Lattice Status

My sewing mojo has been stagnant due to being busy at work and with other projects.  Maybe some inspiration would help. As I was shopping yesterday at a local Macy's, while my daughter Heather was at dance class, I found this simple, stylish, and vibrantly colored dress with an elasticized waistline: 

 

The lattice neckline initially looked intricate, but is rather simple in construction in that little straps of fabric are "looped over" a  longer strap that encircles the front neckline.  The raw ends of the little straps are encased either by the upper edge of the bodice or a topstitched strip of the upper neckline.

I tried this dress on in the dressing room to see how it would appear on me.  If there were those secretive dressing room security personnel looking through the mirrors, they were laughing themselves to tears, watching me snap a phone camera photo. Note my green shopping bag in the corner.  Does the store's name look familiar?

I was surprised that I was able to get into a misses' "small" after losing a few pounds.  I typically comfortably wear a misses' medium and sometimes a large.

Of course a tall and thin model wears the supposedly identical dress differently. The hemline appears to be more than half a foot above her knees and the waistline just below her bust line. Was this dress more fitting for petites?

 
 


Maybe during my next time off, I hope to be able to recreate a similar dress using a pattern from my stash. Any recommendations of what pattern I could use as a starting point?  Thanks!

The Fifth Dimension with Butterick 5645

I am addicted to pattern Butterick 5645, view "D", with the split-sleeves. I recently sewed my fifth version of this top.

 

Things to be on the lookout for: excessive ease and long length.  For me, the longer length works due to being short-waisted. To compensate for the excessive ease, I sewed a medium instead of a large.

My fifth version in a "stretch jersey ITY knit cheetah aqua/white" from fabric.com (already sold out). For me, sewing with ITY knit can be either a success or a disappointment.  To stabilize the hems (back of neckline, edge of cowl neck before turning in the facing, sleeve edges, and lower edge of entire top), I ironed on a 1/2" wide strip of interfacing to the edge, folded and top-stitched.  I am glad my lower hem did not "catch the wave".

Fourth version, made from a polyester jersey remnant of Vogue 8451.  As in my earlier versions, I sewed an inch beyond the marked point for more stability and 1 1/2" from the lower edge of each sleeve before hemming for a "cold-shoulder" style, which is trending very much now.

Vogue 8451, short sleeved version, made two years ago:

Vogue 8451:




Now "back to Butterick 5465:  Due to fabric constraints, I sewed a center back seam and went one size smaller (from M to S). So it is a bit fitted than my other versions from this pattern.

Third version, made from a soft rayon woven with an "ikat" style print.  For my third version, I hand-stitched the ends of the split sleeve to prevent them from "flipping, flapping, and flopping" in various directions. This pattern seemed to be compatible with soft wovens, but not with fabrics such as cotton lawn and a slightly denser cotton woven that I used in my second version, which nearly became a "wadder".  I also did not fare successfully with a soft and lightweight rayon/(cotton?) blend knit that I used for my first version, which made the excess ease apparent. The only changes beyond my typical petite adjustment at the waist and narrowing of the upper back, was increasing the shoulder width another inch (to prevent more slippage and to reduce the chance of a bra strap peeping out) and to stitch the two ends of the sleeve together to prevent the sleeve hems from showing.

 

I enjoyed wearing my fifth version.  I made my typical adjustments: shortening 3/4" at the waist, narrowing the upper back 1 1/2" (3/4" from the upper center seam).  Since the fabric I used was a remnant of a previous project,  I shortened the front and the back of the sleeves by different amounts.  Since I was satisfied with the asymmetry (sleeve front is curved and the back sleeve is straight),  I did not bother changing the back sleeve to reflect the change used for the front sleeve.

My "shy" photographer in a RTW dress with mixed print. She's slowly drifting away from me sewing some outfits for her.  Forever 21 (now they have a girls' department) has trendy and low-cost ready-to-wear. I still would rather sew for her than for myself.  A child's sweet reaction to creating something personally made for him or her is very precious and endearing.

Getting a little shade on a very warm, sunny day.  Yesterday's temperature seemed higher than 75 degrees.

Webbed Sights to See and Wear

My husband, Heather and I saw just saw "The Amazing Spiderman" in 3D, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.  I found the movie surprisingly fantastic.

Heather wore her "Spidey Skirt" with three tiers of ruffles while Andrew wore ...

... his "Spidey Spandex".  During an interview at the height of popularity of  "The Social Network", co-star Justin Timberlake (seated next to Andrew) trying to be pun-ny,  made a reference to this being his first "skintight" role.  I don't remember Tom, Denzel, Johnny or Brad in such roles earlier in their careers. 

A few weeks ago, Emma and Andrew participated in a photo session in Madrid, Spain. Emma's Roksanda Ilincic from the fall 2012 collection would look better without the ruffle.  It is reassuring to know that there is another one besides myself who experienced some challenges with gathering a piece of fabric...
 

This 2012 Spider Man "reboot" had a nice melange of  (I don't care what the critics say)...

action,

adventure,

drama,

science fiction,

romance,

and much more...

For Heather's "Spidey Skirt" I used McCall's 6276




For the yoke and upper ruffle I used the same fabric as for my Spidey top made from a July 2012 Burda Style pattern (separate post)

for the second tier, I used this fabric that I purchased at Joann's.

and for the third tier, I used a cotton printed with colorful butterflies and swirls filled with connected circles.

Heather really enjoyed the movie and of course, wearing her new Spidey skirt.

By her grandparents' home (not the one behind her).

Have a Spidera-Dee-lightful day!

4th Burda Style Top for The 4th of July

Last night, I just completed my 4th version of pattern #108 from this month's issue of Burda. I used a silky polyester from my stash.

My "Julie Defourth" top.  I feel very patriotic today. 

I threaded several red beads and  a "La Mode" flag/heart button through each existing earring hoop.

My earlier three versions:

 

Fourth version:
*I cut the fabric on the bias per Burda Style's directions. (My first three were cut on the lengthwise grain).

*I went down one size at the shoulders. I should have also adjusted the location of the bust darts accordingly, or for one being asymmetric.

*I doubled the width of the rectangular bow tie piece to create a "tubular tie"  (fold it in half lengthwise right sides together, sew the ends and edge, leaving a 2" opening at the center at which to turn it inside out).  Instead of cutting the bow as one rectangle, I cut it as two rectangular pieces to be joined at a center seam.

*I  omitted the binding and top-stitching at the armscye.  Folded a hem, pressed, and topstitched a narrow 3/8" hem at the  armscye below the cap sleeves.  I used a finishing stitch for armscye's inner seam.

*I sewed French seams for the side seams.  For the lower hem, I pressed under 1/4" from the raw edge, stitched the hem, and pressed under an additional 3/8" and stitched the new hem.

Here's a photo of a portion of the lower hem and a French side seam on my new ironing board cover.

Here's a link to my earlier review of Burda Style #108 that will open in another window.  If you plan to make this, I hope my experience with this pattern is helpful. 
 First three versions blog entry

We plan to visit my parents this evening.

Have a wonderful 4th of July!

The Gray, the Blue, and the Web-ly

Having not made anything yet from the June edition, and already the July edition arrived in my mailbox!   My goal is to sew at least one item from Burda Style each month.  I still have not decided what to sew from June, but after browsing through the July issue, I immediately traced and cut the pattern pieces for #108,  the top with the bow tie and cap sleeves. The caption for this top came from the page adjacent to the one shown below.

Pattern Description:
From page 36 of  the July 2012 issue of Burda Style:
"Simply beautiful, this narrow-cut linen top with large bow at the neck edge.  The unfinished hem adds a trendy touch".  If I left my second version with unfinished hems, another touch would add fraying frenzy.

Pieces to be Cut:  Front, back, sleeve, front neck facing, back neck facing, and two rectangular strips for the armholes and one for the bow tie.  There are no pattern pieces for the rectangular pieces.  They are cut on the bias with specified lengths and widths. I did not  cut the front and back on the bias

Size: Burda Style Petite Sizes 17-21.   It is nowhere drafted too look like the top above.  Just by looking at the front and back pieces, I anticipated a boxy and shapeless top.  I sewed a "21" and it was quite spacious or had excessive ease.  It seemed to be drafted  for "vanity" Misses' sizes. The characteristics that I like are the flattering scoop neckline and tie front.  Other than that I originally created one billowing rectangle.

Rating:
One dot and a half, where one is the easiest.  I agree with the rating, if the top was sewn without alterations and unfinished hems.

I agree that it is easy if sewn the way it is styled: with the sleeve, bow tie, and lower hem left unfinished or  with their"frayed edges".  With the fabric that I was using I opted for a more "tailored" look: bow tie turned inside out after sewing the lengthwise edge right side of the fabric together, and topstitched sleeve and lower hems. 

The directions were sparse but not impossible to figure out if you have sewn garments with front and back facings, and armholes finished with a rectanglar band of fabric cut on the bias.

First version, the blue top, "Blued out of Proportion".  The blue tie below the neckline is difficult to see, but it is there.

I used a remnant in a nearly midnight blue colored stretch polyeste (perhaps a lighter weight type of ponte polyester?)  .

Instead of leaving the sleeve hem unfinished, I used the same bias band used to finish the armscye I was able to position the band at the lower edge of the sleeve, right sides together and stitch before stitching the sleeve seam in conjuction with seam of the lower armscye/sleeve hem facing, and stitching the side seam.

 

Due to the extra ease, I took in the side seams 1 1/2" at the widest part. If my fabric had less stretch, I probably would have taken in an additional 1" .  Although this pattern is sized for petites, I should have gone with my original intuition (or sewtuition) and shortened the bodice 1" front and back at the waist (petite adjustment).

Second version: a silver and gray top, "Silver Ada" 

* I used a remnant in a cotton/polyester/silk blend woven with no stretch.

* I transferred the changes I made in my blue top to the pattern pieces. I need to make accommodations for the type of fabric to be used. There is still some room in the neck and upper back area, but this time encountered constriction in the bust area and at the waist and hips. 

* I cut the front in two halves adding a 3/8" seam allowance at the center for the center seam, leaving a 4 1/2" slit  below the neckline for a keyhole opening. I top-stitched  a narrow vertical hem at each of the slit, pivoting at the junction point of the two hems or at the lower edge of the slit. A button and a little elasticized loop secures the keyhole.

*I cut the sleeves at the crosswise grain of the fabric so that the portions of the little fringed selvedge compose the lower edges. 

Third version: Spidra Dee

*I used a cotton woven which was more suitable fabric than those I previously used.

* The new Spider Man movie is premiering on July 3.  I thought it would be fun to participate in a Spider Man outfit sew-along with fellow sewists Cation Designs and Tanit-Isis.  What an opportune time for my daughter and myself to wear Spider Man themed outfits (Heather will have a Spidey skirt).

* San Diego Comic-Con International is coming soon.  Although I was not able to pre-order tickets this year and many years before that (each year the event is sold-out months in advance), I thought I sew my daughter and myself some outfits of one of our favorite comic book heroes to make us feel invin-sew-ble (now humming a few bars of Pat Benatar's "Invincible").

* I wish I had taken in the shoulder seams one size lower.  As a "design feature" I folded 3/4" from each shoulder seam and secured the ends of each fold with two little red buttons.

*I added a back center seam (5/8") to reduce excess fabric and to add some contour to the back
.

*The top fits better (neither tight nor very loose) than my first two versions with some shaping at the sides. But I prefer wearing a belt to reduce the "sack look". I found a red/black belt I made for a matching top.  I plan to purchase a bold red wide belt for a more updated look.

(I do not mean to offend anyone with my inaccurate finger gesture of Spidey shooting his web).

4th version (added the 4th of July) (more about this on a separate blog post):

 

Recommendation
Although this pattern did not seem to be drafted for petites, it is overall a simple and straightforward top to sew without alternations or after adjustments to the pattern.  I noticed that I should have cut the front and back for my silver top on the bias as directed. Possibly adding front/back darts or elasticized shaping at the waist and hips would be more flattering on me.

On the subject of "The Amazing Spider Man" for 2012:
Emma Stone, wearing a Roksanda Ilincic dress, in a photo call in Madrid, Spain  What is with her skirt? A ruffle scuffle? She could have worn #101 in the same color scheme.

Surfing Sew-fari Flashback

I just found out that The Beach Boys are currently on tour to celebrate their 50th anniversary!  Before I take you on a Surfing Sew-fari Flashback of our "call to the wild" wardrobe, below is some safari chic with a pair of elegant animal-printed gowns: Giambattista Valli viscose dress with zebra print from  Saks Fifth Avenue for $3475 and Carmen Marc Valv silk halter with cheetah print from BergdorfGoodman.com for $895.

 

Sharing the same theme are my recent purchases of accessories: a striped and spotted scarf (background), a heart pendant necklace, and a spotted heart and disk earrings from Charlotte Russe (each $5);  a set of bangles and cheetah pendant necklace from Forever 21.
 

Hopefully PETA approves wearing animal printed fabric as an alternative to wearing real fur.  I notice that within the past 5 years, my daughter and I have worn many garments with animal print. Not everybody likes to wear wild animal print (i.e. my mom).   

Here's a quick recap of our Sew-fari.  Maybe you have these patterns in your collection and tried them.  Photos are linked to Flickr.  I have nearly surpassed my 1G limit of uploading Blogger photos (to Picasa photo) before having to pay for more storage.

"Zebraffic Park" ITY jersey wrap dress with Butterick 5454
 

"Zee Braffic" with Jalie 2788 twist top pattern




Butterick 5386 top, Calvin Klein knit,

"Black, Gray, and Yellow, Black, Gray, and Yellow"

"Leah Pardy"knit top with McCall's 6164

With another Jalie twist top 2788 

 

Jalie 2788 twist top

Spotted with McCall's 2254 knit top and Jalie twist top 2788

McCall's 2254 from 1999



"Purple Pawsion" in a cotton woven with New  Look 6025

"Leah Parda" with Jalie 2788 twist tops




Red, White, and Blue in a cotton woven with Butterick 5463
 

A pair of Cheetah Sheened Caped Cru-sew-ders with rever-sew-bility, Simplicity 6026

Fleece with licensed San Diego Chargers' logo.

"Ruffled Spots" in polyester/charmeuse with Simplicity 2756

"Cheetah Puffs" knit top, Vogue 8451

A year and a half ago at Macy's: Hmmmm, that fabric looks very familiar!   Heather being silly next to a mannequin wearing an INC International Concepts dress in the same fabric.

"A Spotted Life" with New Look 6940

"Lea Parda deCatrio" with Butterick 5084

"Lea Pardy" with Jalie 2788 twist tops





Heather at the San Diego Wild Animal Park (in Escondido, California), getting "Cheetah-Rrific" with again,  Jalie 2788's twist top pattern...




"Giraffic Park" in a lightweight home decorating fabric with Burda WOF, #110, February 2010

"Giraffic Park" in an ITY jersey with Butterick 5283






"Giraffic Park" with Disney's "The Cheetah Girls" for Simplicity 2944


Simplicity 2944




"C"'s of Confusion in a poly jersey, Hot Patterns Iconic ShirtDress







Just Say "Cheetah" with Butterick 5969





"C's" the Moment with Burda WOF Pattern #108, bateau neck knit top, from February 2009


From February 2009 issue of Burda WOF (now Burda Style), #108



"Pebbles and Wilma" with Jalie 2788 twist tops



Get your capri pants and striped shirts and dance!  Credits to king rocker and roller Chuck Berry for the melody and Brian Wilson for the lyrics of this song.