girl on fire

Back during Me Made May, one of my takeaways was that I should stop sewing things that aren’t my favorite colors, because I usually am disappointed with the results. Well, two months later… I completely threw that out of the window for this dress. But for once, I think I like this!

See, I’m really not a pink girl at all. (Though, to be fair, this really looks fairly akin to the berry color of my last Bruyere top up close.) And I feel like orange is iffy on me, though I’ve gotten some surprising compliments when wearing it in the past. But when looking for some fabric for this maxi pattern that I’d just picked up, McCall’s 7350, this ITY that was on clearance at Fabric.com just screamed to me. It seriously helped that the colorway was called “Katniss”. Associations with fandoms that I enjoy never hurt if you want to take my money. And I thought that this pattern had sufficient drama to suit the Girl on Fire, at least in one of her more casual moments out of the arena.

It’s a good thing that this fabric was so inexpensive, because I bought 5 yards of this stuff and used all but maybe half a yard. But I got the whole lot for just under $16, and it doesn’t feel like cheap polyester at all– it has a nice silky feel to it that kept me quite comfortable while wandering around between my side and the New Jersey side of the bay. But it is a fabric hog, at least as the maxi version. It’s hard to tell with the print, but there is a lot of gathering in the back. More than it would have had due to some fitting issues (more on that later), but it does give the skirt a nice swishy fullness. The cut-on cap sleeve worked nicely to keep my shoulders from getting burned while walking around, and while the skirt is a wrap in the front, I didn’t have too much difficulty with keeping the wardrobe malfunctions away– I just had to hold the one edge down every so often. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the ITY sewed on my coverstitch machine, too, after all of the issues I’ve had hemming the same type of fabric on my regular sewing machine. So since I have two more cuts of it in my stash, sewing them up seems much more accessible now.

Twirly skirt drama! And now for more of an actual pattern review than I’ve had a chance to give for awhile, as I did end up making several changes. For one, knowing the Big 4 ease issues, I had a really difficult time figuring out what size to even cut out. After much debate and studying of the finished measurements, I decided on a 16 for the bodice and an 18 for the midriff and skirt. But then after trying it on partway through, I ended up taking a full inch out of either side of the midriff and tapering that up into the bodice. (Just like old times, since I always had to take stuff in at the waist pre-kids, so I actually felt good about this!) This meant that the front skirt overlapped more than it called for (which was probably a good thing for wardrobe malfunction avoidance), and the back skirt was more gathered than intended, but I think it worked out well.

I also raised the armscye half an inch after reading some reviews that said that it was a little too open under the arm, and this was a good change to make. It’s still a tiny bit low, as you can see from my selfie here, but my bra isn’t showing. It’s probably not quite visible here, but I did also add some additional zig zag stitching on the ruched midsection to help keep that a little more in place. The last time I had a ruched jersey piece on a dress, the weight of the fabric just made it look all weird and saggy around my waist, and who wants that? Part of me wishes that I’d added a line down the middle, since it still has a bit of that droopy cummerbund look, but I am glad that I added it where I did (around the more internal set of notches).

One more selfie, to give a better view of the neckline. I did overlap this more than intended, because I was fairly certain that my bra would have been hanging out as is. At the very end of making this, I also added a hook and eye to keep this more closed. Too bad I didn’t have this last summer, because this view would have been quite nursing friendly! The way the collar was constructed was kind of funky, and I ended up having to hand stitch it in place inside because I could not figure out a better way to do it, but this sort of drapey shawl collar actually turned out pretty nice.

A few quibbles about the pattern, aside from the couple of things I mentioned:

1. This was ridiculously long. I am not short (5’7″, so I’m on the slightly taller side of average), and I still had to chop a whole 6″ off of the bottom in order to not have a dramatic train happening. Which would have been cool, but also super-impractical with two little boys running around.
2. The aforementioned collar construction, since I’m a little concerned about how my hand sewing will hold up in jersey, despite trying to give it a fairly stretchy stitch.
3. I wish there had been some alternate way to add the elastic to the inside waistband mentioned. The instructions they gave to make a casing within the seam allowance, would have worked fine if I’d been constructing this entirely on my regular sewing machine, but since I’ve mentioned that my machine tends to not get along well with ITY, I was using the serger rather heavily. Which meant that I had to just zig zag the elastic to the overlocked seam, and it looks super messy inside and barely keeps the weight of the skirt in place. (I probably could have tightened it more, and may have to go back and fix that in the future, but after ditching a full 2″ from the circumference, I was having to guesstimate with the elastic pinned around where I thought it would land as it was. And the cardinal rule of dressing for anything where a wind instrument will be played is not to cut off your ribs’ ability to expand.

So would I make this again? I’m not sure I would as a dress, as there honestly isn’t a ton of room in my wardrobe for dresses these days. Making this one just felt frivolous and fun, which was a nice change after working on several wardrobe holes in a row. But now that I have the fitting more or less worked out, I could see myself making the shorter version as a tunic top of sorts, because I bet it would look great over some skinny pants or a more fitted short. And if I have learned one thing this summer, it’s that I definitely could use more sleeveless-ish things in my life. It’s been super-hard dressing for all of the humid, 90+ degree days lately!

Pattern review: Simplicity 1469

AKA, the Megan Nielsen nursing/maternity top. Though I’m linking to the Simplicity version, since that’s what was available to me, and therefore what I used. Not quite so stealth maternity from the front as my last two makes for myself, is it? I’d originally planned to draft a pattern for this fabric from this thrifted/refashioned tunic, since I’ve had that for years and it’s been working very well as a maternity top. I think it would work well for nursing, too. And I was hoping that if it worked out, I’d be able to wear this fabric anytime, pregnant or not. Well, I did draft the pattern, but ended up not having enough fabric to try it out–I wouldn’t have been able to do any length sleeve on this. So this was plan B.

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a good old-fashioned pattern review, and this is the first thing I’ve made for myself in awhile that didn’t involve some kind of DIY maternity hacking. So here goes! For the record, this is me modeling at 29 weeks, according to my phone app. (Just shy of 11 weeks left–whaaaaaat? Also, I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around the whole week-to-month conversion. But hey, I’m in the third trimester now! Which is why I look tired in every single picture, I guess. I tried.)

Pattern: Simplicity 1469

Description: From the website: “Stay comfortable and stylish during your pregnancy in this flattering maternity top and dress. These items are just what you need for discreet nursing once your baby arrives, just pull down v neck to reveal opening.”

Pattern sizing: XS-XL. I made a medium, since that was my pre-pregnancy size.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it? Pretty much, yeah. Maybe a little looser in the sleeve area than it looked on the model.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I thought so. Though I somehow completely missed that I was supposed to cut the midriff pieces twice, and didn’t realize that until I was halfway through constructing the back. More on that later.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? 
Like: The styling. Since it involves pleats instead of gathers, it’s a sleeker look than a lot of maternity tops tend to be. And hanging on Donna, it actually looks like it could pass for a drapier non-maternity top. Never mind that I fill up the bodice way better than she does right now.

Dislike: Since this originated as an independent pattern, though it’s now officially licensed to Simplicity, I was surprised at how big the sizing ended up. Especially up top! I think that it may just be a case of being too big in the back for me, because I tried pinching it in a few inches and it seemed to reduce the front gapping quite a bit. Though I’m not going to do anything to take it in just yet, since this means there should be plenty of room to accommodate whatever happens to my general torso region over the next 2 1/2 months! (I may go back and add a back seam later to reduce the amount of fabric, if it really bugs me.)

I will also admit that I’m concerned about the functionality as a nursing top. They weren’t kidding when they said “discreet”. Obviously I’m not going to model this part on myself, and Donna’s sizing is nowhere close to mine currently. So the openings don’t sit as low on me as they do on here, but look how small they are! I don’t want to deconstruct the entire front, since serging the 5/8″ seam allowance means I undoubtedly lost the little snips I made to mark the pleats. But I am seriously considering going back and cutting those side openings a little bigger, even if I have to hand-stitch the edges. I’ll have to see how it works once I’m actually attempting to use it for that.

Fabric used: An ITY jersey that my mom gave me for Christmas. For stashbusting tracking purposes, this used all but an approximately 11″ long cut of 2 yards. I should probably just throw out those 11″, but it’s so hard to let go of prints I like!

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Back to that midriff bit–since I failed to notice how many times I was supposed to cut those pieces out and was just skimming ahead on the directions when I started this, I decided to construct the fronts and backs flat to facilitate seam matching. I’m honestly not sorry that I did that, because another layer of jersey plus serged seams would have just made it bulky around the empire waist, and I really don’t need purposely added bulk in my clothes right now! Plus, I really do think that made it easier to get the seamlines to line up. Even though it involved multiple rounds of basting and unpicking to do so.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Let’s put it this way: I don’t think I’d sew it in this particular type of knit again. I’m not happy with the underlay neckline gaping–the polyester wasn’t pressing that great, and I had to resort to wonder tape to stick it down long enough to stitch it. So I think that contributed a lot. Of course, my iron is currently either possessed or in the throes of death, and my sewing machine and serger both also weren’t very happy to work with this fabric–I was fighting skipped stitches and serger tension issues the entire time, despite jersey needles and walking feet and such. All of this combined resulted in the edge finishings and hems looking a little more homemade-in-the-bad-way than I would prefer. Sigh.

All of this to say, I would like to attempt this pattern again, but in a more natural fiber that might have better stretch and recovery/get along better with my machines. I actually do have some of the patterned knit and a lot more of the solid teal left over from my Plantain top, and I think it would work great as a sleeveless version. But if I do make this again, I think I’m going to make the nursing openings much bigger! And maybe add some elastic in the crossover V-section to help it bounce back better. And probably take some of that width out of the back pieces.

We’ll see if I get to it, since the window of opportunity on maternity sewing still having a point is coming to a close. Also, I have plans to make another nursing-friendly maxi-dress that will be taking priority over this pattern. I need something fun to wear to my baby shower, after all! And aside from that, my sewing plans for April are mainly centering around the Small Human Beings Sewalong that Cindy and two other new-to-me bloggers are hosting. Not that everything I’ve been sewing for months wouldn’t qualify anyway, but the timing couldn’t be more perfect for me, since it’s early enough in this last trimester that I’m not dead exhausted (even if I look it), and I don’t actually have to compete with said small human being for sewing time yet. More on those plans to come.

here there be dragons

I’ve been putting a LOT of sewing hours in over the last week and a half, including about a 5 hour stretch last Saturday. I knew that my extra free time would be ending soon, and I’ve officially gotten the call back to my garden center job now. So I really wanted to get this project done before it happened, and I just made it, since I finished this on Thursday night and I have to go back tomorrow.

Oh, sewing time, how I will miss you!

As you know, I’ve been working on the Robson coat, and I’m rather pleased with how it turned out! I’m going to start with a proper pattern review, since Pattern Review is having a Sewaholic contest– how convenient!

Pattern: The Robson Coat, from Sewaholic Patterns

Description: From the website: “This is a feminine take on the traditional military trench, with rounded edges for a softer look. The Robson Coat features everything you’d hope for on a trench coat, including front and back storm flaps, epaulettes, topstitching, tie belt and sleeve tabs. It’s unlined to make it easier to sew, as well as easier to press the finished coat. Front pockets are covered with welts and lie flat against the body. All of the inner seams are bound with bias tape for a clean finish.”

Pattern sizing: size 0-16. I made a 10 for the top and graded to an 8 at the bottom, to account for the pear-shaped figure grading.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it? Yes!

Were the instructions easy to follow? I found them easy to follow, but I’ve been sewing for a long time. The hardest thing for me was the left vs right thing, but that’s normal.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the styling, and I think it’s very well-drafted. The collar in particular came together beautifully, in my opinion. I do wish that the belt loop placement had been marked differently, like with dots instead of notches–by the time I was ready to sew them on, the notches had long been enclosed with bias tape, and I had to resort to measuring from the bottom to get them evenly. It’s also a LOT of layers in certain points, particularly the shoulders with the yoke, the sleeve, and the epaulettes. It would probably be fine in a lightweight raincoat sort of fabric, and I got through it miraculously ok, because my machine is a beast. (Yay, Berninas!) But other machines would have an issue with it, depending on the fabric used.

Speaking of…

Fabric used: The Montauk Twill from Fabric.com, in the “deep sea” color. It’s described as a medium-to-heavyweight twill, which is probably why the thickness was an issue from time to time. The right side has a lovely brushed feel to it, and it was wonderful to sew with! (Though it did get some fuzzballs on the wrong side from washing, and it turns out that Golden retriever hair sticks to it pretty easily. But then, I’m pretty sure the one dog’s fur is made from Velcro.) I also used a quilter cotton for the bias bindings, and some polyester satin to underline the sleeves.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I ended up adding an extra 1/8″ back in per side around the bustline princess seams and the upper center back seam. Along with making the top a larger size, this worked great as a cheater FBA. I also underlined the sleeves with a more slippery fabric. (Look, I’m print-mixing!) Aside from that, it’s pretty much as is.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I could see myself sewing it again, but not for a really long time. Unless I cropped it, ditched the flaps, and styled it as a layering jacket. You really only need one spring outerwear coat, you know? I would recommend it to an advanced sewist, or an intermediate one who isn’t afraid to try some new things, like bias tape seam finishes.

Other notes:
I am absolutely in love with these buttons. They’re slightly smaller than what’s called for, and I don’t care.

Because DRAGONS.

Seriously, aren’t these the coolest? I mentioned back during Sew Grateful week that I found these at KnitPicks. I did end up buying one pack too many, because I didn’t realize that 3 of the buttons were only to be sewed on the wrong side for buttoning purposes. (I also ended up sewing those 3 inner buttons to the wrong side, but I’m not going to bother fixing it. Honestly, as much as I need to get in and out of jackets fairly quickly when travel-teaching lessons, I’m probably never going to properly button this.) So I have 5 of these lovelies left, and will have to come up with some use for them. These are too fun to hoard, even though hoarding is a dragon’s favorite thing to do.

I’m kind of tempted to call this my “Smauglock” jacket. If you’re a fan of the BBC Sherlock and/or the recent Hobbit movies, you may have seen things like this, where artsy people have fun with the same two actors playing Holmes/Watson and Smaug/Bilbo:

I mean, come on, that scarf is pretty much the exact color of this coat!

Now, for the stashbusting details, minus the usual categories that got covered in the pattern review (pattern, fabric used):

Amount of time it took to make: About a week and a half, but I put in a lot of hours during that time.

Amount of fabric used: 6 yards (yeah!) I entirely used up 2 pieces, and have about 1/2 yard left of the quilter cotton. But it’s just a big triangle, and I do already have several bias-cut strips left over, so I’ll probably just go ahead and cut the rest into strips for either more bias tape, or to use for the leftovers scrap quilt I’m plotting.

Stashed since: 2013 for the twill and quilt cotton, since it was bought specifically for this project at the end of last year. 2011 for the poly satin, since it was leftover from lining this jacket.

Current stash total: About 325.5 yards. (Oddly, I took 5 additional yards out for the Sew Grateful giveaway, but I guess it had stopped counting at some point in my spreadsheet, because I ended up with 4 more yards than I’d thought! Arrrgh!)

For Stash Diet purposes, this means I’ve now gotten rid of 8 pieces of fabric (10 if you count the two for the giveaway, which will be going out soon!), and used 4 different patterns this year. According to my rules, this means I’ve “earned” both a new piece of fabric, and a new pattern! But I’m going to hold off for now, since I won the Avocado Hoodie pattern during Sew Grateful week, and Doug and I have some financial goals we’re trying to meet that would be helped by me not buying fabric just yet. I already have such a long list of projects to get to soon that I think I can wait.

I’m going to leave you with one last shot–I actually managed to get outdoor photos for once! I finished this just in time for a Saturday that was decently warm enough to take this jacket out for a test-drive, so Doug and I took the dogs to a nearby dog park to throw some tennis balls for them. They don’t get much space to play in our tiny, unfenced backyard, so this was definitely a treat for them. I was having fun attempting to get some good action shots of them running around, and Doug graciously agreed to take some photos of the coat. So of course, we ended up with a few involving my furry photobombers. But they’re pretty cute in this one.

Come along (to the grunge show), Pond

I had been planning on making a plaid flannel shirt for the Doctor Who Sewalong from the earliest days of my planning. After all, when I think of Amy Pond, her Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon outfit is the one that immediately jumps to mind.

(Though, with the right white button down, I could definitely wear River’s outfit, too. Minus the gun holster. And let’s face it, my hair is definitely more like Amy’s!)

For once in my life, the timing on this project was quite serendipitous, because it enabled me to participate in three sewalongs with one project! It would have been four, but I just couldn’t quite get this done in time for the official dates of the Fall Essentials Sewalong. I can, however, claim this shirt for both the Grunge Sewalong and the Flannel Shirt Sewalong that Kelly is hosting!

My initial thought was to find a plaid as similar to Amy’s shirt as possible, but then I remembered that I hardly ever wear red. And I already have this shirt. And I also found that lovely blue plaid that I showed in its half-done state in the last post, and figured that would mix in with my wardrobe much better.

I’m quite pleased overall with how it turned out. I can wear it with the sleeves rolled up like Amy’s, with some skinny jeans and boots…

Wait, what was I doing again?

Oh, right, project details. I’ll get to those after the fashion show.

Or I can wear it with the sleeves rolled down for warmth, which is how I’ll be rocking it today, since it’s still stupid cold out there. Going grunge-style here and wearing it over a t-shirt, which is how I was most likely to wear a flannel in the 90s. I guess my musical experience was more “grunge-lite” than anything else–I was still a pretty young teenager in its heyday, and my fashion choices were largely dictated by my school’s dress code. I did listen to bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, but I was also just as (or more) likely to listen to U2 or Counting Crows. Or the Beatles. Yes, I was the weird kid who preferred 60’s music to all those boy bands that were so ridiculously popular by the time I graduated. Every time they play the Backstreet Boys on the radio station at work, which they do on a disgustingly regular basis, it still takes me back to walking the halls of my high school and hearing my female classmates singing it while they sat against the wall before class.

(For the record, yes, there’s a Weeping Angel on my shirt. My intention was to do a “Don’t Blink” photo, but I was having trouble getting one where it didn’t look like it was yawning. On the plus side, you can look away from your screen now.)

Ok, back to those pattern details. I’ll do a proper review, since it’s been awhile.

Pattern: I used #114 out of the April 2010 issue of BurdaStyle. I was originally going to use my beloved New Look 6407 and mash it up with the BurdaStyle pattern I used for that other plaid shirt I linked to earlier. Then I decided it would be easier to just trace out a new pattern, and I needed a little more length and a little less front darting for a plaid. (And I didn’t have enough time to jump on the Archer bandwagon and order that.)

Description:  The magazine just calls it a “casual shirt-blouse”.

Pattern sizing: Size 38-46. I made the 40.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Mostly.

Were the instructions easy to follow? For Burda patterns, they were surprisingly straightforward! The annoying thing was that it referred me to instructions for two other patterns in this particular issue, but all things considered, I can live with that.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? Overall, it’s a pretty good basic button-down. I also like that the sleeves are actually long enough for my arms with no alterations. That’s pretty rare. I do not like this collar, though. It’s crazy wide, and just looks kind of weird.

Fabric used: A cotton plaid flannel that I bought at Joann’s. I know there’s a lot of Joann’s haters out there, but aside from some fraying when I prewashed it, the fabric turned out very soft and cozy. Since they’re literally the only apparel fabric store option in my entire state, it’s good to know that they still have nice fabric sometimes!

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I left off the pocket, and that little back loop thing. I cut a few pieces on the bias, like the cuffs, collar and yoke, just to avoid more plaid matching. I also used my New Look pattern as a guideline for lowering the bust dart. It would have been super-high on me otherwise. I also didn’t bother putting buttons on the collar stand, because I will never button this that high. Good thing, since I would have been one button short otherwise. 

Quick note on the plaid matching–I honestly forgot to factor in the dart when working on this, so I went for the next best thing and intentionally alternated the lines. Because Amy kept alternating between Rory and the Doctor…yeah, something like that. But hey, look at that matching in the sleeve and under the arms!

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?   I might sew it again, with some tweaks.
I’d probably add a little more front shaping, and a bit more flare at the hem. It’s a little tighter around my hips than I’d like. Or maybe I’ll just jump on the Sewcialist bandwagon and buy the Archer….hey, look, she’s having a sale this weekend!

But first, time to change out of these skinny jeans. After all, it’s Thanksgiving here in the States, and that is not a good fashion choice for stuffing my face with turkey and mashed potatoes. 

An actual finished sewing project–imagine that!

Yes, my friends, it hasn’t been all wedding planning here….yet. I’m allowing myself the rest of the summer to wrap up as many in-progress things as I can before tackling The Dress, since I can’t do much anyway before I settle on some patterns. I did order a bunch of swatches, though, since only having Joann’s around + wanting to avoid a polyester dress if at all possible = can’t shop locally.

Surprising realization of the week #1: I never shopped much from Mood, because I thought they were super-expensive on everything. Which they can be. But for things like silk shantung, they are surprisingly affordable. At least compared to most of the other places I looked.

Surprising realization of the week #2: It is shockingly hard to find just plain white silk fabric. Everything is off-white, or ivory, or bone. Given that a lot of wedding dresses are white, you’d think it would be easier!! (Side note: I’d happily go with ivory, if my lace wasn’t obviously white. It looks weird if I layer that over ivory–I tried it on the Dharma Trading Co. swatches.)

But enough of that. The point of this post is that I actually finished sewing one thing. So it’s pattern review time.

Pattern: McCall’s 6031 (Side note: seems I can never get a pattern review up here before it goes on clearance/out of print!)

Description: Knit top with elastic empire waist, self-faced bodice & cap sleeves, and cowl neckline.

Pattern sizing: 4-12. I made the 12, and was wondering the whole time if I should have bought the next pattern size up, but it turned out fine.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, except for the part where I thought I was being all smart about coming up with a better way to get the cowl neck in, since I was partially constructing on the serger, only to find that I’d backed myself into a corner for the cap sleeve insertion. I’m not entirely sorry I did it this way, because the serging on the cowl would have been all exposed and probably not so great-looking if I’d followed the instructions. But it really did make putting the sleeves in much, much harder!

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? While elastic often isn’t my favorite treatment, in this top it’s comfortable and makes it easy to get the empire waist fitted without putting too much strain on the stitching when I pull it on. I do wish the cowl had been drafted a bit differently–perhaps with more flare towards the outer edge. It’s hard to keep the seam line from being exposed when I wear it, and I’d prefer it to cover. (See picture.)


Fabric used: A hemp rayon from Fabric.com, which was the second piece of fabric I was gifted for my birthday this past year to make this dress. Unfortunately, the selvedges must have been off when it was being cut, because once I got that lying flat, it was so crooked on the edges that I lost that extra 1/4 yard that I would have needed to make that particular pattern. 

It’s very comfortable to wear, but I am a little concerned about the color durability–I finished this up on Tuesday and wore it for the first time this past Thursday to go see a minor league baseball game with a bunch of friends. (More so for the social time than to watch the game, since I’ve never particularly been a fan of baseball. It bores me.) The game got called about halfway through the third inning because this massive thunderstorm rolled into the area. So after nearly an hour of waiting it out under the awning and realizing it wasn’t going to let up, we decided to go to a nearby brewery/restaurant instead, which is where my fiance kindly took that top picture for me. It was also there that I discovered that where my shirt had gotten wet during the mad dash to the car, there were actually lighter spots. Which is what concerns me, because usually fabric gets darker when it’s wet, you know? It’s hard to tell in the current lighting, since it’s rather overcast, but it looks like the blotchiness where it got wet hasn’t entirely gone away, either. I’m also confused, because it’s not like I didn’t prewash it! I’m hoping it’s not too terribly noticeable, or that it won’t get worse with continued wear.

Please excuse the wrinkles, need to wash

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Aside from the aforementioned cowl/sleeve thing, I did change the seam allowance between the bodice and the elastic casing to 1/4″, as a sort of last-minute cheater’s FBA. Everything seems to be sitting where it’s supposed to, so I guess it worked out this time.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Maybe I’d sew the view with the pleated neckline. I like the design of this particular view, so I’d possibly sew it again as a print, but with an altered cowl neckline. But I wouldn’t sew the other views with the front gathering, because I don’t think that’s a particularly flattering look on me. The one exception might be waaaaaaaay down the road here if I had to think about maternity wear. (One of the odd things about being engaged– now I have to consider that possibility in a few years!) As for recommending, it’s kind of a moot point since McCall’s is clearing this pattern out anyway, but it could be a good look for a teenager or someone in their 20s. And hopefully early 30s, since that’s where I’m at.

One final note about this top: I’m calling it my Engagement Shirt, because even though I didn’t finish it that day, I did start sewing it together on the day I got engaged! 

I got some other things done on Tuesday, too, since it’s getting to the slower part of the year at my retail job and I got that day randomly off, other than the couple of lessons I had to teach later. Since most of my weekend time lately has been lost to social commitments and early-stage wedding planning, is it bad that I’m hoping I keep getting these random weekdays off to sew?

In the jungle, the mighty jungle…

That’s what this dress makes me think of, anyway. After a couple of months of not getting much done, and just wanting a project I could sit down and sew while hanging out with my boyfriend (i.e. not the jeans muslin, with all of the fitting involved), I knocked this one out in about 3 days– I cut it out on Wednesday, assembled most of the bodice on Thursday, and sewed like a crazy woman until about 11:30 on Friday night to get this one done. I was originally thinking of wearing this for my Saturday day trip to Washington, D.C, which is why I rushed through the end just a bit (don’t look too closely at the lining hem, k?). But then I ended up not wearing it. Which is probably good, because I would have blended in too much with the bamboo and such that was scattered around the National Zoo (where we spent most of the day). So here’s the review…

Pattern: Butterick 5642

Pattern Description: Lined to edge A-line dress has fitted bodice, empire waistline and double fold bias tape finish.
 
Pattern Sizing: 8-14. I made the 10.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it did!

Were the instructions easy to follow? I thought they were pretty simple. It probably helps that, for once in my life, I didn’t overly complicate things by deviating from the pattern and think I could construct it better.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the style of it–the slimmer-cut skirt meant that I was able to (barely) squeeze a maxi-dress out of limited fabric. I had just under 3 yards of the batik, and all that was left was a few scraps large enough to cut some quilt blocks out of. (So I gave those to my mom, since she’ll have a better chance of actually being able to use those.) And though it has a deep v, the inset is a good length and kept it from being too low-cut for my comfort. I do personally wish that the skirt was just a teensy bit fuller around the hem, but I take big steps when I walk so this probably wouldn’t be an issue for most women. I do also wish it had pockets, and I probably could have added them if I’d wanted to take the time to do so, but I didn’t.

Fabric Used: A cotton batik that’s been in my stash for a long time–I think my mom passed it to me as a possibility for this quilt, since I’d been planning that for years before I actually made it, but it didn’t quite work with the colors I was planning my room around. I lined it with a cotton sateen.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Rather than take the time to make a muslin–I wanted a quick project, remember?–I fit as I went. I cut the size 10 because the finished measurements indicated that there was a lot of ease in the bust, and I didn’t want this hanging off of me. I’m glad I did, because if I’d cut even one size larger, I would not have had enough fabric to do this! But I did make some tweaks:

1. I sewed the bodice to the skirt in a 1/4″ seam instead of the called-for 5/8″ as a cheater FBA, which worked beautifully. I also didn’t gather that bit quite as much as it called for.
2. Since I therefore needed a little more room in the front, I sewed the side seams in a 1/4″ seam, and let 1/4″ out of the inner pleats in the front.
3. After that, I had a little too much fabric in the back, so I added a second dart, about 3/4″ away from the first one and towards the center.
4. I also sewed the zipper in a 1/2″ seam, I probably should have curved it in just a bit at the top, because it does gap away a little, but it’s not terrible.

So that pretty much covers that. I still might go back sometime and add a slit to the back or a side for ease of movement, but aside from that, it’s very comfortable and I think I did pretty well with the fit! 

Also, check out the bottom of that zipper in the back seam. See a bump? Yeah, me either. So I think I can say I’ve finally gotten the invisible zipper down–check!

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? If I do sew it again, it won’t be for a long time. I did a quick check in my closet this morning, and seeing as how I have about a full week’s worth of dresses that I didn’t get to during MMM, plus a couple that were thrifted or otherwise purchased, I don’t really need more dresses at this time. Truth be told, I have very few pieces of fabric left in the stash that have the yardage to make a dress, anyway. But this fulfilled my long-standing goal to make myself a maxi-dress. So I think I’m going to allow myself 2 or 3 more dresses to stay in the queue (the Butterick pattern I want to revisit from MMM, my SSS project for this year, and perhaps one more), and otherwise focus on sewing up jeans and pants and knit tops and layering pieces, since that’s what I actually need. 

That being said, I would recommend this pattern. It was just the thing to make me feel better about sewing again!

And now, for the next thing…

 

Thank you Ali, Alessa and Sarah for rethinking this in such a way that I can actually participate without feeling too overwhelmed!  One project sounds totally doable. As I mentioned above, I am going to allow myself to make one more dress for this sew-along, and the winner is the Lonsdale dress. I’ve had the fabric paired with this pattern ever since it came out last year, and I think this one would be a great opportunity to try one of the techniques on my list that might otherwise not get tackled–I’d like to try adding some boning (and other support) to the bodice and turn it into a regular halter top dress. I saw a nice version of that here, so I know it’s doable. I cut out a muslin of the bodice this afternoon, just to check the fit there, and then we’ll see how this goes!

So, so close….

My goal for yesterday was to finish the raincoat. And I almost made it. But then disaster struck, in the form of eyelets…

All those raggedy sharp edges…. apparently all of that trouble I was having with the belt for the Licorice dress wasn’t a fluke. The eyelet setting went even worse this time. I even asked my tool-savvy dad for help, and he couldn’t get them to go in right either. So we concluded that the eyelet setting tool is a piece of crap, and that I’ll need to get a new one. He thinks he can get the eyelets out without messing up the belt itself, which is hopefully going to be the case. So I’ll have to talk to him about that soon… I can salvage the buckle either way, but worst case scenario, I found just enough fabric to make a new belt if needed. I just need to remember to keep an eye on the A Fashionable Stitch shop for when the eyelets come back in stock so I can get those, the hammer-in tool instead of the awful pliers tool, and some new belt backing if necessary. Sunni’s customer service is great– I emailed her last night to ask if she carried those aside from the entire belt kit, and got a response back within half an hour! So I would definitely highly recommend her shop. (As an aside, Sunni, if you manage to find jeans rivets to stock, I will love you forever!)

On a happier note, I think the coat itself turned out pretty good!

Not quite the same look as what was in the magazine– let’s just do this properly and I’ll do a pattern review, shall we?


Pattern: Burda Magazine 3/2009, #119


Pattern Description: Double-breasted trenchcoat with gun flaps on both sides, knee length, inverted box pleat in the back.

Pattern Sizing: 34-44. I made the 40.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Close, but not quite…I just realized now, while looking at the line drawing vs. my photo, that I should have pulled it closed more in the front when I was figuring out button placement and that’s why the double row of buttons would have just looked silly. Oops. Oh well, it’s probably more functional this way, anyway! I also left off a few of the extra details, like the mini-belts around the wrists and the epaulettes. And the belt, obviously, but that will come.

Were the instructions easy to follow? They’re Burda magazine instructions. ‘Nuff said. Truth be told, I didn’t follow them too closely, because I had to rework half of the order to accommodate the waterproofing, and my desire for a full lining. But hey, look how nice it looks! Inverted box pleat and everything! Um, don’t look too closely at the internal hem, ok? That was a bit of a wrestling match, but hopefully it won’t show too badly.)

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the styling of it, and would have quite happily incorporated those extra details if they wouldn’t have added extra holes in unnecessary places that I would have had to waterproof. There wasn’t really anything I seriously disliked about the pattern itself, more my construction process. But that’s not the pattern’s fault.

Fabric Used: A waterproof taffeta from Gorgeous Fabrics for the outside, and some polyester stuff I was given for free years ago for the lining. The lining is also fully underlined with flannel for warmth. (I also used the flannel for interfacing where needed.)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: As already mentioned, I fully lined the coat, rather than the yoke/sleeve only lining that the pattern called for. And the accidental design change in the front with the buttons. I did a lot more topstitching than it called for, since the taffeta was very prone to fraying and I needed to finish all of those seams accordingly (lots and lots of flat-felled seams. Great practice for those jeans I still plan to make.) I also used a belt-making kit from A Fashionable Stitch, rather than the directions that the pattern called for. I made no sizing alterations, since I wanted to allow extra room for bulky winter clothes, other than maybe making the sleeves a bit longer.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I think it makes for a nice, classic trench-coat look. I might sew it again whenever my lightweight spring jacket wears out–wouldn’t this be fun in a bright, cheery twill print or something? 


Conclusion: This has nothing to do with the pattern itself, but I am SO glad to be done with this thing. And I really hope this raincoat holds up for a long, long time, because I don’t want to waterproof anything again for a long, long time!

In other sewing news:
1. In one of the recent interims of letting waterproofing stuff dry before I could continue, I made these:

 Yes, I have another bridal shower to go to! This time, for a cousin getting married in March (the wedding I’m knitting that black shrug for.) So I whipped up yet another of my go-to apron pattern, along with the potholders I tried out back in the fall for a last-minute addition to a friend’s shower gift. These seem to be along the lines of the colors she wants in her kitchen, so hopefully my cousin will like them! I can probably make the apron in my sleep by this point. The potholders still need a bit of work, as I still haven’t quite figured out the best system for getting the bias tape around the top, (Probably because I keep insisting I can do better than the pattern, and making the loop out of the bias tape instead of a ribbon like the pattern calls for.)

Speaking of that black shrug, I’ll do a knitting update soon…. in about 3 rows, it will make a better picture than what I can take now. But there has been progress. Honest.

2. My next project is mostly cut out and ready to go. And it’s….(drumroll)….another brown coat! More specifically, the brown corduroy one that was #1 on the list. Hey, I’ve been meaning to make that thing for 2 years now. So I have the outside all cut out and interfaced where needed, with some extra-large seam allowances. My plan is to baste it together, tweak the fit where needed, mark that on the pattern, and then cut out the lining. Corduroy’s tough. It can take being a muslin and a finished jacket. Now if only I could find what’s left of my old fabric notebook so I can remember how many yards I can take off my stash list…

3. I also need to sit down soon and figure out what I need for the next several projects I’m going to tackle. Especially since the button packs are buy one get one free next weekend! (And maybe check out the Simplicity patterns, since they’re 5 for $5…)

4. I got an early birthday present today…I’m signed up for one of the sewing classes at Craftsy. I got an email this morning saying that the pants-fitting one is currently half-price, and since I have both jeans and trousers coming up in the queue, I figured this would help immensely. I do have two pairs of jeans that I love the fit on (one boot-cut and, surprisingly, my one pair of skinny jeans, both purchased from Goodwill), and a pair or two of pants that I also think fits pretty well. Actually, I was thinking just yesterday that I wish I could replicate this one brown pair I have, because the fit at the top is great but I’ve washed and worn them so often that there’s starting to be some obvious wear-and-tear on places like the back welt pockets. Plus they’re just too short to look really good with my boots. So since the whole idea is reverse-engineering the fit without destroying the original jeans or pants, this could be just the thing! I’ve liked the Pattern Review classes I’ve taken in the past, but I’m excited to try the Craftsy ones since they have video and no set dates, so I can just do it as I can without stressing about falling behind. (Plus they’re less expensive. Always a plus.) I’m thinking for the jeans, I can use this to make whatever last tweaks are needed to the muslin I already made for the last jeans class, and use the pattern I already have from there. So then I can finally cross that off the list, since I’ve been saying for, oh, only the last 3 or 4 years in a row that this is going to be the year I successfully make jeans!

If I had $1000000, I’d buy you a green dress…

“….but not a real green dress, that’s cruel…”

Yeah, I had that song stuck in my head quite a bit while working on this project! Which, in typical fashion for me when sewing anything that might get worn to a wedding, ended up being much more difficult than I’d anticipated. I’ve spent hours and hours working on it this week, and it’s definitely got its issues. But the one and only dress I’d listed for the Fall Essentials Sew-Along is now done.

Last weekend, I was originally supposed to go camping with the friend I made the Anthropologie-esque aprons with. But we had to make a last-minute change of plans due to nasty weather forecasts–neither of us felt like camping in the rain and mud. So instead, she came here for a sewing day. The funny thing was, without planning it, we both ended up using the exact same fabric for our projects! We’d actually each bought some yardage of the same knit a couple of years ago when shopping at a Joann’s together, and neither of us had figured out what to do with it until now. So she copied a dress she’d borrowed from a friend, and I worked on this. It’s probably a good thing, too, because there’s no way I would have finished the dress before this Saturday’s wedding otherwise. I’m going to go ahead and do a full pattern review for this one, in hopes that it might help someone else down the line. (Especially since, as of when I wrote this review, this was the first one for this pattern on PR.)

Pattern Description: From the envelope: Lined, close-fitting dress has side front inseam pockets and attached petticoat with ruffles.

Pattern Sizing: 6-18. I (stupidly) made the 14.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Mostly.

Were the instructions easy to follow? The instructions were very well laid-out. The only confusion I had was finishing off the end of the zipper.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the style, and the clear directions. I did not like the sizing–the whole thing seemed to run very large, and it caused me quite a few issues.

Fabric Used: I used a 2-way stretch knit that I’m pretty sure is a rayon for the majority (it’s been in the stash for awhile),  plus a tricot lining and polyester organza for the petticoat.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I ended up having to make quite a few fitting changes. I didn’t make a muslin for this since I figured knits would be easier to tweak as I went. (Besides the aforementioned on-the-fly small-bust-adjustment that I NEVER have to make….) I also had to take about 4″ total out of the back, at least a good 2-3″ out of the back shoulder strap, and I spent several hours yesterday ripping out the side/back facings I’d sewed in earlier in the week so I could stay-tape those edges and hand-sew the facings back in. I didn’t know until I tried it on to double-check where I’d pinned up the hem that adding that facing stretched the sides out an extra 3″ each (!), and it was sagging out horribly under my arms. (See picture for how much I had to pin it in to get it to fit after machine-sewing the facings on!)

I also ended up having to gather up the fabric and tack it under the knot at the bustline, because the gathers were not falling right around the waistline. (It’s still sagging there, as you can see, but it’s definitely better than it was.) I also hand-picked the zipper topstitching, because I didn’t think my machine would be too happy about all of the layers around the waist between the fabric, the lining, and the elastic.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would not sew it again, since this is a rather unique style and I don’t need two of these in my wardrobe. I would recommend it for more advanced seamstresses, with the caveat that you should probably take it down at least a full size from your usual pattern size. Possibly two. I’d also strongly recommend adding stay tape or interfacing before adding the back facings so it doesn’t distort as badly as mine did the first time.

Conclusion: I think it looks ok overall, and I’m certainly going to wear this since it was the pattern I’ve been most excited about sewing this fall. I’m thinking that if I add a belt, it’ll hide the slight wonkiness that is still around the waist seam. But I wish I’d gone with the thought I’d had about perhaps sewing size 12 instead. There’s a LOT of fabric in this dress, and it makes it somewhat heavy for a knit dress, and everything gets stretched. 

Other notes: The elastic was a pain in the neck to get into this dress. I actually ended up having to rip a hole in the lining with my seam ripper so I could better distribute the elastic within the casing. Also, pressing the petticoat section is kind of helpful–it was too poofy under the skirt at first, but after I flattened it out, it seemed to lay better. Even though that put creases in the organza that probably shouldn’t have been there. (The petticoat is still pretty poofy, but it is laying better now.)

I also kind of wish I’d hand-sewn in the entire zipper, because it isn’t entirely lined up at the waist. Though it doesn’t look that bad in this picture, to be honest–it seemed much more off to me in real life. And I couldn’t do anything to fix it because by the time I’d noticed it, I’d already trimmed the seams, and this is what’s holding the elastic “waist stay” in place.

So it’s done, and just in time for the wedding….though apparently we have a cold front coming in later today or tomorrow, and it’ll actually be feeling fallish on Saturday. So I hope I don’t get cold in this basically sleeveless dress!

This is the other thing I’ve been working on this week– I realized late last week that I didn’t really have any shoes to wear to this or the second wedding I’ll be attending in October. I’ll be wearing the little black dress for the second since I’m also on musician duty for that one, but for Saturday’s wedding in particular, I didn’t want to go too casual for the shoes since it’s basically a big ruched-up t-shirt of a dress. One rather frustrating trip to two different shoe stores later where absolutely nothing was even close to fitting and I learned that the trend for this season is 4″ stiletto heels that I would undoubtedly break an ankle if I try to do anything resembling walking in, I decided to just do a non-permanent refashion to the basic heels I already have. So, with the help of some clip-on earrings and some pre-made flowers I found at Joann’s, this is what I did to my brown shoe. (Singular, because I still have to do the second shoe, and that is on the agenda for today.) I did this at the beginning of the week, and I made a little tutorial for it over at Refashion Co-Op. And since the little flowers just clip on, I can easily go back to my basic brown shoe after. (If I want to. I actually like them much better with the flowers!) I’ll be doing a second pair of clips later in the month for my black shoes, since it’s a formal evening wedding and my shoes are, again, not quite fancy enough.

But first, once clip #2 is done, I think I am actually going to take a few days off from sewing. This dress left me feeling like I need a break before I dive into my next project, so I think the rest of my crafty free time this week will be taken up by knitting instead! (I do have things to show there, though none of them are finished, so I’ll try to do an update for that in a day or so.)

Why did I wait? (Summer Essential #3)

Seriously– I’ve been meaning to make this skirt for, oh, three years now. It kept getting put on the back burner in favor of things that seemed more crucial at the time. And then this took me all of one day, which was last Wednesday, to sew together in its entirety. Including taking the time to finish the seams on my serger and make it look all nice inside. (Just delayed on the posting due to a family beach trip.) Which leaves me wondering why on earth I waited so long…  So at least I got 3 of my 5 planned Summer Essential Sew-Along projects done. Though, with the colors of this one, I think this is actually going to be a skirt I can wear year-round. I just might need to come up with some more tops to go with it, since I don’t have a lot in that red-orange family.

Hey, guess what? I’m going to do an actual pattern review! As always, any extra commentary from the official PR one in italics.

Pattern: #117 from the 3/07 Burda magazine


Pattern Rating: Highly recommend

Pattern Description: Mock wrap skirt with flounce.

Pattern Sizing: Uhh…. I’ll get back to you on this, since I’m in a bit of a rush and don’t want to take the time to look it up atm.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? As easy as Burda gets… Seriously, though, this was really easy to put together.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the style, and the fit is great. The only thing I found confusing was their instructions for getting the mock wrap part onto the basic skirt. (So I ignored their instructions and winged it.)

Fabric Used: It’s an embroidered linen-look twill– I think it’s at least part polyester, but it’s been in my stash for awhile so I’m not sure what the actual content is at this point. (I think this one may have been one of my college-days acquisitions– I know it’s been sitting for at least 5 years!)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: None– this one fit perfectly right off the pattern! (As a lower-rise skirt, which I prefer anyway. I basted it together first to check–no muslin necessary! And no gapiosis!)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I don’t know if I’d sew it with the flounce again, but I think I’ll be going back to this pattern as a sloper. Even my self-drafted one (from the PR class I took awhile back) didn’t fit this well!

Conclusion: Love, love, love it.

(Now I just need to figure out what to do with the slightly-less-than-a-yard I have left over…maybe a bag? It’s something like a 33″x45″ piece.)

"Georgian on my mind" dress

Surprise–my afternoon and evening got way less busy. I only have two students on Mondays, and one had already canceled. I still would have had to drive into town for the other, but then I got an email saying she needed to cancel too. So I guess I could go rock climbing after all….but my first thought was that means I might actually have time to sew something today, so I think I’ll do that instead. Antisocial, but I need relaxation this week when I can get it! So now I actually had time to photograph and review this dress….

It still makes me think of Georgian-era France, thus the name. Though in this picture, it just looks like a flowery dress. (Even though it is, in fact, paisley and not really that flowery at all.)

I’ve decided I need to get back into the habit of posting on Pattern Review (and probably BurdaStyle, since I haven’t updated there since the fall), so here’s my review for the pattern: It’s mostly as posted on PR, but I added a few extra comments in italics.

Pattern: Simplicity 2248

Pattern Rating:Recommend, with Modifications (is what I put on there– I wouldn’t say this is mediocre, but if I had a write-in vote, it would probably be more along the lines of “Proceed with Caution”.)

Pattern Description: From the back of the envelope: Misses’ dress with sleeve and back variations

Pattern Sizing: 12-20. I made the size 12.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.

 
 Were the instructions easy to follow? Mostly, though I had some quibbles with it.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? Like: the lines of the dress, the pockets, the cutout in the back. (See? Cute cutout.) Dislike: The directions for how to make the pleats were kind of confusing. Also, they didn’t have any mention of interfacing the buttonhole area, which could result in a mess for a more novice sewer.

Fabric Used: A cotton quilters’ print from Joann’s (that had probably been in my stash for a good 5 years. It was time.)

 Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I took a chance on making the size 12 (my measurements are mostly closer to the size 14), and I’m glad I did. This dress would have been huge on me otherwise. I still had to take in the back some, at the top of the zipper and the button placement. I added a snap to where the back cutout yoke thing overlapped because of that. I also added some topstitching to the bodice around the seams–the top reminded me of a corset and I wanted to bring that out some. (Hopefully this picture shows a bit more of that corset look.) This also helped me to close off the top of the pleats, since I couldn’t make any sense of the given directions for that.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I probably won’t sew it again, since I tend to not re-use dress patterns. (Especially ones with a very distinctive look to them, like this–they’re harder to modify into something new.) It looks cute, but whether I’d recommend it would depend on a person’s willingness to deviate from the directions a bit.

Conclusion: I do like the way it looks, and it was actually a great pattern style for the fabric, which had been sitting in my stash for awhile. So I’ll call this one a win.


(Final note: The back doesn’t really pull like that where the snap is–Donna and I seem to be different sizes here. So I need to do some tweaking to her measurements. But I did want to show what the button looks like. And I did want to say that the button addition was well-designed–I wasn’t sure how easy that would be for dressing myself, since buttons behind your back sounds tough, but I can manage both the button and the snap here without any help. Always a good thing.)