Hot Patterns Uptown/Downtown Dress

After a five year hiatus from anything Hot Patterns, I decided to give the Uptown/Downtown Dress a try.  Why so long a break?  I was totally put off by that damn princess seam shirt collar.  After many tries and getting help from Michelle, I finally got the collar on correctly - only to find that the sleeve had 37,392 inches of ease and would not set properly.  I was DONE and chucked that foolishness into a fiery pit.

The U/D Dress has been on my radar for a while.  Testing out one of my 2016 intentions, I decided to forego the muslin and JUST SEW IT.  I traced a straight size 14 and cut it out of some black ponte for the body and white ponte for the neck/hem bands and cuffs.  The knit was the icky kind from Joann, so I knew I wouldn't be upset if it didn't work out.

Well.  It didn't.  The skirt and bodice were okay, but the neck binding was awful.  The fabric for the neck/hem band and cuffs really needs to have some stretch for it to look right. 

Since I didn't care about this fabric, I used it as an opportunity to test out the elastic waist.  Haha.  This actually turned out to be a muslin.  But...but...but...it didn't start as a muslin, so that's progress.  

Now here's the real deal:

Fabric & Notions:

• 2 yards poly sweater knit (stash)
• 2 yards black jet set knit for underling (stash)
• less than 1/2 yard black rib knit for neckband, cuffs, and hem-band
• 3/4" elastic
• sewing machine and serger thread
• size 80/12 jersey needle

Sizing/Alterations:  The only change I made was a 1" full seat adjustment.  Since the front and back skirt pattern pieces are the same, I traced a separate piece to make the adjustment.  Easy-peasy, as Trudy would say.

Fabric:  For a sweater knit, this fabric was thin.  Like nice-undies-you-have-there thin.   So I hand basted black jet set knit to every piece - eight in total.  I will never love hand sewing.  Ever.

 

Sewing:  All major construction was done on my serger - after first sewing the seam with a slight zig-zag stitch on my sewing machine.  I learned this from Kyle.  =)  Usually I am impatient with knits and sewing machines, but because I wanted to do this right, I sewed the seam first to check for fit and puckers, then serged the seams together.  I don't think I picked a single serger stitch!  This is usually not the case when I do it the lazy way.

The bodice has three lengths - each designed to give a different "blousing" effect depending on the weight of your knit.  Even though the shortest length was ideal for my fabric, I chose  the middle length so that I could (a) have better control of the "blousing" and (b) sew the elastic casing a la Debbie Cook.  

Hot Patterns has you stitch the elastic to the fabric...or something.  I didn't even try to understand what Trudy was talking about.  I read Debbie's review and found her method to be much simpler.  With the skirt and bodice pinned right sides together, I sewed a 1" seam.  Then, I serged the seams together, leaving an opening for inserting the elastic.

What you end up with is a self-casing and no headache.

I'll probably always wear this dress with a belt. I'm not really feeling it otherwise.  The picture on the right shows the dress with the StyleArc Cosy cardigan (not yet reviewed).  The dress is warm enough to not need a cardigan and I don't like how it looks with it anyway.

I will definitely make more versions of the pattern - even in ponte knit.  The key to making this work is getting the right fabric for the neckband, cuffs, and hem.  Too little stretch and it's fug city.

***

This dress is one of six pieces that I've planned for a 6PAC.  My plan:

• dress (Hot Patterns 1090) - done
• cardi (StyleArc Cosy) - done
• ruffled blouse (Simplicity 2365/2447 frankenpattern) - almost done
• knit cowl neck top (Simplicity 1945) - in progress
• skirt 1 (???)
• skirt 2 (???)

So far I like where this is going - despite the colors being a little drab. =)

Until next time, peace!

L

Simplicity 2860 (pants)

Having worked on pants fitting for a few years, I am pleased to finally have a pair of good-fitting trousers.  There's still work to do with the back as the hamstring area is still too full, but at least the pants are wearable and comfortable. Plus, the front looks really good!

Fabric & Notions:

• about 2 yards of 100% striped herringbone wool suiting
• 7" nylon zipper
• walking foot to ensure even feed of fabric
• fusible interfacing for the outer waistband and zipper fly
• 80/12 universal needle

Sizing & Alterations:

I started working on this pattern a two years ago, so I don't quite remember all of the changes I made.  Incidentally, I started keeping more accurate records of my alterations in a notebook.  Anyway, for this pattern I cut a straight size 16 curvy and altered from there.  

• removed three inches in length:  1.5 inches above and below the knee
• shortened the fly area 1 inch, tapering to nothing at the side seam
• scooped the back crotch curve for comfort 

The first time I tried this pattern, I didn't make a muslin.  Instead, I left the 1" seam and fit as I sewed.

I didn't think the full legs looked particularly good on me, so I took a very large seam allowance on both sides.  Unfortunately, this distorted the fit and produced the result you see in the pictures above.  It's not too bad and I do still wear the pants, but improvement was definitely in order.

For the brown herringbone pair, I didn't take as large a seam allowance because I regained most of the weight I lost last year (stupid pounds have a GPS or something).  When I make this pair again, I will probably shape the legs a little to remove some of the fullness.

Waistband: 

Oh my.  Where do I start with this headache?  One thing you've probably gathered from reading my blog is that I don't give up easily.  I fight  the battles that are worth the time and effort.  I do know when to surrender, though, and have no qualms about it!  Such is the case with the clean-finish waistband method presented in two videos by Hot Patterns (part 1 & part 2).  I appreciate the time and effort Trudy extends to everyone by producing these and all of her videos.

Unfortunately, I just could not make this method work for me.  I watched the two-part video over, and over again and made sample after sample.  It seems like some information is missing and without this, I couldn't get it right.  I enlisted the help of folks on PR and Stitcher's Guild and received many wonderful and helpful replies.  Despite the tips given, I couldn't make it work.

Determined not to be defeated, I consulted David Page Coffin's book, Making Trousers.  The basic idea is to extend the center front of each waistband a couple of inches and wrap the extension to the inside.  Once the facing is attached to the top, the front edge is folded under and stitched in place.  DPC does a much better job of explaining the process.  I have plans to make this pair of pants again and when I do, I'll photograph and document the process in a blog post.

Construction: 
 
There's nothing extraordinary about the construction of these pants.  I pretty much sewed them as if I were sewing a pair of jeans - less all of the topstitching.  I finished all of the edges first before sewing the seams and sewed a blind hem along the bottom edge. I also added a fly shield.  The pattern goes together rather quickly as there are only four pieces.

Conclusion:

While I am very pleased with this pair of pants, I will tweak it a bit more to improve the fit.  S2860 is a good place to start if you're looking to develop and tried-and-true pants pattern.

Until next time, be well everyone!

L

Mini Wardrobe: Complete!

Woo hoo!  I am finished with all of the garments for my entry to the mini wardrobe contest on PR.  Normally I am unable to do this much sewing at the beginning of the semester.  Somehow, I found time to do it and am really pleased with my items.

storyboard

I am in the process of writing short summaries of the construction highlights for each item.  In the meantime, here's a link to my contest entry.  I don't usually ask for votes, but I've got no shame this time.  =)  Soooooo...vote for me!!

L

Preliminary Pictures

I am 95% complete with my garments for the mini wardrobe.  I have stalled with the silk charmeuse top.  It's completely constructed sans binding for the armholes and neckline.  I ordered some hug snug rayon seam binding and am waiting for its arrival (expected tomorrow or Thursday).  I didn't want to use cotton-poly bias tape because I thought it would be too heavy for this fabric.  But if push comes to shove, get outta my way!

In the meantime, here are a few photos of the completed garments.  I will probably take new pictures because these are so blurry.  Anyone have any tips for taking better photos?

Top:  Simplicity 2599

Hmm.  Yes, new pictures are definitely in order.  Hopefully I'll be able to finish by Saturday!  I have plans for Sunday and would really rather not wait until the last minute to submit my entry.

That's all for now.  Be well everyone.

L

Still Here & Sewing

This is only a quick update.  I've had a lot going on recently and have been dealing the best way I can.  Unfortunately, blogging had to be moved down on the list of things to do.  I intend to share my details about my sewing projects, but for now all I can do is post pictures. 

I hope to finish the mini wardrobe.  I've got two of four pieces done and will likely use a pre-owned piece as the fifth. 

Skirt:  I need to trim the lining on the skirt and hem it. 
Pants:  I need to add a closure to the front.
Knit top:  The top is cut out and just needs to be sewn.  I should be able to do that in a day.
Silk top:  I started cutting this out today.  I'll have to go slowly because the silk charmeuse tends to shift a lot.  I did some research on this fabric a few weeks ago, but somehow Firefox deleted my pinned tabs and I don't feel like scouring the net to find the information again.

I am very close to finishing the Lady Grey coat.  Padstitching the collar seemed like it took forever.  I won't resume work on the coat until after I finish the wardrobe.

 

That's it for now.  Be well everyone.

L

6PAC #1 & Mini Wardrobe

Earlier this year, I said I wasn't going to participate in another PR contest.  However, the draw of the Mini Wardrobe challenge is relentless and I've decided to give it a go.  Fortunately, I already have a storyboard mapped out as a result of planning for the first of two (maybe three) 6PACs.

Each season, members on Stitcher's Guild host a 3-month sew along to create a wardrobe of six garments.  I've talked about this idea quite a bit here, so I won't repeat the details.  Instead, I will direct you to the active thread that contains all of the information.

I have three 6PAC plans that I'd like to sew for fall.  One plan includes traditional fall colours while the other two have much cooler hues.

6PAC#1:  brown, cream, orange
6PAC#2:  black, white, grey, magenta
6PAC#3:  grey, navy blue, white

While these plans may seem rather ambitious, I am not too worried.  The 6PAC plans are seasonal challenges so I can easily extend plans 2 and 3 into winter.

To compete in the Mini Wardrobe contest, participants are to make five items in one month.  The five items, which include two bottoms, two tops, and a key item, must coordinate to make no less than six outfits.  The fifth item can be made, purchased, or previously owned.  I've opted to stick with patterns that I made before since the time given to complete the challenge is so short.  Plus, my sewing always takes a hit with the start of school.

tentative storyboard and fabric

Simplicity 2860 (pants) - light brown wool herringbone pinstripe
I've worked out the fit on the Simplicity pants and am really pleased with how they look.  The waistband, however, has been a royal PITA; I am struggling with getting a nice finish.  More details on that in a future post.

BWOF 8-2005-102 (skirt) - light brown wool blend with metallic threads
The pattern is traced and altered.  I just need to make a muslin to ensure that I've got the length right and that I'll like the style on me.  If I don't like it, I'll resort to one of my TNT patterns and move on.

Simplicity 2599 - dark brown floral silk charmeuse
Working with silk charmeuse may be a challenge.  I've sought some tips online so that I know what to expect.  I am hesitant to try starch because I don't know if it will change the hand of the fabric.  I'll cut a small swatch, apply starch, and then machine wash it.  If the fabric holds up well, then I'll proceed with the process on the whole piece.  Otherwise, I will just have to sew slowly and carefully so as not to distort the fabric too much.

New Look 6648 - orange rayon knit with metallic threads
I've made this pattern three or four times now.  I should be able to complete this in one day.  My knit is rather thin, so I need to decide if I'm going to underline this or not.


McCall's 4923 or Simplicity 2560 (cardigan) - cream ponte knit or white rayon modal knit
I keep going back and forth with this option.  I've cut out the McCall's cardigan, but I don't know if I'll like the finished product.  The rayon-poly ponte knit has too much polyester and I just don't like how it feels.  I'll sew it up and see how it looks.  If it doesn't work out, then I can fall back on the Simplicity cardigan.

That's it for now.  I've got several projects in the mix, so I suppose I should start working!

Until next time...

L

The Flag Skirt (New Look 6300)

I thought it was a good idea when I planned it:  pick three colours that coordinate with fabrics from my intended six piece wardrobe combination (6PAC) and make a colour-blocked skirt.  While putting the skirt together, I couldn’t help but think I was paying homage to some foreign country.  Out of pure curiosity, I consulted the Google and US State Department’s website and didn’t find anything.  On with the review...
 

 Fabric & Notions:

• 7/8 yard of  golden yellow linen-rayon blend for the upper right front and back
• 1/2 yard of teal linen-rayon blend for the upper left and lower right front
• 5/8 yard of cream linen-rayon blend for the lower left front
• 7-inch invisible zipper
• 1-inch wide petersham cut to waist measurement plus extra for overhang 

(Note:  The yardages given are for 45" wide fabric.  My linen measured 60" and I have several sizable pieces left over.  It is certainly possible scale down the required amount of fabric.)

Fitting:

New Look 6300 is TNT for me.  I’ve made several garments from this pattern and always return to it when I need an A-line skirt in a flash.  I started with a size 16 and fit the hips and waist as I sewed. 

Construction:

In the process of cutting out and assembling the pieces, I somehow got confused with "left" and "right" so my skirt is a vertical reflection of the line drawing.

I wanted every seam to be as flat as possible, so I finished the raw edges first before stitching.  I carefully pressed each seam open to keep the serged edge from showing on the right side.  I omitted the facings and opted to finish the waist with petersham as I have done in other skirts.  Finally, I sewed a blind hem since the lower edge of the skirt had multiple colours.

Conclusion:

When I first finished the skirt, I wasn’t too enthusiastic about it.  Having stared at it for a week now, it’s definitely grown on me and I can see working it into the 6PAC.

The 6PAC

For those that are unfamiliar with this concept, it’s a simple sewing plan that involves creating six seasonal garments in three months.  I don’t know what it is about this wardrobe plan/sew along, but I seem to do well with this concept.  I think the relaxed nature of the plan and extensive time designated to sewing it makes it easier for me.  More information and ideas can be found in this thread on Stitcher’s Guild (SG). 

For the Summer 6PAC, I intend to complete the following garments:

New Look 6300 – colour-blocked skirt (complete)

Simplicity 2422 – black cotton jacket (75% complete)

Simplicity 2614 – yellow stretch cotton poplin (50% complete)

Vogue 1224 – floral rayon knit (muslin cut out)

McCall’s 6078 – floral rayon knit

New Look 6897 – teal linen skirt (cut out)

The idea is to extend these garments into the Fall 6PAC which includes some of the same colours.  I tried almost the same plan last fall but didn’t get around to finishing it.  I ran out of steam and decided to focus on other things.  When the Fall plans are posted on SG, I’ll update my tentative plan to reflect the garments needed.  I definitely plan to sew a couple pair of pants and finish my Lady Grey coat.

That’s all for now.  Until next time, be well!

L

New Look 6897: Complete

The skirt is part of my Summer 6PAC (blogged here). This pattern was really simple to put together and fits wonderfully.

Fabric & Notions:

• linen-rayon blend
• invisible zipper
• polyester lining
• 1.5" wide petersham cut to waist measurement plus 4"
  

Alterations:

Having sewn several New Look skirts, I am fairly confident in selecting a size 16 and not making a muslin. The only alteration I need is a 1.25" wedge as a full seat adjustment. This adjustment helps the fabric go over the trunk junk and keep the hem level.

In skirt patterns that have a center back seam, I actually don't bother to true the seam (gasp!). But since I didn't want a CB seam on this skirt and still needed the extra length, I had to think of another way to make this alteration happen. Here's the process:

(Note: The pictures below are of the alteration to my next skirt, New Look 6274. I neglected to take pictures while altering 6897. )

1. Draw a horizontal line one inch below the dart to the side seam, perpendicular to the grainline.

2. Spread the center back the desired amount. The pattern piece will be skewed a bit near the side seam and cut lines (shown in the black box). Don't do anything with this right now; leave it as it is.

3. Use the grainline beneath the alteration to true the center back. Notice that there is extra width added at the waistline. If desired, you can leave this alone for extra ease. Keep in mind, though, that the amount of room gained is twice the width shown since the center back is cut on the fold. I decided to remove the extra width from the side seam and used Kenneth King's 'no net change' idea to take off the excess.

4. Using a seam gauge, measure the width and transfer this number to the side, measuring in from the cut edge and not the seamline.

5. Remember that little discrepancy in the side seam? If you opted to keep the extra width, just true the side seam as normal. However, if you want to remove the width, use the discrepancy as the ending point of the side seam curve.

Cut off this little piece and voi-la! The alteration is complete. The wedge removed is about the same size and length as the one that was added at the center back.

Lining & Waistband:

Lining
The skirt is fully lined with some polyester lining from the stash. I cut all of the primary pieces, less 1" from the hem. I started searching the Pattern Review message boards for ideas on how to face the waist with petersham and instead found information on how to successfully attach the lining to the zipper tape without any hand sewing. In this tip, Sew4Fun describes precisely how to do this.

Basically, you sew the lining to the zipper tape before attaching it to the skirt at the waist. Then once you turn everything right side out/up/whatever, everything folds into place leaving a nice smooth edge at the zipper tape. Next, baste the waist, right sides together and proceed with finishing the garment. It's sort of difficult to describe this in words. When I make the next skirt, I'll try to include pictures of the process.

Waist facing
The pattern is drafted without facings and calls for half-inch wide twill tape for stabilizing the waist. I found this the opportune time to try facing a waist with petersham. W.O.W. Why did I wait so long?! I don't know that I'll ever use waist facings again. I used a combination of tips from Sandra Betzina's Power Sewing and Sew4Fun's skirt review to attach the petersham. I used 1.5" wide petersham cut to my waist measurement plus 4". 4" is probably a bit more than needed, but I cut it anyway to ensure I had enough overlap to fold back on the zipper edge.

Steps:
1. To contour the petersham, soak it in hot water for a few seconds and lightly pat dry. Using a hot iron and steam, gently build a curve by stretching one long edge of the petersham.

2. Once dry, pin the non-stretched edge at the waist seam; the curved edge should be hanging off of the waist edge. Stitch.

3. Fold and press the petersham to the inside taking care to roll the seam.

4. There should be some overlap on the zipper edge. For the overlap back on itself and secure to the zipper tape. You may need to cut any excess to reduce bulk.

5. To secure the facing, stitch in the ditch along all major seams. For this skirt, that included the front princess seams and side seams.

I hope this was helpful to someone! Until next time, be well!

L~