The paper Pavlova pre-sale patterns have been arriving in sewing rooms from Brisbane to Yellowknife to London to Wellington to Brooklyn and most places in between.  If you’re still waiting on yours, give it a few more days and if it doesn’t turn up, please email me.  stephc(at)3hourspast(dot)com

Meanwhile, three Pavlova Patterns are available now for download from Craftsy:

Pavlova Skirt & Pocket, all sizes

Pavlova Wrap Top 30-35

Pavlova Wrap Top, 35-45

Pdf patterns are interesting.  Everyone, everyone, especially those who have never attempted making pdf patterns, has an opinion about the best way to do it.  Personal preferences of various sewists often conflict, and there’s no way to please everyone.

click for printable sample pdf page

Naturally, we gave it our best shot anyway.    It’s time-consuming to field emails about pdf pattern tiling and scaling.  I’d rather make a pdf that prints perfectly for anyone, anywhere without tech support.   This meant hours of back-and-forth between me and TaranM, printing samples on our printers, wringing our hands, working out the “best” way.

It seems the “best” way for us is to create a tiled pattern with somewhat generous margins, no overlaps, and  a simple layout.   We divided the top into two sizing chunks to conserve paper for smaller Top sizes, and separated the tops from the skirt.  This pdf has printed out properly on A4 and Letter printers (100% scaling), and I’ve done everything possible to ensure I don’t wake up to a morning inbox full of printing/tiling issues.

It’s been hard and weird working out a good solid “system” for making pdfs.  I hope that with Pavlova, we’ve finally hit the right note.  Do please let me know if we haven’t.

Off Week

I’m going to take off blogging this week while I prep for the 30 Minutes A Day Pavlova Sewalong that kicks off on Friday.  We’ll have such fun. I’ll be back on Thursday evening to announce the house prize for the house that completes the greatest number of Cake Standard Pavlovas during the sewalong, as well as an explanation of “Cake Standard.” I’ll be prowling around social media and the flickr group, too.  (If you purchase a pdf and want me to “sort” you into a house, email me and I’ll assign you one at random.)

Questions?

Do you have any questions about the pdf  making process?

Yesterday, after months and months of telling myself to recover my ironing board, I finally did it!  Why is it so hard to do these little maintenance jobs?   I took a few pictures to show you how I did it- it’s kind of quick and dirty with a serger thrown in, but effective.

As much as I enjoyed sharing my sewing space with these gnomes, I had to admit the fabric was no longer suitable as a pressing surface.  It’s been washed multiple times and is stiff as a board and perma-sticky.  I think I should invest in an applique mat.

I had a cute self-made textile design printed onto Spoonflower linen-cotton, which arrived the other day.  I washed it well and pressed it.

The blue quilt is lap size.  It began life as a dye experiment, then a free-motion quilting primer.  I finished it but it never gets used and we have plenty of other blankets so I’m using it to help pad out my ironing board surface.

I started with one of the original layers of batting.  It’s polyester and wool, which helps hold in heat and moisture when I’m steaming and clapping seams on twill or bulky fabrics.  It was already trimmed to my ironing board shape.  Then I layered the board with even more padding (and covered the end, too).

I used the wool blend, a thermal layer (potholder batting), and the cotton quilting practice.  It’s very firm.  Then I draped the fabric over the board and adjusted as desired and trimmed away the excess.

I trimmed the fabric in such a way that it hung down about 1/2″ (1.2cm) below the lower edge of the board- roughly a thumb length.

Then I used 1/4″ (6mm) underwear elastic on the edges.  I suggest using regular elastic, this isn’t really starchy enough.  Pull the elastic fairly tightly while serging the cover to the elastic without cutting the elastic much.  It takes a little coordination at first, but it’s quick and very neat.  I start with a few meters of elastic in my lap and simply trim it off at the other end.

Mine isn’t perfect- I pinned the fabric below the board in a few places. Weak elastic.  But it’s clean and fresh and won’t damage my fabrics, which is the main consideration.

Now I can get on with some other work!

Pavlova Shipping

The Pavlova Wrap Top & Skirt patterns have shipped to Cake NH and Cake Central to be shipped to you.  Cake Stockists will receive their orders as we ship out the presale.  Then we can get started on the new tutorials!  Woohoo!  I didn’t want to get too much into the technical posts until the pattern was also in your hands, I’m so thrilled to get started sewing up Pavlovas together!

Meanwhile, a little bird is in production…

click for source and a little info on The Little Apple

Just a quick update on Pavlova progress today.  Cake Patterns are printed and assembled in Manhattan, Kansas.  Aka The Little Apple.

click for source. This is from the same storm, photo at Dove Mountain. Pretty.

The Little Apple is currently under deep and picturesque snowdrifts, which explains why I couldn’t get the printer on the phone for two days earlier this week.  I have to stay up late or get up quite early to speak to them, and I was getting a little frustrated.   Rest assured, the Pavlova patterns are printed and ready to ship.  As soon as the logistics carrier can break a path to the printer and pick up our patterns, they’ll start their journey!

Meanwhile, another project I’ve been working on behind the scenes is coming to fruition.  During the Pavlova pre-sale, I was suddenly struck with an urge to make a rag doll based on Esme the Pavlova covergirl.  Mikhaela and I put our heads together and made a jointed paper doll.  Our resulting work deserved to be sampled in fabric, tested, and refined.  That’s what we focused on once production on Pavlova wrapped up.  Very soon, I’ll be able to talk about this a little more.  In the meantime I thought I’d ask for your reactions to the overall design of the pattern?  It’s 18″ sq (~45cm) and makes a lovely detailed 17″ dolly.

I’m printing off a few copies for myself to test and finalize and quickly stitch up samples, then I’ll formally introduce you to “the girls.”

And still more…

Another behind-the-scenes project at Cake involves working with an indie printer to produce more patterns.  More!  We’re still talking and sampling, but once we’re all on the same page I’ll be able to start sending some sweet Cake Riffs your way.   These will be like Cake given the Burda treatment, created with intermediate and confident sewists in mind with minimalist instructions.  I thought I’d mention it, because one of the first Riff releases will be this lovely striped top that I’m dying to put in your hands…

If you’d like to receive an email message when this pattern becomes available, leave your email address below and I’ll let you know.  The RRP for the printed pattern will be $8.00 + S&H and $5.50 for a pdf, tiled or printed on AO size paper.

Whew!  Do check out the applique tutorial and template poll, I’m closing that on Saturday morning and I’ll make whichever applique you vote for.  (Go Team Skunk!!! Unlimited voting.)

Today’s winners of the OCC Lip Tar Giveaway:

Congrats, ladies!  Please email me and I’ll drop it in the post early next week.  (stephc at 3hourspast dot com)

The Pavlova Wrap Top & Skirt Pattern is now available on Etsy!  If you missed the whirlwind pre-sale in December, you can head over now and place your order.  We’ll be shipping Pavlova from our sewing rooms to yours from the last week of this month- and will keep you updated on the progress in the meantime!

Purchase your Pavlova pattern in the next week to be included in the color “sorting” for the 30 Minutes A Day Pavlova Sewalong!

Cake Collabvertisements

In the early days of creating Cake, I had to decide whether to hire models to show off the pattern samples.  For now, I’m not entirely comfortable working with models.  I don’t think of Cake as “fashion,” I think of Cake as clothes worn by regular women in our daily lives, with a bit of fun and whimsy thrown in.  Clothes for people, not clothes for fantasies.

As a part of the production process, I continuously make samples- to test proportions, to take photos for instruction drawings and tutorials, to test various seam finishes and fabric, and so I can show you all how the pattern looks made up.  I don’t see a reason to keep multiple finished samples once they’re finished.  I don’t need them.  My thrifty soul wants those clothes to be worn.

Then I realized- sewing bloggers model.  Sewing bloggers are regular people.  Much more goes into taking good photos than standing still and smiling, and many sewing bloggers take amazing photos.  Why not work with other talented entrepreneurs to take sample photos for Cake and help each other promote our work?   Collabvertisement.

For Pavlova’s collabvertisement I spent some time emailing with Lauren, American Duchess, to choose fabrics that would be appropriate for her climate and lifestyle.  We settled on gray wool windowpane suiting and a merino jersey that reminds me of creamy vanilla ice cream.  Once I sent the samples (stitched with Hong Kong seams and a lace faced hem) to Lauren, she took a series of photos for Pavlova.   It’s a cosy little winter blouse, and the skirt lends itself well to suiting fabric:

I love the photos Lauren took- she styles herself beautifully in modern clothes as well as those from 50 or even 200 years ago.  She’s a chameleon.   Thanks for the lovely shoot, Lauren!  If you’d like to see all of Lauren’s photos from the shoot, check out the Wintry Pavlova Gallery on sewingcake.com.

I own one pair of Lauren’s shoes, and with the Gibson pre-sale now in full swing I think that very shortly I’ll own another!

Tomorrow we start a week long glam-samples giveaway! Red lips, pink lips, vegan and cruelty free lips!

Yesterday, I had the chance to visit The Fabric Store’s 50% off sale (on through tomorrow) with a fellow fabric geek.  We were picking the fabrics to stitch a “collection” for a certain upcoming pattern release.  I’ve seen this fabric before at TFS and longed to make it mine except I habitually refuse to buy anything for which I do not have an immediate purpose in mind.  If I bought everything I liked when I saw it I’d be in debt and surrounded by piles of “stash” fabric.

the color is most accurate in this photo

The tag said dry clean only, but I’ve worked with this kind of fabric before so I shoved it into the machine with like color and a warm wash with normal liquid soap.  I also washed this lightweight textured merino in that load- intended for the same collection.

It’s soft and drapey, yet firm.  I like textured cottons because they easily wash and wear well. This piece was washed last night, crammed into the dryer and stayed there until after lunch when I pulled it out to take pictures.  Not bad, only a little rumpled.

The question is- boucle or piqué?  It looks like a basketweave pique, except for the thick-thin quality of the yarns used, which lends a gentle slubbed effect.  The slubs and the soft irregularity say “boucle” to me.

Click for wikipedia entry- implies looped yarns…

says stiff- but knit pique is used for polo shirts and it’s soft. I’ve seen many vintage fabrics called pique that were also quite soft…

I can’t decide what to call this lovely fabric!  What would you call it?  Do link to articles on boucle or pique if you please! (also- what do you think of white, blue and pink together on me?)

Today’s winner:

Today’s random winner of a Cake Fabric Envelope panel offcut is Ginger!  I’ll drop that panel in the post tomorrow, Ginger!  I have five other panel offcuts to give away each day over the next week, drop your name and measurements here and check back tomorrow!

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it countless times: “I hate unpicking/ I hate ripping seams.”  An aversion to “reverse sewing” (as some of my quilter friends call it) is understandable, as it can represent work once done and then undone.  I prefer to think of it as moving closer to completion/perfection.   The aversion is also a beginner/intermediate sewist trait- once you’ve sewn for a while, you realize that *everyone* unpicks stitches sometimes, it’s just a part of the process.

Recently Lladybird Lauren mentioned that she enjoys ripping seams because it feeds her destructive side.  I get that, I absolutely enjoy taking a seam ripper to RTW jackets and dresses.  The only seams I do not unpick are knit seams. Unless it’s a very expensive/delicious knit, I cut off my seams rather than unpick them.  Life is short, knits don’t like to be unpicked, the seams are usually narrow and the fabric is forgiving.

These are the “Cake-Approved” seam rippers I’m using in kits because they meet my criteria and they’re red.  I look for a few things in an unpicker- a lid, a long handle, and a sharp, sturdy blade.  It’s easy to forget the importance of a sharp blade for an unpicker, but it shouldn’t be neglected.  A sharp blade makes all the difference to “reverse sewing,” greatly speeding up the process.

How often do you replace your unpicker?  What do you call this tool in your native tongue?  What was the biggest mess of seam ripping you ever did?

Schiaparelli’s 1937 Lobster Dress

Last year, when my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I was ready with my answer : “I want a lobster painted onto this piece of silk organza, about the size of my thigh.”  He ended up making me a very lovely and useful gift, but not the painted silk.

I couldn’t get the idea of riffing on Dali and Schiaparelli’s famous Lobster Dress out of my head, and over the past year Stephen and I tossed around ideas for the project.  Last week, he came home with a bag of fabric medium and paints for silk- and asked for my organza!  I was so excited!  He then kept me in the dark about the project, locking himself up in the study to paint and keeping the door closed at all times.    Such fun!

The blue lobster silk this morning wasn’t exactly a surprise, but I’m delighted with him!  Woohoo!  We can make a Lobster Dress now!

I should say he’s not actually a lobster, but a native Lamington spiny crayfish.  I’m cool with that, I love the color.   Stephen and I played with the lobster concept, I’d look up tidbits of Lobster Dress lore and share them with Stephen, and in the end we decided to take the design in our own direction rather than faithfully reproduce Sciaparelli’s iconic design.

(If you’d like to see how one design student reproduced this dress, click here.)

Stephen chose to turn the lobster 180 degrees, so his claw reaches up the body rather than down.  The dominant color in our painting is blue, unlike the red Schiaparelli.  I wanted a tea-length Lobster Dress, and I may use blue silk rather than red for the midsection.  Otherwise, I think I’ll stay true to Schiap’s simple design to best showcase the painting.

I used the half-circle skirt from Tiramisu as my template to outline the skirt piece.  The center of the skirt is on the bias for optimal rippling effect.  The lobster painting is light, drapey as the silk.

I’m so excited about this dress, but I should warn you it’s a “slow” project.  I don’t want to rush the sewing, it’s more like my “Cake Relief” sewing if you know what I mean.  I’d like to finish her by March, and for the relatively simple cut I think that’s reasonable. 

Rather than make a new post every time I work on the dress, I’ll upload in progress shots to my Lobster Dress pinboard- if you want to keep track.

I’ll be back after the holidays, and keep an eye on the sewingcake.com site if you’re playing the Pieces of Cake game.  Piece 8 is hiding somewhere, but to make it harder I’m throwing in more copies of the other pieces.  Check it out.

I’m also experimenting with Esme and posting to her Petit Four page during the holidays.  I’ll write all about her later, but now she has knees and fingers and elbows and a navel and lace panties!

Have a lovely holiday week!

Schiaparelli’s 1937 Lobster Dress

Things have been a bit different around here during the Pavlova Circus- I have a new space to play in now, and it’s good fun.   Esme the trick-riding ballerina (pictured above) is running a pretty good Circus Sideshow.

I was reminded of the Seurat when I was looking for cool circus images in the public domain to use for the Tiramisu Circus.  I saved this image to “Pavlova” and got on with The Tiramisu Circus.  She never left my mind while Mikhaela and I put together images for the Pavlova Wrap Top & Skirt cover art.

3 Hours Past | Esme Futurist | Shredded T-shirt Scraps Stuffing

And now, gleefully, I’m working on an army of Esme Petit Four samples in real time over on sewingcake.com and twitter.  I haven’t had a chance to sit and play for some time, and it’s wonderful.  You can play along, too- I’m sending the Esme Petit Four template to everyone who pre-orders a Pavlova Wrap Top & Skirt.

Or- just sit back and watch and save the pdfs for when you do get a chance to play.  It’s almost holidays!

You can see the completed Esmes and the raw inspiration for the upcoming cloth dollies at Esme Petit Four.  I know a lot of ways to make rag dolls, let’s see which ways I try..

Meanwhile, I’m dying to share these photos with you.  It’s tricky to convey something as complex as sewing instructions to someone on the other side of the world, and here’s what I sent Masheka to work with for the Pavlova Wrap Top & Skirt instructions sheet and sent to Cake’s artists:

Click for a hint

These photos represent a lot of work, but also a lot of fun: drafting, muslining, notes, editing my notes, sewing, editing again, sewing, setting up each photograph, sewing, editing each image, simplifying each cell concept and highlighting every important color-coded detail for Cake’s illustrator Masheka.

Turning Esme Futurist Inside out today… It helps to grip the hands. I couldn’t help but laugh, I think I know how she feels.

These (and many other) photos were used to create the instructions “cells” for the Pavlova Wrap Top & Skirt Instructions Sheet.

Later on, once Pavlova ships, I think we’ll play some kind of matching game with a big fabric prize and those gallery image…

3 Hours Past | Esme Futurist | Muffin Cover, Illustrated

That means I can do fun little things with the patternwork now that I know more about juggling pdfs.  Some of you have asked questions about the wrap top and the “muffin cover”.  I’m already making little cloth dollies, so it seemed natural to make an Esme Petit Four Pattern.

It’s only two pages, very neatly copied in pen and scaled to fit the Esme Paper Play pattern pdf that I’m sending out to everyone who pre-orders a Pavlova Wrap Top & Skirt before December 20th (midnight at the edge of the world).

If you have a question about the way the full size Pavlova Wrap Top & Skirt pattern goes together, why not download the 2 page doll clothes pdf to take a look?  This is an accurate, if simplified and strangely proportioned, version of the full size Cake pattern.  I labeled the Petit Four pattern with Pavlova’s pattern piece tags and numbers, and placed notches and dots in similar places as the adult pattern.

It’s a sewable, simple preview of the Pavlova Wrap Top & Skirt pattern.  Click the image to download pdf.

Check it out.  Kind of cute, even if it is hand-drawn.  Petit Four patterns from Cake.

(The clothes are scaled the same as the Petit Four Template I’m sending out as a gift to those who pre-order the Pavlova Wrap Top & Skirt before December 20th.  Lila and I are also stitching up over at sewingcake.com)

Esme Futurist | Petit Four | Pavlova Skirt | Cake Patterns – the doll’s skirt has a tiiiiiny little pocket appliqued on…

Tomorrow: Pocket Details/Inspiration on 3 Hours Past  and a fancy quilting cotton Esme Glad Rags doll on sewingcake.com (and I’ll leave the door open to the sewing room, you can peek in through twitter).

Do you like the galleries?  What do you think about the images behind the instructions?  How much do you want to go play with a scrap of jersey and the Petit Four Pavlova pattern right now?

I know I said the next post is Conversant in Color. To be completely honest, at the end of a week of working 12+ hour days I’d rather sit around and chat with a beer. I mean, chat with you over a beer. Conversant in Color: Separates will come next.

I wore my Tira all day. In fact, I wear this dress more than is seemly. It’s comfy. This is the smallest beer you can get in Australia. Ok, not really, but it’s still funny.

In my last workplace, we usually had some champagne after closing on a Friday and called it “Friday Night Drinks.” I always looked forward to it, and miss it sorely.   That’s where I learned that my 60-year old colleagues had way more interesting wild stories about life than me.  We’d also sometimes discuss intellectual property rights, boobs and the latest trends in quilting.  I was spellbound.

Lately, Facebook has become the place where I ask questions that pop into my mind while I’m working or reading blogs. It’s really great, and I wanted to open the discussions more widely.

Question 1: Digital Cake Patterns

Ok- I want to offer Cake patterns digitally.  For a raft of reasons:

• My first patterns (including the Blank Canvas Tee) were digital patterns.  I won’t go into my workflow for that, but it was very artisan and I spent many many hours on it.  (If you are a hard worker and you’d like to know how I did it so you can too, email me and I’ll regale you with the details.)  I learned so much.  But I didn’t want to go down that route again, so I looked around for other options.
• You all want a digital option for Cake, and have requested it.  This is another reason to make digital patterns.
• I recently started actually buying and printing various downloadable patterns myself.  I bought the Oliver + S Book Report Dress pattern for Lila because we both love the design and I’d much rather put together a few pattern pieces myself than pay $15 shipping.  I totally get the shipping savings/instant gratification attraction of digital patterns, and I’m really impressed with the quality of downloads from Oliver + S and Colette.

I found another route to digital patterns.  A local business solutions company can scan my patterns and make them tiled pdfs, no sweat.  This is a revelation, and I’ve spent much time in their offices lately working with them on Tiramisu’s lines and some other projects.  I think they think I’m a nutcase (they usually handle serious engineering drawings), but they’re happy to do what I ask.  So that’s cool.

For you, Louise…

The thing is, Tiramisu as a download will be anywhere between 55 and 75 pages, depending on how we tile it.  *I* wouldn’t buy a digital pattern that took 55 pages, so I’m really curious if you would.  Future Cake patterns are made up of separates, and I would dearly love to offer the separates, well, separately as digital downloads- maybe 25-30 pages each.  To me, that seems reasonable.  I’m curious if you would still like me to pursue Tiramisu as a download, or leave it and focus on digital for other projects?  I’m here to make you happy and ease your sewing.

Related Topic: Shipping for Cake

If I’ve ever sent you something, you know I have a severe aversion to the Post Office.  Usually, I can’t understand what the other person is saying and they have a hard time understanding what I’m driving at.  We’re divided by a common language.  Today, I sent a few blocks, some fabric, and a blue merino Tiramisu sample out into the wide world.  My Postman this time was exceptional at communication, thank you Neill!  For some reason, I had no trouble communicating with an Irish immigrant.  In fact, I found myself “talking Irish” with those gorrrrrgeous rolling r’s.

He even looked up the best shipping prices for a sewing pattern from Brisbane to various continents:

• Europe/North America/South America: $4.70 (10-14 days)
• Africa: $5.30 (7-10 days to South Africa, highly variable elsewhere)
• Australia: $1.20 (woohoo! 3-5 days.  We always pay so much for shipping here!)
• Asia-Pacific: $3.30 (4-10 days, depending)

I’ve also had several missed packages in the mail to international destinations over the past few months.  The most heart-breaking was some merino that never showed up in California.  I mentioned the particular cases to the Post man, respectfully expressed my consternation and he took careful notes.

Changing Gears for Question 2: Blog Ethics

Peter over at Male Pattern Boldness recently raised the question of blog ethics:

What do you think of the amateur fashion blogger as (stealth) brand marketer?  Do you care — I mean, if you like what they’re wearing and how they look in it, does it really matter?

Personally, I assume that many of the larger fashion bloggers are in cahoots with the agents of fashion.  It makes $ense.  That said, I don’t religiously follow many fashion blogs so my opinion doesn’t matter much.  I’m more concerned with transparency in sewing blogs.

This brings me to my next question: What about sewing blogger swag?  Personally, I don’t really care if a fashion blogger gets designer swag and waves it in my face.  I can probably knock it off.  Besides, blogging well is hard work.

I never had to form a solid opinion on blogger swag in the past because I haven’t had swag and didn’t mind if someone else did.  Lately, however, I find I have more swag opportunities.

When I posted about MakeBra, I wrote out of my own enthusiasm for the site and excitement from feeling like I could finally take the plunge into sewing lingerie.  I sent a lot of traffic to Annele, and she and I had a nice flurry of emails.  She offered to send me my second bra pattern and findings in my second size, to contribute to my sewing-bras-and-sizing-experiment.  After talking to her about weird technical stuff and the shape of my boobs, I’m sure she’s another mad sewing scientist type and you’re in good hands with Annele.   I’m so grateful for the swag, but I wondered if that would be ok with y’all?

Then, in the same week, I received a package from Sunni.  I ordered woven fusible stay tape in black and white from her shop because I’m sick of cutting it myself and my local doesn’t carry it anymore because I’m not there doing the ordering.  When the package arrived, she had very thoughtfully slipped in an extra roll of knit fusible.  Thanks, Sunni!

So I’m asking you (because the way I see it, I’m here for your benefit)- how do you feel about sewing swag?  If it comes up again, should I respectfully turn it down, or should I say “Yes YES please!” because I’m a neophile and I like trying new things, I enjoy torturing them and mis-using them and then writing about it?  As long as I mention something came to me for free/discounted, is it ok?  Or will you turn away because I’ve started schilling?  Personally and generally, I don’t approve of advertising, but I do think it’s a great idea to promote good indies/visionaries wherever possible.

I have never *ever* had a retailer dictate my opinion to me, and the moment they did I would walk away and tell you about it.  Because that’s a jerk move and you deserve to know.  Once I wrote a scathing review of a sewing machine, and I won’t hesitate to write another if it’s needful.  What do you think?

I want to make this cake. Sometime. Click for source.

Finally: Cake and Frosting and Peaceful Co-existence

The very clever and talented Mari at Disparate Disciplines just wrote a great post on integrating “frosting” into your everyday life.  I’ve been banging the “useful, utilitarian sewing” drum a lot lately, and this is a very good counterpoint.  Look through the comments, if you like the idea of having a “Frosting Week” in the spirit of MMM then leave a comment for Mari and we’ll work it out. Lord knows, I would dearly love an excuse to wear nothing but frosting for a week and take pictures.

So, grab a brewski or a mocktail or a green smoothie or some coffee and let’s chat.  Have you ever split a bottle of bubbly with someone 40 years your senior (edit: or, 40 years your junior)?  Would you buy a digital pattern with 55+ pages?  How awesome are those shipping deals?  What about sewing blogger swag?  And finally, are you in for a Frosting Week so we can flaunt our craziest makes on flickr?