Inspiration for the Persephone Sailor Pants + Shorts

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Today I wanted to talk a little bit about my new sewing pattern, the Persephone Pants + Shorts. I have been working on these pants for what feels like an eternity! In reality, it's been almost two years since I began drafting the original pattern. That pattern has gone through so many alterations since I first drafted it! I have learned so much about pants in the last year. I finally got the fit I was looking for and with the encouragement of several people, I decided to release my pattern into the world! I have been dreaming of a high waisted wide leg sailor pants pattern for years. I love the silhouette of the high waisted wide leg trousers from the 1930's and '40s. I wanted to create a modern interpretation of these pants, that were less baggy and much more fitted throughout the waist and hips. I think they can be so flattering on many different body types. I also personally love non-stretch pants and jeans and I haven't found a lot of home sewing patterns that were drafted specifically for non-stretch fabrics. Although this pattern was originally intended for non-stretch fabrics only, several of my wonderful pattern testers decided to use 3-5% stretch and they turned out absolutely fabulous! So really, it's up to you to decide what kind of fabric you want to use. I've been enjoying these pants made in a 10oz cotton canvas. I feel like it's heavy enough to hold everything in place, but it still has some movement and it's not quite as constricting as a 12oz or 15oz weight fabric. It's fun to experiment. I know I am looking forward to sewing some shorts and pants in a heavy linen this summer. But I am also thinking about making a pair of denim pants, maybe with a cut-off frayed hem. I love sewing because it gives me the power to make whatever I envision. The possibilities are limitless! 

The Persephone Pants + Shorts are available as a sewing pattern for home sewers or if you don't sew, they are also available for purchase in my shop. If you want to share your Persephone pants or shorts on social media, feel free to use the hashtag #persephonepants 

THE PERSEPHONE SEWING PATTERN

MADE-TO-ORDER PANTS

New Sewing Pattern: Lotte Blouse

My Lotte Blouse sewing pattern is finally ready! I really wanted to make this one available at a discount, so I decided to try something a bit different for this pattern. Instead of pricing it myself, I'm going to leave that up to you! It's yours for whatever you think the pattern is worth or whatever you can afford. When you click on the button for purchase, you will be redirected to the payment form where you will simply fill in the blank yourself. Easy! :)

I really enjoyed making this pattern. It's quick and fairly straight forward, so a beginner/intermediate sewer should find it a simple one to sew up in an afternoon. I've been getting lots of wear out of the blouses I've made and already have plans for some other variations for this blouse. I keep seeing these off-the-shoulder style blouses pop up all over the place and I think they are so easy to make. There's no need to buy one already made if you can sew!

If you are interested in sharing photos of your creations using my patterns, I would love to invite you to join my Flickr sewing group and post pictures! I am working on more sewing patterns and hope to have them added to my collection in the coming months!

If you would like to receive emails when I come out with new sewing patterns or clothing collections, feel free to join my mailing list for updates!

WWW.ANNAALLENCLOTHING.COM

A summer trend: off the shoulder

I've been seeing a lot of off-the-shoulder tops and dresses lately and I have to say I'm really loving this trend! I love wearing tops with a wide neckline or ones where the neckline dips lower in the back. I find them super flattering on. So the other day I decided to draft my own blouse and see how I like it. I think I want to make a few tweaks to the pattern, perhaps make one that isn't so "blousy," and one that buttons up the front as well. But I think this top will be really nice and cool to wear in the summer. Let me know if anyone would be interested in a pattern like this. I might throw it together as a quick PDF download (although I do have another top pattern in the works that is just about ready)! xo

A New Dress Inspired by The Moon-Spinners

I just finished this dress for a client who also shares a love for the 1964 Disney film The Moon-Spinners. She asked if I could make my Bachelor's Button dress with green fabric and a white collar/buttons. Custom orders like this dress are my favorite to make! I was so happy when I found the perfect green linen fabric in a similar shade as the dress Hayley Mills wears in the movie. I made the collar with white handkerchief linen and covered the buttons in the same fabric. I think it turned out rather nice and now I want a dress like it for myself! If you are interested in a dress like this one or you would like to talk to me about a custom order, please feel free to drop me a line! I love working with clients on custom orders. They usually turn out to be the most rewarding projects to make!



{And just for fun... click here to listen to "Nicola" from The Moon-Spinners soundtrack!}

spring cleaning!

Hello everyone! It has been awhile since my last post during spring break. I've been home for awhile now and have been spending my time cleaning and de-junking this place. I feel like I haven't really devoted a good amount of time on this for a couple years. I've been through two moves in just over a year and every time I moved it felt kind of rushed. Also, since I am now only making my own line of clothing and have stopped sewing historical clothing, I want to get rid of extra fabric that has been sitting around for years. I can always buy fabric if I need it, but I hate having boxes and boxes of fabric that I'll never use. So now I have a pile of boxes in the living room that need to GO. I haven't figured out quite yet how I'm going to get rid of them. Might do a little yardsale online, but we'll see. Today I'm going to clean out the closet in my bedroom and probably make a pile of clothes to get rid of as well. Maybe I will have one big yardsale. ha! Maybe it's finally time I buy myself a little cart so it's not a pain every time I hike over to the post office. Anyway, it feels so good to finally get rid of things I never use or papers that I printed long ago and have forgotten about. Having a clean place means I am more productive and a lot more happy. So I'm being ruthless with my stuff and getting rid of as much as I can.

In other news, I bought myself a new brightly colored lipstick yesterday and I must say, I think I've found my favorite lipstick! It's called "Love That Pink" in the Moon Drops line, by Revlon. It's the classic line that has been around for years and I know why! It goes on perfect and stays in place, which is a must for me, since I really haven't had a lot of experience wearing lipstick in my 27 years. :) But I want more experience with it, since I just love how it looks! It's so classic and makes me feel so pretty. That saying really is true; if you're feeling a little down, just go pick up a new lipstick and "voila!" all is well again! I think my next lipstick purchase will be from this same line. They have some really fun colors like "Persion Melon" (I've heard this is the official Pan Am girls lipstick color) and "Orange Flip". Yum!

In other news, I have been really itching to sew some clothes for myself lately. It's been far too long since I've sewn clothing for my own wardrobe. So I'm thinking a lot about that. Maybe I'll do more outfit posts on here. I need to find a better place to take pictures, though. The radiator just is not very pretty. So hopefully I'll be posting more of my own sewing adventures and not just my shop sewing!

Speaking of the shop, I have the spring line all ready, but I wanted to take a little break to clean the house, which is why I'm keeping it to myself for a bit. Also my brother John is helping me clean up my website and make it look sleek and pretty. But I think you will like what I have for spring and summer. I even have a little special something to share that my brother John put together. Can't wait to show you! More on that soon!

Have a lovely Friday and weekend! xoxo

{What I'm wearing: Lands' End Boatneck Sailor Tee, J Crew Pixie Pants, Lands' End Canvas "The Heritage" Ballet Flats, Revlon Moon Drops Lipstick in "Love That Pink" #575.}

many thoughts.

The dresses I am working on right now are taking longer than I thought. Or at least, I started to realize how silly it was to think I could open up shop before finishing these dresses! Making historical clothing is so much different than modern apparel. There are so many little details. You can't just cut it out and sew everything up with a machine. Lots of hand sewing involved. And I am drafting the patterns from scratch, so it is time consuming. It's been awhile since I've made a historical garment. Probably not since last year! So I'm doing a lot of research at the same time, which I actually do for pretty much every historical dress project I start. That is the reason why these two dresses will be my last historical dresses for a long time. I have not made any public statement or closed down my website (I will probably keep it open for those who use it for reference) yet, but have decided it's time. Time to move on to other things. I already have fabric for my spring/summer clothing and am itching to start work on those. But alas, I have other work to do first. I also have more Henriette dresses in a new blue/cream plaid made out of a lovely silk/linen fabric. And I made the Eugénie dress in a hunter green silk velvet I picked up the other week. It's really a stunning color. Jed helped pick this one out, so if you like it you can thank him for the color selection! :) I am sorry I can't reopen the shop just yet, but hopefully these dresses won't take too much longer!

I also have a lot on my mind regarding some of the things I wrote recently in another post I made about making youtube videos etc. I have been agonizing over whether or not to make videos, even going so far as to make a few sample videos (I know, really lame!) but am not happy with any of them. And have decided, for the time being, that making videos and doing the YouTube "scene" really is not my thing. I've found that as much fun as it sounds to do little videos, most of the time it just makes me feel like I need more "stuff," that I don't have enough "things." That feeling of "needing" more in my life than what I already have is not healthy for me. I do like to watch YT videos, but sometimes it is hard for me not to want to buy whatever product someone is talking about. Thinking it is the instant cure-all for whatever I'm dealing with at that moment. And while I'm not trying to put anyone down for making these videos (I really do enjoy watching many of them!) I just don't think it is right for me. I want to be real and myself, and I have a feeling that if I made videos I would be too worried and would just copy someone else! Perhaps there may be an occasion to make a video for a tutorial or a hairstyle, but you know I kind of prefer photography over video anyway.

So that's that! Hopefully I haven't offended anyone. I am trying to be honest and true to myself. Anyway, blah blah... back to sewing for a little while. Perhaps a cup of tea and then to bed I'll go. I am sorry I wrote a book this time! Thanks to those who were able to sift through my writing. Have a really lovely and beautiful weekend! xoxo

WHEW!

Well, it's been one completely CRAZY few weeks here! I've been working like mad on my new winter/holiday collection! But guess what happened last week just as I was finishing a sleeve? My serger broke!!!!!!!!! Well, the needle on the needle plate broke. So I was frantic to find a replacement online. I found a place (I THOUGHT I found a place, that is) so I went ahead and ordered the part and paid the extra twenty some dollars to have it by the next day. I knew it was the weekend when ordering, so I didn't think I'd get it til Monday. Well, I had this sick feeling that it might not get here in time, so I looked online to see if I could track the package. I hadn't heard anything as far as a confirmation shipping number, so couldn't track it. I did some investigation on the company and guess what I found? It was a fraudulent none-existent company by some crazy guy in TN who apparently keeps opening fake sewing part shops online. So when I found this out I decided to go find another company that sold the needle plate. I found one, or so I thought! It had good reviews and even noticed Design*Sponge had them as their friend on Twitter, so I thought what the hey? And guess what? When I got my PayPal invoice back, guess who's name was on the bill? THE SAME GUY!!!! Arghh! So not only was I ripped off once, but twice and both times I paid for express shipping! Gahh! Anyway, to make a long story a bit shorter/longer we got in touch with PayPal (via phone) and got my money back by the next day! So I've learned a few things through this whole ordeal. One, don't order sewing parts online and be very leery about ordering anything sewing machine related. At least be certain who you are ordering from. The only times I've been ripped off had to do with a sewing machine on eBay and now this. Second, PayPal rocks! They were awesome. If you ever have a problem like this, don't wait around doing the online form, just give them a call. And third, if you ever need a part for your sewing machine, call your local sewing shop!

So after all that, I decided to take a trip down to my local Vogue Fabrics and I brought in the broken needle plate with me to show them. They told me I could fix it by ripping out the broken needle (it was hard, that thing was really stuck in there!) and then super glue another needle back in there (sewing needle that fits in the slot and cut to size). And guess what? It WORKED!!! I am so thrilled! I was able to finish my collection and all the seams are beautifully serged! They are also ordering me a new needle plate, since my little makeshift plate probably won't last forever. But it's nice to know I can fix it if it ever happens again. Btw, I took pictures while working on it, so I hope to do a bit of a tutorial on how to fix a needle plate if it ever happens to you. It was pretty hard to find any information about it online, so hopefully this will help someone out there!

In other news, I'm heading back home tomorrow for vacation which will include a highschool performance of Pride and Prejudice, a photo shoot with my brother, lots of coffee with good friends, hopefully a bit of shopping in my favorite little Mt Vernon town, annnnd lots of Thanks Giving! I think we have two Thanks Giving dinners to go to next week. It sure will be full! And that's a good thing too, because we've been living off of one week of groceries for the past two weeks and we are ready for some down home cookin'! :) See you all when I get back! Have a super duper holiday! I have A LOT to be thankful for, that's for sure! xo

p.s. lately i've been doing this to my hair after a shower. works so well and so easy too!

pattern drafting

I've been doing a lot of pattern drafting lately. I thought it would be good to get back to the basics and make some new slopers (pattern blocks). And since the last bodice sloper I made I lost somewhere I decided to sit down and just draft a whole new one. I have been using Modern Pattern Design by Harriet Pepin, published in 1942, for most of my drafting (along with a few other books). Although it is pretty old, it has such wonderful timeless information in it. I absolutely adore this book! I don't own it, but found out that Jed's university library carries it so I had him pick it up for me. But I also found this PDF download online for those who don't have access to the book. I highly recommend it if you are just learning or would like to learn how to draft patterns.

Having a well fitted sloper that fits your body measurements really is a good thing to have even if you don't ever plan to make your own patterns. I found this incredibly helpful tutorial on how to use your sloper to grade a pattern to your size. I tried it on a vintage pattern I have and it looks like it will work perfectly, just haven't had the time to make the dress yet! Taking your time to make the pattern fit before cutting out your garment will save you a lot of time in the long run, not to mention some hair pulling. ;) If there is anything I've learned from years of sewing it's that it never pays to rush or cut corners. And I might also suggest that if you do end up making a sloper, take your time with it. Test it over and over until you are truly happy with the fit. I ended up cutting out two or three sleeves until later realizing that the first sleeve actually fit, it's just that I didn't take the time at the start to cut it out and slowly assemble it.

In other sewing news, I am working on a new pattern for a few new garments for the shop. Yes, I am planning to open the shop soon! I thought it might be good to take a wee little break to work on pattern making for awhile. But stay tuned for an upcoming shop update!

{P.S. Another super pattern drafting book you might check out is "Make Your Own Patterns" by René Bergh. It's a little outdated (published in 1995) but still very helpful and gives clear instructions for drafting your own patterns.}

better homes & garden sewing book

I've been looking through my 1961 Better Homes & Garden Sewing Book a lot lately and finding some really fun illustrations throughout the book. Not to mention a lot of great sewing tips! I was lucky to find a copy at a thrift store for almost nothing. I like these old sewing manuals so much better than the modern ones. I find they have a lot more helpful, not to mention fun, descriptions in them. What are some of your favorite sewing manuals?

lisette patterns

Yesterday I received an email informing me of a new pattern line. When I read the name, Liesl Gibson (of Oliver + S fame), I knew instantly these patterns would be fantastic. And I was right! I often wished she would make adult clothing, after drooling over all of her adorable children's pattern line (just looking at them makes me want to have babies!) Ms Gibson is truly an inspiration! I cannot wait to try her patterns! And not only will she have a pattern line, but a fabric line as well! Her patterns and fabric will be available at your local JoAnn Fabrics. I haven't checked our fabric store yet, so I'm not sure if they are currently available. In the meantime, please go check out their wonderful website and blog. Happy sewing!

my wardrobe: winter coat.

I decided a couple months ago that I *had* to make myself a new winter coat. The one I'd been wearing I sewed on Thanksgiving about, oh... three years ago? And while I can still technically wear it, I really want a new one. So I bought some really nice twill weave wool (feels slightly felted, which makes for lovely sewing) in brown and cream. Then I bought some huge (okay, only 2") toggle buttons (they are wooden, but look a bit like bone). Next I had to figure out what pattern to use and what lining to use, because I always seem to think of the lining last (I hate lining). I ended up using some cotton/linen check fabric I already had, because I was determined not to buy anything else. Then I found this really great 1960's coat pattern (I ended up buying two, one in a larger size and then when I got lazy and didn't want to grade the pattern, another in my size). One big thing I forgot about when making this coat was that the pattern called for shoulder pads. I didn't read the directions before making the coat (or really during, either) so when it came to attaching the sleeves, I couldn't figure out why the shoulders were so huge! Then it dawned on me. So annoying! I ended up having to take in the shoulder seams another 5/8" and then move the sleeves in by almost another inch. It took some fiddling, but I finally got it. I should have checked that before cutting out the coat, but I didn't want to make a mock-up and I didn't feel like reading the directions completely through before starting. What can I say? I get lazy sometimes when sewing for myself. :) But in the end, it all worked out. I'm still waiting on the rope I ordered for the button loops (woven cotton cord is harder to find than I thought). But I am really happy with how it turned out, especially seeing as I didn't exactly spend the time to make a mock-up and all.

Pictures to come once it is completed! And a very happy weekend to you all!

{above images: 1. dear creatures coat., 2. simplicity 4110, 3. vera coat., 4. carven tweed toggle coat.}

quick hello!

Just a quick "hello!" and some pictures. Yes, I'm making sandals. They're sitting out on the porch drying at the moment. I'll update you on how it goes.

Oh yeah, and I finally got myself a serger! It's not one of those fancy pants sergers, but it's all I really need. I never in a million years thought I'd ever get a serger, but here it is. And I'm pretty darn excited about it.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! I think I'm gonna go make some granola.

new/old sewing machine.

I picked up this little gal (big gal? it weighs a ton) this past weekend. I literally spent the entire afternoon on Saturday researching "MAYFAIR" machines with almost no luck. I know, that's so depressing. I totally wasted my Saturday. I did find a general manual for sewing machines on google books, though. And since then have done a bit more research and asked a few experts. I am pretty sure it's a White machine, but am not positive. And it looks a lot like the Domestic machines and Eldredge. I also purchased a bunch of supplies to refurbish it and bring it back to life. Some of the cords were looking pretty scary and I am not going to take any chances. Those are getting removed and I'm replacing them with brand new cords and a totally new light. My boyfriend was good enough to volunteer and help me out with this project. I know nothing about replacing cords and he does. :) Also there's a lot of cleaning to be done and detail work. I'm sure this will be a bit of an ongoing project, but I think I'll be very happy when I have it up and running. I've always wanted a vintage sewing machine. They're supposed to be little workhorses and I don't doubt that. I'm also excited to try out my new/old buttonholer. I love sewing tools and gadgets. :)

p.s. my seeds are just starting to pop their little heads up! i'm so excited!!

mociun knock-off

Yesterday I cleaned my sewing room. It was a mess. And I don't mean any little mess, it was really bad. So bad I felt like fungus was starting to grow on the walls and the things surrounding me were starting to sprout. Soooo... I cleaned it all up and you know what? It inspired me. Honestly I think a clean room speeds my productivity at least by 50%. Last night I whipped up this dress inspired by a dress I adore by Mociun. I had this vintage fabric on hand and a need for a dress to wear to a wedding, so I thought I'd see if I could figure out how to make one myself. It was a little difficult figuring out how to squeeze a dress out of two yards of 36" wide fabric, but I did it!


{original mociun dress.}


{my mociun knock-off.}

Here's my notes in case you'd like to attempt one yourself.


{click for larger view.}

More photos here.

new month

I saw this brilliant idea over at Angry Chicken awhile back and ever since have been meaning to salvage this sweater I got from Goodwill over the cold weather months. Something about it didn't suit me the way it was, so I cut into it and using red thread, I zig-zagged over the edges twice. Super easy. Of course there are some moth holes (didn't notice these when purchasing the sweater) that I need to take care of. Not sure if I want to just mend them invisibly or if I want to do something else... They aren't super noticeable, but I'd rather fix them.

For all you no-shampooers out there, I took a quick picture this afternoon of my hair. I'm still on the baking soda routine and will stay on it until I can find a good shampoo-bar to use in place of it. For those of you who recommended LUSH, thank you! Only I wish we had one here. First time I ever went into that store was in Bath, England. My friend and I loooved it. I even bought some henna and dyed my hair that very day. So I have good memories from that store.

And here's a little something that's making me happy.

some things i'm working on.

Some of these projects I'm not sure will work out. I'm just diving in and waiting to see what happens next. So far I'm quite pleased with the results.


{trousers from 1940 pattern.}


{wool 1930s bathing suit i'm taking a pattern off of.}


Tomorrow is April 1st. Don't let anyone fool you!
Be well.

p.s. sorry no picture of the hair today! i'm still using baking soda to wash my hair, but today has been "one of those days" and i didn't feel like showing the world a picture of crappy me. :) maybe tomorrow.

hello.

Not too much to say. Keeping busy with work, sewing some clothes for myself and baking a bit. Spring is here and Summer is just around the corner. Life is good! I've got the rest of my life ahead of me...who knows what will happen next. I'm ready for anything really. For now I'm going to continue to sew and create things with my hands. It's what I love best.









More pictures on my Flickr.