Maudie Skirt and Night Owl Dress

Fresh off my sewing machine:

A denim skirt!  I've had in mind to remake my Zwei Leben denim skirt for at about two years, since I shrunk out of the last one, but have dithered about actually doing it because it is a pain to fit and I worried about my rapidly changing shape.

But last week I decided enough, and pulled the fabric out of my stash to make it up already.  I'd rebought the same denim shortly after the original skirt since the price was good and I wanted to be sure I'd have replacement fabric ready!  I do think this might be slightly different, as it has a bit of stretch, whereas the original denim did not.

That said, I'm pleased as punch with this skirt--it fills a huge hole in my closet, and I now feel confident about my redrafted Anne Adams 9481 pattern.  I still love my Everyday skirt, but it doesn't work well with heavier fabrics, and I do like separates in winter.

I ended up with 7/8" side seam allowances, and 5/8" on the back seam, plus I added an extra set of 1/2" darts to the back to get a snug fit around the waist.  I also put a 3 1/4" hem on it, so I might shorten the pattern in the future.  Although, I kind of like the deep hem with the gold top stitching--it looks somehow dressier than a standard 1/2" hem.

I put this outfit together yesterday to photograph the cowl and skirt in one go, and I love the combination!  I will definitely be wearing this one again.  I think the Garnet Boneyard shawl from yesterday would also go quite well with this.

A completely successful make, in my opinion.  I feel great in this skirt.

Next up: a successful Franken-Washi!  

This is the Night Owl dress,  and it is the Washi Dress put together with the M7353 bodice.  After my first attempt, I made a few more tweaks to the bodice.  I went back to my original mods to the M7353 in woven, and that was the ticket.  The fit is good, the dress is comfortable and cozy but I still feel like I got dressed in the morning.  Win-win.

The dress is really for my winter rotation, so I just put it on to photograph, but I'm looking forward to wearing it next month.  With the Rusty Ribbons shawl, natch.

I have another cowl that is a bit more peach that I think would also match.

The fabric is brushed cotton from Cotton+Steel, and I lurve it.  I have another length in a different print that I want to make up for Christmas.  I'm a bit nervous about it, though, as my track record with holiday dresses is less than stellar. 

I suppose I just need to get it done before the madness starts (hence making this version in October to get the fit right!)

For the record, my bodice mods are: 1/2" to top and bottom sleeve seams, tapering to nothing at the curve of the underarm, and adding 1/2" to the bodice front bottom.  Since the back is all cut in one on the Washi, I just laid the back bodice piece over the top and lined up the bottom edge with the taped join on the Washi.  I had to piece the sleeves at the bottom, but that was easy enough.  I added 1" of length to the skirt, which is about right for my current tastes.

~watching~

Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins may have given the performances of their careers in this delightfully subtle and nuanced film.  I loved it, and highly recommend it.  I watched it while making the denim skirt yesterday, hence the title.

I finally finished this Russian series about the Soviet Sophia Loren.  The show is loosely based on her life, and while it took me a little while to get into the story, once I was hooked, I couldn't stop watching it.  Her life is kind of a train wreck, and you feel bad for all the poor choices she makes in the given circumstances.  I thought the last episode in particular quite poignant.  It's all very Russian.  Excellent show.

I've been waiting for this show to hit the States since the winter, as I follow Richard Madden on Instagram and saw his posts about filming this show.  Kudos to Keely Hawes and Richard Madden for great performances!  The writing is superb, and I was guessing about the story from start to finish.  Lots of interesting (and unexpected) plot twists.

This is a wonderful film!  I loved Sanaa Lathan in Something New, and if you liked that film, you'll like this one too.  It is about a woman's journey to self-acceptance, and it is brilliant and body positive and I loved it so much.

I expected to adore this film, but I merely liked it.  I enjoyed the Downton Abbey cast reunion (of sorts) and I liked the story, but I wasn't wowed.  I thought Lily James' character wasn't fleshed out quite enough, and I didn't like the guy she was supposed to be in love with for most of the film.  The supporting actors were great (Penelope Wilton will break your heart), and I especially enjoyed Matthew Goode's performance as her publisher.

I finished, I finished, I finished!  The final season of The Americans was tense, well-written, and the ending extremely satisfying.  I was guessing about the ending until the very last second.  I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but wow.  It is great.  I'd like to discuss with someone who has seen it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this reboot, and thought the updates to the story were brilliant.  Who knew John Krasinski could be an action hero?  He gives a wonderful performance here, and I loved his subtle nods to Harrison Ford's portrayal of the character.  Wendell Pierce is a great James Greer--I enjoyed him a lot.  The writing is excellent, and I'm hoping they'll do another season.

In the meantime, Droughtlander is over!  So you'll find me in North Carolina with the Frasers for the next month or so. Ha!