DD's Career Wardrobe -- Fall 2009/Winter 2010 PT II

This is a long post.

Finally, I'm posting the first of two Career Wardrobes that I made for my DD who will soon graduate from college, earning a degree in Business Management. Last summer I decided to make her starter wardrobe that would include some basic pieces to interchange as she seeks employment and starts her professional career.

She and I worked together and came up with this wardrobe which includes the jacket and pants from this pattern, the red dress photographed on the envelope of S2550, and the skirt of M5715. These four pieces makeup wardrobe 1.

Last week I came up with the bright idea of doing the photo shoot in the office. So Yesterday we waiting until everyone had gone home before starting.

Here's my review of the Jacket and pants of Wardrobe 1:

Pattern Description: MISSES’ LINED JACKETS, LINED TOP, LINED SKIRT AND PANTS: Semi-fitted, lined jacket has princess seams, self fabric or contrast pocket band, pocket with pleats, shoulder pads, two-piece sleeves and shaped hem; jacket B has contrast binding; semi-fitted, lined top has raised waistline, back zipper and ribbon tie belt; flared, lined bias skirt, below mid-knee has back zipper and inside ribbon facing; straight-legged pants have back zipper and faced waistline.

Pattern Sizing: 6-20. I made a size 8/10 with some changes. View A and E

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? For the most part. The design lines are the same. The changes that I made make it different from the drawing and the photograph.

Were the instructions easy to follow? There was nothing difficult or confusing about them. Typical instructions for a notched collar jacket and straight-legged pants.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? We liked the design lines of the two. This wardrobe pattern is a classic work "casual wear".

Fabric Used: I purchased the fabric from Vogue's Remnant room. It's a houndstooth fabric of assorted fibers.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

Jacket -

I started with a size 10 across the shoulders tapering down to may size 8. DD has broad shoulders and this change allowed for a better fit. At the first fitting of the jacket, I noticed the shoulder extended to far over the shoulder bone. So I trimmed off about 1/4 inch.

I only topstitched around the collar and the front of the jacket.

Pants -

Like me, DD prefers a front or side zipper. So I added a mock fly at the front of the pant.

The back facing was cut on the fold eliminating the center back seam allowance. And the front facing cut in two pieces adding seam allowance to the center front. Finally, I added a button loop to the inside of the front opening above the zipper.


NOTE: dress and skirt reviewed separately as they are from other patterns.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Probably not. I have many, many more patterns to try. But if you have it, I do recommend it.

Conclusion: This non-stop wardrobe pattern is a perfect wardrobe builder. It not hard to sew, and DD likes it. ;-)





The Dress


Pattern Description: Misses' dress with bodice variations.

Pattern Sizing: 4 - 20. I made a size 10 the Red version on the envelope.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Not exactly. The drape wasn't quite the same. It could be due to the underlining. DD will probably add jewelry to help the placement of the drape.

Were the instructions easy to follow?Yes. Nothing difficult or confusing. Easy to sew.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? DD liked the design of the dress.

Fabric Used: cranberry wool gabardine.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I underlined the entire dress.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Probably not. I have hundreds of dress patterns to try. But do recommend it. NOTE: The size 10 is fitted in the bodice area. You may want to increase the seam allowances a little across the back and shoulder area.

Conclusion: This is a nice dress to add to your wardrobe. Yesterday DD confessed that this is one of DD's favorite garments of the two wardrobes. Only problem, I'm a little, just a little, unhappy with the drape.

The entire wardrobe can be viewed here.






This is the second wardrobe for my DD. I used M5715 and S2798 for it. The dress will be reviewed separately. I used all three views of this pattern.

My review.

Pattern Description: MISSES’ LINED JACKETS, SKIRT AND PANTS: Semi-fitted, lined, slightly below waist jacket has yoke, collar, side pockets, raglan sleeves, back pleats, button and buttonhole closure, stitched hem; jacket A has sleeve pleats and cuffs; jacket B has bell-shaped sleeves with stitched hem; tapered, mid-knee skirt C or straight-legged pants D have contour waist and back zipper; skirt C has back slit.

Pattern Sizing: 6 - 20. I used size 10.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes. I made a few minor changes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes. No problems. The jacket is time consuming. It has a lot of pieces and it's fully lined. It's worth the effort.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I picked this pattern for DD. The jacket was what I liked. The skirt and pants are basic standards. I think McCalls uses them for many of their wardrobe patterns. No dislikes.

Fabric Used: I used a wool blend for the jacket; a polyester gabardine for the pants; and a grey suiting for the skirt. The skirt pattern was also used for the other Career Wardrobe (dark brown corduroy).

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

Jacket - No changes.

Skirt - I made a vent, instead of slit, added a waistband, and a pocket flap (dark brown version).
Pants - Moved zipper to the size. Made adjustments to the back facing.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?Probably not. Lots of other patterns. The skirt and pants may be reused for wardrobes that have the same pattern.

Conclusion: This is a nice little wardrobe pattern that was fun to make. I really like the jacket. Give it a try. ;-)

See all photos of this wardrobe on Flickr

Do You Shift or Sheath? - Part II V8555 and M5818

Several months ago I blogged several months ago the question: Do you shift or sheath? I received some really great comments from my fellow fashionistas. Personally I like both styles. As I reviewed the garments that I've made over the past three years, the majority of them have been dresses. My goal is to find best fit as I'm two different sizes on top.

Each of us have an unique body shape, but in general we can see how our unique body shape fits into one of the standardized silhouettes. Today while research all things dresses, I stumbled upon Nordstrom's Fit Fundamental videos. Four neat little videos about fit and style.

The Vogue sheath is one of my favorite silhouettes. The black shift is my second dress made from M5818 Palmer Pletsch pattern. This is a great simple classic dress that is versatile and easy to wear. For the fall version I wanted a simple black dress that I could dress up or down. It's made from a nice poly from Hancock's (formal wear section). No additional changes wear made.


Last summer I had planned to plan the jacket as well but didn't get around to it yet. (Still on the "To Sew List".) I'm matching this version up with M5530-View A.

My DD made the perfect necklace to wear with this version.


My reviews are on PR. More pictures are on Flickr.

Fitting V8555 and V8594

Not much sewing going on this week. We are in the middle of our Unity Conference at church. So at most, I thinking about the fall wardrobe for myself and DD.

Last week, I was able to fit the bodice of two dresses for myself. One was supoosed to be my birthday dress (to wear Sunday). I don't think it's going to happen. But at least I was able to got most of the fitting done. Both are sheaths. A sheath that is very appealing to me and seems to be a good match for my body type.

Here are both back views of the muslin for both dresses. I cut V8555 at size 14 with a small adjust to the front bodice hoping to compensate for the bust area. It's still a little snug. There is a slight gap about three inches from the center back of the neckline. So further adjustment is needed. V8594 was cut at size 16 with no changes. As you can see there is a lot of move across the back. At the neckline I could increase the seam allowance for a better fit. Across the lower back I need a sway back adjustment. May be increase the side seam allowance a little bit.


































Now for the front. V8555 (too much information) omitted. But I can say it's a little too snug. (lol). V8594 gaps at the neckline and is too large through the bodice. However, the upper bodice need to be length to make the horizontal seam hit in the right place where the lower front bodice in joined.

Here are the adjustment made so far.

V8555 - Removed the gap by folding out the excess and rotating the difference to the dart. Increasing the shoulder, armhole and side.

V8555- Increasing the shoulder, armhole, and side. Previously cut to include a FBA. Will also add about 5/8" to the neckline for modesty.
V8555 - Increase width of the midriff.

V8594 - Here I added the length needed to the upper bodice. I didn't address the slight gap in the neckline. I think if I reduce the shoulder seam to a size 14 that will solve that problem. Also there needed to be a slight reduction along the armhole and side.
V8594 - Sway back adjustment. The neckline through the shoulder blade area needs to be adjustment as well.
There is still a little work needed on fitting the muslin. May be this weekend I'll have time to work on it. We will see.

Happy Sewing!
C

DD's Career Wardrobe - Fall 2009

I'm almost finished cutting all of the pieces for the planned wardrobes for DD. The goal is to sew pieces of the wardrobe between the client projects currently underway. DD is pleased with the plan. Here they are.



This is the first of two Career Wardrobe. All items were cut out Monday, September 7, 2009. For the dress, I purchased a really nice cranberry wool suiting at Hancock's for $12.95 per yard. Brown/Beige Hounds Tooth purchased at Vogue Fabric's Remnant room (two pieces at $6.95 and $4.95) for the jacket and pants. And the Dark Brown Corduroy (skirt) also purchased at Vogue (stash).




Second Career Wardrobe for DD. The Violet Silk Cotton Blend is from Vogue Fabric which will be used for the dress. I think I'm going to underline it to give the dress a little more body. The jacket will be made from a wool blend that I purchased at the Textile Discount Warehouse (stash). I'm using a purple suiting (polyester) purchased at Hancock's on Labor day. Finally, the skirt will be made from a nice grey suiting gifted to me (Pauline).

I think this is a suitable wardrobe plan for a young college graduate to have. The jacket (second wardrobe) is a little trendy, but I think it will definitely work for the office. This is something that I want to do for my DD. She a good girl (lady). ;-)

So there you have it; two wardrobes planned for her among other things that I dare not talk about now.

Fall is here!!!

Happy Sewing!
C

Yep ..., There is a Little Sewing Going On

I'm happy the weekend is here. For the entire week I have been suffering with a head cold. Good news is I was able to work from home three days. So I did not have to tackle rush hour traffic, coming and going. And the second good thing, the slow work day gave me a few hours to finish five pants for a client.

Well, today I delivered them. She was extremely pleased. This weekend I'll finish up the last two. I'm hoping to throw in a piece or two for myself. I need some knit tops and a dress or two. This week I was able to spend some time planning my early fall wardrobe and a few pieces for my upcoming cruise vacation. Still haven't made final picks for it. But I thinking that I'll make several knit tops, a couple of dresses, and a jacket or two.

Well, we'll see. Maybe this weekend I'll finalize my plans on what to make next. I do have another client though. Details on her project later.

Have a fantastic weekend and enjoy the holiday (US)!
C

PS - Christmas is around the corner. What gifts to make? Another burning (sewing) question!

Do You Shift or Sheath?

Fall! Fall! Fall 2009 Sewing is in the queue!


The shift dress can sometimes be mistaken for the sheath dress. Especially when there is a little more shaping in the waist area. The truth is they produce to very different silhouettes and more or less attention to the waistline.

Shift has no waist shaping or seam. In other words is comfortable to wear, kind to the waistline and very versatile.

Sheath is designed to tightly fit the body. Can be short and sexy.

I like both style of dress. But at times I find myself somewhere in between not wanting the dress to be too tight and a little more shapely than the average shift.

This fall/winter I plan to make two Vogue sheath styled dresses.
Vogue 1118


Vogue 8594


Which do you prefer? The shift or the sheath?

Fall Trends - There Is Something In The Air

This morning as I dressed the weather channel reported news of hurricanes. Can you believe it? Fall is in the air, and I'm still waiting for a "hot" summer. It's been mild weather in Chi-Town. I hope that doesn't mean the winter will be painfully cold.

I guess it's time to seriously start thinking about fall fashion and sewing. All of the magazines have page after page of interesting fall trends. Ms. Fergie graces the cover of Marie Claire (August 2009) and A to Z Accessories - shoes, boots, bags, jewelry. Most of the looks were in the footwear department. Super cute stuff.

Here's what they had to say:

A - Art
B - Brocade
C - Chains
D - Draping
E - Envelopes
F - Fur
G - Grommets


H - Hosiery

I - Imprints
J - Jewelry

K - Knits

L - Leopard
M - Metal Heel
N - Netting


O - Over The Knee Boots
P - Plaid
Q - Quilting
R - Retro Shades

S - Suede
T - Tassels
U - Unisex
V - Velvet

W - Winter White
X - Extreme Footwear
Y - Yves Klein Blue


Z - Zippers

















Update - Product Information

Clutch Wallet LAMB Dorset Imprint $175.00 at Bloomingdales
Guseppe Zanotti Grommet Bootie Neiman Marcus $995.00
SPANX Antique Lace Tights - Nordstorm $28.00
Janie Besner Reversible Polka Dot Smocked Scarf - Nordstorm $32.00
Over the Knee Boots - Prada $1,400 Neiman Marcus
Elizabeth & James Ruffled Leather Bootie - Neiman Marcus $360.00
Retro Shades - Michael Kors Logo Temple Square Frame - Nordstorm $95.00
Furla Margherita Shopper - Macy's $595.00 Bloomingdale's

Ramblings: Sewing, Fashion Fall 2009, Beyonce

Happy Monday everyone!

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.

Unfortunately, I didn't sew a stitch this weekend. I wanted to, but it just didn't happen. This week I hope to cut out a few items for myself and DD. Very little progress on the "Career Wardrobe" design for DD. I do have a few patterns and fabric in mind, but nothing final.

On Friday, I was spying Carolyn's flickr set. She has already posted some ideas for her Elegant Fall wardrobe. My goodness, she is super proactive. I'm still working on the summer wardrobe. At the next pattern sale, I'm going to grab the hooded jacket and Badgley Mischka dress pattern. Super cute.

This weekend I got to see Ms. Beyonce in concert (second time around). She is an all around entertainer. This year's concert had more of a little bit of everything: rock, pop, rap, and Beyonce, Destiny's Child, and Sasha. The special affects put me in the mind of the MJ 1988 concert at the Rosemont Horizon. The 2007 program was more appealing to me, but I still enjoyed it. At various point of the concert, the music and the roar of the crowd was deafening. Either I’m getting old or it was really loud. Lol Here's is an opening shot of friday night's conert.




Tickets were $25 more than the 2007 price, inflation. No dinner outing this time. lol