a new lemon drop top

A finished piece to show you! This time it's the Lemon Drop Top by Skinny Bitch Curvy Chick. This pattern company specializes in patterns for petites, which is awesome for me! I'd been hesitant to try them, in part because their product photographs don't do much for me... I want to see what it looks like on real person, but for Sewing Indie Month I decided to give them a try. Plus I was looking for some easy basics to sew for my wardrobe.

The fabric is some silky, synthetic from Joann Fabrics, that actually sewed up well and feels nice on. I had bought it originally for some silky pajamas, and I think I still have enough for a set! And check out the proportions! I don't look like I'm swimming in it, or like a kid playing dress-up in their mother's clothes! The shoulders are not too wide, and the neckline not too big!

I like a bound neckline, even if this one doesn't lay perfectly. I sew bias strips to the front first on the machine, then hand stitch it on the underside.

I attempted a machine-rolled hem again. It came out a little uneven, in part because I had to cut off my first attempt, but for a casual top I'm not bothered.  I'll also need to snip off some shaggy bits that stick out from the tiny hem. I'm getting better at it every time, and still prefer it to traditional hemming with a fabric like this!

I will for sure try more SBCC patterns in the future! Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be too many SBCC makes around the blog-o-sphere to check out. Have you ever made one of their patterns?

finished silk copy-cat maxi-dress

Here it is! My copy-cat maxi-dress inspired by Reves Mecanique! What do you think?

 

You may remember that I decided to alter  Very Easy Vogue V8870 from my pattern stash from a hi-lo skirt to maxi-length. The alterations came out fairly well. The front bodice fits nicely, although the side and back I think could be taken in a little at either the waist seam or at the side seams under the bustline. I think is would be just that much more flattering if it were a tiny bit less blouse-y in the back and sides. Unlike the Sewaholic Saltspring pattern I was inspired by, this bodice has a facing at the neckline instead of being fully lined. With this fabric that worked just fine. I used lightwieght fusible interfacing on the facing and sergered the raw edge. The side seams on the bodice are finished with a french seam, and I inteneded to do the same with the skirt... but made a in a moment of absentminededness I sewed the piece right-sides together, and trimmed the seam allowed to 1/8 inch before realizing my mistake! (For french seams I should have sew wrong-sides together, trimmed seam allowence, then stitched the seam again right sides together for a beautiful encloused seam.) So I eneded up having to finish my skirt seams with the serger instead. A neat enough finish, but not as nice as french seams would have been with this lovely fabric.

The back also has elastic on the top, too, and I like how it holds the bodice in place. This pattern calls for two, narrow straps on each shoulder. I had to fiddle a fair amount to get them to lay even on the shoulders, and even still one strap likes to slip down.

The fabric is a silk/cotton blend from Grey's Fabric and Notions in Boston, MA. It sewed up very nicely. I used just a regualar size 9 needle. The fabric slipped only a tiny bit along the skirt side seams, which is barely noticible after a good pressing. Speaking of pressing... I can not seem to get the original fabric fold line out of the center back, even after a pre-wash and good pressing! Maybe it'll work itself out with wear.

I used my rolled hem foot again for the hem, and most of the hemline cam out really, really well! There were a few spots I had to go back over with hand stitches, but no one will even notice that way down by my feet! I think this will be a great tool.

Overall I am very pleased with this dress and expect to get a lot of wear out of it!

a stylearc marie jacket

I'd hinted a few posts back that I had another StyleARC pattern in the works, and here it is! The Marie Jacket! I still need to hem the sleeves but wanted to show your right away.

Looks like I installed my zipper on the wrong side... oh well!

source: http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&product_id=523&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=47

 

Other bloggers have also noticed that the jacket has much more of a hi-low hem that the illustration suggests, and it's very long.  More on that later...

I used a really lovely, fairly thick, heathered charcoal grey knit from Joann Fabrics. I love this fabric! It has a metallic thread throughout, and washed, cut and sewed beautifully. The pattern calls for a snap to hold up the cowl when zipped, but I decided to try a magnetic clasp originally sold for handbags. It's a little heavier, but I think a fun detail. I was inspired by the same closure in my sister's Modcloth Jacket... in fact her jacket inspired the whole make!

 

 

 

 

I love the back seaming. I could see it done with an insteresting contrast... leather shoulder detail maybe?

Could use a little more back shaping... and sooooo long!

 

 

When first constructed it was too big overall, so I re-set each sleeve taking out 1 1/4", took in just shy on an inch on each side seam and 1/4" in the sleeves. Still, after all that work it just wasn't very flattering.

Apparently my body no longer has a shape... well, I guess a pudgy rectangle is shape.

One, it's really long. That's not a surprise for me. The hi-low hits unflattering in the front, and completely covers my butt, and not in a cute show-it-off way. The cowl ended up bulky, with four layers when zipped of that nice, thick jersey. Even after taking things in, it doesn't fit snugly on my shoulders or waist, instead choosing to enphasize that pudgy ring between my bellybutton and lack-of-hips all the way around. (Yes, I am implying that my jacket has a mind of it's own and is choosing to hug my unflattering bits...) And maybe it's just overall too much fabric for my small frame. So I see two options, send it to my sister (same measurments, but 7" taller and a great hoursglass shape), or shorten to a bomber-style length. At that length, I would be cutting it off above the area it unflatteringly hugs, the rest of the jacket having about the same amount of ease. 

Sorry the picture it so dark! I've tucked the hem under to my hip level, where my hands are. I should have work lighter jeans!

So what should I do? Send the longer hi-low version to my sister, or alter it to a shorter bomber jacket?

georgia woes

I've got my pattern, got my fabric....  but no Georgia dress yet.  Per the sewalong instructions, I made a muslin of the dress bodice, and while I'm glad I did... it's been quite the ordeal! I've made FOUR versions thus far!

Three of my four bodice test-garments.

I measure in between the US size 8 and 10, so for my first test I cut a 10. I used what I assume is a quilt cotton that I got from my mom's stash, that has a small amount of 2-way stretch, similar to my sateen. Once I got it on... it was like 4 inches too big! So I cut an 8 and still too big by 2-3 inches. This seemed odd, as the finished bust measurement given for size 8 on the envelope was smaller than my actual bust measurement!

Knowing that I needed to shave off a number on inches, I cut a size 4 next. The 4 would in no way be wide enough to cover my C-cup bust (WAY too much cleavage!), so I did a a 1/2" FBA as shown in the sewalong to try to add a little more height. The sizing worked both around and in bust height... except the shape of the cup was way off! So frustrated! How could I get the bodice to be snug enough around, yet high enough to cover my bust, and still have the shape of the cup lay smoothly?!?! So I went to bed.

Today, with fresh eyes, I tried again. I made a straight size four.  (That's a finished bust measurement supposedly 2.5" less than my actual bust measurement..... makes no sense!) The cups laid nicely and the bodice was just right around. To add a little more height to the neckline, I've decided to sew the neckline with a 1/4" seam allowance instead of 5/8". I hope this will give me the coverage I'm looking for without sacrificing the fit. Now I'll have to be careful when grading out my size 4 bodice to the 8/10 waist and hips, and will probably do a test for that as well.

I signed up for this project to try to learn how to better fit for my body. To be honest, I don't feel like I've actually learned anything useful for fitting other garments in the future, except to keep trying different things until you get it right, even if what ends up right doesn't make any sense!

On a side note, don't you love that test fabric? Folded up on my fabric shelves, I would never have picked it for a garment! But once cut and sewn into a delicate fitted bodice like this, the floral really kinda shines! So I've decided to use my final test-garment for the lining of the dress, and have plenty more for something blue and floral on the outside in the future.

first make of 2014 - lola dress by victory patterns

I know I haven't finished my Top 5's of 2013... but didn't want to wait to show you my first sewing project of the new year, Victory Patterns Lola dress!

 

I had picked up some medium-weight, heather grey sweatshirt fabric at a surplus/salvage store for something around $3/yard. Looking at the opposite side, I suspect it's some kind of performance fabric. It washed great, and I still have 1 1/2 or so for another project! I also had plenty of matching grey ribbing in my stash from a Fabric.com sale.

 

The Lola pattern is a casual sweatshirt dress, with princess seaming, raglan sleeves and a hi-lo waistline that's actually quite flattering. Makes for a dress that's super cozy without being frumpy. I purchased the PDF version, which meant taping all those pages together before cutting the pattern out. That part took more time that the whole dress construction! (Or at least it seemed like it!) I made a size 8 with no alterations and it fit great, although I did accidentally loose some length at the waist because I sewed the skirt on backwards and had to cut and re-sew.... oops! 

Everything was constructed on the serger, aside from the little triangle at the neckline and the top hem of the pockets. My seams came out a little wobbly as I'm still learning my serger, but for a sweatshirt dress like this no one will notice! The pattern includes notches to line up along the princess seams and other curved seams, which I thought was a great benefit for easing those curves.

I love the raglan sleeves and princess seaming... so flattering!

I would totally recommend this pattern, and hope to make it again. And looking ahead to my  new year sewing plans, it seems that 2014 is going to be the year of the indie patterns!

How about a iPad selfie to end the post? Until later!