.

U.S. Supreme Court Justices, 2011

 But it can be addictive!

Robert Palmer and Addicted to Love Girls

Or just plain sad.

Six Feet Under

I suspect we are all sticking with black because we think it goes with everything, hides stains, flatters our bodies, and hey, everyone else is wearing black.  I do worry though that black is sucking the color out of our closets.  Technically speaking, black isn't a color--it doesn't reflect light at all.  In fact, it absorbs light. Does it stand to reason that if everyone in the city wore less black, then we'd be collectively reflecting more light, and thereby improving the mood, the atmosphere, even our personal interactions?  What if, by wearing more color, we incited the next Age of Enlightenment? (Plus--pretty colors!)

Oh well, as I rage against the proverbial machine, I fire up the sewing machine, and out comes a black shirt for my darling Michael. 

Fabrication:

A beautiful, lightweight, loosely-woven linen with the characteristic slubs that give the fabric such wonderful texture.  With the exception of the color (or non-color), this is exactly the fabric I wanted for a summer shirt.  I still have dreams of the olive green linen I originally searched for.  I found the black linen at H & M Fabrics on W. 39th Street just east of 8th Avenue--steps from the bus station.  The cuffs, collar, and front facing are stabilized with a fusible woven interfacing. 

The buttons are just plain old shirt buttons. I really wanted to snazz it up with little matte finished metal buttons. But "snazzy" got vetoed.

Pattern/Construction:

Negroni by Colette Patterns

Having never sewn a man's shirt before, I was completely reliant on the Colette pattern and its instructions.  The pattern's illustrations and instructions were fantastic.  Before reading through, I was intimidated by the challenge of making a nice crisp collar, patch pockets, and pocket flaps.  The sleeve plackets scared me the most! 

Since I wasn't free-styling the way I normally do, I had no trouble with these clear and well-illustrated instructions. Notice the back yoke--it comes out so neatly lined when constructed exactly as the pattern suggests--without any hand-stitching at all.

You can learn much more about sewing men's shirts on Peter's blog, Male Pattern Boldness. He recently led a Men's Shirt Sewalong, and he includes a wealth of valuable information on the topic.  Even if you're not into shirts, check out Peter's blog for an entertaining look at fashion, sewing, and his Chelsea Flea Market acquisitions.

DJ Mary's Pick:

"Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair" always makes me think of Michael.  In this video, you'll see that Nina Simone was apparently born to sing it.  So in honor of the Diva Nina, black-haired Michael, and black itself, color or not...

Night at the Museum: Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty

On the very last night of the Alexander McQueen exhibition, Michael and I trekked uptown to brave the 4-hour line at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The exhibition, entitled Savage Beauty, was so popular that the museum extended its run by one full week, and then further extended its hours during the last week.  The lines have been compared to the Metropolitan's 1963 display of the Mona Lisa.

We were completely blown away by McQueen's designs.  He handled sharp tailored pieces and drapey, flowing garments adeptly and artistically.  His work shows incredible range of technique and expression.  His materials included feathers, silk, satin, leather, tulle, lace, beading, embroidery, metal, wood, razor clam shell, glass--all handled with aplomb.

I was particularly struck by his jacket from the collection, It's a Jungle Out There, 1997-98.  I just couldn't stop staring at it.  Note the sharp shoulders and the familiar image on the back. The jacket is made of silk and cotton twill; it is printed with an image from The Thief to the Left of Christ by Robert Campin, ca. 1430.  I'm struck by the juxtaposition of this modern, tailored shape and the 1430 painting.   Also remarkable is the whole notion of bearing the image of such pain on one's back.  McQueen stated that he wanted his clothes to make a woman feel powerful.  Many of his garments evoke images of suffering and pain--and through those images he expresses strength.  

My favorite piece is a dress from McQueen's posthumous collection, Angels and Demons (2010).  

Made from feathers dyed gold and embroidered tulle, the dress is breathtaking.  It reminds me of the magic hen who lays golden eggs.  The mermaid silhouette adds to the fairy-tale allusion.  Papagena all grown up, perhaps?  

The dramatic collar looks like a place to find protection or comfort. Imagine those soft feathers brushing against the chin and cheek.  Using the most delicate of materials--feathers and tulle--McQueen creates an image nothing less than formidable.  

This was one of the few items displayed behind glass.  (Another fantastic aspect of the exhibition is that you can view a great many of McQueen's pieces up close, without the reflection of the glass.) The dresses from his final collection, though, are shown in an over-sized mirrored casket, and they speak loudly despite the glass.

For more images, commentary, and video, you can browse selections from the exhibition on the Metropolitan Museum of Art website.

DJ Mary's Pick:

Here's an excerpt from a holographic video in the exhibition. Yes, a hologram! Featuring Kate Moss and music from Schindler's List, it was originally a part of McQueen's 2006 Fall Runway Show. 

Wrap Up

Although Diane von Furstenberg is often credited with inventing the classic wrap dress, it was actually American designer Claire McCardell who designed the "popover dress" in the 40's.  This versatile, wrap-around dress was used as a template for many of her further designs, and later inspired von Furstenberg's jersey wrap dresses.

Claire McCardell's Popover Dress, 1942
Metropolitan Museum of Art

When the wrap dress reached the height of its popularity in 1975, Diane von Furstenberg was making 15,000 a week!  For her, it symbolized women's liberation and strength.  She told The Independent: "the wrap dress made women feel what they wanted to feel like... free and sexy... It also fitted in with the sexual revolution: a woman who chose to could be out of it in less than a minute!" 

Diane von Furstenberg's Wrap Dress, 1975
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Indeed, it has no closures whatsoever besides the sash that is wrapped and tied--much like a kimono or a bathrobe.  Her design is even hailed as being universally flattering.  So I made my own, but I don't really love it.

Fabrication:
Lightweight, woven polyester.  First strike.  I hate working with polyester, though I must admit that this particular cut is rather soft and comfortable against my skin.  I do like the color, but it would probably better suit a different complexion than mine.  Brown girl plus brown dress equals blah.  Next time, I'll try a silk jersey in a non-neutral color.

Construction:
I started with McCall's 5314 dress pattern.  My alterations were few, but significant.  After I shortened the bodice length by 1" and the skirt length by 2", it fit.  The circle skirt refused to be hemmed.  The nature of cutting a skirt in the shape of a circle means that portions of the skirt must be cut on the bias of the fabric.  That's a problem for hemming because the fabric stretches and stretches--permanently!  I let it hang for about a week before hemming.  By then, I had a mess on my hands.  The bottom edge looked like it had been cut by Edward Scissorhands.  I tried my best to trim off the portions that had stretched out, but you can see in the photo that the hem is nowhere near even. 

Wearability:
Von Furstenberg's idea to be dressed without a zipper, button, waistband, or hook does make for a comfortable dress.  And if you indulge in too much pasta, you can always loosen the ties a bit.  Primarily for that reason, I'll have to try again in the quest for a great wrap dress.

Accessories:
Like my bag?  I call it the Veronica Bag--the latest addition to my Etsy shop.  If the dress didn't totally satisfy me, then at least I got a great suede bag out of the project.

DJ Mary's Pick:
Today's song is from another great artist of the 70's and is obliquely related to wrapping up.  Maybe not in a wrap dress, but hey, enjoy the performance!

Dress a Joplin Child: Project First Day

Project First Day is an effort to donate handmade clothing to the Joplin, Missouri children victimized by the May 22nd tornado.  Designer Susan Stewart is organizing a national drive to provide these children with a new, handmade outfit for the first day of school, August 17.  Having lived in hurricane country for several years, I have an idea of the distress caused by a weather disaster.  I also know very well the boost of energy that comes from a brand new dress!  Here's my contribution:

Reading, Writing...Easter-egg Hunting?

My favorite part of the dress is that little bow on the front--so girlie.  Will my Joplinette be better dressed for tea and scones than for multiplication and monkey bars?



Finger paints...or finger sandwiches?



DJ Mary's Pick:

I firmly believe that no other medium can express grief as acutely as music.  For those who lost loved ones in Missouri, here's the great band Kansas, (technically from Kansas, but the keyboardist is from Missouri), with a live version of their best song, "Dust in the Wind."  Check out the live strings and candelabras!  

To participate in Project First Day, email Susan Stewart at susanstewartdesigns@hotmail.com.  The deadline for submissions is August 1.  More details at the ASG Chicago website. 

Friday Night Fagoting

So what does one wear to a midsummer, outdoor, daytime wedding? If you're my genetically blessed husband, you pop into Banana Republic on the way home from work and saunter back out with a perfectly fitted light grey suit.  If you're me, you fire up a coffee machine with one hand and a sewing machine with the other.

Fabrication:
The dress is made from a peach and ivory brocade from Paron Fabrics--my favorite fabric store--in NYC.  I've included a full lining made from cotton muslin. The bodice is supported by boning--10 bones to be exact!  At first I thought the brocade would be too heavy for a summer day, but the cotton lining was just the perfect thing to keep the dress comfortable and cool all day.

Construction:
I started this dress with the pattern, McCall's 5881.  It's a simple party dress with clean lines.  But as a lover of all things baroque, I just couldn't leave well enough alone.  I longed for a ruffle, a sequin, lace, embroidery, oh anything for an ornament!  It must have been the Bach fugues spilling from my stereo speakers that set me on a mission to embellish with a fagoted seam, a decorative seam that joins two pieces of fabric together with a space between them and a row of hand stitching.

Fagoted Seam from Colette Patterns blog

At first, I thought I could execute the seam with my sewing maching.  Here are my test samples:



Too big.



Too small.



Too sloppy.

Machine fagoting proved too weak and messy.  Only hand-stitching would render the best result. 

  Yes, hand fagoting.  I used heavy topstitching thread to really capture that filigree look.

Hand-stitched fagoted seam

If you'd like to try out your own fagoted seam, check out the Colette Patterns tutorial.

Accessories:
Like my bag? You can have one too! This is the Carla Bag, designed and made by me, for my Etsy shop, Style Me Mary.  Stop by to see more of my designs.

DJ Mary's Pick:
In keeping with my inclination for ornamentation, I give you the matchless Rostropovich who gives Bach a SPEEDY treatment.  When you are given the option to pick up the tempo, please do.  Bach and Rostropovich would approve.

Indigo Girl

Inspiration:
Dress pattern, Vogue 1158, is by African American designer Tracy Reese. Her line, "Feminine Luxe", is described on tracyreese.com as being "for sophisticated women, who dream about getting dressed again...feminine, timeless pieces - rich in dressmaker details - that always capture attention."  I'm not sure I dream of getting dressed again, but I do love a richness of dressmaker details.  Reese does amazing things with stripes, prints, and color.

Fair Isle Jersey Shift by Tracy Reese

Auburn Tribal Stripes by Tracy Reese




Blueberry Floral Pintuck Dress by Tracy Reese


Fabrication:
Last summer, my mother and I went through her fabric stash, and she passed on several cuts she no longer wanted.  I remember lusting after this gorgeous print as a child.  I do love purple, blue, indigo--all the colors in this print.  I'm not sure what the fiber content is, but my best guess is a rayon/cotton blend.

Construction:
I shortened the bodice pattern by 1.5" between the shoulder and bust. Yes, I am really that short-waisted. My usual alteration is 1" which does not always yield a perfect fit. Vogue patterns usually seem a bit longer in the bodice than other companies.

I omitted the lining for this iteration, but if I make it again in silk, I won't leave out the lining.


Vogue 1158 by Tracy Reese

You'll notice in the original design that the edges of the belt are meant to be bound with self-fabric bias.  I took a shortcut by just sewing right sides together and turning right side out. I'm not particularly crazy about the look of a bias-bound belt anyway, especially in a print.

Wearability:
A+! This dress kept me comfortable and cool for several hours enjoying the Pride Day Parade, a performance of Measure for Measure at Shakespeare in the Park, and much eating and drinking.  If I can't eat as much as I want in my clothes, what is the point?

Accessories:
Like my bag?  It's a sneak preview of what's to come in my soon-to-be-opened Etsy shop! Filling the shop with all original designs, hand-made by me--my summer agenda.