Wonder Girl

The iconic Wonder Woman from the late 70's, Lynda Carter:



It seemed just like yesterday when we went on a little trick or treat excursion last year. After being Snow White, The Little Mermaid, and Tinkerbell, what's left for little girls, or how about picky first graders? For Halloween this year, Heather originally wanted to be Dorothy of The Wizard of Oz, and changed her mind to Belle, and then she could not make up her mind.



United States Customs, I Mean Costumes Service
Possibly with the comeback of the "Superhero" or in this case "Superheroine", Heather decided to be Wonder Woman. Barbie last year recently released the upscale versions of Wonder Woman, BatGirl, SuperGirl and others.

Taking a yogurt break at a local shopping center's Halloween event.








After some reprieve from those megacephalic Bratz beings, she became interested in the Wonder Woman Barbies: my 1999 version and her 2003 "pink label" version.

Let's get ready for the red, white, blue, and....gold!


Fabric Selection
Late September, we skipped Joann's and went to our local Yardage Town. Heather suggested we purchase the fabric well ahead of time. She's one of those who hates procrastination. In fact, more than half of her homework to be done during the fall break completed just after the teacher assigned it. I was impressed that we found some red cotton/lycra (2 yards), gold lame?? (1 yard), and star spangled cotton fabric (2 yards). Each of the fabric selection had been marked 20% off the original. The lady kindly included an additional 20% for the notions (thread, various buttons) and did not charge tax on some $1 patterns we purchased.

Designing Wonder Women
The challenge was how to get started. Heather asked me politlely and intermittently for nearly two weeks, "Mom, are you working on my Wonder Woman costume?" Here's my usual response, "I'm still designing it in mind ..." It's harder than what I thought it would be. I went through my pattern stash and became more befuddled as I thumbed through the envelopes.






Pattern Transformation
Then last Saturday (Oct. 11), I discovered a tiered slip dress that I transformed into a "Dora" dress that I made for Heather 3 years ago, and the wore often before she outgrew it. I liked the design and felt I was up to the challenge of transforming it into a Wonder Woman , more like Wonder Girl, costume, something very age and school-attire appropriate.




It's a Bird...It's a Plane... It's a Spider, No, it is not a candelabra!!
Heather suggested that I started with the eagle. I thought it would be easy to design a caricature of one and translate it to fabric. Uh oh, actions are harder than words. I wanted to draw one suitable for a young girl, not one for Lynda Carter. My first sketch would get a nod from "Spider Girl." I simply am not geared for being a graphics artist. I almost gave up. Then Heather showed me a sticker labeled "United States Customs Service", containing our national bird in all its glory. She mentioned that she selected from her class's goody box. I made the final template on yellow paper.

To create a "quilted" eagle, I pinned the template onto the folded fabric and cut two pieces. I applied fusible interfaced on one of them and sewed the pieces, right sides together along the edges, leaving the edge of the base open for turning the entire eagle inside out. I lightly pressed the eagle, pinned it to the front of the bodice and topstitched approximately 1/8" from the edge. It was quite tricky to sew with these fabrics and especially with these fabrics together.





To finish the neckline and armscyes, I sewed the "right" side of each bias strip (cut 2" shorter than the circumference) to each edge from the "wrong" side. For instance, since the circumference of one armscye was 39, I cut a bias strip with length 37" and width 1 1/2". Then I turned the bias strip to the outside, tucked the raw edge approximately 1/4" and topstitched approximately 1/8" from the folded edge.







Accessories

I used the gold pleated lame for the headband, waistband belt, lasso, and bracelets.

*Headband with red star
I modeled it after Heather's knit headbands. I handsewed a sequined red star that I purchased from our local Yardage Town which equates the cost of two spools of thread.

* Adding the waist band/belt
I cut two bands, one 1" shorter than the width of the front bodice (measured flat) and the other 1" shorther than the width of the completed back bodice (also measured flat). This allows the entire bodice to be a little more snug at the waist and just above the hips.

*Golden lasso made from a bias strip folded in half and sewn right sides together and turned inside out through an inch opening at the center.

*Two bracelets folded made like the belt, but of course, except that it is much shorter in length and joined at the ends.




No More Tiers
I used the bodice of the dress of McCall's 4113 for Heather's Wonder Girl costume. I originally intended to use the skirt tiers and attach them as seen on the illustrated model, but Heather changed her mind and wanted a detached skirt (McCall's 5091, left skirt) . Maybe this would allow some versatility.

Conclusion
Red boots? Nah. Heather wore her very comfortable UGG boots to school yesterday. She and the other children had fun participating in a little costume parade. I'll add some red "boot covers" just in time before trick or treating.

As for trick or treating, Heather is one of those rare(???) children that sees it as a fun venture in itself. She generally does not like candy (i.e. Skittles, lollipops, etc), except M&M's and the little Hershey chocolates.



She is also tough on crime! Happy Halloween!

SALmah MONtana

I was tempted by this top's simple and clean style and the 2 dotted rating. For me, the 2 dotted became polka dotted...


Pattern Description:
"This blouse with long kimono sleeves demonstrates just how exciting a grey colour can be. It looks extremely seductive when made up in a light-weight batiste and constructed with a long front slit."

Pattern Sizing:
Missses' Burda sizes 36-44. I sewed a "40" and whoa, I could probably float in the air if a fan's air blew towards me!

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, if I go by just the collar and rolled up kimono or dolman sleeves. My top's bold salmon color replaced the serious "business" aspect with some vivacity. I just cannot wear grey very well. It is simply not my color, serious person that I usually am.

Favorite Features
*Placket opening.
This was very easy to construct. I folded, pressed, and topstitched the facing along the marked center front line (1/4" of raw edge turned under). Then I basted the lower edge of the wearer's right placket over the placket.

*Collar with collar band

*Dolman sleeves


Not-so-favorite Features
* Shirt had excessive ease and length, making it very a la Wee Willie Winkie.

Willie's gown, however, had more flair.

* Although I like the style as shown in the magazine, in reality, it does not cooperate fully with my frame and body type. It probably can be overwhelming and unflattering on somebody like myself who is barely 5'1" in height with a short torso.


*Front of placket needed to be secured for modesty.

*Working with a tricky fabric.


Fabric Used:
It is probably a type of silk-rayon-weave from one of my favorite online stores, EmmaOneSock.com. Because it is somewhat slippery and because it is not tightly woven might have a tendency to run.


Were the instructions easy to follow?
Easy to follow? They were minimal, but normal by Burda WOF standards. I add this pattern to my track record of imperfect or goof-ridden first-time experiences with patterns which include "easy" patterns. I somehow misread them and sewed the side seams of the lower front and back (skirt portion) before attaching to the upper front and back instead of vice-versa. I recommend Burda WOF's order of construction to avoid some minor challenges. Then the sleeve seams and the side seams were supposed to be sewn as one continuous seam.



For construction of the collar and band, Burda refers to pattern #106, a man's shirt, which simply describes what I call the "sandwich" method in which the collar is sandwiched between the two collar band pieces. You can rely on your experience, sewing reference books, or on-line resources. Thanks to the very helpful and talented Sigrid NL, in her recent of review of her lovely shirt, for providing a link to Pam's very helpful tutorial on this method.



Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
* Due to fabric constraints I added a center seam to the lower back piece.

* I elevated the front horizontal seam 3/4". In retrospect, I should have left it alone.

* I took in the side seams about 1/2" for a total decrease of nearly 2" in circumference below the bust.

*I removed AT LEAST 5" from the length.

*I sewed all seams using French seams. I persisted in using French seams despite issues with sewing on the bias coupled with slippery fabric.

*I secured the plackets just above the empire seam by topstitching horizontally 3/4" from their lower edges and in the little square formed, topstitching diagonally connecting opposite corners to from an "X".

*I added two buttonholes on the right front and two "diamond" buttons (finally, I get to use these :-) ) on the left front, to secure the front for modesty.



Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, in terms that it is fairly simple to construct if you do not encounter major fitting issues. However, I would not recommend it to those with figures similar to mine. Burda's two-dot rating became beyond a three-dot for my situation.

Conclusion:
I have found that styles with gathers below the bust and above the empire seam are more flattering. After the changes I made, I am still not sure if I will sew this top again. I have been comtemplating about transforming the front to a full button-down shirt, eliminating the skirt portion.

Trend Regal at Spiegel

Who would imagine that Spiegel and its cousin company, Newport News (share some of the same items) would be a nice resource for current styles? Their prices are decent. I was satisfied with purchases from them in the past. Sometimes it is fun to check what trends they have. I also notice that their styles seem to coincide with patterns from the "Big 4" and even Burda WOF.

Both tops are from Newport News and are so "Sandra Betzina-ish" from Vogue patterns.




The gathered neckline below the neckband reminds me of styles found in Simplicity, Butterick, or in Kwik Sew.

Oh-so-Simplicity

I recently made a Butterick knit top, except that Spiegels has fewer pleats at the neckline.



From Newport News.

From Spiegel.





A sleeveless top with a tie-neck will stick around for awhile. I made a top two years ago from a New Look pattern.



Butterfly kimono sleeves which I have seen from various pattern companies.


I remember a Burda WOF sleeveless with a similar tie placement, but much closer to the neck.

From Burda WOF, February 2008, #119.

Heather and I at our virtual vacation on Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, April 2008.

This top has elements of Burda WOF's (February 2008) draped banded neck with banded bottom.



This top reminds me of Burda WOF's (October 2008) knit dress transformed into a top.




This looks Burda WOF-ish to me. I have seen a similar style, but I do not recall what issue.


Cool and crafty caftan, similar to a New Look pattern I recently used.






Bateau neckline top, reminiscent of a February 2009's Burda WOF #108 I made months ago.



The flounced sleeves are reminiscent of a Burda WOF knit tops except this has the rounded neck whereas the Burda WOF has the v-neck.



My third version of February 2009's Burda WOF. This was taken in July during my vacation in Sweden.

My fourth version of the same pattern. The sleeves make the top distinctive.

Something I would like to make from Newport News.

Sleeves and Stripes Forever

This is one of the few patterns, besides the bohemian dresses from the September 2009 issue that caught my attention.

This is also a work in progress and by not yet a "a final version". I hope that my many imperfections will not deter you, but maybe at least be helpful if you are interested in making your version. I hope that after a few tweaks, I soon will have a TNT version.

Pattern Description:
"Waistcoat or blouse? It's both! The sleeves and lapels are of jacquard fabric and the rest is of metallic pinstripes. Traditional Alpine buttons add glamorous glitter down the front."



Cameron Diaz in Burda??

Pattern Sizing:
Burda petite/half sizes 17 to 21. I sewed a "20". I should have used a "21" for the bust and hips.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
For the most part, yes. My sleeves did not puff out as much as Burda's. I omitted the little ruffles encircling the lower edges of the sleeves and the trim at the lower hem.

Fabric
Poly pin-striped fabric with some stretch from FashionistaFabrics.com. This was very pleasant to work with!

The sleeves came from a Frederick's skirt composed of some poly jersey and velvet burnout(??) that formed the curved designs. I have not worn this skirt for years and thought I give it a new life by cutting out sleeves for this waistcoat.




Favorite Features
* Vest-like style
* Distinctive pleated sleeves
* Not-so-low neckline. I pressed the lapels which are each the length of one of my Bic pen markers for the length of each of my lapels. Wow! My neckline passed the modesty test when a camisole does not need to be worn with the buttons fastened.


Not-so-favorite Features
*Even after adding an 1" to the lower hem, I still found the waistcoat/blouse a tad short.


* Maybe due to the fabric, I spent more time in pleating the sleeves and fitting the entire sleeve into the armscye. I added an extra pleat on either side of the sleeve to make it fit. My sleeves seemed "limpier" and "wimpier" than Burda's. I also had some trouble with the lower edges of the sleeves. Since I opted to omit the ruffles, I did not finish the hems with zig-zags. Instead I sew a 5/8" hem and encountered "bulk" due to the pleats at the lower edge of the seams. I plan to turn and press the edges under once again and secure the new hems by handstitching.

*The lower back hem of the waistcoat. Stay tuned about this later in the review.

*Due to my imprecise cutting, the upper lapels turned out more rounded.





Were the instructions easy to follow?
They were concise and adequate for those who familiar sewing tops and jackets with princess seams and collars. Maybe at this point, I am already too familiar with Burda WOF's directions that these seemed satisfactory.

Already in the first bullet in the construction, I received the entire bodice nearly completed sans the sleeves and front facing: "Stitch centre fronts to side side fronts and centre back to side backs. Press seam allowances open. Stitch side seams and shoulder seam on blouse and on facing." Whoa...This already seems more than a carload for the first time Burda WOF-er.

Next steps
* sewing the collar pieces together (one of them is interfaced)

* basting the collar to the neckline, attaching the front interfaced facings right sides together along "the hem edge, front edges, and neck edge, catching collar in between."

*stitching the sleeve seams and pleating the sleeves following the arrow between pairs of marked lines. I skipped "neatening" the sleeves edges with a zig zag stitch.

*creating the ruffles according to style 106 and attaching to lower edges of sleeves

*** CAUTION*** I inadvertently omitted the back hem facing that should have been sewn to the front facings. I recently re-read the directions and Burda did not mention the back hem facing (narrow piece, longer than the back facing), assuming the sewist knows what to do with it. I originally thought I was remiss in not accurately accounting for the lower hem because I had very little hem allowance with respect to lower edge of the front facings.






*setting in the sleeves, add the buttonholes and adding trim to the lower edge of the waistcoat.



Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
*Used the pinstriped fabric instead of jacquard for the front facing

* Omitted the decorative sleeve ruffles and the lower edge trim

*As mentioned earlier used material from a former skirt instead of jacquard for the sleeves

*Used French seams at the sides and side backs. I topstitched the front princess seams.

*Finished edges of the front facings and back facings with zigzags over 3/8" folded hems

*Due to my oversight, I omitted the back hem facing. That is what I get for not thinking outside of the Burda Box. I should have attached it to the attached to the front facings. Instead I turned and pressed the hem allowance affected by the front facings and stitched. Then I hand-stitched the front facings to the side seams. It would have been "sleeker" to use the back facings to avoid some challenges. Geez, it would have been EASIER to create a lining for the entire bodice!

*I found 5 buttons from a bag of buttons I purchased from Michael's craft store. I was inspired by Burda WOF's photo of Cameron Diaz (??)wearing the waistcoat to use vintage looking and unmatched buttons.




Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I plan to sew another one, but using sleeves from another pattern. I recommend this pattern due to its versatility and flattering fit. I found the jacket really, really, really fitted. Fortunately, I used a stretched poly that was really, really, really forgiving!


Conclusion:
Despite my experiences with this pattern, I was able to spend two full evenings sewing the waistcoat and sleeves. Just a change of fabric, buttons, embellisments, and sleeves, and voila...infinite possibilities!