Garment Grab Bag: Simplicity 4020

Sometimes indecision on what to sew stalls my progress. There are so many things I want to make, but I find it hard to settle on one item. So I am trying something new this year. I made a "garment grab bag" of a bunch of patterns that are on my very long "to-sew" list.

There is nothing high-tech of fancy going on here. It's a simple paper bag with folded slips of paper.

I will try to stick to whatever garment that gets selected, though I won't be too rigid. If I am truly not feeling like making that garment, I'll pick something else. Sewing brings me joy and the moment it turns into a chore, I lose motivation.

 

The first garment I selected was Simplicity 4020 - a pullover top that has been in and out of the queue for years. I don't know why I kept putting it off.

 

I made view A (red) in a green polyester-lycra sweater knit from the stash. I wanted to make view B (blue), but I didn't have enough fabric for both the collar and long cuffs.

 

I cut a straight size 16 and sewed it as is. I've yet to try it on, though I do intend to wear it to work tomorrow. It seems a little short, so we'll see how that goes. Hah!

 

The top is paired with my latest skirt:  Burda 1-2008-109.

 

 

This is another pattern that has long been in the sewing rotation.  I cut a straight size 44 and used 1.5 yards of stretch denim. I forgot to add the belt loops before putting on the waistband and my fly front is sewn opposite than what's shown in the line drawing.

 

The front angled seams also serve as integrated pockets which is a neat design. It makes the skirt puff out a bit in the front, but I don't mind it much. 

 

There was one part of the instructions that just did not make ANY sense despite my best attempt at trying to understand. After thinking about it for a couple of days, I gave up and skipped that part. Maybe those instructions are there to help control the poofiness? I have no idea. Everything seemed to piece together without them and the skirt fits fine. I doubt I'll sew this pattern again, so those instructions will remain a mystery.

***

I selected another garment from the grab bag; this time, I pulled floral trench coat. I seriously debated selecting something else because (a) this will be a very long project and (b) I'm in the lower arctic and a lightweight trench coat is not on my radar right now. Then again, I thought why not get started on spring wear now. Yes, it's minus degrees Fahrenheit and there's a crapton of snow and it's windy so the temperature feels even worse. But spring is a couple of months away and I want to be ready.

I want to blog the process of making the coat. If I can remember to take pictures of the progress along the way, I'll share them here.

 

L

Butterick 6388 (knit dress)

I finally got around to making this dress after having it rotate in and out of the queue for a couple of years.  It's so quick and easy to sew; I don't know what took me so long to make it.

There's so much to like about this pattern:  it's a knit, has pockets, some waist shaping, and a collar that nicely frames the face.  Love!

I cut and sewed this in about four hours - not including the muslin. 

Fabric & notions:

• 2 yards dark pink scuba knit (I think)
• 80/12 stretch needle
• steam-a-seam for all hems
• serger, sewing and coverstitch machines

Size (edited):  I cut a size medium everywhere.  Since I have the bad habit of working on more than one project at the same time, I confused the details of this dress with McCall's 7429.  Ooops. =)

Alterations:  I added a 3/4" wedge to the center front as a cheater FBA.  I didn't want to do a real FBA because I didn't want to have to deal with the dart.

I removed 1" from the side seam to the center back for the swayback adjustment.  Since I usually have to adjust for trunk junk, I added 1" from the side seam to the center back in the hip area.  This helped to keep the front and back side seam lengths the same.

I also added 3" to the hem.  As drafted, the cut edge ends an inch above my knees.  Errr...that's pretty short and I'm only five feet tall.

Despite my love for the collar, it's too tall at the center back.  I shaved 5/8" from the top and bottom, tapering to nothing at the center front.  This helped a little, but not enough; the collar still hits the back of my hair. 

The collar also could benefit from a bit of interfacing to keep it from collapsing.  

Construction:  I finished the edges of the knit with my serger and pressed the major seams open.  I didn't want the bulk of a seam pressed to one side because the fabric was rather thick.  I know knits don't ravel, but my mind wouldn't let that edge go unfinished. =)

Usually I sew knit seams with a straight stitch and then serge over it to maintain stretch.  Since I didn't serge the seams together, I sewed each seam with a  small zigzag stitch (width 1.5, length 2.0).

I didn't add the pockets because...um...I just didn't.  I still like them though!

 (ooof...bad lighting)

The only thing I'm mildly annoyed about is the lower sleeve seam.  I pressed and topstitched it in the wrong direction, so the stitching points upward instead of down.  Waaaaaah.  Meh, I am not redoing it. =)

Overall I'm happy with the dress.  I don't have any immediate plans to make it again, though I can see at least one more version some time in the future.

This pattern was part of my MakeNine2019 plan. 

Two down, seven to go.  Yay!

L

 

Burda Challenge 2018

Despite my lack of blogging (again), I am still sewing - slowly - but certainly.

Every year, I say I am going to join the Burda challenge.  I keep my word on that.  Actually doing the challenge, though, is another story.  So far this year, I am almost 3 for 3.  Yay! 

January:  11-2008-104

To begin the challenge, I chose something I thought would be simple and easy to fit.  I pretty much know my Burda skirt size and the alternations I need to make.  

I cut a size 44 and added one inch in length to the back, tapering to nothing at the side.  I also shortened the skirt all over by some amount that I can't remember. 

So much meh.  The seam that joins the two flounces to the side its oddly uncomfortable on my leg and I don't like the length.  The skirt is sort of okay, but not enough for me to invest any more energy in finishing it.  I wish I had used the wool for something else.  Ah well.

February:  3-2012-121 (same as Burda 7107)

I cheated a little with this one.  Burda 7107 is the envelope equivalent of the magazine pattern, so I used that instead.  This pattern was on my radar for a long time, but moved up to NEXT when I saw Dressmaking Debacles' version. 

Yeah my ties are long.  The bottom half of the top is attached to the ties which wraps around the back.  The ties as drafted were too short for my taste...in chocolate.  Plus I cut the ties on the straight grain which means they don't have any stretch at all.  So I lengthened the ties by adding some scrap fabric.

I cut size 42 in the neckline and shoulder and size 44 everywhere else.  I didn't do an FBA, but I did add 1 inch to the front and back length. 

The fabric is wool merino from the stash.  It's the same fabric I used for another Burda top.  When I first bought both of these fabrics, I was underwhelmed.  Now I wish I had more!

I sewed all of the seams on my machine and then serged them together.  I used my coverstitch machine to finish the hems.  Nakisha is right, there is A LOT of hemming.

The pattern includes a back neck facing strip thing.  Uh...why?  I just folded the back over and coverstitched.  Done.

The pattern suggests setting the sleeves.  Nah.  I sewed mine in flat.   I don't know why it's so wrinkly; there aren't any puckers and I didn't stretch the armhole too much...I don't think.

I haven't worn it yet, but intend to soon.

March:  8-2007-117

This is another pattern that's been on my radar for a while.  I first noticed it when Trinicity sewed it way back in 2007.  I suppose at this rate, I'll be sewing patterns from 2018 in 2029.  Hah!

The pattern calls for stretch fabrics and I've grown to loathe stretch cotton poplin.  This stuff is the devil because it's almost impossible to sew seams without some puckers.  I dread setting in the sleeves.

I like how it looks so far, but I have a ways to go before it's finished.  I  need to attach the collar, sew the sleeve plackets, set the sleeves, and add buttonholes.  Hopefully it'll be done by the end of the month.

Peace!

L