Ticked off the To Do List

Although it rained most of the day it warmed up a bit so I was finally able to get some photos in the garden! This is Butterick 5314 and Butterick's free pattern download for the Retro Tie Bag I wrote about here.

This is a modern pattern but I think it's got a retro vibe, don't you? I made the bag because the fabric is such a wonky colour (sometimes it looks more blue, sometimes more lavender) and I have had a horrible time trying to match accessories. The only thing I don't like is the self made belt..it isn't very secure but I'd never done it before so I figured I'd have a go, but I think in the future I will use a professional service. I think I must have lost some weight since I originally cut and fit it because the dress and belt feel a tad baggy. Other than that, it was sooo easy to make and could probably be done as a weekend project. I used embroidered linen with a cupro lining for both the dress and bag. This will be perfect for summer if we get some warm weather..*sigh* such is life in North Yorkshire!

Finally, some much needed stitching!

After a long week of working overtime and a relaxing weekend filled with warm weather and barbeques, I finally had some time to sew today! Here is the first item in my stash-bustin' series:

This bag is actually a free download from Butterick called "Retro Tie Bag." I made it from some fabric scraps that were left over from a dress I made (pics of the dress will come later, I'm waiting for the warm weather to return so I can shoot it in the garden). This was so easy to make, and it is bigger than the pattern photo looks..I can fit my purse, phone, and diary in there! I do suggest that you make the ties longer because in my opinion they are a bit short for the size of the bag. The pattern doesn't specify what type of zip you need, so make sure you purchase a regular zip. I'm really chuffed because this is going to look so cute with my dress!

When fabric choice goes wrong

OK..so maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but I'll tell you right now that silk dupion was NOT the best choice for this jacket (Butterick 5469 view C - the white one in the picture). So how in the world did this happen? To keep a long story short, I knew better but I made a hasty decision because I was determined to make an evening jacket to wear out on the town in London with my husband. I chose this pattern because it was simple and I didn't have much time or fabric (I used the leftover scraps from my ball gown)..originally I planned on making view D but after laying out the pieces realized that it wasn't going to work, so I opted for C. I had this nagging feeling (what about the sleeves??!) but after whipping a toile (in cotton, may I note) blissfully told myself everything would be alright. Again my subconscious tried to speak up when I had the thought of just tapering the sleeve to look like the one in view D, but in my blind haste thought it would take too long and couldn't be bothered to make another toile.

After sewing for 2 days straight and many frustrating sewing moments, I finally realized it was a loosing battle and I wasn't going to finish it in time. I needed to start packing, and had enough sense to know I was rushing and that the jacket was going to end up looking like crap if I kept on.

Fast forward to now, and I finally finished my jacket after my 2 week holiday..with some revisions. When I picked it up again, all that was running through my head was "what was I thinking?!"

Here was the front seam (I'm really embarassed to show this):

The fabric was pulling like crazy and it had taken FOREVER to get the pieces to fit without any tucks, but I unpicked the two front pieces and sewed them back at a lower tension..and you know what? They went in like a dream. Unfortunately I couldn't press out all of the wrinkles because they were set in from the last time I pressed it. I also re-set the sleeves to get the fullness back in the shoulder that I had lost when doing it the first time.

The cuffs were the biggest headache, and this is the reason why I say not to use dupion for this style or any like it - no matter how much I fiddled, I couldn't get the fullness to sit nicely into the cuff without any tucks. Although I'm not keen on it, I decided adding inverted box pleats to the underside was the best solution to make it fit and still look nice.

One change that I did make that I am happy with was making a bound button hole instead of one with my machine - I think they look much more professional, and since this is meant to be an evening jacket I wanted it to look nice and neat.

All in all, although I am not 100% happy with it it is still a nice looking jacket and I plan to wear it out to dinner sometime. I don't think I will make this again, but I haven't decided about view D yet - I have another style in mind that I will probably try first.

So my dear readers, if I can give you any advice about choosing fabric, it's this: trust your gut feelings, and don't make hasty decisions..give yourself plenty of time to think things through and make adjustments, and most importantly..don't rush yourself! Don't be afraid to put it down and come back to it later, whether it's a few hours or a few days..your work will not only look better, but you will feel better about it too!

Good to be home

As much as I love London, it is good to be home after 2 weeks away! I am exhausted but felt the need to be productive, so I whipped up Butterick 4807 on my overlocker in a lightweight cotton jersey. Not exactly a crowning achievement, but glad to be back in the sewing groove. While away I realized how few knit garments (other than sweaters) I have in my wardrobe, and how much simpler (and lighter) traveling would be if I had a few key pieces to pack! So now I am trying to find some nice silk and wool knits to work with. I'm not going to put a review of this pattern here because it is very simple, but I do have a few comments:

When attaching the waistband it is significantly smaller than the waist opening, so don't stress about making it fit and pinning! Just line up the back seams and secure, then place the waistband down on your machine (sewing or overlocker). Start sewing as usual, except gently pull the waistband toward you so that it stretches as you are sewing (the seam may get a little wavy, but don't worry because that will dissappear with pressing and washing). The result is a perfectly fitted waistband!

If you are using cotton jersey like I did, consider not making a hem on the pants..I left mine as they were and they are begining to roll like an old t-shirt, it actually gives a nice finish!

These pants don't have to be casual! You can make some very nice dress pants in a couple hours using a rayon, silk, or wool knit.

I think with a little modification these could be great maternity pants. Use fabric with a little Lycra/spandex (either just the waistband or the whole garment) and make the waistband wider to cover the baby bump. I don't have any children at the moment so I don't have any experience with maternity clothing, but I will definetly try this out when the time comes!

After I get my affairs in order I promise to post about my adventures in London! Stay tuned!

Pattern Review Butterick 4919

Pattern Description:
Flared dress, fitted at bust, floor length has back zipper and tie ends extending from bodice back.
Pattern Sizing:
After taking my measurements I decided on the 12 as it is a close fitting bodice and had an inner belt.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
The final result does not resemble the illustration on the envelope because it is depicted as having a much fuller skirt - I think a petticoat would be needed to achieve that look. However, there is an actual photo of the dress in the catalogue and on the website, and mine looked the same.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, but I made a bodice toile first to make sure I understood how it was constructed and to see if my alterations worked.

Fabric Used: 100% silk shot dupion

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I immediately knew that I wanted to alter the neck line to a deeper plunge because I thought the original made it look very "home made." I extended it to where the sash crosses in front and was very pleased with the result. Instead of using 2 hook and eyes to fasten the bodice back, I used hook and eye tape for a more secure hold. (I also sewed 2 hanger loops made of seam tape into the waist seam because the dress is so heavy).

I also pleated some tulle and sewed it into the shoulder seams to give the gathers some oomph and prevent them from looking flat.

Conclusion/Recommendations:
This is a really nice dress and I got lots of compliments on it but it requires a LOT of fabric and can get very expensive depending on what you use. If I had the need I would probably make it again with some adjustments..I would definetly use the altered neckline, and I would try self facing the sashes because I think it would give a more professional appearance. If that didn't work I would double fold the edges, miter the corners, and maybe edge and/or top stitch versus overlocking and pressing over the edges. I would also like to see how it looks with a petticoat underneath to make it look more like the picture.