Prince in Purple and the King in an Eagle Jumpsuit

Kathy, if you are reading this, thank you for nominating me for the Creative Blogger Award! You are too kind! Me, creative? I cannot even draw stick people! Even Heather draws better than me!

I was seamin' when I wrote this. Forgive me if it goes astray...




Pattern Description
Misses Shirts - with collar, sleeve and cuff variations. I made View A. I noticed that just as pictured on the envelope, the shoulders are slightly dropped. It seems to be an intended style feature. So I sewed a "12" at the shoulders which resulted to be adequate for my liking, but still a little roomy for my shoulders.


Size
Misses' 10-22. I made a "12" at the shoulders and sleeves, tapering to a "14" at the hips.


Fabric
Rayon linen from Fashionista Fabrics




Favorite Features
*Vertical darts in the front and back
*Bust darts. I notice a strong correlation between bust darts and no drag lines and no bust darts and drag lines. My Hot Patterns shirt that I recently reviewed had no bust darts and drag lines...hmmmm....


Not-so-favorite Features
*As mentioned by fellow PR'ers, I did not care for certain pattern pieces printed with sizes in strange subgroups(i.e. 8,12 or 10, 14, etc). What a waste of extra tissue paper! It would have been convenient to include all or certain consecutive sizes on each piece, such as a 10-12-14 combination.

*Since I cut an estimated "12" at the shoulders and sleeves, I assumed that it was fine to cut a "12" for the front facing and the cuffs. Uh-oh. It ended up not being a wonderful idea. In stitching the front facing along the front edge and the neckline, the top edge the front facing (folded at the seam allowance), missed the shoulder seam by a tad! Also each cuff after encircling the lower edge of the sleeve did not intersect its starting point to form a "V", missing the vertex by 1 cm, thereby forming some sort of "U". I could have decreased the seam allowances of the cuff before turning them inside out.

*I find the collar to be unflattering for me due to its overall design. It has a tendency to stand upright and to creep along the back of my neck. Oh well, I did not inherit my mom's long and slender neck.


Directions
They are fine with good illustrations. I did not encounter problems in deciphering each step.




Modifications
* Since the shirt is really form fitting, I decreased the width of the front and back vertical darts which resulted in a little more ease. I was able to button the front with no problem.

*Omitted the topstitching in the front due to a personal style preference.

*Placed the top buttonhole slightly higher than originally for modesty. The neckline did not come as low as anticipated. It is wise to make a wearable muslin and adjust if necessary.

*I used 5 gold-colored buttons each embossed with a coat of arms emblem which look suitable on a uniform. I purchased these along with other fancy looking buttons that came in a ziploc bag from a Michael's craft store.


Conclusion
I can see why this pattern has many reviews! The shirt provides a flattering silhouette once you figure out fitting issues. Next time, I'll abandon the collar.



For some reason, I am having a vision of the King in his iconic eagle jumpsuit! It must be the upright collar, huge cuffs, and v-neck.



Maybe I'm paying a subliminal tribute to his 70's style along with Prince in all his purple glory. Strange.

Although the pattern envelope is marked "easy", it is easy to sew, but not quick. I spent the same amount with this "easy" pattern (maybe even more) as with those that have no rating! I still recommend this patten.

Heather's Burdie Peacoat, Part Deux

January 2009's Girl's Peacoat

I returned to work on Heather's new glen plaid peacoat several days later. Beyond the welt pocket construction, it seemed easy to construct!

* I basted the pleat of the lower back section and the back loop to the pleat.
* I attached the back yoke to the lower back section.
* I stitched the front sleeves to the upper front and the back sleeves to the upper back of the coat. Then I stitched each of the lower portions of the sleeves together, right sides together, and the side seams as one continuous seam.
* I basted the collar to the neckline.



The front and back of the coat in progress:

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!