Twenty Questions with Casey C.

This week we've seen her lovely Common Thread creation, now we learn a little bit more about Casey from Elegant Musings. Here's her take on the Twenty Questions:

1. Name: Casey
2. Location: Sunny Florida, not too far from the beach! (Though far enough that I don't spend enough time there, which my sewing machine is probably thankful for lest I forget her!)
3. Pattern tracer or cutter? If it's a vintage pattern, nine times out of ten I trace it. If it's a newer pattern, I tend to to be lazy and just cut the pattern paper.
4. Most exhilarating sewing step: Inserting a zipper by hand (my favorite method! It looks so pretty in the end.) or hemming a dress/skirt. I think the latter thrills me because it usually means the project is nearly done!
5. Most dreaded sewing step: Cutting out! I don't know why, but I can assemble the pattern, fabric and notions in no time. But cutting out seems to always put me off a bit… It's the "boring" part of sewing for me.
6. Favorite pattern at the moment: A little reproduction 30s trousers pattern I already made in khaki linen last spring. Thinking seriously about making another from navy linen!
7. Favorite decade to sew: Judging by my wardrobe, it would probably be the 1940s. Although lately I've been eying a lot of patterns from the mid/late 30s and early 70s as well. But the 40s will always be my first love; the silhouette and simplicity of many garments from the war years appeal to my sense of classic, simple dressing.
8. Pattern weights or pins? Pins all the way! Though I use pattern weights when I'm laying out pattern pieces or cutting slippery fabric (with pins in conjunction).
9. Favorite style icon of all time: American mid-century designer Claire McCardell. I'm sure everyone who reads my blog is well aware that she is basically my fashion patron saint, but I truly admire her design aesthetic. Practical but pretty clothes in sensible fabrics: now that concept I can fully embrace!
10. Fabric before pattern or pattern before fabric? Pattern first, fabric second.
11. Sewing room: messy or clean? Um, in between–usually skewing towards messy? My mom can attest that I have never been the neatest person when in the throes of a creative pursuit. I have to dig myself out every few weeks.
12. Biggest sewing splurge: Thus far my serger! Totally worth the money spent; I use it with almost every sewing project!
13. Biggest sewing success: Even though I made it over a year and a half ago, I still consider my Sabrina inspired ball gown my biggest triumph. Sure, I'd construct it differently at this point (having learned a lot of new techniques in the past year), but it's still my bombshell dress and makes me feel like a old Hollywood star!
14. Biggest sewing failure: My first version of the Lady Grey jacket; I picked a too-lightweight gabardine (ordered online; lesson learned: get swatches first) and it just didn't work with the tailoring, no matter how I manipulated it. So I switched gears and cut all new pieces out of a tweedy fabric. Still a work in progress.
15. Hats? Yay or Nay.YAY!!!! I adore hats, though I don't wear them as often as I should. I'm actually hoping to delve more into hat making in the coming months/years. Hoping to finish a little straw topper I started last year and tackle Lauren's (Wearing History) 30s hat pattern that I got a few months ago.
16. Favorite season to sew for: Spring and summer. Though I adore the heavy fabrics of cooler months, living where I do I've had to learn how to love clothes for hot weather much more. I have come to quite enjoy whipping up little frocks and lightweight blouses for the sunny, warm days! (Or humid, hot and rainy days… as we're having this week.)
17. Seam Finishing: Pinked, French, stitched or serged? Serged… Have I ever mentioned I'm in love with my serger?
18. Favorite skirt: A-Line, Pleated or Circle? Probably a-line; it's usually not as full as say a circle skirt, which is a good thing with my klutzy ways!
19. Style kindred spirit: I'd say some chic and well-dressed starlet of yesteryear, but in truth I'm probably more of a kindred spirit with some of the eccentric, eclectic characters throughout fashion history! I'm a bit of a magpie with style, so maybe the bird should be my kindred spirit? lol.
20. And just for you, Casey: Best thifted/vintage find ever: Golly… How do I decide?! I've had some serious thrifting/vintage find luck in the past year, and am still shaking my head in disbelief that I've found some of the things I did! But current favorite: two 50s sweaters I unearthed last week at different thrift shops. One is a cream cashmere with a little Peter Pan collar. The other is a light blue wool from Pringle of Scotland. Both were scored for under $3.