Mc-Call of the Wild

Animal prints are still trending for the summer.

"Halle Berry" modeling a leopard print knit top from Boston Proper

The real Halle in a leopard print dress. She can wear a pillowcase and still look gorgeous.

Even Steven Tyler of Aerosmith/American Idol took a bite out of the leopard fabric!

"Mila Kunis" dressed in also an animal print knit top from Saks Fifth Avenue

The Real Mila K in a faux leopard coat

I returned to this McCall's pattern after my first unsuccessful attempt.  I stopped after topstitching the elastic unsuccessfuly and changed my mind about the gathered sleeves.

 Pattern Description: MISSES' TOPS: Pullover tops A, B, C, D, E, F have neckline and sleeve variations, stitched hems...

Pattern Sizing:
X-small-Small-Medium. I sewed a small at the shoulders and neckline, and a medium elsewhere.

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

Fabric Used:
Rayon jersey from fabric.com.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, especially if you have sewn any basic "front-back-sleeved" top.


What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
This is now one of my favorite knit patterns due to its scoop neckline and its flattering and comfortable fit. I originally purchased this pattern also for the ruched sleeves from views A and D, which are still trending. I abandoned my original version (view A) after not being satisfied with my careless topstitching on the neckline and the look of the gathered sleeves on me after trying on some tops with similar styling in a department store dressing room. So this top remained partially sewn. I might plan to use this fabric for a future project.

With a minor design change in mind, I returned to this pattern months later.  I used remaining fabric from previous projects and a sleeve pattern from another pattern.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
*Performed my usual 1" petite adjustment at the front and back at the
waistline.

*Borrowed the "flutter" sleeves from Simplicity 2181, view "E".

*For the leopard print top, I cut a nearly-waist-length lining for the front in the same fabric using the same front pattern piece. I pinned and sewing the lining piece, right sides together over the front along the neckline, stopping 1 cm before each shoulder. While attaching the back piece right sides together with the front, I turned the lining over to beneath the back, so that the shoulder edges align. I stitched (or completed) the remaining 1 cm of the neckline seam to the upper edge. Then I stitched each shoulder seam from the neckline seam to the outer edge. After turning the top inside out, the inside will have no "raw" edges from the shoulder seam.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes with other pairs of sleeves (long, 3/4 length) that I also liked from my currently favorite patterns. I recommend this pattern, especially if you like the sleeve variations and feel confident to wear the styles.

Leopard print with a scholarly twist. Heather ready with her backpack and a smile for school. 

Brigitte BURD-Deux

Ms. Bardot's iconic fashion style inspired Burda Style's June 2011 issue.

The necklines that BB wore that are still fashionable today. 

I searched for some "easy" but still distinctively stylish projects.  I sewed top #124A and after not being satisfied with that, I sewed #122.

Pattern #124A

 

Pattern #122A

This top (#124A) in a gingham print was also part of Burda's tribute to particular styles strongly associated with Brigitte Bardot, an international and legendary fashion icon.  A wide headband and a deeply scooped neckline look fresh today as they did more than forty years ago.

Brigitte in blue and pink gingham.  She was a gingham bride during her wedding ceremony with Jacques Charrier, her second husband.

 

Pattern Description:
"TEMPTRESS Blouse 124A, Burda Sizes 36-44, Tres chic - even on the way to the beach, and the French don't have a monoply on this! In the Gingham check blouse with scooped Carmen neckline and 3/4-length raglan sleeves you'll look great wherever you are..."



Pattern Sizing:
Burda Misses' 36-44. I sewed a "38" at the shoulders and a "40" elsewhere. I found the top quite spacious for me and probably could have gotten away with two sizes smaller.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, like the drawing, but not so much like the gingham top on the model because she has it tucked in, which conceals its "puffiness".

Fabric Used:
Some funky Michael Miller cotton called "Mezzanine Clover Dots" from fabric.com. My eyes deceived me. The fabric seemed to be more appealing on-line than in person...

Were the instructions easy to follow?
I only read carefully the sections that contained the list of pattern pieces to be used, the cutting layout and the first step of construction, "Stitch side and sleeve seams."

I did not pay too much to the rest of the steps after quickly reading them. Maybe something got lost in the translation. I wonder if the word "stitch" should replace "press seam allowance" to make a step more clear. If you are familiar with sewing tops/blouses with (a) raglan sleeves. (b) gathering edges, (c) a banded neckline (in this case, stitching a folded bias strip over a neckline on the inside or "wrong side" of a garment, turning it over to the outside and topstitching it very close to the edge), then you can sew the top without referring to Burda's notorious verbage, or what those with Burda experence referred to as "Burdalese".

Favorite Features
*There were only three main pieces to trace and cut (front, back, and sleeve) and also there were rectangular strips with specific measurements to cut (one for the neckband, two for the sleeve band, and one for the hem band). Corresponding to the size I used for the neckline ("38), I cut an 84 cm strip of fabric on the bias. I substituted the sleeve and hem bands with elasticized casings.

*Fairly easy to put together.

Not-so-favorite Features
*This style what I call a "ballooney blouson" does not work for me, being short waisted and not slender as the model.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
* Since it was somewhat a challenge for me to simultaneously distribute equitably the gathers while sewing the neckline band, I took a cue from the top displayed by itself, without the model, that appeared to have pleats situated in congruent intervals along the edge of the band. I strategically placed 3 pleats symmetrically as much as possible.

The pleats are more evident in this photo (even though it is somewhat blurry when it is enlarged). It is about time to get a new camera for blurry photos.

*Added 1" to the sleeve length and the low edge of the top.

*I added 1" to the length. It would seem that the top would be waist length or shorter for a person with a long torso.

*I used elasticized casings instead of folded bias strips for the sleeve
bands and the hem band.


Pour la Plage?
One top from this pattern is enough because its bagginess does not work well with my figure.   I prefer tops with more shaping.  After re-reading the description provided on the Burda page, "Tres chic, even on the way to the beach...", maybe this top in a lightweight fabric would make an ideal cover-up at the beach.

Next pattern, #122:
A nearly off-the-shoulder top with a bateau neckline:

Pattern Description:
From the June 2011 issue Burda Style, page 13:
"Beautiful Brigitte Shirt/top 122...A look that is typical for the young Bardot - and is just as popular today. The black fitted shirt of cotton satin with widthwise stretch features a chic, flattering bateau neckline."

Pattern Sizing:
Burda Misses' Petite 17-21. I sewed a "19" at the shoulders and neckline tapering to a "21" at the hips.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it looked very much like the technical line drawing and the photo of the top without the model. It was hard to see the actual scoop of the top's neckline on the model because it was covered with what looked like a scarf.

My first version in a lightweight rayon jersey knit. 

Were the instructions easy to follow?

If you have sewn any top with three main pieces: front, back, and sleeve, then consider the directions as concise cues, especially if you ignore the directions for the front and back facing and the invisible zipper.  An invisible zipper and the given front and back facings are more suited for non-knits. 

The order that I used was
* Stitch the shoulder seams
* Attach the sleeves to the armscyes
* Stitch the shoulder seams and side seams as one continuous seam
* Topstitch the hems of the neckline, sleeves, and the lower edges of the front and back.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
*Appearance of streamlined side shaping in contrast to the "up, up, and away" blouson style of pattern #124A from the same issue of Burda Style magazine.

*Center back seam

*Although I like the front darts, I prefer them on wovens

*Very simple to sew, and even better with a coverstitch or a serger when sewing with knits.

*Nothing to dislike except for the bra straps peeping out due to the wide neckline and short shoulder seam. I think a bateau neckline is flattering on all figures.


Fabric Used:
A rayon jersey that contains 95% rayon and 5% lycra.


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
* I added 2" to the printed pattern's length.
* Replaced the front and back facings for the neckline with a topstitched hem.
*Sewed sleeves "in flat" instead of "setting them in" per directions.

*While pinning the sleeve cap to the armscye, there was excess fabric that extended beyond the seam. I graded the sleeve cap/armscye seams by trimming at most approximately 3/8" width of fabric beyond their edges.

*Omitted the invisible zipper at the left seam due to using a knit instead of the recommended "cotton satin with crosswise stretch".

*For the second top, I used the same front pattern piece, but with the vertical darts folded out, thus bringing in the side seams.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Most likely I would sew this again, but in a stretch woven as recommended. This pattern is also ideal for beginners and for first-time Burda Style sewists.

Birds of Parrot-ise Revisited

I was inspired by PR fellow sewists who previously reviewed Butterick 4685 using view C with the ruffle neckline. I have had this view already cut out and has been in a "Zip Lock" bag with the pattern envelope for 7 months, one of my UFO's. Just after reading Bonnie D's and GodsGirlT's  reviews and admiring their lovely tops, I took out the Zip Lock bag from hiding.

Pattern Description: "MISSES' TOP:  Pullover top has sleeve and neckline variations.  A, B, D:  lace trim.  C:  ruffle neckline  D: casing and elastic waist."

Pattern Sizing:
Misses' 8-10-12-14.  I sewed a "12" at the neckline and shoulders and a "14" elsewhere.  I think a "10" would have been better for me at the neckline.

Fabric Used:
A Liberty of London cotton lawn purchased from emmasonesock.com called "Pauly's Parrots", which has been sold out for some time now.  My first project was my daughter's romper/jumpsuit from a Simplicity pattern, which also had a flounced neckline.  This was my first LOL (what an acronym) fabric that I purchased and used, and it is not like your typical cotton lawn fabric.  Go ahead and indulge yourself at least once and experience the difference!

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?  Yes.

Could Butterick 4685 be a reincarnation of the bodice portion of a Butterick 6069 dress from the 1970's?

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, although I did not use them much.  I relied extensively on the diagrams as visual clues.

Favorite Features
*Fairly easy to sew.
*The boho/peasant styling

*Ideal styles to showcase many types of fabric (wovens, cotton knits) and prints.


Other Features
Although I like the overall style, I don't think it is the most flattering on my figure.  I might have been able to pull off a similar style two decades ago, but am not sure about it now.  Due to the billowy back, I cinched the top with a belt.  Fellow PR sewists Bonnie D and GodsgirlT used an elasticized casing at the waist for their blouses and obtained terrific results.


Without a belt:

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
*Performed my usual petite alteration (1") at the waistline. Despite that, there was still some "puffing" at the back.

*For a more polished finish at the neckline, I used Pam Erny's ("Off the Cuff" blog) tip to topstitch the upper edge of the neckline.  Although including this step in addition to finishing the seams removes the "fast" from the pattern's "fast & easy" label,  I notice that there is a remarkable difference in comparison to the typical topstitched hem (without the topstitched upper edge)!

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I would probably sew it again in a less sheer and solid fabric after a few adjustments to the pattern pieces, but still recommend the entire pattern for its ease of construction and endless style possibilities. 

Birds of Parrot-ise

Pattern Description:
"Girls' jumpsuit in two lengths, dress and shrug". I recently completed jumpsuit B (romper style) and last year I sewed the shrug.

.

Pattern Sizing:
Girls' 7-16. I sewed a "8" for my daughter. I had the bodice portion and the short pants with the topstitched pockets completed just before Christmas, 2010. After letting it stay in a plastic bag with the other unsewn pieces and becoming a "UFO" for more than half a year, I decided it was time to take them out of hiding and complete what would be the first jumpsuit that I sewed.

Last year on December, I sewed the shrug for my daughter last year that she wore at a church event.

This was before Heather "experimentally" trimmed her bangs in February of this year.   They were so embarrassingly short that she hid their actual length beneath wider headbands. Then when they grew long enough to be able to be swept sideways, she secured the style with some gel. It took 5 months to grow to their current length.

Fabric Used (for the romper/jumpsuit):
A Liberty of London cotton lawn called "Pauly's Parrots" that I purchased from emmaonesock.com last year.

Heather, posing next to "Ferna" and happy that her bangs (that she "experimentally" trimmed in February this year) are well past the upper edge of her forehead.

While on the subject of parrots, here's Heather with "Bongo" an African grey (one of her uncle's pets), taken on December 2008.  Be careful of andwhat you say around these little critters. They will pick up "anything" you say on a regular basis (especially when the originator of the mimicked phrase is nearby).  Bongo also occasionaly says something aloud that relates to that person near his presence.   The minute Heather tiptoed past his "covered' cage, he announced, "Heather's here" (trained by her uncle). 

Instructions
They were fine with the helpful diagrams. I paid very close attention to attaching the facing and ruffle to the front bodice. There was a little rectangular facing basted over the flounce/ruffle, turned to the inside, basted along the edge and topstitched from the outside, beneath the flounce that was turned upwards at this time. Then I pressed down the flounce, hiding the topstitching.

Next came attaching the shoulder straps along the armscye. creating the pocket facing, attaching the facing along the edge of the pocket, attaching and topstitching the pocket to the front of the pants, stitching the pant legs together, stitching the short pants to the bodice using a 1" seam, turning up the seam allowance and stitching 1/4" from the edge to create the elasticized casing with an opening, inserting/threading the elastic through the casing at the waist, and hemming the pants legs. 


Likes/Dislikes
*I like the flounced/ruffled front of the romper/jumpsuit and the fact that the shoulder ties instead of a zipper make it easier to slip on and out of.
*Comfortable and stylish

*The romper/jumpsuit looked two sizes larger in the back for my daughter. A pair of darts may help take in the extra fabric.  

*When my daughter put on the jumpsuit for the first time by herself, she formed a bow at the back of her neck with the front ties (halter style), leaving a pair of ties suspended in the back. She was very eager to try the jumpsuit that she did not pay close attention that the back was not elasiticized as one top that I recently made for her. A halter style would make it much easier than making a bow at each shoulder. Knowing children, we both need to make sure that those shoulder ties are secure enough. A tank top underneath would provide more peace of mind.

Modifications/Alterations
*I cut two flounces so that one acts as a facing.
*Omitted a ribbon at the waistline. I might add one later.


Would you sew this pattern again?  Would you recommend it to others?
I have another romper also in a lively print on the queue. This pattern gets a double thumbs up!
I also recommend to be on the lookout for a child suddenly taking an unusually high interest in hairdressing, especially when it comes to fixing their own hair in the bathroom...

Another recent project that I just completed.  I purchased this 1981 pattern from etsy June of last year. I sewed view "2", the top with the short flutter sleeves.  My center front of my neckline did not "ruch" as much as the that of the model's. The fabric that I used is a rayon jersey from fabric.com.