Lilith & Eve Drapey Blouse

Did you know I live in Philadelphia? Did you know we Philadelphians do more than eat cheesesteaks, and behave badly at sporting events? One fine example of the new Philadelphia is the Lilith and Eve pattern company. I know physical location doesn't matter on the inter web, but the #1 reason I jumped at the Lilith and Eve call for testers was because I love that they are local. Philly is awash with creative types. You can't skip a stone in the Passyunk fountain without hitting 2 graphic designers, 4 part-owners of gastropubs, a gaggle of architects, and a guy that does a little metal work on the weekend. It's puzzling to me that we don't have more indie pattern companies, or boutique fabric shops. Do you hear me Philadelphia? I'm tired of waiting for my Miss Matatabi, Drygoods Design, Blackbird Fabrics, Fancy Tiger Crafts, etc. fabric order to ship! You would think a city with more than double the population of Denver (home of Fancy Tiger), or Seattle (home of Drygoods) could sustain such things. We have several fashion design programs, a bunch of new sewing studios, and a handful of well known sewing bloggers, how about some curated fabric choices? I'm hoping that Lilith and Eve is another indicator of a local trend.

Let's be clear, I made this top from the test version of the pattern (which I received for free as a tester). I'm not going to give it the full pattern review until I make one from the final version. But I will say- good stuff! Each Lilith and Eve pattern has a split personality. Rather than offering a view A or B, they offer the Lilith version or the Eve version. The pattern pieces are labeled with a bird or a butterfly to indicate which pieces you need for each version.

This is the LE101- Drapey blouse. It can be made with sleeves and a collar, or as a collarless tank (as shown here).  Both versions have a draped back, and a button front. There is some possibility for mixing the designs together for a collared tank, too. And lots of potential for fabric blocking between the yoke and the bodice. I really like the way this pattern came together. The yoke is lined so there is no need for fussy bias tape binding (ugh). The fit is pretty great on me. I'm not entirely sold on the drapy tail (and we all know I'm normally pro-tail), but now that its Me Made May and the weather is warm, I will have more chances to see if it wears well. I made the standard length, and I have reasonable bum coverage. I was expecting it to be shorter, but I like this better.

I used some left over gray linen from Joann. I like the drape of the linen with the fancy back, but it could stand to be a little bit thinner. I recently discovered there is such a thing as shirt buttons (live and learn) I got mine from Fleishman's on Fabric Row.

While we're on the topic of Philadelphia, I did not make these pants, but I really want to make a better version of these pants. A version that doesn't shimmy down as I walk forcing me to wear a really tight belt, or stop every 3 paces so I can hitch them up again. Luckily, I just finished the Pattern Making 1 class at Made Studios, so now I can make whatever I want. Made Studios is a Philadelphia sewing studio/incubator of American made fashion. The Made Studios' program is heavily influenced by the (capital F) Fashion programs at the local universities, but this private program allows people with some self-taught skills (ahem, me) to take classes a la carte. If you are local, you should check it out (or follow them on instagram @made_studios). Made has some amazing offerings like tailoring, draping, and couture methods (for real!) all with very experienced instructors. If a single day in the city is more you speed, try one of Made's workshops. In January I made some vague promises to myself to invest in myself, and Made has been a worthwhile and fulfilling return on that investment. (Here is a peak at the most exciting muslin I've ever made.) Okay, I'll stop gushing now. 

If you're curious about the Philadelphia fabric scene read Madalynne's guide to Fourth Street Fabric Row. I shop Fabric Row like it's my personal stash closet, and I still learned a thing or two.

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Pertinent Info:
Pattern: LE101 Drapey Blouse by Lilith & Eve (on instagram @lilithandevepatterns)
Fabric: Black Papyrus Slub Linen from Joann Fabrics

Also at the Art Museum

I was feeling just fine with my normal white background photos for L's Easter/wedding dress, but when L found out we were taking pictures at the Art Museum she insisted on wearing her new outfit, too. I'm glad she did, the wind at the top of the plaza actually worked in this (what I had been considering) sad little dress's favor. A few gusts of wind, and a well timed twirl, make it look far better than it did on the hanger at home.

This pattern was self drafted, which is to say I put a piece of paper on L's back and drew a few lines. The bodice is the same pin stripe linen from J's vest, cut on the bias. The skirt is the full width of the fabric, with a 6" difference in length from front to back. I was hoping for a paler pink for the skirt. This little number was far too last minute to find the perfect fabric online, so I bought good enough fabric on Fabric Row.

You may remember the inspiration from a few posts ago. I was most concerned about replicating the proportion, but I should have paid more attention to the simplicity.  I made a few bad decisions at the very last minute (as in bags packed, car at the curb, kids shoes on, dress not hemmed, you get the picture).  I'm most annoyed by the trim at the hem.  It's gratuitously matchy, and a bit of a distraction.

I could beat myself up about this perfectly fine dress, but I've already thought of something else to sew with my new bodice pattern, so I'm going to move on.

As a companion to J's vest, this dress is doing its job. L thinks her dress is fantastic, I will try to satisfy myself with that.

The Oliver + S Art Museum Vest...

The Oliver + S Art Museum Vest at the Art Museum!

Fabric: Linen (might be a blend) from Joann. Nice and crisp to work with. Just perfect for this pattern. The lining is a light weight, navy blue, cotton with a relatively smooth finish, also from Joann.

The Fit: I made 2 muslins for this vest. Based on chest size, J (who is 6) was a 3T. I made a 4 first, to hedge my bets. It fit, but not well over the 6/7 button down shirt. I ended up making a 6, which fits like a dream. 

Alterations: I didn't really make any alterations. I did make the back of the vest, which the pattern specifies in the lining fabric, in the same fabric as the front. I thought it would make it seem more like a finished piece, rather than something to be worn under a jacket. 

Pattern: To be clear, I only made the vest portion of the pattern, though I will eventually get to the pants. I can not gush, and rave, and swoon like a mad woman, enough about this pattern. I bought the digital version, and it is very easy to put together. Everything is laid out on a grid, so even if your printer margins cut off a little bit, it is still very easy to put the pieces together with certainty. The vest sewed up like a dream. The welt pockets came together like magic (they are real, you can actually keep tiny treasures in them!). The finished product is fantastic. The Oliver + S instructions are the very best I've seen.  They take nothing for granted, and clearly explain each step of the process. I am easily frustrated. I have a tendency to curse, and shake my fists at the sky while sewing. I had a frustration level of ZERO for the entire process. 

The Tie: This is the Purl Bee Little Boy's Tie, also a great pattern. It is a real deal, started flat, tied-in-a-half-windsor tie, just like Daddy's. It came together in less than an hour, and fits perfectly, with room to grow. The only glitch is that the pattern print out pieces don't have a grid, and my printer cut them off short, so I was sort of guessing at how to put them together. For a tie's simple geometry, precision isn't a huge deal, and for the price (Free!), I will not complain. I used a Liberty London Tana Lawn, and it was just the right material for the job. 

I would recommend both of these patterns without hesitation. My only regret is that Oliver + S doesn't have a boy's blazer pattern (hint, hint, nudge, nudge). They can call it The Academy, so I know where to take the pictures!

More from this project:

Planning

5 More: Boy's Formal Wear Patterns

Wow, all those art museum photos and not a single Rocky reference.

Magic

I don't have a 9 year old, and in my experience their interests vary considerably. When my visiting niece saw an Isaiah Zagar mosaic (maybe you remember our Christmas Card) on a dumpy little wall in our neighborhood she was hooked. A few hours of walking in circles in his Magic Garden didn't cure her addiction. We examined every nook and cranny, and read every word. Who knew something I have been walking past for years would be such a hit. There were disappointingly few kids there during our visit. If your family is headed to PHL this summer, add it to your must see list. The price is so reasonable ($2 for school age kids) you can't lose.

I'm afraid if I don't produce some tile for my niece to shatter and a wall for her to mosaic, she'll consider her trip a sorry waste of time.