styleARC Polly

Another garment that was finished a few weeks ago was the StyleARC Polly top.  I’ve spotted a very similar Burda pattern on a few sewing blogs lately.  There is an inverted pleat and a box pleat in the centre front that folds over a gathered section to form the neckline detail.

The fabric is from Spotlight, and is slightly sheer. Because of that, I cut the entire top double. I did think carefully about the best way to cut each piece. In the end I cut the sleeves with the hemline on the fold, so that they are self-lined. I cut the back with the hem on the fold as well. Cutting with the hem on the fold didn’t work for the front piece, because the front hemline is curved, so I just cut it twice then treated the two pieces as one when assembling. I sewed up the side seams before inserting the sleeves in the round, which has meant that the sleeves only have exposed seams around the armhole.

I made size 12, without any alterations, and am quite happy with the fit. I’ll definitely use this pattern again – I’d like to try it in something a bit stretchier and drapier.

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On another note, my dear friend Anne died peacefully this morning. I met Anne through my book group well over ten years ago, and I am going to miss so much about her. Her intelligence, her wit, her breadth of knowledge, her thoughtfulness, her insight, and her laughter. The world is a better place because Anne has been part of it.

Farewell my friend.

lovely layers

Lisa of Crafty Mamas has a great eye for a flattering pattern.  I made the Cherish dress four times over the course of summer, and now that I’ve made the Lovely Layers tunic once, I know it will happen again.

I made the size Large, with the scoop neckline option. Mine is a couple of inches shorter than the tunic length pattern piece, because of fabric width restrictions. This pattern certainly does take a lot of fabric – the hemlines are the full width! I chose the long sleeved option. There were no other alterations.

This is another pattern that fits closely around the shoulders, upper chest and bust, then flares out to skim over the tummy, hips, bum and thighs. I rather like the long draped sides. And can you tell that I did a pretty good job of matching up the stripes? I even impressed myself. It would have been good if I’d snipped off those long threads before the above photo was taken too. I’ve done it now.

The neckband worked out rather better than anticipated. I wanted a narrow black stripe right on the fold, which was easy to press, but didn’t realise until I’d sewn it up that there would also be a narrow back stripe encircling the neckband seamline. Hooray – I couldn’t have done it better if I’d tried. The fabric was from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 per metre table; a slight crumpled/creased viscose/lycra blend (I think). It was lovely to sew with and to wear – and if you’re quick I think that there are still a few bolts left!

And did you notice my beautiful hand-crafted necklace? Made by my Stella for Mother’s Day. There’s also a hand-beaded bracelet made by my Clare on one wrist.  So sweet. I’ve also got the Crafty Mamas Frida pattern ready to sew soon. And another Lovely Layers tunic all cut out…when you’re onto a good thing, stick to it!

Vogue 8771

This top was completed around a week ago.  When I first finished it off, I wasn’t happy with the neckline or hem.  I was almost ready to give it away.  But the next morning I gave it another press, and hey bingo, it’s a keeper!

The pattern is Vogue 8771, and I think that I bought the double sided with different widths stripe fabric from Darn Cheap Fabrics (not on sale – yes, I do also buy their fabric at their full price, not always from the $2 per metre table…).

The good points about this pattern:

• great for stripe play
• dolman/batwing sleeves that incorporate princess seaming for the bodice
• fashionable high-low hemline (also known as a “mullet” hemline)
• perfect with skinny jeans or pants
• only four pattern pieces!

My alterations: shortened through the body at the alteration points about an inch. I made the “Medium” size.  I used Vliesofix Tape to secure the hems (neck, sleeves and body) before stitching them with a zig-zag stitch on the sewing machine.  Other seams were overlocked.

What I’d do differently next time:

• do a google search before cutting out and sewing together, not after
• cut the cuffs double with the hem on the fold
• add a band around the neckline – it’s a very wide and open neckline, and would look better brought in a bit. Far too open for a winter top – very chilly!

So, will I make it again? Absolutely!

more Linda pants

After the success of my first pair of Linda pants, I quickly made a couple more.  (These were finished a couple of weeks ago; there has been no crafting whatsoever during the past crazy week I have had).  They really show you the difference that changing fabrics can make.

I don’t ever tuck my tops into my pants, although I do sometimes wear fitted tops over them. But you can see in the next photos how these ones fit around the stomach/waist/bum.

There’s not hiding that pot belly – or my undies lines – in this pair of pants! Despite what the photos tell you though, they aren’t actually too tight. It’s all about the fabric.

They’re a very stretchy woven, not particularly thick, and quite clearly show every single curve, bump, and line. Over the course of the day, they bag out and stretch quite a lot more during wear. Surprisingly comfortable and wearable, but in my opinion not even slightly flattering around the middle – so it’s a good thing that you can’t see the middle in actual wear! The other pair are made in a much thicker stretch woven.

These ones are holding things in place much more smoothly! Here’s the back view:

Way improved. Both fabric were from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 per metre table a little while ago. So, now I’ve made this pattern three times. Each time I have used exactly the same pattern pieces with the same length alterations, some folded out above the knee and some folded out below. Each time I have used a stretch woven (although each with varying degrees of stretch and recovery and varying weight overall). And each pair fits quite differently.

This is a great pattern for work pants – I’ve been wearing all three pairs – but I’ll remake the brown pair in an alternative brown woven when I find one of a thicker weight. Interestingly for me, I’ve used both the navy and the brown before to make the Elle pant and have worn both pairs many, many times.  The more fitted style seemed to work better for the lighter weight brown woven than this looser Linda pant.  More to ponder!  So much about sewing for yourself is trial and error, and learning from experience.  Just when you think you’ve got wovens all figured out, along come the stretch wovens to add excitement to your day – not to mention the variety of knits that are available now!

And if you’d forgotten my first pair of Linda pants, here they are again:

Great in a substantial stretch woven with plenty of stretch. The pattern did recommend Bengaline – I suppose that I could have gone with the recommendation! Instead, I shopped my stash.

StyleARC Nina Cardigan

Another day, another StyleARC pattern.  That’s what it is like here at the moment!  I’m enjoying trying out these patterns.  I first pulled out the Nina Cardigan pattern when I realised that I might need an extra layer to wear to SewcieTea.

This rendition is made in a loose weave knit from – yes, you guessed it, the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 per metre table. It’s a fairly open weave, so is extremely drapey and quite sheer. Because it was assembled on the overlocker, the fabric didn’t really present any problems until I needed to hem it. A bit more difficult.

I went with the instruction suggestion and finished off the edges with the rolled hem stitch on my overlocker. It worked rather well, other than at the beginning and end of each seam, where the overlocker pulled the edges in all sorts of directions. I need to practice more on some scraps before doing this again. But otherwise, the resulting lettuce edge is rather nice, and it was the perfect easy extra layer that I was looking for. Although I need to shorten the sleeves before I wear it next – which will give me another opportunity to improve my rolled hem skills.

I made this in size 12, and it looks a little large to me. There is nice shaping in the jacket seams, so it’s not a sack, but in the loose knit it could have been a size smaller. It fits much more nicely in this bright green ponte (also from Darn Cheap Fabrics, but not the $2 per metre table).

Wow, you can tell that these photos were taken quickly at the end of the working day, with the dazed and confused expression on my face and hair damp from the rain. Anyway, the seaming is more evident in these photos. Lovely shaping, and easy assembly.

Although it’s a bit crumpled after twelve hours wear, you can get a much better idea of the fit this time. Not sure about those armhole wrinkles though – I’ll think about how to eliminate them next time I make this. Although as you can tell, each version turns out a little differently to the previous one depending on the fabric used. Once again, I finished the edges with the rolled hem stitch on the overlocker, but remembered to practice a little more and play with the differential feed settings first. The stability of this fabric also helped with a smooth edge. Sleeve hems were turned and top-stitched with the twin needle.

This is a cardigan that can be made in about two hours, including cutting out time. No darts, no gathers, no pleats. All the pieces fit together perfectly, and when constructed on the overlocker it is very fast. I’m going to make it again in some grey viscose jersey that I have in stash. It will be interesting to see how it works out and fits in a fabric that is between the weight of these two!

StyleARC Rowe’s Tunic

You would not believe how many StyleARC garments I have cut out at the moment.  All in stretch fabric (either knits or stretch wovens).  I have come to the conclusion that although I love to sew wovens, I love to wear stretch.  During the week I managed to squeeze in enough dribs and drabs of sewing time to construct Rowe’s Tunic.

I’d seen a few tops on Pinterest lately with lace fronts, and wanted to give it a try. This piece of stretch lace was originally from someone else’s stash, and the blue is a Spotlight cotton/lycra picked up on sale last year. I am pleased with the combination.

I just overlaid the stretch lace on the cotton/lycra, and cut out the front and the back insert as one. I stabilised the back piece by sewing the lace to the cotton/lycra with a simple straight stitch inside the seam line, and did the same around the front neckline. Otherwise I just treated the lace as one piece with its backing and followed the instructions.

Most of the construction was on the overlocker, but I basted the neck bands on with the machine before overlocking them in place. All the pieces went together very nicely – perfect drafting. I made this in StyleARC size 12.  The hem is secured in place with fusible tape, then stitched with the twin needle.

I’d quite like to make this with a slim long sleeve for winter. As it is, the weather in Melbourne has turned quite cold very rapidly, and I wore this tunic dress with leggings, a long cardi, boots and a scarf. I did receive a number of compliments on it, hooray! I was very much wearing me-made that day.

And have you been watching The Great British Sewing Bee? Oh, it is wonderful! We have been watching it on our TV via Youtube – one of the great things about a “smart” TV – and I have to say that Ann Rowley is my hero. Such exquisite stitching – and the scarf that she was wearing in episode 3 is divine! Not only can she sew and tailor beautifully, but she crochets! The scarf/wrap is called Bohemian Rhapsody – it’s had a huge number of hits on Ravelry since that episode aired on Tuesday night. Wonderful!  I want to be just like Ann when I grow up…

High SewcieTea – in Vogue 1027

When I arrived at The Gables, I was struck by the number of beautifully dressed women that were arriving.  They stood out, because they weren’t in the usual Melbourne black.  They were in dresses!  Wonderful dresses!  In colour!  Pattern!  Lace!  Detailing!  High SewcieTea!

Photo courtesy of Rachel.

There are a few blog posts about the event now, many with wonderful photos and more detail of their garments - and the general consensus was that we had a superb time.  It is so much fun to talk fabric, patterns, alterations, and generally ooh and ah over one another’s clothes.  And there is always the challenge of playing “pick the pattern” – a fair few of us demonstrated considerable skill in identifying the pattern company, name and/or number of many of the garments worn!  And the crinolines – oh girls, it was wonderful to see so many crinolines in action!  And the food, yum, champagne, another yum – the afternoon flew by.

Photo courtesy of Leith.  That’s her on the right, next to Rachel, then Anna, then me!

So, to my dress!  I ended up making and wearing Vogue 1027 (as did Kat, who is 8 months pregnant!  It looked wonderful on her, but I’m still hoping that I didn’t look 8 months pregnant in mine).

So, what is there to say about this dress? It was a Pattern Review “Best Pattern of 2008″. Yes, I am behind the times, but I can see why it has retained its popularity. It seems to flatter everyone! I know that is a much overused saying, but I haven’t seen anyone yet that doesn’t look good in this dress. Some might look better than others, but they all look good! The fabric is a lovely quality jersey from Darn Cheap Fabrics – probably polyester, but with a beautiful handle and drape. And those colours! Divine!

I had been lucky enough to have tried this pattern on before in a size 8, so knew that I’d be better off in size 10. This pattern really does run large – I measure somewhere between a 14 and 16 for this pattern according to Vogue. The 10 fits absolutely fine! There are no alterations other than folding the tie in half and seaming the edges together rather than leaving the tie edges flat showing the wrong side. Hmm, did that make sense?

Frustratingly, I’m all out of Vliesofix tape. It’s so hard to source! Instead I used Heat’n'Bond Lite in the neckline, and I’m not at all happy with it. Normally I would just iron the tape to the wrong side of the neckline, peel off the paper, fold it to the inside, iron it in place, then twin needle stitch it all from the right side. Well, I still did that, but the Heat’n'Bond is just too thick. It has really stiffened the fabric and even makes it a little wavy. If (when) I make this dress again I’ll be certain to have Vliesofix at the ready or otherwise cut a strip of fabric to face the neckline. Lesson learned. Use the good product. Keep the Heat’n'Bond Lite for wovens or for much heavier weight, stable knits.

The skirt was cut to the pattern length, and it’s beautifully swishy and sway-ey (another technical sewing term) since it’s basically a half circle skirt. So nice to wear. I used Lite Steam a Seam in the hem, which gave a much better result than the Heat’n'Bond I’d used in the neckline. An acceptable substitute for Vliesofix tape. The sleeves are faced, then sewn with my friend the twin needle. I was very pleased with my dress!  And it was comfortable, so that I could fit in all the food.

Another photo stolen from Leith.

Thanks again to Melanie for organising such a pleasant afternoon – and it looks as though we will be having Frocktails later in the year!  Hooray!  Maybe I’ll get the chance to chat to everyone next time – because there were 26 of us this time and although I can talk quite quickly, there were a few gorgeous women that I didn’t get the opportunity to meet and actually say “wow, your frock is fantastic”!  Do pop around to all the links and check them all out.

Vogue 1103

So, here it is, one of the two dresses that I ended up making for SewcieTea!

This is Vogue 1103, and it isn’t the dress that I wore in the end. I’ve had this pattern in deep stash for a long time. The fabric has been in stash for a little while too – especially the black that I used for the bottom contrast band.  No idea at all what it is.  The splodgy print is a polyester satin, with a little stretch in it, from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 per metre table. It was surprisingly easy to sew with.

There are surprisingly few reviews of this pattern around on the interwebs. Some of those who have made it had trouble with the sizing. I cut it out as a straight size 12 after measuring myself and checking the finished measurements that were printed on the pattern. I wanted a couple of inches ease around the bust, but not much more. I think that it has ended up very much like the fit on the pattern envelope.

If you look carefully at the picture on the cover, the front empire seam isn’t fitted closely to the body, and isn’t below the bust. It is actually just below the curve of the bust, not fitted to the chest wall. And that is where it fits on me too. I did shorten this pattern at the two marked “shorten/lengthen here” lines so that it would better fit my short-waisted figure, and that has worked out quite well. The overall finished length is now above the knee, pretty much the same as on the model.  I left out the side seam pockets, as I often do.

The centre front and back panels are lined, and I used the fashion fabric for the lining. The sleeves are also lined, with a sleeve stay that is cut shorter than the outer sleeve, and has elastic inserted in a casing at the bottom. Once again, I used the fashion fabric for the lining here. I rather like the bubble hem effect, and the double layer of satin at the sleeve cap has encouraged quite “boofy” gathers (technical sewing term there).

Other than the length, I think that the silhouette is very reminiscent of Jane Austen films. I rather like it – and I reckon that the heroines of Jane Austen’s books would have had a moon tan to rival mine, if they were allowed to show a little leg.

StyleARC Fay skirt

I mentioned in my last post that I’d used the StyleARC Fay skirt as a base for the simple stretch skirt I made to match my latest rendition of Vogue 8815.  The Fay skirt appears to be super simple – and really, it pretty much is, since it is just one pattern piece.  But it was still worth buying, for me anyway.

I’ve made plenty of simple straight, stretch skirts before. Cut the fabric to a rectangle that will fit around me, whack in a centre back seam, hem it, add elastic to the waist. The Fay skirt is different to that as it has gentle shaping at the waist and towards the bottom, so that it is a little pegged to your body. And it is self lined – no hemming needed, and a little more substance to the finished product.

I have shortened this skirt considerably, as I was working with a very limited amount of fabric but still really wanted to make it self-lined as per the pattern. I did this by folding the pattern in half, then taking a big tuck through the centre of it until it would fit onto the fabric. By doing that I was able to retain the shaping, with the skirt narrowing at the bottom. I made size 12.

And I didn’t get the stripe matching perfect at the side seams – dammit. The fabric is a ponte remnant from Spotlight. I’ll make this pattern again in the longer length. It gives a much nicer shape than my usual “tube” skirt, and the self-lining is great.  Did I mention that it takes about as long to sew as it does to cut out? In fact, I think I spent longer changing the thread colour on my overlocker than I did on sewing up the skirt.  The waist is elasticised – also simple.

I’m on a bit of a StyleARC binge at the moment – I have a number of stretch garments all cut out waiting for sewing. And I’ve recently discovered Lekala patterns, where you order a pdf pattern customised to your measurements. I’ll be interested to see how well they fit me!

Vogue 8815, third time (almost) lucky

What did I say in my last post about making the same pattern more than once?  This is my third go at Vogue 8815.  This time I implemented all the small changes that I had decided on after making the first and the second version.

The fabric is a light weight ponte from Darn Cheap Fabrics (Prada, apparently!) and I love the print and the handle. This time around I cut out size 12 through the body and size 10 through the chest and shoulders.  I think that I should have taken smaller seam allowances through the body though – it’s a bit too tight.  Once again in the interest of full sewing/blogging disclosure, you can see that in the photo of the back.  Bummer.

Had better get those smoothing garments out again! I shaved a little from the sleeve cap again, and lowered the front neckline about an inch. I cut the back pieces on the fold to eliminate the back zipper, and used a strip of self-fabric to face the neckline. I also did my usual short-waisted alterations – you can make them out here.

I just take a tuck out at the “lengthen/shorten” line that is often printed on the pattern piece. I actually think that I took a tiny bit more out than needed this time – it’s all trial and error, depending on the pattern. I suppose that technically I could make a “muslin” first…

Anyway, I know that this top will get loads of wear! It will coordinate nicely under the red leather jacket I had tailored for me in Bali last year, and since there was a tiny bit of fabric left over, I’ve made a matching skirt. It’s just a simple one based on the StyleARC Fay skirt, but shortened due to fabric restrictions. The fabric restrictions also stopped me from self-lining it, so I have just taken a simple twin needle stitched hem.

Now I just need photos of the top and skirt worn together. I reckon that with my black boots and red jacket I’ll be looking pretty good!  And I do think that there could still be another Vogue 8815 view C still in me…