Game Sew Network

Some inspiration from Cache.com for $187




Next Item Up For Stitches
"Misses' lined jackets: Semi-fitted, lined jackets have princess seams and above wrist length sleeves with cuffs full length sleeves: jacket A has purchased jewel stones, beads and medallions or perforated discs to creatively embellish as desired and jacket B has contrast ruffle with decorative buttons or beads." I sewed jacket A with the sleeve cuffs, but sans the embelllishments. The pretty McCall's model on the left has that "Vanna" or game show model pose and look going on.


Size
6-8-10-12-14. I sewed a 12 at the shoulders, tapering to a 14 at the hips.




Just one look at my new jacket, and playing cards come to my mind due to the colors: red, black, and white. Then I started thinking of the fun game shows I used to watch as a child: Card Sharks, Password, Match Game, Tic Tac Dough, The $25,000 Pyramid, and The Dating Game. The Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right and Family Feud are still going strong. Classic episodes can now be seen on the Game Show Network.


Fabric
Stretch cotton from GorgeousFabrics.com


Tick-Tack-Sew
From steps 1 through 39 for view A, the directions were straightforward with clear illustrations alongside them. I did not have problems deciphering them.

I started with interfacing the the two front facings and the sleeve cuffs. Then I stitched the long diagonal darts below the lapels on the fronts and front facings. There's the familiar staystitching of the front and back edges before sewing the princess seams. The entire fronts and backs come together nicely. I took note that the side fronts surpass the front by nearly an inch to accommodate the bottom hem with the lining.

After forming the back pleat and stitching between the marked circles (for movement ease), stitching the lining is done the same way as stitching the outer part of the jacket. Something to note is to stop at the marked triangles just before the neckline edge while stitching the lining's shoulder seams. This seemed to prevent the "bunching" at the junction at the top of the lapels.

With the exception of getting to ease lining pieces with stretch cotton while stitching the princess seams, and minor issues with addng the lining, I found the overall construction process pleasant.


Showcase Sew-down
Favorite Features
* Front and back princess seams



* Cuffed sleeves

* Collar less lapels, reminiscent of Vogue 8491 which has raglan sleeves and no princess seams in the back.

* Pattern was easy to work and contains wonderful directions, a nice reprieve from Burda WOF's. For view A, I used pieces #1-6: front (cut 4 which includes the front facings), side front. back, side back, sleeve, sleeve cuff and #8, the back lining. The side front and side back pieces are also used for the lining, but cut at a shorter length.

Other Features
* The cutting lines of the piece and back piece (without the side fronts and backs) contains a group of sizes (6-8-10, 12-14). To be on the safe side, I added approximately 1/8" to the edge (1" added wearing ease).

* I am uncertain about the slightly dropped shoulders and roomy shoulders to accommodate 1/2" (height?) shoulder pads , reminiscent of the early 90's.

Modifications
*Made my usual 1" petite adjustment

*Omitted shoulder pads.



What's My Line-ing?



*Instead of hand hemming the jacket shell and hand sewing the lining to the shell per the instructions, I "bagged" the lining. I referred to Thread's bagging method described in detail in "Prepare to Bag". Instead of basting the hem, I iron pressed it to avoid dealing with extra stitches. I did not serge the lining and jacket shell edges as instructed. I left a 3" opening between the front facing and the side front lining to turn the jacket inside out. Threads mentioned to account for the difference in widths of the shell and the lining before stitching them together. It suggested taking in or letting out the seams of the lining. While pinning the lining and the shell together at the lower edges, I noticed that their widths did not align, with the shell being wider. I took in approximately 1/8" at the side and princess seams. I sewed the lining 3/8" from the edge of the bottom edge of the jacket (could have been 1/4" but due to the lining's edge fraying in sections, I increased the seam allowance), right sides together


Press Your Luck
I got a lot of use out of Mr. Procter Silex, pressing the lapels, cuffs, neckline, and the lower hem to stay in place. I tried on the jacket several times to determine if the jacket will not "flap out", especially from the back side, and expose the lining. The jacket had a tendency to reveal its "natural" hem (which was lower than what I had estimated) and I pressed accordingly.

Truth or Consew-quences
I found the jacket to be a size larger at the waist and hips. I was so eager to get started on the jacket that I did not pre-wash the fabric. To determine if the fabric would shrink to fit, I hand soaked the jacket briefly in water and a tad of baby shampoo (there was some residue of the fabric's dye in the water) and machine dried it in the gentle cycle. As I hoped for, the jacket fits much better.

It's a jacket that seemed straightforward to sew, although it took me nearly 10 hours of sewing time. I still recommend this jacket especially to those who are familiar with basic shirt construction and are new to lining jackets.

I'm Sewing Down to Liverpool

My Beatles' holiday ornament





Before their Manic Mondays




My first version

Last month, Heather and I took our first official trip to a yard sale (this is the first time I personally visited one). After quickly sifting through several boxes of patterns on the lady's kitchen table and in her living room (she was very kind to welcome us to her home), we found altogether 10 patterns. This was the first pattern that caught my eye.



Pattern Description
"Super simple* (tm) blouse. In Misses' sizes, has side seams, raglan sleeves in towlengths and elastic clasings at neck and sleeves. "


Size
Small size 8-10, bust 31 1/2"-32 1/2". waist 23"-24". The first version ended up being really fitted and narrow on the shoulders. I made a few changes for my second version.

Fabric
First version in quilting cotton from Wal Mart.



Second version in "The Beatles" printed cotton from Fabrics.com


Directions
They were very user friendly with numbered step-by-step directions in a checklist format, larger print for easier readablity, and understandable illustrations in eyecatching orange and brown for emphasis (so retro...), making it ideal for beginning sewists.


Directions, page 1


Directions, page 2

The general steps
*Sew sleeves onto the fronts and back

*Sew the left and right sleeve and side seams, each as one continuous seam

*Sew the casings at the neckline and at the lower edges of the sleeves, leaving openings to insert the elastic

*Insert the elastic at the neckline casing and the sleeve casings. Stitch all casings closed.

*Stitch the lower hem


Favorite Features
* Gathered neckline
* Raglan sleeves
* Two pieces to work with (one for the front and back and one for the sleeves)
* Very easy to sew, being one step above a basic pillowcase.

Not-so Favrorite Features
* Puffy back. I anticpated something odd to occur since one pattern piece is used for both the front and back. But I did not want to deal with complex fitting issues with a "super simple" top. I used a tie (made from the same fabric) to pull the look together.


Modifications
*My usual inch petite adjustment between the waist and hips.

*For the second version, I folded the front/back pattern piece in half and placed the piece 1" from the center fold of the fabric which resulted in 2" added to the center front. I placed the piece 1/2" from the center fold for the back piece and later realized, I probably did not have to make that adjustment. I like the less restrictive feel at the neckline after inserting the elastic in the neckline casing. However, I noticed I had a tad more ease than I expected at my waist and hips. Belt cinching comes in handy.

*I sewed French seams

*I added 1" to the length of the elastic for the neckline casing as specified on the piece for the elastic casing guide

Conclusion
I definitely recommend this pattern for beginning sewists. This is also one pattern due to its classic style and wonderful instructions that Simplicity can include in a "retro re-issue" series. I am surprised that current patterns labeled "very easy" are really more for advanced beginners and beyond.

Sew-Berry Fields Forever...
I had fun wearing this to work yesterday. I have five class periods of Formal Geometry (remember logical argument and proofs?). I taught three periods on block schedule yesterday. The biggest surprise was from the class with my most challenging (or my hard-to-teach Period 5) students, especially with our polarizing musical tastes. Many from that class thought my top was "cool". They tried their best on a midterm administered by our school district that Friday. Interesting that they were not as antsy as I expected on a Friday before our fall two-week intersession break (no intersession classes due to the budget). I was amused by one student who made the first compliment on my shirt and admitted that he loves the Beatles. He also said my shirt was too distracting because when he sees it some Beatle song starts playing in his mind. Fashion sometimes speaks louder or in this case, sings louder than words...

Le Jour de Mon Anniversaire

Guess who this is at 6 months?


My mom said I was born with so much dark unmanageable hair! Heather, however, was born nearly bald.


Heather surprised me yesterday morning with a little Macy's gift bag of birthday wishes for me. She chose an adorable card featuring a cute hamster wearing a patriotic hat and a "#1 MOM" campaign button pinned next to it. Inside the card, she wrote, "Dear Mom, I love you so, so, so... much. You are sweet and beautiful. Love Heather". She also included a sweet sketch of all three of us, "Mom, Heather, and Dad", a jewelry box containing a pink princess gown button and a unicorn button (that she selected from her button collection), and several cute colorful pictures, which I call "heart works" (artwork from the heart). I told her that these are the best birthday gifts I ever had, because she made them.

We also visited my parents and we all enjoyed a very nice dinner together. My father got a kick of our matching outfits. He had fun taking some pics of us. Heather was a little under the weather. She feels a lot better today.

Heather and me posing.


Heather wore a top I sewed from a 1974 Simplicity 6308 pattern.



I wore my fourth version of one of my favorite patterns, a Kwik Sew 3062.

Here are Heather and her longtime pal, Hunter (he's actually a year older than her).


Just say cheeeeeeeee-tah!

Cheetah Puff

Heather and I recently on Saturday, August 29, took our first official trip to a garage sale (this is the first time I personally visited one). After quickly sifting through several boxes of patterns on the lady's kitchen table and in her living room (she was very kind to welcome us to her home), we found altogether 10 patterns. This was the first pattern that caught Heather's attention. She was intrigued by top's style as illustrated on the pattern envelope. She liked the shirt's stylish collar and puffy sleeves which we do not recall seeing in her size in current RTW. Once we reached 10, we stopped searching and paid for the patterns and 2 folds of fabric.

Heather was very excited for me to make her this top and left the pattern conspicuously in the family room (stayed there for a week before I sewed the top) along with the buttons and the tissue paper on which for me to trace her the same pattern in her size from the given "10".





For some strange reason, I can easily imagine Jan Brady wearing those types of tops, especially the one with the big collar. It's so "her"!

Special thanks to Annette ("Idunna" on Pattern Review) for sharing pictures of her wearing tops made from same pattern. She looks groooooovy!





Pattern Description
From 1974: "Girls' top and bell-bottom pants". The tops with front seam interest features "V" shaped neckline, short set-in sleeves tathered to sleeve band, fornt button closing and tie ends.


Size
Girls' size 10.


Fabric
When her picture taken day was scheduled for Tuesday, September 8, she reminded me again that she wanted to wear the top pictured on this pattern and would like me to make the top in the pink cheetah fabric in a cotton/rayon blend that we purchased days earlier from W-Mart. When Heather tried this top on (just prior to adding the puffed sleeves), her dad joked her about being ready to fly with her wings on. I was certain the collar reminded him of plane flaps. Heather looked at him quizically.







Favorite Features
*Large Peter Pan style collar. I like the ease of construction and placement along the front neckline. I cut 4 pieces, interfaced a pair, sewed each pair right sides together, turned each pair inside out, topstitched the edges, and basted the edge that would be stitched onto the neckline. Each collar flap extended from the shoulder seam to about 3/4" from the front corner.

*Puffed sleeves with band

*Curved upper and lower bodice

*Upper bodice is gathered at lower edge

*Top-stitched edges

*Contains a back facing piece

*Nicely drafted


Not-so-favorite features
* We were not able to find a pattern in a smaller size (i.e. girls' size "7")

* Pattern envelope was missing the entire back section of top and one of the piece for pants. I could not find them in the envelope, between other pieces, and in the directions sheet.


Directions
The directions were clear, simple, and easy to follow a la Kwik Sew. I was able to rely nearly entirely on the illustrations. I liked how the pattern pieces, cutting layout, some tips, directions, and illustrations occupied one two-sided sheet.


Modifications

* Traced all pieces of the collared shirt pattern onto tracing paper and adjusted to two sizes smaller

* Drafted the missing back given the silhouette of the front top (upper and lower bodice combined)

* Omitted the side ties that tie in the back

* Used 4 buttons instead of 6

* Sewed the collar band to the edge of the sleeve 'after' instead of 'before' sewing the sleeve seams (flat). I sewed the right side of the band to the wrong side of the sleeve and turned band to the outside (correct side showing). Then I topstitched very close to the pressed-under edge (pressed under approximately 1/4") that covers the seam formed by the upper edge of the band and the lower edge of the sleeve.

* The top is a little loose for her (noticeably in the waist) but still very appropriate and wearable.


Conclusion
My daughter has often requested me to make sleeveless knit tops like the ones I have been making her for months now. She insisted that she button this top all by herself. I was getting frustrated with her forcing the button through the buttonholes instead of turning them sideways to fit into the horizontal slots. I was afraid that the buttonholes would not last with her persistence. "Heather turn them sideways to go with the buttonholes." But maybe it's good for her to practice buttoning her tops without my help. It has been awhile since she has worn a top with a buttoned front because she has been accustomed to the convenience of tops that slip easily over her head.

I highly recommend this pattern for that lovely young lady you know. It seems to be rare to find current patterns of stylish blouses or shirts for girls in my daughter's age range. Occasionally I would find nice outfits in the children's section of Burda WOF.

Labor Intensive Shopping

Heather and I purchased some goodies at Joann's just his past Monday, Labor Day. Joann's may not have the best fabric, but I go there usually to take advantage of the pattern sales and use the coupons towards notions.



At first Heather selected some cotton quilting fabric printed with turkeys. I told her to select something else that can be worn for any season. She is now getting into the current trend of peace signs and agreed on the Snoopy/peace-signed themed fabric and since she likes the Curious George reading books, she adored the Curious George themed fabric. I was able to use my 40% off coupon for either fabric because they cost the same per yard.


Since the silkies were 30% off, I purchased 3 yards of the butterfly/floral print and also 3 yards of the green/brown/beige printed fabric that I hope to tranform into a wearable shirtdress. I have not worn a shirt dress for some time now. I just completed the McCall's big bow top in fabric I recently purchased from Fabric.com. I also purchased buttons for my shirtdress, two packs of fusible interfacing, a pack of 1/4" wide elastic and four spools of thread. I used my 10% coupon towards my entire purchase, and of course my JA pine green shopping bag.

The other stuff is from Walgreens (2 tubes of Almay foundation on clearance for $3.95 each, mascara, lipstick, spray-on sunscreen for Heather, a bag of Swedish Fish and Sour Patch candies, baby lotion (I am allergic to lots of things, but this I can handle), baby wash, and Heather's baby shampoo/conditioner (smells like a fragrant forest!)

Long and Winding Bow

I originally intended to the short-sleeved version of this blouse. I kept it sleeveless instead:


I discovered that just after sewing this top that coincidentally, according to Rolling Stone, that 9-09-09 is the official release date for the digital remaster of all the Beatles studio albums.

My ultimate favorite Beatles' song. My dad still has his two precious vinyl copies of A Hard Day's Night soundtrack, a household favorite when I was in grade school.

Pattern Description
"Loose fitted, pullover blouses A, B, C, D have self or contrast collar with tie ends, sleeveless or sleeves and stitched hem; blouse B has short sleeves with stay; blouse C has contrast collar collar and ie ends, bleow elbow sleeves wigth contrast cuffs; blouse D has long sleeves with placket opening and buttoned cuffs."

Size
Misses' 6-8-10-12-14. I sewed a "12" at the shoulders and armscyes and a "14" at the bust and hips.





Fabric
"Beatles Faces" cotton fabric from Fabric.com. The last time I checked there were only 5 yards left. I received this fabric with other goodies yesterday.

Favorite Features
* Tie front
* Sleeve variations (long, short, sleeveless)
* Easy to make (if you do not fiddle with fitting issues)


Not-so Favorite Features
* I should have gone with my first instinct and cut a "12" at the hips. McCall's definitely meant "loose" without the "fitted" for its pattern description! After sewing the side seams, the blouse made me look frumpy. The top was tent-like and needed some shaping. I took in the side seams and that seemed not to be adequate. There was that unflattering billowing in front of my tummy.

* At first inspection of the front piece, I was deterred by the strong possibility of the neckline being low on me. I anticipated that the center front slit (created by the center front facing that was stitched along a "V" and trimmed close to the stitching) would further lower the neckline, although it would be covered by the bow.

*The wide tie cut along the bias. When folded in half along the fold line, the tie would be 4 1/2" wide and the collar, formed between the two large circles after sewing and turning the tie inside out, would be bulky. I think the tie would look better if the width was decreased by 1". The advantage to creating a tie this wide is that was very easy to place my hand in the tie and turn it inside out.


Direction
I Should Have Sewn Better
The directions were fine and did some steps on my own. The collar is sewn to the neckline before the side seams. From force of habit, I sewed the seams before attaching the collar.


Modifications
Try to sew it my way...
* Raised the neckline 1" at the center front tapering to 0" at the shoulders. I found that I had to adjust the tie, sewing beyond the large circles before turning inside out.

* Took in the center back 1/2". I could have taken another 1/2".

* Added vertical darts (3/8" widest at the center tapering to 0" below bust and above bottom hem)

* Took in the side seams an additional 3/8"

* Made a 1" petite adjustment between the bust and hips

* Top stitched arm band to outside instead of inside

* Used French seams at the sides

* Tucked neckband 1" under before topstitching the neckband close to neck seam


Conclusion
I Saw Her Sewing There

For what seemed an easy top took longer due to fiddling with the side seams and adding front darts for a more fitted look. This top did not work "straight out of the envelope" for me, but at least I know what to expect when making the short-sleeved version. The pictures on the envelope were misleading to me. I suggest making a muslin before using ritzy fabric. Putting aside my fitting experiences with this pattern, it is a simple (no buttons, zippers...) top to sew.

Saturday Outdoor Sewing Sale

Last Saturday, August 29, Heather and I went to a "seamstress garage sale" advertised on an email directed to all employess of my school district. The items belonged to the mother of one of the employees who used to teach sewing and other courses. I was curious as to what items would available. The home is not too far form ours.

When I drove past the home, I was intimidated by the many boxes of "junk" in front of the garage and the crowded looking garage. Heather suggested that we just take a look. I agreed and who knows, we might find something interesting. We parked our car near a corner and walked past a few homes before walking to the driveway. The boxes in front contained many odds and ends of colorful fabric that did not intrigue me. Many seemed to be about a yard of remnants that seemed to need laundering. As we entered the garage through what seemed to be the only walkable path, Heather "spotted" some stretchy cheetah fabric and immediately snatched it. It was the only fabric on the shelves that she liked. There was fabric with some interesting print, but I passed for fear that I would stay longer than I should.

Then we met a friendly lady, one of the daughters of the late seamstress/teacher. She asked what I was looking for and told her retro/vintage patterns. She responded that she has a whole bunch of those and pointed to a Simplicity drawer (just like the ones in fabric stores) replete with vintage patterns, of which most if not all were from the 1970's and possibly early 80's. Many were in plastic bags that included their directions and seemed to be missing their original envelopes. Just when I was ready to go through a drawer in further detail, the lady welcomed us to her home and took out two boxes of patterns and placed them on a kitchen table. Heather was eager to locate some children's patterns and became disappointed when most of the patterns were for teens and adults.



She was intrigued by a 1974 Simplicity pattern's envelope having illustrated models wearing flared pants with cute shirts with buttoned front and puffed sleeves. I would also agree with her on this style and would not mind having the same version in my size!



There were so many patterns thumb through and we did not have the time to stay (especially with the heat) so I just picked up what I could easily make such as a 1970 "super simple" from Simplicity.




I also took an early 90's tailored short jacket, a la The Nanny (Fran Drescher). Then the lady pointed to the living room where there were more boxes of patterns! Oops! I could not turn down her offer! I found a cute dress from McCall's with a criss cross back and an "It's So Easy" princess seamed top with cap sleeves. There were many "enticing" styles, but what prevented me from not grabbing more than the 10 we purchased were that many of the sizes were in the 8-10 range. Again, there were few children's patterns in the boxes.

On our way out of the garage, I found some glenplaid for Heather's skirt. Each folded piece of fabric was $1, a super deal. Altogether, with the 10 patterns, and Heather's cheetah fabric, I spent $12. Just as I had planned, we did not walk out with an armload of stuff.

This actually was my first (and Heather's) garage sale experience.

Hello Kitty Kouture

On Saturday, Heather and I went to Macy's and on Sunday, Sanrio (Hello Kitty merchandise). I bought her some things as rewards for doing well in school. She received a nice report from her teacher and was just promoted to a higher reading level/group. I did not expect to a little too far with the rewards. I think there should be a limit as to quantity and cost...





I also purchased for Heather a cocoa brown velour yoga pants and a floral top with a tie and pleated front. I used my $15 coupon card. However, it does not work for "everyday value" items, special buy items, and possibly items that have already been discounted. I think that there are too many restrictions on these extra discounts. The card is a ploy to get you to purchase more! I included the top to be able to qualify for the $40 purchase of the acceptable items. I ended up paying nearly $90!

Somehow we drifted to the jewelry department. I told the sales associate that I was interested in new earrings for Heather as an alternative to the Princess hoops she has been wearing, especially where safety is a concern. I discovered from the sales associate (also a substitute teacher at C. Elementary School) that hoop earrings where a child's pinky finger would fit through is not permitted according to district/school policy. I purchased a box of 4 sets of earrings for Heather and a pair of hoop earrings for myself. The "bridge" set were discounted 50% and an additonal 15%. I do not think that this purchase would have qualified for the bonus discounts.

At Sanrio, L. A. shopping mall,
Whoa, talk about crowded. I was lucky to find a parking space available after a car backing out of it, nearly to the other end of the mall!

Heather purchased a HK lanyard, an HK shell necklace, a little 3-drawer HK organizer, 2 Kuromi rings, 1 "Brad" ring, and a Hello Kitty plastic ring (later she discovered that it was also a stamper when it came apart). These cheaper rings were cool alternatives to the pricier ones. Once we made our purchases at Sanrio, we went straight to our car

Brooke Sh-leeves

I made this top last May.






I vaguely remember Brooke's fashion line for McCall's consisting of practical and stylish clothes in the 80's. Now we have Hilary Duff partnering up with McCall's.

I have several Brooke Shields patterns. This is the first one that I actually sewed up.

My version in embroidered linen fabric from Emma One Sock. This is the second time I sewed in this fabric.

I was a Brooke Shields fan in my teens and I am still a fan of her now. She has survived well in show business considering the media frenzy that permeated during her youth.


Here's Brooke on the Emmy red carpet looking stunning in red!



She also looks fab in a crisp white shirt from NY & Co.


Pattern Description
1986 dated pattern licensed from Brooke Shields and Co.

The pattern envelope mentions that is a "Learn to Sew for Fun" pattern, which seems very suitable for beginners or those who like patterns that describe some methods in more detail.

"Misses' blouses and camisole: Fitted blouses with scoop neckline and camisole have princess seaming and button closings. Blouse A has three-quarter length sleeves with gathered caps and tie cuffs. Blouse B, with short sleeves, and sleeveless bouse C have shaped front hemline. A and B have sleeve heads. Lined, strapless camisole D has left side button closing..." I sewed View B.

Size
One-size, Miss 12.

Fabric
Embroidered cotton linen from EmmaOneSock. This was left over from a New Look blouse with the gathered neckline.

Favorite Features
* Princess seams
* All the bodice pieces sew together very nicely, matching up at the notches, without having to ease the pieces.
* Flattering rounded neckline
* Short semi-flutter sleeves
* Curved hemline


Not-so-favorite Features
* I already found the the length of the top to be short, considering that I am short waisted. On 5'10" Brooke, the length seems fine for her, but I found that the pattern was drafted differently.

* The collar neckband needed to be lengthened a little in order to reach the front facings before turning them inward.

*The upper back needs to be taken in a little more.

Directions
In comparison to some of the current patterns such as those from Simplciity's Project Runway series, the layout is more user-friendly, the directions are sufficient, the illustrations are clear, and contains a sections that have tips on working with patterns, which can be useful for sewists are who are new to working with patterns. besides the cutting layout and the technical drawings of the viewsand pattern pieces, there is an entire section devoted to pattern shortening or lengthening, fabric preparation, types of pattern markings, and transferring pattern markings. Also, the directions for sleeve placket construction and setting in a sleeve are somewhat more detailed than usual.


Modifications
*Shortened the length between the bust and waist 3/4"
*Lengthened all pieces for the bodice 1 1/2"
*Used french seams at the sides
*Reduced the seams 1/8" to allow for more ease


Conclusion
With just another adjustment, I plan to use this pattern again soon. It does not take too long to sew, especially if you have experience with making button-down shirts. I cannot wait to try Brooke's camp shirt pattern and boho gathered front dress that I have in my stash. So far, I have been impressed with McCall's patterns from the 70's and 80's, in terms of the drafting, fit, and directions.

Greensleeve-less

Pattern Description
"Cocktails or after-work get-together, this delicate sleeveless overblouse with metallic sheen and hip sash and bow in 1920's style is perfect for a party!"

Size
Burda sizes 36-46. I sewed a "40" at the shoulders and armscyes, and a "42" at the bust and hips. Although I could have used a "40" in the bust and hips to reduce some volume.




Fabric
Designer cottom fabric from GorgeousFabrics.com


Favorite Features
* Nautical/sailor styled collar where a large rectangular piece covers the upper back of the top. The upper and lower collars are cut from the same piece and do not need to be interfaced ;-). The notches align nicely at the shoulder seams when basting the large collar piece to the neckline before sewing the front and back facings onto the neckline.

* Back facing

* Actually what Burda refers to as the "waistband" should be "hip band" because the belt/sash is situated well below my waistline (and also on Burda's dressform) which I prefer because it gives an illusion of a longer torso.

* This style seems to go well with any fabric (except knits)


Not-so-favorite Features
*If I had sewn the way it was printed, the neckline would have been EXCEEDINGLY low.

*Slight gaping at upper armhole and upper chest.

*The baggy and wrinkly back needs to be further adjusted. (My 6-year-old photographer literally and figuratively snapped that picture "behind my back.")

* Armhole facings. I could have used bias trim with the fabric I was using. I would keep the facings for heavier fabrics.


Directions
They were adequate. I got used to the "lay" the pieces instructions and finishing the edges of the facings and armscyes as usual without Burda mentioning to do so. However, I made sure that I did not sew the wrong sections that would warrant me to take out my handy dandy seam ripper (I did use it because I forgot to leave a slit at the lower left seam where the sash bow would be located). I re-read the step on collar construction. I sewed the collar and its facing along "its outer edges", right sides together, keeping the neckline section unstitched (where it will be turned inside out).

Before attaching the belt/sash, Burda has you gather the lower edge. I undid my "overgathering" else I would not not be able to slip the top over my head. It's best to try on the top with the gathers and adjust accordingly before sewing on the belt.

Based on my size, I cut a rectangular strip of fabric with a length of 80" and a width of nearly 7" of fabric for the waistband. The only "mind-boggling" moment for me was deciphering the waistband or belt/sash construction. I was not certain if the waistband piece was to be attached to the lower edge of the top before finishing the edges of the sash. So I did what I was comfortable with or what made sense to me. I created the belt/sash piece first before attaching it to the lower edge of the top. I sewed 3/8" from the edge right sides together, leaving a 3" gap to turn the belt inside out. I folded the belt in half, marking this section with a pin to attach to the right seam of the top (right sides together) at its lower edge. Then I pinned the rest of the belt, making sure the tie ends are evenly past the left slit before stitching the belt to the edge of the top. It's handy to have a serger to finish the inside seam formed with the waistband/belt.



Modifications
* As I traced, I raised the neckline 3" from the center tapering to 0" at the shoulders. I also adjusted the front facing and the collar to have the same contour.

* I made a petite adjustment. I took out 1" in between the bust and hips.

* Although not mentioned in the directions, I ironed on lightweight fusible interfacing to the front, back, and the armscye facings.

* I used french seams at the shoulders and the sides.

* From force of habit and not reading the directions carefully, I sewed the side seams before attaching the armscye facings, which made sense to me since I used French seams. However, Burda has you sew them onto the edges of the armscye BEFORE sewing the side seams. This process seems logical in order to anchor the facings in place.

* I added five buttons and buttonholes instead of using snaps.


Conclusion
I thought this waistcoat was simple (yet not a quick sew) to put together, although I made some detours from the directions. If I would make it again, I would decrease the length, more noticeably in the back . I highly recommend this pattern for its distinctive style, keeping in mind of the potentially