Two Skirts

I made a couple of skirts.  One I am very happy with but the other is just ok.   Nothing exciting to talk about here in my intro, so on to the review.   I'm brain dead at the moment.  We are in the last week and half of school and the kids have gone bonkers.

Pattern Description:  Simplicity 8019, a vintage 70's reprint.  The pattern is a front gored, buttoned skirt in four different lengths.  My first version is the turquoise linen skirt.  My second, which I am much happier with, is the printed rayon midi length skirt.

Pattern Sizing:  The pattern offers sizes 6-24.  I made kind of a mix of sizes 16-18.  I cut the pattern as a size 16 but when I held up the waistband piece, I realized that a size 16 waistband was not going to fit me where I wanted the skirt to sit.  This must be designed to sit right on the natural waist.  I wanted my skirt to sit lower, so I cut an 18 waistband and then sewed slightly smaller seam allowances at the top of of my skirt pieces so the waistband would fit. I'm not sure that was the best decision as the skirt would probably be a lot more flattering if it sat at my natural waist.  I think it messes with the proportion a little bit.  I think this is why I don't love the turquoise version.  

Fabric Used:  Turquoise linen/rayon blend for skirt one.  Ditsy rayon challis print for skirt two.  I think this skirt pattern lends itself to all types of fabric.

Alterations/Deviations:  Other than the waistband issue I mentioned above, I made no other changes to the turquoise skirt.  The length is the shortest length offered.  Not as short as it looks on the envelope, but remember my skirt sits lower on my waist.  When I made the rayon skirt, I was worried the waistband would be too flimsy (even interfaced).  So I added elastic to the back waistband which I am patting myself on the back for.  It keeps the skirt sitting where I want it to and takes care of some fit issues I have with the first version.  If I make this again, I will definitely do the same thing again.  I just sewed the waistband on and inserted elastic in the back half, stitching it at the side seams.  I only pulled the elastic slightly.  Just enough to give the back waistband a little bit of tension.  It's smooth when it's on.  The rayon version originally began as a maxi but I think I'm kind of over maxi skirts here lately.  I kept shortening it (three times!) until I ended up with a length I liked.  Well, I guess I like it.  There is something frumpy about it in photos but I think it looks better in real life.  It's flips and swishes around when I walk and it's fun to sit and cross your legs in with the button band split at the bottom.  It's only a couple of inches longer than the turquoise skirt.  It sits just below my knees.

Likes/Dislikes:  I like the flared shape and button front.  I do have some fit issues with the linen version.  I think those wrinkles in the back have something to do with sewing the seams with smaller seam allowances.  Or I need a sway back adjustment.  I also do not like how the front of my linen skirt wrinkles.   It's pretty unflattering and makes the button band stick out.  I know I have a little belly there but I think the button band sticking out accentuates it even more (see below!).   I don't feel that way in the rayon version.  Anyway, I'm letting the turquoise skirt sit in the closet for a while to see if I grow to love it later.  The rayon one has already been worn multiple times.

Conclusion:  Nice little skirt pattern.  I would like to make it again in a longer midi length (mid calf). I actually have some black tencel fabric that would be perfect.  And who couldn't use a good black skirt.  I'll add it to the queue!

Burda Kimono Dress

I made this dress shortly after I finished my last shirt in the previous post.  I needed a palate cleanser and this dress pattern looked easy.  And it was! Super easy.  It's basically a sack with a drawstring.  I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out although I'm not 100% about the long kimono sleeves.  I might shorten them.  

Pattern Description:  Burda 6732.  A sack dress with a drawstring casing around the waist and deep patch pockets.  One version has long kimono sleeves and a v-neck and the other has a jewel neckline and sleeve bands.

Pattern Sizing:  Burda sizes 36-46.  I made a 42 but I think I'd size down to a 40 next go around.  At least on the top half. I didn't really have any fit issues because again, it's a sack.  The side seam/under arm seam could be closer to the body. 

Fabric Used:  I used a printed linen I found at Joann's.  I picked it because I thought it was the right weight for this dress- not too lightweight but not too heavy either.  And the printed pattern  on it keeps it from being see-through.  And I really love linen.

Alterations/Deviations:  None!  Absolutely none.  Didn't mess with the length.  I didn't even mess with the back neckline after all that fitting I've done on those shirts recently.  The back neckline could use some minor adjustments ( I think I'll take a small dart in the back of the neck next time before cutting out fabric) but nothing I can't live with.  The v-neck is done with a facing.  

Likes/Dislikes:  I like the v-neck.  I love where the drawstring hits. And I love the deep patch pockets even if I didn't sew them perfectly.  You can't tell in the busy print anyway.

Conclusion:  Super easy, relaxed dress with some nice design features- the drawstring, the hem and the necklines.  I made this dress as a casual dress I could wear to work when it gets warmer but I think it looks pretty dressy after all.  I would love to try it again in a fabric with more drape.  I have a rayon poplin in my stash that I have in mind.  I am not entirely sure about the length of the sleeves.  Next time, I think I'll try the version with the sleeve bands but I may still shorten the sleeves on this dress. 

Shirt Making. Shoulder Fitting. Blergh.

 That's how I feel about it. I'm even having a hard time writing about all of this.  Maybe I ventured in to shirt making for too long.  Although it's not the actual sewing that I'm so meh about.  It's the fit.  I did all sorts of alterations and adjustments and you can't tell.  Or I can't tell.   Or I don't know if I can tell.  Ugh.  Anyway, I didn't solve my shoulder fit issue like I thought I would. So yeah, blergh.  Time for a break from making shirts.

I started with a Simplicity pattern that I knew deep down wasn't going to be great.  But it had design features that I was digging.  It had a seam through the middle of the shirt and different options for the back so you could use two contrasting fabrics.  I'd love to tell you the pattern number but the Simplicity website is such a mess, I can't find it.  And the pattern I actually have has some weird display number on it.   The top left photo in the collage above is of two of the versions I made of this particular Simplicity pattern.  I actually made a third version that I took apart to reuse the bottom half on a subsequent version.   The bottom half of the shirt is an awesome batik that I have hoarded for a long time, which makes me sad.   The very first version I sewed up had a shoulder fit issue that I have experienced multiple times since I started sewing (and has made me abandon projects often).  So I made a proclamation that I was going to solve my fit issue for once and for all.  I took a few cell phone pics so I'll show you one horribly unflattering photo to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

I know you can't see much in this photo, but I was trying to get a photo of how the back neckline bunches up.  The shoulders don't sit right and they don't feel right.  I get wrinkles on the front in between the armsyce and neckline.  And the back neckline rides up the back of my neck.  That really is my main issue.  The back neckline is uncomfortable.  It rides up and bunches up at the base of the back of my neck.  I also get horizontal wrinkles at the back of my neck, which you can see in the photo above.  According to Fit For Real People, that means a square shoulder adjustment, right?   I find I do much better with wider necklines and also patterns with back neckline darts.  I have read up about all the things it could be but have never come to any sort of definite conclusion.  Maybe forward shoulder? I did end up doing a forward shoulder adjustment later on- see below.  High round back?  I don't have any gaping at the back of the neck or the back armscye.   I actually tend to have pulling across the back in between my shoulders and the back neckline feels snug.  So are my shoulders broad?  I don't know.  Maybe it's a combination of several things.   I really, truly don't know at this point.  I think all this fitting has made me even more confused.  I've also suspected I had some broad back issues in the past.   I have had some success with making a quick and dirty square shoulder adjustment where I just straighten out the shoulder seam.  Which is what I did on the second two versions of the Simplicity pattern I tried (among other things).   But back necklines (and sometimes front, too) never seem to sit right.

I read up on shoulder adjustments in the books Fit For Real People (Pati Palmer and Marla Alto) and another called The Perfect Fit (author listed as Creative Publishing Int'l).  I used the square shoulder adjustment seen in the collage above.  Later when I tried a forward shoulder adjustment, I used the method described in The Perfect Fit.   There was one main discrepancy between the two books regarding a forward shoulder- one said to rotate the shoulder point on the sleeve and one said not to.  So I was confused about that.  I did end up rotating the shoulder point forward.  Is there any reason I shouldn't have?

Eventually, I realized there were too many other fit issues with the Simplicity pattern (sleeve issues, no shaping, one piece collar and cuffs not even remotely the right size) to make a salvageable shirt.  So I abandoned that pattern and looked for another.  I flipped through the pattern books and ended up buying McCalls 6436.  This was a much better shirt pattern than the Simplicity one.  But I'm still not thrilled with my end result.  

My first version was the chambray colored linen version on the top right of the collage above.  I decided to sew a size up to begin with thinking I could take care of my supposed broad shoulder/broad back issues.  And I did a square shoulder adjustment but I can't remember how much.  It turned out way, way too big.   I'd say this shirt pattern has an large amount of ease (it's supposed to be relaxed, I think).   I also discovered that the sleeves were more than two inches too long.  I took the cuff off of one sleeve and attempted to shorten it before abandoning this shirt.  I could possibly work on the sleeve issues and make this a wearable shirt in the future.  It would be wearable in a big, boyfriend shirt kind of way.  I'm saving it for now but we'll see.

Next I made the white and black linen version.  I used my normal size, a 14 grading to a 16 at the hip, but also made some shoulder alterations.  I took notes on my last two versions so I could document what I did.  I did a 3/8" square shoulder adjustment on the back shoulder seam only to also account for a forward shoulder (which I have suspected I needed).  I also reduced the height of the collar and collar stand by a teeny bit and shortened the sleeves 1.5 inches.  I didn't mess with the darts or side seams at all, although I think I could have.  I do feel like the shoulder fit is better than I've ever had before, but something still feels off.    The armscye feels too low, which is crazy considering my shoulder issues.  But I will say that the forward shoulder is a move in the right direction, I believe.

The last version I sewed was the blue batik shirt.  This was supposed to be the culmination of all my fitting work where I ended up with a fantastically fitting shirt (that's how it works, right?).  I did a 3/8" forward shoulder adjustment but did it on the front and back shoulder seam.   So I essentially did a forward shoulder but skipped the square shoulder.  I also raised the armscye 3/8" and reduced the collar height a tiny bit more.  The collar is teeny tiny!  I made it too small.  And I shortened the sleeves another 1/2"- so 2" total from the original pattern (and I have long arms!).  And meh.  The fit is just meh.  I actually feel like I have that creeping back neckline more on this version than the white version.  So maybe I do really need the square shoulder adjustment followed by the forward shoulder adjustment.   The blue batik fabric I used is beautiful, but not ideal for apparel.  I think its meant for quilting.  It wrinkles like crazy.  I ironed it right before pictures and it wrinkled just from trying to tuck it in to something.  I am really pleased with the placement.  I ran the stripe vertical instead of horizontal after soliciting advice on instagram.  I tried to balance the dark and light parts of the fabric and I'm happy with how it turned out.

If you've made it this far in this blog post, congratulations!  You are a champion.  It has been hard to write so I know it's been hard to read.  Just for shits and giggles, here is a photo of me in a rtw shirt that I love and wear all the time.  I don't experience any issues with the back neckline riding up or the shoulder/armscye being uncomfortable.  Looking at the photo, though, I don't see that the shirt fits fabulously or anything. In fact, it doesn't appear to fit that well at all.  But it definitely feels better.  It does have a back yoke with a pleat, so maybe that is the difference?  The fabric also has more drape but it's nothing special.  Just some hard wearing polyester.

I've written this post over a few days and now that I've read back through it this last time, I realized I've gone down a fitting rabbit hole.  I'm probably overanalyzing.  If I end up venturing in to shirt making again, I think I'll just go for a totally new pattern.   But now it's time to sew something really fun.  On a positive note, I will say that I had the opportunity to work on my precision sewing skills with all this shirt making.  I beefed up my top stitching and collar sewing skills for sure.  And I'm sure I'll wear the white linen shirt quite a bit but I'm on the fence about the blue batik shirt.  Anyone else have shoulder fit issues? 

Branson

Well hello there!  I did not intend on being away from this space so much this summer.  In fact, summertime is when I usually blog more often, being a teacher and all.  But life happens.  Of course.  I mentioned this on Instagram, but our washing machine flooded our house about four weeks in to summer and ruined all of our hardwoods.  So the entire second half of my summer was dedicated to moving out, getting new floors installed and then moving back in.  Not that much fun!  Now that we are back in, though, I am really enjoying our new floors.  They are absolutely beautiful.  And we got a new washer and dryer.  It's nice.  Can't complain about that.  My take away from all of this is to never ever start a load of laundry without watching that it stops filling before walking away and doing something else.  That's my PSA to you, too.

Anyway, I did do a fair bit of sewing this summer.  Most of it was pre-flood, though I squeezed some in during the moving part as well.  I collected almost everything I made this summer together the other day and took a bajillion pictures so I could write a few blog posts. You may see me in these same rainy photos for a while.  I made this top early on in the summer so I will write about it as best I can remember.

This is the Branson top, an indie pattern by Debbie Iles of Lily Sage & Co.  I don't buy a lot of indie patterns (I'm cheap) even though I love a lot of designs I see.  But I did splurge on this one.  There are so many things I like about the design.  The cut on sleeve, the seam at the back, and of course, the bow.  I'm also a lover of linen, so Debbie's versions swayed me as well.  So here goes a review.

Pattern Description: Branson is a buttoned blouse with two sleeve options- a sleeveless version that ends up having a little cut on sleeve and a long sleeve version.  I made the sleeveless version.  The front of the top is loose and has a waist tie that you tie in to a great big ol' bow.  Below is a photo of top untied so you can see the shape better.  The back is more fitted with a little peplum. 

Pattern Sizing:  Debbie has her own sizing chart.  I made a size 16 even though my bust measurement puts me at a 14.  Debbie included a different front pattern piece with an FBA for larger cup sizes.  I think I remember reading that it was for a C cup and up.  I am a B cup, sometimes a C cup. I'm kind of in between.  So I decided to size up and use the smaller cup size piece.  My waist and hip measurement put me at a size 16.

Fabric Used:  I used a printed linen/rayon blend I found at Joann's.  I changed up the waist tie to have a front and a facing so I could use a woven striped linen I had in stash to coordinate with the print.  I also bound the neck edge with the striped linen, which did not turn out well.

Alterations/Deviations:  I did make a couple of changes to the waist tie.  Like I said above, I cut the waist tie in to a front and a facing to use the two different fabrics.  I also lengthened and widened the waist tie.  After looking at some of the tester versions, I thought I wanted a bigger, more obnoxious bow.  And I'm very happy I did lengthen it.  Not because I liked the bigger bow, but because I can now wrap the tie around my waist instead of just tying it in the front.  When I wear it tied in the front, it droops while wearing.  When I wrap it around the back first and then tie in front, it stays in place better.  That's nit-picky, I know.  But I prefer it wrapped all the way around.  In the photo below, it is tied only in front in the photo on the left and wrapped all the way around on the right.  I also think the bust looks better when it's wrapped around.  I do have some wrinkles at the back but I can't tell if that's because I need to alter fit or if it's just the waist tie pulling at the side seams.

Likes/Dislikes:  I like the shape of this top very much.  Love the cut on sleeve.  Love the back peplum.  I royally screwed up binding the neckline.  I didn't trim corners as the pattern instructed and it shows.  Also, the woven linen is much more wiry than the rayon blend I used and that makes the binding stiffer than the rest of the top.  It's kind of a mess.  I've only worn this once because the neck binding bothers me so much when I wear it.  I also did not take any pattern placement in to account and ended up with two big flowers at the top front.  Probably only noticeable to someone who sews.  I do love the shape of the neckline.  The back neckline is very straight and I was surprised that it fit so well with no changes.  I am always fiddling with back necklines to get a good fit.  I may use this one for comparisons in the future.

Conclusion: Nice and easy, but unusual pattern.  I'd love the make it again with a few tweaks.  I'd definitely watch that neckline binding and trim properly if I made it again.  And I'm kind of intrigued by the funky long sleeved version.  We shall see!

Chartreuse Linen Midi Skirt

I'm on the fence about this skirt.   I think my main issue is that I don't know what to wear with it.  This top is the only thing in my closet that looked ok with it.  Wearing a shirt with a collar seems to counter the primness of the silhouette.  I tried on several tops with short sleeves but instantly felt frumpy.  Not sure why. Any suggestions on what to wear with a full, midi length skirt like this?  I'm thinking I should make a sleeveless collared blouse out of linen to go with it.  Maybe white, maybe a purple??  I'm hoping I didn't just make a closet orphan.  I'm also contemplating shortening the hem to knee length thinking I'd be more likely to wear it then.  I do like that this length is something different in my closet.  Anyhoo, on to the pattern details.

Pattern Description: I made Butterick 5929 again.  You can see my first version (view A) here.  This time I made view D, the midi length gored skirt.  It is definitely a departure from the type of thing I normally wear.  But I've been trying to branch out a little lately.  And I'm on a mission to make some warm weather work appropriate things before school starts in August.

Pattern Sizing: I made a 16 but took in the waist a 1/2 inch on each side.  So could I have made a 14? I don't know.  I'd rather go bigger and take in than make something too small.  Not much else to fit other than the waist.

Fabric Used: The main attraction of this skirt is the linen.  It's a beautiful, smooth and crisp linen from fabrics-store.com.  I've been buying quite a bit of linen from there and I've always been pleased.  This particular linen is listed as a 'luxury' linen due to the fact that it is has a higher thread count.  And it does indeed.  The weave is tighter than any linen I've sewn with before, which really does make it feel more luxurious.  But it still has that wonderful airy rumple that I love so much.  Oh linen, how I love you!  Let me count the ways.  In case you haven't noticed my love affair with linen.

Likes/Dislikes:  I wanted to branch out and try a midi length skirt.  A true midi length, hitting just below my calves.  I'm not sure how I feel about now.  Hence why I am on the fence about this one.  I actually like it in these photos but I did feel a little frumpy when I was wearing it.  It is wonderfully cool to wear.  And I do majorly love the color.  My only other nit-picky complaint is that I can see the edge of the facing through the linen.  I serged the edge and there is a visible ridge there.  I kind of wish I did the waistband instead of the facing for this particular skirt.

Alterations/Deviations:  None, other than nipping the waist in.  This is a good pattern with lots of options for a fuller skirt.  Could of used in seam pockets, though.  

Conclusion:  I'm going to try wearing it a few times before I decide to shorten it or not.  I don't want this pretty linen to sit unworn in the closet.  

One For Me and Three for Jane

If Jane and I ever start a band, we can use one of these photos as our album cover.  

I've not been very good about sewing things for Jane lately.  But really, that's ok.  Toddlers are crazy hard on their clothes.  I don't ever put her in to anything remotely nice when she goes to daycare.  You should see the way she comes home.  Apparently she plays hard.  I always have good intentions about sewing little toddler things.  It really is fun and quick to sew toddler sized clothing.  Every time I make something for myself, I look at whatever fabric is left and think that I should make something for Jane.  Rarely do I follow through.  But this time I did.

I made up my top first.  It's an easy going, swing-y tank.  This version is my wearable muslin.  I have a pretty rayon that I want to make this top in, but I didn't want to cut in to it without testing out the pattern first. Here are the pattern deets.  

Pattern Description: Simplicity 1107. Swing-y high low top,with or without sleeves, that can be made in a variety fabrics.  Pattern claims knits or wovens.  I used a woven.

Pattern Sizing:  I made a S, which is crazy.  I can't remember the last time I wore anything in a size small.  When I looked at the finished measurements there was some obscene amount of ease at the bust.  I do realize that this is supposed to be a top without a lot of ease.  But I sized down anyway as an experiment.  I always have issues with the neckline gaping on things I make.  I was curious if sizing down would take care of some of the gaping issues.  I figured I could get away with it here because there is so much ease included.  See my verdict on sizing down below.  

Fabric Used:  I used a strawberry colored linen blend I found at Joann's as a 'wearable muslin' before I cut in to my nicer fabric.  The fabric has a woven check throughout, but I don't think you can see it in these photos.  It has a nice texture.  I absolutely love this color.  It's the perfect coral/poppy red.

Likes/Dislikes:  I love the v-neck.  I also love a swing-y top, as I am sure you can tell.  I did have some issues with sizing, specifically at the armholes.  But I believe that is because I made a size too small.

Alterations/Deviations:  Making a smaller size worked, but I do think I need the bigger size at the armhole.  I like the height of the armscye but there is some pulling from the sides just under the arm.  If I make this again, I'll keep the height but extend the armscye to a medium at the side seams. I still had some neckline gape even after sizing down to a small.  This is always an issue for me.  I solved it after the fact by taking a 3/4" dart out of the front center seam before I sewed the bias facing.  I suspect I need a hollow chest adjustment- but at the same time a broad back adjustment?!?  Is that even possible?!  I can always count on having fit issues through the upper chest/neckline/shoulder area, so maybe so.  One day I'll figure it all out ;)

Conclusion:  I might make this again in a fabric with more drape like my original plan.  I do like this version a lot, although it's not exactly what I envisioned.  It's perfect for the insane heat wave we are having right now.

Jane's top is also a new Simplicity pattern.  I loved the linen I used for my top so much I wanted to use up the scraps right away.  This is a very cute toddler pattern.  The square neckline, the gathered hem and the bubble shorts are just too adorable.  The pattern claims it is an easy sew but I disagree.  There was just enough fussiness in this pattern to make it a more difficult sew.  Not super hard, but it required some concentration.  I made Jane's red linen top first.  When it turned out well, I went ahead and made the bubble shorts followed by another top in white Swiss dot.  So Jane ended up with three garments from this pattern.

Pattern Description: Simplicity 1118. Toddler's tank top with ruffled hem, cropped pants or shorts with bubble hem (gathered in to a band).  All cute options.

Pattern Sizing.  I took Jane's measurements for this.  And her measurements crack me up.  She is 20" at bust, waist and hip.  Ha!  So I cut a size two for all pieces.

Fabric Used: Linen blend for first top.  Swiss dot lined with white linen for second top.  And a woven striped linen for the bubble shorts.

Likes/Dislikes:  I love the square neckline.  I also love how the top opens/closes with a simple button and loop at the back.  That's such an easy closure for a toddler pattern.  And practical.  The pattern calls for a facing, which I did for the first red linen version.  For the white version, I opted to line the entire bodice instead.  It worked just fine.  If you thought ahead, you could line and finish the armholes in one fell swoop using the burrito method.  I didn't think that far through and finished the armholes with bias anyway.  It worked ok.  I do have some pulling at the armhole because there are so many layers of fabric there. The bubble shorts are adorable.  I changed the direction of the stripe on the waistband, pockets and hem bands.  They have the cutest shape.  I did struggle with gathering the hem of the shorts in to the band evenly.  It's such a small circumference that you really have to focus on what you are doing.  I ended up with most of my gathering at the back for some reason. It's ok.  It's passable.  They are absolutely adorable on Jane.

Alterations/Deviations:  I made the first red top up exactly as the pattern intended.  The neckline is a little too big.  On the white Swiss dot version, I raised the neckline by a half inch, front and back.  I also added an inch in length to both ruffles so she can wear it for a little while longer.  Seems she's growing up versus growing out these days.  The shorts were made with no alterations.  I know I've said it before, but they are really cute!  

 This.  This would be our album cover.

Conclusion:  Great little pattern.  I'd love the make the shorts again as Jane needs a few more pairs of shorts.  We'll see how the summer goes.    

McCall's 7095 X 3

Alright then!  I am finally on summer break.  Hallelujah.  I've been off almost a week now and all I've managed to do so far is... well, nothing.  And it has been glorious.  I love teaching, I really do.  But I can't tell you how happy I am to see the back end of this school year.  It has been a rough one.  Rewarding, yes, but tough.  I am definitely ready to recharge.  My only plans for the summer are to sew and play with my two year old.  We joined our neighborhood pool, so we've already spent quite a few hours splashing around over there.  Anyhoo...

Here is a trio of tops I made at the end of this school year.  All three are winners in my book.  This should be a really extensive review of this pattern because I made it three times in different views and fabrics.  Also, I think I'm going to format my posts in a 'pattern review' sort of format from now on so I make sure I list all crucial info.  We'll see how it works.  I always appreciate when I google search a pattern and come across a blog post formatted this way.  Makes it easy to see info at a glance.  So here goes!

Pattern Description:  McCall's 7095.  Loose fitting, pullover top with yoke and lots of different options.  It's a groovy, bohemian smock.  Which is exactly what I was looking for.  It's a great art teacher top.  No, it's not a traditionally 'flattering' silhouette.  It is a great big, flowy top and I love it.  Plenty of ease.

Pattern Sizing:  I cut a M.  I made some small alterations to the yoke, but really there is not a whole lot to worry about when it comes to sizing.  I thought it was true to size.

Fabric Used:  I made view A in a mid-weight linen, view D in rayon challis and view C in gauze.  All three yokes were done in linen.  I used the self lined yoke for all three.

Likes/Dislikes:  I love the self lined yoke.  Such a clean way to finish the yoke.  I did not try out the collared version, so I can't comment on that.  I thought the ratio of gathering in to the yoke was perfect.  I did not love the gathered sleeve heads on view C.  I think if I made it again I would remove the extra sleeve cap ease and get rid of that gathering. But it does work with the pattern.

Alterations/Deviations:  I made view A first.  I used a heavier linen than is recommended for the pattern.  So I opted to crop it shorter.  I actually cut the hem at the shortest line, the line for view C where the hem ruffle is attached. Then I attached the hem band differently, cutting a facing as well and attaching it cleanly to the bottom with side splits.  The hem band per pattern instructions is actually attached over the bottom part of the top.  Phew, that was confusing to write.  Hope that made sense.  I kind of made it up as I went along.  I actually really love this first version, even though it sits far away from the body.  It has such a breezy swing.  Fun to wear.  I did make changes to the yoke after sewing up this version.  I actually removed my original yoke and attached a new one after making some changes.  I took a 1/2" wedge out of the back neckline as it was too wide and gaped.  This made the bottom of the back yoke curve slightly but I left it alone as I figured the curve wouldn't interfere too much with the design.  I did straighten the shoulder seams after taking out the wedge.  I have no idea if this is a proper way to fix a gaping back neckline.  Probably not.  But it worked.  I am pretty happy with the fit of the yoke after this fix.   The neckline sits nice and flat against the back of my neck.

I made view D next in a rayon challis.  This was my least favorite of the three. Although now that I've looked at photos, I like it more.  My biggest complaint is that there is a whole lot of volume to gather in to that elastic waist.  I have to shuffle it around when I put it on.  I prefer to have most of the gathering pushed towards the back.  I may arrange it just right and then sew the elastic in a few places to keep the gathers in the right spot.  I also don't like how the elastic waist casing is sewn after the side seams are sewn up.  It is a messy way to do it.  If I made this view again (and I might!) I would create a seam in the body of the top where I wanted the waist casing to go.  That would allow more precision when it comes to sewing the casing.  You could even do it within the seam allowances if you wanted.  I do love the long length.  It could be a mini dress.  I'm 5'9" for reference.

The elastic casing runs through the yellow stripe, which you can see a little better in the closer photo below.  I placed it where I thought it should sit on my waistline.  I didn't pay attention to the placement in the pattern, just fyi.

I made view C last and it is my favorite.   I used a cotton gauze.  I made the sleeves just as the pattern intended, but left off the elastic in the sleeve hem. This definitely feels like a groovy, art teacher top.  Right up my alley.  And like I mentioned before, I am not a huge fan of the gathered sleeve heads.  They work in this soft gauze, but any more stiffness and they would look really juvenile, I think.  I have the yoke split ironed open in these photos.

Conclusion:  Great, easy pattern if you are looking for funky, bohemian top like this.  Lots of options included.  I am hanging on to this one.  I can see myself coming back to it in the future.

A Purple Skirt

And now for something completely different.  This skirt really is a departure from what I normally wear.  But I'm branching out.  I usually feel like full, pleated skirts are best suited for those with tiny little nipped in waists.  My waistline changed dramatically post baby.  I mean, I know it does for most everyone.   But I ended up with quite a large difference in my waist measurement.  Not anywhere else, though.  Just the waist.  In fact my bust measurement went down a teeny, tiny bit-- womp, womp.  Hip measurement is the same.  The change in waistline very much changes my body shape.  And it's been interesting trying to figure out what works and what doesn't now.   I've been avoiding fitted waistlines just for that reason, in case you haven't noticed.  I do love a good billowy tunic or a swingy tee.  I always have and I always will.  But I think it's time to work my way back to some fitted waists.  Anyway, despite my own body issues, I really like this skirt.

 This is Butterick 5929, a full, pleated skirt with pockets.  I made view A, the one with no waistband.  I love the lack of waistband on this.  I am surprised I like it so much, but I do.  I measured myself carefully and chose a size 16 based on my hip measurement.  But I did end up taking in the waist about a half inch on either side.  If I made a 14, it probably would have been too snug.  So I guess I really needed a size 15- ha.  It's a nice little pattern.  The front is paneled.  I assume to help with cutting layouts.  There are four pleats on the front and four on the back.  The pattern instructions have you baste the pleats down while sewing the skirt and then remove the basting later.  I removed all the basting stitches when I finished and decided I preferred the back pleats stitched down.  So I stitched those down but left the front pleats free.

Despite the fact that this silhouette is not usually my style, linen skirts are totally my jam.  And yes, I will always wear it slightly rumpled, just like this.  Making this skirt in linen made it feel more like me. I used a pretty purple linen I had stashed.  It's a perfect grape color.  Purple!  I can't remember the last time I wore anything purple.  I desperately wanted to put a filter on these photos since I am so incredibly washed out and pasty right now.  But I didn't so you could see the actual color of the skirt :)-  This is what I wore on Easter.  I did a regular dress zip for the first time in ages.  I planned to do an invisible zip but couldn't find a match.  I serged all the seams inside the skirt.  I didn't want to purchase four cones of purple serger thread, though.  Not a color I use very often.  So I bought a spool of variegated purple thread and put it in the upper looper on my serger instead (I used my navy cones for the rest).  I love how it looks inside.  Although from this photo you can see that I should have put one in the lower looper as well.  Or serged all my pieces right side up.  Anyway, this is an ode to Heather's awesome rainbow serger thread.  I really need to order some rainbow thread for my serger. 

All in all, I am very happy with my pleated skirt.  I am thinking I want to make it again.  I have a fabric in mind but it is much stiffer than this linen.  It will be interesting to see how I feel about the shape then.