Pattern Review - Simplicity 4076 Twist Top

Pattern Description: Knit tops with sleeve/neckline variations. I've made this pattern several times before, but never the twist top. This time I made it (View F - the sleeveless version)

Sizing: 8 10 24. This runs big through the shoulder/upper back, in my experience, so I started with a 12 and tapered to a 14 at the bust point. That was the right decision. A straight 14 would have been too big.

Fabric Used: Extra Wide Rayon Jersey in Deep Coral. This is a reasonably lightweight jersey with a lot of give to it. It's perfect for spring.

One note about rayon jerseys - I've seen some folks complaining that they are see through when you hold them up to the light. Well, of course they are. Pretty much anything that is less than 14 oz is going to be see through if you hold it up to the light. But it isn't see through in most cases when it is against the body. There are a couple of exceptions (most good fabric vendors will note it when they are semi sheer). But don't panic if you can see your hand when you backlight a fabric. Hold it up against you and look in the mirror. That will give you a better indication of the sheerness of the weave or knit.

Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 75/11 needle. Seam binding for stabilizing the shoulders. Gutterman thread.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes, though you can see that there is space where the twist takes place. I'll tack that closed, and you may want to as well if you make this top so you don't get any peekaboo bra showing.

How were the instructions? For the most part I didn't use them, though I did use their ordering for construction of neckline and sleeves. In the future I would do it differently. Simplicity has you finish the neckline edges before sewing the shoulders, then they have you finish the armhole edges after sewing the shoulders. The result is this:

One side is clean finished while the other isn't. Instead - sew the shoulder and side seams first, then finish the armhole and neckline edges. It will look much better.

Any changes? Other than starting with a 12 at the shoulder and going out to a 14 at the bust, no.

Likes/Dislikes: I wanted an easy, fast top for spring to wear with my Burda skirt, as well as other things. This fit the bill perfectly.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Sure and sure. It's an easy top and it is cute. I debated making it because I was afraid twist tops are so 2006, but I saw a lot of them at Barneys and Bloomingdales when I was there last week. DKNY is showing a bunch for spring and summer, so they are still in.

Conclusion: Cute, easy, fun and stylish. What more do you need? Here's a picture on Shelley:

 And here's a picture with the Burda Skirt:

Parting Shot: Vale Carmen and Otto. Friends who have known me for a long time know that, before Hoover, we had two black labs: Carmen and Otto. Carmen went to the big puppy playground in the sky in 2004 at the age of 13. Otto joined her a year later at the age of 14 1/2. We've had their ashes sitting on a side table in the living room in cookie tins with their names on it (watch out - that ain't powdered sugar!) that the pet cremation place sent to us. We've been wanting to plant them under a hydrangea bush for a number of years, and today we finally did. So now they will help the hydrangea grow big and strong. They were good dogs.

Happy sewing!

Three Down, One to Go

This is for Maureen, the percussionist. Because she's constantly whacking something, she doesn't like anything on her arms, so I made her a halter top. This is based on Vogue 8095. I want to see it on her. I may want to raise the halter just a bit to make it look better. I think I'll bring my sewing machine with me Saturday.

One more to go. I'm going to make a bell sleeved surplice top from Simplicity 4076. That should be all done tomorrow, then they'll be ready for Foxwoods!

Happy sewing!

Coda to the Collar Band Tutorial

I've been meaning to finish up the second version of Simplicity 2603 for the last several days, but life keeps getting in the way. I think I may break down and make the cardi wrap for this version after all. But I will make it from an amazing Italian Black Wool Jersey, which will go with this and just about anything else.

Back to the tank top, I did finally get around to finishing it today. All I needed to do was hem the armholes and the bottom. I'm not completely sold on Simplicity's method for finishing the armholes, which is to simply turn the hems in and sew. It's fraught with the possibility of error, and you run the risk of getting the dreaded twisted hem at the curves. Very Becky-home-ecky. You can avoid it by taking your time, basting (yes, basting knits, I know - but it yields good results) a scant half inch from the edge and then sewing in place. Here's the finished version:

Remind me to patch Shelley's shoulders. They are looking pretty raggy.

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - Simplicity 2603 Tank Top

Pattern Description: The ubiquitous "cardi wrap" pattern - Sleeveless top and cardigan jacket. I made the tank top.

Sizing: XXS-XL. I made a small.

Fabric Used: Birds of a Feather Jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics.

It's long since sold out, but there's a cute story that goes along with this fabric. I had fallen in love with it myself, so before I put it up on the site, I cut three yards with the idea of making a dress. This fabric sold like gangbusters. I think I sold out of it in one day. After it was gone, one customer called and emailed me that she was heartbroken. She wanted it so badly, she asked if I could call her if any more showed up. Well, it became a choice of "Do I keep it for myself or do I sell it to this nice lady?" I told her I had one piece left that was sitting in my private stash. She was so happy! She only needed 2 yards, so I cut that and (crying inside) sent it out to her. The fabric sat in my stash until last week, when I decided to try it for this pattern.

Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 75/11 needle, ProTricot fusible interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes

How were the instructions? Bear with me for a moment, I'm going to rant. What is with the large pattern companies and their fekakte instructions??? Seriously. Here's the way they have you attach the collar band:

1. apply interfacing to neck band front and back
2. stitch interfaced front/back sections together
3. attach interfaced neck band to garment
4. stitch uninterfaced neck band sections together to make the facing
   
5. Finish edge of facing
6. pin band facing to neck band. Sew and understitch
7. Turn facing to inside, press
   
8. Working from the right side of garment, pin raw edge of facing over the neckline seam
9. Top stitch

No no NO! Come on, people! (This is to the pattern companies, not you, dear reader) Get your instructions out of the 1970s. No one in RTW attaches a collar that way. For pete's sake, you sew the facing to the collar band, baste them together at the raw edge and sew or serge that that to the garment. It takes less time and gives you a cleaner finish with less chance of messing up. Sorry - can you tell I've had it up to my eyeballs with bad pattern instructions? This is why I almost never use them. And I'm sick to death of having to correct and apologize for them in classes. Grrrr....

Here's a picture of the neck band the way I attach it.

Construction Notes: I did a FBA. Other than the change noted above, I didn't do anything special. I serged all the seams and used a narrow zigzag stitch (.5 mm wide, 3.0 mm long) to sew the hems.

Any changes? Nope

Likes/Dislikes: I like the bra-friendly straps. They are nice and wide. I like the lines of this top. I'm debating about making the cardigan. It's so common these days on sewing sites, I don't know if I want to do that or something different. I have a wonderful pleated silk jersey in a matching turquoise that has been gracefully aging in my stash that I want to use to make a coordinating topper for this. I'll think about it and let you know what I decide.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Probably and maybe. Like I say, I really dislike the instructions, but I like the bones of this top.

Conclusion: A good basic for your wardrobe. Here's a picture of the finished version.
Next up I think is the skirt to go with my bustier.

Happy sewing!

Simplicity 3503, Version 2

We have finally started having summer weather here in New England! Today we're waiting for Hurricane Bill to pass by. He's supposed to go about 200 miles to the east of Boston, and the weather is pretty soupy right now. I'm not complaining though. After the June and July we had, it's nice to finally get some warm weather! It also has helped clear out the residual stuff from the pneumonia I had. I'm still coughing, but not as much. Yay!

I finished my last dress of summer today. I made it from my modified Simplicity 3503. I had previously made it into a Maxi Version. I didn't have enough fabric for another long dress, so I made it street length. The fabric I used is a long-since-sold-out print rayon jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics (natch).

This time I went down to a size 12. As with the last version, I fully lined the bodice. This time I used a self-fabric lining:
To do this, I sewed two bodices, then attached them at the neckline and armhole openings. I clipped the seam to the stitching at the notches where the underarm seams join, as you can see on the left hand side of the picture. I sewed the bodice fronts and backs to the midriff pieces, then attached the skirt pieces to the midriff, as you can see. Finally I sewed the side seams together, starting at the armhole and continuing down the entire length of the dress.

I took the lazy way out and did a narrow overlock for the hem. I see a lot of this in RTW, and since this is a cute dress for the end of summer, why not?

Here's the finished dress on Shelley. Front:
And back:

Parting Shot: The Great Bee Wasp Massacree of 2009
I took a little more space in the building, mostly for storing headers and swatches. Well. Looks like I have some company. I started to suspect something was wrong when I kept seeing wasps in my window, and carcasses lying near the window. So I had the landlady take a look. Waltham Pest came out and there was a massive nest in the back of the building, but the nearest exit was, yep, my new space. Gah! They have sprayed, and supposedly by Monday everything should be back to normal. I'm going to wait to see. Thank God I'm not allergic. But still!

Happy sewing!

Finally Back in the Land of the Living

Oy, I say, oy! I have never been that sick for that long, and I hope I never am again. Thank God for Zithromax.

So what have I been doing? Nothing. Nada. Zip. I do have most of another (one last) summer dress cut out. It's the same Simplicity pattern that I made my maxi-dress from:

This time I don't have enough fabric to make it long, so I'll make the knee-length version.

Oh! We finally got the air date for DS' episode of "Dancing Tweens". September 15th at 10PM. It'll be interesting.

I'm also starting to prep for a class I'm taking next week. I think I'm going to make a bustier, but I'm still not entirely decided. I need to decide today because I have to have the muslin ready to go next Wednesday.

I ordered a new book for my library. I just got it yesterday and tonight I'll start poring over it, Building Patterns - The Architecture of Women's Clothing by Suzy Furrer


So far it looks really interesting, and unlike some other pattern drafting books I own, it looks quite useful and usable. Review to come later!

I chopped my hair all off this past weekend. I love doing that. I feel like, in addition to losing 6 lbs from the pneumonia, I lost another 10 when I got rid of my hair. It's always a surprise to my family when I do that. One time, when I first went from blonde to red, I never told my DH that I was planning to, so he walked right by me without recognizing me at a restaurant! I'm contemplating changing the color again. We'll see.

I am overdue on posting a review of a biography of Laura Ashley. That will come soon too. Stay tuned, much more later. God, it's good to feel human again!

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - Simplicity 3503

I was so inspired by Erica B's and Cindy's recent Maxi-dress renditions of this pattern, and I always loved the version that Cidell did last year. I wanted to make one for myself, but I wasn't sure about the longevity of the Maxi dress trend. So I called my BFAM, Emmett. The conversation went something like this.

"Emmett, what do you think? Can I get away with a maxi dress this year? Or will I be hopelessly two seasons ago?"

"No Ann, you're fine for this summer. They are still very in. Go for it. Now how are my fabrics [for Sewing Hope] selling?"

So cool! I got the go-ahead and I had the pattern and fabric ready to go. And away we went!

Pattern Description: Dresses in two lengths with neckline and sleeve variations. I made View A, the long, cap sleeved version.

Sizing: 6-22. This runs big. Go down at least one size from your norm. I made a 14 but cut it down to a 12, and I could still take it in at the waist.

Fabric Used: The fabric I used is the same as the classic (and long gone) Bold Boho Chic from last year, but in a different colorway.
For the lining, I used White Tricot Knit from Gorgeous Fabrics.

Needle/Notions Used: Size 75/11 Stretch needle, fusible tricot interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply, thread.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes, but I made some changes to the structure (see below)

How were the instructions? I didn't use them. I have heard they leave out a few steps, so I'll try to check them later and let you know.

Construction Notes: I basted, then serged all the major seams. Also, I stabilized the shoulder seams with fusible tricot.
I was very concerned with the placement of the patterns. It was brought to mind for me recently in a picture of a paisley silk gown where the paisley motifs sit right over the wearer's boobs. Not a good look. Gigi is always inspiring with her motif placement, so I kept chanting, "What would Gigi do?" and tried to be very thoughtful about where the motifs hit on the body.

Any changes? Yeah, a few. I liked the neckline, but Simplicity's original design had the bodice front and back criss-cross at the centers. The original design was lower cut than I wanted for a hang around on the deck dress, so I changed the bodice to have the pieces meet with a CF and CB seam . I raised the neckline so I don't show quite as much decolletage. Here you can see the change to the bodice front:
I then made my usual FBA.

Simplicity has incorporated a weird construction technique in this pattern. They (and the rest of the Big 4 are doing this these days too) have you line the front, but not the back. They then have you turn and stitch the hems on the back neckline and back half of the armhole before attaching the front to the back. IMO, that's a pretty boneheaded way to do it. It's just as easy (easier, actually) to cut lining pieces from the back bodice and line the whole thing. That's what I did.
I understitched the neckline and the sleeves, leaving the side seams and the bodice bottoms open so I could turn the top. I treated those seams like they were underlining and simply serged them. I've seen a lot of RTW constructed this way. Here's the lining at the neckline:
And here it is at the sleeves
It's actually not completely finished. I have to run it through the coverstitch to hem it, but I'll do that this afternoon.

Here it is from the front
And here's the back:

Likes/Dislikes: Love this style. I think it's flattering on a whole lot of body types. Do keep in mind that it runs really big, so go down at least one size.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Yes and yes. I will probably make this in the shorter version for summer. Maybe in a rayon jersey for kicking around.

Conclusion: Great style. I'm pretty pleased with how my print layouts turned out - as always, there are a few things I would change, but nothing drastic. I'll get a picture of me in it, but probably not for a week or so. I'm planning to wear it to a dance comp that DS the younger is participating in. That is a really exciting story that I will tell later!

Happy sewing!

Who's Had Time to Blog?

Not this gal, not this week.

First, though, I would like to thank everyone for your kind wishes on my anniversary! I can't believe I have been married half my life. I am definitely not old enough to be married that long! I should have put this up the other day but my scanner software wasn't working properly. So here we are. God, we were kids then!
Monday was our real anniversary. To celebrate, I worked on the sale and DH went to a rehearsal for a Dixieland gig he's playing at Harvard's graduation tomorrow morning. How romantic, eh? I think we might go out this Friday night for a date without kids.

But back to reality! Right now, inspired by both Erica's and Cindy's recent reviews, I'm working on Simplicity 3503. I'm making a morphed version of the cap-sleeve view. I'll blog about that later. And I'm making it in a fabric that I've been contemplating for about a year:


Look familiar?

It's the best seller Bold Boho Chic in another colorway

No, I don't have any more, sorry. There were only 6 yards when I saw it so I picked some up for Gigi and took the rest home with me. And speaking of Gigi, I'm going to let her wonderful ability with prints inspire me to get creative and careful with motif placement. Stay tuned!

The Marfy is still percolating. I'm debating on using it for a class I'm going to take with Susan Khalje and Kenneth King this summer, so it may percolate longer. But I haven't decided. Like I say, stay tuned...

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - Simplicity "Project Runway" 2733 Top

Pattern Description: Tops with variations in sleeve, neckline and hem. I made the "bubble top" with 3/4 length sleeves and the scooped neckline.

Sizing: 4-20

Fabric Used: A sold-out silver and black knit and Poly Matte Jersey, both from Gorgeous Fabrics

Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 75/10 needle. Gutterman thread, 1/4 inch elastic for the sleeve ruching:

1 inch (?!?!! - more on that later) for the "bubble" hem.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yeah

How were the instructions? Here's where I had my biggest problem. I thought they were all over the place. Simplicity gives you a whole bunch of options for personalizing and adding "Designer Details" (sorry, no they aren't). Because of this, the instructions have no real flow. I found them to be more distracting than helpful. If I were a beginner sewist, I think this would land in the trash after a short time. If you want to make this pattern, I suggest you get a good sewing book use that as a reference.

Construction Notes: This pattern has a bodice and a bodice overlay. I think that's a lotta layers, and I decided to eliminate the bodice piece and turn it into a princess-style bodice inset. In 20-20 hindsight, I'm not crazy about how it turned out, but I still think it's better than the overlay. For this design, the overlay seems like a cop-out. There's a better design option. I think the inset is it, but I'm not happy with the one I made. I'd make it wider if I were to do it again. Here are how the pattern pieces morphed:

Two pattern pieces to start

Inset draft

Resulting inset piece

Likes/Dislikes: I was initially attracted to this pattern because it reminded me of the Spiderlily pattern that Sewing Diva Phyllis reviewed. I wanted something a little less formfitting and suitable for the remainder of winter. This seemed to fit the bill. I like the fact that Simplicity is trying to woo new sewers by capitalizing on the popularity Project Runway.

I did not like the way the directions were laid out. As I say, get a good basic sewing book to help you with the construction. I think the 1-inch waistband elastic is something no designer in the commercial world would ever use. It's way too bulky. Use half-inch elastic if you make this. You'll get better results that are closer to RTW. I also wasn't crazy about the final silhouette. The pocket structure is too floppy for my taste and reminds me of maternity clothes, especially when you make the bubble. But that's because of the way it looks on me, not because of the pattern itself. It could be a cute pattern on the right (17 year old) person. It wouldn't be that bad under a cropped jacket, which is probably how I would wear it.

To give credit where credit is due, the pattern went together fine.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? No, and probably not. There are lots of cute patterns out there that will look better on me and yield better results for any sewer.

Conclusion: Not lovin' it. Not disliking it, just not loving it. Here it is on Shelley (no sorry, she is not going up for sale)


Tomorrow I get to see Summerset! I can't wait. I think I'm going to make those Easter egg colored tees next. The fabric is washed and prepped.

Parting Shot
Proud mama time...

You get to hear me talk about DS the younger quite a lot lately, thanks to the ballroom dance. Well today was the Scholars Brunch for DS the Elder's class at the middle school. This is the only one to which parents are invited. He's a scholars list student and has been every term since he got to the middle school. And today, he and two other boys did a saxophone trio of the first movement of Mozart's 40th Symphony. They all did great, and I'm so proud of him! He's the little guy on the left.

Happy sewing!

Ugh!

Here's what we woke up to today.


I don't complain too much about the weather, because it doesn't do any good. But I have to admit, I am sick to death of winter right now. The kids had today off from school anyway (staff development day), so it doesn't affect them. But it does affect everything else. Ugh indeed.

But on happier notes, today is DH's birthday. Happy birthday darling!!! To celebrate, we went out to a local steakhouse with the boys last night. OMG, I think I ate way too much, but it was so good. The boys split a steak. DH and I should have split a steak, but we didn't, so we have lots of leftovers for lunch today. Though I have to admit, I'm still really full and can't even contemplate eating anything more.

The snow seems to have lifted for the time being, so it's time to contemplate shoveling before the next bands come through. Maybe I'll have another cup of coffee first.

Oh, want to see what I got? I have been jonesing for a full body dress form since I saw Laura Bennett's. So to celebrate DH's birthday (any port in a storm), I put in an offer for one from the same eBay seller where Sewing Diva Phyllis got hers.

Now I have to figure out where I'm going to put it.

Since I'm so tired of winter, and since I won't have the pattern to complete my Burda jumper/KS turtleneck until Thursday, I think I'm going to cut out and make a bunch of tee shirts. I have 1-yard lengths of rayon jerseys in several easter-egg colors that I used for a presentation at the Boston Fashion Meetup. I think I'll toss them in the washer, then make them up into J.Stern and Jalie tees. I am working on a Project Runway top from Simplicity that I'll review later (not impressed). But that's black and silver and I need some color to alleviate the winter blahs.

Well, coffee is done; it's time to get dressed and start shoveling.

Stay warm and happy sewing!

Wednesday Miscellaney

Where's my coffee?

Oh yes, I forgot, I finished the pot already. DH was up twice last night, managing to wake me with him both at 2 and at 3:30. Not a good thing, and not for good reasons. Why is it that when he loses sleep over work, I end up suffering? Grrr.....

So where am I today? I made another incarnation of the Simplicity top from the same fabric in a size 12 which fits me infinitely better. There is an almost 2 inch difference in circumference between the 12 and the 14. Here's a hint. Forget what Simplicity says on the pattern envelope. I was able to make both long-sleeved tops out of two yards of fabric total. Use a single-layer layout and you can make this with one yard.

Today I'm jumping back in the saddle with the Chanel Dress. I have to do my post for BeSewStylish first (a book review of Fashion - A History from the 18th to the 20th Centuries by the curators of the Kyoto Institute Museum). My Marfy jacket pattern finally arrived, so I'll start evaluating that over the weekend. And speaking of which, I'm off for a buying trip, so if I don't respond to emails as quickly as usual, that's why.

That's it. I'm off to spin class. Ta darlings, and
Happy Sewing!

Pattern Review - Simplicity 3837 Top

I'm still working on getting my mojo back, but it is happening. I decided, on Leslie's great advice, to make a simple knit top. This one was in my stash, as was the fabric, so I pulled it out and gave it a go.

Pattern Description: Wardrobe of misses' tops. Made for knits, these tops have neckline and sleeve variations. made view A, the long sleeved version.

Pattern Sizing: 6-22. I made a 14.

Did it look like the photo/drawing? Kinda sorta. I changed some things and left off some other design features, but the base was the same

How were the instructions? Didn't use them. This is a very easy shirt the way I made it. I didn't need them.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? As I said above, I'm looking to get back my sewing mojo. I thought this would be a good, fast project to jumpstart it. It's a basic design with good bones, and it's easy to make.

What I disliked is that this beast runs BIG. This seems to happen a lot with Simplicity patterns lately. Now granted, I didn't do a flat pattern measurement before cutting, and my bad for that. But for the size 14, they give a finished garment measurement of 37 1/2 at the bust. That should be just fine on me, but this was significantly bigger than that. I've found that sizing in Simplicity's patterns can be pretty hit-or-miss of late. I'll definitely go down at least one size when and if I make this again. It's also lower cut than it looks on the model. It covers my bra, but I may end up layering a cami under it just for extra insurance.

Fabric :Get Ziggy With It jersey from (of course) Gorgeous Fabrics. I love the colors in this fabric. It's a bit mind-bending to work with, and if you have an astigmatism I could see this making your eyeballs vibrate. The trick to working with this kind of busy chevron is to cut your pattern pieces out using a single layer layout. I aligned the grainlines so they ran down the points of the chevron. That made it much easier to get the result I wanted.

Any pattern or design changes? I made a FBA, using the same technique I used for the Simplicity Kimono top I made last year. Here's a picture of the resulting pattern piece.

I'm going to modify this a bit next time, to curve back upward a bit at the center front. That will make it snug up a bit better. From a design standpoint, I skipped the overlay that the pattern shows. It's a cute idea, but since this print is already very busy, I didn't think it would add much to the top, and might actually end up detracting from the overall effect. I also skipped the ruching on the sleeve and left them plain.

I stayed the shoulders using a tip I published over at BeSewStylish.com I use fusible tricot that I cut 3/4 inch wide by the length of my shoulder seam. I align the edges of the tricot and the back shoulder and fuse. This leaves a little "hangover" into the garment. Apparently my explanation wasn't very clear, and it's easier to demonstrate with a picture, so you can see what I did here:
This stabilizes the shoulder seam, and the tricot doesn't add any bulk.

Would you do it again? Mmmm, possibly, but probably not. There are lots of other top patterns that I would probably want to make first. This isn't a bad pattern, but I'd rather do something else, you know?

Conclusion: A nice top. It's definitely getting me more interested in hitting the Chanel dress again. I may make one more (a different pattern) before jumping back on that horse.

Here's a picture of the finished garment:


Happy Sewing!

God Love Leslie

I was talking the other day with Leslie, my web developer and dear friend, and telling her about my lack of sewing mojo. Her answer was, "Girl, you need to make a knit top!"

.
.
.

The simplest statements are often the most profound, you know? She was right. I was psyching myself out by mentally doing the work on a couture quality garment, with all the steps, checks and muslins that such entails. It's kind of like the feeling I get when I stand at the top of a double diamond slope and stare down it for a few minutes. I'm much better if I just damn the torpedoes and barrel-ass my way down the moguls, not thinking beyond the next one. In sewing terms, I desperately needed a simple, fast project to restart my engines. So I started cutting out this Simplicity pattern:

I'm going to make the long-sleeved version, but skip the overlay, because the fabric I'm using is busy enough all on its own. I'm using Get Ziggy With It jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics:
.

It's all cut out. I was going to sew it and finish it today, but DS the eldest asked me to help him finish the sewing project they worked on at school - a pair of elastic waist boxer shorts. And if DS want's to try his hand at sewing, how can I say no? But the top should be finished tomorrow, and I already feel the mo and the jo getting ziggy with it, so I think (hope!) I'll be out of my funk soon!

And Leslie? Mmmmwah!
Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - Simplicity 9941 Bathrobe

The Background: DS the elder decided last week that he wants to go trick-or-treating as DH before his morning coffee. His costume is a bathrobe and pajamas, an empty Dunkin' Donuts mug and a zombie mask. DH is miffed. But DS needed a new bathrobe, since his old one is getting awfully small. So, dah da dahhhh! Mom to the rescue...

Pattern Description: Children's Bathrobes in 2 lengths with neckline variations. I made View A.

Sizing: XS-XL. I made an XL (Size 14-16)

How'd it Look Compared to the Pattern Envelope? It looked very similar.

Likes/Dislikes? This is a good basic bathrobe pattern. The only thing to note is that the pocket placement is REALLY low, so you might want to raise the pockets up a bit (like say, 2 inches). Other than that, the design goes together well.

How Were the Instructions? Didn't use them. I don't say that to sound like I'm all that and a bag of chips (which of course, I am!), but because this pattern is well drafted (except for the pocket placement) and it goes together without any difficulty. If I were teaching a beginner/advanced beginner sewing class, this would be a good choice for the pattern.

Fabric Used: Fleece (gahhh!) from JoAnn. That's said more facetiously than seriously. It's an Alpine Fleece, and it's not terrible. Plus, it's exactly what DS wanted, so that's good.

Would You Do It Again? I have to. DS the younger is begging for a new robe too. He likes to walk around with his blanket thrown over his head and shoulders like a very long cape, so for him I may make the hooded version.

Conclusion: A good basic pattern, DS will be stylin' and warm while trick-or-treating tonight. And he'll have a bathrobe for the winter. Here he is modeling it for me last night.


Happy Halloween!

Now I Know What's Next Up

A bathrobe for DS the Eldest. It's part of his Halloween costume. He wants to go as DH before he's had his coffee. His costume will be a bathrobe, a Dunkin Donuts mug (empty) and a zombie mask. DH is miffed. Meanwhile, I need to make DS a new robe, since his old one is getting awfully small. And this way he'll have a cozy robe for winter. I went out today and bought some fleece (gahhhhh!) at JoAnn. Hopefully it will be done by tomorrow night.

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - Simplicity 3690 Tunic

Carol F. (aka Skymom) convinced me to make this after I expressed doubts about whether it would work well for me. It's not my norm as far as style, but I decided to have a go at it. Thanks Carol!


Pattern Description: Wardrobe includes flat front pants or shorts with faced waistband and side zip; long-sleeved blouse with mandarin collar, tucks at neckline and sleeve detail; vest in two lengths. This time I made the tunic blouse.

Sizing: 4-20

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

How were the instructions? They were just fine. This pattern is very, very well drafted.

Fabric Used: As I mentioned when I reviewed the pants last week, I'm making a concerted effort at stash reduction. This fabric is a heavenly French cotton batiste that I bought last year. It is so soft, it feels like silk.

Any alterations or changes? I did an FBA for a princess line top. Other than that, I didn't need to make any changes. I should note, however, that the upper sleeve is pretty closely fitted. I made a size 12, and I didn't have any problem, but if you have full upper arms, you might want to check the pattern's measurements against yours.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it? I am not sure if I'll make this again. It's a little off my norm. I do recommend it, but I have to throw in a caveat. This is an "Easy Chic" pattern. While it's not that difficult, it requires precision sewing, especially on the tucks. It also really, really (really really!) requires thorough pressing at all stages of construction or you risk ending up with a hot mess.

Here's a closeup of the tucks:


So I would recommend this for advanced beginner or beyond. I'm going to make the vest too. Style-wise, I think this top needs something over it like the vest or a belt to keep it from looking matronly. On the plus side, the tucks give good camouflage to the lower torso without making you look pregnant.

Conclusion Another winner from this pattern. Definitely an easy, well drafted pattern that gives great results. Here's a picture of the finished top:


Happy sewing!