Plaid to Meet You!

The mad for plaid trend is arriving full bloom for spring 2009!



Burda website





Heather eagerly chose this jacket from the children's section in Burda WOF, January 2009.

For the little ladies from Juicy Couture:


From Nordy's, a plaid wool jacket for $358.

From Neiman Marcus, a cropped jacket for $148.




P-P-P-P-Plaid to the Bone!



Since Heather is working with rhyming words in kindergarten. I associated "plaid" with "mad" pointing to a popular 80's song that came to mind, "I'm Plaid (Mad) About You...."


I just completed sewing Heather's new peacoat. She adores it!

I'm Mad About Plaid! Plaid About You!!!!!!!!!!!!


Pattern Description
"Her favourite new jacket is not only comfortable and easy to mix and match – its decorative jeans-style topstitching and the double-breasted front also look great."

Size
Height in cm: 104, 110, 116, 122. I sewed a 116 based on her height. In terms of fit, the jacket seemed two sizes larger for her. After looking again at the Burda models, the jacket seemd drafted to be unstructured and slouchy.



Fabric
Tahari glen plaid from Fashionista Fabrics.
a Tahari Glen Plaid dress from Overstock.com



Favorite Features
*Well-drafted. The pieces went together nicely.
*Peacoat style
*Raglan styled sleeves (two-piece sleeve)
*Back yoke with pleat just below it.


Not-so-favorite features
*Confusing directions for the welt pockets. Used Kenneth King's method for "Foolproof Single-Welt Pockets" from his "Cool Couture" book.

*Aligning the plaids.

Directions
Directions were easy to follow (except the convoluted ones for welt pocket for another pattern in the same issue), especially if you are familiar sewing a raglan shirt or jacket.

I paced myself, setting a goal for each day I have available to sew. I have a habit of wanting to finish everything in one day!

Day One
* Traced and cut all pattern pieces including the pieces to be measured such as the back loop and the welt and pockets.
* Interfaced the two center fronts and one collar piece.

Day Two
* Cut the fabric and lining pieces (side front, back, front sleeve, back sleeve.
* Prepared and attached the welt pockets to the side fronts, using Kenneth King's method described in "Modifications" section below.




Day Three
* Basted the back pleat and prepared the back loop and basted it to the center back.
* Sewed the back yoke to the the lower back portion containing the pleat and the loop.
* Sewed the front sleeve to the upper curved portion of the side front and the back sleeves to the upper curved portion of the back.
* Joined each front section to the corresponding back section at the seam underneath the sleeves and the at the sides as one continuous seam.
* Sewed the interfaced center front to the sides front.
* Prepared the collar and basted it to the neckline.

Day Four
* Prepared the lining in the same way as the visible jacket, sans the yoke.
* Attached the lining along the front edges, neckline, and lower edges. Instead of leaving an opening on the bottom to turn the jacket inside out, I left a 4" opening at the side through which to gently pull the garment through. Then I carefully slip-stitched the opening.
* Stitched the 6 buttonholes and attached the buttons.
* Finished the sleeve lining edge with a 1/8" seam allowance, tucked under an additional 3/8" seam allowance, and handstitched it to the sleeve's finished edge.


Modifications
* Instead of at the beginning of construction (just after cutting the fabric pieces), stitched the center fronts to the side fronts just before attaching the collar.

From Olliebollen, a Catimini wool manteau for $149 The welt/pocket flaps are downward.


*Used Kenneth King's method for "Foolproof Single-Welt Pockets" from his "Cool Couture" book. I situated my welts upward instead of downward on the markings so that the pocket flaps will face downward after stitching, slashing, sewing the pockets and turning them to the underside of the side fronts. After scrolling down a little, here are more information and pictures that provide an overview of Kenneth's nicely detailed method that started on page 89. I highly recommend this book!

*Omitted all topstitching.

*I was remiss in omitting the lower hem allowance for the center front and front facings. So the jacket ended up being about an inch shorter in length.


Conclusion
Can you sew them, sew right through them....It doesn't matter what they say, even if the fabric frays, hey, hey, hey... Our Seams are Sealed

I made one final press of the collar and the center front to maintaing the crease for the lapels.

My first impression of Heather's new jacket was "That seems to be 2 sizes large for her!" However, it did pass the "grandma" test. Grandma (my mom) adored the style and asked me to make another one for Heather! Now I appreciate that the jacket really had that retro "swing" style. I later noticed its cape-like style which makes it more endearing.

I am not sure if I will sew this again, but if I do, I would probably use a lightweight denim for a casual look. It really is simple to sew, although time consuming due to details such as welt pockets, collar, and lining. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this as a first time Burda WOF lined jacket because it is very well drafted and the directions are concise and clear (except for the welt pockets borrowed from another pattern) in comparison to other BWOF patterns.

More "affordable" RTW from Nine West:


From Macy's for $129:



From a high-end online store for $149:

Sisterly Love!

Thank you Meg of the Closet Seamstress and Ann of Gorgeous Things for nominating me for the sisterhood award! You are too kind!



The rules of this award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award.

There are so many super ladies out there! They exhibit style, fun, and lots of heart! These 10 might have already picked up a sisterhood award. But I hope they feel further honored by another one!
In no particular order, here they are....

1. Kathy
2. Michelle.
3. Kym
4. Bonnie
5. Lesalicious
6. Trena
8. Sherril
9. Melissa
10. Michelle L.
11. Silje's Fashion

Stop Zagging My Heart Around

I can fly like an eagle with these sleeves!





Am I chanelling the Queen of Boho Chic, Stevie Nicks?




Or could it be Galadriel from the lord of the rings? It must be those butterfly sleeves!



My pattern envelope, purchased from le Wal Marche has the human model wearing the tunic.
My New Look envelope




Tory Burch's Stephanie style tunic with those flare sleeves

The tunic shirts are in for spring!
Come on, $395 for a tunic you can easily create? I can understand $39.50, but $395?



Tory Burch's V-necked Ksenia



Tory Burch's Embroidered Stephanie


You just have to see this one! :
Mary Kate's and Ashley's missing sister in a pullover from Nordy's



Pattern Description
There was no actual description, except "misses 7 sizes in one."
My description is long-sleeved or sleeveless tunic with optional front trim and a sleeveless dress. The neckline is finished with a front and back facing.

Sizes
Misses' 10-22. I sewed a "12" at the shoulders tapering to a "14" at the bust and hips.

Fabric
Printed rayon from Fashionista Fabrics. Another nice fabric to work with! Melody has the coolest fabrics!

Favorite Features
* 70's tunic style. Since I was going for this style, I did not shorten it.
* Flattering silhouette
* Bust darts
* Pattern pieces consited of the front, back, sleeve, front facing, and back facing.
* Very easy to sew

Less Favorite Features
* Long sleeves that resembled big butterfly wings! I found them overpowering!

* The front split tended to droop and possibly called for a heavier interfacing for more stability.

* The front facing needed to be shortened to reduce bulk.

* Side zipper would be needed due to the tunic really being form fitted, not loose and billowy.

* I could have omitted the front center seam by cutting the front piece as one single piece at the center fold. With the center seam, I sewed up to the marked dot (or in my case, above the dot to modify the length of the front center split or the "V"). If I had omitted the center seam, I could have snipped from the top center of the front neckine to the desired length of the split or opening and reinforce stitch the vertex.

* Boo hoo....I was not able to match the chevron pattern at the front center seams. I could have worked with a solid fabric to simplify things!


Directions
Although I glanced at them, they seemed sufficiently clear with good illustrations with no surprises.

Summary of steps:
* Used fusible interfacing for the the front and back facing
* Staystiched the front and back necklines
* Sewed the bust darts. I omitted the back vertical darts.
* Sewed the front center seam up to a point designating the vertex of the "V" or the start of the center split.
* Sewed the front to the back at the shoulders.
* Sewed the side seams
* Sewed the front and back facing at the shoulders and finished the edges.
* Sewed the entire facing over the neckline, right sides together while matching the edges of the "V" to front facing.
* Tacked the facing to the shoulder seams.
* Set-in the sleeves
* Finished the lower hem.


Modifications
*Omitted the back darts and the side zipper. I was able to pull the top over my head.

*Since the neckline split ran low, I raised it about 1 1/2" by stitching the front center seam beyond the dot.


Conclusion
This is really an easy-to-sew basic top that has a lot of potential. If you do intend to sew the tops or the dress, be wary of the depth of the center front split or "V" and the flare of the sleeves. I could have added elastic to cinch the lower edges of the sleeves.

Since I found that this top was fitted on me, I easily could envision this top in a knit.

I plan not to sew this top again because it is quite distinctive. I have more patterns to try!

I found out that Fleetwood Mac is on their "Unleashed" tour this year. At least I have something to wear for their May concert....

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!!