Saturday, February 8, 2014

Rantin' and Raven II: Bolero























So, the day after I finished writing the previous post, the greater DC area got hit with a snowstorm, which meant a day home from work.  With my upcoming (now past) trip and some unexpected free time, I figured it was as good as time as to make the matching bolero.  And since the Sophistique Noir theme for this month is outerwear and I just got back from the beach, this seemed the perfect time to post.

The pattern is New Look 6675, which I bought for the dress (view B), not the bolero, but oh well, I will get to the dress eventually. (Or considering my general lack of motivation, maybe not.)  The fabric is just the white inverse of the print last time, from Michael Miller's Nevermore collection.

I know I have ranted many times about yardage allotments from Simplicity and New Look, but this was ridiculous.  A size 10 called for 1 3/8 yards of fabric, and I had only one.  I was prepared to have to do some parts of it in leftover black, plain white, or plain black (if I can ever find that in my stash somewhere), but I easily fit it within one yard with a bit to spare.

The whole thing got sewn up in under day, and the only part that as a bit tricky were the ties on the side, because it involves cutting out a small section, flipping it up, and enclosing the seam.  I'd recommend this for an advanced beginner.

The only real problems I encountered with this were the cats were constantly in my lap, demanding attention, for the whole project.  I tell you, it was pure torture.








22 comments:

  1. It looks so lovely! I love the contrast of the black and white of the same print together! Great work! By the way I mentioned you in my latest blog post- you are one of the people who have inspired me to start trying out cute skirts with printed fabric! Hopefully I will start soon, just need to prewash and find the right pattern!

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    1. Thank you for your kind words and the shout-out. Good luck on your skirt quest!

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  2. These look so incredibly well matched! I love the 50s style on you and the bolero really fits!

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  3. OMG <3 that print so much... so awesome. ^_^

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    1. It truly is the perfect fabric for someone who loves Poe.

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  4. I'm so glad it's not just me re: the Simplicity yardage recommendations. I make a lot of Simplicity patterns and routinely wind up with at least a quarter-yard or more left over. (Of course, the one time I decided I could use less I was about six inches short because the Irony Gods hate me.)

    I really like the look of the reverse bolero/dress fabric combo!

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    1. I think all the pattern companies are bad with fabric allotments, but Simplicity is the worst. I half think they are collusion in with Joann's.

      And thank you.

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  5. Wow, the bolero looks amazing. I think a bolero is a perfect outerwear to tuck in the handbag a sunny day, and put on as the day gets colder. I love how you combined the fabrics in this set.

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    1. Thank you! This certainly would have stuffed easily into my purse, but the air conditioning in Puerto Rico made it cold enough that I left it on the whole time!

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  6. That looks amazing! I love the contrast of the print in two different colorways.

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    1. Thanks! I suppose Michael Miller, the designer, really knew what he was doing.

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  7. I'm drooling right now. It's one of my most favourite fabrics ever! And you used it in a very fine way, I would love to wear the dress :)

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    1. Thank you! Both prints are still available from fabric.com.

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  8. Love this! It's a great use of the two fabrics. :D

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    1. Thanks. I'm quite pleased with how they ended up looking together.

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  9. Replies
    1. Me too! I was unaware of how much I needed raven fabric until I saw it.

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  10. Genius to use the inverse fabrics! Those kitties really know when to start demanding attention, don't they? ;o)

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    1. They *always* demand attention, but were just particularly insistent in this case.

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  11. You have an amazing knack for finding the coolest prints. I'm in love with this outfit. I love halters (what they do for the shoulders... mmmmm!), especially in the style of this dress with a nice, full skirt. And of course, the bolero is perfection in my book!!

    I have a wondrous convertible bra that also has an extra-long strap that wraps around the stomach and hooks to the bra band, pulling it down sufficiently for dresses that are cut lower in the back. It's quite a contraption, but it works. :) My only issue is if I make the halter strap of the bra too tight; then I get upper back pain by the end of the day.

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    1. "Knack" or "clinical obsession"? I peruse fabric.com and JoAnn's like a maniac and will buy anything vaguely spooky the second it goes on sale.

      Care to spill where you got this fancy, wonderful bra?

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