My new "go to" dress is Simplicity 2054

So, you may remember I was auditioning dresses to wear to an early spring wedding.  After many days of the "I have nothing to wear" feeling, I called the bride and asked about the schedule for the festivities. The service was to start at 8:30 a.m with a breakfast reception to follow. The remainder of the day was full of casual activities ending late into the evening.  I imagined kid corralling all day long and knew I needed a dress that would take a beating and still look good. After considering that we would have driven 10 hours with our two kids, I decided simple, comfy and stylish was the way to go.

I decided on Simplicity 2054         


                                                                     
                                              
I liked the large Cowl in view A and the split sleeves on view C. I went stash shopping and found two cuts of fabric that I thought would look great to make one of each. Here is the review of the pattern with photos. 

Pattern Description: Misses' knit dresses and cowl - collar sewing pattern, Cynthia Rowley Collection.
Pattern Sizing: H5(6-14) R5(14-22). I made view A and C in the 8. I find CR patterns tend to run small for me. I usually cut a 10 in Simplicity but a 12 for CR. When I pinned the cut pieces to my dress form I found it too large. There is too much ease for my liking. I reduced each seam by 2 inches and cut the second to an 8 and found it perfect for me.

The sides are not stitched here, but you can see how big it is.

I removed two inches excess on each side.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.
Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the simple construction of the dress. The option of the cowl elevates the style factor. I wore the black and white version to a morning wedding with jewelry, heels and the cowl and it worked great. For the remainder of the day, I wore it without the cowl and flats for a comfy dressed down look.

For view C, I find the exposed elbows a bit silly. I thought it was a fun detail, but now that I have worn it, it seems rather pointless.  I made it with soft heather knit so it does not stay open. With a firmer Ponte knit it may stay open and be more of a style detail.

Fabric Used: A black and white Ponte knit for view A. A heather knit from Joann’s for view C
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:   I stitched the sleeves in flat for both dresses I lengthened View C by 2 inches, but kept A the same.. I was short on fabric for the cowl on View C, so I made a basic rectangle cowl with the fabric I had.

Basic cowl from scraps

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I find myself reaching for this dress over and over. It is easy to wear dressed up or down. The Ponte Knit version is my first choice. With no ironing needed it travels well. We are in transitional weather in Texas, so this is great with tights and boots or without in flats.

Conclusion:  Off to make another. It is great for beginners.

Happy Sewing,

Bianca

Poncho/Cowl Redo

When you write a Sewing Pattern Review, one telling question about the pattern asked is "Would you sew it again?" Unless it is completely unique or unnecessarily confusing, I usually say I would make it again. I am a pattern hoarder (yes, a hoarder, I can soften it with a euphemism, but why lie to you and me?), so I always have something else I want to sew and rarely remake a pattern. 

Awhile ago I made Mccalls 6658 and wrote about it here. 

                           
                                   


My sister liked it so much that I gave it to her and never got around to making a replacement for myself. I decided I needed a funky top to throw on with jeans, and this pattern came to mind. The suggested fabrics for this pattern are lightweight fabrics with drape and flow. I decided to stray from that suggestion and make my version using a stiffer fabric for an architectural look. I purchased this fabric at an estate sale last year and I believe it is a polyester knit that feels like gaberdine. 

I made this top with no adjustments beyond my fabric choice. Here are my photos of the completed top and review of the pattern.

Mccalls 6658

Poncho style

In a pinch, a rain hood?

I like the length of the back.

Cool, like the other side of the pillow.

Pattern Description:
Pullover tops. A: Armhole bands. A,B,C: Close-fitting, neck bands. D: Very loose-fitting, reverse construction finish on neckline, front and back cut-in-one, narrow hem, openings for arms and wrong side shows on back hemline. Loose-fitting shorts or straight-legged pants have elastic waist. E: Attached tie. Designed for A,B,C,D: moderate stretch knits only; E,F: medium weight woven and knit fabrics.

Pattern Sizing:
XSM-Med This is for view D I made a size small.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, if I sit like her I guess. I don't think the single image shows the wearing options.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, though I had to turn the radio off at points to be sure I concentrated. Transfer all of you markings carefully. If you follow the pictures and read carefully, you will do fine.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I had no dislikes on this one.

I liked that this top has a more architectural look with a firmer fabric.

I like the scoop hem in the back and the straight hem in front.


I like that it can be worn as a cowl neck top or a poncho.

Fabric Used:
A polyester knit from my stash that I purchased at an estate sale.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
None

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes

Conclusion:
I really like that this top it has sleeves that are short enough to not get in the way and just enough warmth when you only need a little. If you use a firmer fabric, it may be hard to carry a shoulder bag as the fabric feels bulky when you gather it on the shoulder.  

Happy Sewing,
Bianca

Flounce Instructions for Burda 7225

I made this asymmetrical,  one shoulder dress and wrote a post and review about it here. 

I put it together rather quickly in an attempt to enter it in a contest on sewing pattern review. Alas, I did not get it made in time (stupid 18 minutes late:P). I added a flounce to the neckline of the dress to reflect one I liked. When I made it, I drafted it part freehand, part with my French curve and in a hurry. Becasue of that, I did not explain how I did it in my previous post. In my review of the pattern, I had a request to explain my process in detail.

To be honest, what I did would not make sense to explain now, so I  remade the dress with a flounce that one could replicate.  

Front

Back

This flounce addition assumes you are using Burda 7225 and Mccalls 5579. I will not outline the steps in their pattern instructions here. This is a supplement to the Burda instructions. Here we go!
         
To begin, I followed the steps 1, 2 and 4 of the of the original Burda 7225 pattern.  I went back to step 3, installing the zipper, after I added the flounce do not do it now. Next, I pinned the dress to my dress form ; you can lay the dress on a flat surface if you do not have a form (do I need to suggest you make mine?).

I took a look in my pattern cabinet and found Mccalls 5579, a dress with a neckline flounce that can be modified for this dress.

                 


I took pattern piece number 6 from the Mccalls 5972 and cut it to the largest size in my range which is 14. I then matched the wide end of flounce to the underarm zipper area and pinned it to the top of the dress across to the stitched shoulder seam. I folded the end over to mark the front length and took it to my fabric on the cutting table.

Fitting the flounce to the neckline.

I tucked the excess under and folded the narrow end back to the notch and placed it on the fold. This will open out to cover the front and back of the neckline. I made it slightly longer (about 1 inch) than needed to be sure I had enough to go around the neckline.

Cut the flounce on the fold

I cut the flounce and pinned it to the top of the dress beginning at the zipper seam. (I did not hem my flounce because of the the type of fabric this is. I made a narrow hem on the other dress. If you need to hem your fabric, do it before pinning). I continued pinning, adjusting the drape as I went along. I pinned it loosely so it maintaines the flow.

Pin flounce beginning at zipper. Pin wrong side of flounce to right side of dress.

Continue pinning flounce around back.

Baste flounce. I continued to step 3 and installed an [invisible] zipper on top of the flounce.

  I continued with steps 5 and 6 to add the facing.

Pin facing to top of flounce right sides together. Stitch

Trim facing to reduce bulk in the seam. Turn facing to inside and press.

Stitch facing to the body of the dress keeping the flounce free.

I stitched it the way you see in the photo above, but it is more efficient to do it with the facing up. When you do it, flip it over and keep the flounce free.

Facing stitched to the body of the dress with the flounce free.

The flounce is now done! I continued with the rest of the pattern instructions. I hope this is clear and you can now make your dress with the added flounce too. Feel free to ask if there is something that is not clear. Please pop back and let me know if you have made a dress too; I would love to see it.

P.S.
I enlarged the armsyce on this dress because it is too small. I cut the pattern this time instead of cutting the dress like I did last time. If you make this adjustment, remember to increase the length of the armhole facing you will use later.

That is all for now.

Happy Sewing!
Bianca

New to me sewing contest on Pattern Review

My family has just returned from an impromptu trip to Walt Disney World. It was a wonderful time away making dreams come true for our kids. With all of the planning needed for a spontaneous trip, I did not get much sewing done for the "New to Me" contest on Pattern Review. It requires that you sew a garment from a company, book, or magazine you have not sewn from before.

When I signed up for the contest it was midway along, but I was optimistic that I could get a project done in time. I originally choose a dress from Sew Serendipity, by Kay Whitt. It is a lovely number that has many contrast panels and is wonderfully cute. As I write this, I have six hours to choose fabric, cut it out and construct whatever I make. Making my first choice dress is not going to happen.  

I stealthily went into my sewing room, careful not to wake the napping kids, to find an alternative. I found this dress one shoulder dress by Burda.

 

This is a fun dress that reminds me of one I pinned last month. Isn't it cute?

I decided to shop my stash for fabric. Unfortunately I didn't have a lovely coral fabric, but I found a print I purchased at an estate sale earlier in the year. Here is B.I.R.A wearing the finished dress. (I will update to a photo of me wearing it tomorrow).

Front

Update: I missed the deadline for the contest by 18 minutes! I forgot about East Coast time and I am in Texas! Oh well. Here is me in my fab and fun new dress.

 

 Here is my review of the pattern:

Pattern Description:
One-shoulder dresses, slightly flared and above the knee for warm and sunny days. View A with smart bow-tie, B with big pockets.

Pattern Sizing:
6-18, I made a 10

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? 
The shape yes, but I added a flounce to the neckline.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes. This is my first time sewing a Burda pattern and I found the instructions very easy
to follow. I like that you align numbers rather than notches in this dress.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I liked the one shoulder style and the large pockets. I like that it can be modified easily if you like.  I found the armscye to be too small and needed to be widened about two inches.

Fabric Used: A rayon/poly(?) blend print fabric that I purchased at an estate sale. The vibrant print reminded me of Emilio Pucci and it screamed "mini dress".

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I added a flounce to the top angle. I used a dress I saw on Pinterest as the inspiration and I installed an invisible zipper.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I will sew this again. And recommend it to others. I have a few other Burda patterns in my stash and I plan to get sewing.

Conclusion: This is a quick and easy dress. Despite this being a "Young" pattern, I think it can be aged up.

Happy Sewing!
Bianca

Chambray Tunic using Vogue 8595

I know it says something about me that I make clothes and end up not wearing them. I, like many creative people, enjoy the process and am always looking toward the next project. I was in my closet last week looking for something to wear and came across a tunic made using view B of Vogue 8595. I think I made it about three years ago and never wore or wrote a review about it before now.
                            

I am pretty sure I made it before becoming pregnant with my son. I could not wear it when pregnant and it does not allow easy nursing access, so I did not wear it before weaning him. 

I used a Ralph Lauren chambray sheet I had in my stash for fabric. I liked that the sheet had white twin needle stitches. I used them on the pockets and around the wrists of the sleeves. I made it before gaining and losing baby weight, so it is bigger than I would make now, but I think the size is still fine. Here are the photos of the completed tunic.

Vogue 8595

Pocket detail (sorry about the wrinkles, I was wearing it most of the day)

Wrist stitches from the sheet.

Photo bomb hugs from my son!

Here is my review of the pattern.
Pattern Description: Easy to sew loose-fitting pullover tunic top has front neckline slit, optional collar and patch pockets, and your choice of sleeves.

Pattern Sizing: 6-8-10-12 (I made a 12 when I made this between kids about 3 years ago. I will make the 8  when I make it again.)

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

Were the instructions easy to follow? This is a Very Easy Vogue pattern and it lived up to its name.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked slanted patch pockets and the over-sized collar.

Fabric Used: A Ralph Lauren chambray sheet. I took advantage of white contrast twin stitches and positioned the wrist and pockets so they would show.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I did not make any.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I will sew this again. And recommend it to others. 

Conclusion: Quick and easy tunic.
 
Happy Sewing!
Bianca