Hex-static

After seeing Eugenia's blouse and versions from other PR'ers, I was inspired to sew Simplicity 2501. I like the nice fit and style, reminiscent of the 1940's. The fabric I used gave the blouse a more retro vibe.



Pattern Description:
Simplicity's:
Misses' blouses with separate patterns included for b, c , d cup sizes.

My own description:
Misses' blouses with neckline (collar with tie, ruffle, bows) and sleeve options (long sleeves with cuffs, above elbow length with side gathers, pleated short sleeves, sleeveless), and bust darts. Views C, D, and E have the waistband and vertical darts.

I sewed view B, the blouse with the collar and tie and pleated short sleeves.

Pattern Sizing:
Misses' 6-8-10-12-14. I sewed a 12 at the shoulders and 14 at the sides.

Pattern pieces for View B:
Front x2
Back x1
Front facing x2
Back facing x1
Neck tie x2
Sleeve x2

Fabric Used:
100% cotton from Fabric.com.


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


Directions
Since there are five views in this pattern, I read the directions in their entirety before cutting the fabric. I decided upon the style that would work best with my short waist and overall frame, view B. Then I "sifted' through the directions making note of which belong to B. They are not difficult to comprehend if you are familiar with sewing button-down shirts or blouses.




What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
*I like the pleated short sleeves and it was a nice diversion from making sleeves with gathered caps and lower edges.

*The collar with tie is cut along the bias and sewn right sides together at each end, until you reach the "large circles", where they are clipped. Then the tie is turned inside out through the opening between the clipped circles. After stitching the collar to the neckline, matching notches and dots, the "large circles" act as anchor points when the front and back facings are attached over the collar.


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
*I shortened the upper back by 3/4", aligning with the lower part of the armscye to eliminate the "ripple effect" caused by excess fabric.

*By intuition, I skipped my usual 1" petite adjustment. After trying on the blouse, I was glad that I followed my intuition.



Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Absolutely, yes! I like the fit and style, reminiscent of the 1940's. I also recommend this pattern due to its straightforward construction and its classic and timeless style.

Conclusion:
This is a wonderful pattern that gives endless combinations of style options!


Milly tie neck blouse for $244

Just Cavalli Chiffon blouse

Cynthia Steffie blouse

Octa-Fun

I was inspired by the other PR'ers versions of Vogue 8451, that I decided to give it a try.

Pattern Description:
Close-fitting top with short or long sleeves has topstitched hems and neck facing.





Stay tuned for the upcoming motion picture, The Girls from "Ipa-knit-ma" starring Julianne Moore, Garcelle Beauvais, and Kate Hudson...


Pattern Sizing:
I sewed a "12" at the shoulders, tapering to a "14". I was glad to stick with my usual sizing.




Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, except I used a bold print.


Favorite Features
* The short sleeves for view "A" did not billow out. I really did not have to take in the additional 1/4" at each sleeve cap.
* The scoop neck did not need to be be adjusted
*The flattering silhouette


Other Features
* I checked to ensure that the gathering at the lower edge of each sleeve was comfortable enough before attaching the lower band. My arms, unlike my other components, remained nearly the same circumference since my college years, and I was surprised that the arm bands were nearly snug to the point of discomfort. If necessary, I would have increased the length of the sleeve band.



Fabric Used:
Poly jersey from GorgeousFabrics.com. This is the same fabric that I used to make Heather's Jalie 2787 crossover top.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

They were fine for anyone familiar with basic sewing techniques.

I decided to "stay true" to the directions such as using the front and back facing and setting in the sleeves instead of sewing them "flat" as I usually do with knits. The tricky part was carefully topstitching the pressed under edge on the inside to give an illusion of a sleek looking faux neckband. This feature would work better with a plain knit in order to appreciate the "faux neckband" look. Due to the busy print I used, I felt that I did not have to use the neck facing and could have used a twin needle stitching to finish the edge of the neckline.


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
*Lower the bust point 3/8"
*1" petite adjustment at the marked line

Back view

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes. It is one of those fairly quick and gratifying projects (I completed the top in one afternoon). I even plan to extend the pattern to create a dress. I definitely recommend this pattern due the ease of construction and fitting adjustments. This is a nice basic pattern that presents itself to versatile styles.


Conclusion:
If you have this pattern in your stash and have not tried it, please sew it as soon as possible. According to the Voguepatterns website, it is already out of print, but your local fabric store or even *bay might carry it.


"Test" driving a brand new Ford Ranger.

Square Deal

In its August 2009 issue, Burda appeals to the romantic and poetic in this blouse, pattern #103.

I decided to use the collared version and somehow again got inspired by 70's "disco" shirts with "wild" prints, but appealing to what I call the "geometric aesthetic."

From Rustyzipper.com, here's a Koret shirt with a tessellating design. I find it "Escher-esque" chic or how about "Polly Escher"?


Also from Rustyzipper.com, a shirt with interesting print in the lower bodice.

From Jones New York, currently on their website, and drifting from their conservative styling, a paisley printed shirt with a floral placket.

My version of blouse pattern #103.



Burda's Promotional Pattern Description
"Lyrical composition
"This blouse is sheer poetry, fulfilling four essential trend criteria: the fine floral print, the fitted shape, the long tie-collar with bow and the slight transparency."

My Pattern Description
Button down blouse/shirt with vertical darts, cuffed long sleeves, and tie or collar option.

I would not call my shirt sheer poetry, but pure pop retro madness.

Pattern Sizing:
Burda misses' 36-44. I sewed a "40".

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like the overall fit and style of this shirt.



I compared it to another Burda commercial pattern 7597 and notice that they match up very closely, in terms of the bodice portion, including the waistline markings and vertical darts! Burda most likely has its own template for a basic shirt and this shirt seems to be drafted according to this template.


Fabric Used:
Cotton shirting from fabric.com.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? The fabric made the shirt along with my collar totally disco.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
If you are familiar with making shirts, then you would encounter little or no problems. Or maybe, I have grown accustomed to Burda's verbage: either lacking in certain areas or convoluted to the point of confusion.

Things to note:
* Did not use elements from pattern #104 (upper breast pocket, left ruffle), so I followed the directions for #103, replacing the neck tie (includes some sort of bias treatment at the neckline) with the collar and band.

* In blouse pattern #104, Burda refers to blouse pattern #129 for the collar and band directions.

*In both blouse pattern #103 and #104, Burda refers to blouse pattern #130 for the sleeve vents and #131 for the cuffs. Blouse #103's cuffs are not topstitched. I do not understand why Burda did not conveniently include the same directions for the sleeve vents and cuffs in #103, #104, and possibly other patterns. The only reason I can think of is to save printing costs...


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

*I attached the collar from the inside, flipped over and topstitched the pressed under edge from the outside. For me, this leaves a nice finish on the inside.

* Used a narrower seam allownce when sewing the collar pieces together, making the collar appear larger.

*Due to fabric constraints, I split one piece of the original front band in half, creating two narrow front bands.

*While cutting I cut and spread the front vertical darts an additional 1/4" from the center. After wearing the shirt, I realized that I did not have to make this change.



Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes. I might half to make a small adjustment to decrease excess fabric in the upper back to make it fit more nicely. I plan to make the neck tie version in a drapier fabric. Just for fun, I would like to try different sleeves and collar types.

I absolutely recommend this pattern, especially if you are in search of THE basic shirt.

Conclusion:
There are really lots of wonderful pieces in the August 2009 issue! I cannot wait to try the popular flounced front top and a cape-style jacket.

Cheerfulness, Chipmunks, Cars

Heather and I saw The Chipmunks' "Squeakquel" movie this afternoon. Heather gave the movie a thumbs up and I gave it double thumbs down. She got a kick out of the Chip-ettes singing Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies" and Theodore trying to escape from the confines of the blanket when Toby (David's cousin) cut the cheese. It's a cute movie, but I prefer the original from 2007. It seemed that Jason Lee's ("My Name is Earl" star) diminished role in the sequel contributed a lot to the movie's senselessness. Wendy Malick who played the principal of the high school that the chipmunks attended is wonderful and somehow redeemed the movie, despite the constraints of her role.


Heather's serious look after enjoying the silly movie.


Both of us still smiling after the movie, popcorn and Hi-C.

Heather wore her new Jalie 2804 top in a poly knit fabric from GorgeousFabrics. It is fairly easy to sew. My only gripe is that is more fitted in the upper bodice than what I usually expect from Jalie. Instead of using elastic on the upper edge of the "modesty" panel, I cut a small rectangular strip about an inch shorter than the edge, sewed its right side to the wrong side of the modesty panel, turned it to the outside, turned under the raw edge, and topstitched it. I also finished the edges of the sleeves with very close zig zag stitches. A rolled hem foot would be perfect for lettuced edge sleeves.


Me being a copycat used the same fabric for my top. Being a retro freak, I used this 1973 Simplicity pattern, suitable for wovens and knits. I skipped the zipper since I used a knit. The back darts were necessary to eliminate the top from flaring outwards. The construction of this top is similar to Vogue 8451 in terms of sewing a neckline facing and short sleeves with sleeve bands.

Vogue 8541. According to the Voguepatterns website, it is already out of print.




Two nights ago, we went to the yearly auto show. I did not see anything spectacular and I noticed that Heather was not enthusiastic, as in the previous two that she attended, to get into the cars to "pretend drive" and have her pictures taken. Last year we saw a R2D2 looking robot (controlled by somebody) talk and dance in front of many eager spectators in the Ford section.


One of the highlights for Heather in the 2010 show was seeing the huge inflatable Geico Gecko. I was trying to figure out the reason for Geico's presence in a car show. When I saw the words "more than just a CAR insurance" printed on the promotional booth, the light bulb went on. Duhhh..

For the fashion conscious, Heather's corduroy jacket is made from McCall's 5312 "Sassy" girl coordinates.


The other highlight was discovering two children's passenger seats in a Ford Ranger truck. Don't judge me as driver with our seat belts law transgression and leaving the car doors open.

Some "cool" vehicles:

From Lexus

Promotions, promotions, promotions

It's "electric".

Interesting trike.

From Porsche

Donny Osmond would like this one.


From Hyundai

"Wee" versions