Burdastyle Summer Jacket

I must be on a kimono sleeve kick. Or maybe these are really batwing sleeves, because they get narrower at the cuff? Anyway, there have been several patterns in my last few Burdastyle magazines that I mean to try, and this is the one I chose to do first. Burda describes it as a sweatshirt fabric jacket and that's just what it is.

I think it came out pretty well, though if we were having a "who wore it best" contest, the Burdastyle model would beat me by a furlong.

Here's the line drawing. It's pattern #119 in the the August, 2018 issue

This is one of the quickest, easiest patterns I've ever had the pleasure to sew. It's a 3-seams-and-you're-done kind of pattern. The edges are all finished by turning and stitching. Burda suggested a twin needle, but I used one of the decorative stitches on my machine. My Babylock has a billion decorative stitches that I almost never use, so when I see a chance to play around with them, I like to take it.

Side view

There are pleats in front and in back, which moves the shoulders close to Gloria Swanson territory. They give it a little more swagger than your garden variety sweatshirt.

Back view

You can see how batwing-ed those sleeves are from this back view. I have a small collection of light layers to pull on when I'm chilly in the house of an evening. OK, maybe it's a fairly large collection, but many of them have snugger sleeves. This baby is loose enough to fit pretty much anything as an underlayer, so I think it will have it's place in my winter evening wardrobe.

I used a cotton sweatshirt fabric with a snuggly inside layer. It feels light but toasty and I hope it will stand up to spaghetti sauce and frequent washing. If not, I won't feel too bad because I can zip up another one in no time flat. This is truly a quick and easy sew.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Vintage Vogue

I cut into one of my vintage patterns. This is a Vogue American Designer pattern from 1987. The designer in question was Calvin Klein. I found this puppy in an antique/junk store in White Salmon, Washington while on vacation a few years ago.

Here's the pattern envelope. It's kind of cute that the little hand-written note on the front reads "Blue cotton blouse," and I actually went ahead and sewed it up in some blue cotton with woven dotted stripes. Other than the penciled note on the front, it looks like this pattern was never opened.

Here's the line drawing. I made view B, with the long, cut-on kimono sleeves and the standing collar.

I fiddled around with the cutting layout for quite a while. I had two yards of 45 inch cotton to play around with and those cut-on sleeves took up quite a lot of space. I got there in the end by shortening the sleeves about 2 inches. Luckily, my arms are about 2 inches shorter than Calvin designed for, so I'm good. If you look at that envelope photo there was definitely some slouchy sleeve action going on.

This is one of those old school patterns that just includes one size. That size was an 8, which expects me to have a 30.5 inch bust, a 23 inch waist and 32.5 inch hips. None of which I have had since I was myself 8. It looked like the pattern included a bunch of ease, though, so I forged ahead.

Side slits on view

I ended up adding some slits in the hem to keep the blouse from hanging up on my not-32.5 inch hips. Things still want to bunch up in back a bit anyway. Next time I'll add some extra around the bottom.

Back view

I was tempted to add some waist shaping to the center back and side seams. Otherwise this top is very much straight-up-and down. But for a first go, I'm happy enough with the fit as is.

Calvin finished the sleeves with a slit and facing. I'm supposed to have made a lovely thread loop, but I used a piece of elastic. I might lose the elastic and just tack the cuff together, since I can't see myself turning the cuffs back, but I'll test-wear the top a few times before I make any changes.

I love this cuff because it didn't require me to sew a sleeve placket. Sleeve plackets are my most problematic construction task.

Here's a parting photo with the collar raised around the neck, as it is on the pattern envelope. I'll probably wear the collar turned back to make a small shawl collar. Though I kind of like the standing collar too, now that I look at it. That might be the ticket if I make this up in something a bit more glam and drapey.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.