Sewing FO; Vogue Patterns V1382

This is a dress from Vogue Patterns V1382 and it's going to be a fun dress for spring and summer. The pattern is shown as a color-blocked dress, but I just used one fabric. In fact, I think I've sewn at least two other color-blocked patterns recently using one fabric only. I used a stretch cotton sateen but the stretch was not necessary because the pattern has plenty of ease. The lining is a lawn cotton. I wanted to do something that would show some of the lines of the dress, so I sewed on twill ribbon at the base of the yoke. I also used the ribbon on the pockets to give them more emphasis. I lined the pockets and top stitched them on instead of just folding in and slip stitching. The dress has a vague retro vibe to it which I love.

Scenes from a flower show

On Friday, I visited the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. I had never been before but I've always wanted to check it out. It was an amusing way to spend a couple of hours. Here's the first scene that I saw upon entry.

This was one of my favorite vendors. This guy sells these distressed looking metal letters of varying sizes. I so wanted to buy something but I just couldn't think of a use for them. He doesn't sell online, unfortunately.

I did buy a rectangular basket made in Morocco from my favorite basket vendor. The shop is named "Asylum Down" (love the name) and it's located in Nevada City, CA. I bought one these last year when she came to the Sunset Magazine Celebration Weekend, and the basket is great for grocery shopping. She also does not sell online.

The best part of this show are all display gardens done by various landscape architects. The show is only on for five days, and I wonder how long it takes some of them to set their gardens up. This one included The Nautilove as its centerpiece.

I'm not sure what the pink "tent" is, but it's eye-catching

The round center area is made of overturned empty wine bottles

This is a water feature made of a tightly wound hose or two that has lit sections. It's hard to see, but there's water squirting out of two ends.

This garden has a pre-historic vibe.

I'm not sure this is my style.

Every garden needs a water wheel.

I sort of like this. It's the dome above the wine bottle pathway shown above.

And every garden show has to have a bonsai exhibit.

Sewing FO: V1387 Hipster shirt

This is a shirt sewn from Vogue Patterns V1387. It's sewn in a lightweight cotton plaid, and I absolutely love it. One big reason why I love it is because it doesn't have a traditional shirt collar, which I never wear. It has a really nice detailed collar and yoke design. There's a narrow bias band that separates the yoke from the main bodice piece which is not obvious from the pattern envelope. The top of the bodice also has a nice pleating detail. I probably could have done a better job matching my plaid on the collar and some other bits of the pattern, but I'm still happy with it.

The back of this shirt is longer than the front. I like the back better without a belt, but it looks too loose and a bit sloppy in the front without a belt, so a belt it is.

The one detail I didn't like about the pattern was the weak method used to stabilize the corner at the junction of the front band and the collar. I'm going to be making another one of these shirts in a white striped lawn cotton and I'll try to do something that makes that corner a little less fragile.

I call this my hipster shirt because of the plaid. In San Francisco, it seems like many of the hipsters wear plaid. In fact, I gauge the hipster level of a restaurant by how much plaid I see among the diners.