Sewing Vloggers

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Simplicity 2313 - Doin' the Happy Dance!

My warm, cuddly, soft wool jersey sweater is done and I so love it. It just feels so cozy on. It is Simplicity 2313, a versatile  little jacket pattern with all sorts of varied collars and sleeves. It has shoulder princess seams, the better to fit, and they finish in the side seam, not at the hem. If you are not an hourglass and want to be , this pattern will definitely  give you that sillouette.


There is a peplum at the back which while not bias, flares out just the right amount.
 The fabric was felted in the washer and dryer and lost a third of its size but gained the ability to hold a cut edge without ravelling. I had to give a fair amount of thought into the edge treatments. For the front under bodice I edged the raw uninterfaced edges with a strip of the felted wool triple zigzagged  on. Then I cut back the right edge to the stitching to show both levels. A rotary cutter is a must on this project. For the bias ruffle and the back peplum I justs left the edges raw. The buttonholes were another challenge. I used one of the methods shown by Linda Lee in her Threads article. You simply cut a small rectangle and place it where the buttonhole will go. Then you stitch into it a 1/8 inch wide box for your buttonhole with a 1.5 stitch length. After that you cut the original fabric square back to the stitching line of the inner rectangle. A final slice up the middle to open the BH and your done. Care had to be taken in the measuring but other than that we are talking easy peasy here.

I didn't think the tucks in the ruffle would look right but I think you will agree, they really do and I am glad I kept that pattern detail.
I would highly recommend this pattern as I really think it has a lot of style. However, this requires a muslin, for sure. That princess seam ending in the side seam right below the waist could be a challenge. Here is what I did to get this to fit:
  • First, the pattern was "petited" as in the tute in the side bar.
  • Reshaped the princess seam from the apex to the shoulder for my narrow upper chest. 
  • The sleeve was given an additional two inches width in the upper arm area. It was also tapered in two inches at the hemline. The sleeve  pattern basically is a rectangle. My new altered sleeve was wider at the top and narrowed as it got to the bottom hem. I actually like wearing the sleeves rolled or pushed up, that wrist hangup I have.
  • Shortened the sleeve length. 
  • Added an inch to hips. 
I like the sweater-y fit on this and it is very comfortable. I also love the red color. I really need to wear more red. This is the only piece of red I own and it suddenly seems not enough. Can you tell I like my sweater?
  Caveat:
My second day of working on the sweater was my second day of a burning sore throat and hacking cough. By mid afternoon I realized I was surrounded by the tiniest powdery red wool fibers everywhere. Could that be it? After a night of hacking and burning, I sewed the sweater the third day with a mask on and  major improvement. As soon as I was done it was time to totally vacuum every nook and cranny of the cave and wash it all down. I have been getting better ever since. The red powder was pervasive. That has never happened to me with any other project I have sewn. I may have itched a bit with the fur and a cough or two but nothing like this.....Bunny

37 comments:

  1. love your work It looks like just the thing for winter weather

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  2. Your new jacket is beautiful. It looks so soft and comfy. Enjoy wearing it.
    Gita/Gigi

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  3. Definitely - more red. Lots more red. When we're surrounded by cold and snow and general nastiness, bright colors are absolutely necessary.

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  4. The sweater looks lovely. Thanks for the close up photos and construction details.

    As for the coughing and burning sensation, I wonder if it a reaction to inhaling the wool or the red dye?

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  5. That is such a lovely jacket - the design is beautiful and so is that colour on you. Love it.

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  6. Absolutely fabulous! Perfect combination of fabric, pattern, color, and fit. And it is great on you!

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  7. OMG, what an adorable sweater! It's so stylish and yes, it looks cozy and warm as well. Thank you so much for creating it, I'm going to have to run out and buy that pattern now!!

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  8. Beautiful jacket and great color!
    I hope you're feeling better

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  9. Gorgeous! It looks warm and cozy. Yes, you need more red in your wardrobe. Maybe something made from a fuzz-free fabric.

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  10. Beautiful, Bunny! It looks great on you! I do believe I see the "January Pants" as well. They look great together.

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  11. Simply beautiful! Sorry you had to suffer for fashion, though! Thanks for the warning!

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  12. I am impressed! Your sweater is wonderful. I love how you detail the construction...it almost makes me want to sew for myself.

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  13. Beautiful jacket! It is such a lovely style.

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  14. Details are so professional and the color is delicious!

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  15. What a beautiful piece of workmanship. I love that you think things out so thoroughly and come up with innovative solutions.

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  16. It's such a beautiful red. You look great in it. Love the collar.

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  17. Warm, cozy and so very chic, every you could want in a sweater jacket. Love it!

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  18. What a beautiful sweater, and it looks great on you and with the pants. I noticed you updated your blog photo, too.

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  19. I LOVE it! your jacket is beautiful and now I totally need to make one for myself :) great job!!

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  20. Gorgeous! The red looks great on you!

    As for the burning and coughing, I've had this happen and can't use wool anymore, especially with knitting since the fibers spread. Sometimes it's not actually the wool but the dyes and finishes, so it might just have been this particular red fabric that got to you.

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  21. GORGEOUS Bunny! Both the pattern and your final product!

    Maris Olsen

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  22. I'm so totally impressed with this - the look is grand and came out like a million bucks.

    I get the "fuzzies" too. I know this sounds terrible, but when I sew with velvet (which seems to be the worst fuzzy fabric I sew with), I usually line my nose with vaseline - don't ask me why, but it works, it doesn't sound like it would, but it does work for me.

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  23. That's a great idea. Thanks Claire. I am still coughing up this "stuff" but so far my inhaler has been able to help. I feel great otherwise.

    I have sewn with wool more times than I can count, even felted wool, so I am thinking it may have something to do with the dye. The fabric was washed in hot water on a long agitation cycle which should have removed the finishes.

    I am able to get more of this knit at a great price and will. It will be interesting to see what happens next time.

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  24. It's gorgeous and you look fantastic in it too! Very inspiring. I noticed this pattern and wondered about making it in brown tweed with a little pink bias binding or maybe buttons. In the end, I decided it was probably over my head. Your version looks so good I feel tempted out of my comfort zone all over again!

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  25. Oh yes Red, more Red. Like you I bought my first garment about 6 years ago. I've slowly been adding pieces. I'm not looking for red SHOES.

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  26. Beautiful garment. Love the style and the color. Just the thing for these snowy days.

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  27. You did a beautiful job on this... and red looks wonderful on you. I'm always afraid to "tamper" with fabrics, but you are inspiring me to experiment more.

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  28. Bunny, it is gorgeous! Beautiful job (as always)

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  29. Yep, love it! :-) Structured, with ruffles in cozy fabric, what's Not to love? Beautiful job. And thanks for the good warning too, makes you wonder what's in those fabric dyes??

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  30. I am attempting to make this jacket, and the front flounce keeps pleating as I attach it. I clipped the bottom curve, but not the top. What should I do?

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  31. I did not have this problem. Felted wool jersey is a very forgiving stretchable fabric.

    I don't know what fabric you are using but if were presenting difficulty to me I would stay stitch it a half inch from the edge with a small stitch length. Then I would clip it back to that stitch line the full length of the flounce. That should make it easy for you to pin it into the princess seam and have a smooth stitching line. HTH, Bunny

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  32. Thank you, bunny. I appreciate your help. By the way I'm using polyester fleece.

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