Octa-Fun

I was inspired by the other PR'ers versions of Vogue 8451, that I decided to give it a try.

Pattern Description:
Close-fitting top with short or long sleeves has topstitched hems and neck facing.





Stay tuned for the upcoming motion picture, The Girls from "Ipa-knit-ma" starring Julianne Moore, Garcelle Beauvais, and Kate Hudson...


Pattern Sizing:
I sewed a "12" at the shoulders, tapering to a "14". I was glad to stick with my usual sizing.




Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, except I used a bold print.


Favorite Features
* The short sleeves for view "A" did not billow out. I really did not have to take in the additional 1/4" at each sleeve cap.
* The scoop neck did not need to be be adjusted
*The flattering silhouette


Other Features
* I checked to ensure that the gathering at the lower edge of each sleeve was comfortable enough before attaching the lower band. My arms, unlike my other components, remained nearly the same circumference since my college years, and I was surprised that the arm bands were nearly snug to the point of discomfort. If necessary, I would have increased the length of the sleeve band.



Fabric Used:
Poly jersey from GorgeousFabrics.com. This is the same fabric that I used to make Heather's Jalie 2787 crossover top.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

They were fine for anyone familiar with basic sewing techniques.

I decided to "stay true" to the directions such as using the front and back facing and setting in the sleeves instead of sewing them "flat" as I usually do with knits. The tricky part was carefully topstitching the pressed under edge on the inside to give an illusion of a sleek looking faux neckband. This feature would work better with a plain knit in order to appreciate the "faux neckband" look. Due to the busy print I used, I felt that I did not have to use the neck facing and could have used a twin needle stitching to finish the edge of the neckline.


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
*Lower the bust point 3/8"
*1" petite adjustment at the marked line

Back view

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes. It is one of those fairly quick and gratifying projects (I completed the top in one afternoon). I even plan to extend the pattern to create a dress. I definitely recommend this pattern due the ease of construction and fitting adjustments. This is a nice basic pattern that presents itself to versatile styles.


Conclusion:
If you have this pattern in your stash and have not tried it, please sew it as soon as possible. According to the Voguepatterns website, it is already out of print, but your local fabric store or even *bay might carry it.


"Test" driving a brand new Ford Ranger.

Square Deal

In its August 2009 issue, Burda appeals to the romantic and poetic in this blouse, pattern #103.

I decided to use the collared version and somehow again got inspired by 70's "disco" shirts with "wild" prints, but appealing to what I call the "geometric aesthetic."

From Rustyzipper.com, here's a Koret shirt with a tessellating design. I find it "Escher-esque" chic or how about "Polly Escher"?


Also from Rustyzipper.com, a shirt with interesting print in the lower bodice.

From Jones New York, currently on their website, and drifting from their conservative styling, a paisley printed shirt with a floral placket.

My version of blouse pattern #103.



Burda's Promotional Pattern Description
"Lyrical composition
"This blouse is sheer poetry, fulfilling four essential trend criteria: the fine floral print, the fitted shape, the long tie-collar with bow and the slight transparency."

My Pattern Description
Button down blouse/shirt with vertical darts, cuffed long sleeves, and tie or collar option.

I would not call my shirt sheer poetry, but pure pop retro madness.

Pattern Sizing:
Burda misses' 36-44. I sewed a "40".

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like the overall fit and style of this shirt.



I compared it to another Burda commercial pattern 7597 and notice that they match up very closely, in terms of the bodice portion, including the waistline markings and vertical darts! Burda most likely has its own template for a basic shirt and this shirt seems to be drafted according to this template.


Fabric Used:
Cotton shirting from fabric.com.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? The fabric made the shirt along with my collar totally disco.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
If you are familiar with making shirts, then you would encounter little or no problems. Or maybe, I have grown accustomed to Burda's verbage: either lacking in certain areas or convoluted to the point of confusion.

Things to note:
* Did not use elements from pattern #104 (upper breast pocket, left ruffle), so I followed the directions for #103, replacing the neck tie (includes some sort of bias treatment at the neckline) with the collar and band.

* In blouse pattern #104, Burda refers to blouse pattern #129 for the collar and band directions.

*In both blouse pattern #103 and #104, Burda refers to blouse pattern #130 for the sleeve vents and #131 for the cuffs. Blouse #103's cuffs are not topstitched. I do not understand why Burda did not conveniently include the same directions for the sleeve vents and cuffs in #103, #104, and possibly other patterns. The only reason I can think of is to save printing costs...


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

*I attached the collar from the inside, flipped over and topstitched the pressed under edge from the outside. For me, this leaves a nice finish on the inside.

* Used a narrower seam allownce when sewing the collar pieces together, making the collar appear larger.

*Due to fabric constraints, I split one piece of the original front band in half, creating two narrow front bands.

*While cutting I cut and spread the front vertical darts an additional 1/4" from the center. After wearing the shirt, I realized that I did not have to make this change.



Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes. I might half to make a small adjustment to decrease excess fabric in the upper back to make it fit more nicely. I plan to make the neck tie version in a drapier fabric. Just for fun, I would like to try different sleeves and collar types.

I absolutely recommend this pattern, especially if you are in search of THE basic shirt.

Conclusion:
There are really lots of wonderful pieces in the August 2009 issue! I cannot wait to try the popular flounced front top and a cape-style jacket.

Cheerfulness, Chipmunks, Cars

Heather and I saw The Chipmunks' "Squeakquel" movie this afternoon. Heather gave the movie a thumbs up and I gave it double thumbs down. She got a kick out of the Chip-ettes singing Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies" and Theodore trying to escape from the confines of the blanket when Toby (David's cousin) cut the cheese. It's a cute movie, but I prefer the original from 2007. It seemed that Jason Lee's ("My Name is Earl" star) diminished role in the sequel contributed a lot to the movie's senselessness. Wendy Malick who played the principal of the high school that the chipmunks attended is wonderful and somehow redeemed the movie, despite the constraints of her role.


Heather's serious look after enjoying the silly movie.


Both of us still smiling after the movie, popcorn and Hi-C.

Heather wore her new Jalie 2804 top in a poly knit fabric from GorgeousFabrics. It is fairly easy to sew. My only gripe is that is more fitted in the upper bodice than what I usually expect from Jalie. Instead of using elastic on the upper edge of the "modesty" panel, I cut a small rectangular strip about an inch shorter than the edge, sewed its right side to the wrong side of the modesty panel, turned it to the outside, turned under the raw edge, and topstitched it. I also finished the edges of the sleeves with very close zig zag stitches. A rolled hem foot would be perfect for lettuced edge sleeves.


Me being a copycat used the same fabric for my top. Being a retro freak, I used this 1973 Simplicity pattern, suitable for wovens and knits. I skipped the zipper since I used a knit. The back darts were necessary to eliminate the top from flaring outwards. The construction of this top is similar to Vogue 8451 in terms of sewing a neckline facing and short sleeves with sleeve bands.

Vogue 8541. According to the Voguepatterns website, it is already out of print.




Two nights ago, we went to the yearly auto show. I did not see anything spectacular and I noticed that Heather was not enthusiastic, as in the previous two that she attended, to get into the cars to "pretend drive" and have her pictures taken. Last year we saw a R2D2 looking robot (controlled by somebody) talk and dance in front of many eager spectators in the Ford section.


One of the highlights for Heather in the 2010 show was seeing the huge inflatable Geico Gecko. I was trying to figure out the reason for Geico's presence in a car show. When I saw the words "more than just a CAR insurance" printed on the promotional booth, the light bulb went on. Duhhh..

For the fashion conscious, Heather's corduroy jacket is made from McCall's 5312 "Sassy" girl coordinates.


The other highlight was discovering two children's passenger seats in a Ford Ranger truck. Don't judge me as driver with our seat belts law transgression and leaving the car doors open.

Some "cool" vehicles:

From Lexus

Promotions, promotions, promotions

It's "electric".

Interesting trike.

From Porsche

Donny Osmond would like this one.


From Hyundai

"Wee" versions

Red Ruffles and Green Sleeves

Merry Holiday Wishes to You!


Heather, after we just attended Christmas mass

Heather almost ready to open more presents while visiting my parents at their home (10 minute drive) later that Christmas day.


More smiles on the birthday of our Savior.



I have not seen many styles from Burda that have captured my interest, maybe cause certain styles seem to recycle one way or another. I was tempted to start tracing from the January 2010 issue (certainly arrived early), but opted to revisit past issues. Maybe the time lapse makes me appreciates things that I overlooked or what I intended to make when I first saw it. I have not been too impressed with Burda's tribute to certain decades, but in the November 2009, I liked the looks of this blazer/jacket which would be a refreshing change from the cropped or shorter styles that I had sewn.

My Honest Rating
"Nearly a wadder after a promising start." Actually, operator error is the major reason.

I can relate to the "Nobody's Perfect" song, with the verse "Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days". If you have a Hannah Montana fan, then this song should be VERY familiar.



Burda's Description
"Happy together
This fitted velvet jacket is so wonderfully soft! The first impulse when you see it is to cuddle. We're sure he'll agree with us on that! "

Now I cannot get that song by the Turtles out of my mind!
"Me and you, and you and me, no matter how they stitched the seams, it had to be, the only one for me is you, and you for me, so happy together..."

My Description
Fitted blazer/jacket with wide collar and lapels, vertical front darts, pleated pockets, and buttoned sleeve vents.


Sizes
Misses' Burda sizes 36-44. I sewed a "40" instead of a "42" from a previous experience with a Burda jacket. If I wanted a "looser" option, I would have gone with the "42".

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, somewhat. I somehow moved my front vertical darts further away from the center, thereby affect the placement of the pleated pockets more towards the sides.


Fabric Used
Baby wale stretch corduroy in apple green.


Pattern Pieces
* Front (x 2)
*Front facing (x2). I traced a front facing piece from the original front, and added the 5/8" seam allowance.
*Center back (x 1)
*Side back (x 2)
*Collar (x 2)
*Collar band (x 2)
*Upper sleeve (x 2)
*Lower sleeve (x 2)




Favorite Features
*Wide collar and lapel, but not distinctively wide enough to qualify for "that 70's collar"

*The steps in my case, prior to the collar, were simple and straightforward to construct.

*The pleated pockets


Other Features
*Some steps were nebulous and others were more specific, but still seem convoluted due to not having helpful diagrams

*Had some challenges in attaching the left collar due to the bulk caused by the band. I cut into the "bulky seam" and left a hole which nearly made the jacket unwearable. I salvaged it by topstitching the collar to the neck edge (past the junction to the front facing) from the outside. There is some "asymmetry", but I decided to accept it.

*There is a lot of ease in the upper sleeves. I trimmed a maximim of nearly an inch at the top of the sleeve caps, tapering to zero along the sides.


Directions
I did not have difficulty in first few steps dealing with sewing the side backs, top yoke to the upper edge of the lower back,

I was somewhat baffled with attaching the upper band of the pleated pockets. I skipped the lining and sewed the band to the basted upper pleat, right sides together. I turned under, pressed and stitched a 3/8" hem on the other edge of the band. Then I folded the band along the halfway line, right sides together, sewed a 3/8" seam from the ends and turned it inside out.

*Bound buttonholes
They seemed fine if you are very familiar with them, and in my case, I would have used Kenneth King's or Annette1's tutorials.

*Attaching the collar to the neckline
Here is where things can go chaotic. There was no mention (at least that was what I got from reading the directions) of sewing the collar pieces together BEFORE sandwiching the collar between the collar bands and stitching them together and along the front edges of the collar band. I am familiar with then sandwiching the entire collar between the neckline and front facings (the back facing had not been yet attached).

After sewing HP's shirt for the first time, I discovered Pam Erny's (Pam-Off-The-Cuff) very helpful tutorial on placement of the collar and facing.

Part One, Collar Tutorial

Part Two, Collar Tutorial

I saw the familiar angled collar and made note of the marks on the facing and on the neckline and saw how they related to sewing this classic collar with lapel, thus avoiding the large gap I experienced from sewing the HP shirt. What stumped me was the position of the collar band as I sewed the collar to the neckline. I wondered if it would have been wiser to omit the collar band, and thus avoid that "bunching" at the neckline before sewing the back facing.

Then I recalled that last year, I sewed a 9/2008 jacket (with fabric that I admit with embarrassment, won by another PR member's creation for use in the hideous fabric contest) where I figured out what do with the collar band (had no collar) with respect to the neckline and facing.

Back facing and tab collar of unlined version of jacket, Sept 2008, #102



The directions for the collar and front facing from my 60's vintage Vogue jacket (Jo Mattli) sewn March 2008 assisted me in figuring out the collar band for this argyle jacket. For my current jacket, I assumed that the collar was sandwiched between the collar band.

Modifications
*1" petite adjustment between waist and hips.
*I also did not add the hem allowance while tracing the pattern (did not need to)
*Omitted the lining. I am glad I did, because the jacket already looked and felt bullky.
*Omitted the lining in the pleated pockets
*Double topstitched the pleated pockets
*Made machine buttonholes instead of the recommended bound buttonholes.
*Made French seams at the center back and sides.
*After getting further discouraged and did not want to spend more time on the project, I omitted the vent sleeves and buttons.


Conclusion
Despite my wrestling experience with my right collar and lapel, I still want to give this pattern another try, but next time using the recommended velour and also extending the lower edge of the collar a tad to eliminate the collar band.


I wore this jacket out of the house twice, and yes, it is surprisingly comfortable and am beginning to like the overall style.

Somebody was very happy after opening a box from her uncle/godfather Bernie (my brother) and her aunt (his wife) who reside in Texas.

Go Green!

Truth or Flare

We just saw James Cameron's Avatar yesterday late afternoon on its premiere day at a local movie theater. My husband liked it and I liked it but not as much as he did. Heather fell asleep during the last half hour of the movie. I just hope I do not dream of tiger=eyed blue-complexioned people with tails flying on enormous origami looking birds. If you watch the movie, you will know what I mean.

Now switching to a more interesting topic for many of us, sewing!

Simplicity 4135



Pattern Description:
Misses'/Petite boot leg pants in two lengths or city shorts, wide leg pants and gauchos

Pattern Sizing:
I sewed a "12" instead of my usual "14". My instinct was correct. A "14" would have been large for me. Although a sewed a "12", I still encountered a little extra ease, possibly due to using some sort of stretch denim.





















Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Not exactly. My pant legs seemed fuller than what was pictured on the envelope.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
They were surprisingly satisfactory , except for the vagueness with the positioning and the insertion of the underlap of the fly front zipper. Lizziwhizz's very helpful review differentiates between zipper stop and end of zipper. It is the zipper stop not the end of zipper that is placed at the dot, otherwise, there would be some gap at the bottom of the zipper.

I highly recommend photo album tutorials from our fellow PR'ers (Annette1, KayY) or Sandra Betzina's video.

What was different was the order of construction. It felt strange to sew the center back seams and inseam after attaching the waistband (left and right pieces). It seemed like a good idea to do those later after determining how much to take in for the center back seam and the crotch depth before stitching those seams. I thought the marked center seam was quite large. Then I discovered that after stitching a 1" center back seam, I felt I could have taken in an additional 5/8" to further stabilize the the center back.



Favorite Features
*They fit better than Burda WOF pants from my personal experience
*I like the waistband style, which I wish I could feel comfortable wearing. However, because I am short waisted, I always wear my tops untucked.
*The pockets did not flare out to emphasize my hips and/or my tummy.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
*Pant sizing is somewhat off. I recommend making a muslin or a wearable muslin before cutting nicer fabric.
* I should have placed the waistband along the grain.

Fabric Used:
*Medium weight stretch denim from JA's. This is the same material that I used for Heather's Jalie jeans.

Modifications
* * I removed a total 3 3/4" from the length. I made a 1" at the petite adjustment and thinking that was not enough, I trimmed 1 1/4" from the edge of the leg. Then I used a 1 1/2" hem.

*I sewed a 5/8" seam at the crotch.


Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, but make sure you have a handy resource for inserting the fly front zipper.

Conclusion:
This pattern has been in my stash for awhile now and I wish I had sewn it sooner!

I Dream of Jalie Jeans

I was inspired by the lovely jeans made by the PR's who reviewed this pattern. My daughter was also impressed with this pattern and urged me to add this to my wishlist and purchase it as soon as possible. Because this was actually my first time at sewing jeans, I thought it would be a good idea to make these jeans "on a smaller scale" before making them for myself.




Pattern Description:
Women's flattering stretch jeans with slim fit through the hips and thigh and a flared leg, back and side front pockets, zip fly with button closure. View A has a low rise (2-3 inches below the navel) and View B has a regular rise (at the navel). I made View B.


Pattern Sizing:
Multi-sized pattern from toddlers to adult. I sewed an equivalent of a size "7". I should have used a "6", but it is better slightly loose than tight fitting.


What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

Favorite Features
*Wonderful instructions, especially for attaching the front zipper. I made more mistakes in attaching the belt loops than in the zipper construction!





*Pant legs have a nice flare, similar to one of my daughter's Old Navy jeans.

Slight dislikes
*Loose waist (remedied by cinching with a belt)
*Long length (remedied by folding the lower hem into cuffs)

Fabric Used:
Stretch denim from ah-hem, excuse me, from Jo-Ann's

After changing needles, I highly recommend a needle specialized for sewing with denim. Being stubborn, I thought a "universal" needle would work on my medium weight stretch denim. I noticed a remarkable difference in the topstitching and the machine's handling of the fabric after switching to the new needle.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Surprisingly yes. Even the back pockets of Heather's jeans came out low like what the young Jalie model was wearing.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Whoa! There were 50+ steps of instructions. But I expected that after reading the reviews.

Honestly, I found that they were easy to follow, decipher and perform. Don't be overwhelmed by the instructions as I was at first glance. They are user friendly and I suggest downloading the instructions from the Jalie website and read them first while referencing to the very helpful diagrams. I admit, I made some errors in placing the pieces in the wrong positions (i.e. the pockets and the yoke fronts), but it helped to re-read the steps and carefuly examine the diagrams before pinning and stitching.

Here are some highlights:



* I traced an image of a star (onto tissue paper used for gift wrapping) from a page of the craft section of the instructions in a recent Burda WOF magazine. Then I stitched it onto the back pocket. The lines helped guide my stitching.



* "Star and Swirls": I attached the back pockets, back yoke, and topstitched the seams. I also prepared the front pockets.


* "Face the Pockets": I added the facing to each pocket.





* "Got Sass on Pockets" I sewed each pocket to the upper edge of the front leg.




* Turn the front pockets to the inside




* "Putting on the Zip". I did not have to worry about shortening the zipper until the attachment of the waistband. From past experience, I would cut the zipper to size and reinforce the bottom with a little coil of stitches.


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
*No alterations. The only modification was Heather's choice of design for the back pockets.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes. After some adjustments (especially in the waist and length), I plan to make another pair for my daughter. I also will be bold and sew a pair for myself.


Conclusion:
I absolutely recommend this pattern. If you are like me, who have been intimidated by making jeans and front fly zip pants, then you will very much appreciate the friendly and fluid instructions for this pattern. I even recommend it to advance beginners who welcome a workable challenge. After making my first pair of jeans, especially with this pattern, I became inspired and courageous to make more pants with fly fronts and also to improve on technique. I need to work more on my topstitching and being familiar and being more familiar with what needles to use on certain fabrics.

Despite the jeans' "imperfections", Heather liked wearing them nevertheless and proudly replied to one of her friends' comments, "My mom made them." I was shocked and surprised that her friend responded, "I don't believe you. What store did you get them from?"

You will discover that all of your time and efforts invested in this project will be worth it.