That's Sew Cinematic Inspiration: The Aviator

Photo from WeHeartIt Aviator gallery

There's one more 'Sew Cinematic Challenge' outfit I want to make before I tackle my Gilda gown and that's the Aviator dress pictured above.  Have you seen the movie 'The Aviator'?  It has some fabulous fashions in it.  My favourite are those worn by Kate Beckinsale (as Ava Gardner).

Photo from WeHeartIt Aviator gallery

Gah! Isn't this dress divine?  Ok, I'd love to hear your thoughts about the actual movie.  I'll be honest in that I didn't really like it.  I felt it painted Howard Hughes in an overly dramatic (as only Hollywood can do it) light.  I guess the screenwriting left me wanting a bit more....

LOVE this photo of Kate Beckinsale reading a McCall's magazine:

Photo from WeHeartIt Aviator gallery

So the project I want to tackle is this colour-blocked dress with the cute keyhole opening and funky sleeves:

Photo from NY Times

I've been wanting to do this dress for ages (ever since last year's Sew Weekly Oscar challenge) and I have the perfect pattern for it--Advance 4143:

I'm making View A without the pockets in the same colour combination!  Don't you love it when you find the perfect pattern?

Countess Grantham's White Suit

Countess Cora Grantham's white suit is perhaps one of my favourite costumes featured in the Downton Abbey series so far!  I was lucky enough to be able to get some close-up photos when I visited the Creative Stitches exhibit in Glasgow last month.

This white suit has the most beautiful trim around the neck and midway down the front.  The same trim is applied to each of the corners at the bottom of the jacket front.   We also see the same trim on the bottom of both sleeves.

I'm wondering if the coat is a faux coat in that it is worn more like a tunic?  I also wonder if the blouse underneath is just a dickey or collar piece and not a full blouse?

Here's a bit of a close-up of the trim.  You can see that the neck is an intersting shape that bends slightly out and features a high neck lace blouse piece.  Take a look at the trim.  Doesn't it look like separate pieces sewn up on the jacket to make it look like one continuous piece?  I think the diamond trim is separate and that the trim is individual pieces of four corner looped trim placed one after another.  What do you think?  There are also small white scrolled trim pieces applied to the front with the last pair of white trim pieces overlapping the black trim.  Lastly, there is some sort of textured cord that is sewn all around the front opening all the way down to the bottom (but not around the coat except at the neckline).  I can't tell if this is sandwiched between the facing and the front of the coat or applied only on the outside of the coat.  I also can't tell if the coat is sewn up part of the way and the rest is kept closed with a series of hook and eyes?

Here is a close-up of the bottom of the coat.  You can see the diamond trip is flipped and placed on in a square shape at the bottom to mimic the corner line.  I also see that the textured cord is simply wrapped under the bottom of the coat on the front and is applied at the sleeve cuffs as well:

Here's a close-up of the sleeve cuffs.  I really like the simple placement of trim on the sleeves.

 In this photo, you can see the height of the neckline and also the placement of trim at the back of the neck:

Here it is again....They've placed the diamond trim in the middle and it looks like they've cut the other trim and placed it around the diamond to connect it to the main trim.  I really like how this looks.  Unfortunately, white makes it really hard to see the seam lines on this coat.  Does it look like there is a center back seam??  The sleeves are definitely pleated at the sleeve caps (a look I LOVE):

They also had the fabulous matching hat on display. It's a wide brim hat with a silk like fabric covering the main part of the hat and a black net with small velvet dots.  There's also black and white ribbon trim, white ribbon trim, what appears to be silk flowers and black and white feathers!  Phew!

Here's a lovely portrait and a close-up of the hat front.  The feathers really stand out in this photo as does the trim on the jacket.  Is it me or does it look like the jacket could have used a narrow shoulder adjustment for Elizabeth McGovern?

What do you think? Do you love this suit?  How do you think it was constructed?

My Marlene Suit

This is my best Marlene Dietrich pose.  Though nobody makes looking serious and stern look as glamorous as Marlene:

 Photo from a great Quality Time post on vintage trousers

I shared a couple of weeks ago that I've been inspired to make up a suit inspired by Marlene Dietrich for the Sew Cinematic challenge. 

The jacket from this outfit was made using McCall 3260 from 1939 blogged about here.

The trousers are my favourite TNT (Tried 'n True) pattern, a Simplicity reissue (3688) from 1941.  I also used this pattern for the One Week, One Pattern challenge and this is my fourth make of these trousers.  I got this lightweight British wool on a super duper fantastic sale at a local fabric store and bought just enough to make the jacket.  After a week of thinking about the jacket, I decided I should go get some more of the fabric since it was such a ridiculous deal to make matching trousers.  I went back to the store and luckily, they still had some of the fabric and I ended up buying the rest of what they had!  I think I might have enough leftover to make a matching skirt!

We took these photos in a lovely church garden in Edinburgh and also at Calton Hill.  In the church garden, the most adorable pussycat came up to us.

What a love! How cute is this kitty?

I wore a basic white shirt and borrowed one of David's ties and wore my brown beret to complete the look.  I really love it!  In the above photos, I've put my hair up in the beret but I also like how it looks down as well.

There's something about a suit that gets me every time!  I intend to wear this one a lot.  I am really happy with the construction of the jacket and I think these are the best trousers I've made yet!  Thanks Marlene for the inspiration!

That's Sew Cinematic Style Inspiration: Marlene!

Marlene Dietrich's style inspires me so much:

All photos from the Dietrich flickr pool

I'm really attracted to her masculine suits at the moment.  I just love her strong style, which is also very feminine.  I'm hoping to sew something up as a tribute to Marlene....hey, I've already got the suit jacket done....but I better hop on it because summer's just around the corner and her style is definitely more suited (pardon the pun!) to spring/autumn.  Tell me, are you a Marlene fan?  Do you love her siren gowns or her masculine suits or both?

Betty's Riding Jacket and Bow Tie Blouse

First, I wanted to thank all of you for your prayers and thoughts for Kal who went missing two weeks ago.  I've just received good news today! She was found safe and well in Cornwall.  I don't know the details yet but I'm SO RELIEVED!

In other good news...I finished Betty's riding jacket and bow-tied blouse and it's featured today over at The Sew Weekly!!

First, let's talk about this blouse.  I LOVE this blouse.  I got this pattern in the post as a gift from Mrs C who blogs over at the Hectic Eclectic as a little thank you gift for the Sew Grateful week (how sweet is that?)  I must say that I actually gasped when I saw the pattern because it was Betty Draper's riding blouse--a perfect match!  I had been searching high and low for such a pattern.

Can I just say that I might be in love with Maudella patterns?  This was a superbly drafted pattern and was very easy to sew up.  The pattern itself is unprinted and the only instructions are all in text printed on the back of the pattern envelope.  Surprisingly, I found the text only instructions easy to follow.  The only tricky part was that pattern pieces didn't have numbers, instead they had names.  So at one point it was a bit confusing as to which facing pieces belonged to which sleeve version!

I made the blouse from a nice weight blue cotton sateen.  I had the exact matching buttons in my stash as well! I really like the shape of this blouse and it goes perfectly under a tailored jacket.

Now onto the jacket.  I used McCall 3260 which is a pattern from 1939.  I love how this pattern transcends time and looks almost modern.  It features a notched collar (or a collarless version), neatly shaped front pockets, a pleated sleevecap and a fairly straight sleeve.

The pattern instructions are very complete and include instructions on interlining the facing and collar (which I did with muslin), using tailor's tape as well as lining instructions.  I didn't have any tailor's tape so I just cut thin pieces of fusible interfacing and placed it just inside the seam line all the way down the front facing of the jacket and also in the collar. 

And wow, what a difference that makes to having a crisp edge.  I didn't use interfacing anywhere else in the jacket as per the pattern instructions.

I forgot to mention the fabric.  This is a British lightweight wool that I got on a super sale at my local fabric store (with a groupon voucher no less).  I LOVE this fabric.

I was very careful in cutting out the fabric to try and match up the plaid stripes.  Can I just say that I love the shape of the pockets as well--a neat crescent shaped opening at the top of an otherwise normal patch pocket.  Topstitching pockets always makes me nervous, though!

 I lined the jacket with some remnant mystery fabric that I got in San Fransisco (when Mena introduced me to all her crazy amazing fabric haunts) for $1.  I believe it is also some sort of sateen.  It's not your normal lining fabric and has a medium-hand.  I really like the structure it gives to the jacket.  I also forgot when I was inserting the lining: a) how much time it takes to hand sew it down, and b) how you need to leave quite a bit of ease in the lining fabric. 

Here's a photo at dusk.  I just love how the light plays off the almost budding tree stems:

Since we are on the topic of riding....I want to introduce you to Megan who is a member of our family.  This photo was taken at one of the riding stables in Washington:

We've had Megan for 24 years and she's definitely my mom's baby (we often joke that she's the other sibling).  She's now 30 years old (!) and living in happy retirement with lots of fresh grass and regular brushing.  Isn't she a cutie?  She's a 5.11 hand Morgan horse and just an absolute (and spoiled) sweetheart.  This is me in my early teens.  And my goodness, what is going on with my hair in this photo?  ;)

What about you? Horse-lover or scared to death of horses?

That's Sew Cinematic: Mad Men Style

You may recall that the Sew Cinematic challenge I'm participating in includes both creations inspired by the silver screen but also television!  Which is a good thing because there are two TV shows that have our little community all abuzz--Mad Men and Downton Abbey.  I LOVE both and I hope to create an outfit inspired by each of these great period dramas.

This week is perfect for some Mad Men inspiration as the premiere of season 5 starts this weekend (for those in the U.S.).  I might just have to have a two hour skype session this weekend with one of my friends stateside :)

There's so many outfits from Mad Men that I would love to recreate and that inspire my sewing.  So I thought I would share the outfit that I've been working on lately.  This outfit is one that I just couldn't get out of my head and have been thinking about sewing for ages.

 Photo source: tomandlorenzo.com

I've been in love with Betty Draper's riding outfit forever.  I know many of you were expecting a Joannie dress or one of Ms. Menken's killer suits, but honestly it's this simple ensemble of tweed jacket and formal yet feminine blouse that gets me every time!

I love Betty's riding jacket with the notched collar, tweed wool fabric and slightly longer length.  Maybe it's because it reminds me of the tweeds in Downton Abbey or from Ralph Lauren's recent collection that I posted about here.  There's something about this classic jacket that is screaming that it needs to be in my wardrobe.

I also adore her bow tied mandarin style blouse.  While I originally thought I would do a blouse in yellow like the one above.  I think I like the blue riding blouse she wears in another episode:

Photo from here

What about you?  Are you working on a Mad Men creation this week (for the Sew Weekly theme or Julia Bobbin's Mad Men Dress Challenge)?

That's Sew Cinematic: Influenced by Rita!

When I was first thinking about what I wanted to sew for the Sew Cinematic Challenge, all I could think about was Rita Hayworth and her fabulous outfits (all the photos from here).

All of my favourite movies have Rita in them (Cover Girl, You were Never Lovelier, Gilda...among others)!  I just love her sense of style.

Perhaps my favourite Rita outfits are the fabulous gowns that she wears!

Of course you know there is ONE gown. THE gown that I most associate with Rita:

I HAVE to make this gown (from the movie Gilda) and I have the perfect event.  David is graduating from his Master's programme this June and they are having a black tie ball.  How fun does that sound???  This dress would be perfect for just such an occasion! 

I'll be sure to do lots of posts on the construction process.  I'm already thinking of using Gertie's bombshell dress for the bodice of the gown!  I'm doing the version of the gown pictured above (sans the big bow).  This will probably be the last of my Sew Cinematic creations but I had to share my plans for it first because I'm so excited!!!

What do you think?  Would you wear the Gilda gown? Which one of Rita's other outfits do you love the most?

Join Me in the Sew Cinematic Challenge

Wow--missing a week in blogland feels like FOREVER!  Our little Ebi who was pictured in the last post (aka 'kittenypoo') was really sick this past week.  She's doing a bit better now but she still has good days and bad days.  Despite looking like a kitten, she's 15 years old and the winter's been hard for her.  So keep our little bundle of love in your thoughts and prayers and hopefully we'll have our active, purring and playing kittenypoo back to her normal self again soon!

In other news--I am super EXCITED to announce a fun challenge I'm co-hosting...

With these lovely ladies: Sarah from Rhinestones and Telephones, Solvi from Delfinelise, Meg from Meg the Grand, and the lovely Veronica Darling!

How fun is this?  Ok, here's the idea...

Taking inspiration from the film, stage and television to create some garments either inspired by our favourite actors/actresses or by our favourite films, stage productions or television shows! 

 OH YES!

Here's some of the categories in the challenge:

FROCKS FROM THE FLICKS
From Givenchy's iconic black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany's, to Marilyn's white halter dress from The Seven Year Itch, to Scarlett's velvet curtain dress from Gone With the Wind, frocks of all styles and eras have left their mark on cinematic history. Whether you are inspired by an icon or simply by a pretty frock only just glimpsed, this is the place to let your dress dreams run wild!

TINSELTOWN TOPPERS
There are so many beautiful blouses and tops that have graced the silver screens, both large and small. Katharine Hepburn's masculine tailored white shirts, which she wore throughout her life, is one that easily springs to my mind. Whether you are inspired by crisp tailoring or flowing lines, toppers of all styles are welcome here.

FEATURE FILM FOUNDATIONS
From Rizzo's slinky black trousers in Grease to Marsha's fabulous flares in The Brady Bunch, to Joan's sensational pencil skirts in Mad Men, skirts, trousers, capris, and shorts are the way to go here!

SLIP INTO THE SILVER SCREEN
Elizabeth Taylor cornered the market on slinky sultriness with her simple white slip in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Whether you want to channel your own Inner Liz or mould you figure to a more Lilly Langtry frame of mind, this is the place to sew yourself some small clothes.

THE SWEATER GIRL
Nothing says silver screen style quite like the sweater girl. No sweater girl is better remembered than Lana Turner. Whether v-neck, pullover, or cardigan is your style, knitted inspiration can be found here. For those more inclined to sew, how about a Pink Ladies jacket? Let's not forget our headgear, either! Here is the place to show your outerwear!

THE ABILITY TO ACCESSORIZE
Accessories of all sorts are welcome here! Nifty hats, lacy shawls, beautiful brooches, and natty socks. Whatever puts that finishing touch on your ideal outfit should be shown off here!


Who's in?  There's a flickr group and you can grab a button for your blog from Sarah's blog post.  I can't wait to share some of my ideas over the next couple of days and to get your feedback on a few undecided ideas!!!  So technically the challenge is going to happen until the end of May but I can just fess up now that I probably won't be finishing all my garments until mid-June as they are for specific events.....more to come soon!!