Stripe Out and Tie Bow

A variety of tie blouses:

Pattern Description:
Misses' button-down blouse with collar and sleeve variations. Blouse with a V-neck tie, wide V-neck collar, flounces or trimmed neckline. Misses' 6-14.  I sewed a "12".

my pattern envelope:

 

I used a cotton woven that I had in my stash for nearly 3 years.

Full length view, taken by my daughter.  Please excuse the wrinkles after some car driving.

The directions were easy to follow except for attaching and finishing the ends of the sleeve cuffs. The narrow opening where the ends of the cuff "overlap" is a turned-in top-stitched hem between two reinforced points 3/4" apart which would have been better replaced by "slashed" sleeve vents and plackets.


Likes/Dislikes
I like the tie-front-pussy-bow style reminiscent of the styles from decades past. In particular with my fabric choice, I am reminded of this blouse:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/95109113/womens-vintage-60s-70s-striped-pussy-bow
I like the form-fitting silhouette of the blouse in contrary to a "sack-like" look.

The sleeves eased in to the armscyes nicely with very little excess fabric "jutting" out of the contours of the armscyes.

The only thing that I did not like were the construction of the sleeve cuffs.


Modifications/Alterations
*My typical 1" petite adjustment at the waist and narrowing of the upper back 3/8" from the center.

*Due to fabric constraints, I shortened the sleeves 1".

*Since I went down a size at the sides, I omitted the back darts.

*Steps #35-37 for attaching and finishing the sleeve cuffs eluded me at first glance. Instead, I used an inverted method from what was instructed to avoid top-stitching the cuff from the inside and second-guessing how it will look on the outside. I stitched the correct or visible side of the cuff to the wrong or non-visible side of the sleeve and finished the ends of the cuff in a 3/8" seam, right sides together, before turning them inside out. Then I turned the entire edge of the cuff to the outside (keeping the cuff folded in half lengthwise with the edges turned in, covering the seam allowance of the sleeve and cuff) and top-stitched.

Recommendation:
 I plan to use this pattern again.  There are other collar and sleeve options that I would like to try. I recommend this pattern if you are looking for a blouse pattern with lots of versatility.

After working with this fabric, I wonder why I am craving some popcorn or maybe something to eat at our local T.G.I. Friday's restaurant...

It is not one of those "quick-and-easy" gratification projects. But it is a wonderful pattern to get back to sewing blouses/shirts with front plackets and cuffs.

This pattern goes in my "definitely" pile.

First time that we encountered these at a Marshall's store dressing room: "Possibly, Definitely, Tomorrow" hooks

 

Catching the Waves with a New Look

After searching through my new pattern stash I found New Look 6150.

"Misses' knit top in two lengths has surplice or boat neckline and can be made with 3/4 sleeves, ruched short sleeves or sleeveless."

I sewed view "D", the top with the boat or bateau neckline and 3/4 sleeve, in a size "12" at the shoulders and armscyes, tapering to a "14" at the sides.

 

Laura Ashley's knit top with 3/4 sleeves

I used a ITY jersey knit that was on sale at fabricmart.com. When I received, I was disappointed that it was more transparent, and lightweight than previous ITY knits that I have used. I did not have problem sewing with it. Due to the seemingly delicate nature of this knit, I had to repair two little holes by handstitching. Maybe the $4 a yard that I paid for was too good to be true!

 

*I like the versatility of the pattern with the surplice front or the boat neckline and the sleeve options. There are more possible styles than suggested by the pattern envelope.

 * I sewed view "D" first in hopes of finding a no-frills knit top with a flattering fit, and am pleased with the results.

* There are no dislikes for this pattern.

* I like the contoured center back seam

 

Modifications

*Narrowed the upper center back by folding the pattern piece 3/8" starting at the neckline, tapering to 0" above the waistline

*Folded out 1" at the petite adjustment line of the front and back pieces

*Stitched the sleeves to the armscyes "flat" (before stitching the sleeve and side seams) instead of "easing" and "setting them in" as directed.

*Omitted the neck facing strip. Instead, I folded in narrow hem of approximately 3/8", tucking in the raw edge and top-stitched. Another option would to attach a bias strip to encompass the neckline, fold over to the other side and top-stitch.

 

Heather and I enjoyed a pleasant afternoon stroll at our city's popular mall on a a mild weathered Presidents' Weekend Monday

 

I am looking forward to try the other views. I recommend this pattern due to the simplicity in construction and being a nice staple for any wardrobe.

This pattern is a keeper!

Take Two with Butterick 5815

Alie & Trixie's "batwing" sleeved dress. From my viewpoint, its sleeves have that "petal" style, where one end of the sleeve overlaps the other end.

The "petal" sleeves give some character to Butterick 5815's dress and tops.

Description
Misses' Top, Tunic, and Dress: Loose-fitting, pullover top, tunic or dress has very narrow hem finish on neckline and sleeves and shaped, back overlapped sleeves. Sizes: Misses' 8-10-12-14-16.  I sewed a "12".    

     

Fabric
First version (muslin) in a top:
Printed cotton from W-M. It was advantageous to use the "tape measure" print as a guide for cutting and stitching. The inspirational R. Kelly song about "flying" comes to mind.

 

Second version in a dress:
"From Nicole Miller, this conversation-starter is a beautiful blouseweight silk jacquard printed with a lively tribute to New Orleans, with everything from Mardi Gras, to Jazz, to Royal Street and much more. The jacquard weave is just the designer's name and is very subtle. Multicolor on a black background, drapey, lightweight but not sheer. Perfect for a blouse, top, tunic, dress or a surprising coat lining. Dry cleaning recommended".(emmaonesock.com website)

"Party Gras"

 

Prior to cutting:

 

Favorite/Not-So-Favorite Features

My favorite feature of this pattern is the overlapped sleeves that have what seems to be the equivalent of elongated "petal" sleeves that move nicely with silky-textured fabrics.

I like the neckline as it appears on the envelope, but not how it actually appeared on me immediately after sewing all the seams of my first version.

Narrow hems prevail in this style (neckline, front/back sleeves). I felt that the narrow hems on the neckline could have been replaced with self-facings to eliminate the "ripple effect" on the bias cut of the fabric. But on the other hand, avoiding the self-facing reduces extra fabric, simplifying further the construction, especially where the sleeves/armscyes are concerned.

The pattern did not fit me "out of the envelope" or as drafted. It seemed to be drafted for a person with very wide shoulders. For me, certain modifications were necessary to reduce the excess ease causing the troublesome gaping at the back just below the neckline and at the front neckline. When I pinched out 2 darts with width about ¾" at the neckline and nearly 3" from the center of the upper back, the gaping disappeared. On my muslin, I pinched out a 1 1/2" wedge from the center of the upper back, tapering to 0" above the waist and a 1" wedge from the front center.


Directions
They were fine with the accompanying diagrams. The large and small circles were essential to overlap and baste together the front and back "extensions" and also to overlap the front over the back of the sleeve. While cutting the fabric pieces, I cut out small and large triangular notches in place of marking/chalking the circles onto the fabric. It was easier to align the notches, instead of having to align markings that were difficult to locate on heavily printed and/or dark-colored fabric.


Modifications
Top
Typical petite adjustment at the waist.
Added a band to the bottom.

Dress
Applied the modifications I used while fitting the top to the pattern pieces before cutting the fabric for the dress.

Typical petite adjustment at the waist.

Sewed the front to the back of the sleeve in a French seam, since the inner seam of the front and back sleeve can be visible from raising the arms

Due to fabric constraints, I shortened each sleeve 1".

 

For shoe fanatics (I am not much of one) or those who are interested, I purchased these comfortable platform shoes at Ideeli.com, where special sales last for a day:

Conclusion
It seemed that the adjustments I made would have been equivalent to sewing the dress 2 pattern sizes smaller based on the finished garment measurements. The amount of excess ease is the only reservation for this pattern. It is a wise idea to sew a muslin before delving into pricier fabric.

"Stand Back", it is the reigning "Queen of Butterfly and Bell Sleeves"

Bow-ccasions with February Burda Style 135

Already nearing the middle of February and I have not even fully gone through the January 2013 issue of Burda Style.  I just removed the February issue from its wrapping and selected pattern #135, a top with neckline and wrist bands with an attached bow. The given sizes were misses' 36-38-40-42-44.  I sewed a 38 at the shoulders and a 40 elsewhere.

Fabric
First version: Polyester jacquard and a striped cotton woven for the neckline both remnants of a cowl dress made from the January 2013 Burda Style (pattern #123) dress with the draped neckline.   I shortened the bow from the original specified length of 85 cm or 33 1/2 inches, which was inordinately long.

 

Second version: "Tuscany wide faille teal, 100% polyester" from fabric.com and for binding the neckline and wrists, a remnant of the black knit dress made also with the January 2013 Burda Style #123 dress pattern. The photo does not accurately capture the lovely teal color of the fabric.

Likes/Dislikes

I like the bow embellishment and the bound neckline and wrist edges.  I am not quite sure about the dart at the sleeve head where it was supposed to align with the shoulder seam.  I experienced a somewhat loose fit at the sides.  Maybe the top was meant to be "tucked in".

Directions

They were satisfactory.  The only thing that seemed questionable was the procedure to bind the neckline: "Pin bias strip to neck edge, with wrong side facing right side, matching seam to one shoulder seam.  Edgestitch edges in place." The "wrong side facing right side" puzzled me. I did not follow the procedure to attach the bias neckline. I attached the right or visible side of the binding to the wrong side, turned it to the outside with 1/4" of the raw edge turned under and top-stitched near the lower edge.

I used the neck facings for the first version, but not for the second version.  The bias neckline could be opted out in favor of the facings.  I found that the facings added more stability prior to the binding with bias strips since I used a slightly translucent and lightweight  polyester jacquard (which had a tendency to unravel at the raw edges) for my first version.  I omitted the facings for the top with the teal polyester faille to avoid bulk while using a knit binding.

I made adjustments from the original specified lengths of the bias strips to finish the neckline and wrists.  It seems that the widths for the neckline had not yet included the seam allowances.  For a better allowance, I used 4 cm width ("2 cm incl allowance" meant 2 cm and the allowance) for the strips.  I did not use the full 25 1/2 inches for both tops.   For instance, I used 20 inches of the knit binding strip (cut on the cross-grain) for the neckline of the second top. I cut a fabric strip after I encircled the neckline with it,  including 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch of negative ease and a 1/4 inch center back seam allowance. I did the same for the sleeve wrists with their seams to be aligned with the sleeve seams. Then I stretched a tad as I stitched the strips to the edges(correct side of fabric strip to wrong side of neckline).  The lengths of the bias strips to finish the neckline rely on the characteristics of the fabric being used.

 

Modifications/Alterations

*Petite adjustment of 1" at waistline

*Took in the upper back 3/8" from the center, tapering to 0" above the waistline.

* Omitted the side vents

*Finished the neckline as described earlier

*I am still indecisive as to whether to keep the "longer" or the "shorter" bow.

Conclusion 

Putting aside the little extra time to figure out the lengths and widths of the bands corresponding to the neckline and wrist circumferences, this pattern is fairly easy to sew.  This has a potential to be nice basic top with or without sleeves and with neckline variations (with or without band).