Becky Jo

November 2, 2018

Catch Up Nov 2018

What is this? I’m on my OWN blog?? Seriously. WTH.

I’ve been working a lot elsewhere, to be honest. I’m an editor on The Sewcialists, which also includes doing interviews. I do so by recording a conversation, then transcribing, editing my voice out, formatting back into a cohesive interview format, and lastly organizing for blog content. My way is extremely labor intensive, but makes for really good content, so, is what it is.

As it so happens, we have an editor out on maternity leave, one on holiday, and our leader, the incredible Gillian, is out on an emergency medical leave for a bit. Editor Kate has her own super successful blog, has been working on Who We Are posts for Sewcialists which is no easy fete, and soooo Chloe and I have been working a bit of double time on the blog/email/IG and such. Woohoo!

I’ve also been working hard on my little Workhorse Patterns venture. It’s moving along…..very slowly, but moving along. The community here in Portland is so incredibly supportive. I feel like I’m not working on it enough, but I also know my propensity for burn-out, so I’m trying to be kind to myself.

The shout out to Portland also makes me want to point out this post on The People’s Sewing Army that Denise put together. She’s incredible. I want to be Denise when I grow up.

And I’ve been testing a lot for Joann/Pipedream Patterns. I am loving this unblogged Willow pattern. I’ve got some testing this weekend, in fact. I knew she was working on this pattern as I was working on my first Workhorse Pattern, and wanted it launched when I launched mine (which means I’m behind) as it would make sense for layering in the fall.

Today, and also unblogged (I need to make an unbloggedapalooza post), I’m loving my Wiksten Kimono. I made a quilted scrappy version for my muslin and have ZERO regrets.

What have you been up to? Please tell me you’re behind on something too…. 😀

September 19, 2018

PATTERN: Brooke Cami & Dress by Pipe Dream Patterns

I will test every pattern Joann comes up with. You know when there’s a maker that you just sync with? Like Marrimeko, or Alexander Henry prints, or that aisle in Target that makes you spend an extra $40…Joann comes up with designs either I’ve been dreaming about or I didn’t know I wanted until I saw it. Between that and knowing already she puts out a good product, I’m forever a fan.

The Brooke Cami & Dress pattern test was in June, and I tell you that because it’s a testament to Joann’s quality that it didn’t come out until now. She kept tinkering with it before releasing to make it perfect.

I also really love Pipe Dream because her base block is a C/D cup, and so am I… so for once I don’t have to do a FBA, and haven’t had to do a swayback adjustment either! YAY!!!! I am taller though, and still have to add height, but that’s a lot easier than height + swayback+FBA.

I added in 2 inches, dropped the dart an inch, and then took an inch off the front & back straps to pull the top up a bit tighter and get the waistline to my natural waist. So…in the end, added an inch in length and slightly redistributed where it all lands. Very minor alterations considering it’s a close fitting wrap dress made of woven fabric.

The back dart point was just moved down the 2 inches I added.

Here’s a fit with the height and dart adjustments but before the length taken back out of the straps…a bit too boobylicious for me, but this could work for you. I’m just too old/momlyfe to be running so low:

As you can see, it’s also below my natural waist which would have made for weird bunching up on my hips. This is all MY doing to add my height difference, NOT the pattern, mind you. If you hit the 5’6” range of the block, then you’re fine. I’m putting this in here because I’ve seen quite a few dresses lately out in the world, and there’s some bodice wrinkles because the waist isn’t hitting where it should on the natural waistline. If you’re getting bunching up, you’ve got too much length in there and it really should be removed. It’s really glaring when it makes a back zip buckle.

Here’s my fix, which happen to double as a boob-flash fix. If I wasn’t making my top more modest, I would have had to take an inch back out of my over-zealous bodice lengthening. Ignore the seemingly gaping armscye – that’s because of how I’m holding it and the bias tape hasn’t been applied.

And there it is, back at my natural waist and less flashy. This is, again, pre-bias tape application. The brilliance of the bias tape in this pattern – gah. It’s just really quite smart….

Here are some shots of it on my dress form, and you can see how, after the bias tape is applied, it hugs across the bust, the back, and under the arm, so you don’t have any embarrassing gaping:

I used this floral rayon I picked up at the Colette Patterns sample sale, and while this pattern takes a lot of bias tape, especially if you make the dress with the double ruffle like I did, it’s really not so bad. Seriously. I just did the continuous bias tape method, twice, and spent some time getting it all ironed and rolled up. The bias tape also has the added bonus of making the straps wide enough to cover the straps of my thickest-strapped bra.

The bias also keeps the slightly-curved back snug to the skin and there’s no dress-strap-slippage.

(can you tell I’m a fan of bias tape? It’s so secretly magical)

I don’t know if you have experience with wrap-tops or dresses, especially the woven sort, but gaping is a real concern. There’s nothing worse than thinking you’re all chic and sophisticated in a delicate wrap, while the whole time, you’re flashing the entire office. Yeah. Speaking from experience.

The bonus part of this pattern, which I have not yet made, is the cami option. I didn’t make it on purpose. I don’t have a lot of occasion to wear fancy dresses, so I made this dress as an option for Frocktails…before I realized I’d be running around WAY too much and moving tables & boxes to pretend I’m even lady-like enough to get away the entire evening without making a hot mess of it all. SO…I have a dress to wear if you’re getting married or having a party! I also knew I’d make the cami this fall/winter as a layering option anyway. One can never have too many layering options in the PNW.

So, there you go. I’ve also made Pipe Dream’s new overalls pattern, but need to get some better shots of it. It’s comfy.

I’m really into Pipe Dream, Seamwork+Colette is having a KILLER run lately (which reminds me, I should do a Design Your Wardrobe update), SewHouse7, and I always love Papercut’s stuff. Tuesday Stitches just leaked a peak of her new leggings pattern on IG which have me all excited too…

Got any go-to companies, patterns or otherwise, that have your number dialed in?

September 1, 2018September 2, 2018

PATTERN TESTER CALL OUT – Shirt Pattern

*EDIT* Currently have spots open for US sizes 30 and 32. All other spots have been filled.

30 = 55.5 inch bust with finished bust measurement at 72 inches*

32 = 57.5 inch bust with finished bust measurement at 74 inches*

*This is intentionally a “high volume” shirt to go with high waisted pants/culottes/pencil skirts and create a contrasting volume look.

Pattern tester call out.

High volume (aka a lot of ease), woven-fabric top, pull-over with short, dolman sleeves. Hi-low curved hem. Style is intended to either go 80s boxy or can even be 70s looking if layered over a turtleneck like Rhoda would do. Top works well for blocking & scrap busting.

Beginner/easy pattern with “burrito method” illustrations to be tested to enclose yoke.

Pattern to be sent out 9/7/18 at latest. Would like results by 9/21/18. More interested in tester feedback than professional photos.

Size range 0-32, with bust size range from 32 inches to 57.5 inches; waist 24 inches to 49.5 inches, approximately.

Please email bust/waist/height measurements if you are available to test to sewbeckyjo @ gmail dot com.

July 28, 2018July 28, 2018

PATTERN: Sew House 7 Tea House Dress

This is one of those “Why didn’t I sew this sooner?” patterns. I mean…I know why:

It’s hard to find dresses/skirts that work in my lifestyle. I like to go from running and/or yoga, to playing in the garden, to vacuuming to park to desk to sewing to kid-carpool to making dinner… I don’t have a 9-to-5 job in a sea of gray cubicles anymore…I have a 24 hour job.
I’ve had some pretty severe “misses” in the dress sewing category. Everything I *think* is going to be lovely, flowy, easy ends up being maternity, frumpy, terrifying. The only exception of late has been my black shroud of a Kielo dress which I love, but doesn’t work in 90+ Fahrenheit heat.

But OHMYGOD do I love this dress. I finished it 6 days ago and I’ve worn it for 4 days, including today. In 90+ heat, hanging laundry on my “solar dryer” and THE POCKETS are perfect for clothespins!

I feel a lot like how I remember my Grandma Crouse…in her dresses, puttering around the farm house in Pennsylvania…then it dawned on me… I’ve been thinking of the pattern name in my mind as TEA HOUSE dress….DUH. This is a HOUSE DRESS. Like grandma used to wear! I can be really obtuse sometimes.

I bought 3.5 yards of this 45″ width of fabric (WOF) in the remnant section at Bolt Neighborhood Fabric Store in late May. There’s something about going in there when Mahri is working….I feel so at home. Anyway, I grabbed the fabric instantly. It reminds me of Anna Marie Horner’s fabric designs, although I don’t know the designer of this particular fabric. It’s a light cotton, likely found via a jobber or something by the lovely Gina (owner of Bolt.)

Anywho, this fabric HAD to be either a Sew House 7 Tea House Dress, the long view with the wide belt. It had to be. But….on the back of the envelope, it says for 45″ WOF, one needs 5 yards for my size. Now…I’m pretty good at pattern tetris, but not usually 1.5 yards-saving-good. I had a back-up plan of an elongated Seamwork Mojave with a belt if I couldn’t get it to fit (one Mojave hanging on the line here), but luckily I got it to fit.

Obviously, I didn’t try any pattern matching whatsoever….not that I would have if I had endless yardage. This is like a hippie-rainbow-ikat-plaid-stripe-tie dye crazy fabric. I prefer my sanity.

I couldn’t wait for perfect light to take photos – sort of pointless this time of year…so here are some clearer shots albeit in the shade. I prefer the dress tied in front. I didn’t do an FBA, and while I get some slight boob-separating from the yoke, I don’t really care. It feels fine and there’s no actual tugging, pulling, or tension marks, so I’m calling it good.

The drafting is superb. The skirt is rather flat in the front, and front-flat-yoke area makes it so I don’t feel the usual maternity vibes. This makes me just elated. It’s full and swishy enough I can do chores, walk all around, breezy in the heat, but I don’t feel like I’m going to start square-dancing.

While there is a back-box pleat under the back yoke, it doesn’t add too much volume. There’s just enough extra room to give back-shoulder movement, and walking movement in the skirt as the back is one-piece.

The midi-length is my favorite. Long enough I can put off shaving, but short enough I still get a lovely breeze in the heat.

Let’s talk about the yoke. There’s some extra work here in prepping the yoke with easing technique and also applying some interfacing. It’s quite brilliant. It actually FEELS worth the work when you’re wearing it. It molds and fits tailored around your shoulders, but not tight… If you know what good tailoring feels like, it’s like that. Then it’s combined with this easy dolman sleeve styling… Am I gushing too much? At least you know my elation is real – I don’t hide my hate for most dresses. lol

So…I want like … 5 more and I’m opening my heart to dresses a tiny bit. I like belted, but not fit/flare. I like casual workhorses with clever shaping. I’m not sure I’ll find myself with a closet full of dresses, but this one will remain a favorite for quite awhile. I’m already drawing up thoughts on dresses that would feel similar, and looking at fabrics for more Tea house-dresses.

How do you feel about a “house dress?” Any fond memories of them in your life?

July 24, 2018July 27, 2018

Frocktails Not-Dress

This is a LONG post where I want to document my makes over the last couple months, and then do a sharp detour into updated goals. Sort of updated…mostly reiterated. I hope it will make sense.

While I realize it’s sorta ass-backwards to organize a party where everyone wears a dress they made….then turn around and make pants – it had to be done.

There was a dress made for Frocktails….but it’s a wrap dress, and a test pattern. The pattern wasn’t launched before the party, but that wasn’t my biggest concern. As the party organizer, I couldn’t risk the wrap-dress-flash-factor with all the moving around I’d be doing. So….I went with much more modest and stylized.

I actually don’t have a whole lot of shots of me IN the outfit. 😀 Silly, huh? There’s a few on the previous Portland Frocktails post and some on the Frocktails site. Here’s one of me trying to figure out which shoes to wear on Instagram, while my mirror was buried deep in Frocktails stuff.

The rose twill I had in my stash for at least 5 years, waiting for the right inspiration. When I saw the Anna Allen Persephone pants pattern, I knew that is what it had to be.

I took a few Instagram shots of the pants when I finished them.

I made a few adjustments to the pattern, such as increase the back rise and grade out a bit for lower hip…I don’t recall what exactly…like a 6 waist to a 10 low hip? Something like that. I added about an inch and a half to the back rise – I could probably take that extra half back out.

Next pair will be a heavier canvas. The twill is nice, but is too thin for these ultra-tight waist pants, and they won’t last through a year.

I believe it was a fabric.com clearance purchase, so I’m not super shocked how thin it gets with every wash. Not that I think the Kamm-pants look is going to last more than a couple years anyway…it’s more for fun than comfort, know what I mean?

And now that we’re in a 90+ degree heat wave, we’re going to have Ms. Dressform do the modeling. Outfit is on size 10 dress form. I’m smaller than my 12 dress form, but a bit bigger than my 10 and definitely proportioned differently, so 10 it is.

So, the top part. I knew the Sewcialists were going to have their Sew Style Hero month coming up, and I wanted to participate, but there was no way I was going to pull off a Frocktails outfit AND a completely different Sew Style Hero outfit, so I combined them, and chose Cate Blanchett for my Sew Style Hero, and went menswear-inspired.

The vest is the Thread Theory Belvedere Waistcoat. It’s a men’s pattern, and I altered it for my body. I took out the broad back curve made for a man’s broader back shoulder span, deepened the back waist darts quite a bit, and took in the under-arm seam at the armscye about a half-inch on both sides on an XS size pattern. If you’re much smaller than me, than you may want to print the pattern at a 75% scale first, as XS is the smallest size, and adjust from there. If you need any smaller than that, and I don’t know that I’d dicker with it.

I used vintage buttons in my stash from my mom, and the lining is left over from a custom sports coat I made my husband.

I do love the vest. It is NOT shaped like a typical women’s vest even with my adjustments… the armscye is pulled in towards center front so as to not restrict arm movement on a man, and the neckline is high…as opposed to normally you’d see a women’s vest stylized to have a wider, deeper neckline, and the armscye would align closer to the armpit crease for a narrow, scooped out, more corseted look. I like both styles, but this was definitely more androgynous looking on me. While I’m pretty happy with the final product, I went against my intuition and followed the instructions. Next time, I will be changing the order of construction to my preferred method – but that’s a personal choice.

Excuse the wrinkles throughout – this has been worn, but not fully re-pressed.

All that said, the pattern is drafted very well. I used a proper, stiff, sew-in stabilizer for the front (fashionsewingsupply.com for always) and I’m glad I went the heavier route.

The shirt is more or less a Grainline Archer. I find the Archer a really great, basic block that can be adapted into a million different ways. I had this poly chiffon in my stash forever too… I think I got it on some Instagram destash, but it has been around awhile. It’s shear, slippery, and likes to fray. Lots of fun, right? I used a LOT of starch, a 60 Microtex needle, and really, it wasn’t too bad. French seams, flat felled the shoulder which got a little squirrelly, oh, and used bias for the cuff plackets. I wasn’t about to try to press a tower placket into the poly.

I free-hand cut the neckline down to my cleavage, and added in a tie-neck instead. Easy-peasy.

The tie is really just a 4 inch wide piece, with the length the width-of-fabric (WOF), and sewn on. It seems arbitrary, but folded on itself, it creates enough structure, at 1″ wide, hides the insides, and is still long enough for a pussycat bow tie.

Untied, with the vest and paired with jeans, it is decidedly less feminine, but still very female, as in my Cate Blanchett Ocean’s 8 inspired version:

A little added on-trend sheer doesn’t hurt either.

Overall, this ended up being a huge learning experience. While all the patterns used are well known, highly rated patterns, and pretty TNT for me except the vest… I’ve never planned to sew an outfit with multiple parts from top to bottom before. I’ve always been the magpie, going where my whims take me. Don’t get me wrong, this was totally whimsical for me. A little 70s gender-bending glam for Frocktails, and a badass Cate Blanchett look for Sewcialists – very much playing dress up here. I mean…more like, whoa, instead of assuming I’m going to stick to my usual palette and this will all meld with my wardrobe, I made a mini wardrobe in and of itself.

So… a couple things.

I’m doubling down on my drafting. I’ve been using Illustrator FOREVER but now learning to grade in it, instead of just by hand. I’m hoping to launch a few patterns in August, and do some freelance as well. There’s stuff brewing.
Bini, of Josephine’s, said something to me a couple weeks ago – she said, she’d like to see people elevate their sewing and dressing. I like that. I’m going to adopt that. I’ve never been much of a “cake” sewer – frilly dress sewing…more of a meat and potatoes kind of gal…but I can elevate. I feel I need to.
This all coincides with Seamwork’s next round of Design Your Wardrobe series. Now, I know I swore I’d never commit to one style…but I want to pull out my clothes everyday and feel more than just comfortable. I want to elevate it…and I need structure for that to happen, especially if I’m going to stay committed to #1 as well.

Do you find yourself doing this half-yearly re-evaluating, and readjustment? I always find New Year’s Day to be poorly placed. The dead of winter is not a place of inspiration for me…it’s more just done out of cultural norm, but who is inspired when you’re Vitamin D is at its lowest? Not me. July fire is more my style.

Are you joining in the Seamwork session? Have you tried it?

July 21, 2018July 21, 2018

Amazon Echo Look Review

I’ve had an Amazon Echo Look for about 3 weeks now. My husband is an early adopter of tech items, both in personal interest and for his work, so often I get to benefit from that as well. He has watched me take photos of my makes for quite a few years now with various set-ups over the years with everything from a crop-body Sony DSLR to whatever current smartphone I am using (usually his previous year’s model. I get the best hand-me-downs with him testing out the bugs first.)

When the Amazon opened up sales for the new Echo Look, my dearest thought of me and how to make taking photos easier. I’m not going to lie. I was very excited.

Now that I’ve had it for a few weeks and have played with it, I’ll share my early thoughts on it.

I really, really hope it takes off. I hope everyone who posts in #MMMay or their #OOTD or whatever else buys one…and then goes to Amazon and asks for updates. The ease of the app and set up is perfect. As much as I love it and the convenience of it, it needs some work and I’ve fallen in love with too many things that were launched too early and were killed because of lack of support. I’m looking at you, Microsoft phones, Xbox Fitness App, Beats music app, etc.

Last weekend, I went into the Amazon store (local brick & mortar), and asked an employee if they could discuss the Echo Look with me. They kindly told me they didn’t even have one in the store and didn’t know anything about it. They gave me the 800 number for customer service and said they usually know more.

Two days ago I called the 800 number.

First I talked to TK, who tried to tell me that Amazon wasn’t available at this time (um, I’m in the same time-zone.) That was funny, and not in a good way. TK told me that they only trouble-shoot problems and that they can’t forward my call to the design team (which I did not ask for, I asked for someone on his team that knew about app/device updates and about using the Echo Look.) TK forwarded me to “George” – I will note that George started out with an American Southern accent which he quickly lost as he went back to his native language accent. I’m not sure what the point of that was….? I think after he realized I wasn’t some n00b complaining about not being able to get her Fire stick to work, he dropped the fake southern accent. George actually tried to first talk me into returning the device. George didn’t know anything either, and eventually told me to write a review online under the product.

The Catch-22 is amazing. The store knows nothing and points consumers to the phone people. The phone people are irritable, they do not like that I’m asking device & app update questions, they don’t know anything, and point consumers to return the product or write a review here.

Ok, now to my problems and requests for solutions. This is all taken directly from my review left on Amazon, because, yes, I really do want to keep using the device, and I really do hope it takes off. The only difference is here I’ve posted photos so you know what I mean. Amazon doesn’t need my photos – a quick look at photos in Instagram will show I’m not the only one…or I AM the only one not pulling the photos into another app first to edit.

1. Pre, what, 2000, I was that person that got red-eye when not even looking at the camera. Technology and cameras have advanced so that isn’t an issue…or I pull out the DSLR and use an external flash – but even then, my DSLR is new enough it doesn’t really have those issues. The Echo Look’s 4 LEDs are SO bright, I look like a Replicant from Blade Runner. No exaggeration. It’s like you went back in time with technology. Not even looking at the camera, I still get retina refraction like crazy. I tried putting scotch tape over the LEDs to soften the impact which reduces the Replicant look by 50% but then the app doesn’t like that and tells me something is wrong and till not apply any of the filters or the blurry vignette feature (Pop.) You have to fix this. I’m NOT alone. Going through Instagram for EchoLook photos is like Replicant Tinder. You’ve got to do a hardware OS update and fix that, and/or allow the app to reduce flash brightness.

pre-run camera test – red eye while looking away AND with a hat

2. Let’s talk about Pop or the weird blurry vignette slider that isn’t really a slider. Yes, it is helpful, but please update app so that slider is really a slider. Right now it is A. Nothing. B. You’re floating in a blurry cloud C. You’re actually swimming in amniotic fluid.

3. The fashion compare options. HAHAHA. Oh. Please. The algorithm is set to 1950. Seriously, try it. Put on, say, nice linen overalls with a wide leg, paired with a mid-volume silk shirt – totally on trend, and put it next to an outfit that looks like it was bought from Chicos (think princess seamed button up shirt in novelty print, and a defined waist-pant, and it picks the Chicos outfit every time.) Fit & Flare isn’t the only design aesthetic, thanks. Please update app to have style preferences. Think Stitch Fix or the Nordstrom version of Stitch Fix…it’s for men, so my husband uses it, not me, but they’re VERY good. You’re in the same town as Blake, just go over and ask him how they set up the Nordstrom version of Stitch Fix, ‘kay??

(Sure, maybe I didn’t need to be soooo punchy, but I was a liiiittle irritated at this point. Pinched-in waist and the term “more flattering” or “outfit shape looks better” when it really means ‘this outfit makes you look skinnier and OF COURSE that is what you care about’ is so F*CKING OLD. Just STOP.)

Um, these are the same colors… right? blue and white…or blue and white?

4. You may need a more diverse group working on this product. I’ll let you figure out that one, but I’ll give you a hint. If you gear something towards women, with ONLY women in ALL of the product demos, then maybe there should be more women, particularly women in fashion/design, involved in the process. Also…you may want to diversify your product demos… lovely range of women with POCs…all the same size and age range. And just women. Call me, I’ll help you.
5. I shouldn’t have to pull this all into PhotoShop. This should be plug-in-play directly to Instagram. You’re losing SO much with all of these issues. Your Echo Look account isn’t even used – I’ve got a stinking suspicion you’re already planning on dropping this product. I can’t find ANY reviews other than the PR release you GAVE out. I seriously don’t care what 40+ year old hetero white men not in fashion/design have to say about this product, nor what they forced their single female staffer to do with it. There’s NOTHING. Which tells me there’s suppression, and possibly such a great loss already you’re looking to bag out completely and are ready to erase it. I’d prefer you supported it instead. It wasn’t a bad idea. I prefer it to having to set up my DSLR or propping my iPhone on my tripod…but my iPhone takes way better photos and has a portrait option that rivals my DSLR. That and no replicant.

So…that’s my little soapbox for the Echo Look. I will tell you, we are huge fans of tech and I do love Amazon’s products. I really do believe there can be better living with tech. I believe the Look can help – better shopping choices means less fast fashion waste. My criticism is in hope Amazon does NOT take this as a loss. I’m not returning it because I WANT it to be better; I have hope more people will adopt it and Amazon will roll out updates.

Until then, your more human than human friend.

July 17, 2018July 17, 2018

Portland Frocktails: We Did It!

June was CRAZYAWESOMEAMAZING. But in order to understand that…let’s back up to the end of January.

Love To Sew Podcast had 2 back-to-back episodes that changed everything. I caught up on them backwards, and this part is important.

I listened to Workroom Social’s Jennifer Weise first. Jennifer’s take on making sewing social workshops, and in particular how she instructs her staff and guests, is everything. Keeping talking/social circles open so others can approach without feeling intimidated or like they’re interrupting, instructing staff to socialize with new guests every day (“no staff lunch table”)… As the sewing tribe grows with people on the spectrum of introvert-to-extrovert, it doesn’t change the fact that sewing is often solitary, and getting out to connect is HARD. Jennifer’s approach is GOLD in my book.

Then, I was LITERALLY on the floor cutting out a pattern, listening to Caz Adams of Useful Box talking about Sydney Frocktails (if you don’t know: you dress up in something you’ve sewn, and go and mingle with other people who’ve done the same), and I thought to myself, “I wish Portland had one.”

Then lightbulb.

“Wait a minute Becky. Seriously. How many events across the last 20+ years have you planned and executed? Everything from annual shareholders meetings to retirement parties to grand openings to land use symposiums…not to mention booths in major conventions and all of that crap. You can do this. You can do this in your sleep.”

So, I got up off the floor and registered the domain Portland Frocktails and got the Instagram before I could talk myself out of it.

Reality: The next two weeks were sleepless and I got an ulcer after a month. I even went to the doctor, my stomach was in so much pain. I never go to the doctor.

It’s one thing to plan and launch an event with a corporate budget, and implied guest list. It’s another thing to do it with your own ass on the line and no one is required to attend.

What kinds of things require your ass to be on the line, Becky? I’m glad you asked.

Catering. Space. Photographer. Oregon Liquor Control Commission requires that if you are to charge for tickets and there is alcohol, there must be a licensed catering bar & staff on site. This increases catering costs by 30-40% with JUST beer and wine, not hard booze, especially IF attendees don’t buy the bar-retainer minimum. I’m a firm believer in tipping catering, so that must be factored in. The ticket site, EventBrite, takes their cut. SquareUp takes their cut. Hosting and web design or driving around town meeting with sponsors isn’t free, let alone the full-time “job” this all requires for a few months.

Portland doesn’t have the, let’s say, highest income per capita, so while there was proof-of-concept with other cities’ Frocktails, there was no guarantee of attendance and a bad ticket price could make or break the inaugural event, unlike in say a higher income per capita city like Manhattan. Sure, there are plenty of people that offer help and they are so very much appreciated, but help doesn’t pay for an event.

I’ve never been a sales person, but that’s what I had to do. I had to ask for financial help from business in our industry. And you know what? Wow. Did they pull through. WOW. I offered to ask attendees to tag sponsors in Instagram and to put logos on sites with a little blurb, just so I could afford to throw a party…and they said yes. Josephine’s Dry Goods and Clutch Camera both donated space & photography. That took a huge chuck out of forecasted expenses. Bolt Fabric Boutique sponsored a decent chunk of catering. The space needed tables, and Helen of Seam Divas picked up and delivered tables. Karleen of the Portland Sewing Studio, which she JUST relaunched and has her own finances to think of, donated to the catering and ran to pick up the special order vegan, gluten free cupcakes. Michael Miller Fabrics, Modern Domestic, Colette Patterns: all donated financially. The financial sponsors didn’t stop there, they donated huge door prizes and swag bag gifts for every attendee. There were additional prize donors like Dritz, Soak Wash, Pendleton, Craftsy, Sew House 7, Wiksten, and a huge surprise: We had Pati Palmer and Marta Alto attend with their latest book and do a mini book signing + make a lovely speech. Even the catering company, Delilah’s, knocked off their service fee for us, after creating a specialized menu including vegan and gluten free items.

So. We did it. It took a lot of amazing people to get it to launch day, and I’m beyond grateful for every single one of them. I couldn’t do this without them or the attendees.

And launch day was beautiful. All 100 attendees were incredible. Everyone was open, social, smiling. Sure, we can iron out a few wrinkles for next time, …but it was incredible. I am so humbled by the community. 5 months from spark to party. I am so grateful. Have I mentioned that? lol. I am.

I write this sort of gritty, nuts and bolts post in hopes of encouraging everyone to make a Frocktails in their city. It’s hard work, but it is worth it.

Know some of the reality going into it. No particular order:

Make a spreadsheet, and forecast your expenses, all the way down to buying name tags. Make a formula in your spreadsheet that multiplies attendees x catering per head + additional costs. Keep that running total against ticket sales and any sponsorship money coming in so you can be sure you’re financially on track.
Know the financial situation of the population in your city. A high ticket price will make it so you may not need sponsors, but that may be financially excluding a lot of people. You’re going to have to make a choice.
Know your mantra before you even launch it (I recommend Jennifer Weise above.) Inclusivity, social-setting awareness, gratitude, and “sewcializing” as an act of self-love are what I chose.
Know your audience: is your city formal, casual, swanky, high fashion, all of the above?
Are you going to get hobbyists, professionals, designers, or all of the above? You won’t know all of the answers, but put together lists of all scenarios and costs.
Call up other cities and ask how they do it (I did.) Just don’t take my list – ask theirs. Due diligence is key.
Call up multiple event space options and get quotes on catering + space.
Call photographers and ask them hourly rates, how long for turnaround, and what are the usage rights for the photos afterwards.
For me, I wasn’t making this a job for income or a for-profit event – I didn’t want to be in the red nor did I want money left over. This was a passion project for our community, and that needs to be an authentic drive. Will that work for you?
Can you dedicate the time?
If you’re going to have sponsors, they’re going to want know how many people you expect and what they get in return. Are there tiers of sponsorship? Do you have tickets to comp for sponsors? I did not think to comp tickets, but I was charging such a low price, especially “Early Bird” pricing, that a ticket didn’t cover the cost of catering per head, so I couldn’t have anyway. Something I need to address next time.
Are social ice breakers, themes, crafts, or pattern swaps going to be part of your event? I gave brief talks, asked the attendees to be mindful of closed social circles, and had a keynote speaker (Pati & Marta), and we had a loose pattern swap going on, plus and unmanned photo “booth.” There was an optional book signing with Pati & Marta in a side room. We had raffle tickets for the door prizes towards the end, and with a 2 hour event, that really took up all the time. Perhaps with a 3 hour event, we could add in a social ice breaker theme? Maybe.
Don’t forget to sew something for yourself to wear to the event!

Anyway, you get the idea. I asked one smaller Frocktails city their advice before I started, and one of the ladies suggested a more simple meet-up at a cocktail lounge. If your city is small, or maybe you’re not sure how many people you can get your first time out, that may be the way to go. We ended up selling out at 100 attendees and had a waiting list because our space couldn’t take any more people. A larger city I asked gets just as large a group, but their tickets are twice as much too. (I did not ask permission to quote these lovely ladies, so I’m leaving those details out, but you’re welcome to search around and inquire to other cities.)

I hope this helps you make your own local Frocktails event. Let me know if you have any questions.

One last thank you: My family for supporting me throughout planning this event, my husband for believing in me 100%, and my mom for babysitting and supporting me always. I love you all.

June 1, 2018

2018 MMMay – What did we learn?

I had the MOST fun this year during MMMay18 – more than I have had in previous years.

What was different?

Mostly my attitude. I went into to this May with a positive, open attitude and embraced the selfie-fun.

I also went into it with a real challenge. I’m a fairly confident sewist, so I needed to find something that would kick my butt a little bit and keep me humble.

We all know where those areas are, and the only way to move past any obstacle is to take it face-on. Of course, I still hope the car engine light goes off on its own – so take this life advice with a LOT of salt

I learned that even after removing what little RTW clothing I had, and moving little/never worn me-mades into their place, I still won’t wear makes that were in the flop-category. I’m looking at you, Lisette dress.

I also learned I wear tanks layered under clothes a LOT. Mostly cheap, cotton kinds from Gap Body or Target or whatever. I’ve just purchased these out of lazy convenience – I don’t even like how they fit. So I whipped up a racer-back tank pattern, and got a few of those done. Some scrap-busting Seamwork Geneva panties while I was at it too…. You can bet this will be my summer uniform when it gets hot.

My biggest surprise: the Seamwork Mojave and the Colette Aster shirt. I own the patterns, but not sewn yet (story of my life.) I picked up 2 Mojave dresses and an Aster at the Colette sample sale just at the end of April.

I wore both Mojave dresses and the Aster at least 2x each during MMMay18. I wasn’t sure at first, and thought I might want to turn the Mojave dresses into shirts….I figured they’d be too much like the Lisette and I’d feel pregnant-looking, but I REALLY love them.

My lesson here is that I need to go back to the the drawing board with dresses. I know I like tight-fitting maxis like the Kielo Dress. I strongly dislike the Lisette and the Itch-to-Stitch dress I made last year. So…I’m thinking I dislike fit/flare in general, but I am ok with volume in the right places. Or perhaps, fit/flare that’s too high-waisted?

Hmmm. I am really drawn to the Sew House 7 Tea Dress, above on dress form… and I know I love the Sew House 7 Burnside bibs already… is it too much like the Lisette? Should I try the Washi super pack I already own? Should I just get my butt in gear and draft stuff like I keep meaning too?

I also wear my Akita shirts A LOT, but want something else in that category. I have a pattern I want in my head….also listed under the ‘get my but in gear and draft’ category.

Along with my Akitas, I wear my Oslo sweaters and my jeans enough that I can justify making more. Ditto button up shirts. I don’t like my Agnes tops at all, however. Those will get donated.

I’ve got a pattern test wrap dress on the table now, and a few pairs of pants in the queue before I delve into that too much, so I’ll just enjoy my Mojave sale-scores for now.

How was your MMMay? What did you learn? What are you missing? Is there some magical design out there you wish existed?

May 27, 2018May 26, 2018

MMMay 18: Home Edition Part 3: Cleaning Wipes

My biggest, non-green, eco-disaster, bad habit?

Yeah. Kids are disgusting, germy, messy, smeary, hectic, crazy, last-minute-everything, walking germ-bag-garbage-disposals.

Wipes sound pretty damn good when I put it that way, huh?

SOOOO, in our final Home Edition Pledge Challenge of MMMay 18, let’s wrap up my new cleaning habits. Well…as mentioned in Part 1, I’ve been testing this particular segment for a few months. I’m not going to suggest something to you I just threw together. I’ll leave that to Pinterest.

Let’s back up.

I bought this Libman Refillable Mop Thingy 2+ years ago, and it’s the best thing ever. I can wash the mop-pad, I can refill the tank with diluted Dr. Bronner’s, the spray mechanism is still going strong, and, BEST OF ALL, the youngest likes to mop with it!!!! I bought an extra mop pad at purchase thinking it would give me time before I need to make a replacement – but honestly, neither is showing any wear. WINNING! This got me thinking….

I should probably figure out something about my bad wipes habit.

Enter: The Decommissioned Washcloths & Towels. As I knit new washcloths, I decommission old towels and washcloths:

I cut the decommissioned rags, at minimum, in half, so they don’t accidentally get put back into face-washing-pile rotation (kids, ahem.) Mostly, I cut them down to size small enough to pull through a wipes container lid.

My recipe has taken 6 months to perfect. This is a combination of other recipes I’ve tested, found what I liked, and discarded what didn’t work for me. If there is an exact duplicate out there, I apologize – I’m not a mommy-home-blogger-pinterest person. I just came up with this for my family and am sharing for your family. Feel free to share, but please credit me. This helps me see if I need to make alterations if people come back to me and comment.

Becky’s House Wipes Recipe:

Be sure to clearly mark your containers for safety. Try Sharpie – this will ensure a spelling mistake.
1 Gallon of Water
1.5 tsp Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds
1/4 cup Isopropyl Alcohol
30+ drops or more of your favorite smelly essential oil, if desired.

Mix. 1 Cup of mixture per wipe container & ~7 wipes. Your yardage may vary.

Notes: Alcohol is for mold/mildew prevention, and it’s a super great gummy-stuff destroyer. No, tea tree oil by itself won’t prevent your wipes from mildewing in the container, and even the alcohol won’t stop it forever. Only make enough wipes that you will go through in a week. At the one week point, I find things getting funky. And not in a good, James Brown way.

I fold up my wipes. I used to cram them in, but pulling them back out was not fun. So…folding & stacking it is. I only make 2 wipe containers at a time. If I go through them faster than a week, great, I can refill. If not – in the wash they go. As I use them, I throw them in the wash, then back out into a rag-holding bucket until time for refill or for use with spray bottle.

There will be leftover cleaner, obvs.

1 Gallon mixture fills:

1/2 gallon container
1 spray bottle
1 mop reservoir
2 wipes containers.

See how neat and tidy that is? See how I cropped out the ENTIRE REST OF MY HOUSE? lol.

If there was a Wipes Anon, I can say I’ve been Wipes Purchasing Free for almost 6 months. This completes my #3 part of my #MMMay18 challenge of thinking outside the wardrobe and adding household me-mades to my life.

Let me know if you use this recipe and what you think/any tweaks you make! Also, do you have any ideas for next year? I want to have plenty of time to test them.

May 26, 2018May 26, 2018

MMMay 18: Home Edition 2: Wash Cloths

Yesterday, I gave you my Home Edition 1, and my soap making adventures. Today, is Part 2, with my knitting adventures.

My knitting is….well, not good. I’m at the point where I need to sit down, carefully go through a longer, more complicated pattern, and I just can’t commit myself to that kind of learning process when there are so many other things to do. I WANT to make socks but first I need to LEARN to make socks. It’s that slowing down part that makes me stop. I know once I have it down, I can churn them out, but I don’t have it down.

However. I attend quite a few soccer/volleyball/swimming/other sport events. Sometimes I get volunteered to be score keeper at volleyball, but for the most part, I take the time to enjoy some solitude, albeit in public. It’s not that I don’t like being chatty at events, it’s just that I’m not going to initiate it, especially if I feel I need to recharge. Often I’ll choose the recharge.

This match, above, there’s LITERALLY a mom next to me knitting and she’s got full on cables and shit going on. Yeah.

I’m not fast. I’ve gotten faster since moving to circular needles, but I’m not fast.

My #MMMay18 share here is that I’m slowly replacing washcloths (SLOWLY) as they wear out (FASTER THAN I CAN KNIT.) My husband teases me, “you know you can just buy those…” SEE. Even under that ridiculousness, I persevere and have not purchased washcloths in 5+ years.

I purchased 2 stacks of cheap white wash cloths 5 or 6 years ago at Costco. As they get dingy and peroxide no longer whitens them, I’ve dyed them various colors. As they get “rougher” still, I’ve removed them from circulation (tomorrow’s post.) And those little balls of cotton yarn that are always in FUN colors and so cheap?!?! They satisfy that little retail therapy bit, AND I can make something trendy, cute, and, eventually, knitted.

My idea was to make washcloths and pair with soap as gifts. 3 years ago. HAHAHA. Not likely.

However, this pace works for the rate at which we are wearing out our washcloths, it’s sustainable for me and our household, and I recommend giving it a go. Who cares if you’re scrubbing faces & feet with something imperfect? It is awesome to scrub your face with something you made.

Last post on this tomorrow is what I do with those retired washcloths, and a guilty confession.

May 25, 2018May 26, 2018

MMMay 18 : Home Edition 1: Soap

Hey! How’s it going? I’m really digging #MMMay18 on Instagram. I don’t think I’ve missed a day yet. Woohoo!

However, I did pledge to add Me-Made-Home challenges to my MMMay18 this year, so here we go.

Most of these things I’ve been doing for awhile now, so you can rest assured each of these have been thoroughly tested by me and my large, extended family. I’m starting to really dislike the I MADE A THING, I’M POSTING IT, IT’S AMAZING AND YOU WILL LOVE IT FOREVER TOO way of doing things…because a month or 2 down the road…it’s not necessarily still true. I like to put a few miles on things before I say it’s the greatest thing ever. Your yardage may vary. (get it, yardage…cuz I sew…HAHAHAHA)

SOAP
This post will concentrate on soap. I’ve been making soap for about 2.5 years now. Long enough to be comfortable with it, and know what I like, and what doesn’t work for me, but not long enough to be an expert at all. I’ve owned some soap making books over the years, but it was purchasing Pure Soapmaking by Anne Marie Faiola that my deep-dive into saponification really took off. I love the entire Bramble Berry store site and the sister-blog Soap Queen. All the information so freely given, and if you’re not sure, the chat box is actually functional and helpful (what?!?! can you believe it?!?!) There are plug-in calculation form on the site, there are free (SO MANY FREE) recipes, free business and license/labeling information – I mean. Damn. I wish every company was like Anne-Marie’s companies. She’s definitely up there in my Top 10 Most Inspiring People…if that existed outside of my head. OMG, and Mountain Rose Herbs here in Oregon. That place is FREAKIN incredible, and their recipes are amazing. Like – you can’t get better quality and information if you want to go full ‘nola or even partial ‘nola.

Enough awkward gushing. I’ve shared some of my various soap/lotion/lip balm making in Instagram, but not yet here, as this has been mostly sewing, but in the name of MMMay18, let’s do it.

I’ve preferred shaving with a nice, slick olive oil bar for about 20 years now, so it’s no surprise my #1 favorite soap to make is an olive oil soap. The Castile-Salt Brine Soap in the Pure Soapmaking book is my favorite. Not only is it simple, but it really doesn’t require as many speciality items as more involved recipes can require, so it’s a good place to start, and it makes a quality bar. The recipe does call for extra strength essential oils, and yes, they are spendy, but totally worth it. I can’t link to it here because it’s a book-only recipe, but the book really isn’t that much and is totes worth it.

Speaking of spendy, how much is this venture? Well, I’m glad you asked. December 2016, I made a spreadsheet to track PPO (price per ounce) for lotions and soaps cuz when I geek-out, I GEEK-OUT. Your pricing may vary, but this is a good estimated place to start.

I eventually added a laser thermometer, and a few molds, plus my mom picks up cute silicone molds for me too, like the owl.

Over the years, as makers do, I’ve ventured into quite a few related categories: Lip balms, lotions, bath truffles, bees wax molded into thread-conditioning-sized blocks, etc. If you can make cupcakes, you can make everything in this photo collage.

I’m not all 100% ‘nola, but it is nice to learn about what is in soaps and lotions. During my explorations, I’ve learned about those preservatives in product ingredient lists, why they’re necessary, and what I can/cannot omit. I’ve also learned many are pretty harmless, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, you CAN create some chemical reactions that result in carcinogenic mixtures.

I’ve learned that if I want to omit preservatives in lotions, I’m going to want to refrigerate it. Lotion is basically mayonnaise. I’ve also learned cleaning out silicone lotion bottles for re-use is a GIANT PAIN IN THE ASS, so I’m going to have to revisit that one. Mason jars with pumps? I don’t know.

I’ve learned too much baking soda in homemade deodorant is REALLY abrasive and causes rubbed-raw-pits and my husband lies and tells me I don’t stink. I freakin’ love that man.

I’ve learned too much micah or colorant in lip balm can also be abrasive.

I’ve learned charcoal and clays are not good for daily soap…if at all in soap, at least not for my family, and it makes my BFF aesthetician recoil as if a vampire in the sun if I even mention charcoal…that should tell you something about that trend.

I’ve learned shea butter in soap is really nice on babies. And so is just straight coconut or shea oil – don’t go through the fuss of lotion if you don’t want/have to.

OK, tomorrow I’ll explore how badly I suck at knitting, but why I have not given up on it quite yet in #MMMay18, Home Edition Part 2: Knitashtrophy. Knitaggeddon? Knitpocolypse? Knitnado?

April 28, 2018

MMMay18 Pledge

Ok, so it took me awhile to come up with 2018’s Me Made May pledge, but I think I got it. With 2 days to go.

This #MMMay18, I, Becky, pledge to:

1. Wear ZERO RTW tops, bottoms, dresses.* I have some recently acquired Colette sample garments I’m dying to wear, so not really me-made, but we-made? 😀 Close enough. Is this really a challenge for me? No…but wait, there’s more….
2. Document, document, document. I’m terrible about this. I’ve never made a selfie-station and I’d like to have a better catalog to look back one. So, this is a challenge, but not really anything to do with the heart of MMMay, so….
3. My REAL challenge: I promise to find at least one thing a week around the house to turn into/advocate as me-made versus consuming more, mawr, MOOORE. I have a couple things in mind I’m testing, but it will be a challenge to find areas of waste AND commit to finding solutions that are sewing me-made-replacements.

*I know I need to make more foundation & workout garments. Those are glaring holes in the me-made area I’m aware of and will also work on filling, but are not a need at this time. As my RTW in that area comes to their life-cycle end, I’ll deal with it then. Part of me-made-may for me, however, it’s making things for the sake of making it. If I have a RTW item, I will wear it to death and then some. Just ask my husband about the cashmere sweater.

BRING ON #MMMay18 !