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Monday, December 31, 2012

Sunday, December 30, 2012

It's not the pattern it's the fabric

About two years ago i posted an item to my blog about what is important to successful sewing.  I recently thought of the quote while looking at my sewing projects for the last month.  How true the quote "it's not the pattern but the fabric"  So i have decided to repost the blog entry as a reminder for all of those struggling to turn over successful projects.

Click Here to access the post

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Glam & Class

Burdastyle Plus 2008 403C - Part 3 The yoke

So the yoke was the second piece that i had some.....confusion on.  For example here are the burdastyle Magazine instructions:

Yoke - Baste outer yoke piece to upper edge of back, right sides facing.  Stitch inner yoke piece to upper edge of back , with right side of yoke on wrong side of back piece.  Turn yoke pieces up and press. Stitch outter yoke piece to upper edges of blouse fronts.  Press allowances toward yoke.  Fold under edges of inner yoke and dew to front attachment seams.  Baste yoke layers together along neck and armhole edges.  Topstitch yoke 7 mm (14") from attachment seams.

Yeah there is a lot going on here.  But i actually understood them.  But i was totally confused by why i would press under the outer yoke just to baste it in...Seemed silly.  So i again went on the hunt for better instructions.  I looked thru my books and really didn't find anything that i could follow so i searched the internet again, yotube to be exact and found the following video.  I followed these instructions instead for my yoke and it turned out great.



BurdaStyle Plus 2008 Part 2 - The placket

As i mentioned before the instructions were fine until i had to stitch the right placket.  Since Burdastyle Magazine does not have pictures I had to imagine what was being instructed.  It took my Threee days ladies to figure the placket,  Yep you read it right Three days.

 Let me backup for a second.  This shirt is super easy it's the kind that you can stitch up 3 or 4 in a weekend.  But it has taken me ALLLLLLLLLL week to finish this top. I refused to make it a UFO, I want to finish this top and to finish it well.  So I searched the Internet for "hidden placket sewing instructions" i picked up every child's shirt  instruction on the Internet, none included a hidden placket for button holes.  I even searched Pattern Review and did not have much success. I searched YouTube and found one promising video on the Placket


So after watching the video iIdid have more confidence but you see it didn't exactly match up with my pattern but i understood the instructions more.

Here is how i did my placket.  


Burdastyle traced pattern


Missing Instruction: Cut right shirt front at right edge line so that left marked plaket is no longer a part of the shirt.  I must note when you trace the pattern you actually copy the facing/placket to the left and right.  Once could easily make this work with the placket already traced however the placket may not be hidden.


Burdaystyle Mag: Next Fold Right front band along center fold line, right side facing in stitch lower end closed.
 My version: with right sides together fold along center fold stitch bottom of placket (Straight Edge). Note the un-finished edges will not match.




Burdastyle Mag: Stitch open long edge together to front edge of right front piece - the hem allowance of front piece extends past lower edge of band.
My version: Stitch unfinished edge to front right shirt with right sides facing on RIGHT EDGE LINE.  The hem of the placket will be shorter than the hem of the shirt.



Burdastyle Mag: Overcast allowances together and press away from band.
My version: ZigZag Stitch (my machine has an overcast stitch) unfinished edges together (placket & shirt front).  Turn Band so that right sides of placket & shirt are facing.  Press seam allowance away from placket.



Burdastyle Mag:TopStitch blouse front close to seam & 7mm(1/4") from seam
My Version: Understitch or stitch in the ditch and top stitch 1/4" away from seam on shirt front, you will secure the seam allowance of the overcast edge

Burdastyle Mag: Work button holes in band as marked
My Version: With placket still flat - sew button holes, be sure not to catch the shirt of the remaining pieces of the placket.


Burdastyle Mag: Fold Front edge of band to outside to meet placement line. Press, paste upper edge and stitch lower edge closed.
My Version: Fold along the now CENTER fold line so that the folded edge meets the top stitching.  Press & steam the fold closed.  The fold should cover the button holes that that they are on the wrong side of the shirt.  Baste the upper edge closed and then stitch lower edge of the placket closed



Burdastyle Mag:use 3/16 long horizontal bars of narrow, closely spaced zigzag stitching to stitch fold edge of band (next to Steam) in place halfway between each pair of neighboring buttonholes.  Stitch another bar below lowest buttonhole, at the same spacing as the other bars.
My Vesrion: Using button setting on machine and button foot. tack between each button hole and at the bottom of the last button hole.


This is how i did my placket and it turned out GREAT! i am so excited because the shirt is really coming together. Up next - the Yoke.

Blog at you later.

Burdastyle Plus 2008 403C Part 1

As part of my sewing challenge i decided to sew up a button down shirt, that i can wear with my work outfits or with a pair of leggings.  I choose the following: BurdaStyle Plus 2008 Fall/winter Pattern 403C:


.A very simple design with  a hidden button hole placket.


 After reading through the instructions i made my own translation and replaced the BurdaStyle type instructions and worked with what i was familiar with.  But the placket really gave me trouble and so did the yoke. Despite the challenges i have turned out a great top.  So i will go back in time and walk you through the sewing of my top.

To start,  in my stash was a bout 2 1/2 yards of 45" Shirting.  This shirting is red or pink with white weaved thru it.  It has a sheen to it and does not have stretch. I do remember buying this in 2008 from the Joann Fabrics Red Tag table during a 1/2 off sale.  i purchased white, black & white and this pink/red color.  The fabric reminds me of something very expensive and i suspect it is a polyester rayon mix because when a thread pulls you can see the effect in the fabric.





 My inspiration  for this challenge were two items.  The first was this fantastic Vogue shirt by a fellow pattern review contributor cleverkitty (click here to see it)  and two this Foxcroft shirt from Nordstrom.



I LUV these shirts and in Cincinnati you can only find them at Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack.  These shirts do not wrinkle are are extremely comfortable. So i went looking for a pattern.  In my stash were several button down shirts i had two from McCall's, Perfect Fit by Patti Palmer series, I had several out of print Vogue.  But this shirt for Burdastyle Plus Magazine Fall 2008 really caught my eye.  It's been a while since i have stitched up a Burda Style pattern but thought why not challenge yourself even more.  For this pattern i traced a size 20, but after the alterations i should have traced something like a 14 or 16.  But again i am still trying to figure out my alterations now that i have lost 62 pounds.

That's it for now.  I will post more later.


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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Butterick B5394 View B And D



That last few days has been full of great sewing.  I go back to work tomorrow and did not touch even 1/2 of my sewing list.  But i did knock two items from the same Butterick Pattern.  The pattern is a Butterick Fashion express.  It's one from my stash and honestly i am not sure how long ago i purchased it.  But i do remember purchasing the pattern for view B.  Today i whipped up View B & D and did all of it by serger.

The pattern description indicates that this is a 2 hr pattern and that may be true.  I ran into a few issues when cutting out and when sewing.  My big mistake cost me about 1 hr.  when making the Gray View B I sewed the sleeve on incorrectly.  The pattern description shows a picture but that did not line up with what I was seeing in my hands, ultimately i had to undo the serger stitches, pin and try it on to understand the stitching.  On top of that i was working with a sweater knit and I am so thankful that i didn't attempt to make a dress out of this stuff as i initially intended to.

 I think i will stick to cardigans with my sweater knits and maybe a skirt or two.  Lastly pressing on View B did not go so well this stuff just did not want to hold a crease.  The pockets, where are clearly not rounded as they should be, did not hold the pressing so i had to hand form and sew at the same time...Oh well... Despite these view challenges this is a easy pattern and with the right fabric, Fleece, ponte, thicker sweater knit, this can be a great addition to your wardrobe.  Now on to the review.





Monday, December 24, 2012

Sewing Inspiration - B5147


I am sewing a new dress for myself and so far everything i have stitched in the last 2 weeks has been from my large stash.  I have putting together a shift dress in a tan wool.  The inspiration for this outfit was from my pinterest account.  Love the outfit! what do you think?






Butterick B4161 - Girls Dress & Short Set

Super Fast Project



This afternoon the 9 year old niece came to me and with the saddest voice - Autnie i don't have any pajamas. Well despite the fact that she was wearing a pair........I rushed down to the sewing cave, the Diva Den, to whip up a pair for the sad face.  On Friday i picked up B4161 because of the jumper.  The jumper dress will be made for the same 9 year old.  But i decided to work on the short & top set.  This outfit took from fit, cut,sew and Last Press 55 Minutes.  I did not follow the directions.  I attempted to on the shorts but the instructions were....WEIRD! and i was totally confused so i constructed the shorts in my way.  Stitched the front and back together ad the instead, stitch the outside seam and then with right sides together matching front to front and back to back stitch the crotch seam.  Walla! a super fast pair of shorts.  Of course these shorts are a bit LARGE on the kid but she runs around the house doing gymnastics and super hero stuff all the time so she needed leg room.

I made the set out of some Green & White stripe linen i picked up from Joann's red tag table about 3 years ago.  If it looks familiar it should because i used the Blue & White stripe on the Pajama top i made for my sister on Friday. Here is my review


Pattern Description:
GIRLS’/GIRLS’ PLUS TOP, DRESS AND SHORTS: Loose-fitting top or A-line dress, above mid-knee has back neck slit. A: narrow hem. Loose-fitting shorts have elastic waist, attached tie and stitched hems.

Pattern Sizing:
IN CHOOSING YOUR SIZE RANGE, SELECT THE APPROPRIATE LETTER ONLY: A(7-8-10-12-14); B(101/2-121/2-141/2-161/2) I stitched a 16 1/2 and may do another pair in a 12 1/2

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes this looked like the photo on the envelope

Were the instructions easy to follow?
I didn't use the instructions however, step two on the  instructions is a bit confusing.  So decided to put the shorts togehter in my own way.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like how super fast this pattern is.  You know how at times you sew something so complicated that you really just want a simple quick project?  Well this was a mojo rebuilder!


Fabric Used:
Green & White Linen Blend from Joann Fabrics Red Tag Table 3 years ago.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I did not do the ties in this pattern.  Instead i inserted an elastic piece

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I absolutely recommend this pattern

Conclusion:
Super pattern for quick outfits.  I have already made teh dress but i need to spruce it up a bit.


Friday, December 21, 2012

Butterick Jacket B5147 - Finished

Finished Butterick B5147- The Jacket




I have finished my  Jacket for Butterick B5147.  This jacket has turned out beautiful.  To finish for good i need  a good pressing and to cut some threads and adjust the hand stitching on the lining hem.  The Jacket of this pattern is easy, simply and leaves room for imagination.  I used a Cotton Jacquard from Joann Fabrics.  The fabric is machine washable and is super soft! It puckers up when washed.  I have washed and let it line dry.  In addition the fabric in the store appeared white with silver designs but as you can see in the photo it should be considered more silver with white designs.  With the right shoes, dress/skirt and jewelry this will be a sharp jacket.

For this Jacket i made a few alterations.  First i started out NOT using any tailoring methods and 3/4 thru the project i realized that the interfacing and some other small items were needed.  So i added Hair Canvas interfacing to the hems and the button areas . I also added Shoulder Pads, A Back Stay and two darts to the back shoulder.  I also Understitched the lining and blind hem stitched the Hem of the Jacket & Sleeves.  As you can tell in the photo I had a fight with button hole#2.  My Buttonholer when on strike 1/2 way thru Button Hole #2 after a yelling match and some bribes the buttonholer behaved on buttonhole #3.  I promised i removed all of those stitches on #2 3 times and then finally gave up on fixing it.  I am very disturbed with button hole #2.  Anyway.....I chose ecru buttons for my jacket and to be honest they disappear on the cloth.  I will need to wait until i determine the matching dress/skirt before deciding on changing the buttons.

Again this jacket pattern is very easy and i would say you get a lot of Bang for your Buck if you use a Brocade, Jacquard or other elaborate print.  Because of the simplicity the fabric is your design piece.  My alterations were simple i basically did a FBA and lowered the hem by 3". So what do you think.  I am rather proud of my elaborate jacket and can't wait to made the dress/skirt to go with it.




Butterick B5555

Butterick B5555 - A Pajama Top



Pattern Description: 

Misses Top, Tunic, Dress and Belt: Pullover, Loose Fitting top A, Tunic B, Dress C have front gathers, self faced front yoke, stand up collar, gathered three-quarter length sleeves with sleeve bands, stitched hems and self belt.

Pattern Sizing:
18 - 24 I cut the 20

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? 
Yes it did although it could be a few inches longer

Were the instructions easy to follow? 
The instructions are SUPER easy and this is a quick project. about 2 hours from Cut to last press. This is a great pattern for a Beginner

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like how easy it is and how fast it is

Fabric Used:
A Blue & White linen from Joann's Red Tag Table 3 years ago.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I made no alterations- My point was to make this as a night shirt to wear with White rayon knit yoga pants (My sisters Pajamas) The look is fabulous and in the summer this lounge wear will be very cool.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

I might give the tunic a try in a print or plain. Although on me this top gives a bit of maternity look to it
Conclusion: 

This is a very fast and fun shirt to make with a little imagination you can do a lot with this pattern. 




Jacket Butterick B5147 -Part 4 RIP IT APART

Rip it apart!

Ok enough is enough I must rip this thing apart. Oh if only I had made the proper adjustment up front. I would not be ripping out already trimmed and graded pieces to then sew back together at 3/8" or less. The good thing is that I am making notes. For example. - stitch 1/4" seam at back neck line. Collar trimmed and graded. Of course I used white thread on this white and silver fabric and it wouldn't be right if I could actually see the thread :(. So to the bright lamp to rip this apart.

There is a benefit to this. I will use the book tailoring that I mentioned in post1. For example I realize I need a back stay. This fabric grows on you even after washing and pressing it gains In Width. The fabric also frays like mad. I have silver string everywhere I have vaccumed the diva den often.

So here is the plan. Rip it apart reduced the back seam by adjusting the broad back adjustment take out the shoulder dart. Finish the edges. Put it all back together with a few tailoring techniques. I am also thinking about adding a vent to the back of the jacket. Am I doing to much, maybe, but the reality is that I am genuinely having fun.


Till next time

Next project: Vogue 1329 Kay Unger color block dress.






Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Butterick Jacket B5147 - Part 5 - IT FITS!

Elements of Tailoring & Guess What it FITS!

Today I made most of my alterations.  

1. After ripping apart the jacket at the back and shoulders i pressed the back and flatten the seams and ripped out the stitching.  Next i pinned the center back seam so that it was even and then laid the old piece on top.  I then removed 6" in from the back yep you read it right 6".  Do you see the strip there on the right...That is the piece i cut off. I learned a lesson here.  I have sewn the dress of B5147 the dress fits just a tad big in the hips (an adjustment to make later) i should have known that this jacket pattern was true to size.  Keep in mind i have lost 62 pounds and was familar with sewing the larger sizes and making enormous adjustments.  i am still working on sewing smaller sizes.

2 I added Hair Canvas interfacing to the hem on the sleeves & back.

3. added a back stay of a remnant piece of muslin

4. Added a Vent to the Center Back seam

After these changes I stitched it together at the side seams.  Next i decided to add canvas to the hem of the sleeves and to then sew them in flat.  I hate setting-in sleeves!!!  Next i stitched the side-seam and sleeve seam as one.  Tried it on and WOW! what a difference this jacket actually fits!.   I pinned the lining back to the collar and will sew that tomorrow.  I am undecided about lining the sleeves. the jacket fits so well i am just not sure if that is what i want to do. Becuase the facing is already interfaced and i have ZERO extra fabric i have decided to just interface with canvas where the buttons & button holes will be.  If you look at the photos below you will see a sample of the buttons i will use.  Now that i am seeing the button on the jacket i am not sure it's fancy enough for this silver fabric.

Well that's it for tonight i will do the next set of sewing tomorrow.

 Adjustment made to remove 6 total inches

 Added a Back Stay out of Muslin

 Added Canvas interfacing to the hem

 Added a Vent to the back

Set the Sleeves in FLAT 

 Checkout the Button

Starting to look like a jacket.

Jacket Butterick B5147 -Part 3

So far I have stitched the darts side seams and shoulders. I have also cut out the lining. Now here is where I go lazy. I cut the Lining In a 24,which fits great but it shows the bagginess of the jacket. More on that later.

I did a fitting and oh my goodness it's HUGE. You know how you can just look at a garment and know it will fit like when your in Nordstrom or Macy's looking at knit tops. Ok back to the blog........,

With the broad back adjustment i had to add a dart at the shoulder in the muslin this was fine but in my fabric I look like I have a bone sticking out OMG really........ So I made a deeper dart the shoulder seam matched but now I have a hump. So I looked at my adjustment again and I now realize the broad back adjustment is just simply too much. But I forge on with the hump and bone.

I decide to take the back darts in and adjust the center back seam to bring in the bagginess. But now I have created a princess's seam with darts in the back and the center back seamlooks like i am a size negative zero. ok reallY! My jacket looks like skelator ( pause here for mental picture). So what do I do now. Keep moving on ! yep .......really I decide to keep on moving thru this humped back skelator jacket knowing I need major adjustments.

The positive is that the Collar lays really nice. I was afraid that it would be all in my neck and face but it is not. It looks very nice, very ASL for Tahari(Macy's).

At this point I adjust my sleeves by enlarging by 1/2" for this i used the pivot and slide technique. I also carved out some of the front and back armhole on the jacket so that it lays better and allows for movability.

To the diva den.