Since my coat will not be ready for it’s unveiling this week, I embroidered a little L tag to make me feel better:
I just love putting these tags in my garments (and making them, too!). I think they really pull the piece together and give it a nice little personalized touch – you know, since sewing/hand-tailoring/fitting the damn thing wasn’t personalized enough. (this is where I roll my eyes)
Also, I love embroidery! I don’t get to do it enough, but I just find it so relaxing & free-flowing. This particular monogram is from Hoop Love Vintage Transfers – I use transfer paper to draw the design directly onto muslin, and then fill it with pretty embroidery stitches 🙂 This piece has satin stitch, back stitch around the satin stitch, and split stitch swirlies. Yay! I DO feel better, thanks for asking!
During coat downtime, I’ve been cooking up some sewing schemes to keep my occupied ’till then.
A croquis for your viewing pleasure. Also, shoe fail.
I will be making the Colette Violet out of some nice sheer white dotted swiss – I barely had enough to cut my pattern out (the under collar is actually pieced – whoops), but I managed 🙂 This fabric is SUPER sheer, though, so the body is underlined with cotton batiste, and I replaced the interfacing with a sturdy muslin (collar, facings). Debating on whether or not to underline the sleeves – what do you think? The fabric is still pretty sheer even with the underlining. Mostly I don’t feel like hand-basting anymore but I’ll totally take one for the team if need be. Opinions, please!
The skirt fabric – some poly blend plaid that I picked up at Denver Fabrics a year or so ago. I love how bright it is, but yeesh that plaid repeat is GIANT! I think it translates nicely into a circle skirt. I let myself buy a couple yards of bright yellow rayon lining… and a piece of matching petersham ribbon to stabilize the waistband. That creepy black blob in the corner is 3″ horsehair braid for the hem. Oh yuck, I just noticed that you can see part of a broken button in that picture too. Ew quit haunting my dreams.
These are all cut out and ready to be sewn up – the skirt has been hanging for about 2 days now, and I just finished basting all the underlining for the shirt. First non-coat of 2012, yo!
What have y’all been working on?
LLADYBIRD 
I LOVE the tag you made to sew into the coat! I’ve been toying with the idea of doing something similar, and now, I’m completely convinced that it’s a necessary addition. Though, mine likely won’t look as beautiful as yours does!
You are so good at embroidery! Do you have any tips for someone just starting out??
Aw, thank you! Embroidery is REALLY easy – it’s just thread-tracing over a design, really 🙂 Sublime Stitching & Needle ‘N Thread are my two favorite resources for learning stitches & lurking designs. There are hundreds of stitches you can do but the ones I use most are back stitch, split stitch, satin stitch, stem stitch and french knots. Hope that helps 🙂
I’m planning to start a project that requires underlining very soon. I’ve never actually done it before. I don’t suppose you’ll be including a brief tutorial?
Hm I don’t know if there is enough to actually make a tutorial on underlining, to be honest! Essentially, you would use your main pattern pieces (in my case – the shirt front, shirt back, and yoke) to cut out your underlining, and then you baste it to the wrong side of the main fabric within the seam allowances. Some people baste by machine, but I prefer to hand-baste because it keeps the fabric from shifting. Then you transfer your pattern markings to the wrong side of the fabric (underlining) and treat each piece as thought it were one piece of fabric. Does that make sense?
I really like that plaid for a circle skirt! And how obnoxiously yellow the other parts of it are 🙂
I vote for not underlining the sleeves, just for a little bit variation. Also because I love the look of sheer sleeves.
Oo oo oo! That is not only one darling monogram, but loving the croquis planned projects. I have decided that I want a half circle skirt, but it’ll have to take its place in the queue. Not sure what you have decided re dotted Swiss sleeves, whilst I can imagine the sheer look against underlined bodice, I know what you’re thinking- it will be the only part of the blouse like that. So I’m not sure. Sorry. I have some dotted Swiss that’s sheer so will follow your lead!!! I’m on a violet at the mo 🙂
the embroidery is beautiful!
i say leave the sleeves sheer. it’ll add more depth (and get you out of more work.)
I would leave the sleeves underlined – I think the contrast of sheer and opaque will look good!
Definitely don’t underline the sleeves. I think little sheer sleeves would be adorable:) I’ve seen blouses like that before, where the sleeves are the only sheer parts. I wish I could call anything specific to mind, but oh well! That’s my vote anyway. Cute tag, by the way. I’d love to do something like that to (further) personalize the things I sew.
Damn you, Laura, you’ve stolen my swiss dot Violet plan! Oh, well, I will simply have to copy you, lovingly. Love the plaid, love enormous repeats, love access of any kind, especially in a circle skirt.
Right now I’m working hard on my knitting, but my upcoming sewing projects include:
My for reals Meringue (finished the muslin, ought to take pictures and show the world)
A red wool pencil skirt
another Knit Ballet Dress in blue and white knit
A white silk Jasmine blouse.
Bam. Those are my plans. Plus this pesky little knit along I’ve just joined….and embroidered tags. Because now that I’ve seen yours, I need one. Or twelve. Duh.
i definitely have to put in another vote here for sheer sleeves. can’t wait to see it when it’s done!
Ohh! I so can’t wait to see how this all turns out. I’m sure it will be awesome 😀
Love the embroidery. I say leave the underlining of the sleeves. Pure sheer will give it that luxurious feel and appearance.
Your embroidery is beautiful! I can completely agree with you about the labels, I like to embroider a simple little R onto my garments, although I don’t think I have done so recently.
I vote underlining the sleeves too, but then i’m not a fan of sheer sleeves if the rest of the blouse isn’t sheer.
I’ve been working on a colette pattern too – I spent my day off yesterday (yay for public holidays!) making a muslin for a beignet skirt.
I love all the little croquis that have been popping up, I think yours is the cutest and I can really tell it’s your style. I think I’ll have a go at making one this weekend 🙂 Love your coat tag too, beautiful embroidery.
Haha, I have dotted Swiss standing by for a Violet, too, but mine is more like an ivory/cream. You’re so crafty/talent-y these days– knitting? Embroidering? Hand tailoring a coat? Slow down, girl, you’re making the rest of us look like dopes! 🙂
Oh how fun! I love love the embroidered tag 🙂 Cannot wait to see it in the finished project. And that plaid… *swoon* I am a total sucker for plaid.
I love the embroidered tag! I got some tags printed up years ago to use on my sewing, but this has so much more personality. 😉 Lately I’ve been itching to embroider too–I’m thinking I need to pull out a vintage pin up transfer a friend gave me and start some stitching. 😉
So inspired by your sewing project planning and productivity. This week has not been my week for getting sewing done. But, I have a large pile of alterations (mostly skirt shortening), a muslin that just needs to have the tweaks transferred to the pattern, and a blouse to whip up. So I think perhaps I just need to carve out some time to get all this started. 😉 lol. Can’t wait to see that skirt you’re working on especially!
Loving the tag and the circle skirt will look great with that Violet. I reckon take the extra effort and underline the sleeves,as otherwise when you wear it at a later date you might find yourself thinking, why didn’t I just line them?
I think either sheer or underlined sleeves will look lovely so it depends on you.
Embroidering tags is a fab idea too – my creations don’t yet warrant such gorgeousness yet, though who knows, that could change!
I can’t wait to see how the coat is when the buttons are all ready. Anticipation is building.