Another Sandra Betzina Pattern - Vogue V1805 Views A and B

 

I reviewed View B of this pattern last month.  Today, I'm posting View A.  This is the View that convinced me to purchase the pattern in the first place.  I love the sleeves and the effect of the stripes.  I thought it was pretty cool.  Stripes going in many directions but somehow are very organized at the same time. The tie was cute too.  It looks very chic.  

My striped fabric has been in my collection for over five years.  I purchased it at Mood Fabrics.  It is soft and has about 40 percent stretch with great recovery.  

The body of the top sewed together the same as View B.,  The sleeves has two pieces: an over and under sleeve.  The over sleeve is gathered to create the balloon affect.  The tie has two separate pieces as well. The pattern suggest a contrasting solid color fabric for the under tie.  I just use the same fabric and turned the stripes in a different direction.  It worked out fine.

In the above photos, I wearing View A with my TNT knit pants Vogue V8859.  I've made these pants at least 15 times.  An great basic pants.

Below, I'm wearing the first top, View B.  It has already become a basic go to staple.

Happy Sewing!

C

It's Been Awhile

Hi Sewing Friends,

It has been awhile since I posted any sewing projects.  A lot has happened in the past month and a half.  Here are some highlights.

Me and one of my sewing students made a trek up to Vogue Fabrics in Evanston to see what we could see and buy.  Lol  

I had an eye procedure to remove a cyst from my right eye.  It had been there for over a year but didn't hurt. What brought me to the ophthalmologist in the first place was I had started seeing floaters in that same eye.  To my surprise, I learned that floaters are a common condition that happens with age.  The eye becomes more fluid over time.  Anyway, the cyst was removed mid March, and it took some time for my eye to heal.  

Other news, my nephew, Christopher wanted to make a turkey dinner, but didn't know how.  I volunteered to teach  him how to roast a turkey, cook collar greens, corn, and make some buttery potatoes.  His meal turned out very well.  We sat down with my daughter and had a lovely dinner.

We had two book club meetings: March and April.  Both books were good, but I like the second the most.

I didn't take any photos of my garments until a month after my eye procedure.  Now, I'm just starting to post me wearing them.  

I'm showcasing Vogue V1937 view A, worn with Vogue V1929 pants. 

Tunic Delight - Vogue V1937 - Sandra Betzina

 

Pattern Description:  Misses' Dress and Tunic:  Pleat front A-line dress or tunic with back yoke.  View A has side seam pockets, contrast collar, cuffs and hem facings.  View B has lantern sleeves, contrast upper sleeves, yoke lining and hem facings, stitched to outside.  Purchased trim.

Pattern Sizing:  A - J corresponding measurements included.  I made view B (tunic), and I used sizes E and F.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?  Yes, it did.  The sleeves were slightly longer on me than on the model.  It could be related to the sizing.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  Yes, the instructions were easy to follow.  Sandra Betzina also included some tips for making bust and back adjustments along with some construction tips.  Note:  I still need to tack down the front pleat.  

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  I have a few likes:  The lantern sleeves are beautiful; the trim around the neckline and below the yoke, and the contrast at the hem.

No real dislikes.

Fabric Used:  I used an Ankara fabric that I purchased at Djenne Collection on 95th Street.  The contrasting fabric is a basic cotton from JoAnn's. All fabrics pre-washed and dried.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:  I made a few small changes:

• I made bias tape for the trim instead a purchasing a fancy trim.  This first tunic was to test the pattern and the design for me.
• The sizing - I tweaked the fit between sizes E and F.
• I added 1/2" across the shoulder blades for prominent shoulder blades.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  I think I will make the tunic again in one of the recommended fabrics.  I used a crisper fabric because I was going for more of a dashiki look.  With a crepe or silky fabric the tunic will hang closer to the body and have more drape than my version of it. I also want to make the dress.  And yes, I do recommend it to others.  I do suggest that you should transfer all markings especially on the front of the top.

Conclusion: I enjoyed making this tunic.  It was not difficult to sew and the instructions were good.  The finished top really looks great.  I hope to post pictures of me wearing it soon.

Thanks and Happy Sewing,

Cennetta

 

Two for One - Vogue V1452

This was two projects in one.  The first was to make a wearable muslin and the second was to end with an outfit close to a "perfect fit".  I came close to the close to a perfect fit. The second time should be a charm. Lol  The top could use a little more tweaking, but I think this was the last time I'll use the top pattern.  As for the pants, it is a basic palazzo pant that can be made over and over again to complement other tops, tunics, and dresses.  

Wearable Muslin:  Aqua Green

Final Version:  Raspberry 

Pattern Description:  Misses' top and pants:  close-fitting, pullover top has mock-bands, shoulder strap, and left front seam and slit.  Wide-legged pants (loose-fitting through hips) have elasticized waistband and side pockets. both have stitched hems.

Pattern Sizing:  This is a Sandra Betzina pattern that uses letters instead of numbers for the sizing.  For the top I used between size E and F.  I did make a swayback adjustment on the second version hoping to resolve the wrinkles across the lower back.  It helped, but didn't completely resolve the issue. I probably should have cut the back into two sections to get better results.  At any rate, it's "good" enough to wear.

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

Were the instructions easy to follow?  The instructions were easy; nothing difficult or confusion in them.  The construction of the outfit was relatively quick and easy too.  

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  

My like:  

• Knit outfit. Lol
• Ruching on the top.
• The palazzo pants with the separate waist band.  That's a feature that I really love.

Dislikes:

• For this particular fabric and weight, I prefer no pockets.  They really get in the way of having a smooth pant.  If you were to use the pocket, it disfigures the look of the outfit and draws attention to "whatever is in your pocket."  I recommend leaving them out as I did for the second outfit.

Fabric Used:  Both fabrics came from FabricMart Fabrics.  It is a light/medium weight jersey.  Almost opaque, very fluid, has a great drape, and the recovery is okay.  

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:  I made just a few adjustments and tweaks.  For the top I used two sizes E and F where necessary.  The second version, as mentioned before, I attempted to make a swayback adjustment.  It helped a little with the wrinkles.  For the pants I eliminated the pockets and lengthen the pant legs a few inches.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  I will probably make the pants again.  It is a simple pull-on pant that can complement other toppers.  The top, I probably will not make again.  I do recommend this pattern to others.  It is not a difficult sewing projects.  The ruching/gathering requires a little patience to do.  It's really the hardest step in the construction of the entire garment.

Conclusion:  This is an attractive little summer outfit that goes together quickly.  It's a great look for brunch or a summertime concert.

Happy Sewing!

C

Summertime Tangerine Outfit - McCall 7775 and Vogue 1452

My apologies for the dark photos.  Cloudy day.

Time for another review.  This is the last of three outfits that I made this summer for myself.  So I'm reviewing them in reverse order.  This is a quick review.  It is a combination of two patterns:  McCall's M7775 for the top and Vogue V1452 pants.  This is the same pant pattern used for my next review.  

I wore this outfit to a birthday celebration in my mother's home town of Huntsville, AL.  It was a fun time, and the outfit was summertime perfect for the event.

The top:

I used the McCall's dress pattern to make the top.  This was easy.  I just figured out the length for it and shorten the pattern there adding the necessary hem allowance.  The adjustments were made way back in 2018.  So I was able to skip the pattern adjustment process.  My initial review of this pattern is here:  McCall's 7775 Dress 2018.

The Pants:

As always, I had to add a few inches to the length of the leg.  I used size D.  These pants have a lot of style ease in them. The pants looked very much like the illustration on the pattern envelope.

The Fabric:

My fabric is a polyester crepe from Hancock's Fabrics.  It's been in my collection for several years.  I was happy to finally make something out of it.  It was easy to sew and has a spongy feel to it.  Compared to the rayon fabric that I used for my 2018 dress, the drape of the top had a stiffer drape.  

Overall I was very pleased with how this outfit turned out.  

Parting Shot:  NASA rocket in Huntsville, AL.  This was the view from our hotel parking lot.

Vogue V1515 Pullover Vest and Skirt

I hesitated awhile before finally deciding to go ahead with posting my pattern review of Sandra Betzina's Vogue V1515 (OOP).  The hesitation is due to my "not being so happy" with how the top/vest looks on me.  I really was hoping that it would be a good look for me.

This is the last garment that I made in January 2022.  I decided I would do end of the month reviews.  And before doing that, I wanted to post this last garment made.  To be clear, the vest is the last garment for January, and the skirt is the last garment for December 2021.

Anyway, as far as the making of it, the construction was fine. There are somethings I could try if I decide to make it again, which I'll mention later in the review.  So, let me get to the specific details of the review.

Pattern Description:  Misses' top and skirts:  Loose fitting, pullover top has elasticized collar, forming ruffle, contrast facings at armhole and lower edges, and topstitching.  Below waist skirts have wide yoke piping cargo pocket, hidden pocket on front yoke facing and shaped hem.  C: Side zipper.

Pattern Sizing: Sandra Betzina uses a different sizing chart from other Vogue pattern designers.  I used size E with very little modifications. Views A and B

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? I think both garments looked like the photos and drawing for the most part. 


Were the instructions easy to follow? The instructions were pretty easy to follow.  I did have a little issue with the outside cargo pocket (skirt). I mistakenly place the ends too far apart.  So, there is a pull at the top of the pocket.  But other than that, no problems.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  What drew me to this pattern was the pullover top.  (I'm calling my version a pullover vest because of the heaviness of the fabric.)  Unfortunately, I'm not that happy with how it looks on me.  

So here are my likes:

• The design of both the top and the skirt.  I love the ruffled collar of the pullover as well as the shape of the uneven skirt hem with the cute cargo pocket.
• Easy to sew project.
• Yoked skirt.
• The bust darts were spot on.  I didn't have to lower them.

My dislikes:

• The length of the pullover.  I wasn't thinking when I cut it out.   I should have made it a few inches longer and tapered it a bit at the bottom so it wouldn't look so boxy on me.  So I added a piece of elastic to create some shape to the vest.  In turn, create some shape for me.
• The length of the elastic to form the ruffle on the collar.  It's too long.  I would have like it closer to my neck.  

Fabric Used: 

• Pullover Vest - I used a faux suede with fleece backing from JoAnn's.  I thought this was perfect for the vest.  Only problem, it's a little bulky for me.  Contrast facings - crepe back satin remnant from my fabric collection. 
• Pullon Skirt - I thought this was a cute jersey knit.  For the life of me I can't remember where I purchased it. BTW- this is a UFO.  It was cut and ready to sew for about two years.  

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:  I only wish I had made a few adjustments on the vest.  For the skirt, I added the elastic to the waist and omitted the piping.  I made a design change on the vest.  For the collar I used the satin for the inside of the collar.  I actually, divided it in half lengthwise adding an inch to the faux seude outside and subtracting an inch from the inside satin. The original design would call for an all-faux suede collar and that would be too hot in my opinion. No other changes.  

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I really like the skirt.  I may make a woven version with the side zipper and adjustment to the width of the yoke to fit better.  The pullover vest, I probably won't try it again.  I think I'm going to gift this one to someone.  

Overall, I like this pattern especially the skirt.  I do recommend it to others.  The rating on the envelope is average.  I think most sewist could make this with no problems.  

PS - I did add the little inside pocket.  I forgot to take a picture of it.

Happy Sewing!

C