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.

V-Neck Button Blouse, Take Two

Hey hey, another finished object! I must be on a roll.

This is version #2 of Burdastyle June, 2011 blouse #104, last seen in June, 2015.

This time I used a cotton (probably intended for quilting) that I bought at Back Porch Fabrics in Pacific Grove. 

The Man and I had taken a day trip to Carmel to exchange a raincoat I'd bought for Zoe, our Great Pyrenees. I'd gotten her a Double XL, thinking that would surely be large enough. Turned out she needs a Triple XL. What can I say? She's a big girl.

Side view

While in Carmel, we stopped for lunch at the Doris Day hotel (a.k.a. the Cypress Inn), which must be the most dog-friendly hotel on the planet. Zoe got to sit with us in the cafe while we shared a chicken Caesar salad. 

On the way home, The Man offered to take me by a fabric store, just for a look-see. Couldn't help myself. I got two pieces of cotton; the one above was on the sale table. There was just over a yard left. I decided I liked the colors, and surely I could think of something to do with 42 inches of cotton.

Back view

Turned out it was just enough to cut out this top, though I had to shorten the sleeves to make it work. 

This is one of those patterns that I kind of like for a fabric with a large print. There aren't any darts, so I didn't have to worry about what kind of havoc they might wreak on my enormous polka dots. Instead, there's a forward shoulder seam with a tuck and a bit of gathering. 

The neckline is nice and clean, with no collar to present pattern-matching challenges. I shortened the sleeves mainly by leaving off the bottom bands, so I didn't even have to worry about polka-dot placement there. 

The cotton isn't the drapiest, but I can report that the top is cool and easy to wear. Even if it does make me look a bit like Mrs. Bozo. I love polka dots in theory, but once I'm wearing them I can't stop the clown images.

Bonus photo of Zoe in her new raincoat (size Triple XL)

My original pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Burdastyle Fitted Blouse

I've been lagging on the sewing front recently. Possibly because I tidied away all my sewing gear for the holidays and I haven't had the energy to haul it all out again. Instead, I've been going through a bout of knitting startitis. Rather than working on the 8 or so UFOs that are patiently waiting for me in the knitting closet, I've cast on a Multnomah, a Featherweight Cardigan and a Honey Cowl. I should know better.

But, my friend Jessica and I are off to a weekend sewing class at the end of the month. That should get me back in gear. We'll be hanging at the Sonora School of Sewing and Apparel Construction in Sonora, CA. I'm picking my projects now!

Anyway, here's my first garment for the new year. It's blouse #104 from the May, 2012 issue of Burdastyle. This must be my favorite issue; I've made four of the patterns, some more than once. These pants are from this issue too - trousers #122 (blogged here).

05-2012-104, front view

Back view

This is a fitted blouse, with darts front and back and a center back seam. I didn't fiddle with the shaping for this first version, but you could pretty much go to town if you wanted to.

Line drawing from Burdastyle

The sleeves are shown rolled up in the magazine fashion shoot, and I failed to notice the fine print saying that they're supposed to be 3/4 length. I must have T. Rex arms, because on me they're more like bracelet length. Next time I'll add an inch or two. I'm also supposed to have made a hidden button band, but I couldn't figure out how the heck they wanted me to put that together. Luckily I had some matching buttons so no harm, no foul.

Here's a wrinkly shot with the shirt un-tucked so you an see how long it is. I think I actually like it this length. Since I'm a shortie, it's almost like a tunic on me. I could imagine wearing it like this with some skinny jeans (note to self; must make some skinny jeans).

I used a cotton print from the stash that I got while visiting my son and his girlfriend in L.A. They very sweetly spent a morning hunting fabric stores with me.

I think this could be my go-to fitted blouse pattern. I've been watching Peggy Sagers videos on Youtube. She has one on collars that has me all fired up to try hacking some shirt patterns. Between this pattern and the Archer, my shirt needs may be covered!

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Vintage Pattern #4

You may remember that I pledged to make five vintage patterns from my stash this year. By my fuzzy accounting, this is number 4. It's Simplicity 3937 from 1961 (or thereabouts). It isn't one of the original suspects that I listed in my pledge post, but, hey, flexibility is good.

I found this pattern in an antique store in Grass Valley. At $2.00, the price was right, and I was attracted by the square neck blouse. I'm a sucker for a square neck.

Cute square neck blouse

I'll call this version a wearable muslin. If I make it again (and I might - see above about being a sucker for a square neck) I'll pinch out about an inch in the front neckline. If I'm not extra careful with my posture I have a bit of gaping there. Plus it would bring the straps in a bit in the front, giving me better bra-strap coverage.

Front view, standing straight with shoulders back

I used some cotton that I got probably 10 years ago.  I'm sure it's grateful to finally be made into something so it can enjoy the occasional day outside the fabric closet.

The pattern is a Misses size 14. The bust is a 34, which is close to me, but the waist is 26. As if. I lowered the bust darts about an inch, and I waited until the end to decide about putting in the waist darts. I did add them per the pattern in the back, and maybe half what the pattern called for in the front, and I think the fit worked out OK. 

Back view, with 5 buttons disappearing into the print

You can't see them in the photo, but the blouse is closed with five buttons running down the back. I thought having the buttons in the back was a cute design feature while in the planning and construction stages of the project. I had a few minutes of concern after I finished. It looked like I'd created a top that would require me to hire a lady's maid to dress and undress me. As it turns out, I can wriggle in and out with the top 3 buttons closed, and I'm still flexible enough to do up the bottom 2 buttons while I'm wearing the dang thing. Note to self: sign up for that yoga class.

So four down and one to go. I have my eye on a sleeveless dress pattern I found at an antique mall in Salina, Kansas.

My review is on PatternReview.com here!

Same Old Same Old

I have been sewing, just not on anything new and exciting.

Reminder not to take photos in the afternoon - the sun is just too bright

This is a washed out picture of my new seersucker Burda pleat-neck blouse. While I was at Hart's getting elastic for my Barb pants I was overcome by a sudden need for a seersucker blouse. Possibly because I was imagining sipping an iced tea by the river in Ashland while wearing one. We're heading up to Oregon for a short vacation mid-August - can't wait!

The fabric looks white when photographed in the late afternoon sun, but really it's narrow aqua and white seersucker stripes.

Close-up to show the aqua stripes and my little square buttons

This is the fourth time I've made this pattern now and I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. I'm almost 100% sure that I'm putting the collar on right-side-up and I know that I need to curve the side seams in an inch about 5 inches down from the bottom of the arm scythe.

close-up of pleated neck with right-side-up collar

This is one of the first patterns I ever traced from a BurdaStyle magazine and I'm pretty sure I failed to accurately transfer all of the information. I like the pattern well enough that I think I'll go back and re-trace more carefully and add in my few tweaks at the same time. I have some green cotton with multi-colored polkadots that may find itself made into Pleat Neck Blouse #5.

One for the Road

Here's another item that I finished up in time to pack for our road trip next week.

This is Burdastyle 09-2011-128, a.k.a. the pleat-neck blouse.

So called because the darts have been rotated into two small pleats that spring forth from the front ends of the mandarin collar.

Close up of the pleats joining the back collar

Burda showed it in the Businesswear section of the magazine, looking very crisp and tailored in poplin. On a model with long, wavy golden hair that totally covers the critical construction details.

I've made this blouse twice before but that danged collar has kicked my butt every time. I'm pretty sure that this is the first time I got the little devil on right-side-up. The Burda instructions were, as usual, terse. I'd still be sitting in my sewing nook, crying into my beer, if it weren't for this super-helpful blog post by The Slapdash Sewist.

The fabric is a cotton that I got at Britex earlier this month. When I told Melody, my special fabric lady, that I was sewing for a car trip to Chicago she pulled out this bolt and said I had to make a blouse for the road.

Back view

 She said it would be a conversation-starter and she wanted me to send her a picture of me wearing it and waving my hat in front of a diner.

One that looks just like this!

My review is on PatternReview here.

Gertie's Portrait Blouse

I got a yard of rayon challis when I was last at Britex. This was the occasion when I bought several lengths of fabric having a general idea what I wanted to do with it but without checking the actual yardage requirements in advance. Bad idea. I really liked the colors in the rayon and thought it would make a nice blouse. When I bought the fabric I was thinking "sleeveless," but I've been trying to limit my sun exposure lately. Turns out that when you park Irish skin in a California beach town for 30 years, Bad Things can happen. So far nothing a squirt of liquid nitrogen can't fix, but it pays to be careful.

After looking through my ever-growing pattern collection, I thought the best fit for the fabric was the Portrait Blouse from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing. I thought I could squeeze it out of 1 yard of my narrow rayon and those cute little cap sleeves would shield my shoulders from the sun.

 

source

I've made this blouse once before, also from a small piece of rayon, in a Size 6. In that size the fit on me is loose enough that I feel like I really need to wear the top tucked in. Otherwise I have no waist and it looks like my bust is riding on my bellybutton. The good news is that the loose fit means I can wriggle in and out without needing a zipper. I like to avoid zips in blouses when I can because they often end up being a bit uncomfortable under a waistband or belt.

First rendition, Size 6

 This time I tried a Size 4, partly because that meant I wasn't overlapping my seam allowances into the selvage. Yes, my cutting layout was that tight. This version definitely needed a zip, but on the plus side, I think the fit is enough closer that I feel like I can wear it loose.

Most recent rendition, Size 4

I only got one picture of it on me that I thought was post-able. Not because of any lack of skill on the part of my favorite photographer but because in all the other shots either the blouse looked way too wrinkly or I looked way too wrinkly.

So here is my question: for my first version I bound the neck with bias tape.

Bias bound neckline

 On the second version, I hunkered down and used the facings. Even interfaced them.

Neckline with facings

I have to say I try to avoid using facings when I can because they seem to want to flip up and cause me problems. I try to be good about using interfacing and stay stitching, but the problems never seem to go away entirely. Especially because I try to avoid ironing even more that I try to avoid facings.

Don't get me wrong! I have learned from reading the excellent information available on all of your blogs that your iron is your best friend while sewing.  I am diligent about pressing seams and darts, even hems. I've even begun pressing my fabric before cutting out my pattern (wimped out on that one for years.) But once that garment is finished, it will probably never see the iron again in my house. It's sink or swim for my wardrobe. I take each item out of the dryer, give it one of those flick-of-the-wrist shakes and hang it up. Any little wrinkles that don't hang out are there for the duration.

This is what the faced neckline looked like directly after my usual shake-and-hang treatment:

Oh the horror... Maybe rayon isn't the best fabric for a lazy laundress like me

Pretty gnarly, huh? Unless I give it an intensive spit-powered finger pressing, I will be needing to iron this puppy after each wash. Which means it won't get worn that often. However, once it is ironed it looks pretty crisp and nice.

The bias-tape neckline comes out of the dryer looking fairly sweet, but not what I'd call crisp. And the fabric is already beginning to fray a bit where I trimmed the edges of the bias tape seams. Maybe I trimmed them too aggressively?

Do you prefer bias tape or facings for your necklines? And if you use both methods, how do you decide which one will work best for a particular garment?

My full review is on PatternReview.com here.

Burdastyle Camp Shirt

My second FO for 2014 is a camp shirt from the April 2012 issue of Burdastyle magazine.

Not really a halo, just some garden art

I like the shirt, but it does come up short:

Looks best tucked in, in my opinion

I had 1.5 yards of Kaffee Fassett cotton in stripes marinating in stash. I really liked the colors, and thought it would make a nice, light-weight shirt. I didn't have enough yardage to want to play around too much with stripe-matching though, so I searched through my Burdastyle library to find a pattern with minimal shaping that I thought I could fit onto this slice of fabric.

I could tell this pattern was going to be pretty short, so I added 3 inches to the recommended length. Once I'd sewed it up it was still a bit shorter than I'd have preferred, so I added a bias facing to the hem so that I could keep all the length I could. If I make it again, which I might, I'll add another two inches at least.

My sewing buddy, Jessica, helped me out by taking some pictures for me. She not only did the photography, she provided adorable prop dogs:



Noche

Mini

The pattern was nicely drafted and pretty easy to put together. My only issue (besides the length) was the finish on the collar. I suspect I got turned around in the directions - Burdastyle can be a bit cryptic. The pattern has cut-on front facings, but I can't for the life of me figure out what they wanted me to do with the back collar. I ended up adding a bias strip to cover the seaming. I think it worked out OK, but I feel like I missed the boat on this one.

Impromptu bias strip to finish back collar

I've been sewing more and more from Burdastyle lately. I'm a magazine junkie. Once I've invested in the latest issue I figure I should try out as many patterns as I think I can manage. Just in case it might be helpful, here are my tips for working with Burdastyle.

Have you ever eyeballed the pattern sheets in the Burdastyle magazines? Look like the architectural renderings for a nuclear power plant, right? There is a method to the madness though. My first tip is to take a look at the great series on using Burdastyle patterns that the Curious Kiwi put together. I so wish I'd known about these tutorials when I was first messing around with Burdastyle.

My second tip is to use exam table paper for your tracing. You can order it by the roll over the internet for not too much money. It's transparent enough to be easy to use for tracing, but has more tensile strength than tissue paper.

My third tip is to use a high lighter pen on the pattern sheet to outline the pieces you want to use. If you take your eyes off that pattern sheet for even one moment, say to pick up your pencil or take a sip of your refreshing beverage, you will lose focus and be unable to identify your target. Highlighting the pattern pieces doesn't entirely fix that problem, but I find it helps a lot. I figure if I want to use a new set of pieces on that same pattern sheet, I can just use another color of high lighter pen to help me hone in on them.

My final tip is to invest in the seam allowance curve of your choice from SA Curve via Etsy. Oh. My. God. This tool changed my life. My seam allowance curves make it child's play to add a 5/8 inch seam allowance to Burda patterns. Or to add stitching lines to other patterns, if you want to go the other direction. I got the two curves below as a Christmas present to myself. The proprietor, Claire Tharp, was so helpful when I was placing my order, and even in the midst of the holiday shipping madness, I had my new toys in my hands within a week.

My very favorite new sewing notion

My full review is on PatternReview.com here.

La Fred sans Sleeves

Garment post #2!

This is the La Fred Europa blouse without sleeves. Mini Me doesn't have arms, so it doesn't look quite the same on her, but you get the idea. This is not exactly seasonal sewing, but here on the Central Coast it can get up into the 70s in December, so who knows, I could be sporting this little number soon. It's cute and comfy with a skirt or jeans, and it has an all-in-one neck and arm facing so there is no flipping out. Gotta love that!

It's made from a cotton that I got a Stone Mountain and Daughter in Berkeley several years ago. It's chocolate brown with a little tone-on-tone circle pattern. I think it was Japanese. It has a feel that's almost like a light bark cloth. Above is my attempt at a closeup...

If you notice a few new widgets around the blog it's because I had a meeting with my web design consultant yesterday. A friend once told me that if you're hiring technical help, under no circumstances consider anyone over the age of 15. My guy, Aaron, is 12. I'm hoping I can keep him for at least another year, or until he gets tired of working for cupcakes.

La Fred

Well, well! My first garment post! This is a blouse I made a few weeks ago from a La Fred pattern. I really like the square neck. I got this fabric at a very cute fabric store in Haley, Idaho while on vacation with The Man. I love the the colors, but I admit it does feel a little clown-like when I'm wearing it. I find I'm often attracted to fabric that's Bad For Me, pattern-wise.

It's cotton and feels nice and substantial, and quite soft on the skin.

I love getting fabric or patterns while on vacation. I remember the trip while I'm sewing the garment, and then every time I wear it.