Double Take: McCalls 5972

Hey I am back with a red flower: Papaver somniferum (Red oriental poppy)

Caveat: Please do this kind of thing at home but this could be a month or 2 overhaul
(It took me from July to October)


You know, for a while now, I haven't posted. I have been losing weight and as frustrating as it was, it did take a while to settle to a level state and in doing the waiting game I thought of so much I could be adding to my blog.  I have so much wanted to add to my inventory that in the process I knew I couldn't while I was transitioning into smaller sizes every other month or so and here I am posting my latest.

Well, as everyone who has encountered this dilemma will know this:

" I want this look, but the dress is the wrong cut...or the print pattern is all wrong....or it's the wrong price...or I can't find a dupe online....or it is out of style and it is nowhere to be bought....or there is no sewing pattern out there for a dupe"

Yeah...sewer's have been asking and perhaps struggling with these issues for some time and it seems to me that the old voice inside of me keeps saying:

"You can by the fabric, buy the embroidery floss and put the design on your 'blank' canvas youself"

And you know what?   I did just that. 

Well what exactly...poppies.  The ones you see as fabric prints but you search all over on the internet and just can't seem to find what it is you're looking for?
I mean really... it just blows my mind how hard it can be.  But if you have the patience and willingness to finish a lengthly project then this IS your answer.

The first step for me was to research the growth habit of poppies themselves, find the right size of images and colour gradients within the petals themselves.  Then we are ready to go ahead.

I came up with a number of images that worked which I then modified a lot or very little.  My main point was to focus on the reality of the natural stages of the bloom period and its various stages of growth to make it feel real.

I am telling you this was no weekend thing.  It took months.  I also like challenges.

The thing is, I have been making my dresses in a pattern size 16, now it is 14. It fits with a 1 cm seam allowance instead of 1.5cm. So, I could be a 15? I don't know.

As usual, I started with the bodice pieces because I also had traced out drawings of flowers that were small than I would have liked and I also knew that the bodice pieces were smaller in area than the skirt portions.
So, starting with the bodice back (don't ask why... I just did)
 




First flower on the bodice back




More flowers on the bodice back




Completed bodice back

And then I did the front:

And then I proceeded to finish the front and back of the skirt.  This phase took the longest because the flowers were larger and  had to put some more thought into it to make the growth habits more life-like.
I didn't mind that too much because since I was half way through, I felt "Hey let's go for it!" and so I ended up putting 5 flowers on the front and 4 on the back.

Finished front

Finished back

Now, since it is all done here are the finished views.

Front:

Back:




Do you want to know what else?  I already did this dress before in size 16 with a B&W colour block for an evening kind of look and I made this one when a 16 felt snug with some stretchy material.  The poppy dress happens to be made of a linen-rayon blend so quite strictly a woven material

See how much of a size difference this is?

The one last thing to add to this is:

1. I fully lined the Papaver somniferum dress
2. I only lined the bodice in the B&W dress because I beaded the bodice with some toho beads
3. Both dresses are the exactly the same view of McCalls's 5972

 

 

Colour Block evening version

Of course I have plans for more!

Bye Bye!




Marfy 9463

Another skirt to put in an otherwise overflowing closet

 

 

 

 

Found this image from Google but is the correct image of the skirt

I just recently ordered this around August 2014 and while I was searching for something else I happened upon this forgotton skirt pattern that I wanted to order a couple of years ago but being a student with outstanding loans my funds were slim at the time. 

However, I bought enough cotton-poly fabric that I originally meant to make dress pants out of but used some of that to make this fabulous skirt.
Some years ago I purchased a lot of silk georgette to make scarves out of for past Christmas gifts and had lots left over which I found in my stash and decided to make this lovely contrasting tie out of.
It didn't need any interfacing because I wanted it to be floppy and flowing, and my haunch was right...it worked.

What I didn't know was that this skirt was meant to be lined.  Now, I don't mind because using facings tends to be bulky, and a bemburg rayon lining fit the bill.  Plus it cut down on the interfacing used in the overall construction.

I am telling you, this pattern kicked butt!  I would recommend it to anyone and everyone wanting this look!  It fits like a bloody dream.

9/5 STARS!!!! 180 %

CB latent zipper and lining avec understitching

1.5 cm hem with left biased hand blind stitching

 

Sewn through all layers the tie to the fabric.  Makes for easier alterations

Being this is a quick review, I have talked about this in my video:

https://youtu.be/pMHVU3RBzm0


And that is about as much as I can get out of it.  I normally would have kept the tie stitching latent but I changed my mind, and I think it saved time in an otherwise busy life.

Just Zip It!

Hello again!!!!


Well, I am up for another post of sorts and I thought this was a real treat for me to do because it made me venture out into the more modern and sexy world of dresses.

It turns out that I have a thing for getting a sixth sense about what type of inspiration hits me when I am shopping and I am fully aware that I will drain my wallet a bit for a dump of magazines that I truly don't need for the time being.  It turns out that I do see the things I would expect to find in a magazine I haven't perused and this is what I found haunting me a couple of weeks ago:




Photo Source: UK Stylewatch

No kidding, a black dress with 3/4 length sleeves?  You are probably thinking that this is a "Ugh, so what" situation.  But actually upon buying it, my haunch was right bang on! 

I don't have a dress with zipper detail!  And yes, I am aware that I may have the wrong cup size for a surplice neckline, but I thought to myself:  "How am I going to pull this off this time?"

I found a pattern that gave me enough princess seams and a modern look to incorporate the zipper trim in my seams, and that was just the first step.  I then went back to my usual haunt and started to purchase by-the-metre zipper.  I knew I didn't want the colour it was offering so I asked about what else they had.  Turns out I didn't have to buy a "zipper" but actually "zipper teeth" ready made trim in
burnished gold, silver and pewter.  I really thought this is going to work like a hot damn and it totally did!

I purchased McCalls 6028 Sheath dress.  Now, I had to be crafty here and change the pattern.  I didn't want to run zipper tape all the way down to the hem in one go(I didn't buy enough and yeah I am cheap), so I altered the pattern to create a waist seam.  As long as the pattern states anywhere where the waist is situated on any one piece then I am truly set to go.

I chose monochrome, front slit, sleeveless with waist and zipper trim

Turns out that measured from the bottom of any pattern piece the waist line is situated at 64.3 cm on this particular pattern.

I then drew a line with my T square that is my cutting line on all pieces of the dress.  I then decided to make a slit on the front instead of a vent in the back. 

The way I cut my newly altered pieces without destroying the original pattern:

(This includes method for: Front, Side Front, Side Back, Back.)

1. I drew a straight line across all pattern pieces concerning the waist line at 64.3 cm from the bottom.
2. I pinned the pattern pieces to the fabric and drew a line on my fabric where the waist line occured
3. I then added the standard 1.5 cm seam allowance below the bodice portion and included that when I cut the piece only concerning the bodice.
4. After tracing out my size for the bodice piece, I moved the same pattern piece for the skirt and traced out seperately my size and drew a line where the waist is and added the 1.5 cm seam allowance above the waist line mark.

So, now my sheath dress really isn't anymore but I sure saved time and money on my zipper trim.(which I parlayed that to the waist seam effort).  Whatever.


So, also, this particular pattern didn't have a lining so I said "YES!" I saved more time and money !
To me this only means that I have to finish my seams with a serge, which is fine considering that all retail clothes have finishes this way.


And I am truly liking this new fangled dress I did.  I wasn't sure about the whole length piece version. 

Anyway here are some pictures of this more modern and sexy dress I have.

Front.  I decided to raise the slit an extra 3 cm! Why not??!

Back

Centre Back zipper waist join.  Totally matches! (R to L)
Where is the zipper? 

Close up of the zipper trim at front on the princess seam on bust line.

Now you are probably thinking  " How did you add the zipper trim?"

Easy enough.

1. I first serged my edges concerning where the trim is.  I didn't need a mess of raw edges to deal with. Screw that!
2. I pinned it down and cut out to fit the length.
3. BASTE your trim in with teeth facing away from the edge. I can't stress that enough! Install it like you would like a regular zipper.  Place the edge of the tape along the edge of your serge.  This will ensure that it will line up with your sewn seam allowance to other pieces.
4. Using a zipper foot, sew the trim to the fabric but sew the tape somewhere in the middle. You want to do this trust me.

Now we are prepped with the zipper trim concerning all seams where you want to place it.  I didn't add any trim to the Side Front-Side Back seam BECAUSE it would be very uncomfortable and scratchy every time you put your arms down to rest.

Now you are probably thinking, "What happens when you have a seam crossing the zipper teeth?"

Easy enough

1. Once you have sewn your zipper trim to the fabric, measure in 1.5 cm on edges where a seam would occur.
2. Begin by cutting out the required number of teeth at the 1.5 cm seam line.
3. Cut just below the teeth on the trim.  You may need that tape for stabilization.
4. Sew your seams as usual.
5. If you have a seam concerning the length of your zipper teeth, use a zipper foot to get as close as possible to the teeth as well as the 1.5 cm seam line.



Here we see zipper trim on the shoulder seam which I attached to the front.
See the attached sewn line somewhere in the middle?  That is your securing stitch.
See how I lined the tape with the serged edge?
I cut into 1.5 cm on either side where a seam from other pieces occur and removed the teeth
On average 6-7 teeth were removed to line up with the seam allowance


 

And that really is it.  I couldn't really do more with this plan as I lived out the temporary dream....which was accomplished a little under a week. I suppose that I could have used an exposed zipper in the back but nothing I found matched with what was available, so maybe next time.



YAY!!!!!



Alright...see you next time!



Karin

Marfy 3424 Evening Appeal...The Louboutin look-a-like

Hey Ho!

I am doing another Marfy instruction sew along to the tune of the 2014/2015 Catalogue choice.  I recently ordered this pattern a few weeks ago, and it was one on my list that was available to buy online right away rather than email order on patterns that are in the catalogue but not available online.

Thinking about the look of this dress, the skirt portion looks a lot like my MYST inspired skirt.  I don't have a huge lot of skirts with flair, but I am warming up to it.  I really liked the neck line of this dress.

So, for a few years I have enough silk taffeta remnents to cut out for this bodice.  I thought I had enough white but I don't!!!!  So, I will have to go with my burgundy/merlot coloured silk.  I really have had this fabric since 2007 actually, and I bought an abundance, which I am slowly using up.  I hope I have enough of this for a corset in the near future, as making them may take costs of up to $100, so, think Karin...do you REALLY need it?

The answer is YEAH sure!  Why not!


OK, since I bought a size 46, I need to add 2 cm seam allowance, sew at 1 cm.  I also want to add a 1 inch hem allowance, or 2.5 cm.  I also only add 1 cm for the seam allowance for non-essential sizing seams, so easy right ?!!

I may not even need the added hem allowance which I may change in the progression of this post, but, at least I added it if I need it. Sometimes I really don't like the hem to sit below my knees...it makes me look shorter believe it or not!

OK, the notions you will need:

1. Hook and Eye (maybe)
2. Invisible zipper ( 55 cm or long one)
3. Fusible Interfacing or Sew-in interfacing
4. Lining for bodice or the whole dress...your choice.
5. Fantabulous brooch for evening appeal to wow everyone and perhaps make some jealous

Pieces to cut out (straight grain):

Bodice:

Front Cut 1 on fold (fabric, lining)
Side Front Cut 2 (fabric, lining)
Back Cut 2 (fabric, lining)

Skirt (lining is optional):

Front Cut 1 on fold (fabric)
Side Front Cut 2 (fabric)
Side Back Cut 2 (fabric)
Back Cut 2 (fabric)

Facings/Stay

Front Cut 1 on fold or cut 2 with seam allowance (use interfacing same way)
Back Cut 2 on Bias (do the same for interfacing)

Uninterfaced facings cut the same for the interfaced sections.  They are seperate pieces from the other two.

Let's start with the skirt portion.  There is no rule that says you shouldn't as the bodice is made seperately.

*** Make sure you label your match point letters for each piece.  D is the centre back piece which actually doesn't match up with any piece unless you count the right and left sides of the same piece.
I say to do this because all of the pieces look the same.

Skirt sewing

A seam Front-Side Front

Starting with the CF (centre front), sew the side front piece to front piece at the A seam.  Sew both for right and left sides.  Finish seam if you intend not to line the skirt portion.  Otherwise, leave it.

 Z seam Back-Side Back

With right sides together, sew the Z match seam to join the back piece and the side back seam.  Press seam and finish. 

  Joining Front and Back halves

Now, I know on the side front there is no H matchpoint labelled on the pattern piece that joins to the side back piece, it could be a typo.  Regardless, we need to add the halves together. 
So, with right sides together, sew the side front to the side back for each R and L sides.

  CB finish D matchpoint

Finish the right and left halves of the centre back piece to prepare to install the zipper.  You may choose to serge or zig zag finish it.  I always stress this because I like a clean straight edge to use and it looks more professional.
We want that right??!!

Start sewing at the hem and stop sewing at the lower notch.  I actually stopped lower than the notch because the zipper was longer that I could accomplish this.

I know, lousy picture but take note:
The curved lines shown CF here are at the waist line.
Wavy gravy lines will give that sexy curved look and appear to make a thinner waist

Bodice Sewing

Cut out pieces with your added seam allowaces as it fits you.  I added the 2 cm seam allowance and only added 1 cm in the armhole and neckline since it does not affect the sizing of my bodice to fit my shape.

Now, transfer your pleat lines on the Front piece of the bodice.  There are 3 pleats per side that get pressed towards the CF of the bodice.

***Please note that there is only one notch to match on the Front and Side Front piece.  If you see 2 notches on the Side Front only one lines up with the grain line marker.  This one does not match with the Front.

Pleat lines:

Once that your pleat lines have been transferred to the Front piece, press towards the CF on the right side of fabric and baste across the top to hold down until you are ready to attach the bodice lining.

Side Front A seam

Sew the curved side front seam to fit the front piece.  You may stay stitch along this curve but I don't. Yeah, I'm lazy.  Press seam towards the CF.  Clip curves if you need to.

Side Back-Side Front U seam

This is a very short seam that joins the Side Back to Side Front.  Press seam out.

Finish the CB seam for the zipper installation

Lining Bodice:

Prepare the lining as the steps from the bodice fabric directions.

Now, with right sides together, baste the whole neckline joining the lining and bodice fabric together leaving open the bottom and start and stop sewing 2 cm away from the CB.  We still need to install the zipper.  Leaving it open will allow you to sew the lining onto the zipper later.

 Clip the bodice at the S and O matchpoints. Turn lining to the inside and press.  At this point you can sew the understitching or not.  We still need to attach the neck stay and facings.  I happened to understitch because I wanted the armhole area complete and intact. 
Plus, once again, it gives it a professional look. So do it if you can.

Along the bottom of the bodice press under the seam allowance for the preparation of the lining finish to the dress.  If however you plan to fully line your dress, attaching the bodice lining to the bodice skirt lining is what you would do instead.  I only wanted to line the bodice because....drum roll...I am lazy.

I baste here because bemberg lining is so slippery and annoying with pins.
Notice how the bottom of the lining is free. 

Bodice-Skirt Join

With the skirt portion, sew the seam joining the bodice.  You will need to match the A seam from bodice with the skirt, and the Z seam joins the notch on the Back piece. Only sew the fabric together with the skirt portion.

Adding Neck Stay and Facings

Attach Interfacing to the piece as are both labelled on the pattern pieces. The corresponding piece labelled "Inner" will be your facings.

With the CF piece with the S matchpoint, you may choose to either cut 1 on the fold or cut 2 and make a centre front seam if you like.  I chose to cut on the fold, because it was easier for me.

CF seam(If you choose to make a CF seam)

Sew with right sides together the two front pieces and do the same to the facings but seperate.
Press out.

Shoulder Seam

There is no matchpoint for the shoulder on the stay, but it is clearly marked on the pattern piece.
With right sides together, sew the interfaced front and back pieces together for each side, sewing your facings in the same way but seperate.

 Attaching the Neck Stay to the bodice

***If you have access to the directions of Butterick 5353 or anything similar, you can essentially use these directions to add the facing/stay assembly to the bodice.

Attaching the interfaced stay on the notched side, with your finished bodice, with right sides together, match CF seam(or CF of the fold) of your stay with bodice CF, S matchpoint notch on stay to the S matchpoint on your bodice, match the O matchpoint on the stay with the O match point on your Back bodice. 

Sew this seam along the entire length of your neck line of your bodice leaving 2 cm open at CB.  Press this seam and press away from the bodice. This should make it easier when you are attaching the zipper and the facing section on the zipper.

With the uninterfaced facing, press under the seam allowance to the wrong side on the notched edge.

Attaching Facing to Stay

With the outer seam of your neck line stay, with right sides together, attach the facing to the stay matching shoulder seams, CF match. Leave open 2 cm at the centre back
Once you have pressed the outer seam, press open and understitch.

Here we have the notched edge attached to the bodice/lining assembly.
See the facing sewn to the unnotched edge of stay?
Please understitch this!
Also, press under the facing to attach to the stay like you would with a shirt neck band. 

Attach zipper

Baste on your zipper.  Match the neck line stay and the Bodice-Skirt Join seam as well so they sit level across from each other.  Remember, this is a really important moment because this will show on the outside, so aesthetics is EVERYTHING.

Make a permanent stitch on your zipper once you are satisfied with your basting positions.

**This may be the most difficult part:  The 2 cm open area will have to be slipstitched into place to close off the lining on the zipper.

Hem finish

At this point, or anytime before the skirt hem area was sewn together, do your hem finish.  You know what happened to me here?  Remember about 1000 words ago I mentioned I might change my hem, well I did, because it was just too long!!!

I serged off 2 inches and will finish with a 1.5 inch hem so it sits where I like it.


Lining Finish

Once you have sewn the lining to the zipper, with the pressed under portion of your bodice lining, prepare to do this:

1. Baste carefully the lining edge to the bodice seam join and prepare to stitch in the ditch, so your stitching line is visible on the lining but non-visible to the outside since you have stitched in the seam.
2. Be adventurous and hand stitch your lining to the seam join.  You can slip-stitch or anything you want just as long as your stitching can't be seen to the outside world.
3. Or heck, just leave it unattached except on the zipper.  Trust me, some 'BIG' clothing companies do this and to me it looks really yucky since the price tag for a run-of-the-mill dress was $300? Cough**Sputter**Hack**Choke**

That was my 2 cents.

And that should be it for this dress.

Yay the front!!

 

The back!  I have a hook and eye at the top of the stay.
Make sure those seams on the back line up!!!!

Oh and yeah, I have a fantabulous brooch.  Just waiting to use it!

BTW, silk taffeta rocks for the bodice and stay assembly.  I did not use taffeta for the skirt, a bottom weight cotton/poly was helpful to create the right drape.

Hey here's a thought.  I should nickname this dress my Louboutin dress since most heels are black with a red heel. Iconic shoes.....yes....good colour scheme...yes.

Bye for now!!!

Jacky Jacquard

Hello!

Well, I have been MIA for awhile only because I have been trying to sew my planned projects plus this heat in July and August is making me feel kind of wonky.  The temperatures have reached around 25-28 here and I feel like passing out.  I then feel really lazy because I can't get any work done anyway, so what a vicious cycle.
 
So, this means I can work either in the morning or later on at night. And, getting another coat made seems really far into the future, but, I decided to tackle a Simplicity pattern that....you got it has been collecting dust in my bin-o-patterns for probably around 3 years.  Yeah, just because I buy them does not mean I get at it right away.  I wish I could....but the reality is,  in my world, I have a combination of

1.  Timing
2. Money
3. Opportunity

Most of the time, they are met, but....anyway...you know.
 
So, earlier in the Spring, May actually, FabricLand came out with this Blushing Antique collection that favoured pink. 

GREAT!!!! 

The thing is, they also had a lot of textures to choose from which made me want to buy a nice pink Jacquard fabric.  I sat on this for about 2 weeks and decided to go back and get enough to make a Spring coat fit for a princess!
The trouble was, when I came back, they said

 ' Some chick bought the last bolt for a wedding..it was around 7 metres.'

WHAT!!!!

I had to go all the way to Abbotsford and get me some Jacquard fabric.  Luckily they had some..a lot of it, so I bought 3 metres.  Thank God for that! 
 
So, up until now, I hummed and hawed about what pattern to use and I chose Simplicity 2311 view B double breasted short coat.  I also had to go through all of my stash and see whether or not I had enough fabric.
 

The drawing of the chick in the middle jacket is what I made.

Now, this coat I ended up putting together in 4 days.  I know, I have sore arms now, but it was worth it.
 
This is definitely a Kate Middleton look for sure, it also needs a cute pair of heels too!
 
To most sewers who have done this kind of thing it is a 'No Brainer'.  I got to focus on my aesthetics more so this time than ever, but....and this is a big but....I feel it fit OK.  I cut out a 16, some wiggle room but it didn't puff me up at all really.
I also have to say the directions were a bit lacking.  If you are a beginner, you may need some navigation as I found that it was missing tidbits here and there.  I normally don't need them but like I was saying...a bit thin.
 
As for the overall looks, I chose white pearlized(plastic) buttons.  A nice gold button would have also worked but I didn't have them.
 
I also brought up the hem to 2 inches instead of their 1.5 inches.  The coat seems more shorter showing more leg, but with a pair of heels it will lengthen them a lot.
 

Front

 


Back..I know I know..with a yoke

 

Button choice

 

Lining colour is a wheaty-gold which my camera is not picking it up correctly.

 

a roll line is actually a dart and I chose the gathered sleeve.

Also, let me add this:  This jacket didn't really need to have a yoke.  I would have preferred princess seams.  I guess for jackets I suppose it's ok, but you know how I feel about them anyway on women's garments.
Also, my jacket does not look wrinkly on me.  The mannequin is not doing it justice as she clearly has no boobs past A cup.
 
I also stitched a 1/4 inch top stitch along the front and collar area.  I also recommend you use fusible interfacing.  Adds the correct amount of stiffness.
 
Anyway, like I said, I need a very cutsey-poo pair of heels for this.  I am sure I have some, if not I have a great excuse to start looking for another pair!

Bye for now!!!