Sewing: Alt Summit Look Thursday

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This look didn’t come together quite like I had envisioned. I opted for more neutrals than florals, but I still mixed prints like I had originally wanted.

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I couldn’t find a floral blazer like I had in mind, so I ended up finding this really cool textured blazer from H&M, then busted out some really rad geometric stretch fabric I scored in LA way back when.

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Since I bought the fabric, I knew I wanted it to be a pencil skirt, but I was just too lazy to sew it up. I already have a pattern (that I use ALL THE TIME), it’s not like I had to draft up a new one! It was just a matter of changing the thread colors on my serger. My machine is actually really easy to thread, but I do find myself dragging my feet on projects just because I’d have to change threads. Anyone else do that?

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I wanted this outfit to be comfortable, yet very business-like. The heels were the perfect balance of height and comfort. The skirt the perfect balance of something I could easily wiggle on just minutes before the first sessions of the day and still look put together.

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I feel like in some ways this outfit was a little bit of a cop out. I wasn’t particularly creative with the silhouette and I had already made the top back in September. Just because this was a low-stress ensemble to pack, I felt I had less ownership over it. Maybe it was the fact that the blazer was clearly not self-made.

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No matter. I was stoked to have squeaked out a midi pencil skirt out of the 3/4 of a yard I rummaged from LA and managed to match up the side seams. Those side seams are glorious, if you ask me!

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I also perfected my machine serged blind hem. It’s my favorite binding to use on hems that will get a lot of stretch. I don’t have a coverstitch machine (yet?), but this is easily done with my serger with just a few tweaks to the settings. It’s cleaner than an overlock stitch on my regular machine and lot less time consuming than a hand-stitched blind hem. Also, did I mention the threads don’t break with stretch and movement?

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Outfit details:

 

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    1. Preethi says:

      SUCH an awesome fabric. And those side seams really are glorious!!

    2. Marine says:

      Floral blazer, you say? Anthropologie has a great one: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/clothes-jackets-outervest/4115212303096.jsp?cm_sp=Grid-_-4115212303096-_-Large_0 …it’s expensive, but it strikes me along the lines of what you were envisioning. I’m too late though!

    3. Elisa says:

      Great outfit! And you matched those seams perfectly!

    4. Kristin H says:

      3/4 of a yd and you matched the print?! Who cares if the blazer was ready made, that skirt is amazeballs.

    5. Celeste says:

      Seriously, not a cop out.

      And I am getting fed up with seams popping on my overlocked seams… time for a serger?

    6. Alyssa says:

      So where can I find this awesome fabric??

    7. Lizzy says:

      Oh! what a great outfit! Girl, you are really pretty!!! I have a serger but I still don’t know how to use all the stitches it can do, I need to learn how to do that blind hem! Ah! and the emerald color is one of my favorites, I would like to see that dress too

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