I'm Back - First Review In Months Simplicity 1539

Yes, I'm back after too many weeks without blogging. For weeks I've been thinking about what to talk about when I finally returned. Truly I've missed it. Over the Thanksgiving holiday I sorted though the patterns I've sewn counting over fifteen review to do. Many are from the summer. So, it's going to be a little strange reviewing patterns from the hot sticky months of July and August. But I think I'd better do it now before the year ends.

Today, I'm start with one of my fall outfits that I sewed in early October, Simplicity 1539 knit top and a self-drafted skirt. Peplum tops and jackets continue to be on trend. I'm glad because the peplum helps create an illusion of a curvier me in the hip area. ;-)  


Pattern Description:
Misses' knit tunic or top with bodice & sleeve length variation. View A, B, C twist front, D,E peplum and knot detail, F plain bodice with peplum. Make in 3/4, short sleeves or sleeveless. Knits only. I made view F with long sleeves.

Pattern Sizing:
Sizes 4 to 22. I used size 16. It turned out to be too big on me. More on that in the alterations section.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, basically.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
There was nothing confusing in the instructions. They were pretty easy to follow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
There were a few things I liked about this pattern: exposed zipper, peplum,and the asymmetric hem of view F. I also liked the style of view E and I'm considering making that as well.

Fabric Used:
I used a rayon blend knit from Joann's. It has a soft hand and has some shimmery thread in it, not the itchy kind. The color is one of the oranges identified in my color palette.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I started with a size 16. Lately, the 14 (in some cases) has been a little tight. But 16 in this pattern was not the best choice for me. The 14 would have been perfect with the FBA and a small prominent shoulder blade adjustment. Because I didn't make a muslin, I had to work with the modified 16. I made the FBA and added the bust darts. I stitched the shoulder seams and pinned the side seams. It was huge. I added waist darts for shaping and deepen the side seams, trimmed about an 1/4" from the upper armscye because the shoulder seam was too long. After all of that, it was still a little loose below the bust through the waist area.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I will probably sew one of the other reviews. And I do recommend it to others. You may want to make a muslin before cutting into you fashion fabric. I think this pattern runs a little big.

Conclusion: I like this top. The peplum creates curvier hips for me and that's a plus. The pattern is not difficult to sew and goes together with no problems.

The second part of this post is my review of a little self-drafted knit skirt. The fabric came from the remnant room at Vogue. I thought the fabric was interesting and would be perfect for a little straight skirt with an elasticized waist. I also wanted the skirt to follow the same asymmetric hem as the top with a little slit on the side. It was simple to make.

I begin by measuring my hips. I used that measurement to determine the widest part of the skirt. For the waist, I removed some of the width to reduce buck at the waist. No definitely width because I made my adjustments as I fitted throughout the sewing process. In conclusion this was a great way to use short yardage.

I'm pleased with my quick and easy knit skirt. All photos are on Flickr here and here.

Happy Sewing, ladies! C