Yup, It's Another Bloody* Sewing Plan!

 

Okay, I've decided, I need to publish this before I change my mind again. I created those first two sewing plans a month ago, and either because of fabric shortage or unsuitability, I've already had to eliminate two projects and may have lost love for two others. Note: I am not allowing myself to buy any additional fabric, so I must already have what I need for the project or not. Notion purchases are allowed though.

So this is what's going on at the moment:

• Grainline Studio Scout: A matching top for this skirt but it isn't the right shape.
• Seamster Yellow Tail Camisole: I didn't have enough fabric to make this top.
• New Look 6977: No more short sleeve tops.
• Butterick 5429: A TNT top made with winter white ponte. DONE
• New Look 6216: Only pair of shorts sewn this summer. DONE
• New Look 6216: Made a navy and gray stripe t-shirt dress. DONE
• McCall's 7381: Still debating on this one. I'm leery about all that fullness in the bodice?
• Simplicity 5289: My ponte raglan dress needs a neckband, hem, and topstitching. DONE

• New Look 6859: Planned in 2010, I need to cut another muslin, the last one was in 2011. DONE
• Grainline Studio Morris: Scared to mess this up but need this now!
• McCall's 7254: This new pattern will hopefully motivate me to work on the other jackets. DONE
• Simplicity 1283: The ponte for this skirt was not thick enough and needs new lining.
• Built By Wendy Sew U pants: Considerable alteration work needed because I don't want them to be low-riders and I am now larger than the largest size in the book.
• Vogue 1411: I will make a muslin before I cut into the gray ponte.
• Style Arc Barb's Stretch Pants: Already made a muslin but they were too tight. DONE
• Style Arc Ebony: Will be made in 2017 for summer.

*I've been streaming a lot of British sitcoms lately, like Siblings, Crashing, and My Mad Fat Diary!

Got The Blues Work Shirt - Built By Wendy (Sew U)

Pattern: Built By Wendy button-down shirt from the Sew U book (2006)

Pattern Description: Slightly-fitted, button-front shirt with separate collar stand, sleeve placket, and buttoned cuffs. Pattern options include yoke, collar, front facing, and pocket customizations.

Pattern Sizing: XS-Large. According to the book's size chart I should make a Large (size 10-12 ). I ended up cutting a Medium from the shoulders to the waist and then tapering out to the Large for my hips.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it? Surprisingly, yes, since I refashioned the shirt from an existing RTW man's shirt.

Approximately what my shirt originally looked like

Were the instructions easy to follow? As I was working from a completed shirt, I can't say that I used many of the book's instructions on this version. However, the instructions read clear to me.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It was a more simplified version of the button-down, this version eliminated the back yoke detail. The pattern also included shaping for a feminine shape. However, the best thing about this shirt pattern and instructions were the many ways the shirt could be customized.

This is the true color*.

Fabric Used: A thrifted man's shirt in a wrinkle-resistant! cotton poplin ($5), thread, and Pellon Easy-Knit (AK130) fusible knit interfacing.

The "After"

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made?: First thing first, I had to cut the shirt down to my proportions using the Sew U pattern. That involved my trusty seam ripper and I took apart the side seams, removed the cuffs and took apart the flat-felled sleeve seams. I then cut out the shirt fronts aligning the pattern hem with the existing finished shirt hem. The original shirt came complete with a self-lined yoke and back pleat. The shirt was so much larger that these were not touched in the pattern cutting and were both removed.

In fact, I cut the new band from the discarded yoke and cut the new collar from the original shirt's collar. I reused the original collar's interfacing and retained the finished top edge.



I cut the new sleeves from the originals lining up the pattern edge with the original sleeve hem edge; therefore, retaining the finished sleeve plackets .

I adjusted the new sleeve width by adding a tuck so that the sleeve could slip inside the original sleeve cuffs. I then added a new line of topstitching to secure them there.
 

 

When attaching my band collar I realized the length was a bit off so I created a small tuck on the back neck. This kind of tuck is usually used beneath a yoke but was my only option since the band matched the length needed for the collar.

Update: After trying this on I didn't like the way the area puffed up under the collar. I removed the stitching from that collar section and instead created a faux center back seam by taking 1/2" out of the back width tapering down to 1/4" at the hem.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, after I adapt the center back pattern piece for less width and extend the side darts a bit more for shaping. I was pleasantly surprised that no easing was needed when inserting the sleeves, very impressive drafting.

Conclusion: I love that I was able to refashion this shirt and retain all of the detail of the button plackets and topstitching detail. The shirt was quick and easy to make because of this but the fit is due to the Sew U pattern and I will make more of these, even from scratch!

* Unfortunately, most of my pictures were over exposed and none captured the true color.

What Is Next...

I have finished my first Grainline Moss and it was a success. There will most definitely be more of these. Look forward to my pattern review on the skirt soon.

The dress code at work has changed and now we must wear collared shirts. I have bought two t-shirts and a pair of khakis for this job. I would rather not buy any more clothing purely for the job. Today, I bought an extremely gently-worn mans shirt at a thrift store for $6. I am going to take the side and shoulders seams apart and use the Sew U book's shirt pattern to bring it down to my size. This shirt bought for a practical purpose will also serve as a muslin for future button-down shirts.

Searching thrift stores for patterns is usually hit or miss, a lot of old patterns that aren't old enough (early-late 80s) to be cute vintage and lots of children, costume, or seasonal home decoration patterns. However, I got lucky, a pattern I was actually going to buy the same day from JoAnn or Hancocks (McCall's 6885) was found for 58 cents! I was just thinking of how it was time to start work on View D of this pattern in a plaid flannel fabric. I'm hoping that JoAnn or Hancocks brings back these two fabrics that I missed out on two years ago:

 

 

But here are two new possiblities from this year:

 

 

I am currently finishing up my first and last dress of the summer. Oops, I know, it's a little late since the first day of fall just happened. I should have put that first on the list to make in early spring.

 

Oh, well.. a new dress for summer 2015! It was going very quickly and then the upper bodice and neckline needed adjustment. Even though my shoulders look pretty broad to me, they always turn out to be too narrow for most patterns. I am using a combination of darts, tucks, and gathers to tighten it up. If I'm lucky I will probably have about two weeks to wear this.

At a thrift store yesterday, I found a really clean copy of the Coats & Clark's Sewing Book: Newest Methods from A to Z (1967) So, yes there's another vintage sewing book for my collection.

The Professional Skirt - Built By Wendy (Sew U)

Pattern Description: A-line skirt with contoured waist from the Sew U book (2006) by Wendy Mullins (of Built By Wendy). Pattern was included in book.

Pattern Sizing: XS-L, I made the Large (fits sizes 10 & 12).

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

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

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like that the pattern fit me without any adjustments.

 
Fabric Used: Brown 60" wide 100% wool plaid and blue-grey lining material acquired at the VA/DC/MD swap (originally from G Street Fabrics), and a 7" Robin zipper in Charcoal from my mother's stash. Result = this entire skirt was FREE.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: This is my third make from this pattern. Since I made the first one in 2009, I had gone up a size and needed to increase the width so I used the large. At the same time I decided to transfer the pattern to butcher paper and flip the piece over so that in the future I could eliminate cutting on the fold and use it to cut the skirt in stripes and directional prints as a single layer.

When I sewed the skirt together it was too big at the waist so instead of the instructed 1/2" seams I sewed them at 5/8". I don't know what it is with this pattern (or my body?) but it always throws me a curve ball.

An earlier version of the skirt was underlined but I decided to fully line this one, stitching the lining and skirt separately, attaching it at the waistband, and pinking all the seams. You can see in the pictures that the darts are sticking out, I think the wool stretched out a bit. I will steam them and stitch them deeper if needed. However, there is no rush since this is a winter skirt and it is May.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes! It has proven itself as my TNT A-line skirt pattern.The location and size of the darts fit my shape perfectly.

Conclusion: This is a purely work version. Because I machine washed it (on purpose!*)  the weave of the wool is even more delicate; therefore, it will have to be treated more gently than I do my other clothes.

* It's just more practical with my lifestyle. Otherwise, it would never get dry cleaned. Seriously.

Images: my own photos

2. Chocolate Corduroy Skirt - Built By Wendy (Sew U)

I was able to salvage the brown corduroy skirt I first worked on in January and February last year. I guess it's only fitting that I finally finish it this January.

Pattern: Basic skirt pattern (from the Built By Wendy Sew U book)

Pattern Description: Fitted straight skirt with contoured waist.

Pattern Sizing: Medium

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

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It has a great shape and fit (when made as directed.)

Fabric Used: Chocolate brown wide-wale corduroy from my stash (at least 10 yrs old), recycled Ann Taylor Loft brown corduroy jeans, black lining material, 7" brown regular zipper, and Seams Great. No money was spent, everything was from my stash!
Chocolate wide wale (main), tobacco brown narrow wale (insert panel)

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: This is my second version of the skirt in the Sew U book. The first one still fits perfectly. My mistake this time was to taper the pattern to alter the A-line to a straight skirt. Unfortunately, I started the cutting line too far up and could not get the resulting skirt over my hips. While I thought about adding fabric panels to the skirt at the time I didn't actually get around to doing that until last month. (No surprise, right?)

I started this as a quick project to use up fabric from my stash. I even decided to interline it for insulation and finish the back zipper seam with Seams Great to make the inside look nice. So it was very disappointing when it didn't work out. In order to fix the skirt I looked at using Jo Ann's wide wale corduroy but it was not as nice as the stash fabric. My corduroy is a rich chocolate color and has a gorgeous sheen. I did; however, have a pair of old brown corduroys I was keeping for scrap fabric, so I decided to use that. The color doesn't match, it is dull in comparison, and is a narrower wale. However, I'm going to pass it off as a "design element."



For the side inserts, I created narrow, elongated triangular shapes the length of the skirt. Therefore, there are two seams at each side. The four seams were graded and at the top where it was most narrow the two innermost seam allowances were clipped close and catch stitched one on top of the other to reduce bulk at the waistband. The remainder of the seams were zigzagged stitched.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes! However, I will double check if I make any other alterations to the base pattern.

Conclusion: For free, I now have a slim skirt with side contrast tuxedo stripes in a gorgeous rich brown that looks like velveteen because of the fabric's luster.

Images: my own photos

New Skirt - Maybe?

I don't know what happened. I made the skirt with the same pattern as the A-line Built By Wendy (Sew U) one in black corduroy. I only tapered the bottom in, I did nothing to the waist or hip area. So, why when I tried it on did it not fit? And no it's not because I gained weight. I can still wear the other skirt; however, when I laid the new one on top of the old one it was almost 1 1/2 inches smaller! How?!

I used the same pattern. Now, this piece of corduroy is twice as thick and I did underline it (with lining material) but still? That's a big difference that can't be because of fabric thickness, right?

I will try to decrease the darts and the side seams but I just don't know if that will be enough. I was so excited about this one. Again, it was corduroy that I've had in my stash for years, I didn't think I had enough but I made it fit on the pieces I had. The lining material along with the zipper was also in the stash, so I didn't spend any money on it. However, I'll still be really disappointed if this doesn't work out.

UPDATE:
I finally discovered what the fitting problem was. When I started tapering the skirt for a straight silhouette instead of an A-line, I had forgotten to include the widest point of the skirt and then start tapering, therefore it's too small just because of that inch-long area I forgot to take into consideration. Ugh!

1. A-line Skirt - Built By Wendy (Sew U)

Pattern Description: A-line skirt from Sew U by Wendy Mullin, pattern was included in book.


Pattern Sizing: I made the Medium (sizes 6 & 8) straight from the pattern, no adjustments.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it did look like the drawing in the book.
Were the instructions easy to follow? Extremely easy to follow.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked that the pattern fit without any adjustments.
Fabric Used: A thin wale black corduroy from my stash.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I made no changes to the pattern or in the sewing of the skirt. However, I did use Seams Great on all the raw edges because this fabric started to unravel. It wasn't till later I found that it also comes in black which would have been perfect for this project. Oh, well.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I will definitely make this skirt again. It is now my TNT A-line skirt pattern.

Conclusion: I was amazed how well this pattern fit me. I have quite a deep curve in my back below the waistline and this skirt fit it perfectly.

Worn with Simplicity 4077 and Simplicity 3835 (another Wendy Mullin pattern)