April Sewing! - The Machines Were Humming All Month Long

The month of April is over!  I did some "power sewing".  Some quick, some very quick, and some time taking projects.  My DD got a lot of attention this month.  Four garments for her, four for myself, a few pattern adjustments for future projects, and a little practicing on sewing techniques.  Half of what I made has not been posted yet.  It's coming..,

Here's the list:

1 Sequin Bomber jacket - DD
2 Pleated skirts - DD
1 Princess seamed, skirt waist dress - DD
4 Pairs of pants - me


More later..,

Have a great weekend!
C

Easter Dress for DD - Simplicity 8015

Its been awhile since I made by DD a dress.  Lately she has been more interested in casual pieces.  So it was a surprise to me when she asked me to make her what we call a "princess dress".  So,I paired Simplicity Project Runway pattern S8015 with Mood's exclusive "The Snail's Bounty Stretch Cotton #MD0107".  The fabric is something a little different from the usual brocade or silk fabrication.

This is a simple dress with princess seams, full skirt, and 3/4 length sleeves, with front and back facings to finished the bodice of the dress.  My preference is to completely line it.  So I did by adding lining to the facings and cutting the skirt lining the same as the skirt. 

The pattern comes in sizes 4 to 20.  I used size 12 with modifications.   My dress did look similar to view D without the contrast. 

My fit changes included a small FBA.  DD has a pigeon chest that is slightly rounded just above the bust area.  I also made square shoulder and swayback adjustments.  Finally, I lengthen the skirt of the dress about two inches.

The construction of the dress was easy and the instructions typical.  Of course, I changed a few things to suit my own taste.  The dress is completely lined except for the sleeves.  I hand picked the zipper and added seed beads.  I thought about adding a few beads to the eye for the snails on the bodice.  But by the time I finished hand stitching the lining to the zipper, waist and hemming the full skirt, I decided to press it and hand it over to the little lady.  It was Easter Eve and she wore this dress to church the very next day.

There are no real dislike about the style or construction of the dress.  No over the top likes either.  What I like is princess seams, which makes fitting a lot easier and a full skirt.  This is a good look for DD.

The snail fabric has a slight sheen to it.  The name includes stretch, but it really didn't have stretch in it, to me.  Not like a typical stretch woven.  To finish the dress, I used ivory pongee non-static lining from Vogue Fabrics in Evanston.  Both were easy to sew and press.

This is a easy dress to sew.  The seaming makes it easy to fit as well.  The style is basic and  you can mix and match the bodice, skirt and sleeve with other patterns.  I could make it again to get some mileage out of the fit adjustments made.  Will I use it again?  Maybe.  Do I recommend it to others?  Yes.

In conclusion, the little lady is happy.  I was happy to make it for her.  It looks great on her.  That's it, that's all.

Happy Sewing!
C

Another Flock of Cranes - Simplicity 8014 - Hacked Little Summer Shirt

The flocking cranes continue.  I purchased enough of the crane cotton voile to make my darling daughter a shirt too.

I'm making her a dress, using Simplicity 8014.  So I decided to use the same pattern for a shirt.  This was a super easy pattern hack.  I simply cut the dress pattern the desired length for a button down shirt.  Simple.

My previous review of the dress really says it all as fair as the sewing process is concerned.  My only other changes for her shirt were a small FBA and I did French seams for the sleeve and side seams.  I used the short sleeve instead of the long one.

I came close to matching the cranes on the pocket to the ones on the shirt

So this shirt was easier to make than the dress, which had a lot of steps to finish the sleeve and cuff.

That's it.  Thanks for always stopping by!

Happy Sewing!
C

Eyes Closed Shut in Simplicity 4112

I cannot for the life of me figure out why my DD always has her eyes closed when I trying to take pictures.  This time I decided to go ahead with the posting, instead of taking more pictures again.

Another early spring 2018 project finally making it to the blog.  The (S4112) pattern is out of print, but still fashionable.  When I approached her with the idea to make a blouse, I was aiming for the another view pictured on the envelope.  She favored the second view.  So that what I made.

She is wearing it with a denim skirt that I made for my sister many years ago.  (No review on that today.)  

Simplicity gives sparse descriptive information.  All is stated is misses shirt and sash.  I will add Nehru or mandarin collar, button up with two sleeve variations.  Sizes 4 to 20.  I used size 12 with modifications.  

This was a fairly easy blouse to sew.  The instructions were typical and I did not see anything confusing in them.  There are a few pattern flaws and construction steps that I'd like to point out.  But first, I must say that this is a wearable muslin.  Because I didn't make one; I should have all things considered.

• The front and back pattern length are different.  Matching up the notches, the back is slightly longer than the front.

  
• There is more ease in the neckline.  I made it work by easing, soft gathering to make it fit.

  
• There is some pulling at the neckline.  That could be due to my daughter's square shoulders.  Something that I have adjusted in the past, but some how forgot for this project.
• The armhole has more curve in it than expected, considering setting/curve of the sleeve, even with gathers, if that makes sense.

I like the sleeve variations and the longer hemline with the sash.

No real dislike beyond the small things mentioned above.

The fabric that I used came from Vogue Fabrics in Evanston.  I think I bought it a few years ago.  It's a lightweight cotton blend.  Easy to sew and press.  Perfect for a button up shirt.

I doubled the front facing to help support the buttonholes and buttons.  To make the buttonholes, I sewed each once then again to get a nice even stitching.

The minor flaws are just that; easy to correct.  So this is a pattern that I would consider using again for her and maybe myself.  I have two copies. 

Anyway, this one is a short review on a pretty simple blouse to sew.

Happy Sewing!

C

McCall 7243 In Review

Today I'd like to finally review a McCall's dress that I made for my daughter two years ago.  Yes, two years ago.  Occasionally, I share projects that won't high on my favorites list.  this one was lingering at the bottom of the "things to blog about list". 

After I photographed my daughter wearing the dress, I was less than satisfied with how it fit/looked on my daughter.  One the first things I noticed was the lines that formed along the collar neckline.  Then, I felt the dress was a little baggy through the waist and hip area (an easy fit, right?).  Finally, the photos were not the best.  So, I immediately thought let me think about whether or not I want to post the review. It took me two years and then some to finally post.

The first time that Lauren wore it was to the Haute Couture Club of Chicago Holiday Luncheon in December 2017.  She added a cute wide belt shaped much like a obi belt which made the dress quite flattering.   

When we arrived at the luncheon, Eve was wearing her version of the very same dress.  I had to chuckle to myself.  Both of us, yield similar results.  And both Eve and Lauren decided to belt the dress for a better look.

So, of choice, I had to take a few pictures of them together!   On Pattern Review there are about sixteen reviews.  So I think most of the construction do's and don'ts have been discussed.  So I will be brief with my review as this is not a difficult dress to sew.

Pattern Description:  Close-fitting, pullover top and dresses have wide bertha collar, and stitched hems. A, D: Long sleeves. B: Sleeveless. C: Contrast collar and three-quarter length sleeves. Narrow hem finish on collar, and armholes A.

Pattern Sizing:  4 to 20; I used size 12 with a few modifications.

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

Were the instructions easy to follow?  There was nothing difficult or confusing about the instructions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  This is really a simple knit dress.  The collar and the double sleeve variations are what encouraged me to buy and make the dress.

Fabric Used:  Ponte knit from JoAnn's Fabrics.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:  I made very small changes to the pattern.  For the front dress and front collar, I did a pigeon chest adjustment and the back dress and collar I remove about a inch from the neckline. 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  For the most part, there is nothing difficult about it that would discourage someone from sewing it.  But I probably will not make this one again.  I have at least 100 difficult dress patterns to try.  So, if you think this the dress from you, try it.

My DD with My Baby Sister

Conclusion:  My daughter is now happy to wear this dress with a belt.  And after seeing Eve wearing the same dress, I have a new appreciation for it.  ;-)  This is a likable knit dress that is easy to sew.