Pattern Favorite - New Look NL6824

Birthday Dress!

I'm delighted to share another addition of my birthday dress project.  I've used New Look 6824 FIVE times.  And this is the second time I used it for a birthday dress.  The first one was a ivory crepe satin with a lace overlay.  That was in 2008.  I was a smaller person then. Lol

Here is a link to all my posts on New Look 6824.

Patterns can be easily altered, which is fantastic.  For this fifth installation, I just graded it up as I cut.  This was a super quick make.  I needed a pink-ish dress for our church Annual Women's Conference.  This was the first time our main "color" wasn't white.  I went digging through boxes and bins looking for this fuchsia wool that I purchased at Fishman's Fabrics years ago. Lucky for me I had already paired it with a China silk lining.  Both were neatly stored in a plastic bag.  No moth wholes, just perfect.

I didn't really have anything in mind when I purchased it.  So now, it is a Jackie O-ish dress that is so me.  It sewed up fast.  No problems at all.

Parting Photo:  Pink was the color this year.  All because of the new Barbie movie.  I wasn't my goal to make three pinkish outfits this summer.  There is a collage of my three pink outfits that I completed this year.

 

New Look NL6013 Finished Jacket Reveal - Not Just One But Two

Finally, I have some pictures of me wearing my new jacket!  Sometimes it is a challenge coordinating my photo shoots with my DD schedule, But we final got it done!

Here is the link to the first post on New Look NL6013 Jacket Project. 


If you read the title of this post, you'll know that I not only finished the first jacket.  But also made a second one.  All of the adjustments were so labor intensive, I decided to go ahead with making another one.

My second version is made with a stretch woven from Fabric Mart.  I bought this fabric last June while attending Sew Camp.  It is like a beefy scuba knit, heavy enough for a coat.  The stretch is maybe 1 or 2 percent, not a lot.  I love the rich color of it and am very glad I bought it.  This fabric caught my eye after I made my big purchase.

The sewing was easy.  No more major adjustments needed.  For this jacket I decided to make it as designed:  no lining or welt pockets added.  I added another inch to the length of the jacket, making it a total of three inches added.  The original jacket length is more like vest length.  With my board shoulders the shorter length makes me look wider than I am.  And that's not good.  The new length is perfect.

I did make one other change: no shoulder pads.  This fabric has a lot of body and holds it's shape very well.

I didn't have enough fabric for the under lapel.  So I used a Marcy Tilton ponte knit remnant.  I was so happy I kept it.  Turns out it was the perfect weight, lighter than the jacket fabric.  A plus as it reduced the bulk along the neckline. Score!

I'm happy with the outcome of both jackets.  The first has a few tailored features and the feel of the natural fibers is wonderful.  I'm very pleased with how the welt pockets turned out. The second jacket is more slenderizing; the fabric a little stiffer but wear well.

So that's it for New Look 6013 jacket for now.  I'm working out my sewing plans for February, which will include a coat and a skirt so far.

Oh I forgot to mention, sewing for January, 2020:  two jackets, two pull over tops, and one pair of pants.  The pants are a waddler. I'm actually wearing them with the first jacket.  All kinds of issues.  More on the January sewing review later.

Happy Sewing!
C

The Neutral Staple Coat -- Italian Tan Angora Wool Coating B6385

I have wanted a tan, wool coat since forever.   Last year I decided to move this coat to the top of the list after I stumbled upon this gorgeous Italian Tan Angora Wool Coating.  It is exquisite.  Perfect for the classic silhouettes as well as the oversized boyfriend coat.  I wish Mood had this coating in every colors.

Please forgive the frown, the sun was very high.

The surface is super soft with a brush-like hand.  The drape is a little stiff; but no matter, it is the perfect match for Butterick 6385. 

Tan is the perfect  neutral to wear with anything.  I wanted a simple, softly tailored everyday coat that was warm, soft, and beautiful, coat that could stand up to the harshness of the strong winds that jet across lake Michigan.

By no means should this neutral be restricted to a "tailored" look.  You can pair it with many styles:  wide lapels, double breasted, or a flirty peplum on your styled coat.  All would showcase the beauty of this Italian wool.

My journey to make this coat was a long one.  I started working on how to fashion it  December 7, 2017.  In the beginning, I was slow to start.  There were many things to consider.  First, the pattern to be used.  Then, how closely I would actually follow the pattern's style and construction.

Once I decided, I was good to go, ready to see if my plan would work.  Let me start with my pattern description and why I chose it.   It is fitted, with princess seams, back yoke with forward shoulder seams, two piece sleeve, collar and pocket variations.  I closely followed the style of view B.  I wanted to make minimum pattern adjustments.  This one included separate pieces for A/B, C, and D cup sizes, a big help with reducing fit time.  It comes in sizes 6 to 22.  I used sizes 14 and 16 with additional modifications.

My modifications did not change the overall style lines of the coat.  So my coat looks similar to the picture/diagram.  I made several changes to the construction of the coat with my standard fit adjustments.

Fit Changes:

• Skipped the FBA.  I added 1/2" to the length of the center front.  I don't like the marked distance from the edge to the button hole.  I like a little more room across the center front.
• Lengthened the sleeve by 1".  Most coat sleeve are not long enough for me.  I always add a inch or so to make sure the edge of the sleeve covers my wrist bone.
• Lengthened the body of the coat by 3".  I wanted it to fall below my knees.
• Lowered the pocket 1.5".  They were at an uncomfortable height for resting my hand in the pocket.
• Lowered the bust dart 1.5".  Too high in my opinion.
• Swayback adjustment.  I tucked about 1/2" access at the lower back.  But I don't think it was enough, though.
• The shortened the length of the shoulder seam.  I actually didn't cut the excess away.  It helped form the roundness of the sleeve cap.

Construction Changes:

•  Bound Buttonholes instead of regular ones.  Six button holes instead of five.  It took my a long time to decide on the size of the buttonhole lips.  BTW- bound buttonholes are on my goals list for 2018.  I've made them several times before, but each time I nervous about how they will turn out.  I always do a practice test before making them on the garment.  Such was the case with this coat.

• I interfaced the entire coat except for the sleeve.  I only interfaced the upper portion and the last 3" of the sleeve.

• I made my own shoulder pads. 3/4" instead of 1/2".  The sleeve fits easily around and under my arm.  

Even though I changed a lot of the construction of the coat.  I did read the instructions.  They are typical and I saw nothing confusing in them.  For #17  edgestitch and topstitch ends of flap to side front was difficult to do because of the thickness of the fabric.  I hand stitched the flaps to the side front.

I'm very pleased with how my coat turned out.  I must admit when it came time to finish the inside of the bound buttonholes, I decided to sew something else to give me a break.  That is, three something elses.  ;-)   

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.  I have a million buttons.  When it came to finding the "right" buttons from my stash, I only had sets of four or five.  So initially, I sewed some round button on the coat.  Nope..,  no go.  So I made a trip to a local store to get yet another set of buttons.

So let me point out my likes:

• Sleeves
• Princess seam and back yoke
• Buttonholes
• The tan angora wool

My dislikes:

•  The excess fabric above the bust area on the side front.  I tried eliminating it.  No luck.

I'm planning to make a coat for my daughter using the same pattern, but view A.

Overall, I am very pleased with my new tan (neutral) coat.  A perfect winter staple for the mid-west.  

Happy Sewing!
C