A 10-11-12 Greeting From Us to You

Wishing my fellow sewists and bloggers a good 10-11-12 day. I just noticed the consecutive numbers today. If it is your birthday or another special day/event, I hope it is a wonderful one.

Also, I just discovered that 10-11-12 is officially the first "Day of the Girl".  But everyday to us is a day of the girl. I am grateful for the liberties we have. In  other countries, ladies are treated as inferior to men.

 From the Day of the Girl website,

"The Day of the Girl is about highlighting, celebrating, discussing, and advancing girls lives and opportunities across the globe." 

This also applies to us "more mature" girls as well.

My daughter Heather and I standing here, minutes after a Beatles theatrical performance, just before the Beatles cover band met fans at the autograph table.  Heather wore a pink satiny dress and I wore a dress that I sewed from a 1967's McCall pattern.

More fab fun and fashion in my retro blog:
http://groovy60ssewing.blogspot.com/2012/10/abbey-rhodes-pinky-lane-and-fine-fab.html

11-12-13 is waiting in the wings...

Mare-all Streeped with Burda Style's Turtleneck Dress

The September 2012 issue really impressed me.  I wish I had the time to trace and sew the styles I like.  With many non-Burda patterns in my stash waiting to be sewn, I selected what seemed to be 2 of the simplest patterns, very suitable for beginners and the first-time Burda user.  Obviously, these two patterns will not "improve" my current sewing level.  At least they will quickly add more basic and practical pieces to my current wardrobe.

I sewed pattern 104 B (longer version), knit turtleneck top with long sleeves.

Trend alert: turtleneck dresses and dresses with horse print.  

ABS Turtleneck dress from Saks Fifth Avenue $188

Sizes: Burda misses' 36, 38, 40, 42, 44.  I sewed a 38 at the shoulders and a 40 elsewhere.

Fabric used: rayon jersey with horse print

Another trend alert: A shirt dress with horse print by ASOS

Although I am not a fan of the Kardashians, here's Kourtney looking fashionable in the ASOS shirt dress and a pair of animal print pumps:

Now, returning to the topic of Burda Style's turtlenecks:

 

Favorite features of Burda Style pattern 104, turtleneck tops:
I cannot complain but rave about this pattern for being very easy to sew,  having a timeless style paired with a skirt and/or slacks, and being an ideal under layer piece.  The depth of the neckline is fine and the collar is not constricting.  I was not surprised at the top being form-fitting and curvature revealing.   With just a few more inches, the longer version can easily be transformed into a turtleneck dress, which would look wonderful with boots for the autumn and winter season.  I traced and cut the "longer" version, so that I can later cut and hem to my desired length.  But that plan changed after I figured out what to do with the remnants, instead of leaving them in a some bag for in indeterminate amount of time that I call "future projects with scraps of fabric in a bag".


Directions:
They are typical Burda Style: brief, right to the point, with possibly a few sentences that can be rewritten for a better understanding (maybe due to translation to English) such as "stitch narrow collar edges together (centre back seam)" to "stitch, right sides together, the center back seam (of the rectangular piece for the collar) along the lengthwise grain".   If you have sewn basic tops with a front, back, and sleeves, and especially turtleneck tops, you can rely on your experience and skill to sew the top.  One module I heed is the "cutting out" module specifying the  pattern pieces and the amount of each to be cut.  The collar is cut from a rectangular piece with lengths and widths that correspond to the sizes 36-44.

Modifications:
I performed my typical 1" petite adjustment above the waist  and narrowing of the upper center back  (3/8" taken out from the upper center back, tapering to 0" just past the lower armscye.).

I shortened the sleeves 1" from the bottom so that they land above my wrists.

The remnant of fabric in the form of a nearly perfect rectangle with width a little over one foot appeared "tempted" to be transformed into something other than a tie belt.  Maybe I was having a fashion flashback from 1980's: I decided to transform the longer version of the top into a dress with a banded bottom, while envisioning its horse print running perpendicular to the horizontal horse print of the top/dress, for a special geometric effect.  What "creative" way to evade top-stitching the lower hem by substituting it with some "spur-of-the-moment design feature". To create the banded "tube", I stitched the center back seam, right sides together, of a rectangular piece whose circumference ended up being 1 1/4" shorter than that of the lower edge of the top, folded the band in half, and sewed it (while stretching a little) to the lower edge of the top.

The Necks Time
I was pleasantly surprised to discover how flattering and fuss-free this turtleneck top is!    I plan to sew more with variations in sleeve and neckline types.  If you have this issue, give this pattern a try. It can easily be one of those "sew-in-the-morning-wear-it-in-the-afternoon" projects.

Next on the sewing queue,  top #130 (muslin version already done):

Belated Birthday/Burd-day Bash

On my (3 x 10) + (1x10) + (6 x 1)-th birthday, my husband, my daughter, and I had a quiet dinner at a Mexican/Thai fusion "bistro".  My daughter's expression reveals how challenging it is for her to finish (chicken spicy noodles) what was on her plate.   I ate only a half of my "Pad Thai Tofu" burrito.  Two "take home" containers were used that evening.

I just received the following photos (except for the Burda Style diagrams, the black and white one, and the outdoor one) via email from my sister-in-law. They were taken a week ago at my parents' home.  They threw me a little but big-hearted belated birthday bash three days after my birthday (9/13).

 

This is the technically the first time I wore this dress that I sewed nearly two months ago (from pattern #119 found in Burda Style, June 2012). My previous post contains my review of this pattern.   I am still hesitant about the late 1980's/early 1990's style. Much to my surprise, my sister-in-law truly liked the dress.  She prefers trendy and youthful looking clothes (she is in her early 30's).

Going through my "flickr favorites', I discovered this photo with similar looking shoulders. I am not sure they have gussets.




Heather and my sister-in-law strategically placed 6 candles and 4 candles (representing the 10's) on a tiramisu cake.

I hid (via photo crop) my embarrassing expression of frustration while blowing the lit candles again after they repeatedly "came back to life".  Heather giggled during the entire episode.

Nearly ready to cut the delectable tiramisu cake. I felt as if I gained back the 8 lbs I lost after eating one slice.

Have a tree-rific day!

Teal-er Dealer

I sewed this dress about a month and a half ago.  The simplicity and elegance as it appeared on the June 2012 issue of Burda Style (pattern #119) captured my attention.  But I wished the Burda Style photographers could photograph the front and back views of this dress on the model.  The side view does not adequately reveal the slight "poof" of the sleeves and shoulders.

She reminds me of Taylor Swift.  Maybe it  is her hair...

Burda Style description:
Aphrodite Dress 119
"Love at first sight-in both the blithe beauty and her sheath dress. A second glance at the dress reveals subtle details, such as the square neckline and slight gathering at the on the hem edges of the sleeves."

Size
Burda misses' 38-46.  I sewed a "38" at the shoulders and a "40" elsewhere.

Recommended Fabrics:
Stretch lace, knits, fine jersey

Fabric I Used:
ITY knit jersey, which I also used for a Butterick 5645 knit cowl top that I posted in July.  I made this dress before the top.   

Schematic

 "Wheel-er Teal-er"

Features
* The shoulder gussets are not easily viewable on the schematic, which are the little triangles which bridge the front and back necklines.  They create the "square-ish" or boxlike appearance of the shoulders, reminiscent of dresses from the late 1980's-early 1990's.

*I like the slight "puff" at the tops of the sleeves and their elasticized hems.

*Easy to make, except for manipulating the gussets at the shoulder.  The directions mention aligning the gussets "seam marks 1 and 2" that correspond to the points on the front neckline and back neckline, respectively.  Just like at the edges of the neckline, I ironed little strips of interfacing to the edges of the gussets before pressing inwards the seam allowances.  With knits, I found it tricky to sew/topstitch those triangles at the pivot points, while making sure that even an iota of fabric does not "slip" out of place.

*The neckline was more of a bateau/boat style that reached the base of my neck, is not the most flattering on me.

*The dress was really a loose sack (reminding me of a nice, comfy beach cover-up), which prompted me to cinch the waist with a belt.


Here is a comfy, sack-like dress from Jasper Conran's Spring/Summer 2013 collection (we are just barely into the fall season!).  My dress seems to be a few inches roomier than Jasper's.

Modifications
* I performed my typical petite adjustment at the waist (shorten 3/4"), my narrow back adjustment (remove 3/8" from the center back seam at the upper back).

*I shortened the dress a few inches.


Encountering the summer wind below the shade from a tree.



If you have this issue and if you are looking for something that is overall simple to trace and sew,  I recommend giving this pattern a try.  Be prepared for extra ease and the the sack-like characteristic of the dress, which can be remedied with a belt. 

Mc-Call Me May Be Until September

McCall's 6112 became a surprise hit for me, but not as big a hit as Carly Jepsen's single "Call Me Maybe" that ruled the pop charts and the You-Tube scene with countless videos of lip-synching fans.
 I just discovered that this pattern is already out of print:

McCall's 6112 at the McCall's website

I was inspired to purchase this pattern by the very nice results obtained reviewers of this pattern at Pattern Review.  But I did not sew it immediately because I was not sure whether or not the kimono-style sleeves with the elasticized waistline will suit me.  As I was looking for a simple, on-trend  knit dress for summer similar, I decided to give this pattern a chance.  I made the dress with the split sleeves (view B) nearly a month and a half ago and with each passing day, the details become more sketchy. What I recall well was that this dress is very simple to make with its four pieces (front/back of bodice and front/back of skirt) and the drape of the fabric and fabric of the fabric sets the tone or the character of the dress. ITY fabric has not given me consistent results in terms of stitch quality and stability of the hems. To make the hems and neckline reliably stable prior to topstitching, I iron pressed strips of interfacing to their edges.

Wearing my McCall's 6112 officially for the first time:  at Balboa Park, The Plaza de Panama Fountain near the San Diego Natural Museum (pictured on the right). The fabric is an ITY knit from fabric.com.

Pattern Description: "MISSES' DRESSES IN TWO LENGTHS AND CAMISOLE: Dresses A, B, C have bodice variations and straight skirt with elastic casing; dress A has front cowl; dress B has short kimono sleeves with slit and purchased nailheads or studs; dress C has short kimono sleeves and front pockets; dresses A, B lengths are approximately 4" above mid-knee; dress C length is approximately 1" above mid-knee; camisole D has stitched hems; purchased belt."

Pattern Sizing: Misses' 4-6-8-10-12. I sewed a "12" except a "10" at the shoulders. Expect extra ease due to the relaxed style of this dress.

If you have sewn dresses especially those that have what I call "inner elasticized topstitched casing", then you will find this a quick gratification project.

Favorite/Not-so Favorite Features
 It's simple to make, comfortable, on-trend with the "cold-shoulder" detail, and versatile for infinite style options. While raising my arms above shoulder level it could be somewhat revealing due to the low side seams and a wearing a camisole would solve this issue. Otherwise, the flowing kimono nearly elbow length sleeves do a decent job of hiding the sides. On me, the elasticized waistline coupled with the fabric has a slight tendency to "ride up" a little at the waist. Hence the skirt hem becomes somewhat asymmetrical. Although I used a 1/2" instead of the pattern's recommended 3/4" elastic, a narrower elastic as used by some reviewers of this pattern would have seemed to taken care of the issue. Occasionally I would make a quick tug here and there to compensate for the elastic's movement, which does not bother me too much.

 

Alterations I don't recall making adjustments to bodice. I may have shortened the skirt an inch shorter than intended.

Recommendations
I still recommend this pattern. If you like simple chic, then this dress fits the bill.

My nine-year old photographer also by the fountain with a better view of the S.D. Natural Museum. She is wearing a Simplicity 3515 Hannah Montana top I sewed for her last year, which fits better now.

  

After visiting "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" at the museum, Heather took a photo opportunity with a "beary good" captain of the ship.


Happy Sewing!

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!