Status of Leopard-y

Several weeks ago, Heather requested that I sew her a new Jalie 2788 twist top from a knit printed with leopard spots.  I promised to sew her one once the fall vacation from school starts.  It has been two months since my most recent sewing project.  My sewing "mojo" is slowly returning.  Now into the second week of our "stay-cation" from school (school resumes in a few days), I found the time (and the mysterious productive energy) to re-trace the pattern in Heather's new size, cut out the pattern pieces, and sewing the pieces together in fewer than two hours.  Now that I think about it, I could have made her more tops if I did not forget how quickly the Jalie twist sews up.

Once I gave Heather her new top, she was very ecstatic that she immediately wore it!  Her sweet response inspired me to get jump back on the sewing bandwagon.

This is the same palm tree ("Ferna") that we pose next to for photo ops.  Here is Heather (wearing a Simplicity dress) and "Ferna" three years ago.

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I wanted to sew a new top for myself from the same leopard print fabric as Heather's top.   I did not feel like browsing through pages of my most recent Burda WOF magazines and tracing pattern lines.

Instead I sifted through a stack of pattern envelopes and found this uncut pattern dated 2007.  Oh no!  The models are the girls from "The Hills", Lauren, Audrina, and Heidi (before more transformations)! With the popularity of Project Runway, I would not be surprised if they come out with their own line of patterns following the cancellation of their show this year.

I think I purchased this out-of-print pattern from ebay.  I recall that I was immediately intimidated to sew this after seeing the number of pieces (more that what I expected) in the cutting layout for what seemed  to be very simple tops to sew.  When I revisited this pattern just recently, I realize that I could omit the front and back facings and topstitch the hems along the neckline. Since there were mixed reviews of this pattern in PR, I was still uncertain as to whether I should start cutting out the pattern.  "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" comes to mind.  So, I gathered confidence and boarded B5084 with a destination of at least a decent knit top in mind.

Pattern Description:
From 2007, here are knit tops with neckline and long sleeve variations. Views A and B have the crossover front and pleated upper bodice I sewed view B, but not with the bell shaped sleeves a la Stevie Nicks.
                                                                                   

                                                                 

I did not know that these MTV reality stars existed until this year, which coincided with the series finale.  Not surprisingly, this show makes Desperate Housewives and Melrose Place geared for the intellectual.  Pictured from left to right from their first season (2006) on "The Hills" are Heidi, Audrina (top), Lauren, and Whitney. Heidi looked naturally pretty here before looking like Barbie.

 The style that closely resembles view B of the Butterick pattern, is the upper portion of a Sans Souci dress from the Tommy Bahama website. The dress and top versions have the illusion of having empire seams. However, upon closer inspection they do not, and the pleats or ruching extend below the waistline, drape gently across the upper portion of the abdomen, forming a faux wrap style. From a distance, the pleats seem to be concentrated just below the bust line where the empire seam would start.

Surplice top, TommyBahama.com, $98

Pattern Sizing:

I sewed a 12 at the shoulders and a "14" elsewhere.

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

Fabric Used:

Poly knit with nylon characteristics from Emma One Sock. Although the fabric is slightly slippery with my sewing machine, it remains resilient and retrains its stretch after the stitches.

Were the instructions of the pattern easy to follow?

Although I did not use them, they look fine, especially if you prefer to use the front and back facings. Reading earlier reviews (and also the comments from fellow PRers ;-)) of this pattern were very helpful.



Favorite Features

* Simple to sew, especially if you omit the facings and the banded neckline from view A. I had the pieces pre-cut the previous evening. With all my changes and fidgeting with the upper bodice, I was still able to complete the entire top one entire morning.
* Square neck and v-neck options

* Contoured fit.  The distinct inward curves are apparent on the lower skirt portions.


Not-so-favorite Features

*The front and back facings along with finishing the hems seem "dated" now that there are sleeker ways to finish the neckline (coverstitch, serger, using elastic or stay tape before topstitching)
*After attaching the lower skirt (after adjustment), the length is still long for me.

*The neckline is very low (a la mode de Burda).

*Although the front pleats below the crossover portion were easy to make, I did not like the way they draped horizontally across my chest. Maybe it is simply an issue of style. I would rather wear the ruching or pleats nicely distributed across my abdominal area, as in a crossover faux wrap top. The pleats in the upper bodice also seemed to contribute to the sinking neckline.

 *I found the pattern form fitting than expected. 



Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

* Made a 1" petite adjustment at the waistline

* I shortened the upper back 3/4"

* Folded 1/8" of the raw edge under, pin, and topstitch with a narrow wavy stitch while gently stretching the fabric beneath the presser foot (works better than my current machine's stretch stitches).

*Since, I did not want to break up the layout of the shirt the shirt, I eliminated the back horizontal seam formed by the upper bodice and the lower skirt, by cutting the back as one piece as if the upper bodice merged with the lower back into into one big piece. For future reference,  I traced the silhouette of the composite back, onto tissue paper.

* Since I discovered there was quite a bit of ease at the sleeve caps, I took out a maximum of 3/4" from the top, tapering to 0" at the ends.

* I added slightly flounced cuffs (3 1/2" wide and 1" longer than the edge of the sleeve, past my upper arm). I lettuced edge a narrow 1/8" hem of the cuffs using closely spaced zig-zag stitches.

* As a quick fix, I secured the center front with a few little "invisible" stitches, which serve the purpose of raising and stabilizing the neckline (if they do not come come undone...). Because I was still not satisfied with the look of those pleats, I audaciously separated the front bodice from the lower front skirt and even undid the the basted pleats (seam ripper does come in handy in desperate situations). Now I got my mind singing the chorus of Carrie Underwood's catchy hit single, "Undo It".

Then I lapped the right over the front, basted their edges (above the zig zag cut edges, below the original pleats were located). and with a slight stretch, I re-attached the entire front bodice to the lower front skirt. Then just what I predicted, the neckline was noticebly raised to a wearable depth! I really did not need to pleat the bodice in the first place, because now I could see that the overlapped bodice piece "naturally" formed its own pleats or ruching over the seam line.



Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Having also traced the front as one entire piece with a modified neckline , I would use my modified pattern pieces (front, back, sleeve) for a future top. I am still not satisfied with the pleating across the upper front bodice. If you have this pattern in your stash, I suggest making a muslin first to to determine style and fit compatibiity. Although it is currently out of print and now selling at suggested retail at the Butterick website, you probably could purchase it at popular auction websites.


Conclusion:

It's a good idea to make a muslin to determine the fit of the the bodice, especially for views A and B.

A week of record breaking desert temperatures are followed by precipitation, cooler temperatures and overcast in Southern California.



I was surprised that animal prints are still trending after doing some "snoop shopping" on the internet.  So, I have Heather to thank for reminding me about the leopard printed fabric that has started to age in my fabric stash. Note the price on the Blumarine knit dress...