Pattern Review - New Look 6813 Top

Pattern Description: Raglan top with sleeve and neckline variations. Pleated, full skirt in two lengths. I made View A, the scoop neck top

Sizing: 6 to 16. I made a 12.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes, though I haven't entirely finished it. I still need to do the topstitching, which I will when I get my Coverstitch Machine all set up.

How were the instructions? I didn't use them, but I will comment on one part of them further down. This is a very straightforward pattern and it is well drafted and goes together rather easily, as long as you are paying attention. Why do I say that? Because, dear reader, if you aren't paying attention, it's really, really easy to sew both sleeve backs together and not notice it until after you have set them in to the arm. You know how I know? I wasn't paying attention. Doh! I spent last evening while the jerk pork was cooking picking out black stitches from black fabric. My eyes are still aching!

Fabric Used: A fabulously soft Fireworks in the Night Sky jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics. This is soooo comfortable. It almost feels like wearing your favorite flannel jammies. One thing to be mindful of is the placement of the white dot pattern on the print. You don't want a "bulls eye effect", if you get my drift.

Construction Notes: I mentioned above that I didn't use the instructions. I did, however, note that they call for you to attach one neckband to the neckline of the top. Then they have you turn up the lower seam allowance of the neckband facing, sew the bands together at the top, then hand stitch the facing in place at the neckline seam. I'm going to rant for a moment. Can you say Becky Home-ecky? It's so obvious that the pattern companies (and I am not singling out New Look - all the Big 4 companies do it this way and it drives me crazy!) are merely cutting and pasting instructions from the Pleistocene era. Technology and times have changed, so let's move it up to the 20th Century, shall we? Grrr... snort!

Okay, rant over. Here's how to do it to get a much cleaner finish. Sew or serge your neckband and facing together at the top edge. If you are using a sewing machine, trim your seam allowances to 1/4 inches. Turn right side out and press. Baste the lower edges of your neckbands together. Serge or sew the lower edge of your neckband to the neckline of your top. You'll get a result that looks like this, and takes far less time than the "standard" way.


Likes/Dislikes: Aside from the neckband application, there was nothing I didn't like about this top. One minor nit is that the neckline is quite wide on the scoopneck version I made. I made it once before in the V-neck, and I think I like that neckline better. It's more bra-friendly. I wish this pattern had a long-sleeved version of the top, but that's also a minor point.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? I would and I do. I think this is a great little top pattern that will work well for many fabrics. I could see making a whole lot of basic wardrobe pieces from it.

Conclusion: A real winner! Here's a picture of the finished top:

Next Up (Almost Done, Actually)

I spent much of yesterday cleaning the studio and resetting all my machines. DH said to me "Gee Ann, it looks like your own little sweatshop!" Ha. Ha. Darling. Not funny. He had the good grace to be abashed. I'll post a picture when it's done. I took my inspiration from my friend Emmett. He has a new design studio and we've been trading pictures back and forth for ideas. I had my machines flush against the wall, but after looking at his setup, I tried setting them perpendicular. It works! Like I say, I'll post pictures later.

So once I got that done, I had to take a little time for me. And I figure this pattern:

Plus this fabric:


Will make a fabulous little top for fall. So I started working on it and got more than halfway through when - DOH! I realize I had sewn the two back sleeves together, and set them in to one armhole. How much do I hate when I do that? Worse? I used my 5 thread industrial Juki serger. Guess how easy it is to rip out seams once that puppy has done its thing? Not easy. Not easy at all.

Okay, I know you're saying, "Hey, you have more of this fabric, don't you? Well, yah, but it's so popular I don't want to pull any I don't have to. So I'm sitting here with a surgical scalpel ripping seams while watching Young Frankenstein.

So since I don't have a picture of a finished garment to show just yet, here's a great recipe. We made Jerk Pork Roast today. I have a wonderful jerk rub recipe that I have used for years. It always gets raves. Now mind you, it is h-h-h-hot. But it is also very savory, and you can make it less or more spicy by varying the number of Scotch Bonnet peppers you use. I don't take pictures of food. I don't have the photographic setup to make food look good. Trust me. Your taste buds will love it.

Jamaican Jerk Rub
1 Four-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
2/3 cup fresh thyme leaves, chopped
7 cloves of garlic, peeled
5 bay leaves, crushed
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
5 Scotch Bonnet peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until just all ingredients are chopped, but not too fine. Spread on your favorite meat. Grill and enjoy!

Happy sewing and cooking!

On the Sewing Table

I've cut out and mostly sewn up the View C top from New Look 6813:


I'm making it with a combination of two (sold out, sorry) fabrics that I stole from Gigi's Post were inspired by Gigi's Post:

First up, the body of the top is made with Modern Dots Jersey

And for the contrast trim, Dainty Dots Jersey


Tomorrow I'll have a completed photo, and I'll put a review up. I'm thinking this one will look smashing with the new HotPatterns Croisette Skirt:


More tomorrow. Meanwhile

Happy sewing!

Black is Black....

I got a very sweet note from Miriam the other day. She said, in effect, "Yeah, nice singing and all, Ann, but let's get down to brass tacks. What did you wear???"

Fair question. Concert dress was all black for the ladies, so I pulled out a couple of concert standbys. First up was a camisole that I made back in 2005, Simplicity 5327 (now out of print):


For a skirt, I wore my slit-up-to-there silk straight skirt that I wear for most concerts:


But I didn't have anything black to wear with the cami, so I made a repeat of my fave-rave New Look 6543 Shrug. Here it is with the cami underneath.


So that's what I wore. I don't have a picture of me in it, but I completed the outfit with heels and fishnets.

Happy sewing!

Oh, I'm Likin' These!

New Look just came out with their Fall Patterns, and I really like a bunch of them! I think I'm going to pick up these ones when I'm out next:

6729 is a fun top. I think I'm going to make it with one of the "Supah Soft" jerseys, probably this one


6723 is so very "Jackie in India"! I'm loving it in Chocolate Silk Duchesse Satin for the holidays.


6725 will be perfect for my niece. It reminds me a little of Built By Wendy, and I know she just loves these kinds of looks.


I also like 6727, but I'm not sure if I would really wear it.

Maybe in Diamonds Are... jersey. I'll have to think about this one. Like I say, I love the pattern; I just don't know if it will work for me.


What a cute wardrobe! I'd make the coat with Ooo La La boucle and the dress with Pink Twill.

Oh lordy, so many patterns, so little time! Today, though, I'm off to the sewing room to work on my jacket.

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - New Look 6521 Top

Since I finished Barb's Cosmopolitan Dress early today, and since I had a little time on my hands, I decided to dig into some of the silk jersey I bought at Rosen & Chadick when I was there with Gigi and Phyllis in January. Because it was so dear, I only bought 1 1/2 yards of it, so I cast about in my pattern stash to see what kind of sleeveless or short sleeved pattern I had lurking about. This one presented itself to me, and it reminded me of a favorite Nanette Lepore top I bought about 5 years ago and which I still wear. So, let's pull it out and have at it!

Description: Misses sleeveless top with tie detail at shoulders, wrap top, capris and pants. All sizes (8-18) are included.

What did you like/dislike about the pattern? I liked the lines of the top. As I said, it's reminiscent of one I paid a lot of money for at Wish on Charles Street several years back. It's a very easy pattern - 3 pieces (front/back/neckline). This is not a dislike, but it is worth noting that the top is lower cut than it appears from the line drawings.

Fabric used: Silk jersey print that I bought at Rosen & Chadick in New York City.

Any alterations? I did a FBA. I also inserted the neckband using my serger, and I think the differential feed was a little off, because it stretched out a bit as you can see. I think I will be able to fix it, and on me it's not as noticeable as it is on my dummy Sharona. One other thing I did differently was with the shoulder gathers. The instructions have you use lengths of store-bought ribbon. Instead, I opted to do what Nanette Lepore did and I made narrow bias tubes of silk jersey instead. I think it looks better that way.

How were the instructions? Easy-peasy. Really, they are quite clear, and very beginner friendly.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it? Yes to both. I have this same print in pinks, and I think I'll make it up using this pattern.

Conclusion: A real winner! Oh yes, here's the top:


Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - New Look 6429 Dress

I managed to get some time to sew this weekend, finally! So I decided to make up the classic New Look mock-wrap. This is one of New Look's blockbuster patterns. There are at least 20 reviews for it on PatternReview, and countless others on blogs and other sites. I have had it in my stash for quite some time, and when the weather turned sour this weekend, I pulled it out and started cutting.

Pattern Description: Wardrobe of mock-wrap style dresses with sleeve and collar variations. I made view D, the sleeveless, collarless version.

Fabric Used: 'Totally Rad' jersey from (of course) Gorgeous Fabrics. I actually had significantly less than the pattern called for, but I managed to eke out a dress from it without too much trouble. If I were to do it again, I'd use more fabric and do a really stellar job of matching the chevrons across all the seams. As it is, most people won't notice.

What did you like/dislike about this pattern? I have always liked the lines of this dress. I really like the ruching at the left front seam. I like the way it looks on almost everybody. I also am intrigued by the interesting princess seaming. The side of the bodice has a very interesting structure. It's a single piece for the front/back side. I also Like the back skirt. It has a CB seam and wraps around under the side bodice piece to connect with the front. It's a very neat effect!

Changes to the Design or Pattern: I did a FBA on the pattern (that's a subject for another post). The instructions have you turn the hem allowance at the armholes under and do a narrow hem on it. I opted instead to cut a facing for the armholes. I think it gives a cleaner look.

One interesting note is that the front pattern piece is cut on grain per the pattern markings, but the ruching pulls the print so it goes off at an angle. You may want to play around with this on your fabric, or use a fabric that has a less striking print. But I really love it, and on me, it's better looking than it is on my mannequin.

Recommend it? Absolutely. This is a great pattern. It goes together beautifully, and the result is stunning. I will probably make several versions of this. I am going to DC this weekend, and I'll wear this for a dinner we're going to.


Lisette M and Karla both bring up great questions. Lisette asks about gaposis. The way I dealt with this is to use the tip I used on my Cosmo Dress version 2. I cut a piece of 1/4 inch elastic, the length of the facing/neckline seam, less 2 inches. After sewing the facing to the neckline, I then sew the elastic to the facing, stretching the elastic to fit the length. Once this is sewn, it pulls in the neckline just a little bit, and keeps it from gapping. You can also achieve the same effect by cutting your facing 1-2 inches shorter than your neckline and pin-easing the neckline onto the facing.

Karla asks about the sizing. Karla, I used my standard size 14, It actually fits well, but I have very broad shoulders. I have noted with New Look patterns that they are built for people with broad shoulders. I don't need to do huge alterations on them, but that's just me.

Happy sewing!

Back to the Sewing Room

Thanks for letting me vent yesterday. I went back to the sewing room for some therapeutic stitchin'. And I decided to make a top. Last weekend I made a New Look skirt that I reviewed here at PatternReview. Our best man, JJ, is celebrating his 10th anniversary, and tonight we are going out to dinner with him and his wife. So I decided to make a top to go with it. I had enough of the polka dot fabric to make a shell. And I had this pattern in my stash from ages ago:



It's an out of print Vogue Basic pattern for a princess line shell with neckline variations. It's a great pattern. I made it a couple of years back for a "We're Sick of Winter Party" - a bash we throw each February where we crank the heat to 80, make rum drinks and tropical appetizers and put Jimmy Buffett and Merrymen on the stereo. Everyone wears shorts and Aloha shirts under their winter coats, and we have a great time.

Back to the present. I pulled out this pattern and in about 3 hours had a new top. There are a couple of things that I changed about it, but the most important thing to do when making a top like this, regardless of your fabric, is press the bejeezus out of it as you go along. The success or failure of a garment like this depends directly on how well you press your seams. I wrote an article in Threads magazine and I wrote about it on PatternReview way back when. My students call me the pressing nazi, mostly affectionately I think, because I'm always riding them about pressing properly. Let me put it to you this way. Do you know that, in most factories, the pressers earn more than the seamstresses? True. They spend more time with the garment, shaping it. And I'll tell you, the simpler the garment, the more critical pressing is to its final look and quality.

Another change I made is to use a more ready to wear approach and insert an invisible zipper in the left side seam. Unlike the directions, I positioned the stop at the underarm and had the zip go all the way to the hem of the garment. Other than that, not much. You can read the full review here on PatternReview. Here's a picture of the finished garment:

I'm going to wear it tonight, and since it's getting chilly in the evenings, I'll probably bring this jamovar shawl that I bought from Heritage Trading on ebay:


Happy Sewing!