Worthy playmates

A Nordstrom saleslady introduced the concept of walking new clothes around my closet.  I love my new streamlines sweater and the weather is finally cool enough to wear it.  Inspired by Carolyn's six different ways series, I put together a couple of outfits.

Unlike Kate Moss, I am not afraid to wear twin sets and mom jeans.  I buy one each every year with the Loehmann's birthday discount.  Look how well last year's corduroy jeans* work with my new sweater.  I think the turtleneck dates to my Colorado days.

A dressier option with a new version of Vogue 7607 and plaid shirting earmarked to become a coordinating blouse.  I used the same pattern for Unsuitable for plaids and stripes and Alabama Stitch Book, the abridged version.

This time, I lengthened and evened out the hem.  The back piece should have been cut bias, but I accidentally cut it on grain.  Thankfully, it looks fine in my loosely-woven polyester fabric.

The left front piece was evened up at the sides and extended slightly.

In hindsight, I would not have lengthened the front dip so much.

All three skirt pieces overlaid.

When I pulled out the pattern, I realized that the previous versions were cut with a size 16 yoke. No wonder they were so loose. I cut a size 14 this time and it fits the dress form much better. I lost weight this past year and I could have cut a size 13. Well, this size leaves me room for holiday desserts.

Full length view with lining peeking out.  I forgot to photograph the inside of the skirt.  Imagine an inside yoke of teal cotton Indonesian batik and a turquoise sueded rayon lining.  The lapped zipper came out satisfactorily, to my big relief.

I cut the front drape along the selvedge. This odd polyester fabric** doesn't want to press flat, so I tried to eliminate bulky doubled hems. I used the selvage or serged the hems instead.

* These jeans were made right here in Los Angeles in a factory less than 20 miles from my house!  I don't buy much RTW, but when I do, I often buy Not Your Daughter's Jeans.

** Do you remember the heydays of Denver Fabrics when they purchased fabrics leftover from the domestic apparel industry and sold them to home sewers at very reasonable prices?  I've never experienced such a great fabric store (in selection, service and price) since.  The current bricks and mortars DF store is a shadow of it's former self and the online store is not affiliated with the Denver one.

The owners downsized the store because both their customer base and domestic apparel manufacturing declined.  There was too little quality fabric to sell to too few customers.  I wish they could have just held on for the resurgence in interest from twenty-somethings.  Sigh.

This was one of their monthly specials for something like $3/yard and I purchased two colorways.  So it was marinating in my stash fabric collection for 20 years, awaiting it's destiny.