Easy, Breezy Summer Dress - Simplicity S8735 and Simplicity S8637

There is nothing like a floaty, breezy summer dress.  This one has been in the making for two years.  Last week I finally finished it, and I am glad I did. 

 

Here again, I decided to use two different patterns to come up with the style that I wanted.  I used Simplicity S8735 for the bodice and Simplicity S8637 for the skirt and the flounce sleeve.  

I decided to use S8735 because it included different patterns for the cup sizes.  So all I needed to do was select my cup size and tweak it a little bit.  For the skirt, it was very easy.  No serious fit adjustments; just a little tweaking.  I used size 16 for both.  Both patterns are over six years old.  But they may be still in print. 

 

Because the bodice of S8735 is above the waist, my dress also sits above the waist.  That's something that you need to pay attention to if you're splicing patterns together.  

What I like about my new dress is:

• The wrap - I love a wrap dress.  Perfect for my body shape.
• Princess seam - easy to make fit adjustments.  In this case, having the different cup sizes made it even easier.
• The flounce on the skirt - Who doesn't love a full skirt dress. 
• The flounce of the sleeve - I wanted to try something a little different.  This is a cute style design.

No dislikes.

The fabric is from Mood Fabrics.  They may not have it in stock.  It's been in my collection for at least 4 years.  But I’m sure they have similar cottons that would look great in a summer dress.

 

I'll wear this fit and flare beauty as soon as an opportunity presents itself.

 

More sewing projects to come.  So stay tuned!

 

Happy Sewing,

C

Daisy Dress McCall M8103

 

Summertime is in full affect here in the mid-west, and it can be challenging to look polished, cool, and comfortable when temperatures are in the upper 90's and the humidity is 95 percent. It feels like a sauna.  So, the best thing is to go with the flow, look your best, and enjoy the summer months while they are here. In no time at all, it will be September, which will usher in another season for us.

My comfort look is soft and floaty. It provides comfort and style for the season. And that is how I feel wearing my latest summer dress.

I used McCall Daisy M8103 to make my latest summer dress.  With the slightest breeze, the skirt dances in the wind.  That is one of the things I love about it.

I purchased the fabric from Joann's a few months ago. They may still have it in stock. It's a cocoa brown guaze type viscose fabric. It is very soft and easy to handle.  There is one small draw back though. It is very loosely woven and has the tendency to "grow" throughout the project. So be careful.

I used size 16 with modifications.  This pattern comes with multiple cups sizes for the upper front. This may save a little time for most sewists. For me I used the D cup. But I hate the one huge dart. It never turns out like intended.  So, I tweaked the pattern a bit and created three darts in the upper front bodice.

There are many qualities that I like about this pattern.  The one that drew me to the pattern is the flounces. Love them.  They do take a lot of time to finish.  I devoted one sewing segment to finishing the hem and attaching the flounces to the waist and hem of the skirt. Another like is how the skirt is attached to the bodice. The faux wrap crosses over the entire front of the body. So there is no worry of "exposure". Wink, wink.  The separate cup size pattern pieces are a plus too. All of these things, in addition to the floaty fabric, made this a loveable sewing experience.

Now, I do have a few dislikes. The expansion of the fabric during the entire project was annoying. I had to keep making adjustments as I went along. Oh yeah, I did make a muslin. The fabric that I used was tightly woven and didn't present the challenge that I experienced with my fashion fabric.  It would be wise to do some stay stitching on some pieces to hold the shape. 

Other changes I made:

• Adjusted the shoulder straps
• Raised the upper front and back armsyce.

I did not lengthen the skirt. But compared to the photo, my skirt is longer on me than the one on the model. Overall, I think my dress looks like the dress on the envelope.  

I'm happy to have this new edition to my wardrobe. And with some restrictions being lifted, I also have something new to wear to upcoming events. Happiness.

This is a great summer dress pattern to try. Be ready to spend some time constructing and finishing the flounces. Other than the fitting this is where I spend the most concentrated time. 

I may make it again. But in the meantime, there are several other dresses I planned to sew this summer. Til next time, enjoy your summer, and I hope you are able to make something that you love.

C

New Look NL6560 and Vogue V1294 - New Outfit Done

 

I'm so pleased with how both of these pieces turned out. It was a lot of fun making them. There are so many things I like about it.

Blouse

The fabric is lovely.  It is a polyester crepe from Minerva.   This soft, floaty fabric falls close to the body.  It sews and presses with no problems.  I love the bold, floral print.  There is an excellent balance between the ivory and black. 

The flounce is very feminine and pretty.  Most of the time, I shy away from neckline flounces, but this one doesn't add to my top heaviness.  

The sleeves are pretty and simple.  The bell falls perfectly above my hand held together by a piece of elastic.  Super simple to construct.  

I also like that the tie was separate from the top.  It closes with an inside twill tape tie and a buttonhole closure on the outside just above the waist.  I used a piece of interfacing to reinforce where I sewed on the button.

My adjustments to the front facing resulted in a wider lower facing.  I wish I had made the upper portion wider too, It kept flipping to the right side of the blouse.  So, after I under-stitched around the neckline, I stitched again to secure the facing to the blouse in hopes of reducing the flip over affect.

This was the second time I used this pattern.  Previously, I made view C and gifted that top to my sister.  So, I was already familiar with most of the construction steps.  In general, they are typical.  Nothing difficult or unique about them compared to other styles with similar instructions.

Pants

The pants are of a viscose suiting, also from Minerva Fabrics.  It has a crisp hand and a stiff drape.  Easy to sew and press.  I love a nice striped fabric.  The pinstripe is subtle, pairing the two fabrics there is no competition between the prints.  They complement each other.

I'll use this pattern again.  They are well drafted, and I love a curved waistband.  And I will definitely add welt pockets again.  They are a great detail.

My related posts are here: blouse and pants 

Happy Sewing!

C  

Notes On A Pattern - New Look NL6560

Today I wanted to share my pattern fit adjustments of a recent project for Minerva Fabrics.  I actually made these adjustments a few years ago and made a top using New Look 6560, view D.  That top was gifted to my sister, and I didn't think about blogging the details about the project.

This month Minerva is hosting a challenge using New Look patterns.  I decided to use this one because it was ready for use.   My goal is to share the pattern adjustments in case another sewist is planning to try the pattern that may need to make similar fit adjustments. 

FBA

There is a lot going on with these two pattern pieces.  First, I made the FBA on the front rotating the side dart to the gathers above the bust.  Zoom in to see details.  Along the neckline about where the two front pieces intersect, I made a 1/2 inch tuck to reduce gapping at above the bust and in the neckline.  

For the front facing, I added length based on the FBA on the front blouse.  I also made the same tuck to make sure the pieces matched.  As you can see, the lower part of the facing is wider than the upper part.  That's ok.  But you can widen the rest of it as well making sure you do the same to the back facing.

Next, I added the same amount of length to the flounce to make sure it matched up with the front and the facing.

Prominent Shoulder Blades

I simply sliced the pattern from the shoulder seam to the hem to add the desired width.  To true up the shoulder seam, I added a small dart.  The vertical back/waist darts is slightly wider too.  But these can be adjusted as needed.  

I didn't do my usual sway back adjustment because I will wear this top with a belt. 

Note:  This top is really short.  I added about two inches to the bottom of the front, back and front facing.  Check the length to make sure it long enough for you. 

So that's all for the adjustment on this pattern.

Stay tuned!

C

McCall's Flounce Top Is Not The Top For Me - M7687

I so wanted this top to work for me.  But what was I thinking?  The volume of this top was all wrong for me.  My bad!

My goal of posting this review is to get all of my projects posted before the end of this year: good or bad; success or failure; in my closet or not.  This one falls in the category of failure to compliment my figure.  I started this project way back in June with a muslin minus the flounce. I completely worked out the fit and style issues.  So I thought.

As far as the sewing review is concern, making the top was a success.  I was able to achieve a good fit (I'll try a different view later.). The sewing process was not difficult and the instructions were typical, but easy to follow.

Just to be consistent with other reviews, let me include a few more points about the sewing experience process:

Pattern description and size:   Fitted tops have front and back princess seams, back button closure, and sleeve variations.  Sizes 6 to 22.  I started with size 16 with modifications.

My likes and dislikes:  First my likes; the sleeve variations and the flounce version.  My dislike:  back button closure.

Fabric:  This cotton voile came from Mood Fabrics.  It's a beautiful fabric to work with.  I'd hoped to post this project on the Mood Sewing Network; but because I wasn't all together happy with it, I chose not to.

Changes and alterations:  After making the FBA, I ended up with a lot of unwanted fabric below the bust area.  This always happens and I always forget to just remove it before I make the muslin.  It the same every time.  With this top, I noticed it was also a little roomy in the neck and shoulder areas.  But once I tweaked the muslin and made the changes to the tissue pattern, it was good to make.  Not to forget, I also did a prominent shoulder blade adjustment with a swayback tuck at the waistline.  I added a short sleeves.

Final notes:  The sewing process was fine.  I just made the wrong view for me.  I will donate the top to someone who likes it.  The back button closure is not my favorite detail, but I give it at least one more try.

Parting Shots:  Me wearing the top with another of my less favorable projects from the summer.  I'll review McCall 7726 soon.  In the meantime, make it a great day. 

I used the remnant to make seam binding for my Butterick 6329 jacket/cardigan.

Cute Flounce Knit Top - In Review Burda 6428

I finally got around to making my "first" top from Burda 6428.  This is the same top made by Ms. Faye of Faye's Sewing Adventures.  Her top inspired me to give it a try.  I even selected a similar color to her inspiration top.  Here is my review.

Pattern Description:  Burda describes this as a fitted t-shirt pattern.  I'd like to add with neck variations.  Looking at view 1 on the pictured model, it a little loose to me. 

Pattern Sizing: It is available in sizes 8 to 18.  I used 14/16 with modifications. 

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

Were the instructions easy to follow?  Everyone knows that Burda can be a little vague with the instructions.  But they were fine for me.  I didn't see anything confusing.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the neckline, the flounce, simply the look of the t-shirt.  It didn't look like your typical T.  On the construction - I like the finishing of the neckline and the lower armhole.  It looks clean and RTW.

After my few modifications, the neckline is still a little wider than I am accustom to.  Next time I'll bring it in a little more. 

Fabric Used:  I purchased this knit from Marcy Tilton.  It kinda of slinky and has great recovery.  It's semi-opaque.  I did experience a little stitch skipping even though I used a microtex sewing machine needle, size 10, which works for me with most knits.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: 

• I cut size 14 at the neck and 16 through the bust area and tapering back to size 14.  
• Swayback adjustment - added a center back seam, tuck at lower back,  scooped out excess at lower back and adding the amount of the tuck at the hem.  
• FBA - I used Sandra Betzina Fast Fit FBA.  I saw Ann of Gorgeous Fabrics' Blog use this technique for one of her projects.  Sorry, I can't remember which project.  Her post post reminded me that there was alternative to creating a FBA.  This one does not produce a bust dart.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  I'll give this one another try.  I like the cut of the t-shirt.  Next time, I'll reduce the opening of the neckline.  I do recommend it to others.  It's easy and it's cute.

McCall 7725 -

At first site, I had to have this pattern.  I told you I'm partial to varying hemlines.  This version I made view B.  sizes 6 through 22; I made 14.

McCall describes the skirts as:  semi-fitted skirts have waistband and side invisible zipper A, B: Ruffles. C: Flounce D:Pleated flounce.

The drawing and the photos are spot-on.  The instructions; very easy and typical no problems to follow.

My fabric was a gift from my fellow Haute Couture Club member, Adrian Birken.  I think it is a cotton blend.  More cotton than other.  It was pretty wrinkled when it came from the dryer.  Starch and steam straighten it out though.  I love the embroidered flowers on top of the plaid. It ran lengthwise.  The length of it was about 1.5 yards enough to easily cut view B.  I do have some scraped left that I could use as trim for a simple top.

I didn't make changes to the front and back of the fitted skirt patterns.  I did line it with a cotton/poly blend to conceal  from my stash. I shorten the flounce by six inches as I needed to cut two.  And there was only so much with the embroidery on it.   I installed a lapped zipper instead of an invisible one.  I used what I had on hand. Lastly I made french seams on the ruffle for a clean finish.

 

As I was making this version, I tried the skirt on before the waistband the fit was fine.  But when I finished the waistband and did the final press, the skirt was too snug, in my opinion.  Can you gain weight in three days?  I'm just asking.  Grrgh.  Maybe tomorrow it will be better.   Anyway, I will sew it again, another view B and view C.

I do recommend it.  It's easy and style.  A great flirty, fun skirt for summer.

Happy Sewing!
C

Notes on a Pattern (Design Element) - Always on Trend: Ruffles and Flounces

This started out being just a simple post: Notes on a Pattern, Vogue 8256, that I received as a gift.  I thought the skirt was something that I would consider making.  It's not difficult, it would just take some time to hem the flounces. The pattern is Sandra Betzina's three tier flounce skirt, copyright 2006. 

While pondering the thought of making the skirt, I decided to do a little research to see what designers were creating for Spring 2017.  That's when the flood gates opened.  I Googled "Ruffle and Flounce".  Thousands of images appeared in the search results.  Right then another thought occurred to me, "There is nothing new under the sun."

Every possible way to include ruffles or/and flounces appeared on screen.  I looked and looked until I couldn't look anymore.  I saved a few to show to you.   Next, I Googled "Vogue Pattern Ruffle and Flounce".  Here again hundreds of images appeared.  Many were pictures of my fellow sewing sistas/bloggers wearing the very own creations.

Needless to say, ruffles and flounces never ever go out of style.  You just need to determine how you want to incorporate them into your garment.  We don't have to be slaves to making anything exactly like the pattern calls for.  Be audacious or subtle as your personality and style dedicates.  Be creative.  Need a little inspiration, look at what the designers are doing.  See if there is something to suits you.

So, my little research project helped me decide to definitely make something with ruffles and/or flounces real soon.   For you viewing pleasure, here are a few designs that I'd like to share with you.

Happy Sewing!
C