Project flop: Butterick 5285 full skirt

This one is all my fault: I was bad and made up Butterick 5285 in a navy cotton sateen when the pattern calls for lightweight fabrics.

After putting this together, I found out why the pattern calls for lightweight fabrics: significant gathering is required, and the (admittedly) thick cotton sateen made the skirt blousy to the extreme.  I spent an evening ripping the skirt apart, took 6 inches (3 inches each side) off the back, and stiched it back together.  The result is still craziness:

At first I thought (more likely, tried to convince myself) that the front was cute, but it is nuts, too:

I wanted it to be this Louis Vuitton:

But it turned out this Louis Vuitton...:

Images from style.com

Not good.

I would really like a full skirt for summer, and I adore the shape of this skirt.  While the pattern is very easy to work with, I think it has an inherent flaw: it would require a really lightweight fabric, but it doesn't call for a lining, so the skirt would be see-through.  Lining the skirt might make it too thick for the gathers.

I have Simplicity 2413 in my pattern stash, and I may sew the full skirt in that pattern.  But for now, the poor navy sateen is in a pile on the sewing room/guest room floor....

Overlooking New Look?

I forget about New Look patterns.  Perhaps becase the patterns are not prominent on Simplicity's site.  Or because New Look patterns are never on sale; while they are always a cheap $3.99, it seems that every weekend either McCalls, Butterick, or Simplicity are on sale for 99 cents, so I gravitate towards those.

In any event, I shouldn't overlook New Look as there are some real gems.

This could be another version of The Perfect Dress - but this one with a great tie neckline:

I want that red dress in that fake red/white fabric...

I've been seeking a pattern for the white top below: just a 3/4 length-sleeve woven top pattern that's not a tunic.  It's suprisingly hard to find, so I was excited by NL6868:

It got so-so reviews on Pattern Review because of a wonky facing (if you look closely at the model's top on the site, the neckline facing is a little crazy), but it's such a great top that I may have to make it work.  Can't you see it in an eyelet?

My favorite is this skirt:

The short length and pleats look high-end RTW!  It is definitely on my (huge) to-sew-list.

Gathered-back slouchy top: Vogue 8514 (first knit project!)‏

I bought Vogue 8514 because I thought - based on the pattern picture - that it was for wovens, and didn't even bother to look at the fabric suggestion. You'd think the lack of darts would have tipped me off, but moving on…

I adored the gathered back of this casual top, so I decided to use this pattern as my first venture into knits! I was going to make a solid top, but Peter suggested a stripe knit we saw at H&M Fabrics. While his outfit choice Saturday was questionable, his fabric intuition wasn't: I love how this turned out!

Vogue 8514

I made View B, but ended up taking over 4 inches off the length: unaltered view B is crazy long!  Like, beach cover-up or knee-length dress long.  A Pattern Reviewer felt that the instructions were goofy: there is no discussion of serging and the facings are interfaced. As a novice knit sewer, I didn't notice any of this, and felt that the pattern overall was incredibly easy: the sleeves are kimono shaped instead of set-in, and the gathering was super-easy to do.

It wasn't lightning fast, as the sleeves are also gathered and finished at the bottom with a band - details that took some time to complete:

I'm mixed on sewing knits: I found it difficult to prep the knit before I cut it. It kept shifting and stretching on the mat. However, once I wrestled it down and began sewing, what a breeze. The material was easy to maneuver, and the lack of darts makes a project much faster.

Frankly, I don't wear really wear knits, so I don't think I'll sew with them often. Also, I think I'd like to spend my precious, limited sewing time creating dresses or skirts that are more expensive to buy than knits.  But the overall ease does make sewing with knits very attractive...

Details of Simplicity 2599 Top

We luckily made it to and from England without any volcanic interference.  In fact, we had amazing weather - in the mid 80's in London, and only a day and a half of rain throughout the rest of the week.  Despite my fears, we adjusted to left-sided driving.  While the roundabouts were shockingly easy (why don't we have them in the US?  So much better than stoplights!), the tight, narrow roads, flanked by high hedgrows, took some getting used to.  Some "roads" were essentially Victorian-era, one lane cart paths that were supposedly 2 lane roads.  My cousin said that an oncoming car often has to reverse backwards down a lane to allow the other car to get through, which can lead to show-downs as to who is going to back out.  And I thought my commute was bad!

Here are more pictures of Simplicity 2599, the top I made before left:

As you can see, it's not a particularly fitted top.  In fact, it doesn't look particularly flattering in the first picture!  But the blousiness makes it more casual than a fitted shell like McCalls 5661 (which I made last year). 

I originally cut this in a size 10, C cup (this pattern has cup size variations, a lovely bonus) but it looked huge when held up to a RTW shell in my closet.  I cut down to a size 8, but when sewn the top was a bit tight at the hips.  To loosen the area, I ripped out the (French!) seams 3 inches up the sides, and made vents.

I lazily finished the top closure with a snap (hidden in the picture below) as I made an error in the placement of the button loop when stitching.  It can be seen peeking out at the top of the seam!

This pattern is easy and basic, and should work in both casual and dressy fabrics; it's a definite-make again. Perhaps my next version will be the view with cascading ruffles. 

* * *

Are you ever inexplicably attracted to an incredibly random pattern?

This arrived in my mailbox from Ebay today.  It's a double-breasted, poufy-sleeved, tunic-length blouse.  I am strangely drawn to its uber-low cut neckline.  New patterns wouldn't have the guts!  I can see myself it for fall in the cream silk (perhaps this crepe de chine from Gorgeous Fabrics).  Camisole underneath optional: it is an 80's pattern after all.