10. Fall Faux Wrap Dress - Simplicity 5190

Pattern: Simplicity 5190 (2004)

Pattern Description: Loose pullover dress with neckline bands, 3/4 length flared sleeves, and attached side sash.

Pattern Sizing: Size PP (12,14,16,18) I made a 14 for shoulders and armscye but a size 16 for all measurements below b/c scared that the hips would not be wide enough.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it? Not quite, but this was my fault. To make the dress fit on my fabric I cut two inches off of the pattern when I needed to add length to the original hem. Otherwise, yes.



Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes; however, manipulating around the v-neck with the neckline bands was frustrating. I had to take out the stitching many times to get it right. You have to really clip into that V for it to lay down. I chose to hand-baste around the entire neckline before edgestitching and topstitching.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the relaxed look and the 3/4 length flared sleeves. The dress with the low waist and loose sash had a 1930s feel. Unfortunately, the skirt needed to be six inches longer.
 
Fabric Used: Orange, mustard, taupe, khaki green, and white 58/60" floral pumpkin blossom peachskin from Jo-ann on sale for $4.99 per yard, Pellon Easy-Knit fusible interfacing, and neutral colored thread.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made? This fabric was not originally meant for this pattern so I did not have enough for the dress as pictured. I measured the pattern against one of my dresses and decided I could eliminate two inches from the hem. This was a mistake, the dress would look better at a 1930s mid-calf length. It needed the length. Using fusible knit interfacing on the neck bands worked well, it gave structure but was still flexible. Even after the pre-shrinking in hot water, it still made a durable bond. I had a bit of a trial sewing the band to the dress because my machine skipped stitches. I tried three times (one was just basting) before I took it all out and went to bed. You won't believe how many times I ended up sewing along that same stitching line!

I used a different layout (making sure that the grainline stayed the same) and pieced the sash in three pieces instead of two so I could fit everything on the fabric. Unknowingly, I sewed a larger seam allowance on the sash (5/8") than required (1/2") but it made no discernible difference to the final product.

The worst thing about the fabric I used was that it frayed easily so all seam allowances had to be either folded over and stitched or stitched and then pinked.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I like the dress, but will not make it again. With this particular fabric print all of the details around the neckline are lost! It should look like a wrap dress but you can not make out the topstitched neckbands. It looks like a v-neck dress with a sash. I still would recommend the pattern; however, use a smaller bodice than the measurements say and take care not to use a dense print like I did.

Conclusion: I received a lot of compliments on the dress at the holidays. However, for a dress I was only slightly excited about making in the first place, I ended up being underwhelmed. Maybe the frustration with the neckline and the deadline sewing took a bit out of me and I'll eventually come around to liking it. 

UPDATE: I wore it with my green J. Crew jacket and thought it looked cute. So I might take in the bodice, curve in the waist some, and close up and gather the sleeves (like this top).

12 in 2012 Conclusion

I know that I've been talking about this 12 in 2012 vow. Well, I didn't make it, according to my ever-changing wardrobe plan, I only completed 10 of those items. However, in terms of creative output I created so much more. So from here out all plans are fluid, just like life. Whatever I create is a triumph because in the past few years I've spent less time on exercising my creative side (I was an art major!) than I would have liked.

This is my actual list of 2012 creative accomplishments:

1. Pattern Runway Pattern Mash-up Gray Skirt
2. Built By Wendy Corduroy Skirt from Sew U
3. McCall's 4632 Boxy Blouse
4. My first wooden bead necklace
5. Burdastyle Irmchen's Twisted Drape Top
6. Grainline Studio Scout Woven Tee #31002 
7. A pair of strappy sandals made from Old Navy flip flops.
8. My second,  more elaborate wooden bead necklace.
9. My first quilt; pieced, bound, and completed in four weeks.
10. Grainline Studio Tiny Pocket Tank #31001
11. New Look 6939 Shift Dress in an Alexander Henry print
12. Vogue 9772 Swiss Dot Summer Tops (2)
13. A men's necktie from a Purl Bee blog tutorial
14. Initiated a successful meet-up and fabric/pattern swap of Beltway-based (VA-DC-MD) sewing bloggers.
15. Vogue 9745 Flat Front Pants
16. Simplicity 5190 fall-flavored floral faux-wrap frock
17. Two children's jumper dresses and two tops, made from fleece and New Look 6911 (OOP)

6 tops, 5 gifts for others, 2 skirts, 2 dresses, 2 necklaces, 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of footwear, and 1 quilt. Not bad, not bad.

Therefore, I feel really good about last year. In terms of creative output I accomplished an item per month, at least. Looking forward to 2013. Expect to see more projects you've already heard about (ad nauseam!) and some you haven't.

Oh and I almost forgot, I also graduated from college!!!

December 28 Update - End of Year

The Simplicity 5190 autumnal floral dress is finished! It looks exactly like the little illustration from a few posts ago! I will wear it tomorrow and hopefully get pictures taken then.

The Grainline Moss skirt has not been cut out. So it will be 10 in 2012 after all. I'm not bothered about it at all because since it is not cut out, it will not count as an unfinished object (UFO). I will start the new year fresh with three muslins that I can then sew right off the bat. Sounds good to me.

My last projects of 2012 are two fleece dresses and one fleece sweatshirt for two children in my extended family. As of this moment they are not done but hopefully will be by Saturday afternoon when I will see them in Maryland. I guess I'm just not me unless I'm stressing myself out!

Currently reading: Wish You Were Here: The Official Biography of Douglas Adams (of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame) by Nick Webb and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson.

Listening to: Ceremonials by Florence and the Machine, pretty much all the time.

Most recent movies seen: Skyfall, Hitchcock, Les Miserables


Have a Happy NEW Year!!!

December 16 Weekend Update

I had a very productive weekend, sewing-wise*:

 

I have completed my Grainline Moss skirt muslin, incorporating the new pattern alterations. It wasn't perfect but it is at the point where it will only need small adjustments in the final fabric. This time I even completed the waistband to see how it will really look, and I liked it.

I am about one third through Simplicity 5190, which will be my holiday dress this season. I like to complete garments in pieces if possible so I stitched up the sleeves, leaving the hems till later. I also completed the belt ties. Right now I'm working on the neck bands which is probably the most difficult part of this dress. With a five-day (!)** weekend next week and not celebrating the holiday with family until the 28th I believe I will have time to finish both of these completely.

*Unlike Sunni, I just couldn't work on one project at a time, this just worked better for me.

** Normally would be a good thing, but I'm paid by the hour! : (

Messing With My Moss Muslin - Part 1

Well, I have made it to the tenth project on my official list. Two weekends ago, I constructed a muslin for the Grainline Moss Miniskirt.

I am so glad that I sewed up a muslin for this skirt. It looked good and fit on the front side. Though I used the correct size for my measurements, the distribution of my "stuff" requires a little more width at my hip and perhaps a little bit more length center front for a protruding abdomen. My copies of Sewing Pants That Fit and A Perfect Fit informed me that I also needed an alteration for protruding front thighs.

See the indentation under the stomach and the horizontal stretch below that at upper thigh level.

However, the back was a fitting mess. It seems my "badonkadonk" is just too "bootylicious" for this skirt! The shaping that was designed for the back skirt pieces was not enough for me.

There is a 10" difference between my hip and waist measurements and a lot of gaping above my most protruding part. The problem must be the way my "stuff" is distributed back there. The center back waist-to-hip area needed to come in a lot. I placed two 1" wide darts in the yoke and waistband part only. This seemed to work but I still needed to know how to alter the actual pattern pieces in order to cut my fashion fabric.

At first, I thought of opening up this post to reader ideas when I realized I could do one better. I emailed Jen Beeman of Grainline Studio, the designer of the pattern, and she supplied the details on how to complete the skirt. She even hand drew me helpful illustrations and actually did all that over the Thanksgiving holiday! Way to go, Jen, thanks!

Next time I post, hopefully it will be to show you the corrected muslin and altered pattern pieces or the final garment. However, I know it won't be this weekend as I will be attending the MD/DC/VA sewing blogger meetup on Saturday!!!!!

9. Flat Front Trousers - Vogue 9745 (OOP)

Pattern: Vogue 9745 (OOP) from the VogueElements line (1997)

Pattern Description: Straight-legged (below waist) trousers with low contour waistband and side pockets. View B.

Pattern Sizing: Size 12-16. To be safe, I started with size 16, which matched my waist and hip measurements. However, with 4.5 inches of ease (!) included, I ended up cutting down to size 14.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes. The VogueElements patterns usually have only one page of instructions for their garments and use simple techniques. However, this kind of brevity might be difficult for less experienced sewists or anyone who has not made a pair of pants before.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the slim sleek look of view B without the cuffs and belt carriers. The only issues I had were with some confusing pattern markings. There is only one pattern piece used for the waistband and its facing. However, even though the right and left sides of the front waistband are to be treated differently because of the fly front all of the markings are on this one piece. The markings that show that one side seam should be 5/8" and the other more like 1" are hard to distinguish from the other markings for constructing the fly and for all of the other sizes. You can only get that information from closely looking at the illustrated instructions. For future use, I copied the piece eliminating any markings that I do not need for my size so I won't have to deal with the issue next time.

Fabric Used: 2 1/4 yards 58" stretch bengaline in Potting Soil (81% poly, 15% rayon, 4% spandex) from Jo-Ann for $11.24 (orig. $9.99 per yard at 50% off), Coats and Clark all purpose matching thread in #8950, Coats and Clark 7" zipper in Cloister Brown, #56B, and Pellon Easy-Knit fusible interfacing.

Recently I started checking the grain of all my fabric when I bring it home and before I wash it. Unfortunately, this bengaline was very off-grain. I clipped the fabric at 1/4" in from the edge, pulled a thread and ended up 2 1/2 inches in on the other side! That's a lot of fabric to lose; that could make or break a garment in terms of having the right amount of fabric for a chosen pattern. The fabric care instructions indicated this fabric should be handwashed and line dried. I normally pre-wash everything in the washing machine since I rarely dry clean, however, this time I followed instructions. I don't know yet if that was a good thing or not.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: Besides cutting down one size I made no other changes or alterations to this pattern! However, I didn't think that would be the case, so the construction of these took forever and a lot of basting when I could have just sewn them straight through. From now on, watch out! My first TNT* pants pattern has arrived!

I liked the bengaline fabric; however, because the stretch is parallel to the selvedge, along the length, if I wasn't careful it would stretch oddly like when I machine basted the side seams the one side would end up longer. I had to switch over to my walking foot. This fabric needed to be handled carefully, no letting hang over the edge of tables or pressing at too high a heat. However, light steam and gentle pressing worked well on getting flat open seams and defined creases.

Because of the sleek look of the pants when they were basted, I chose not to have pockets, which in this fabric would only add bulk and the possibility of stretching out of shape over time.

The rest of the fit was right, the "c-curve" and all. So well that I will transfer the same curve to my other pants patterns even before I create muslins. The zipper installation on the faux fly went along easily after I translated the markings on the pattern piece.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I made this pattern hoping to end up with a TNT pattern for full-leg pants and that's what I got! As part of the VogueElements line, I have to say they are batting 4 out of 4 with their patterns! Yes, I would definitely recommend this pattern, if you can get your hands on it. If you can't find one online, the current Vogue 8751 looks very similar.

Conclusion:  I learned a huge lesson with these...stop being scared of pants/trousers. I made them without fear when I began sewing in high school and it seems that only in the last few blog-reading years that I became doubtful due to a fear of pants in the sewing blog world. The most important thing though is I now have a TNT pattern for this type of pants. There will definitely be another pair made this winter season, perhaps in denim or no-wale corduroy?

* TNT = tried and true

Images: my own photos

Bottoms Up! 4 in 2012 Update

Looking through my closet, I've noticed that I have short-sleeve or sleeveless tops a-plenty. What I really need is some long-sleeved knit and woven shirts for the cooler weather now. Towards that goal I spent some graduation money on two striped knits from Girl Charlee, one in black/white and the other mustard/ivory (they shipped yesterday!) for some basic long-sleeved t-shirts. Both shirts will go with several items in my wardrobe, including the pants and skirt below.

Of course, I have some lower body clothing to make:

I finally started on the Vogue 9745 full-legged pants in tobacco brown stretch bengaline that I had cut out months ago. Two weeks ago I basted them together to check on the size. I had cut out a 16, which according to the pattern matched my measurements perfectly. But with the included 4.5 inches of too-much ease I took them apart and cut down to the size 14. I had been warned of this by Mikhaela who also made these but I was scared to cut the smaller size, just in case. The rest of the fit seems about right, you know...the "c-curve" and all. Zipper installation went great.* I'm working on the waistband and overall fit now. I'm liking this bengaline fabric but if you're not careful it can stretch oddly like when I was machine basting the side seams. One side would always end up longer. I will remember to switch over to my walking foot for the final seams.

The project I had on my list for next garment was McCall's 8926, a jean-style skirt made out of a saturated turquoise denim. Though the pattern style did work for this fabric I wasn't really motivated to make it up. I had already made that pattern a decade ago and no longer have the skirt. Luckily, Jen from Grainline just released the Moss Mini Skirt 32001 pattern. It's similar enough in its styling but has a contoured waistband (yeah!), no belt loops (too fiddly to make), addition of a back yoke detail, and an optional fabric band at the bottom. Wouldn't it be cute with a contrast colored band and pockets? Maybe next time.

I don't want to get ahead of myself but watching the leaves change I really want to make Simplicity 5190 with my autumnal floral print right now! And of course, waiting in the background is the dotted duster coat, which is now going to be a mixture of Vogue 9745 and New Look 6656. Having these four and the two knit t-shirts completed would make me a very happy girl.

* I don't think traditional zippers are hard at all. I have never had a zipper I put in break or come loose on me unlike all the stories I hear about that happening with the invisible ones.

8. Summer End Tops - Vogue 9772 (OOP)

Pattern: Vogue 9772 (OOP) from the VogueElements line, c. 1997

Pattern Description: Two bias pullover tops: 1) fitted, v-neck with bodice seaming, side slits and 2) loose-fitting, scoop neck with back extension to upper front (to be worn over first top).

Pattern Sizing: Available in XS-XL (6-22). I made a M (sizes 12-14).

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

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, very much.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It was very easy to put together, though I ended up making it more involved by underling the fabric and using French seams throughout. I liked that the visible seaming on the front of each top was topstitched.

Fabric Used: 1) Multi-colored (orange, gray, white, tan, ruby red on an off-white ground) Prairie Rose Swiss dot fabric from Joann, $4.85. I bought the very last bit, actually less than the 1-1/4 yards needed according to the pattern. 2) 1-1/8 yards of Daphne batiste in papyrus, $12.48 for the overblouse and enough left over to completely underline top 1.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:

Top 1: Originally this top was going to be one layer, but luckily I had purchased enough of the coordinating batiste that I could underline all four pieces. This Vogue Elements top is a simpler variation of a Marc Jacob pattern, Vogue 2068, that was released the very same year. I made a version of that top years ago. The necklines are different and the Jacobs pattern used French seams throughout. I wanted that same quality so I incorporated the French seam construction for this top too.

It is hard to see but the pieces are basted using intersecting diagonal lines.

Since I was going to use French seams I thought I should also use the correct method of underlining according to the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing. This method has you reposition the underlining because that layer should be slightly smaller that the outer layer to reduce bulk.The technique involves hand basting and the spine of a thick magazine, pretty cool!

Once that was done, the rest was easy, I just followed the seaming instructions from the earlier pattern. Once I made the first French seam at the shoulders I decided to baste the rest of the top together and see what I had. The V-neck was really too low; you can see that in the drawing but I thought that was an exaggeration.  I ended up taking that seam out and taking one inch off both the front and back pieces. This not only brought the neckline and armholes up but also put the waist curve of the pattern where it should be, at my actual waist. There was also an issue of a bit too much length in the front armscye, so instead of cutting out a replacement front I added an ease line and lightly eased/gathered some of the length out.

Top 2: There couldn't be an easier pattern or instructions. Again, I incorporated French seams to match the other top which will be worn under this one. Despite using the instructions from Vogue 2068 I decided to start with a 3/8" seam first and then 1/4", the reverse of what they indicated. This top assembled quickly with tiny 1/4" hems and seams all-around. The batiste ended up being a really nice fabric, in look, feel, and weight.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Perhaps. I did end up making alterations to the garment during construction until I was satisfied and unfortunately, I did not transfer those changes to the pattern pieces before completion. I would highly recommend this pattern if you can find it online.

Conclusion: I love how both of these tops came out with a flattering fit and clean interior finish. However, at least from the way that I made them, the second top does not really work as an overblouse to the first one. It is too bulky. However, it works as a perfect complement over the original Marc Jacobs top, which it matches in color. So, win-win.

7. Summer Shift Dress - New Look 6939 (OOP)

Pattern: New Look 6939 (OOP)

Pattern Description: Slightly A-line, knee-length shift dress with v-neck option and front darts.

Pattern Sizing: (8-18) I made a size 12 bodice, blending out to a size 14 at hips.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it? Yes, except I did not include the neckline ruffle for this version.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, extremely easy.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It's easy, perfect for a quick, cute make. I have made this dress before and love the forgiving shape, its perfect for a summer dress.

Fabric Used: 2 1/2 yards cotton in Alexander Henry Mocca in Chocolate from my stash, bought years ago in 2007 for $7.25 per yard. This feels like a thin crisp poplin and doesn't wrinkle! 1/2 yard matching red rayon challis from Hancock Fabric for the contrast skirt border.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I made no size changes because my other version of this dress still fits well and I had altered the pattern pieces at that time. However, both the drape, weight, and neckline of that one was different and I should have taken that into consideration. I ended up shortening the shoulder length by 3/4" inch because the bodice would rise above my shoulders when I sat down. There was too much length from armscye to shoulder seam, something that wasn't as noticeable in the first dress.

It took me a long time to finish this dress because I didn't have enough fabric and had to add a border of a different fabric to the bottom to make up the length, much like my other dress. The print fabric does not wrinkle; however, the challis does and did not have as much body. Therefore, I used two layers of the challis, a self-lining of sorts, to provide more structure and eliminate the need for a hem.

Instead of trying to cut straight on the slippery challis, instead I pulled threads to straighten the grain, making a perfect rectangle, that I folded it in half, and attached one side to the bottom of the dress and hand sewed the other over the seam, encasing it inside. Both fabrics pressed well and resulted in a neat border. I  finished the inside side seams by folding the seam allowances under and stitching down the middle, leaving no raw edges visible.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I will probably make this dress many more times. However, for some reason, the dress feels a wee bit looser this time, perhaps the linen version shrunk at some point. I love that this dress pattern can be adapted and changed infinitely. It would look lovely as a brocade cocktail shift from the 60's. If you can not find this exact same pattern, there is now a more recent version, New Look 6095. It is a quick dress to whip up in a day or two. Just remember to buy enough fabric!

Conclusion: I knew this was a perfect marriage of pattern and fabric. I wanted a simple dress design that wouldn't steal thunder from the large, bold, and colorful print and I believe I succeeded.

Images: My own photos

6. Summer Tank Top - Grainline Tiny Pocket Tank #31001

Pattern: Grainline Tiny Pocket Tank #31001

Pattern Description: (0-18) Tank top with bust darts, bias bound edges, and a slightly relaxed fit.

Pattern Sizing: Neck, shoulders to underarm in size 8, the rest in size 10.

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

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, very much.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like how the tank is fitted at the top but flows along the rest of the torso. It does not use a lot of fabric or take up a lot of time to sew. I loved the bias-bound neckline as it gave a RTW look.

Fabric Used: A somewhat shiny, lightweight, horizontal striped gray fabric with a foulard pattern perfect for a man's tie. The fabric is a recycle of a dress that Slapdash Sewist wasn't happy with, in fact, she called it her "Prison Matron Dress".

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made?: I originally was going to use the dress as a dress, slim it down or make a tunic out of it. However, I had the Grainline pattern raring to go and I had made a promise not to buy any more garment fabric, so...  A great recycling project at hand, I laid out the pattern on the dress and it was going to work! The only difference would be that there was a back seam.

The first thing I did before I cut any pieces was to make sure the fabric was on grain. It was not, so I used the pull-a-strand method and luckily still had enough width to cut the front with no piecing. However, because of the grain being off I  could not use the existing back seam. I recut the back on the grain and sewed a 1/4" seam allowance, folded it to one side and made a flat fell seam. In addition, since this fabric seemed to unravel at a glance I encased the shoulder and sides in French seams. I finished it by following the instructions for the tiny 1/4" hem.



This is the true color



Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I will make this again, as a top and also as a dress. I also love how Grainline patterns are nested so that you don't have to sacrifice the smaller sizes when it is cut out.

Conclusion: This is a great versatile tank for summer.

Images: my own photos, GrainlineStudio.com