Retro Rave, Part One

Timeless styles!

From Burda mode:
I like the styles of these dresses from the fall 80/winter 81 catalog. They would be so groovy to wear today!

I like the style together with the contrasting fabric....Classic chic!

Wow! I like the eyecatching style of this dress which is very wearable today! This style looks very familiar......

Wait......this is so reminiscent of the mock wrap top from the January 2009 issue!


Think upcoming spring and summer!



Here are some of my ebay/etsy finds! I really like these styles. If only there are more than 24 hours in a day to find the time to sew these!

Perry Mason's Della Streed?


Rita Hayworth comes to mind.


Reminiscent of Veronica Lake.

Think chic 60's...Jackie O and That Girl's Marlo!

I love those 70's tops a la Jan Brady!



70's wrap tops....Wrap tops never go out of style! I like the gathered forward shoulder!



Totally 80's, but now totally in style! I'm seeing these designs reincarnated in current patterns somehow!

Think Victoria Principal! Pleated front blouse. From my mom, I inherited an early 90's blouse with a pleated front similar to this. They are en vogue.

Some feminine styles from the Brooke Shields collection. The colonial-styled collar would not work for me. The last two tops look simple to make and very versatile! Brooke Shields is still looking fabulous at 43! She's only a year older than me!

Looking sharp promoting New York and Company, 2007.



The lady in red in last year's Emmy Awards. I did not see her strolling on the red carpet, but saw her presenting an award with Craig Kilgore (he was naughty with her, if you recall). I thought to myself, "wow, she still sizzles and looked finer than the younger stars!" Later I found out she was voted best-looking on the red carpet! No surprise here!

Mock Me Amadeus!

I really like this year's January 2009 issue of Burda WOF! I'm so glad to sew something from the current month!




The pattern has those cool arched gathers that can flatter any figure!



Rewind 28 years ago to 1980.....
Burda has a dress with that gathered arch!



Pattern Description
"You don't always need a costume/skirt suit to be feminine and elegant. There are other solutions, and this duo is a case in point. A long-sleeved, mock-wrap-over top in dot-print jersey with plunging neckline is comfortably tucked into the high, shaped waistband of trousers/pants of softly flowing wool faille."


Top: Burda sizes 38 - 46. I sewed a "40".

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
For the most part yes, except I did not take the Burda WOF "plunge".


Fabric Used
Stretch jersey (Gorgeous Fabrics) left over from a Jalie crossover top. This top actually consumed less fabric than I estimated (1 1/2 yards)




Favorite Features
*Gathering below the left bust point arching towards the center (My favorite feature!)

*Only five pieces to work with: left piece, lower left front, right piece, back, sleeve. I made sure to transfer all markings that include the asterisks along the right front piece designating the location of the gathers and the vertical marks on the left front and lower left front pieces designating the placement of the right front.


Not so favorite features
*Really low neckline
*Sleeves would have been really long if I added the hem allowance. (I'm not a well proportioned person. I have a short torso and long arms).


Other Features
*There was slight more ease at the shoulders. I probably could have gotten away with a "38" at the shoulders for a more snug fit.

*Set-in sleeves. I actually followed this step instead of sewing them in flat for knits. I attibute this to force of habit from sewing with non-knits.


Directions
Surprisingly logical and satisfactory, especially if you have sewn knit tops before!

However, there was the tricky section on joining the left and right fronts that I read several times: attaching the wrong side of the wearer's right gathered edge to the right side of the wearer's left curved edge. Then I attached what Burda refers to as the "narrow" (curved) side of the lower left piece over the visible gathered seam, finger pressing as I sew due to sewing three layers of fabric together. Due to the seam curvature and elasticity of the fabric, the fabric had a tendency to bunch up a little between the sewing foot and plate, making it easy to sew that annoying little pleat captured in the seam (is this familiar to anyone?) despite being extra cautious. Yes, I confess.....I had to remove some stitches and redo part of the seam.

Side Issue
I found myself somewhat obsessively and compulsively checking that all 3 layers were properly situated (the left front, the right front that crossed over the left from the outside, and the lower left front) to sew each side seam. I have had my share of getting fabric twisted and portions that missed the seams!




Modifications

You Raise Me Up
* I raised the neckline 2", slowly tapering to 0" below the shoulders. I'm glad I did this! This time I could even get by without wearing a camisole, because of the modest neckline.

...to sew on stormy seams
* Omitted the back neck facing. I was able to get away with folding under a 5/8" hem (with a scant hem of the raw edge tucked underneath) and using a very narrow zig-zag. Since I do not have a serger, I used a 1.5 width and 2.5 length setting on my trusty sewing machine.

* Shortened the arm length by 1/2" above the original length printed on the pattern page.

* Stabilized the shoulder seams using a rectangular piece of fusible interfacing.


Conclusion
I definitely plan to sew more versions of this top again. It took me only one evening to sew my first version and will go much smoother the next time. I just added this pattern as a new favorite!

If you have a copy of this Burda WOF, I highly recommend this top for a nice and simple project to sew that is both comfortable and stylish! I also recommend it as a first time Burda WOF project!

The Pleat is On!
One of the things on my to-do list is to sew a white, ruffled front blouse.

Last spring, I found this picture of a famous suburban housewife that became an inspiration to make a ruffled front top, except I cannot make something in her size. Before she became a household name, I remember watching her in Young and the Restless (as Isabella, Paul William's ex-wife, if you are a fan).





As I was browsing the December 2008 issue, I found something that caught my attention, pattern #126







I thought this would be a nice opportunity to make something from the December 2008 issue, which paid tribute to the Bambi awards. I completed this shirt in time before the Golden Globes Awards aired. Heather insisted that I pose with her friend Bolt. Due to starring in a motion picture nominated for best animated film, Bolt then dashed to the Golden Globe Awards that late afternoon, leaving Heather and I at home. Oh well....


Pattern Description
"A bib with pleated ruffles, covered buttons, and turnback cuffs - all in white silk taffeta. This is the perfect blouse for a dinner suit/tuxedo! It's irresistibly sexy when worn casually - unbuttoned, with turned-back sleeves and loose bow tie that should be anchored to the collar stand with a few stitches."

Sizes
Burda sizes 36 - 44. I sewed a "40" at the shoulders, tapering to a "42" at the hips. I usually wear a RTW 12 and sew a "14" from the big 4.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Probably yes, if I use turnback cuffs, turn up my collar, not fully button my shirt, and make that seductive pose.


Fabric Used
For my muslin, I used cheap, polyester pongee in my local Yardage Town. I found this in the linings section. It is slightly slippery and has a tendency to run with some tugging.


Favorite Features
* Overall fit
* Tuxedo look from the pleated front
* Collar with stand
* Versatility
* Not a difficult shirt to construct. It's just somewhat time consuming.



Not-so-favorite Features
*Making the pleats (seemed to take some time for me!)
*A little excess of ease at the sleeve caps
*Somewhat tricky fabric that was prone to runs and puckers. Even the upper sleeves of the model's shirt has some little puckers!


Directions
For my Burda WOF patterns, I find it convenient to scan/copy the technical drawing and directions from the magazine and tape them to a folded piece of construction paper (stapled at the edges) that also acts like a envelope for pattern storage.

The directions were organized and sufficient for those who have experience with making a button-down shirt with a collar and cuffs. Still I was somewhat baffled due to the wording in some steps.

Pleat It, Just Pleat It!
I made a 1/4" narrow hem at the outer edge of each pleat instead of zig-zagging as directed. The pleats go downward, where one line segment meets one just below it. With all these line segments, it is easy to lose track of which goes where. I have almost given up on what seemed like a very simple task: fold down, match symbols and pin, then fold down, match symbols and pin. Then I would start all over due to some confusion!


In transferring the markings from the pattern piece to the fabric, I lightly penciled a pair of X's and a pair of 0's along the edges to distinguish among the pairs of line segments, like this:
X




X





0




0





X




X
etc...

For instance, the top X folds down to meet the subsequent X. The O folds down to meet the subsequent O, continuing to the last pair of letters.

Most likely due to operator error, each of my pleated bands had an excess of 5" length beyond the length of the front edge of the shirt. In comparing with the photo in the magazine, each of my pleats seemed a tad longer than what was on th model. Maybe I skipped some pleats which contributed to the excess. I did not worry about the discrepancy and just snipped off the extra fabric.




Band on the Run
After sewing the front vertical darts, back center seam, shoulder seams, side seams, and the pleated band to the edge of the front, my confusion grew after reading the steps to make the front band and cuffs! So I abandoned Burda WOF's steps to create the front band and immediately referred to BusyMom's technique for a RTW look that she used for her gorgeous Butterick aubergine blouse. I also want to do away with sewing the front band to the front edge of the blouse, right sides together, folding the band in half, turning to the inside and slipstitching/handstitching the folded raw edge or seam allowance to the inside seam. Instead, I sewed the band's right side to the wrong side of the front edge and turned it to the outside, folded it in half so that the raw edge to be tucked under could be topstitched.


Modifications
*Used the method as described earlier to attach the front band
*Decreased the width of the vertical darts
*Omitted the sleeve vents and replaced the upturned cuffs with slightly flounced cuffs.


Would you sew this again?
Yes! Next time I plan to omit the pleated front, but include the sleeve vents and the upturned cuffs. I noticed that I need to tweak the sleeves to reduce the lines that bother me.


Conclusion
If you like the style, go for it! The white tuxedo-styled shirt goes great with a long, flowing black skirt for a nice evening out. Without the pleated front, it is really a nice basic shirt with a lot of possibilities.

Milly Vogue-illy


I like this top! It's lively, classic, retro yet simple and stylish!

The collar and pleated neckline together add some panache to a simple top. I would not pay nearly $200 for it, though.




Pattern Description
MISSES’/MISSES’ PETITE TOP: Pullover top has front pleats. A: short sleeves. B: pleated lower sleeve, casing and elastic sleeve finish. C: cut edge upper, middle and lower sleeve flounce.
NOTIONS: Top A, B, C: Hooks and Eyes. Also for B, C: 1/2" Single Fold Bias Tape. For B: 1 yd. of 3/4" Elastic.
FABRICS: Top A, B, C: Batiste, Broadcloth and Gauze. Unsuitable for obvious diagonals, plaids or stripes. Use nap yardages/layouts for pile, shaded or one-way design fabrics. *with nap. **without nap.


Size
6-8-10-12. I sewed a "12".

Favorite Features
*Sleeve variations as described
*Pleated front
*Nice contoured shaping on the sides
*Very easy to sew
*View A has four pattern pieces: front, back, collar (curved piece), and sleeve. You cannot get simpler than this for a short sleeved collar top!

Not-so-favorite Features
*The collar tended to drape a little more outward than the Milly top. The non-interfaced piece seemed to stretch after some handling (due to outer portion's curvature landing on the bias?), causing some drape, which does not appear that bad. My top looked more like the technical drawing on the directions page, which contradicted the seemingly flat collar on the pattern illustration.



*I don't like the open upper back center seam which puffs out due to having a slightly rounded upper back


Directions
They were fine for making the simplest view. You could actually rely on the illustrations to get the main idea.

Here is an outline of the steps I used for View A:

*I made certain I accurately marked the pleat lines and dots. For each pleat I folded the left to the right pleat line, so that each pair of dots (top and bottom)coincide and stitched on the line.

*I stitched the front and back sections, right sides together at the shoulders and the sides.

*I interfaced one collar piece (and added the extra step of stitching a narrow hem to finish its notched edge), and stitched it to the non-interfaced piece at the unnotched sides. This was clear from the illustration.

*I sewed the non-interfaced collar piece to the neckline, right sides together. Then I turned the interfaced collar piece to the inside and carefully slipstitched it to the neckline.

*I stitched a 5/8" from the lower edge of the blouse after I turned in the raw edge.

*I set-in the sleeves using the pin, hand-baste and machine stitch method.


Modifications
* Used two buttons/buttonholes instead hooks and eyes.

Second version
* I closed the open upper back, continuing the center seam from the lower back (but taking in an additional 1/4" ) and kept the collar open in the back. I was still able to get the top over my head.
* For my second version I used a sloping shoulder adjustment similar to Dawn Cloake's tutorial. As a result, the shoulders narrowed and I obtained a tad more snug fit on my upper chest and upper back. This adjustment would be ideal for me when making a sleeveless version of this top. For the short sleeved version, I should have increased the width of the shoulders to compensate for my adjustment of taking 1/2" from the edge, tapering to 0" at the neckline.

I find that I usually do not need to adjust for Burda patterns, where the front is sloped more than the back, bypassing forward shoulder adjustments. Maybe the forward shoulder adjustment is what I need for certain patterns. I need more experimenting with this issue.


Conclusion
I highly recommend this pattern for its versatility, simplicity, and stylish details. It's also an ideal pattern for beginners and working on fitting issues.

The total sewing time without interruptions would be for me two and half hours. Speedy and accurate sewists would probably take much less!


Will post pics of my versions soon....

Baby, You Can't Drive Our Cars
Heather had fun again this year at the Car Show. Again, she enjoys being in the "driver's seat" and having her pictures taken. We did not see any motorcycles, unless we just missed them.



Under-aged driver!



Be safe!

Sporting Ford couture near a Mazda



Ford gave away those funky blue t-shirts. If any of the Ford workers spot randomly a person that is wearing those shirts in a "competitor's" area, then he/she wins a $20 gas card. Heather wore the shirt over her HK dress for a good amount of time, then removed it, and sometime later, changed her mind to wear it again (after removing again her denim jacket). She kept insisting to me that she be seen wearing the Ford t-shirt so that she can win the prize. I told her repeatedly that she might win or she might not. Then lo and behold, three young ladies spotted Heather inside a car and awarded us the prize! Persistence pays, and in this case a $20 gas card.


Heather on a backlit BMW display. I wished the flash worked on this photo. I like the perspective on this one.


More posing


Not an ideal car for a student driver!






Energy Efficient!





Father and Daughter. I prefer Jorgen in his "longer" hairdo with his naturally wavy hair. I really don't like crewcuts. But his hair grows quickly.







Oh what a feeling to drive a Toyota. I forgot what car we were in here. From the other car's insignia, I think it's a Toyota!





We spent nearly 5 hours browsing and somewhere in between we had a little pizza at one of the "cafe expresses". The only cars that stood out were those with vibrant colors. Undoubtedly, the convertibles attracted a lot of attention, especially for photo opportunities and looky loos. Jorgen had fun looking at the gadgets and navigational devices in the larger cars. Heather, of course, enjoyed posing near or in the driver's seat. She is at this curious stage where she wants to press the pedals and fiddle with the driver's gagetry. Just like many inquisitive young minds, she felt like she had enough and whined, "I want to go home." We persisted in staying just a little longer to complete the entire stretch of car manufacturers. Heather hopefully learned the art of courtesy and patience. She still whined occasionally, but managed to keep her boredom in check by taking more pictures on her own digital camera, spinning the Mazda color balls, tapping the big buttons and reading what she can from the informational displays, and "pretend test driving" each car by more poses and photos. I agree that there's not much intellectual stimulation in just "ooh-ing and ah-ing" material things.










MORE Pics later...........................

Disco in Ditto Jeans Pink

"It's all an illusion, there's too much confusion", from Madonna's "Can We Get Together?" Hot Patterns provided more illusion than reality. The illustrations on their pattern envelopes are illusions to entice you to purchase their patterns!

Based on my experience with three garments, the illustrations on Hot Patterns envelopes do not match the actual results from sewing with the given pattern pieces. It is usually common to adjust patterns to fit our unique figures. It would make sense to draft my own patterns by hand, use drafting software, or purchase a pattern that closely resembles the look that I want. Therefore, I plan not to purchase more patterns from HP.

I purchased this pattern from the recent 2 for 1 sale from HP. The patterns arrived two weeks after I placed my order. Although I anticipate that that the blouse straight from the envelope (thanks to the very helpful reviewers of this pattern) will not look like the concept illustrations (actually the reviewers' blouses looked better!), I wanted to sew this myself and take it from there.





Pattern Description
HP 1064: "Put on your Tango heels and dance up a storm in these pretty Blouses just right for heavy crepe de chine, drapey rayon or soft jaquard. Relaxed fit blouses have 1-piece collar, front button closure and optional front and back darts. Elbow-length sleeved version has gathered sleeves with 3 tiers of fluted ruffles at the hem. 3/4 sleeved version has slim sleeves with deep frill at the hem...".

It should read more like "Put on your platforms and Ditto's Jeans and do the hustle....."

For those not familiar with Hot Patterns, the patterns are printed on heavy paper.


Size
Multi-sized 6-26. I used my upper bust measurement to select the size 12. There's quite a bit of ease nearly everywhere in this blouse, so I was glad to decide on the 12 instead of the 14. Here is the side view so that you can see the drag lines. Please! I appreciate any help and suggestions on this issue.

Fabric
For my first version, I used cotton shirting from FashionFabricsClub.com



Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Absolutely not! As noted in previous reviews, there are discrepancies between the illustrations on the envelope and the sewn garment from the actual pattern. I feel like Laurie Partridge ready to sing "Come On, Let's Get the Maracas!"


Features
* Generally easy to put together the way it is drafted
* Definitely not as fitted as illustrated.
* Optional front and back vertical darts help add shape, reducing the boxy or relaxed fit. After finishing my first version, I can see that rotated bust darts would improve the look and fit.
* The collar flares out, 70's retro-style, instead of the collar points being closer together as illustrated
* Sleeve caps have a bit of excess ease
* Sleeves are not fitted as illustrated
* 3/4 sleeve version have actual elbow-length sleeves with 5" frilly cuffs (more like balloon cuffs!!)
* Blouse contains front facings and a back facing
* Just like motorposus, I discovered when sewing the front and the back along the side seams, the front was about 3/4" longer than the back.

Directions
If you are acclimated to Burda WOF directions, then you would find directions for this pattern to be more than sufficient, redundant, and possibly convoluted. It would have been convenient to have illustrations that accompany the 2 printed pages worth of verbage, especially for us visual learners. However, if you are familiar with sewing shirts, then you could get by with little or no guidance. I decided to be bold and abandon HP's directions.

The front and back markings for the sleeve pattern pieces and the correspondings ones on the armscyes of the front and back are easy to overlook because they are very faint.


Modifications
*Added a slightly curved center back seam using the back piece from my favorite Butterick shirt/jacket. This added a flattering back contour from the side and back views. I really did not need to add a seam allowance for the center back seam. After trying on the fronts basted to the back, I took in an additional 3/8" to reduce the bagginess in the back. If I sew another version, I plan to take out a tad of horizontal excess above the waist.

* Set-in the sleeves instead of sewing them flat per the directions. Took in the sleeve seams by another 1/4". However, I chose not to reduce the sleeve caps for that slightly "puffed" look at the ends of the shoulders.

* Used the next larger collar size, 14.

* Shortened length by 1 1/2"

* Used 7 cm spacing between buttons instead of the 10 cm from the "button template"

Would you sew this again? Would you recommend this to others?
If I ever sew this again, I would have to make more adjustments! The blouse is not difficult to sew. It really is a nice, basic shirt pattern that has a lot of possibilties. I could have sewn this in one entire evening if I did not fuss with design and fitting issues.


If you like the style as is, I would recommend this pattern. If you want the style as illustrated on the envelope, you would have to redraft almost the entire pattern as reviewed by LMH.


Conclusion
HP either should (1) change their envelope illustrations to make it match with the actual drafting of this pattern or (2) re-draft the entire pattern to match the illustration.

A more befitting name would be "Disco Vibe, Tango at Studio 54 Blouse!"



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