C's of Confusion

Modern spin on the shirt dress:

$325 at Saksy Fifth

From Net-A-Porter, a 70's Halston styled shirtdress.



Red 70's vintage shirtdress with front placket





I think I have gone "C"razy with this "c"heetah fabric!

Pattern Description
"How hot is this fantastic dress style? Smoking hot! We love this modern-classic Shirtdress, designed for luxe knits like silk, cashmere or merino wool jersey, or even rayon or viscose knits. Slim-fit Shirtdress has a gentle A-line flare, long sleeves with plackets & cuffs, and a classic shirt collar with stand. Shirtdress has a shoulder yoke, center back seam and front placket closure, and an optional tie belt. The ultimate in understated luxury, this classic Halston-inspired Shirtdress makes for an elegant daywear staple in any solid hue. The self-tie can be worn belted at the waist or fastened cravat-style at the neck. Try this fashionista favorite as your perfect LBD, or dress it down for daytime over a polo neck with boots and a messenger bag."

Size
Multi-sized 6-26. I sewed a "12".



Fabric
Polyester jersey from Fashionista Fabrics. I made this dress before my BWOF knit top in the same fabric.


Favorite Features
*The drafting is a very good reincarnation of the 70's Halston shirt dress. This style is also reminiscent of DVF shirt dresses. The collar came out larger than the HP illustration.

*I like the yoke and forward shoulder seam details.


Not-so-favorite features
*Without the tie, the dress looked like a night shirt due its volumnosity.
*The method to apply the sleeve and front plackets baffled me.
*The buttons tended to slip from the concealed buttonholes. I should have had made the buttonholes a little smaller.


Directions
Walk this way, sew this way...
For me, satisfactory (except for the placket construction) with vague illustrations. I very much agree that directions are very much suited for sewists with the stated skill level (intermediate) of this pattern. It would be very helpful to include shading or otherwise to distinguish between the right and wrong sides of the fabric. The illustrations served as cues to me, because they are not as detailed as those found in the big 4 patterns.

Before sewing the main pieces, the directions started with optionally interfacing the collar, collar stand, cuffs, and plackets and constructing the collar with stand. Although I used lightweight fusible interfacing, one end of my collars encountered just a tad of extension beyond the collar stand. I would not want to know what would happen if I had skipped interfacing. I definitely recommend the interfacing just in case, to add more stability to the knit.

Then came preparing the concealed buttonholes strip, the front bodice plackets, and the sleeve plackets. After "working" the concealed buttonholes on the left placket, I topstitched its left and right edges (with a 3/8" seam allowance pressed under) to the the right of the top placket. To be on the safe side, I indented 3/8" from the raw edge of the placket. The illustration did not show how far from the right edge on which to sew the strip with the concealed buttonhole.


Don't Sleeve Me This Way...
The explanation of the method to apply the sleeve placket was impossible for me to decipher. Was I supposed to cut 2 pairs of the little rectangular pieces instead of one pair? The illustrations did not really help, but just added to the confusion. I could not figure out where to place one piece after I pressed each edge except for the bottom 3/8". I stared at this section long enough and decided to use an alternative method that I'm familiar with (a la Kwik Sew??). I cut a strip of fabric, sewed it to the the slit, right sides together, turned to the inside, fold the raw edge under and topstitched. Then I mitered the corner at the apex of the slit.


It Wants to Be a Part of It, New Yoke, New Yoke
HP mentions to sandwich the back between the back yoke pieces. As I looked ahead at the directions, I asked myself, "What's next?" There was no mention to sew the layers together. I did not understand the subsequent illustration with the back folded like an accordion with the caption of scrunching the back? I just did not get it. Using "intuitive sewing", I sewed the bottom edge of one back yoke, right sides together with the upper edge of the back which has a center seam. I sewed the right side of the other back yoke to the wrong side of the back. Then I raised the yoke sections together so that one acted like a facing and aligned them before I sewed them to front of the dress at the shoulders. An illustration to show this step would have been helpful, especially if sewing this dress for the first time.



Got Brass on Placket, Am Gonna Sew It....
As for the bodice placket, the directions mention to use the method to apply the sleeve plackets. Uh oh.....

Have you done something using a desperately familiar approach only to realize later that there's a "slicker and better" method? I used a workable method (not necessarily a sleek one) to make the front bodice placket and decided too put aside by embarassment to share it with you.




Close-up picture of front plackets.

In preparing the concealed buttonhole strip, I topstitched it (with seam allowances pressed under) to a front placket piece 3/8" from the right edge. HP was not clear on the placement. Before attaching the collar stand, I sewed one end of each placket to the front, right sides together, folded each in half and slipstitched the edge to the inside.

I overlapped the wearer's right front over the left front plackets to form a 3/8" bottom seam. From the inside and with a lot of finger pressing, I sewed the unifying seam to the lowest edge of the front opening, which allowed me to skip topstitching the lowest portion of the plackets. Not a sleek way, but it worked for now.

I researched the internet and found directions for applying a sleeve placket which would be great for the front bodice placket! Where was this when I really needed it? I went through each step and had several "a-ha" moments. Then I referred back to HP's version and was able to relate its steps to the online tutorial. I plan to use this method next time for something that requires plackets.

Detailed tutorial for "fearless placket" construction. I wish I had this handy!


Modifications
*Shortened the dress 2" so that it reaches about me knee level.
*Changed the method to finish the sleeve slits and to construct front bodice plackets previously described.


Conclusion
I recommend this pattern if you like the 70's styled shirtdress. However, the dress needed the tie belt or any workable belt to pull the look together, eliminating the sac-like silhouette! Just be prepared for some sparse directions and possibly referring to other sources to assist with for things as collar construction and applying the plackets.

It is at least comfortable for some disco dancing!

Coats of Charms

I thought it would be fun to join the PR monthly Burda WOF sew-along.

I plan to sew Heather and myself jackets before spring hits here in sunny southern California... Heather usually finds the children's section from the table of contents before I could thumb through the pages! She selected this from the January 2009 issue:










The presidents' birthdays weekend is just around the corner. If time permits, I would like to sew the jacket from the exclusive design. It has that retro styling that I like. Maybe I'll be more daring and sew the skirt. Maybe it's about time to sew my first BWOF skirt!


I had just traced the pieces for both jackets and hopefully there is some fabric from my stash that I could use.

Just completed cutting the pieces for Heather's new peacoat from the BWOF January 2009 issue. I said to myself: uh oh.. welt pockets...

I mustered enough courage to give welt pockets another try. The directions referred me to pattern #103 for a parka, and whoa.....I could not follow the agonizing directions simply because I was unable to visualize what was being explained. I just could not visualize all what was done with "abutting" fabric. Then a light bulb clicked and I remembered that I purchased Kenneth King's Cool Couture from PR and referred to "Fool Proof Single-Welt Pocket" that started on page 89. I was intimidated at first with all the steps. But once I immersed myself in the process and figured what I did wrong after my first attempt, it became a breeze!

After my first attempt, things went smoothly! I recommend practicing on scrap material before sewing with the actual garment!

After I sewed the welt piece, right sides together, I turned it right side out and stitched 1 3/8" from the bottom edge onto a re-drafted pocket lining. Kenneth mentions to take the original pocket length double it and add 2" extra.



Kenneth really nicely detailed specific starting and pivoting points along with the stitch length.


After slashing, and cutting the the little triangles at the corners:

Ready to sew the pockets, right sides together:

Turn them to the wrong side of the front and voila!


Both pockets finally completed!


I highly recommend this book! It's worth it for just one of his sleek methods alone! Now, I feel confident making more welt pockets....What a relief!

Now, time for a nice cool glass of lemonade

C's the Moment!

A classic basic knit top!





Pattern Description
"Roses for Leo the leopard! This top with 3/4 sleeves and bateau neckline is simply cut, allowing the unusual fabric with its stitched-on satin stripes and extravagant floral & animal print to tell the story." I sewed the long-sleeved version without the stitched-on satin stripes.

Size
Burda sizes 36 - 44. I sewed a 40.

Fabric
"Stylish Cheetah Jersey", a polyester knit from Fashionista Fabrics


Favorite Features
* Bateau neckline
* Overall silhouette
* Very easy top consisting of only three pieces: the front, back, and sleeve.
* Versatile sleeve length: 3/4 or full length.

Other Features
*Neckline needs to be stabilized to prevent gaping or draping forward.

Directions
They were minimal, yet adequate for those who are familiar with sewing knit tops. I glanced at the directions and felt confident to continue on my own. I first sewed the front to the back at the shoulders. Then I folded a 5/8" seam at the neckline and topstitched. I sewed the sleeves in flat, sewed the sleeve and side seams as one continuous seams, hemmed and topstitched the sleeves and the bottom hem.

A serger or cover stitch machine would have simplified matters!


Modifications
*Did not add lower hem allowance.
*Sewed the sleeves in flat, instead of setting them in per the directions.


Conclusion
This top is great for beginners and especially as a first-time knit top project! I also recommend making this top as a quick and easy project between more difficult ones1 For me, the cutting time and sewing time took less than two hours, keeping in mind, that I'm not speedy!

Charlie's Angles

Update, January 31, 2009
Oops! I made it again! Immediately after making my first version, I delved into my next one using patterned ITY fabric which I nicknamed "Pascal's Triangles", from FashionFabricsClub.com. This fabric was a tad more slippery work with than the one from GF. If you are into the hectic geometric, this fabric is still available the last time I checked. I intentionally let the out a little more ease from the upper sleeves for a slightly retro look. I plan not to do that the next time! The only thing that bothers me is the tendency of my neckline to to shift a little off center due to being asymmetrical, which is something I need to account in certain types of garments.

"Pascal's Triangles"




Conclusion
Very comfortable and neckline SAFE for me to wear in the general public. I already wore the two tops to work and elsewhere. The day I wore my second version to work coincided with the lesson on similar or proportional polygons, especially similar triangles. One clueless student asked, "Did you order your top from the guy who makes our books?" My instant reaction was, "Huh?" That "publishing guy" must be just one great guy because he certainly knows women's "proportions"! Here's one comment from whom I refer as "Miss Trendy Wendy": "Those designers are listening to you math teachers, so they make those outfits with shapes and stuff, right?" The word "designers" caught my ear......One of my most skeptical geometry students seriously commented, "Yeah, I get it now (referring to a previous unit). Ms B, you're wearing triangles that are translated and reflected." Yup, this is the youth of today. It would have played out differently if I wore this top in the 80's.....

BTW: No student asked if I made the top...

The effects of screamin' fabric!!

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....