--Four mile run (5:30am)
--Cut out and sewed the sleeveless J. Sterns top. You'll get a picture when my camera comes back from Whittier. The Husband-Unit took it because it is water proof.
--Contemplating my next knit dress. I want to be able to wear it with the red leather obi. Is this too nautical or too Fourth of July? I think one of the May BWOF knit dresses but I haven't decided which one.
--I've always really liked this HotPatterns patten. I love the dress version. I've decided to knock it off. HotPatterns won't like it (they sent me a nasty email last time for this dress; God forbid, I show YOU how to knock it off; stealing customers!; losing revenue! chaos!) but I know that BWOF fits me and why buy an expensive pattern that has lukewarm reviews? The line drawing is small but you can see the general idea of the dress.
I'm going to use this BWOF pattern to knock it off. It's from July 2008. I've never made it but with a few modifications, it should be fine. I'll raised the neck, change the location of the pleats, lengthen, add a belt, and change the sleeves.
And yes, that's really only two things (run and J.Sterns top) but I think the planning phase is just as important as the sewing phase. If I can get this all worked out in my head, the sewing will be easy. I think that is one reason I rarely make mistakes while I sew. I've mentally sewn it five times before I get to the machine. While I'm washing the dishes, folding laundry, feeding kids, *insert annoying chore here*
Another post later on the jacket class. Stay tuned.
22 comments:
I continue to be impressed with your energy and productivity. I too am an early morning.....owl? worm bird??? The blue fabric is almost periwinkle and not navy so the nautical theme has a twist. Go for it. Will look great. Baffle the conventional!
I do that mental sewing, too. It gives me something interesting to focus on.
Did HotPatterns really harass you? That's funny; their patterns are knock-offs...er, wait...homages..to some one else's designs. So that's just a teensy bit ironic
i do mental sewing too, and try to figure out easier or morwe efficient ways to do something
Go ahead--knock off anyone you want! It is, after all, what happens in the trade all the time.
Four miles? Wow, no wonder you're so tiny. :):):)
I really like the blue fabric with the red belt. Are you adding gold accessories? That would really complete it and make it look totally cute. :)
Hugs,
Lory
Your last paragraph just rang so true with me. That's exactly how I sew. It's probably why I obsess over my Lutterloh patterns that SOMEday I might make. I have to have them made in my head first. I had denim skirt topstitching (could my machine handle that thick denim at that many layers? buttonholes (should I do vertical again?) and buttons in my sleep last night. At 4:30 a.m. I had all the topstitching done. Granted, I skipped exercise and didn't get dressed till the skirt was finished, but it had already been finished in my head so I felt like I needed to get it done!
Love the red belt with the dress -- not too nautical OR 4th of July -- just summery!
4 miles? ugh...
Your dress will be awesome (both of them, actually!), and as for Hot Patterns... I don't own a single one (and don't plan on it now)!
Blogland is buzzing right now with people arguing about the difference between "copied from" and "inspired by."
Hot patterns can only benefit from your "inspiration." Although I can pattern draft, the more I know, the more I know I can get wrong - I would far rather purchase someone else's hard work and expertise.
Look at all this publicity they are getting for this pattern! After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Dawn,
HP sent you a nasty email? Oh, you must share it. I think the OBI belt is perfect with that dress. I can't wait to see your knockoff of that HP dress.
I, like everyone else, am fascinated by the fact that you got a nasty email from HotPatterns. What did it say? Anyway, I love your belt and I think the blue/white fabric goes very well with it!
Please share, we are all hanging here!
I am a definite mental sewist. I go to bed thinking of how to have seam transitions, invisible zippers, and never before seen embellishments. Like you, I stitch everything out in my head at least five times.
Does walking count?
HP sent you a nasty email...well I say knock-off every damn pattern they produce then!!
How are your fingers today? You can see all the times I jabbed my thumb and then also the side of my index finger on pad stitching.
I'm impressed by your sewing--your details and your output AND your fitness routine. I have to ask--what time does the sun rise at this time of year? I find it easier to wake up when the sun is up. For me, getting up in the dark to exercise is a major challenge.
Also, I think that I see either a hint or red or purple in the dress fabric--the obi looks great--Not too Independence day-ish.
Rose in SV
As someone who does sales for a living, I would say a much more gracious response, and one that could generate some marketing for them from Hotpatterns would be if they sent you an email that went something like this: "While of course we'd rather you buy our patterns, we're flattered that you're so inspired by our designs so as to try to copy them. Please tell your readers, however, they can use this promocode to get X% off this pattern between now and whatever date. In the meantime, good luck and happy sewing."
They'd generate good will for being so nice and hopefully more sales (which they could track b/c they'd have an exclusive promo code for this site and blogpost and they'd find out if the technique was actually effective).
Also obi and dress are super cute together, can't wait to see it.
I love that fabric with the red belt.
Watch out for the yoke (particularly in the back) of the BWOF tunic - it may need fitting as I found it too wide. (However, that was when I was fairly new back to sewing & I didn't fit it well enough before making it).
I agree with 'anonymous.' Anyway, I have the pattern in question and would be happy to send it to you. Then you could just send it back whenever you're done with it. I'm a social worker; we're altruistic like that. :)
Hmm it's the getting up at 5.30 bit that would give me problems! I would love to see that HP e mail too, honestly their patterns are "inspired by" runway looks, why shouldn't you do the same.
I'm an early bird too. I raised 5 kids and always got more done at five in the morning than any other time of day.
Yup, I plan my sewing when I exercise as well. Well . . . when I SPIN anyway, STEP requires that I pay attention to the cues, and instructor, but spinning . . . let's just say that sometimes one's mind requires distractions!!
Oh, and I shouldn't admit this, but there have been times during the sermon on Sundays that I find my mind wondering to sewing also, expecially if I see someone wearing something especially cute and how inspiring (or not) the sermon is!
You are quite appropriately named Dawn.
Wow! I can't believe they were annoyed at you explaining the knock off stuff. Really, it's helpful info, but a lot of people aren't that much into morphing patterns or redesigning so it's not like they're going to lose a lot of customers over it. I love doing that kind of stuff, but it's not for everyone.
5:30 a.m.? I do my mileage at 8:30 ;) . The earlier is my wakeup time. Then again, 3 of my 4 kids are working out with me at the gym. The youngest is the "playroom" manager. After two weeks of moping about being there, he has discovered there are nice things about being the "old" kid among the very young set. I love having my kids work out with me though--I've waited SO long for this!
Wow, so surprised to hear about the HP email. I have to say their attitude does not impress me. Anonymous makes a great point about a better way they could have handled it. I'm not inclined to purchase from them now.
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