The Faux Collar Top from Sewing Therapy

 

Missed you all, sewing friends! Family, fun and flus  do have a way of getting in the way of blogging but they didn't stop me from sewing! I have some interesting projects finished that I am excited to discuss with you. I have finished two Sewing Therapy "Faux Collar Oversize Button Down Shirts" and have overflowing opinion on them!  I hope you all have spent some lovely holidays with loved ones and are now back to filling the New Year with lots of intentional sewing plans. I can't wait to see what you make as I cruise the web. Let's get going on what I will shorten to the "Popcorn Shirt",  lots easier to write out and say! 

Pattern:

I have been entranced by all the designs by Sara of Sewing Therapy, although she seems to also have another company, Two O Nine,  which sells her designs so that got a bit confusing as I was searching out the pattern for this top. I originally found them on Youtube and they really seem destined for a petite and I like the Asian influence they seem to have. However, they did have their downside. 

I absolutely love my top. It's unique and the fabric is fabulous and is much more appreciated IRL.  I've recieved many compliments on it.  I've read reviews from others and they seem overwhelmingly in love with the pattern as well. Maybe it's a case of you don't know what you don't know but the actual pattern instructions leave a lot to be desired. 

I used US size 0, the smallest size,  which gave a finished bust of 45.3 in., waist and hips of 49.3 in. and a back length of 23.3 inches  for the tucked version. I was making the cropped version but highly recommend cutting the tucked version so you can adjust the length to your liking further on at the end.  As you can see this top is truly oversized so no fit issues unless you don't care for that sort of fit. It is to be expected to be very large so be prepared. You can see how it fit me, five feet tall and 33, 26 1/2, 36. (sigh........sinking and shrinking). 

I also took this opportunity to try out the grid method of  dealing with PDF patterns. It supposedly gives perfect accuracy, no taping and is quicker.  Not quite, but some good points, so here is a link to help with that: Using grid interfacing to trace PDFs It does involve tape, but I found in a good way. 

Before we go any further. the pattern instruction tells you that you can watch a "detailed step by step sewing tutorial" on Sewing Therapy's youtube channel. While it was there and I watched it several times I did fully expect the instructions that came with the PDF to detailed and step by step as well. Grant you, I could have sewn this shirt without any instructions but this was my first frustration. Next, there was no pattern layout, simply a bullet list of how many pieces to cut of each pattern piece headed by a bolded large "CUT THE PATTERN".  The instructions do, barely, show the layout for taping your printing option. It is so finely printed that it is barely visible. I've never seen anything this poor on any other indie. I have a 4 month old printer full of ink. I went online to look at the pdf there and it was similarly barely visible. You can't read anything on it and the lines are so thin and slight it is hard to tell which piece is what. 

Grainlines were 1 3/4 inches long and you get one per pattern piece. Remember, these are oversized pieces, just ridiculous. 

Worst of all, and feel free to correct me, I could not get this pattern to line up. Turns out once I tried Landscape, everything lined up. I did not find this instruction anywhere, AAackkkk.

The instructions tell you to carefully match the marked edges of the collar and sew together, turn right side out, etc. There are no marks anywhere on this collar. The shapes of the collar are just a bit off from symetrical so to make a mistake in placement which I did, was easy.....rip rip.  The highly textured fabric surely added to the confusion, but beware. 

Instructions #4 say to align the collar with the right edge of the frt bodice while the video says to align 3/8th of an inch back. oy,,,,,

When it comes to the neckline the directions are simply "Bind the neckline with bias tape." They provide you with a pattern piece to cut the bias for the neckline. I found it far too wide. I did my own thing with the width. You will see how their width works out on iteration #2 of this top. 

The next issue I had with the pattern is the sequence. After the collar  and binding are on,  it  has you install the sleeves, connect the bodices, do sleeve and bottom hems and then attach the button band. I would skip all that and go directly to Attaching the Buttonhole Placket. You will be dealing with much less bulk and it will be a lot easier getting the button holes in without wrestling all that fabric. Crazy instructions! I tried both methods with my two blouses and found method #2 easier, faster and a cleaner finish. Once the buttons and plackets are done, then return to the previous instructions in their order. 

Whew, I'm exhausted. Let's talk the beautiful Fabric. 

Fabric:

The saga continues! I like nothing on our windows, choosing instead to watch the lake, the seasons, and the amazing wildlife we see in our small, country property. Visits from bald eagles, tons of songbirds, bears, otters, so many water birds are always happening and a joy to watch. Hubs believes windows are like people and need to be dressed. I finally succumbed, after great insistence and went shopping with no excitement. I ran into Home Goods which I knew would have nothing for a simple kitchen valance and looked at the shower curtains. There it was! A snow white Cynthia Rowley plain white shower curtain, beautiful fabric, lots of beautiful fabric. The valance would take 18 inches and the leftover, a 72x78 inch piece of 100% double gauze  with this incredible, crunchy looking popcorn texture and it  was mine! Yahoo! The button bands, binding and hem facings would be 100% cotton organdy I purchased from my Amish friend in NY.  The double gauze was very compliant and the organdy, despite washing was a bit stiff but we managed. I loved the contrast. 

Construction:

Despite the quality of the instructions, this design was quite simple to construct. The collar was brilliant, being tucked into the shoulder seams and front neckline, no futzing at all.  I chose to do Hong Kong seam everywhere but the armscye which was stitched and serged. The hems were all faced with the organdy. 

The sleeves on this top are magnificent and what really sold me on the design. 

They are extremely dropped, wide and are then pulled up with a tab. If you follow Sara's instructions for stitching the tab  and buttonhole placement you will find that it sort of bends out the top of the tab. I didn't like that. On my second top I did my thing and serged the end of the tab and folded it under once and then moved the buttonhole up higher. My trusty Kenmore was able to handle any bulk beautifully. Your inside sleeve and hems will show with this top. 

Because the size is so large and just so near square I ended up placing the side seam on the fold and cut a seam on the center back, my fault totally. The piece being so large and personally being gifted with a long thin neck, I was comfortable putting a seam allowance up center back. I decided to add the pleat as designed but do it in the organdy. I stitched the edges of the the pleat on the inside of the garment to keep it laying nicely and it does. I love this. A pleat out of the popcorn gauze never would have worked. Here you can see me stretching out the side seams to get an idea of the beautiful back and size of this top. It closes and drapes down normally. 

I will add that if you try this pattern: Topstitch both sides of the button plackets. It will look more professional.  Instruction #26 say to press the band installation seam toward the bodice (?) and "understitch/topstitch." Whenever I have done a button band  it has enclosed seams that were pressed toward the band. The inside seam of the band was a bit wider and caught in the topstitching or understitching on top. I don't see how you can enclose the seam if the the seam allowance is pressed toward the bodice and why would you anyway? Is this a translation issue? I don't know but confusing to a beginner for sure.  Also, cut the longer shape and adjust the hem at the end to get the length you want . As far as the slits, they are very short, even on the longer version which is my second iteration. I don't think I will use them next time.

In Conclusion:

In the end, I absolutely love this blouse. I think it is gorgeous. I love the design and the fabric. It was a journey, but isn't it always? Now, my opinion is one formed from a lot of experience which means a lot of expectation. That also includes a lot of hope. I want other sewists to succeed, to find beautiful designs that will fit all sizes from  petite to  Rubinesque beauties. Sewing Theory designs do that. However, let's not give them a sub par product when it comes to instruction. I do think perhaps some of the issue, some, is one of translation. But Sewing Therapy would do well to have some serious editing done by a far more experienced sewist, one who knows what it is like to be a newer or returning stitcher and needs a clearer path to achieving great results with beautiful designs. There are no photos or illustrations anywhere in the instructions, other than a taping layout which is illegible. That would help a lot. This design and others are innovative and beautiful and feminine. Don't dare refer me to the video which I watched numerous times. I paid for the PDF and in doing so expected  clear and professional instruction upon recieving the PDF and its instructions.  

My recommendation is to try this knowing what I have shown you here. I think you can end up with a beautiful, unique garment......................Happy Sewing

Paco's shirt, Vogue 1526, completed!

This is a WONDERFUL design and pattern by new Vogue Designer, Paco Peralta of Barcelona, Spain. Many of us have followed Paco for some years and are thrilled he is now collaborating with Vogue. I have no affiliation here but I am so impressed with this pattern, Vogue 1526. I did take a couple small liberties with his design and will explain that further. This was not done because the pattern needed any improvement, far from it. I just tried to make it do things for my particular fabics.

Let's get started and then I want to comment on plaids, specifically.

Pattern:

Vogue 1526, designed by Paco Peralta. The pattern consists of a lined  jacket with short sleeves and assymetrical collar, a cuffed shirt with dropped shoulders, asymmetrical collar and off angled pocket. Pants are also included in the pattern and I look forward to making those as well. I had no concerns with this shirt other than making it work with a plaid and also lining it. I will wear this a lot and it is perfect for our winter climate.

The directions were divine. You start with a cut on facing, folded and instructed to "sew invisibly" along the long edge, my kind of pattern and directions! In step 2 there is very clear instruction for a unique inseam buttonhole at the very top of the shirt, easy peasy. As the pattern progresses, I found no areas or issues that were not clear and easy to execute. This shirt has details that boost it up to a fine garment yet the directions are clearly written and drawn.

Fabric:

The shirt is made with 100 % cotton flannel in plaid. It was a refreshing change from the dark plaids seen so much around these parts and I felt the lavender and cream gave it a more feminine vibe.

The lining is a very thin poly silky, actually a bit lighter than most linings I considered. By using it on the wrong side the finish was duller and more true to the look of silk.

For interfacing, I used a woven fusible, not sure of where it came from so won't guess.

Construction:

This is where the fun began! and where I veered a bit from Paco's design. My challenge was to make it work with the plaid and I think I did. Let's talk about that first.

Thoughts on using the plaid:

• You have to pick your battles with plaids. You also can make your life much easier with an "even" plaid. The fabric used here  is an even plaid. Each unit of plaid is equidisant and exactly like the other units that surround it. Using an even plaid is highly suggested for your first plaid effort. This PDF has a lot of great info on this. I also found Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Guide to have the best and most information out there. 
• The hem on this shirt is curved and uneven a look I think is flattering for those of us who are short. A decision was made to have  mostly the cream part of the blocks meet the hem. Why? Because  plaid is a very straight line and the shirt hem is curved. Trust me on this one. Uneven hem - don't end it on a bar. 
• Now that the length of the plaid was decided on I need to decide how it would work on the width. I decided to have the cream part of the blocks be at center front. I like the effect. It looks simple enough to line up. Don't kid youself. This was the hardest part of the whole project. This had yet to be cut and I knew that I had a folded cut on facing. And I had to have it match. It was challenging, made me think very hard, but eventually I got it. You can see how I managed it in this post. 
• My length and width are now set. Did you see the half dolman sleeves? They will not match, Don't even think about matching this perfectly. With plaid matching, you have to go for the obvious. Since I am short, maybe lots of people will see the tops of my shoulders but in reality, I don't think it is a focal point like center front and back. So, don't worry about it. 
• Now I had to match the lower sleeve and then its cuff. After A LOT of thinking, I walked away, came back and decided to just cut it on the bias. I centered the bias diamonds with the shoulder seam. I didn't seam it on bars but with mostly the cream centers meeting the dolman edge, the less to emphazise that it isn't matching and never will. 
• For the cuffs I went back to the straight of grain, matching bars with the corner of the plaid which you see in the pic in the woods. 
• Hours can go into placing plaids. Using allover prints or solids eliminates that and the shirt should go much faster than mine did. 
• Bottom line: Straight edges get bars. Curved edges get the cream blocks. Problems get the bias. Placement is important even if you don't match and requires thought. 
• This all needs to be figured out before cutting the first seam. 

With that out of the way. let's get to my next change. This shirt is not lined and that is fine. But a cotton flannel sticks to your clothes and it's cold up here. I had to have a lining with this. I decided on one of my favorite techniques, flat lining which finishes the seams with a Hong Kong finish and lines the garment at the same time. There are challenges with this as it works best on vertical seams. What to do with the underarm curve of the upper sleeve?

I did two lines of stitching in that area, trimmed back to the second stitching and zigzagged the edge. The seam allowances were cut on the bias  and folded under and stitched to make a clean edge as you see above. 

For the hem I faced the area with a bias strip of lining and catchstitched it to the lining. 

The plaid also made me deal with the collar a bit differently. I hope Paco approves. I like it. His collar is an asymmetrical design. I like it but I wanted my plaids to flow evenly where I could and to be symmetrical. I also had planned to used the buttons on the bars. This meant that I did not use his wonderful top buttonhole. I did make it anyway and it's one of those special little secrets just I know about, hiding in the seam! Making the collar symmetrical and lowering the buttonhole causes the collar to open evenly. I LOOOOOVE this collar. I got many compliments on this shirt when I wore it and more on the collar. It has such a pretty roll line and it is so nice and deep. 

 Here is that awesome little buttonhole that makes an asymmetrical collar with little effort, beautiful detail and typical Paco. 

If you have read me for a while, you may remember that I really don't care for long sleeves or any fabric around my wrists. My plan from the start was to fold back these lovely, deep cuffs and that worked well. You can see them on me all folded back but here is what they look like otherwise. 

Parting shots: When I make another I may take a tiny bit of length out of the back waist area. My issue is one of width,  a narrow back and wide hips. I always have this space. I can fit it away but then I have a different look to the garment. I don't want a fitted shirt here. I like the ease exactly as Paco designed it. I flat pattern measured the pattern and found there was substantial ease in a size six to not make any further adjustments. The dropped dolman sleeves also added to the ease of fitting. Since I planned to roll back the cuffs from the get go, they may have been long for me othewise. Other than that I am really pleased with my fit and it was with little effort. 

In conclusion:  I will definitely make this again. With Paco's clear instructions and the beautiful simplicity of the design it would be fine for an advanced beginner if done in a solid fabric and following his directions. While this is a couture pattern, this is doable by those who maybe have never used a couture Vogue pattern. I highly recommend. The design is so versatile and would be stunning in a white linen or pique. A beautiful look for dressier winter wear with jeans would be in  a washed velvet, yum. Thank you, Paco, for a beautiful design!........Bunny

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for some reason the crop didn't work in my editing software tonight. Hopefully it will rectify with shutting down the computer. I will be back to fix it in that case. And, oh, did you notice the winning button? It is the lighter ringed buttons. I really appreciated all your opinions on that. Thanks to all of you.....Bunny

Vogue 9162

"One, two, three pockets, you're out"; "The litle big shirt that wouldn't"; "My first wadder in five years"; yada, yada, yada. These are all titles that came to mind while making this shirt. It took freakin' forever. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with this pattern. The issues were all with me!

What hubby just called my "bird watching shot", but it shows the top really well:

I have a cotton tank underneath and you will see the fabrics sticks in some of the pics. Lesson learned, wear a silk cami.

So what was the problem here, apart from sewing demons taking up residence in my space? Well, you know me. I can' t leave things alone. I thought the shirt was a bit blah, and if I just jazzed up the big pocket a bit it would be even better. Sew I made a pocket using the pattern provided but added tiny corded piping to the top and bottom of the band. Looked decent enough but once I attached it, the top of the pocket just looked too curved at the corners and I wasn't happy. I slept on it. Did my usual middle of the night eureka thing and came up with a different way of doing the pocket that would surely look much better. It wasn't. But I didn't realize that till it was all installed. And putting it in? I used double sided basting tape which I do all the time but for some reason, I could not get a decent tension. It was definitely the tape as I did experiments and all the layers sewed perfectly without it but this was rather soft, fragile fabric and I didn't want to rip it out for the third time  to make another pocket. . At this point I had had it with this pocket. I was going to cut a new bodice and pocket. Let's see how much fabric is left?  Hmmmm,,,not enough. And that bodice really needs that pocket, or some sort of pocket. I didn't have enough to cut a new bodice, but there was some fabric. I knew I had tons of white linen in the stash and came up with a bit heavier piece of linen. I cut the new bodice from the original fabric with a more solid linen pocket being made out of a strip of the heavier linen. This strip was pieced between two pieces of the original fabric. It looked good. I wrangled a pocket out of the new design and that was put to bed! Whew!

So here you can see how I ran a strip of the heavier linen between two separate pieces of the original fabric and turned it into a pocket. The strip goes from CF t the side seam. Stitching provides the pocket effect.

The pattern called for flat felled seams throughout. I did those on the shoulder seams but that was it. I felt a French seam really would be better with this floaty fabric so for the rest of the shirt  that's what I did. That worked well and if I did this again I would use the FSs throughout.

But the demons haven't left yet. The hems are made on the bodice pieces at the very beginning, before anything gets put together. Well , the demons forced me to put the back bodice on to the front with flat felled seams and ass backwards. I was not about to rip out flat felled seams from this thin fabric. So the back bodice hem got totally ripped out and redone, wrong side in this time. I was so close to the wadder corner at this point but Ms. Persistence powered through.

Attaching the collar was sticky but in the end was OK. Could have been better but I was moving on and not ripping out very narrow seams here. I do like how the closure is designed on this. I swear I read the pattern instructions at least ten times and did have as many attempts at folding and pressing to get it right. All my fault. I really just needed to slow down, keep calm and follow the directions.  When I was done I saw how the pictures and directions made sense. I just wasn't paying attention. Sometimes when we are in finish it mode that's not easy to do. That was another  near wadder moment. But, I love the closure. It is a hidden placket with flat, clear buttons and a tiny loop of fabric and an exposed button at the top, simple and nice. This pic has me lifting up the fold that covers the button placket.

Let me pass on a bit more information:

Fabric:

I wash all fabric the minute it comes into my home and then put it away with like kinds. This was in my linen pile and felt like a handkerchief linen. At this point I really think it is a linen/rayon blend, which is actually better for this garment. That rayon adds to the drape which is part of the charm of a big shirt. You don't want to make a big shirt in something with body. I really like the drapiness of this. I haven't a clue where the fabric came from, The buttons are clear and flat so that they won't show bumps in the outer placket fold. This pattern calls for sew in interfacing, as many Vogue patterns oddly do. I used a fusible tricot in the collar and button band area and it was fine.

Pattern:

This is Vogue 9162, a Kathryn Brenne pattern. I really like it. I think it looks exactly like the picture on the front despite my changes. This is not a beginner pattern. Many of the steps really took thought. They were correct and clear, pictures and all, but you just had to pay attention. Don't assume this is easy. It's not. The pattern has a jacket that is tempting. I found I really like the way the dropped shoulders draped and the look of the sleeves. They were very comfortable.


Fit:

I did alter the fit a lot, mostly to accommodate my petite frame.

* I took height out of the mandarin collar. I am glad I did. I think it is a perfect height after being reduced by half an inch. This is a tall collar otherwise. I have a long neck, too!
* I shortened the sleeves a couple of inches. I really like them. They don't look big like the pattern model's. I'd say they were 7/8ths sleeves, which I like. I can't stand long sleeves. I've made a lot of dropped shoulders over time and if you look at the pics these fall really nicely without all sorts of wrinkles. A certain amount is the nature of such a sleeve but I think these are drafted particularly well.
* I did not take any length out of the pattern. Next time I think I will shorten the bodice by about an inch and a half. And there may be a next time. I can see this in a light chambray.
* I also decreased the size of the original pocket. That was a really good idea and I liked how that worked out with this pattern sizewise. The final pocket choice made that a mute point, however. The important thing to know is that if you are petite, you really need to dial down the details, not just the sizing. The original pocket was reduced by a quarter inch all the way around.
* Before starting I flat pattern measured  the bodice. It was HUUUUUUGE. I took out 8 inches and you can clearly see this is still one big shirt on me. I simply folded out the excess vertically within the shoulder seam and down to the hem.  Looking at this pic, I can't imagine my collar being a half inch higher!

Construction:
 If you are going to use a lightweight fabric like I did, ditch the flat felled seams and simply go with French seams throughout. The most important thing I can say is go slow with this design and read the directions and follow them. Where it says to baste, BASTE, seriously. You'll be glad you did. Pay attention to the side slits. If I were to do it again I would cut the pattern much wider in that area so that the hem of the side slit would be the same as the garment hem. The pattern has one side of the slit end up with a wide hem and the other with a narrow hem. I didn't like that. Cut wide and make them match the bottom hem.

Conclusion:

I really like this top. Every year I try to make at least on neat white shirt. I love white shirts and never have enough. I literally wear them out. A white shirt and jeans is one of my favorite looks, any time of year. This pattern removes you from heavy tailoring and provides a very comfortable, stylish option. I think as long as you pay close attention to the pattern, take your time, and use a drapey fabric, you will be very happy making Vogue 9162.

vogue 9162, Some serious petite-ing!

 Work has begun on a new white shirt. I really liked this design by Katherine Brenne for Vogue, 9162. I like the tailored hi-lo hem as the higher front gives more leg length for me and the back covers my bum. Something about those curved hi-lo hems just doesn't appeal to me, however.  As I often advise. I took a close look at the pattern photo. Look with me here. The mandarin type collar is very deep, something that may be out of proportion to my petiteness.  The same goes for the pocket. These are intentionally large details but I think they still are not the right size for someone five feet tall and not too wide. The armscye seam is barely above the elbow.  Then there was the issue of width. I know this is supposed to be a wide bodice but I just wasn't feeling sure about it all. .  Time to flat pattern measure!

This top is 63 inches wide in the extra small size, sorry, just way to much for me. It was clear this pattern would require some major "petite-ing" to work on my frame. 

When I sew I always start with the smaller details. I took one quarter inch off every edge all around the pocket. That meant that the facing wouldn't fit. I had a brain fog moment or maybe just over thought, but something told me not to do the same with the pocket facing. Yikes, would the edges, the curve, not fit if I did?  Rather than spend time with this math moment, I cut back the vertical edges the same 1/4 inch and folded out the remaining 1/4 inch across the facing, perpendicular to the grain. It works. 

Next was dealing with that deep collar. 

Again, I folded out a quarter inch across the center of the collar, perpendicular to the grain.  Once that was made permanent by fusing a strip of leftover interfacing to the back, it was time to cut. 

In my wild enthusiasm here, I took a pic of me truing the seam for the largest size but you get the idea. The edge was trued. The seam allowance attaching to the neckline was not altered in any way.  Now for that amplified bodice! 

Nowhere on the pattern is offered finished measurements. Really, Vogue? Is it assumed that this is so stinkin' big that it doesn't matter? Well, it does matter. I am making the extra small. It is for a 29 1/2 inch bust.  I haven't seen that measurement since I was prepubescent, way pre pubie. I went ahead and measured the width. There are no pleats in the back. The bodice width at the waistline and hem is 63 (yikes!) inches and that is for the XS!. I do think I can let a bit of that go.

Four inches were taken out of the back bodice, two on each side. Then two inches were taken out of the bodice left and right, two different pattern pieces, so a minus of 8 inches total. This leaves a bodice width of 55 inches. I will live with that as this is a BIG shirt and the bodice should be wide. But when the bodice is wider than I am tall, well that's a problem. Once the width was folded out vertically the shoulder seams needed to be trued as shown in the pic above.

When all is said and done, will this swamp me? Will it look totally out of proportion? Will the ninth planet remain hidden behind the sun? I don't know the answers but we will find out soon enough, at least on the first two questions! Talk to Neil Degrasse about the third question.

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I found this little number in the clearance area at Joanns. Imagine, a bound buttonhole tool! I haven't read the directions yet but am anxious to give it a try. Has anyone ever used one of these?...Bunny

Another White Shirt, Simplicity 6076

A new project begins! I believe a girl can never have too many white shirts and I certainly know I can never have enough. Digging in the stash the other day for something totally unrelated led me to this eyelet. I can't remember where it came from, perhaps my former neighbor, Ima. I'm not sure. But, I think it will make a lovely addition to my white shirt collection.

I am going really simple with the pattern here, Simplicity 6076. This is a blouse I have made before and been happy with. I love the two piece 3/4 sleeves and the simple collar, no band! It is shoulder princess seam style.  I think this could even look great with the Donna Karan jumper. And I am up to a bit of natural fiber after all those knits. Speaking of, I did finish another knit top and will have pics of that soon. It was a whip out.

I have to think out this blouse a bit. It is cut out and I see no issues there but for the construction, well, it's eyelet. I don't think I want to line it but maybe just the bodice? That will help hide the seam allowances. It is too lumpy bumpy, IMO, to get a nice french seam and I am not sure how well even the serger would work. You see  I am talking myself into  lining this, don't you?

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Ever have one of those days wear the hurrier you go the behinder you get? It seems like the last couple of weeks have been that way with much taking my attention, one varied thing after another, just lots of unconnected dibs and dabs. I am looking forward to a whole day of sewing soon but that may be a while. A whole day of gardening would go over really well too. I am needing to finalize all I need to do, bring and deal with for my trip to Palm Springs. You've heard it before but I am SO looking forward to this class with Claire Shaeffer. From all I have read it looks to be a fabulous experience. I have one more thing on my notions list to get and that will be taken care of. I will have my tablet and camera with me so I can post, if time allows. I am so looking forward to meeting others who are as passionate about sewing as I am and as you are too, dear readers.  Will surely keep you posted. 

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Our children were away on vacations this Easter so hubby and I spent the weekend close to home but we had a wonderful time. On Easter Sunday, a glorious crystal blue day, we went for a hike at one of our favorite haunts, Meacham Lake. The lake is still frozen but the snow and frost have left enough to get a decent enough hike in. It was utterly quiet at the lake and no one was around except us and one large grunting animal. We never saw it so don't know what it was but it did put us on high alert. All in all in was a lovely glorious day shared with the man of my dreams. I hope your holiday has been wonderful and family have been close by and the spirit of renewal has blessed your day....Bunny

The Denim Workshirt - McCall's 6613

The work shirt is done. I hope it is the first of several. I like the roomy-ness and casual attitude of it all. I will wear this to death. I hope to make a couple more. The way you see it here is one way I would wear it, with jeans and brown leather boots. There are just so many ways a good ole' boy workshirt can be feminized.

Pattern:
This is McCalls 6613, a Palmer Pletsch Unisex pattern.  It is sized by chest size and I made the smallest size,  34-36 chest, and that gave me a finished chest measurement of 40 inches. So this is very roomy. There are not darts or any fit for that matter. This is not a difficult pattern. I actually never really looked at it. But I did refer to the Zieman Collar and the Colllar Band Tute in the sidebar tutorials.

Fabric:
This is a hundred percent cotton denim from Joanns, nothing special other than I did not want lycra and I did not get any. It's not easy finding denims without stretch. It is relatively lightweight. It is too light for jeans but it is a bit heavier than a chambray, what work shirts are often made of. It washed really nicely and took the topstitching well.

Construction:
I did some changes with the garment fit. I cut down the pockets all around by a 1/4 inch . You can see they are still pretty large. I think I would cut them down a bit more the next iteration. It's a petite thing. I try to make any details smaller to be more in scale with my proportions. I also cut down the collar band by a 1/4 inch width as well as the collar. I am glad I did. I think you'll agree the proportions are good. This is a unisex shirt and they compromised the details toward the male wearer, IMO. Did I "petite" the cuffs? No. I like deep cuffs and actually recut them to the width that I wanted. I felt their cuffs were too narrow. Seams are stitched and serged and topstitched. The topstitching was with variegated "denim" thread. Never again. It looks spotty once stitched and I don't recommend it. Live and learn! I used my monster old Kenmore to do the buttonholes. Facings with graded interior seams and collar band buttonholes are just not anything I even wanted to try with my computerized Pfaff, just too much aggravation. The old Kenmore sails through buttonholes perfectly no matter how many odd layers it has to go over. I treasure that old machine and it is always set up in buttonhole mode, at the ready!

One thing I did not care for but it was too late when I realized it, was the placket for the cuffs. The pattern would have you do a simple seam, ironed open and clean finished. I never would have chosen to do a placket that way and next time won't. I was able to save the situation by lapping one seam allowance over the other and double topstitching. The interior edges were serged. It looked a bit more finished than just a pressed open seam.

All in all, this is a pretty good pattern with some adjustments made to more flatter a small female. I can see myself making this again. I would do the pockets differently, smaller and maybe with a flap. It's a keeper!

Today was a daycation, a sewing one! We are in the throws of , no kidding, an epic blizzard. This area pretty much shut down at noon today and it looks like it will take major digging out tomorrow. We already have a foot and we haven't had the worst of it yet. The storm warning is on till 8:00 tomorrow night. They are talking2-3 feet of snow, temps in the single digits (we are almost there now) and very heavy winds and "thunder snow". Hubby and I are hunkered down and it doesn't look like we will have work tomorrow. 

I managed to prep my pattern and cut out another ITY top. This one is a tunic and a Very Easy Very Vogue pattern. It is oddly cut for fit adjustments. I am hoping my flat pattern measuring will serve me well. It looks like it will fit other than a couple of small tweaks. More to come......Stay safe all in the path of Vulcan...Bunny

Simplicity 2192, The 3-D Sheer Top

Another Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2192 completed and I am really happy with the results. It was not a difficult project but a very diaphanous, fiddly one.  Sewing with sheers is often like sewing air together. Pins won't stick in unless they are the glass headed silk pins. Cutting requires all sorts of tricks and patience. How about a ton of spray starch and rotary cutting? And the actual sewing requires a really light touch as well. Here's the low down:

Fabric:  As I said, DIAPHANOUS, as in airy, light, pale, and sheer. It is a 100% poly that gave me no grief because of the fiber. It is a sheer georgette with flowers made of scalloped strips of more georgette laid on top in various sizes. It was love at first sight and I had to find something to make up in this. Enter a beach wedding on the sand in Maine in early August. This and some linen pants will be the ensemble. I took this pic outside with the sun shining through. Hope my bra straps don't do the same and I am working on that challenge as we speak.

Pattern: My Tried and True Simplicity 2192 by Cynthia Rowley, a basic tee with a faced hem and faced bateau neckline.  It is simple and lets the fabric do the talking. I did have to make some changes in the construction because of the sheer factor but I just love this pattern and know our relationship is not over yet. 

 

Construction: First off, all seams are french seams, including the armscye seams. The neckline is faced but using a pink poly tulle for the facing. This is not big holed stiff netting but the really fine tulle.  It disappears and let me topstitch the neckline beautifully. You can see how I did that in this post.   The sleeve and bottom hems were done with the Kenneth King tiny hem tute method. This meant I had the challenge of transitioning from the French Seam to the tiny hem. It all worked out fine with a bit of fabric, about a 1/3 of an inch,  from the slash where the techniques met being hand overcast. It blended very nicely after that and a press. Overall, simple but challenging due to the airy nature of the fabric. ETA: Just want to add that this was all cut on the crossgrain to take advantage of the negative space near the selvedge.

I really look forward to wearing this and will show the outfit on when the pants are completed. I have basically this weekend to do the pants so I am down to the cave to clean up from the blouse project and then start cutting those Sure Fit pants out. I am going to do a fly front zip on this one. Lata'......Bunny

 

Simplicity 2255, a Skill Builder

There is nothing fabulous or outstanding about this effort. It is a basic mandarin collared, 3/4 sleeve, pocketed shirt. Will I wear it a ton? You bet! I love my white shirts and this is a classic throw it on.

Pattern: The pattern is Simplicity 2255, described as a tunic. I call this a skill builder because it has the mandarin collar, a good step before a notched collar, pockets to make and line up, and a simple finish to the sleeve hems. The pattern has various sleeve options and lengths.

Fabric: The shirt is made with 100% cotton seersucker. You'd never know, however, that it was seersucker as the required pressing and later washing and repressing seems to have removed any semblance of lines of pretty puckers. That's OK. I still have a nice white shirt that washes beautifully. 

Construction: I took a bit of liberty with the pattern, but not much. Tunic length patterns do not work for me so I opted for the shorter version, View B. I did not do the gathered sleeves however, choosing instead to make a deep hem at the cuff area. Three quarter sleeves are my go to. I did my usual "petiting" of the pattern as described in the tute in the sidebar on the right.

The hem was made a bit more "shirt tail" with a higher curve added to the side area. I think that is a more flattering look for the hippy among us and I'm not talking 1968 here.

All seams except the armscye were french seamed.The armscye was stitched and serged. 

The sleeves on this pattern are really well  drafted. I did "petite" them but they fit into the armscye beautifully. 
I followed the template for button placement. The buttonholes came out wonderfully with my trusty old Kenmore but as you can see the placement doesn't work. I think the top buttonhole is maybe meant to be left open as it pulls the whole CF when closed. The neckband tapers out to the shoulders so making the button where they specify is like putting a square peg in a round hole. Next time I will make the first top button mid pocket  and let the band fall where it is cut to fall. For now I will wear it open with a cami. The blouse fits much better with that top button open. 

Conclusion: This is a simple, no nonsense shirt, one that will be a wardrobe staple and also give you some good skill building opportunities. I may make this again, but my preferred tailored shirt pattern is one with a shoulder princess seam, all the better to fit, my pretties.   I would definitely recommend this to a newbie who wants to try the next level after managing tee shirts, or anyone who is on a white shirt binge and looking for a classic.....

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Have you ever made something, loved it from start to finish, but then in the real world found that maybe you were always tugging at the waist, or the fabric was wrong and too hot to wear, or the style just not you? I am going to start doing "Reality checks". I will go back to some of the things I've made when an issue crops up and give you the real deal in the real world. Sometimes our imaginations exceed wearability or a technique turns out to be totally inappropriate or can be done better, things like that. What do you think of having reality checks on the reviews here?.....Bunny