Michelle, ma belle... tres bien ensemble
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Michelle ma belle, sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble,

Tres bien ensemble

Cardis and Cambies

10/1/2014

10 Comments

 
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It's been a while since Meg, Liz and I collaborated. Summer is always crazy that way. But, not even sunshine and sandals can distract us from sewing and knitting. It can, however, slow us down considerably. Like, a lot. At some point towards the beginning of the summer we decided it would be fun to combine sewing and knitting into one complete outfit. Neither Liz nor I had ever sewn a Cambie before. And, we both wanted to remedy the situation. Meg, is a pro at Cambie sewing, but she was more than willing to add another to her closet. 
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You may think the duration of the summer would have given us ample opportunity to finish our projects, but it wasn't until we imposed a deadline on ourselves that we jumped to action. In fact, Liz and I pushed the envelop and finished our sweaters after we arrived at the location we'd chosen to shoot  photos. It was a high intensity morning, to say the least.
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But look at those smiling faces. We all made it!
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I'm even wearing shoes! Oh, yes. I left the house (late, might I add) in lounge wear and forgot to pack my shoes. Then we had to stop for gas (tick, tock, tick, tock)... Thank goodness there was a Target on the way for an emergency shoe stop (I felt like I was on Super Market Sweep- in and out in under 5minutes), and thank goodness Michael is the most patient and unshakable man on the planet. 

We quickly forgot any stresses that we'd brought with us after a couple cups of coffee, breakfast and the banter that ensued during. I wonder if you can tell how rowdy the three of us can be based on the faces you seen in these photos. It's pretty silly. And ridiculous. And there may exist video evidence that Meg and I know all the words to Sir Mix-a-Lot's biggest hit, of which we are ambassadors.  

Speaking of big butts... Sewaholic.  Tasia's patterns have a reputation for being generously flattering on pear shaped bodies, and the Cambie dress does not disappoint. Liz, Meg and I represent a pretty diverse spectrum of 'fit' and we were all able to sew this dress with very little modification. That's rare. 
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Liz opted for the full skirted version. And the skirt is exactly that, full. Liz reported having more fabric to gather into the waistband than any of the 50's dresses she's sewn previously. The result is gorgeous. Especially with the horsehair Liz added to the hem of her dress. Paired with her 1950's cardigan and the bias printed plaid Liz's Cambie has an incredibly vintage vibe. 
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Meg chose the A-line skirt and a fall pallet for her version. Her sweater had Liz and I envious. It's a gorgeous shape and weight. It also has some of my favorite elements in a sweater, faced edges. They look so nice. 
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And me, let's start with the sweater. The pattern is Dynamic Jacket by Phildar France. And, it's written in French, so I started by translating the pattern, thanks largely to Google Translator. Almost everything about the pattern worked out the way it should have. However, you can tell, in the photo above, that the neckband contains far too many stitches for the sweater. With the excess stitches in the band, the body of the sweater is elongated/stretched to make room. The band also did not want to lay against my body. Later in the evening, after we were done with photos, I removed and re-knit the button band. I subtracted 100 stitches from the recommended stitch count.  I know, that seems like a lot, but I still pick-up nearly 300 stitches. It looks SO, SO, SO much nicer. It was an easy fix, and something I could have resolved prior to pictures, if I hadn't been so far behind schedule. 
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Now that the issue with the neckband is resolved, I really love this sweater the way I hoped I would. The yarn is fingering weight cotton, Sienna by Jaeger (Discontinued). It's beautiful. It's got a lovely shine and drape. And, I know it's going to be perfect for transitional weather while we wait for temperatures to drop into the wool wearing range. 
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I had a much more difficult time choosing my version of Cambie than I expected. This dress is very feminine and borderline adorable. Adorable is a style I struggle with. It's right up there with things like novelty prints and the color pink. I think they're fabulous on other people, but I feel absolutely ridiculous wearing them. I broached the issue with Meg and Liz, and decided on three things: 1. straighten out the sweetheart neckline. 2. Use wool. 3. A-line skirt.   
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I dug through my stash and found a cut of mid-weight wool with a fun swavy print.  In the dim light of my hobbit hole (a.k.a. sewing space, a.k.a. basement), the colors seemed to be a perfect match, alas, the pattern in the dress is more turquoise than mint; the grey breaks things up enough that it's not immediately obvious. And, I think I can get away with it. 
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I was a little hesitant to sew the dress in wool, because most of the Cambie's I've seen are sewn in cottons. But, the details in the pattern, especially paired with the A-line skirt, created a really nice tailored, effect in my finished garment. Even if I did struggle trying to press my seams flat. 
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I topped the whole thing off with a silk lining, because I'm fancy. Sort of. I joked afterward that the zipper in my dress (~$4) cost me more than the fabrics I used to sew with combined (<$3). Truth. That's a major benefit to salvaging fabric from estate sales- Save money, save the environment and look swanky doing it.  *steps off soapbox*
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This mission will be filed under successes. I think we're all really thrilled with the outfits we made. We're all also looking forward to a little break before we tackle another project of this magnitude. 

Finally, a HUGE thanks to Felix for taking all of our blog photos!!

10 Comments
zilredloh link
10/1/2014 06:33:26 am

I had oodles of fun taking photos with you gals - despite my late night knitting fiasco & the technology Bermuda triangle we were in. heh

Your Cambie is so great in wool, that may be my second version for winter.

Guess who's knitting again so soon?! Yeah... I couldn't stay away long and actually feels really nice to "enjoy" knitting once again.

Reply
Sezza link
10/1/2014 07:18:40 am

3 gorgeous outfits! All so different, and yet I love them all! I really love your dress, the fabric and colour are gorgeous!

And yes, your photos suggest the 3 of you have A LOT of fun together!

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EmSewCrazy link
10/1/2014 09:22:49 am

Ooh you are such a quick knitter! Love the idea of sewing the same thing with friends. What a fun project! You guys all look smashing!

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joelle link
10/1/2014 03:51:13 pm

i have been pondering making a winter cambie, possibly in wool, for a while. seeing your dress is definitely inspirational! i think you look smart and elegant, and not "adorable" at all ;)

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Liz link
10/1/2014 07:14:55 pm

Woo wee! Amazing outfits on all of you. That red cardigan is stunning and I love your wool cambi. I've had some wool stashed for ages waiting to be made into a cambie.

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tanyamaile link
10/1/2014 11:31:31 pm

You guys are all so lovely in your cambies and cardis! I just love all of the different combos and personal styles.

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Pumpkin link
10/2/2014 06:01:43 am

I love when you three collaborate, you make the prettiest outfits! Looks like it was a super fun project!

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Lynn link
10/5/2014 10:57:28 pm

OH... WHOA! Everything. IT'S AMAZING! The dresses are insanely flattering... the cardigans are not only flattering, but exceptionally practical... the fabric and yarn choices are heavenly... I'm speechless! And oh how nice it is to see the same outfit interpreted by three fabulous women! This post made my day. Thank you!

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steph link
10/9/2014 10:38:37 am

I LOVE these posts with you all making the same thing....but different!!! AND they all turned out so well!!!!! Your sewing skills always amaze me (non sewer that I am!!!....well, poor hand sewer at best)

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Michelle link
10/12/2014 11:44:36 pm

Argh this makes me want to sew. I have the same problem with "adorable" clothes, but this version of the dress looks great on you so it gives me hope for myself!

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