I Got the New Vogue Patterns Magazine

And you didn't! Neener neener neener!

Oh wait, that's not terribly gracious, is it? Sorry. But I am totally excited about the October issue. One of the nice things about being an advertiser is that I get slightly advance copies of the magazines. This month, VPM has undergone quite the makeover! The change is obvious the minute you see the font on the cover.

But what made my little heart go "Squee!" was when I flipped through and came across an article by the Blogosphere's very own Selfish Seamstress.

Yay for the SS! It's a very funny article, much like her blog. Speaking of which, if you don't read it already, you should. She's cute, funny, an amazing sewist, and smart. I'd hate her if I didn't love her so much. And her haiku totally cracks me up!

Well, I have to get back to work. Happy sewing!

While I was Buying Thread...

... to make my Marrakesh pants, I picked up a couple of Vogue and McCalls patterns at JoAnn. They were having a sale on them, so I figured I'd get a couple. First one, and this is out of my usual comfort zone, is this Donna Karan:

I really like the skirt. I think it could be a great wardrobe element this fall. I like the top, but I don't know how I could ever wear it. I think you need to be slight-busted and, um, perky. There isn't enough duct tape in the world. Yeah, I'll pass on that one.

Second, I got this Michael Kors.

Love this one. It's perfect for any of the rayon jerseys on Gorgeous Fabrics. I may need to do some altering of the pattern to make the V-neck a little less deep, but I'll muslin it up and see where it actually falls.

Then I got this Anne Klein:

I need a dressy LBD, and I think this will work well. It will look less MOB done up in a solid color. I'm thinking 4 ply silk crepe. I may even unleash my inner Kenneth King and do (just a tiny bit of) beading at the pleated side seam.

Last, I finally caved and bought these McCalls leggings:

 I'll definitely pass on the disco glitter and sequined versions, appealing though they may be to the Jamaica Plain girl in me. But in a plainer rayon jersey they will work well with some of the tunics I've amassed recently, as well as some short skirts I've made. Interestingly enough, when I looked for them in the pattern bins at my local JoAnn, they weren't there under that pattern number. Instead, they were under MP356.

I'm going to make the Jalie top next, but those will give me some projects for "pre-fall".

Happy sewing!

Current Project - Vogue 2532 Shorts

I really need shorts for summer, and I was going to trace a pair from the June Burda magazine, but I realized that I just don't like tracing patterns. Especially not patterns that are pretty much garden-variety. Am I the only one who finds the idea of tracing patterns off those sheets unappetizing? It's really a buzzkill for me and sewing. Then I thought about using a free download shorts pattern, but again - it's pretty much a garden variety pattern of shorts, so the already-limited appeal of printing it out and taping a bazillion pieces of paper together evaporated completely.

So instead, I'm making a pair of shorts from Vogue 2532, a Vogue Basic Design pattern that is a shorts/pants pattern in 5 different lengths. I'm making a pair that's halfway between view A and View B. Mine will end about mid-thigh.

I'm making it from this (sold out, sorry) stretch cotton from Gorgeous Fabrics.

I cut it out today and it's about three-quarters of the way done. I still have to apply the waistband and hem it. Hopefully I'll have it done tomorrow. I think I'll make a tank top to go with it from some blue rayon jersey I have in my stash. I'll review it once it's finished.

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - Vogue 8658 Dress, and a Big Sale

Pattern Description: "MISSES' TUNIC, DRESS AND PANTS: Tunic A, dress B have front and back darts, shaped hem and shaped neckline finished with fold-over braid. A: three-quarter length sleeves with fold-over braid finishing. B: armholes finished with fold-over braid. Length is 1" above mid-knee. Pants C are pull-on with straight legs and elastic waistline casing. Length is below mid-calf. Separate pattern pieces provided for A, B, C, D cup sizes." I made View B, the dress.

Sizing: 6-22. I made a 14

Fabric Used: An absolutely gorgeous cotton that my friend Flora brought back from Italy for me two years ago. For the trim I used Italian Twill Cotton Voile in White from Gorgeous Fabrics (of course).

Needle/Notions Used: Universal 70/10. Gutterman thread.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes

How were the instructions? I lost them, so I have no idea, sorry.

Construction Notes: Vogue recommends using foldover braid for the trim. I decided instead to make bias binding, thinking it would work better, which it did. I had originally decided to use the Basketweave Cotton as the trim, thinking the texture would work nicely with the print on the main fabric. But the Italian cotton is very light, and when I sewed the basketweave to it, it really weighed down the neckline. So I pulled it off and used the voile instead.

Speaking of the neckline, it is noticeably different from the photo on the website:

The actual neckline comes in much closer to the center front at the base of the throat. The line drawings give a more accurate representation. Also, the curvature of the neckline keyhole is pretty sharp (Sharp curves- isn't that an oxymoron?), so your trim may have a tendency to buckle. Depending on the trim you use, you may want to redraw the neckline so the curves are more gentle (like the picture above).

Any changes? The front of this dress is sized for A, B, C, and D-cups. I lowered the bust dart by one inch. Also, as drafted, the back has very little shape to it, and looks pretty sack-like. I added back waist darts, which gave it a much more pleasing silhouette.

Likes/Dislikes: LOVE the different cup sizes. It makes life so much easier. I wasn't crazy about the shape until I added the back darts. If you have any waist, make a muslin and see if you prefer to add them.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? I'm not sure I'd make it again, and I'd give it a qualified recommendation. I think it needs more shaping. The tunic may not need it as much.

Conclusion: A good pattern that can be even better with a little work. Here are pictures on Shelley:

Fourth of July Sale Going on Now at Gorgeous Fabrics!
If you aren't on the mailing list or a Facebook Peep, you may not be aware that we are running a humongous sale at Gorgeous Fabrics through July 5. Almost everything (except Swatches, Muslin and Gift Certificates) is on sale for 20% to 25% off our regular great prices. So what are you waiting for? There's some serious stash acquisition waiting for you!

Click Here to Shop the Sale!

Happy shopping and sewing!

Vogue 8658 - Some Progress

I did manage to grab a little time to whip together the muslin for this dress. It's super simple to make straight from the envelope. It took less than an hour to cut out and sew the muslin. Before I even cut the muslin, I lowered the bust darts. When I put the muslin on, the front fit really well. The back, though, was kind of baggy. It reminded me of the sacque dresses my mom used to wear when I was a kid, only not retro-fab. To counter that, I added back waist darts.

That seems to have done the trick, adding a little shaping without over-fitting. I cut out the Italian cotton and I got it sewn together at the shoulders. I'll try to make the bias tape for the neckline and armhole finishes tomorrow.

Parting Thought - a useful website: This is a great website, though the language on it is NSFW. Whatthe[cuss]shouldImakefordinner.com

It randomly chooses a recipe from Epicurious.com. I love it because it seems to look for recipes that take less than an hour to make - perfect for busy evenings. It makes me chuckle whenever I bring it up. It uses crude language, but it has been a godsend to me for weekday dinners.

Happy sewing!

Okay, that site just made me a liar - it doesn't pick only recipes that take less than an hour, but a few mouse clicks on the "I don't [cussing] like that" button will soon find you short-order recipes.

Next Project for Me...

A dress for vacation! I'm going to make Vogue 8658. I like the clean lines of the dress. I can just toss it on, slip into a pair of sandals and head out. I also like the fact that the pattern comes with pieces sized for A/B/C/D cups, taking much of the work out of it for me. I did lower the bust point by one inch, and I want to make a muslin quickly to test the fit through the back. I got the envelope that contains sizes 14-22, but recently the Vogue/Butterick/McCall size 14 has been running big on me. Once I test out the fit and make any adjustments, I'm going to make the final version from this fabulous cotton sateen that my friend Flora brought back from Italy for me.

It's even more beautiful in person than the picture shows. I'll trim the edges with this Basketweave Cotton from Gorgeous Fabrics. The slight textural contrast will work really well against the blues and whites on the sateen.

I'm hoping to get the muslin done tomorrow. I'm less than two weeks from the end of radiation (Huzzah!!!) and I do find that my energy levels are not as high as usual. And DS the younger does want to work on his next project, so it may take a little longer than usual. But it should be done in plenty of time. More to come!

Parting Shot - The Fahionista's Rashy:
How fabulous is this rash guard from Pret-a-Surf?

Image credit: Opening Ceremony

You may not be able to lay hands on Yves Saint Laurent's Mondrian dress, but you can make quite the splash with this!

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - Vogue 1089 Badgley Mishka Dress

Well, you've already seen it on, but here's the full review....

Pattern Description: From Vogue's website - MISSES' DRESS: Close-fitting, lined, flared dress has princess seams, midriff with assorted beads and invisible zipper closing. Above mid-knee length.

Sizing: 8-22. I started with a 12 at the shoulders and tapered out to a 14 at the midriff.

Fabric Used: Luxe Stretch Silk/Cotton Floral Twill - Multi Brights for the outer shell and self-lining. For the skirt lining I used a stretch silk charmeuse that has been aging in my stash since Phyllis and I last went to NYC together. (That was what, Phyllis - 3 years ago?)

Let me just gush about the fabric for a moment. That silk/cotton blend is a dream to sew with! It could easily become one of my favorite fabrics. Really - it cuts and sews beautifully. I recommend a stretch needle in the fabric page, but it went together beautifully with a non-stretch on my industrial. And it feels like heaven against the skin! I didn't pre-wash my fabric, since (thanks to the lining), this dress is doomed destined to be dry cleaned. If I was not going to dry clean it, I think you could probably wash it in the gentle cycle - cold, and dry it in a cool dryer, removing before it's completely dry. But my official recommendation is going to be dry clean. How's that for CYA? I love this fabric, can you tell?

Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 70/10 needle on my home sewing machine, 9/65 (non stretch) needle on my industrial Juki. I made the skirts on the Juki, then took the rest home to work on overnights. 22 inch invisible zipper. Fusible tricot interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply. Hook and eye. Metrosene thread (at home), Poly cone thread on the Juki.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes, except for my changes to the design (see below).

How were the instructions? I didn't use them, and honestly, because I was in a rush to complete this, I haven't looked at them to let you know.

Construction Notes: I did my usual FBA. I also decided to skip the Vogue facing/lining pattern pieces and I just used the dress pattern pieces instead. I did a self lining on the bodice and midriff, which you can see here:

Sorry it's wrinkled - I wore it all day yesterday.

I decided to do it this way for two reasons - one, I didn't have to do an FBA on the lining pieces and two, the dress is fitted at the midriff on the shell, but the lining is a standard stem to stern princess line pattern that floats free. That didn't make a lot of sense to me. I wanted the lining to mirror the dress. It's just a matter of preference.

I had made a muslin of the dress with 65 inch muslin. The muslin is non-stretch. The fabric itself has a lot of stretch to it - probably a good 10% in the crosswise direction. Because of that, the muslin was slightly snugger than the finished dress. I probably could have used a straight size 12 for the entire dress.

Also, rather than doing the make the entire dress/lining, attach and let hang overnight before hemming thing, I did it a little differently. I made the skirts (shell and lining) first and let them hang overnight while I made the bodice. The next day I attached the skirts/bodices and hemmed them. That's probably going to be my modus operandi from here forth. I did it because I was on a really short time frame, but it worked out really well and is much more efficient. I also hemmed the lining before attaching it. I hemmed the garment shell once everthing was attached.

Any design changes? Yes. I mentioned it in a previous blog post, but I'll repeat here. When I did the muslin, I used the upper/lower midriff pieces and sewed them together. There's no shaping to the seams, so the only reason I can see for making a two piece is for placement of the crafty shit jewels along the midriff. Since I wasn't going to be doing that, I was able to combine the pattern pieces.

Likes/Dislikes: Love it! What's not to love? It's a pretty dress with pretty lines. I think it is good for many body types and ages. And it is my celebration dress for my final chemo session!!!!

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Yes and yes. I actually like it more than I thought I would. I'm inspired by Cindy's comment that she's making this dress in denim with the jewels. I have a fabulous 3-oz (dress weight) Japanese denim that I just got in. It's not on the Gorgeous Fabrics site yet, but it will be next week. I think I may grab a few yards of that and make it up, with the crafty shit jewels this time!

Conclusion: A winner. Here's a reprise of me in it.

Happy sewing!

Work is Progressing on the Dress

I heard back from the Etsy vendor. She's been having health issues (what the hell is going on these days?) so she's behind on getting things out. I decided to use another pattern that I have in my stash, Vogue 1089 by Badgley Mischka Platinum:

 It's not exactly what I wanted, but I think it's cute. I did my usual FBA and started with a 12 at the shoulders tapering out to a 14 at the bottom of the bodice. I made a muslin of the bodice and it fits really well, so I started cutting. So far there are a couple of changes that I'm making. First - I'm not putting on any of the crafty shit embellishments they show on the pattern. I like the fabric plain. Next, if you take a look at the tech drawing here:

You can see that the midriff is made of two bands. When I made the muslin I found that there is no shaping done in the seaming. I figure it is there to make placement of the crafty shit embellishment easier. I decided that I'd rather have the full amount of real estate to showcase the fabric, rather than break it up by unnecessary seaming. So here's the resulting muslin pattern:

I spent much of the afternoon going cross eyed trying to match the florals across the seamlines. I also decided to self-line the bodice and just use the skirt and midriff pieces for the lining, rather than using the facings and princess-line lining that Vogue provides. The fabric is light enough to do that and I like the idea of attaching the lining at the waistline rather than letting it hang loose. I'm going to line the skirt with a stretch silk charmeuse I have in my stash. I'm hoping to get the vast majority of it sewn up tomorrow, let it hang on Tuesday and then hem it on Wednesday. Fingers crossed. I still have to find some fabulous shoes.

Parting Words: I debated long and hard about whether I want to weigh in on this subject, and the answer is yes and no. Many readers are discussing, rather animatedly, a certain web site. I think it's time to give it a rest, friends. Love the place or no, it's just getting old at this point. Let's all get back to sewing. I'm going to moderate any comments about said site into oblivion. So let's all go make some gorgeous outfits with Gorgeous Fabrics, then blog all about them!

More later. Meanwhile, happy sewing!

Rethinking that Decision

I pulled the Tracy Reese pattern out and started analyzing it. I may rethink it now. There are 16 pattern pieces for the main dress. That's not a problem in itself, but after looking at them, I'm afraid the floral would be so distorted/chopped up by the lines of the dress that it won't really look good. It's a bold floral, but it still is a discernible floral. I still really like the Tracy Reese, but I think it would benefit from either a REALLY BIG floral or a more abstract design, like they show on the pattern envelope cover.

Now to figure out what to use...

Three Down, One to Go

This is for Maureen, the percussionist. Because she's constantly whacking something, she doesn't like anything on her arms, so I made her a halter top. This is based on Vogue 8095. I want to see it on her. I may want to raise the halter just a bit to make it look better. I think I'll bring my sewing machine with me Saturday.

One more to go. I'm going to make a bell sleeved surplice top from Simplicity 4076. That should be all done tomorrow, then they'll be ready for Foxwoods!

Happy sewing!

Next Up - Booty Call!

DH's band, Booty Vortex, is one of ten bands who made the finals of the "Be the Wonder" contest at Foxwoods Resort and Casino. Next weekend, they will perform the theme song, and hopefully they'll win the gig to be the new voice of Foxwoods! Check out their site and text your votes in next Saturday, please!

Booty Vortex is a 12-piece disco/funk band. The ladies in the band, Kit, Julia, Maureen and Nancy, wanted to have a unified look, so I'm going to make them all tops. The tops will be different styles, but made from the same white/silver holographic fabric. I'll post updates as each style is completed.

In the meantime, tonight was my BFF's birthday dinner, so I broke out my new dress for the occasion.

Not too shabby.
Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - Vogue 8593

Pattern Description: From Vogue Pattern's website - Fitted, tapered dresses A, B, C, mid-knee length, have pleated front neckline and darted back with zipper. A: sleeveless, finished with purchased bias tape. B: below elbow length sleeve. C: full length sleeve. I made View B.

Sizing: 6-20. I made a 14, but used a 12 at the shoulders.

Fabric Used: Fancy Italian RPL in Orange. I really love this fabric. You can't tell very well from the pictures, but it has a subtle texture to it. It also has about 25% stretch in the cross-grain, so it will work for this dress. It is probably a little heavier than Vogue intended, but I worked around that (see construction notes).

Needle/Notions Used: 22 inch invisible zipper. Stretch 75/11 needle.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes

How were the instructions? Mostly okay, but squidbrained about one thing. I swear, Vogue cuts and pastes their instructions from files that were first written in the 1970s (and you have to understand that I love Vogue Patterns despite this). How else to explain the use of neckline facings on this design?? I groused to my friend Emmett about this earlier this week. No one in RTW uses facings like they do in commercial patterns. Why can't the pattern companies catch up? Grrr..... Anyway,

Construction Notes: The dress went together very easily. Please note that the "figure flattery chart" shows that this is a good design for hourglass and inverted triangle shapes. I'm an inverted triangle. I think if you have any hips at all, you need to do some serious fitting, even if you are using a jersey. This baby doesn't like hips. I had been forewarned about this, which is why I checked the pattern measurements against mine. If you have hips, you might want to consider morphing the neckline onto a different dress.

I did not, for once, need a FBA with this pattern. That was a lovely surprise that I discovered when I made the bodice muslin.

Any changes? As I mentioned, I decided against using the facing pattern pieces that came with the pattern. The reason is that the pleating at the neckline leads to lots of layers of fabric. Check this out:

It may be a little difficult to make out, but at the CF neckline, when the pleats are done there are 6 layers of fabric. Can you imagine sewing that to an interfaced facing, turning and folding? We're talking what, 14 layers? Hello Vogue? Can you see the steam pouring out of the hapless sew-er's ears who hasn't got a lot of experience? Even if you use a thin jersey (I don't recommend it with this pattern), that's more layers than any amount of understitching will hold down.

So what's a girl to do? I used a neckline binding. To do this, I basted along the seam allowance at the neckline. I cut a 1 1/2 inch bias strip of self fabric the length of my neckline opening plus 2 inches. I pinned this to the neckline edge, lining it up with the basting. I sewed it with a 1/4 inch seam. I trimmed the neckline seam allowance to match up to the edge of the binding.

 

I turned the binding over the neckline and attached it by stitching in the ditch. Here you can see the attached band before I trimmed it.

I like this finish because it minimizes bulk and still keeps a clean look to the neckline. I'll finish the top of the neckline with a hook and eye. But it turns out I am completely out of those for the first time ever in my sewing life.

Likes/Dislikes: I really love the form-fitting nature of this dress, and I adore the neckline detail (a direct nod to the dress Michelle Obama wore on her first visit to the White House). Other than the facings issue, I don't dislike anything about this. It's a very straightforward design that looks great on.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? I may do it again, and I do recommend it, with the fitting and neckline caveats.

Conclusion: I'm going to pair this with my Stuart Weitzman sand suede pumps and a fabulous scarf. I'm going to be so stylish at the clinic!

Here are pictures of the front and back on Shelley

Wow, that's bright!

Happy sewing!

Some Progress

Things have been going a little slower than I had hoped on the Vogue dress, thanks mostly to kids being on vacation and demanding to be entertained needing things to do. But I have made some progress. Here's the dress so far:

 It needs a neckline band (more on that in the review later) and it needs to be hemmed and pressed, so hopefully I'll finish it tomorrow or thereabouts. More later...

Happy sewing!

Elsewhere in Ann-Land

Can I just tell you how happy I am to get back to my sewing machine? I sewed up the muslin of the bodice for Vogue 8593. I started out with a size 12, rather than my usual size 14. I've found lately that Vogue has been running big through the shoulders on many of their newer designs. This is no exception. I sewed it straight from the pattern (just the bodice). I was right to start with a 12. It would be too big in a 14 at the shoulders. So I'll morph it out to a 14 below the arms and do a FBA. Here's a shot on Shelley:

 

It will need some work, but that's okay. I'll probably get a bunch done tomorrow on it. This pattern only requires 25% stretch on the cross grain, so rather than a knit, I'll use a stretch RPL. This muslin is made with leftover fabric from my son's ballroom dance pants.  Here's a picture of the back:

I really like the lines. I'm debating whether to make it with sleeves or sleeveless. I'll decide on that tomorrow. So far this is quite easy and goes together quickly. I think Linda had some issues with the fit of the bodice so I'll go check out her review on her blog.

Thank you to everyone for your wonderful words of support. It's been an interesting last few months, and it's not something that I'll talk too much about (though you may end up with wardrobe updates after each session!), but I wanted to let you know, and hopefully help some other people.

Parting Shot: Green Nails!

Every now and then I like to cut loose with my nail color and break away from my usual rotation of natural tones or reds. Yesterday, Christina put this really cool green on me (how un-Valentines, eh?). It's "Jade is the New Black" from OPI's new Hong Kong collection. On top of it, she put a coat of the sheer silver polish from the Christmas collection (sorry I can't remember the name). I wore it to our annual "Sick of Winter Party", which had its largest attendance in years. It's been a looong winter, and we aren't getting hit with as much as BW and Philly are. It was a blast and much needed!

Happy sewing!

Working on Two Things....

Well, the tree is down, the decorations are stored for another year. The laundry is done and the kids have finished their vacation homework, so it's time to hit the sewing room. Right now I'm finishing up another version of JStern's Tee, using Dance on the Wild Side Mesh from Gorgeous Fabrics:

I started cutting it out at noon on Christmas Eve, but between trying to do Christmas with my family and blowing town right after, it's still in pieces on the sewing table. It will be a fun top for celebratory affairs like Valentine's day, my friend Barb's birthday, etc. I'll try to finish it today and post pictures.

The other thing I'm ready to start working on seriously is my Chanel-style jacket. That's the one I started with Susan Khalje when she was in town. It's completely quilted and ready to start sewing. I'm so excited about it! Susan is an absolute font of knowledge and she's written one of the best articles about making a Chanel-style jacket. You can order it directly from Taunton Press. If you don't have it, I highly recommend it. I think it's one of the best resources out there. She was telling us that when she wrote the article, Chanel was incredibly helpful, opening their archives and letting her really study the construction of jackets up close and personal. I also love her online article about choosing trim for a Chanel-style jacket.

For my version, I'm using Vogue 7975.

Susan showed us in class how to convert the pattern's two-piece sleeve to a more Chanel-like three piece sleeve, canting the bottom part of the sleeve vent to make the trim sit beautifully. I'll post pictures of the results when I'm done. I don't have the trim yet. I hope to be able to get to New York at some point in January to purchase the perfect trim(s) for it. We'll see how things go on Tuesday and hopefully I'll get to M&J or Tinsel Trading before the end of the month. It's a spring color jacket, so I don't have to rush, but it sure would be nice to have it ready for Easter. We'll see how it goes!

Thank you to everyone for your well wishes. I'll be out of commission Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, though the warehouse and the guys will be processing orders and shipping things out. Tuesday is the surgery and Wednesday I'll be recovering (hopefully). So I don't know when I'll be blogging actively. Hopefully not too long from now. Well, I'm hoping you'll see the latest top this afternoon, but after that... we'll see. Wish me luck. Thanks for everything, and of course,

Keep on sewing!

The Value of a Muslin, or How to Avoid Clown Pants

I have some lovely Loro Piana wool that I am going to make into a pair of pants and into a dress. I like pants because I wear them a lot these days, and I can whip out a pair in pretty short order. I decided to give a new pattern a shot: Vogue Wardrobe 1132

It looks pretty good, eh? I like those pants on the model. They aren't too low cut, and they seem to have good "bones". I had read MaryBeth's fantastic analysis of this pattern at The Sewing Divas and decided against making up the jacket or skirt. But the pants looked promising, and I was in the mood to try something new.

You all know I am a muslin hound. And not the "wearable" kind of muslin, either. I'm talking about cotton muslin (preferably unbleached) put together as a test garment with basting stitches and zippers in colors that don't occur in nature or in my wardrobe.

I made my muslin. The pants went together very easily. They have a mock-fly front. Since it's a muslin I skipped the pockets (side seam) and just sewed up the sides. I made my standard back crotch adjustment, which is to say I copied the sharp "L" curve from one of my TNT HotPatterns trousers, then I sewed up the pants. I omitted the waistband, since this is a fitting muslin.

Well...


I'm glad I made this muslin. It saved me cutting into my beautiful fabric with what would be disastrous results. These pants make Mom Jeans look like they are cutting edge. I'm not long-waisted, but these pants make me look like a fireplug, and that is without the waistband attached. I know higher waisted pants are coming back in, but if I add the waistband to them, these go almost up to my bra. I really don't want to look like John C. Reilly singing "Mr. Cellophane". The other thing that this muslin pointed out is that the darts are positioned WAY too close to the center front, adding to the overall dumpy look of the pants. I put on 4 inch heels to see if that helps. It does a little, but not enough. Thanks, I'll pass.

So, I learned a valuable lesson from this muslin. It didn't take all that much time, and it gave me an indication of how the finished garment would look. I think I'll pull out my favorite HotPatterns Razor Sharp pants and make myself a pair from that.

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - Vogue 1087 Dress by Donna Karan

Grrrrrrrrr......


Pattern Description: From Vogue's website, "Fitted dress, below mid-knee, has pleated and tucked front forming wrap effect. Front extends to back at sides, back has zipper and hemline vent. No side seams."

Sizing: 4 to 18. I made a straight 14

Fabric Used: Shimmer Fleurs Jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics. This is one of those fabrics that actually looks so much better made up than it does on the bolt.


Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 75/11. Thread, stretch tricot interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply, Steam-a-Seam.

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes, but not thanks to Vogue's instructions.

How were the instructions? They sucked. Seriously - a monkey with a typewriter could probably do as good or better a job on the instructions. I can count on three fingers the patterns whose instructions were so frustrating that they made me want to burn them. This is one of the three. I saw a review where the reviewer said this was great for advanced sewists. Then the reviewer went on to state that she had to reread the directions several times and still wasn't able to figure it out, and she had to do all sorts of machinations to figure out the construction. So did I. Sorry - that's not great for any sewist. I've put together some seriously challenging Vogue patterns (read, Issey Miyake) without problems, so I think this is really a deficiency on Vogue's part. I need to put a little space between myself and this pattern for a while, then I may come back with a how-to.

The instructions have you leave several parts unfinished - all the seams, the bodice front piece and all of the hems on the armholes and drapes - they don't even tell you to turn the hem allowance under. I have made sample pieces now for a half dozen designers. I can tell you, if I did the finishing on my samples the way the instructions tell you to in this pattern I would get laughed out of the room. Pardon me for going on, but it's just so irksome. These instructions are a recipe for Becky-Home-Ecky all the way.

Okay, let me go on to other things before I raise my blood pressure.

Construction Notes: I used a narrow zigzag for the seams (.5 mm wide, 2.5 mm long). I used Steam-a-Seam to do the hem (I was sick to death of it by this point, so I just wanted to have it done).

Any changes? I made a straight 14 and there are a few things that I need to change to make it fit properly. Believe it or not, I don't need an FBA on this. I suspect that Vogue may have used Donna Karan's sloper for this pattern, and she tends to draft for bustier women. Plus, the draping is more forgiving to a larger bust. The back, though, is huge and gaps at the neck. I don't generally need to take in the back on my garments, but I need to adjust the fit on this one. I think I could have started with a 12 and tapered out to a 14 at the side seams with no problems.

Likes/Dislikes: I do like the draping on this. I love the way this looks in this fabric. The garment can hide a multitude of sins, thanks to the drape. I like what my friend Camille calls "the fish gills". The back darts are actually sewn on the right side of the fabric. Here you can see a closeup.
I also like the fact that it makes the wearer (that would be me) look like I have a well-defined waist. You already know what I don't like about it.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? I'm not sure I would do it again. Phyllis and I were talking about it today, and she opined, "You know, it's probably one of those things at this point where you'll wear it once or twice and that will be it." I suspect she is right. Before I can wear it, though, I need to fix the back neckline on me.

Would I recommend it? Not to my worst enemy's cat. It's really a pity, too.

Conclusion: They're writing songs of love, but not for this. Here's the dress on Shelley:
Edited to add - This dress looks fantastic on, sorry if I implied that it didn't. It just needs some adjusting in the the back so it doesn't gap at the neck. I'll probably get DH to take a picture of me in it this Sunday.

Parting Shots
You remember that a tree demolished our shed in December? Well this weekend the snow finally melted enough and we rented a dumpster to take it down. Well, "we" means DH and neighbors. Demolition breaks fingernails, so I left it to the boys. Here are a couple of pictures.

Fortunately, Hoover has enough sense to stay clear.

Give a man a sledgehammer....

Next up, I think I want to make a fabulous jacket with some bouclé I bought (sorry, this one was for me, not the site) when I was in New York last. Happy sewing!

These Instructions Suck!

Can I just tell you? The instructions for this pattern suck with a capital SUCK. Really. I emailed my friend Camille, who successfully and beautifully made this dress, and I asked her if I have suddenly taken a turn into stupid-land. No, she reassured me, the instructions truly do stink to high heavens. She even said, "I really didn't make the dress so much as my interpretation of the dress." She couldn't make heads nor tails of the instructions either.

This dress is putting me in a bad mood. Add to that the fact that DS the youngest brought home some nasty sinus bug that has infected all of us and it adds up to not much going on. But dammit, today I'm going to conquer this thing. So stay tuned and I hope you have happier sewing than I am at the moment!

A Couple of Lousy Pictures

Here are pictures of the front/back pieces of the Donna Karan pattern. The fronts are up at the top of the pictures, and the skirt backs are at the bottom. As you can see, it's kind of difficult off the bat to figure out where the bustline is on these pieces. There is another bodice piece that bridges between the two pieces. I actually do have an idea of how to do a FBA for this, but I want to put it together once to make sure where the proper points are.

I left two pieces up at the studio, and DS the younger was home sick today from school, so I just stitched up the tucks and pleats (there are a bunch of them in odd places, so again, I want to make this straight once and then figure out the fit). I'm debating whether to insert a zipper. The knit I'm using has a lot of stretch to it, so I may forego the recommended invisible zipper. I'll put the pieces together tomorrow and hopefully have something to show. That is, as long as I don't have another sick kid on my hands.

Happy sewing!

Pattern Review - Vogue 8548 "Michelle Obama" Coat

Why Michelle Obama Coat?
I love this coat. It looks like the style that Mrs. Obama would wear, doesn't it? Stylish and paractical. It's also made to wear comfortably while walking quickly from the restaurant to the waiting limo on a cold winter evening. Lightweight and warm!

Pattern Description: From Vogue's website: "Lined coats A, B, C in two lengths have bodice with princess seams, A-line skirt, closure variations and sleeves in two lengths. A, B: topstitching. B, C: cording button loops. B, C: length is 2" above mid-knee." I made View A, but I used View B's length.

Sizing: 6-22. I made a 12

Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes

How were the instructions? They seemed fine. I ignored them for the most part.

Fabric Used: Ah, here's the wonderful part. The outer shell is a cashmere that has been aging gracefully in my stash for a couple of years. It's a burgundy 100% cashmere that has a warm cast to it. The lining is a very cool handpainted charmeuse that I bought in New York last year.

Construction Changes or Details? I did a FBA, and as I said, I used the longer skirt length. For the bodice pieces, I used Pro-Tailor Fusible Hair Canvas that is the perfect weight for this fabric. I got it from Pam Erny at Fashion Sewing Supply. With cashmere, you have to be careful fusing and pressing. I wrote about it in this post.

I used black thread for contrast on the topstitching. For the stitches, I set the length to 3.5mm. I like the black because it does give good visual highlight to the seams and edges while still being subtle.

I found that the sleeve tended to collapse, thanks to the softness of the cashmere. I thought about fusing interfacing to the top of my sleeve, but that might have been too stiff. Instead, I made custom sleeve heads by cutting 2 inch strips of the cashmere on the bias and setting them in. That supported the sleeves and gave them enough "lift" to look good without any stiffness.

Also, I was (and still am) on the hunt for perfect buttons for this coat. I got some, but I don't love them. And I want buttons that I love for this coat. So instead of making hand-cast button holes, I decided to use large snaps as closures, and I just sewed the buttons on the outside of the coat.

When I go to New York next, I'll hit up Botani and find the perfect buttons. Then I'll take the whole kit and caboodle to Jonathan and have them make the buttonholes for me. In the meantime, this is a great solution.

BTW, I got the snaps at Pacific Trims in New York. They are simply fabulous. And they were only $1.50 each set. I've seen these snaps selling elsewhere for much more. Just call Connie and order a dozen. These are perfect for coats, jackets and sweaters. They come in different finishes, too. NAYY, I just love these snaps.

After reading Erica B's review of this pattern, I debated whether to bag the lining. I ultimately decided against it, because of the persnickety nature of silk charmeuse. I wanted to have complete control over the charmeuse, and the best way to get that is with handstitching. I think though, that in many cases, you could bag the lining of this coat with good results.

Likes/Dislikes: I love the lines of this coat. There isn't anything I dislike, though in their infinite wisdom, Vogue didn't put this pattern in the Coats section of their website. It's only in the Very Easy Vogue section. That's caused some confusion and I've had a bunch of people ask me if the pattern is out of print. It's not. It's just not in the obvious place.

Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? I only need one of these, so I won't make it again. I love it though, and I heartily recommend it.

Conclusion: I'll be stylin' for Christmas! Here's a picture of the finished coat:

And here's that fantastic lining!