Butterick B5814

Finally got the guts to try out this pattern. Gertie's pattern for Butterick, the B5814. Being a full-figured girl, I was a little nervous about the neckline. I have cleavage in a turtle neck, pretty much. I tend to be 3 different sizes, depending on the pattern. One size each for chest, waist & hips. I used to hate to alter the patterns, but now I am beginning to not mind the process. I find that if I just be patient, I enjoy the process. Same with sewing. I used to be impatient for the final product, where now I do it slowly, and make sure I do it right.

I sewed my first muslin with just a little added to the sides, tapered back down to the waist, so I could see how much I needed to alter, hoping it wouldn't BE much... It fit, but not nicely. I could stuff myself in, but you couldn't see the lovely details of the bodice.

Second muslin was better, but not perfect. I did a full bust adjustment (FBA) but it wasn't enough. I marked on my muslin where I wanted everything to sit, and went back to my pattern. In all, I added a side dart to both sides, and enlarged the front dart. I also added 2" of length to be taken up in part by that side dart. I increased the size of each of the gathers on the front piece, so as to allow for the lack of a front dart. I also changed the angle of where those gathers sat, as now things had shifted a bit. I ended up making quite a few changes! More than any other pattern ever. And it's still not perfect, but pretty close. I suppose I am my own worst critic, so I see wrinkles and gathers that I don't like, but no one else will likely notice.  I also had the same problem as Gertie of the sleeves not staying put, so I did adjust the angle of the sleeve where it's sewed to the bodice. I also had to change the bust point, and move the darts too. I think in all, I must have sewn 5 or 6 muslins. Some all from scratch, and others with minor changes. I didn't bother with a skirt muslin, as there was enough ease for me to be comfortable to just sew it. I also moved the drape over, so you can see the gathers in the skirt more clearly. It took me longer to draft new pattern pieces than it did for me to sew the damn thing!

But the sewing process was so lovely! I chose a wool blend in a grey-ish brown with lighter coloured flecks. I'm in love with the material. It's heavy, but not too thick. It has a slight bit of stretch, but that is taken care of with the dress being fully lined. I bought the material before I had the pattern, just waiting for the perfect moment to use the fabric. I did find the drape in the pattern to be almost impossible to sew through, but I did it... Did anyone else have problems? Maybe my material was a little thicker than I thought.

I also did the stabilizing that Gertie recommends. I might have not thought to do this, so I am glad I read through Gertie's posts. I also added tiny little bra stays (just snaps sewn to a piece of ribbon, so i could keep my straps hidden under the sleeves.
http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2012/11/stabilizing-v-neck-with-twill-tape.html

I used these other blog posts as guidelines for my process:
http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2012/11/butterick-5814-construction-and-fabric.html
http://sometimessewist.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/gerties-5814/
http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2012/11/the-b5814-bodice-muslin.html

I had some fun with make-up too. Love the Stila Liquid liner.

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Kitty Cat

I've been wanting to make a little softie now for yonks (do only Aussies say that?... I would never say that out loud...but typing it seems to work :) ). My niece is now at that age, about 2 years, where I can make her things, and where she might actually look at it for a few minutes before getting her 'MatMan' figurines instead (she loves her Batman toys from her Dad's childhood collection). And who I am I kidding, it's going to be a dog toy in less than a week knowing their sneaky pup. Neither of which I care about since I enjoy making things regardless of where they end up. I know my niece LOVES kitties too...though I won't spell out what she actually calls them....it starts with a T.

I found this adorable pattern online, which I altered, which I suggest that you don't bother to alter (I wanted round ears)! It's a perfectly simple pattern, that is so cute, I want to make one for myself! I can't find my original photos I took. This photo is from my instagram feed. If I ever find the originals, I will add them.

I'm a little slow in blog posts lately. I've had a rough year, and just didn't feel like myself. But I think I am getting back on track, and hope to keep this little blog going. I have a handful of dresses, a blouse or two, and pair of shorts to share with you soon. I'd like to start talking more about how I alter my patterns. I usually need to adjust every pattern to fit, and when I do research, it's hard to find what others have done. Maybe this will help other women who are shaped more like me to get ideas, or just see what someone else has done to get a better fit.

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Keyhole Blouse

My first project from Gertie's New Book For Better Sewing was the Keyhole Blouse. I did two of the alterations she suggested, which was make a keyhole at the neckline, and also add some gathers at the shoulder. This blouse is so cute with the buttons down the back too. I love it. I also added my own touch, of a tie to help give the blouse a little more shape. I tend to need a belt, or a well fitting shirt, otherwise I lose shape, and look like a balloon. On this alteration, I would suggest changing the button placement. I left it as was in the original pattern, not really thinking, but with this alteration, it doesn't really work. The top gaps open.

I picked out a summery cotton, with some simple embroidery, and a print of tiny little strawberries and flowers. It's been my favorite to wear lately. I wear it with the pants I made, as well as plain shorts.

I did the slash & spread method Gertie talks about in her book to transfer the bust dart to the shoulder where I made gathers. I made a muslin first, to see how the gathers would look & feel. 

Gertie's instructions are great & easy to follow too. I can't wait to work on something new!

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Colette Violet - 1015

This is Colette pattern Violet, #1015. It's such a cute pattern, and their presentation is also wonderful too! It's a little booklet with easy to understand instructions and illustrations. It's easy to keep on the table next to your sewing machine, unlike those enormous flimsy folding sheets you get in other patterns.

I've seen Colette patterns online, but they are too expensive for me to order with shipping costs to Australia. Then a friend took me to one of her favorite local shops, Piece Together, and lo and behold, they stocked Colette patterns for VERY reasonable prices (which is also rare in Australia). It turned out to be much cheaper for me to buy it in person, than online. Yay!

I picked a peach gingham for my material, and simple floral buttons. I used scraps from the previous blouse I sewed for the peter pan collar. I lengthened the blouse about an inch, but maybe even less -it was already a good length. Using the finished overall bust size as my pattern size, I still needed to take it in on the side seams. I took in about an extra inch at the waist (4" overall), tapering to .5" at the hem, keeping the same width at the arm holes / bust.

Blouses that tend to fit my bust, are too bulky everywhere else. I find it hard to get a flattering fit, but I am learning. Being a little less comfy in loose fitting clothes, does mean I look better overall. I would love to wear muumuus all day long; they hide all lumps & bumps, but I would look ridiculous. Tapering this blouse in at the waist means I don't need to wear a belt, trying to show a waist line. This is also quite casual, so I don't want to have to wear a belt. I am sure there is room for an extra dart or two for a perfect fit, but I am happy overall with the end result. I also used my new serger / overlocker to finish seams and hem, and I LOVE it. First time (machine) sewing button holes too, and they were much simpler than I imagined.

I forgot to take a photo of the yoke on the back. It's subtle, and makes for a nice comfortable fit.

The patterns suggests alterations to make as well, like gathers, pin tucks, etc. I was thinking of adding a more ruffled sleeve, like make it larger, but then gather it with some elastic on the hem. It would be so cute & girly.

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Simplicity 4047 - Pants & Blouse

This is such a cute pattern, and, I think, understated. As in, it doesn't SCREAM vintage. It's smart, and vintage looking, but not super obvious, which I like. It's Simplicity 4047, but last time I looked, it was out of print. I got my copy off ebay for about $15.

I sewed a blouse from it over a year ago, and really liked the fabric I chose, but I didn't take any detailed measurements as it was only my second proper sewing attempt and it was too big around & too short... and kind of reminded me of hospital scrubs. I still wear it on occasion, but when I recently sewed another version, I really fell in love. I added FOUR, yes 4, inches in length to this pattern, and sewed a smaller size, and I love it. I also lowered the neckline by about 2 inches, so it didn't feel so hospital-ish. I picked a nice material, and actually spent more than I would normally for fabric, but I am so glad I did. It's a light cotton, with small embroidered flowers on it. Because this fabric was lighter, I used a light-weight interfacing, and also made the neckline interfacing panel a lot narrower, as I didn't want to be able to see through the blouse and have my interfacing so visible. There is also a ring of interfacing along the sleeve edge to give it some shape, but I didn't add it, instead keeping the sleeves loose. They have less shape, but then they also fit nicely into the sleeves of a cardigan, not showing lumps through. I made the sash a few inches longer as well, so I had the option to tie it in a bow.

 

 

 

For the pants, they also fit well in a smaller size (always check finished garment measurements, not what your actual size is. Depending on how you like your clothes to fit, you will probably be a smaller size than the pattern suggests. Sometimes the pattern envelope will tell you the finished garment size, but sometimes those measurement are written on the pattern itself). I decided to use a jeans material, with little stretch. The pants looked to be a little bigger than I wanted, but I cut them out according to the pattern anyhow, just to be sure I knew how the jeans felt, as the material is thick & sturdy. But yep, they were enormous. The waist & hips fit perfectly, but the legs were a lot wider than I wanted. So, I sewed my side seams as the pattern suggested, then pinched in the sides as I was standing up straight. I ended up taking 4 inches on the circumference of each leg, tapering from the knee up to the hips. I took in 1.5" on the outside, and 1/2" from the inside seam to get the 4", and kept a straight line from the knee down. Taking measurements from a natural position (whether you need to add, or take out material) helps the garment sit, or hang, correctly. That is why I didn't take equal amounts off the inside and outside seam, or all 4 inches only out of one seam. The pants, or my body shape, dictated that I needed the excess taken out in different amounts to hang nicely.

So, after a day of sewing, I needed to test out the new threads, and we took our respective modes of transport to a local cafe.

 

Overall, I am very pleased with the results, and taken out on a test run, everything worked great! I could ride bike, sit & eat, and no seams fell apart :)

(We live near a regional airport & often get to see pilots in training, jets, carriers, all sorts of aircraft. today we got to watch these little guys fly in formation, though I only got the camera out as they were looping back for landing. Supposedly the fighter pilots train in these to practice formation. A few weeks back, I got to watch the new Australian fighter jets come and say hello to the guys in the tower. As much as living near an airport SUCKS, you do get to see some fun stuff every so often).

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Dress - Butterick B5752

I've been doing a little more sewing lately, more than just make-up bags and baby bibs :) And I would like to start sharing it here, as I see myself making a lot more in the future, so hopefully it can become something I post about more regularly. It's a little scary posting photos of yourself online like this, but what the heck. This is something I enjoy doing. My favorite sewing blog is Gertie's New Blog For Better Sewing. She is who inspired me to get back into sewing for myself. She has tons of great tutorials.

This isn't my first dress. I sewed one a few years ago for a theme party, and since I've sewed another 3, which I will share here too. This is just the only one I have photos of.

I love vintage patterns & style, and try to buy it whenever possible. Most of my patterns are vintage or reprints. This is not vintage by any stretch, but most dresses are influenced from bygone eras, with nothing much being all that original these days. At least not in basic styles. I figured with the right material, and accessories (I have a gorgeous embroidered floral cardigan from the 60's to go with this) you could get a retro look with a modern pattern. This dress was made from Butterick, pattern B5752.

I lengthened the skirt by 2". I also had to add darts at the side of the bust area, as my bust is a little larger than allowed for in patterns. I first cut out my lining material and used that as a sort of muslin to work out where I needed to make adjustments. I really don't know that much about changing patterns, but I've picked up a bit from trial and error. The first dress I made to fit me, took a lot of sewing and re-sewing, but it was well worth it. I now take good measurements of myself, and of the pattern, and I usually only need to adjust the pattern once to make a good fit. It helps if you understand how your pattern will be constructed. Then you will know where the best place to make adjustments is.

My Favorite part of the dress is the small pleats in the neckline. Such a nice detail, I thought.

The back was supposed to use a hidden zipper. Well, I realized a little too late I don't have the right foot. So, not so much a hidden zipper. I think I will stick to my trusty way of doing zippers from here on out, called the Centered Zipper here. They always work nicely.

The material is 100% cotton, nothing special. It's a reprint of a vintage design. I thought it would make an excellent apron... but a dress? I did it anyways, and love it.

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Bibs

I've been sewing these baby bibs for a few years now...I found a great pattern online, from Nicole Mallalieu. She sells bag making supplies, and other pattens too, but this pattern was free to use.
These 3 pink ones are for my new niece, and I have to say I love the un-baby-ish-ness of them.  My sis picked out the materials she wanted (good quality cotton), all in coordinating colours, so I could use one material for the bias tape. I used good quality terry cloth on the back, which makes for a thick and sturdy bib. They feel so nice!

These are older ones I made 3 years ago, which are cute, but I can see how I have now changed to a simpler look; less cluttered, more streamlined. I also have changed the pattern to suit a less crafty-looking bib too - I use less bias tape, depending on the materials' patterns, and I also do the arm holes differently, depending on how much sewing I want to do.

Then I have a few others I made late last year to sell at some markets. I also really like these designs as well. I keep making more than enough, so I can one day put all my stuff on etsy, but for some reason, I just never do it! And in the meantime, everyone just keeps having babies, so I just keep giving more away...5 more (not including my sister) to give away over July/August, not to mention a few earlier this year already.

The black ones below have a pattern of little grey skulls all over them:

 

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