Pattern Review - Burda 08-2010 112 Top

Found the picture, thanks to Katia and absolutely NO thanks to Burda

Pattern Description: This pattern is for a double-layer top. The under layer is offset about 45° at the sides, creating a cool bubble effect.

Sizing: 34-44. I used a 40, though next time I'll go down to a 38 and do a FBA.

Fabric Used: For the underlayer, a (sold out) paisley jersey. For the upper layer, Rayon Jersey in Amethyst. Both fabrics are from Gorgeous Fabrics, of course.

Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 70/11. Polyester cone thread. That's all.

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

How were the instructions? Burda typical. I actually didn't like the way they have you put together the shirt. They tell you to sew the shoulders and bind the necklines of each of the separate tops. The underlayer top is sleeveless. They have you attach the underlayer to the upper layer at the hem, and leave the rest of the top free-floating. To me, that didn't make sense. So I did my own thing. I'll show you below.

Construction Notes: Here's how I put the tops together.

1 - Sew shoulder seams and bind the neckline for the underlayer top. Sew the side seams. Repeat this process for the upper layer top. Do NOT sew the sleeves yet. So you end up with two sleeveless tops:

2 - Put your underlayer top inside your upper layer, with the Wrong Side of the underlayer facing the Right Side of the upper layer. Sew the two layers together at the hem. Here you can see the two layers and where they are attached at the hem.

3 - Pull the underlayer through so the Right Side of the underlayer faces the Wrong side of the upper layer. Match the shoulder and side seams on both tops. Baste both layers together at the armhole.

4 - Attach sleeve to basted garment layers. Ta daaa! Easier and (to me anyway) more logical way to construct it. Plus, this way you don't have to futz with the shoulder seams and such when you put it on.

Any design changes? Only very slight. The original pattern calls for sleeves that are roughly 4 inches longer than the average arm. I didn't have enough fabric and I was too lazy to go cut more, so I just made them wrist length. Other than that, nope.

But if I make this again, I'd probably cut the underlayer about a half-inch shorter than the upper layer, to eliminate any possibility of the underlayer peeking out at the hem.

Likes/Dislikes: This is cute and will be a great top for fall into winter. For my dislikes, see This Post Here.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? I might do it again. I don't know if I need more than one of this top. But I do recommend it, if you can get past the damned pattern sheet in the magazine. It's cute and it's comfortable. And it will look fantastic on me with a pair of jeggings! ;-)

Conclusion: Cute cute cute! Here's the finished product on Shelley:

Oh, you know, this picture reminds me. This top is quite long. I'm 5'6" with a pretty average length torso. I think if I do make it again, I'll take about 2 inches or more of length off. You might want to check the length on you before you sew it up.

Parting Shot: Pincushion
My friends Bill and Ed, who own The Farmhouse Store in Westfield, NJ gave me this lovely little Nantucket Basket Pincushion when we met for dinner in New York. How fabulous is this???

You may remember them for another lovely gift they sent me - my Chemo Bling Ring. They are such dear people, and they have such gorgeous things in store (and I know from Gorgeous Things). If you are in the area, do stop in and tell them I sent you!

Happy sewing!

Grrrrrr.... (Rant Ahead)

See the current issue (August) of Burda? Check out this top, 112, a super cute double-layer tee:
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Oh that's right - you can't! Burda has decided, in their infinite lack of wisdom, to eliminate the online previews, archives, and just about everything else about their patterns. I understand that you can still see them, in Russian, but no luck for anyone who doesn't have command of the Cyrillic font and Russian language.

Adding insult to injury, Burda has cut the number of pattern sheets from two per issue to one. Take a look at the sheet on which the three pieces for top 112 are printed:

 
Find the top.

I've always had a tenuous relationship with Burda. I'm lazy and I'm the first to admit it. I don't like tracing, and I don't like adding seam allowances. I do like Burda's styles and their drafting. But they are making it really hard for me to love them the way I should. I want to recommend their patterns, but...

While I was Buying Thread...

... to make my Marrakesh pants, I picked up a couple of Vogue and McCalls patterns at JoAnn. They were having a sale on them, so I figured I'd get a couple. First one, and this is out of my usual comfort zone, is this Donna Karan:

I really like the skirt. I think it could be a great wardrobe element this fall. I like the top, but I don't know how I could ever wear it. I think you need to be slight-busted and, um, perky. There isn't enough duct tape in the world. Yeah, I'll pass on that one.

Second, I got this Michael Kors.

Love this one. It's perfect for any of the rayon jerseys on Gorgeous Fabrics. I may need to do some altering of the pattern to make the V-neck a little less deep, but I'll muslin it up and see where it actually falls.

Then I got this Anne Klein:

I need a dressy LBD, and I think this will work well. It will look less MOB done up in a solid color. I'm thinking 4 ply silk crepe. I may even unleash my inner Kenneth King and do (just a tiny bit of) beading at the pleated side seam.

Last, I finally caved and bought these McCalls leggings:

 I'll definitely pass on the disco glitter and sequined versions, appealing though they may be to the Jamaica Plain girl in me. But in a plainer rayon jersey they will work well with some of the tunics I've amassed recently, as well as some short skirts I've made. Interestingly enough, when I looked for them in the pattern bins at my local JoAnn, they weren't there under that pattern number. Instead, they were under MP356.

I'm going to make the Jalie top next, but those will give me some projects for "pre-fall".

Happy sewing!

Now What?

Have you ever had one of those days? I've had two. In a row. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but I can say that one of the problems was of my doing, the rest were not. Give me a gun and a bottle of scotch.

Edited to clarify - the problems didn't have anything to do with cancer. One was that I inadvertently hurt a friend's feelings and the others had to do with a supplier to my business. I'm okay, really! Thanks for the concern!

Anyway, now that life is settling back into normal, I need a project to get me through the rest of summer and into transitional. So I think I'll hop on the Marrakesh Express and make a pair of pants:

I think I'll make them from this Stretch Linen

I like it because I can wear it now through the cold weather. If we ever get cold weather, that is. I know, the Northeast hasn't been hit as hard as the rest of the country so I shouldn't whine, but it's been that kind of two days.

I also dug this Jalie pattern out of my stash:

I've had it in my stash for several years. I think I'm the only person in North America who hasn't made it yet, so it's time to get on it. I'm just going to make it from a White Rayon Jersey. I may also make the sleeveless version in a White Silk Jersey (sold out right now, sorry!) that I have in my stash. Those projects should keep me busy and out of trouble for a while, I hope!

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - McCalls 6074 1 Hour Dress

It's hot here, so I wanted to make a little dress to wear and stay cool. I wanted to make it before I left on vacation, but alas, life got in the way so I made it today instead.

Pattern Description: From McCalls Website, MISSES' DRESSES IN THREE LENGTHS: Pullover dresses A, B, C, D have front elastic casing detail, deep V-neck, flare skirt and stitch hems; dress A has purchased iron-on trim; dress B has contrast hem band; dress D has cap sleeve; dresses A, B lengths are 2" above mid-knee; dress C is evening length; dress D length is 2" above ankle.
I made View A, sans the crafty shit purchased iron-on trim.

Sizing: 6-22, I made a 12.

Fabric Used: Über Soft Italian Rayon Jersey in Soft Red.

Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 75/11, a couple of scraps of fusible interfacing, 1 inch petersham ribbon, 5/8 inch elastic, Metrosene thread.

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

How were the instructions? I didn't use them. I took a quick look at them and they seemed fine.

Construction Notes: I serged all the seams and ran the neck and armhole hems on my regular machine. I used a 3-thread serger stitch for the bottom hem:

I reinforced the back shoulder seams with fusible interfacing before I sewed them. I used a length of 1 inch cotton/rayon petersham ribbon (purchased from Susan Khalje) instead of the casing piece in the pattern. I think it works just as well and looks nicer. The petersham doesn't add any appreciable bulk.

It's worth noting that this pattern runs a little large, especially if you use a jersey with a lot of give like I did. I made a size 12, but I think I could even have gotten away with a size 10 with a FBA.

Any changes? The bust point on this pattern is pretty high, so I lowered it. I also lowered the placement of the elastic/casing by about an inch to sit nicely under my bust. I did a FBA.

Likes/Dislikes: Easy, fast to make and comfortable to wear. I do have one teeny little quibble. They call it a "One Hour Dress" on the pattern envelope. I'd say it's more like two or three hours, but it's still an easy sew.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Yes and yes. A cute dress that is comfortable and easy. What's not to love? Here's a picture of the dress on Shelley

Parting Shot: Anniversary Dinner!

Everyone loves the Pink Wig.

Happy sewing!

Current Project - Vogue 2532 Shorts

I really need shorts for summer, and I was going to trace a pair from the June Burda magazine, but I realized that I just don't like tracing patterns. Especially not patterns that are pretty much garden-variety. Am I the only one who finds the idea of tracing patterns off those sheets unappetizing? It's really a buzzkill for me and sewing. Then I thought about using a free download shorts pattern, but again - it's pretty much a garden variety pattern of shorts, so the already-limited appeal of printing it out and taping a bazillion pieces of paper together evaporated completely.

So instead, I'm making a pair of shorts from Vogue 2532, a Vogue Basic Design pattern that is a shorts/pants pattern in 5 different lengths. I'm making a pair that's halfway between view A and View B. Mine will end about mid-thigh.

I'm making it from this (sold out, sorry) stretch cotton from Gorgeous Fabrics.

I cut it out today and it's about three-quarters of the way done. I still have to apply the waistband and hem it. Hopefully I'll have it done tomorrow. I think I'll make a tank top to go with it from some blue rayon jersey I have in my stash. I'll review it once it's finished.

Happy sewing!

Next Project for Me...

A dress for vacation! I'm going to make Vogue 8658. I like the clean lines of the dress. I can just toss it on, slip into a pair of sandals and head out. I also like the fact that the pattern comes with pieces sized for A/B/C/D cups, taking much of the work out of it for me. I did lower the bust point by one inch, and I want to make a muslin quickly to test the fit through the back. I got the envelope that contains sizes 14-22, but recently the Vogue/Butterick/McCall size 14 has been running big on me. Once I test out the fit and make any adjustments, I'm going to make the final version from this fabulous cotton sateen that my friend Flora brought back from Italy for me.

It's even more beautiful in person than the picture shows. I'll trim the edges with this Basketweave Cotton from Gorgeous Fabrics. The slight textural contrast will work really well against the blues and whites on the sateen.

I'm hoping to get the muslin done tomorrow. I'm less than two weeks from the end of radiation (Huzzah!!!) and I do find that my energy levels are not as high as usual. And DS the younger does want to work on his next project, so it may take a little longer than usual. But it should be done in plenty of time. More to come!

Parting Shot - The Fahionista's Rashy:
How fabulous is this rash guard from Pret-a-Surf?

Image credit: Opening Ceremony

You may not be able to lay hands on Yves Saint Laurent's Mondrian dress, but you can make quite the splash with this!

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - McCall 6069 Beach Coverup (Dress)

I feel like I've just come up for air after being under water for too long. As of today, I am half-way through my radiation treatments. I'll wait to sing alleluia until I'm completely done, but it's coming! Once I'm finished with all my treatments, DH and I are going on a much needed vacation. I've had absolutely no sewing mojo, as I told my friends over at "Recovering Members of Sewing Forums" on Facebook. But yesterday it started raising its head after I realized that I need a couple of things for vacation.

First up, I made another pair of the Larry Bird shorts. I'll post about those shortly. They're at home and I'm not. The second thing I made was a swimsuit cover up. I have two swimsuit cover ups at home. One came from Bonaire about 12 years ago and it has holes in it from being worn frequently. The second one came from Cane Bay Divers in St. Croix. It's become my favorite nightgown. So I need something new. As I contemplated the patterns for swimsuit coverups out there, I felt duly unimpressed. Then I went to Everything But Water, a specialty swimsuit store, where I saw all sorts of really cool coverups for lots and lots of money. "Hah!" said I, "I can make something that will be equally chic and won't cost me an arm and a leg." More for umbrella drinks, right? After seeing Erica B's review of this pattern, I had a lightbulb moment. This can work beautifully for a beach coverup. It's easy, it's chic, you just toss it on and go. All you need is the right fabric. So read on....

Pattern Description: From McCalls' website, "Pullover, above mid-knee, semi-fitted straight dresses A, B, C have elastic waist casing, stitched hem and bodice variations; dress A is sleeveless; dress B has three-quarter sleeves; dress C is sleeveless with self sash; dresses A, B, C have optional back strap; optional purchased belt."

I made View A, the sleeveless version

Sizing: 6-20. I made a 12, tapering out to a 14 at the waist.

Fabric Used: Gleam Me Up, Scotty mesh from Gorgeous Fabrics (of course).

Needle/Notions Used: 70/10 needle on my industrial, 75/11 on my industrial serger. Polyester cone thread. Clear elastic from Fashion Sewing Supply.

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

How were the instructions? I didn't use them, and I only gave them a cursory glance. They look pretty good. This is a very simple design and it's pretty easy to figure out how to put it together.

Construction Notes: I made a FBA on the bodice front. Here you can see a picture of what I did:

Here's some explanation. If you think about the issue of fitting cloth over the bust, it's an issue of projectile (and I don't mean 50's bullet bras). Generally speaking, you need to add room around the torso at the fullest part of the bust, and also length from the shoulder seam to the waist, to accomodate the three-dimensional projection of the bust. But when dealing with a knit that's very stretchy on the cross grain, combined with 4 inches of bust ease to begin with in this pattern, you can get away with just adding length. Here, I added one inch of length directly under the bust apex, to keep the waistline from pulling up. I used a French curve to taper from the side seam to the added length. Then I kept that length at the center front. The result is that the dress' waistline falls at mine.


I also decided to forego hemming the dress, since it's really meant for kicking around between the beach, pool and bar. This mesh doesn't ravel at all, so it will hold up just fine, and I like the airier look of an unfinished hem. I may shorten it by about 6 inches so it looks more beachy and less day-dress.

Likes/Dislikes:It's cute; it's fun and it's perfect for throwing over a suit. No dislikes!

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Yes to both. I may make this in a rayon jersey for a dress that can go from beach to town to dinner.

Conclusion: Love it! Here are pictures of the front and back on my dress form. Sorry for the lousy picture quality. I took them on my cell phone.

Front:

and Back:

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - BWOF 05-2010 121A Larry Bird Shorts

It's been a long, bad week. It started with DH's car dying and it didn't get any better from there. One of our family's dear friends died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. Vale, Barry. You will be sorely missed. Another friend's daughter was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 9. I started radiation, which isn't bad at all compared with chemo, but it does take time out of the middle of every day, which means I feel like I'm scrambling to keep up.

But enough of my whining. I did manage to get a very little sewing done. I made my Larry Bird Shorts. So here you go...

Pattern Description: (From the Burda website) Sporty, sexy and sewn in a snap, these shorts are a must-have! 
The waist elastic is a comfortable detail.

Sizing: 34-42. I made a 40

Fabric Used: 3 oz (sold out, sorry) Japanese denim from Gorgeous Fabrics (of course).

Needle/Notions Used: 70/10 needle. 1 1/2 inch waistline elastic from Pamela's Patterns (great stuff!). 1/2 inch nickel grommets. Black cord stops.

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

How were the instructions? Burda. 'Nuf said.

Construction Notes: This is a pretty straightforward pattern. I managed to do something a little weird to the band trim at the bottom, but it isn't bad and so I'll just call it a design enhancement and leave it be.

Any changes? After making the Bermuda/Capri length without any changes, I changed the Insane Crotch to work better for me. I changed the angle of the crotch in the back, which raised the entire thing by about an inch. I changed the front curve to match.

Also, Burda calls for 30 inches of elastic for the waistband for a size 40. That's way too much. Take at least 6 inches off that to start and see how you like the fit.

Likes/Dislikes: Cute shorts that will be comfortable for summer. These are definitely short-shorts; I'd call them one step above Daisy Dukes. So if you are more modestly inclined. I'd add a couple of inches of length to them.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Yes I would do it again. The pattern calls for lightweight woven fabrics, but I think this would work really well in a mid-to-heavy knit fabric as well. I may try making that next. These only take about an hour to sew from start to finish. Would I recommend it? Well... maybe. You saw that I had to do some serious adjusting to the crotch curve, so you should definitely make a test garment to see how it works for you.

Conclusion: Cute shorts! Here's a picture on Shelly. Sorry - it's really hard to take a picture of shorts on a dress dressform. I should have taken them on myself (not until I put self-tanner on my legs) or on my full-body-with-legs dressform. Oh well, you get the picture.

Happy sewing!

And the Insane Crotch Award Goes To...

...These Burda Shorts.

I made the Bermuda Shorts and I'm just not feeling the love for them. I think they will be cute in the Larry Bird shortie shorts, but the crotch needs some serious adjusting for me. Here's a picture of the back of the pattern laid over a tracing of my back crotch curve.

It's a pretty significant difference, and it makes the shorts look awful on because the crotch sits about an inch below mine. As Michael Kors said on the Project Runway finale, a gentleman would fill out those pants better.  Ah well - I've already adjusted the pattern.

One more thing to note about the Bermudas. They are really long. Really long. Like, if you are shorter than 5 foot 5 inches, they are more like capris. And sorry, capris do not have a place in my closet. If you're my height (5' 6"), lop off about 5 inches and you'll have real Bermuda length shorts.

Live and learn! I'll cut the Larry Bird versions out of some of the (sold out, sorry) 3 oz Japanese denim. That fabric is just beautiful!!!

Happy sewing!

Larry Bird Shorts!

Is it totally ridiculous that a woman of a certain age (me) wants to make these Burda shorts?

I love them! Now I grant you, they aren't something I'd wear to church or to a parent-teacher meeting. They bring back memories of the basketball uniforms that Larry Bird and the 80's Boston Celtics wore, don't they?

Photo credit: Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated*

But how fun will these be to just slip on for summer? It's the kind of look that needs legs without cellulite (thank you very much Mom), and in my case, self tanner. But I think I'll trace these off and whip up a pair. Or several. The May issue of Burda has a bunch of shorts patterns that are cute and look super fast to make. I think I'll try the bermudas too. They would work well in one of the Madras Patchwork Cottons. I think this one in blues would look really nice:

What are you working on this weekend?

Happy sewing!


*Interesting piece of trivia: in the photo of Bird, number 25 is Doc Rivers, the current coach of the Celtics

Pattern Review - Vogue 1089 Badgley Mishka Dress

Well, you've already seen it on, but here's the full review....

Pattern Description: From Vogue's website - MISSES' DRESS: Close-fitting, lined, flared dress has princess seams, midriff with assorted beads and invisible zipper closing. Above mid-knee length.

Sizing: 8-22. I started with a 12 at the shoulders and tapered out to a 14 at the midriff.

Fabric Used: Luxe Stretch Silk/Cotton Floral Twill - Multi Brights for the outer shell and self-lining. For the skirt lining I used a stretch silk charmeuse that has been aging in my stash since Phyllis and I last went to NYC together. (That was what, Phyllis - 3 years ago?)

Let me just gush about the fabric for a moment. That silk/cotton blend is a dream to sew with! It could easily become one of my favorite fabrics. Really - it cuts and sews beautifully. I recommend a stretch needle in the fabric page, but it went together beautifully with a non-stretch on my industrial. And it feels like heaven against the skin! I didn't pre-wash my fabric, since (thanks to the lining), this dress is doomed destined to be dry cleaned. If I was not going to dry clean it, I think you could probably wash it in the gentle cycle - cold, and dry it in a cool dryer, removing before it's completely dry. But my official recommendation is going to be dry clean. How's that for CYA? I love this fabric, can you tell?

Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 70/10 needle on my home sewing machine, 9/65 (non stretch) needle on my industrial Juki. I made the skirts on the Juki, then took the rest home to work on overnights. 22 inch invisible zipper. Fusible tricot interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply. Hook and eye. Metrosene thread (at home), Poly cone thread on the Juki.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes, except for my changes to the design (see below).

How were the instructions? I didn't use them, and honestly, because I was in a rush to complete this, I haven't looked at them to let you know.

Construction Notes: I did my usual FBA. I also decided to skip the Vogue facing/lining pattern pieces and I just used the dress pattern pieces instead. I did a self lining on the bodice and midriff, which you can see here:

Sorry it's wrinkled - I wore it all day yesterday.

I decided to do it this way for two reasons - one, I didn't have to do an FBA on the lining pieces and two, the dress is fitted at the midriff on the shell, but the lining is a standard stem to stern princess line pattern that floats free. That didn't make a lot of sense to me. I wanted the lining to mirror the dress. It's just a matter of preference.

I had made a muslin of the dress with 65 inch muslin. The muslin is non-stretch. The fabric itself has a lot of stretch to it - probably a good 10% in the crosswise direction. Because of that, the muslin was slightly snugger than the finished dress. I probably could have used a straight size 12 for the entire dress.

Also, rather than doing the make the entire dress/lining, attach and let hang overnight before hemming thing, I did it a little differently. I made the skirts (shell and lining) first and let them hang overnight while I made the bodice. The next day I attached the skirts/bodices and hemmed them. That's probably going to be my modus operandi from here forth. I did it because I was on a really short time frame, but it worked out really well and is much more efficient. I also hemmed the lining before attaching it. I hemmed the garment shell once everthing was attached.

Any design changes? Yes. I mentioned it in a previous blog post, but I'll repeat here. When I did the muslin, I used the upper/lower midriff pieces and sewed them together. There's no shaping to the seams, so the only reason I can see for making a two piece is for placement of the crafty shit jewels along the midriff. Since I wasn't going to be doing that, I was able to combine the pattern pieces.

Likes/Dislikes: Love it! What's not to love? It's a pretty dress with pretty lines. I think it is good for many body types and ages. And it is my celebration dress for my final chemo session!!!!

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Yes and yes. I actually like it more than I thought I would. I'm inspired by Cindy's comment that she's making this dress in denim with the jewels. I have a fabulous 3-oz (dress weight) Japanese denim that I just got in. It's not on the Gorgeous Fabrics site yet, but it will be next week. I think I may grab a few yards of that and make it up, with the crafty shit jewels this time!

Conclusion: A winner. Here's a reprise of me in it.

Happy sewing!

Work is Progressing on the Dress

I heard back from the Etsy vendor. She's been having health issues (what the hell is going on these days?) so she's behind on getting things out. I decided to use another pattern that I have in my stash, Vogue 1089 by Badgley Mischka Platinum:

 It's not exactly what I wanted, but I think it's cute. I did my usual FBA and started with a 12 at the shoulders tapering out to a 14 at the bottom of the bodice. I made a muslin of the bodice and it fits really well, so I started cutting. So far there are a couple of changes that I'm making. First - I'm not putting on any of the crafty shit embellishments they show on the pattern. I like the fabric plain. Next, if you take a look at the tech drawing here:

You can see that the midriff is made of two bands. When I made the muslin I found that there is no shaping done in the seaming. I figure it is there to make placement of the crafty shit embellishment easier. I decided that I'd rather have the full amount of real estate to showcase the fabric, rather than break it up by unnecessary seaming. So here's the resulting muslin pattern:

I spent much of the afternoon going cross eyed trying to match the florals across the seamlines. I also decided to self-line the bodice and just use the skirt and midriff pieces for the lining, rather than using the facings and princess-line lining that Vogue provides. The fabric is light enough to do that and I like the idea of attaching the lining at the waistline rather than letting it hang loose. I'm going to line the skirt with a stretch silk charmeuse I have in my stash. I'm hoping to get the vast majority of it sewn up tomorrow, let it hang on Tuesday and then hem it on Wednesday. Fingers crossed. I still have to find some fabulous shoes.

Parting Words: I debated long and hard about whether I want to weigh in on this subject, and the answer is yes and no. Many readers are discussing, rather animatedly, a certain web site. I think it's time to give it a rest, friends. Love the place or no, it's just getting old at this point. Let's all get back to sewing. I'm going to moderate any comments about said site into oblivion. So let's all go make some gorgeous outfits with Gorgeous Fabrics, then blog all about them!

More later. Meanwhile, happy sewing!

I Think I Found the Pattern

Thank you to my evil friend Phyllis, I just bought This Pattern from Etsy:

I think that will look fabulous in the silk/cotton floral! I'm not a ribbon-in-the-back gal so I may forego that design detail, but I love the lines of this.

Happy sewing!

Rethinking that Decision

I pulled the Tracy Reese pattern out and started analyzing it. I may rethink it now. There are 16 pattern pieces for the main dress. That's not a problem in itself, but after looking at them, I'm afraid the floral would be so distorted/chopped up by the lines of the dress that it won't really look good. It's a bold floral, but it still is a discernible floral. I still really like the Tracy Reese, but I think it would benefit from either a REALLY BIG floral or a more abstract design, like they show on the pattern envelope cover.

Now to figure out what to use...

Don't Forget the Technical Drawing!

I was thinking about a comment I made in my post about what to wear to my next session. It's about this Burda,

and I said that it gets more interesting when you look at the technical drawing.

The dress looks okay, if a bit plain, in the photo. But the line drawing reveals some interesting waistline darts and bust shaping that give it interest (to me anyway). Which brings up this topic. I am often captivated by the photograph or fashion drawing of a pattern, but the "bones" of said pattern are revealed (hopefully) in the technical drawing on the back of the pattern. Stylists work with the photographers to make a garment look just-right on a model, using pins, clips, lighting and other methods. Fashion illustrators do the same to the drawing on the front of a pattern. It's all meant to be eye candy, to get you to take a closer look and hopefully, purchase the pattern. But the back of the envelope is where the truth (or at least most of it) lies. I'm going to use this Butterick pattern as an example. Please know that I am not picking on the pattern, designer, or on Butterick. It's simply meant to be a learning experience. Let's take a look at the fashion drawing on the envelope front:

Looks cute. I like the jacket. I'm not into cropped pants myself, but they look comfy, and I like the flat front waistband. Now let's take a look at the tech drawing:

Hmmmm - that waistband is elasticized. I would not have thought that from the front of the envelope. That may affect your interest in this pattern. I am sure it's not intentional. It's just that sometimes the front and back of the envelope don't match. When in doubt, go with the back of the envelope. Of course, the proof is in the pudding once you open the envelope and actually pull the pattern pieces out. Many stores don't like you to do that, and it's not an option when you are shopping on line (shameless plug alert, Butterick/Vogue/McCall is having a huge online pattern sale through Wednesday of this week - NAYY, just sayin'). So do be sure to check out the tech drawing. You may find a hidden gem, or you may find that the pattern isn't what you expected. But at least you find out!

Happy sewing!

What Next, What Next?

Now, of course, I start to stress about what to wear to the final chemo session in 3 weeks. Whatever it is, I want it to be springy and I want to wear it with my pink wig. I have 4 yards of this gorgeous Stretch Silk/Cotton blend from (natch) Gorgeous Fabrics:

My next (last!) session is April 15. Tax day and chemo day, how fun ... not. But both will be over by the end of the day, so that's all good! I want to make a dress, so I need to make some decisions on patterns. I haven't gone through my back issues of Burda, though I think there are some possibilities there. Let's take a look at a couple of commercial patterns.
Vogue:
I'm kinda loving this Kay Unger pattern

I already have this Tracy Reese in my stash

Since I have 4 yards, I can go with something fuller skirted, which is always nice for spring. So this Vogue Options is a possibility

I am thinking the sleeveless version. It's usually pretty warm in the chemo room.

Burda:
I could always go for the popular Wilma look

I'd go for the version with the shoulder strap.

This one get's more interesting when you look at the technical drawing..

McCalls:
I already own This Pattern

But I'm afraid the print will get too disrupted by the lines of the design.

I'm leaning toward the Tracy Reese. I can muslin it up pretty quickly and maybe (maybe) even have something ready in time for Easter.

Oh, but I need to get a fabulous pair of heels to wear with it. I LOVE the ones Gertie is wearing in this post.

These Paul Smiths from Zappos are really cute. I just wish I could find them in a lower price category.

Maybe I'll scour the mall (shudder!) this weekend and see what Nordstroms has.

Oh, and whatever I decide to wear? The Pink Wig is topping it all off!

Happy sewing!