Fabric Options for Butterick 5953

When my Butterick pattern designs are released, I'm excited as anyone--mostly because I can finally sew the garments for myself instead of a model! I don't have a lot of free sewing time these days with those 35 garments for the book, but I'm determined to make Butterick 5953 soon. So I thought I'd let you in on my fabric selection process.

The pattern envelope recommends "woolens, crepe, taffeta, linen, broadcloth." For the sample garment in the photos, I used a thin stretch wool gingham suiting for the body and a light weight black wool gabardine for the contrast fabric.

The two most important fabric issues to consider for this design are comfort and thickness. The dress is unlined, so you'll want something that feels nice against the skin. And because there are two layers of garment wrapping over each other in the front (plus facings), you'll want to avoid anything too bulky.

I came up with two options. The first is a wonderful Marc Jacobs blue wool crepe with sparkly black polka dots from Mood.

I would use black cotton sateen for the contrast and shiny black buttons.

The second option is a purple doubleknit. I love the color!

I would pair it with an ivory contrast fabric and vintage-y ivory buttons. I love this color combo; the ivory is much softer than black contrast.

I'm leaning toward the purple since it has better drape and is thinner and softer against the skin. Of course, the sparkly dot wool crepe would need to be made into something else, soon!

Swatching for Book #2 at Mood

I've been quietly working away on my next book, Gertie Sews Vintage Casual (due out fall 2014). I've completed the text and now it's time for the fun part: sewing the designs! There will be 10 patterns in the book with variations on each, for a total of 35 garments.

A few fun facts: 1) the patterns for the book will be printed on pattern tissue so you won't have to trace them, hurrah! and 2) I'll be modeling some of the garments, but we'll also cast a couple actual models for some diversity, and 3) genius illustrator Sun Young Park is doing the drawings again. I am SO excited about these developments.

Illustration by Sun Young Park from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing

Anyway, with the sewing comes the other fun part: picking out fabric. Mood Fabrics (of Project Runway fame) is the generous sponsor of the fabric for the book. And now I can't resist saying "Thank you, Mood!" in my best Tim Gunn voice, of course.

Yesterday I spent a couple hours on my first swatching trip. This is, in a word, overwhelming. Mood has three floors and countless bolts of fabric. (The photo above is just the eyelet section.) And then there's the matter of the book design: everything needs to coordinate to a set palette so it's pleasing to the eye. Where does one start?

I decided to wander and cut swatches of things that I loved and then bring home the spoils and sort things out, hoping that a pattern would appear. Here's the result:

The cool thing is that, if I squint, I can see the palette revealing itself.

Picking out fabric for a second book is easier than a first book in some ways. This time, at least I know which fabrics are a nightmare to photograph (I'm looking at you, duchess satin).

Henry knew exactly what to do with the swatches:

Get fur all over them, of course!