Butterfly sleeve knit top (S1716)

My work uniform tends to be pants or skirt with knit top or blouse so I'm always adding those type items to the wardrobe. I whipped up Simplicity 1716 in no time from one of my PR Weekend San Francisco fabric purchases - a Cotton Rayon from Stone Mountain, approx. 1 yard.
This version is View E, top length.
Size 10 on top, grade to 12 at hips

This is a nice basic and I will likely make again.

Wiggle Dress (V1314)

I wanted to make a new dress to wear to  PR Weekend SFO for our group dinner. Everyone seems to really like this Tracy Reese pattern and I had plenty of loud-print knits (as recommended)in my stash from which to choose so I thought what the heck! I wasn't feeling the Vogue lay-down-in-the-office-window-pose so I did my typical hands on hip pose.

Tracy Reese Vogue 1314
Fabric: Stretch jersey ITY Knit 92% poly, 8% lycra; Fabric.com ($2.99 / yd); Beige tricot knit from Fabric.com

The pattern is straightforward and the fit is good. I did a 10 on top / 12 on bottom like usual. I read that it was sized a little big but when I did the knit lining, it seemed to fit snugly enough. After finishing, I realized I probably could have taken it in a smidge more. It has a lining but I'm not really sure why. I used some nude knit tricot to line it but it seems like the lining could be omitted.

Alterations:
It's designed to be longer (below the knee) but I didn't like how it looked on me so I lopped off a good 6" and did a 1.5" hem. (I'm not quite 5'4" for comparison). Other reviewers at PR said the sleeves are short. My arms are short and the sleeves fit me perfectly with no alteration so if you have average or long arms, do add length.  The only change I made to construction is to fold the neckband to the outside and topstitched. I like that look better than folding inward.

Barney the Dinosaur Trench Coat (V8884)

Fabric and Notions:
I found this lovely Italian Cotton Twill at Mood Fabrics and thought it would make a great spring trench coat. (By the way, the fabric also comes in lilac and cream and both are on their way to my house now!) Interfacing is Pro-Tailor Deluxe from Fashion Sewing Supply (I don't see it on the website now so maybe Pam doesn't carry it anymore.) Belt buckle is from M&J Trim. Buttons and D rings on sleeves (couldn't find any small black buckles to coordinate with belt buckle) from local Hancock Fabric. Lining is a poly shiny woven from JoAnn fabric. I really loved this print and bought a bunch of it last fall to use for linings. Clashes a bit with the dress though!:



The above photo was taken indoors because it was raining (Oh, the irony) and doesn't do justice to the color. Mood calls it Mulberry but just think Barney the Dinosaur:

Pattern: Vogue 8884, View C
 
Construction:
This is a fantastic pattern. Fit is good; instructions were clear. No complaints at all. But this is not a quick project. Not counting the muslin I made, I spent approximately 25 hours cutting, interfacing and constructing. 

Size and Alternations:
I cut a size 12 for top and graded to 14 at waist and hips. For dresses and tops, I normally cut 10 and grade to 12 but I like my coats / jackets to run a little big. I added 3/8" to the back seam (coat and collar) for a broad back adjustment.

Ruffle Blouse (M5522)

Another blouse for the wardrobe. This pattern was a Best Pattern of 2009 at PR but unfortunately, has been discontinued by McCalls. It can still be seen on their website.

For some reason, this blouse took me forever; there are many pieces and lots of gathering and of course, 9 buttonholes / buttons take awhile. I basted the blouse together every step of the way to make sure everything worked perfectly and I must say, I am thrilled with how it turned out. I will definitely use this pattern again. I cut the blouse out before I discovered that I have a broad back so I didn't make that adjustment. Next time, I will add a 1" increase to eliminate the minor pulling at the back. Otherwise, I would make it exactly as I did this time.

Size: I used size 10 on top, including sleeves with the A/B cup; I graded to a 12-14 at waist and hips.
Fabric: Tomato red stretch cotton

After I finished this shirt and modeled it with a black skirt, I realized it looked very similar to my "uniform" when I was a waitress at Ground Round in college. We had to wear red blouses and black skirts and I had a ruffled front blouse. LOL. I hope I don't look like a waitress!

Color Block Copy Cat dress (Vogue 1336)

Early last fall, I saw the dress below in a magazine and wanted to recreate it. Voila!!

In spite of all the color block dress patterns out there, I couldn't find one that I thought would work until Vogue came out with their spring patterns and I saw this Sandra Betzina pattern. Link to Vogue 1336

As you can see in the line drawing, it wasn't exactly what I wanted so I redesigned the bodice and skirt pieces to work. I have very little experience in editing designs so I made a sample first (Sidenote: The ugly colors in the sample can be attributed to online purchases that were not quite what I was expecting!)




Fabric: Ponte knits in cream, taupe and black
Size: I started with size B, which matches my measurements but the pattern runs a bit big so I cut it back to the smallest size A.
Alterations: I didn't want the hem band so I omitted that but added 2" to the length of the dress and did a 2" hem. (I am 5' 3.5" for comparison.)

Overall, I love my knockoff. I wish I had lowered the v more. I actually DID lower it but when I had to adjust the shoulder seam, I accidentally raised it. Oopsie! This dress will be a nice work basic.

Asymmetrical T-shirt (KS3790)

Pattern description: Close fitting tops have asymmetrical front neckline finished with facings, front shoulder inset with gathers, and gathers on left front.Cap sleeve or long sleeve options. (I opted to shorten the long sleeve top rather than use the cap sleeve.)
Size: Seems to be generously sized. I started with a small but scaled it back to the extra small.
Fabric: A light-medium weight stretchy knit. Unknown source.

Link to Pattern

Love this pattern. The horrible photo doesn't show the side scrunching very well but it's a very cute design and I will likely make more.

Ali Lartner Top (KW 3620)

1/4/13 Edited to add another photo.

I keep forgetting to take a photo of this shirt so I'm just gonna post this one taken over Thanksgiving. Doesn't show the black tie at the waist but does anyone notice the perfect matching of stripes (patting myself on the back...)

Several (many?) years ago, I came across a photo of Ali Lartner wearing the cutest little top. It was a white / black plaid and had a little bow just above the waist.

 I found this Kwik Sew pattern (#3620 OOP) and thought I could make it work.

I cut my version out of a black/ivory windowpane plaid flannel during my marathon sewing session almost exactly one year ago.  I began and almost finished sewing it back in February 2012; only the buttonholes remained. I decided to finish it up recently and realized that with a 25 lb weight loss over the last year that it no longer fit. I attempted to take it in but it is still too big across the shoulders and bust.  Oh well, it's comfy and will be a nice stay-at-home top for the chilly winter weekends.

 It looks a lot different than the inspiration top shown below but I still like it!

Black on Black top (M6435)

1/4/13 Edited to add modeled photo:

 

One can never have too much black but it's nice to add a little interest so this pattern and some stretch lace fit the bill. Most photos are lightened to show detail of the black fabric.

McCalls 6435, View B
Size: I cut a 10 at the top and graded out to a 12 at the waist and hips. 
Fabric: Stretch lace and black slinky knit.

The example on the pattern doesn't appeal to me at all:

  
But the line drawing gives a better idea of what it could look like:

I used a great technique for finishing that I learned in Joi's workshop at the Novi American Sewing and Design Professionals Expo in September.  Starting with foldover elastic and fusible tape, I bound the neck edge and sleeve edges. Creates a stretchy finish that is neat and professional looking. I fused the tape onto the wrong side of the foldover elastic, right down the middle. Then, I pressed the elastic around the raw edge of the fabric. After a little trial and error, I found that I needed to stretch the foldover elastic slightly as I pressed, to avoid a stretched out sleeve. After pressing, stitch close to the edge (use an edge foot on your machine) to secure the binding. The pressing while stretching was a little fiddly at first, but I got the hang of it and am very happy with the end result. If you use this method, you will need to cut off the seam allowance before binding. I actually did not do that for this because I thought the neckline looked awfully low after I cut it out.

Here are some close ups of the bound sleeves and bound neckline.

I plan to wear with the glimmery skirt from last post but Mark put in a request that I wear this with some jeans and high heels:

Poochy Failure (McCalls 6399)

Cute Neckline; Not so cute waistline

Looks like I'm pregnant!

This top was such a disappointment. I thought it would be a nice wardrobe basic with the pleats adding a little sassiness. Instead, the pleats at the waist (front and back) were the downfall of this design. The neckline pleats were very cute and I love the whole shape of the neckline. If I was clever enough, I would incorporate the neckline including pleats into another top. But I'm not, so this pattern will go in the trash.

Pattern Description: MISSES' TOPS: Fitted, stitched pleats, optional invisible zipper, shoulder pads. This is a Palmer Pletsch pattern.

SUGGESTED FABRICS: Crepe De Chine, Silk Rayons, Challis, Silk Crepes, Jersey, Cotton Knits.

Pattern Sizing: Misses 8-22. I made a size 10 from shoulder to just below armhole, tapering to a 12-14 at hips.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? No. The pooching at the stomach and back are not evident in the photos and drawings. My stomach is relatively flat but the top makes me look like I have a huge tummy. No thank you!

I made View D

Link to Pattern

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, although I stopped before the back and sleeve facing construction which the pattern author describes as "unusual".

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
Likes: I LOVE the neckline. The pleats at the upper sleeve / neckline are very attractive.



My favorite thing about this pattern is all the fitting tips (similar to other Palmer / Pletsch patterns.) I noticed there was an alteration for "Broad Back". I am embarrassed to admit this but I didn't know there was just a thing. As soon as I saw it, it was a "DOH!" moment (said in my best Homer Simpson voice.) I have often had fitting issues with my tops - when the front fits, the back is tight and vice versa. I always thought it was because I have a small bust. But instead, the fitting issues are caused by my back. And to make this even funnier, my mom is visiting and I asked her to take these photos to post. As soon as I turned for the back shot, she said, "I never realized you have the 'McHugh' (her family name) broad back." I about died laughing. Only took me 49 years but at least I know now.

Dislikes: The pleats at the waist are very UNflattering from the front and even more so from the back.




I also had some trouble with the sleeves twisting around. Not sure if I cut them off grain or if the pattern design is flawed. I was cutting single layer so I thought I stayed on grain but maybe not.

Sleeve Detail

Fabric Used: Stretch satin from Hancock. Although the shiny satin side would typically be the right side, I didn't want a shiny top so I used the matte side for the right side. Even though it's poly, I really liked this fabric and may try to buy some more for a different project.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Skipped the zipper, wasn't necessary. I also made a broad back adjustment to fit my body. I only got as far as pinning up the sleeves but they were very long on me. I usually need to shorten sleeves a bit (1/2-1") but I needed to shorten by 2 1/2" with 1" hem to get the right hem length as shown in the photo (i.e. as shown, it's folded 3 1/2".)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? No and absolutely not.

Conclusion: I should have listened to the other reviewers. This is just a bad design. But the silver lining is that I learned a valuable fitting tip that will help me on future projects.

Blessings of Life

We interrupt this sewing blog for a photo of the cutest baby EVAH! May I introduce to you, my grandson Brady, born on Tuesday, December 11, 2012.

I am in love....

Glittery Holiday Skirt (B5466)

I have found the PERFECT pencil skirt pattern for me. Butterick 5466 will now be my go-to skirt pattern. I had planned to make a brocade skirt for the holidays and found a BEAUTIFUL purple copper fabric at Mood (online). Unfortunately, after I ordered it, they called me to say they couldn't locate it in the warehouse. BOOOOOOO HISSSSSSS!! I was so bummed. I still haven't found a replacement brocade that I like as much but I did find an interesting fabric at JoAnn's that I thought would make a nice holiday skirt. Yes, I said JoAnn's and furthermore, the fabric is an upholstery fabric I found in the clearance section ($8, thank you very much).

Not much to say about this pattern. The instructions seem clear enough although the pattern doesn't call for a lining so I just did my thing. I chose the no-waistband version, View A, since the fabric is stiff / bulky and I didn't want any more fabric than absolutely necessary. I lined it in a black silky (probably poly) fabric.

I fluctuate between 12 and 14 around the middle but this one fit perfectly using a straight 14 at waist and hips. I shortened the fabric cutting line by 1.5" and still did a 2.5" hem. I shortened the lining cutting line by 3.25" and hemmed 2". As you can see, the skirt hits me right above the knee.

Pictures are not too good for this. It is hard enough to capture the glimmer but especially hard in artificial light. I did pick up an inexpensive brocade at Hancock with which I may make a second version since I like the look so much.

I wanted a simple black top to go with this version and will blog about that project in a subsequent post.

Wardrobe basic - corduroy skirt (S2451)

Shown with blouse I also recently finished and reviewed here.

I've made this skirt pattern once before out of a stretch black twill fabric and wore it a lot. Because I didn't line that one, it stuck to my tights and I was always having to tug it back down when I walked. The original skirt is now too big (yippee!) so I decided to make a new one. I've always loved corduroy skirts and  I found some black stretch wide wale corduroy at our only local independent fabric store, Banasch's Fabrics. This stuff is so soft! I love that it has a little stretch to it but I ended up lining it with a woven, which eliminated the stretchability!

I made the version with the vent in the back but forgot to shorten it first so I lost some of the vent when I hemmed. Oopsie!  I tried like heck to follow several different tutorials for how to attach the lining to the vent but I couldn't figure any of them out. So I did a lot of hand sewing.

Pattern is Simplicity 2451, View C. This is a great pattern, winning PR Best of 2010 patterns (voted by PR members).

Some front and back photos (lightened to show detail).

Fun lining - it's just an inexpensive silky poly purchased from one of the online vendors. I bought a bunch in this colorway and a blue scheme to use for linings:

Purple blouse (V8747)

I'm sure this blouse looks familiar. The pattern is Vogue 8747, View D. It's been reviewed oodles of times at PR. I thought it was a "Best of" pattern sometime in the last few years but I can't find it on the lists. I remember loving Lori's version! I didn't intend to copy her exactly but I did have this beautiful purple stretch cotton shirting from FabricMart so that's what I used! LOL

I made lots of mistakes as I made this top and it took me FOREVER to finish it. I tend to sew in short time spurts, sometimes with days in between, and I think this top would have worked better if I could have stayed more focused. But having said that, I am very happy with how it turned out. It may be the best collar I have made yet and the buttonholes turned out very nicely.

Here it is with the skirt I just finished and reviewed here. (I didn't intend to chop my head off but I was using a tripod in my office and had to get back to work!)

Abstract Wrap Dress (NL6097) & More Baby Shower photos

I needed a dress for the baby shower so on Thursday night, I decided to make New Look 6097. It had the casual look I wanted and the pattern is rated highly at Pattern Review.  The fabric is from my May 2012 PR weekend in New York. I think it came from Metro Textiles but I'm not positive. The pattern needed 2.5 yd and I only had about 2 1/8 but with some very clever fabric placement, I squeaked it out. I thought I lined up the stripes perfectly but alas, the side seams are off a bit. Not so much that I won't wear it but enough that I won't wear it to any functions with my sewing friends!

I agree with the other reviewers that this was easy to put together and sized well. I made a 10 on top and graded out to a 12 at the hips. I had plenty of room. The sweater knit was a little sheer so I ended up underlining the skirt with a lightweight black knit that I had. If I hadn't decided to underline, I estimate the dress would have taken about 2 hours to sew. I don't love the fabric belt but that's my opinion about all fabric belts to be honest. I will wear it with a black belt next time.

More shower photos:
My daughter, her MIL and me (the two Grandmas!)

 My two daughters, my mom and me.



The adorable cookies made by a friend of a friend.  They were delicious, too!