Amy Butler Sun Surf Halter

Taking my cue from Patty, and this oppressive heat we're having, I whipped out a super lightweight drawstring tank this morning.  (I cut it out yesterday.  Why are these "simple/easy" projects so hard to get motivated to start sewing when the actual sewing takes so little time?)

 

I used my leftover spotty voile from this project for the top and a cream/red dot cotton for the ties.

The Sun Surf Halter is technically full lined, but I skipped that part (did I mention the oppressive heat?  How about the humidity?)  The original pattern also ties at the back neck (I hate those) and has a simple rectangle back with elastic casing (not good for bra-wearing girls).  I skipped that whole mess and just used 2 front pattern pieces instead (one for front, one for back).

Since I didn't have a lining, I bound the armhole edges with some bias.

The tie is one long strip, ran through the casing front then across the "shoulder" area, through the casing back, and tied at the other side:

 

The bow is pretty saucy, if I do say so myself.  I'm going to enjoy having it peek out of my cropped shrug (which I'll probably wear this with most of the time).

 

This was such a quickie project that I can foresee making a few more from the lawns I showed you a few days ago.  Anything light and airy at this point in the summer is much welcome clothing!

Simplicity 4887 pt 2

I really love this little vintage dress! It's adorable, I think, and was so easy to fit & make! Just as a reminder, here's the pattern envelope:


Just to recap, I'm using a 100% cotton print fabric. It's a quilting/apparel cotton by Amy Butler called "Lotus" in the blue/cream/grey colorway. I just love this fabric! I bought it from my local quilt shop a long time ago and have been hoarding it for the perfect project.

Here's a couple of pictures of the dress on me, while the sun was setting this afternoon.



This is a "half size" dress pattern, in size 20-1/2 or bust 41. I did make a muslin of the bodice to check fit, and found that it was wonderful through the bust right out of the envelope! I just had to lower the "point" about 1/2 inch. The waist hits just above my natural waist and because of the style I left it as drafted. The neckline was just a bit too wide, which leads me to believe a vintage 18-1/2 would probably be perfect.

A couple more changes...the neck was choking me on my first fitting, so I dropped it by about 1/2" in CF, tapering to nothing at shoulder seams. But I'm particularly sensitive to things tight at the base of my neck. It really doesn't "look" that different after the change, but it feels different!

The skirt was drafted for 6 pleats in front and 6 in back. I just barely had enough fabric to cut this dress out (I even had to seam the CF!) and I ended up a bit short when I went to pin in the pleated skirt to the bodice. The math to reduce the pleats equally all around hurt my head, so I went with a gathered skirt instead! I love the "just to the knee" length. I took a 3" hem, stitched by machine.


I really wish I had a nice yellow ribbon to use for a belt, a'la the pattern illustration, but I just don't have any the right color on hand.

I love this dress for its simplicity, and for the classic boat neckline and fitted bodice, even if that closed up neck/chest and sleeveless armholes aren't the most flattering look for a busty girl with rather full upper arms. I don't mind though, it's a pretty style and easy enough to add some things to accentuate the good parts yet still keep me cool in the hot summer months!

I also have a vintage set of large yellow faux-pearls (I'm wearing the earrings in these photos!) and they look grand on the high neckline.

One interesting thing about the pattern that I just haven't seen before (but I haven't made many 60s era patterns either) was a "dart" line on the back neck. It's just a printed line, not an full "dart". The directions instruct you to sew up approximately 1/8" on either side of the line to fit the back neck. I always have trouble with the back neckline gaping, so this little dart was a lifesaver! The back neck fits perfectly!

Tonight, I added a J Crew mustard yellow "Jackie" cardigan (from ebay! Love ebay!). This is probably how I'll wear this dress most of the time.


And my mustard ankle strap pumps from Target. My favorite shoes!


My cardigan is held with a pair of 1950s gold & pearl sweater clips. So sweet! (Also from Ebay, although I have a pair or two in my jewelry box from Etsy too.)


I've moved on now to another awesome vintage pattern. Hopefully I'll have something new to share by the weekend! And this project was so easy and quick, I think I might whip out another dress or two in a fun spring/summery print really soon! This post is cross posted at We Sew Vintage!

And my lovely photographer, Lu:

Simplicity 4887 pt 1

Another day, another project! And I promise, this one will have a finished photo by the end of the week, because I want to wear it to "prom"!

I'm using this mid-1960s Simplicity pattern:


I'm making the print version, the sleeveless view with full skirt. I'm using an Amy Butler "Lotus" print in blue.


This particular pattern is "half-sized", which is technically petite. It fit nearly perfect right out of the envelope! I just had to lower the bust point a smidge and add a bit at the waist (of course!)

I lined the bodice in white Imperial batiste rather than use the facings for neck & sleeve like the pattern called for. I've decided not to line the skirt though; I'll just wear a slip! Maybe even one of my vintage ones for Saturday night (ooh lala!)

I just need to attach the skirt next. The pattern skirt is pleated, but I think I'll just gather it instead. My first attempt at the pleats turned out too small for the bodice, and I'd rather just not fool with figuring out why. Then I'll have to insert the invisible zip (not my favorite, as you well know!) and hem, and it will be finished!

Hopefully I'll have an update in a day or two with a pretty, spring, FINISHED, dress!

ps...I just finished watching the Notebook for the millionth time. *sniffles* Gah, I love Noah.

pps...I did something super fun today that you'll have to tune in later this week to find out about. Let's just say you'll be hearing a whole new side of me.

Ottobre 2-2008-14

Not on my mini-wardrobe or anything, of course. But I have sewn a couple things this past month that I haven't shared yet. Why?

Well, one didn't fit the way I wanted it to. Two of the pictures were crap.And none of it was for my wardrobe, so they were all tinged with contest guilt.

Here they are anyway! First, I made a Textile Studios Santa Monica tee, one of my favorite TNTs for a quickie sewing fix. This one is in that pretty blue aqua knit I showed you last month (I'm still making a BWOF tee out of it too, I have plenty!)

See, not the best pic because you can't actually SEE any details of the tee. Especially not the neckline, which is my favorite part (it's raglan sleeve, but the neckline squares off. It's pretty, but you'll just have to take my word for it.)

Then I made the Jalie Sweetheart top out of my mauve knit. It would be perfect except that I didn't mark the shoulder portions clearly, so when it came time to gather & match notches, I had to guess. I guess too low for the top notch, so the entire neckline is off. Argh.


Still an OK top, but you can see my bra strap on the left. Phooey. This is a really thin knit though, that I planned to wear a cami or tank under. Maybe I'll wear a tank in a contrast color and pretend like it was "planned" to show.

Then I made the gored skirt from Ottobre 2/2008. I had this gorgeous brown Amy Butler print, but not quite enough to lengthen it like I wanted. I think it needs another inch. This is becoming a regular alteration for me with knee-length skirts. I have long legs and a shorter torso.


I am not crazy about the finished skirt. (It's been sitting on my sewing table waiting for finishing stuff for 3 weeks.) I loved it in the magazine! And I liked the contrast hem band, but I think the proportions are a bit off. I'll make it a bit wider (deeper) next time. Th.e skirt is also a bit too big. It sits below my waist and I can tug it over my hips without the zip. Whoops.

The directions were wonderful. No problems at all deciphering them. I really like Ottobre directions. They're to the point with no fuss or wasted time. I didn't have an invisible zip, so used a lapped zipper instead. I also added topstitching to the gore seams, in pink thread:


I really like the waist treatment on this skirt too, it's neat and tidy. It has a weird overlap though (for snap(s). I left it at first, but it was really unruly (almost 2 inches of overlap!) so I ended up trimming it off and I'll add a hook/eye instead.

I love the fabric I used for the hem band so much I've been hoarding it for years. It pains me that I don't love the skirt now. The only pic I have where you can see it is before pressing.


But you can see the tone on tone embroidery & the sequins that add a little "sparkle" (hehe, Tamara, are you reading?) You can see the lining fabric in this shot too, a pale pink satin batiste, also from the hoard, erm, stash.

I'll probably try this one again and lengthen the gores a tiny bit, and add to the hem band's depth. I have lots of quilting cottons and this skirt is perfect for them!

Amy Butler Anna Tunic

The next project up is the Anna Tunic by Amy Butler:



This isn't my usual style. It's a little too tunic-y and shapeless. I'm very hourglass and not a small hourglass at that! So I need all the slimming I can get from my clothes. But this one has a cute neckline, and the best part is that it uses wovens....the pattern envelopes encourage the use of all those beautiful Amy Butler (et al) prints I have in my quilting cabinet!

I researched a little and found a couple of CUTE examples. Check out Stephanie's adorable top. And this one from a PR reviewer is a plus version. There are actually 4 reviews over at PR for the Anna tunic (scroll down for reviews.)

Last night I made a muslin. Yes, the world ceased spinning for a few seconds. Got your bearings now? Ok. I decided on the muslin because AB (et al) fabric is 'spensive. And after the length disappointment of the Fave Things skirt, I'm not in the mood to take chances.

I started with a similar weight stash cotton and cut a straight XL. I didn't do any alterations, but stitched it together (no linings, not even the yoke.) This was a quick and dirty, check the fit potholes muslin. Boy am I glad I did!! There were potholes aplenty!

The front neck/chest fit well. The back neck gaped about an inch on each side of the placket. It was too tight across the back hips. I needed a forward shoulder adjustment, and a full-bust adjustment...there were two darts forming in the armhole. It was also tight across the bust, but the FBA would take care of that. I tried and tried to get a pic to show you, but forgive me, my 10 y/o paparrazi was already in bed.

On the positive side...it wasn't so hideous that I have decided to quit. The length was good. And the adjustments needed are all simple and pretty straightforward (and expected). I feel the top may run a bit small, at least in this size range. Based on measurements, I was pretty nearly a perfect XL with the exception of the full bust.

So I'm forging ahead! I will probably do another muslin (I know. I KNOW.) before I stitch it in real fabric. Mainly because I"m not sure what fabric I want to use yet.

Stay tuned!

Hip Skirts - Fin.

Favorite Things Hip Skirts

I have bitten the bullet this morning and finished the Pleated Skirt from the Favorite Things Hip Skirts pattern. I'm still not completely happy with the length, but it is wearable now at least.

The discrepancy between the pattern photo and the finished skirt length was really not in my imagination either. Here's the pattern photo:


and here's my finished skirt:


I ended up not adding a contrast band as suggested by several of you, which I would normally do to add length. But I already had this contrast yoke and I felt that another print would be "too contrasty". Instead, I changed the yoke dimensions.

The pattern calls for the yoke (6" wide approx) to be seamed at the side seams and then folded in half lengthwise creating approx 3" depth for the yoke. I skipped this part and left the yoke 1 layer of fabric, making a casing at the top and seaming the bottom edge to the skirt. This added 3+ inches to the finished length. And it was STILL a bit too short!!

Obviously I'm not 20 anymore so I'm not wearing it way DOWN THERE on my hips, but even if I were I don't think the skirt would be as long as it appears in the photo. And I barely turned up 3/8 inch to hem this. Teeny hem.

I'm also not fond of my yoke fabric choice. I didn't think it would show with a top since it was only (supposed to be) about a 3" depth, so I wasn't worried about the print. However, by increasing the yoke depth to 6", I created a solid light-colored band of fabric right across the widest part of me. Not terribly flattering.

I'm just glad its finished so I can move on! I might wear it out and see if I like it. It's probably not going to be my favorite thing though. No pun intended.