Little Grey Dress

This is a project that's been in my to do pile for a while. I couldn't get excited about it because I was worried about being able to pull it off. It's more form fitting than I usually go for. In retrospect, my insecurities were very silly.

 

 

I made a mistake while sewing this but it turned out to be a happy mistake. I cut out view B which has the sleeves. However, the instructions for view A appear first. I was zoning out and totally followed the instructions for view A, making this into a sleeveless dress. I'm actually glad I did though. I think the sleeveless version has a more classy, sheath shape that I like.

 

Butterick 5672

 

I used a wool jersey for the shell and lined it with a tricot knit. I read many reviews before beginning and took note that many people omitted the lining and the zipper. I inserted both for a few reasons:

 

• Although the wool content in the jersey is low, my sensitive skin still gets the itchies from it.
• The jersey is on the thinner side so lining it gave the dress a more substantial weight.
• In my opinion, lining a garment looks better than facing the edges, or hemming them.
• Yes, it's a knit dress but if I didn't insert the zipper, I'm sure I would have popped the waistline stitches by trying to get it over my head and shoulders- especially since I ended up taking the sides in a bit.

I cut my typical one size smaller than the pattern recommends. The Big 4 always has too much ease in my opinion. As I sewed, I did some test fittings and ended up sewing a 7/8" seam allowance along the sides to eat up some more ease. I'm glad I did. It took the dress from being on the frumpy side, to body-con in no time.

 

The dress went together fast and easily! It's a great option if you need a new dress in a flash. The pleating along the waistline is great for camouflaging a bit of a tummy if you need.

 

My hubby's comment: "you look stunning"!  

 

~Jenny

Pattern Review: Sweater Wrap

Butterick 5680

I was surprised to discover how incredibly easy and instantly gratifying this little wrap was to make! Who knew that there is only one pattern piece to this wrap? And... it only took an hour to complete?!?! (I made view D, shown in fuchsia).

I was drawn to this pattern because I love the lines of this sweater, especially the back where the seams come together- it's quite unique. I would never have guessed that it was one pattern piece that was creating those lines!

I used a blue sweater knit that I found at Joanne Fabrics which cost about $26. This is a little more than I usually spend but I really like the fabric. It's cozy without being too heavy. Plus after cutting out this wrap, I think I have enough left over for another sweater top. The pattern piece is long but not wide. You need the yardage for the length, but you will have a good amount left over in the width.

After cutting it out, I whipped it together in about an hour. I did take a shortcut however. I did not hem all the way around the neck, front, and bottom. I thought it actually looked cleaner, and less bulky when left unhemmed. You can get away with this when using a knit, as long as you cut your edges neatly. However, I did hem the sleeves- mostly to conceal the seam allowances in back.

I used a broach I already owned to fasten the fronts together. I've worn this twice now. Once I wore it open, without the broach. I think it looks great either way. It's an easy way to upgrade your jeans and t-shirt look by throwing this on!

~Jenny

Pattern Review: Jersey Dress

Butterick 5174



Here's a great dress for warm weather! It is OOP unfortunately. This style does not appear to be in the current Maggy London line. Here is a similar version without the bloused waist affect:



Maggy London Print Jersey Dress from Nordstrom for $118

Pattern Description: Misses'/Misses' Petite Dress: Pullover, slightly flared dress below mid-knee, has self-fabric or contrast bodice with stay, cut-a-way armholes, front and back casing for tie at back opening and concealed elastic at waist

Pattern Sizing: This pattern is available in sizes 6-20. I made a 16.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, very much so.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I thought the instructions were very easy to follow. Did not have any problems in this area.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I really like the shape of this dress. Love the neckline with the back tie. I like the cut-a-way arms. And I like the waistline.

Fabric Used: ITY jersey print from Fashion Fabrics Club. I paid $5 a yard. This dress ended up costing roughly $15.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Normally I have to shorten dresses but I didn't on this one. What's nice about the elastic waist is you can adjust the length up and down to where it is comfortable.

The neckline drawstring is way too long to sew right sides together and turn. After fussing with it for over an hour, I came up with a different solution. I cut the long tube in half. I was then able to turn each piece right side out. I then sewed the two ends together, which is the center front. The center front is concealed under the front casing so no one is the wiser.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would sew this one up again and I do recommend it to others if you can get your hands on it!

Conclusion: This was really fun to wear. I wore it to church in the morning. It was such a hot day and this dress is so light and airy, flowing away from the body that I ended up wearing it for the whole day!

~Jenny

Pattern Review B5335 Large Collar Jacket

I've had my eye on this pattern ever since I laid eyes on Mimi's version on Pattern Review. So cute!

Pattern Description: This is a sportswear pattern that offers the jacket, top, capris, pants, and a skirt.

Pattern Sizing: This pattern is available in sizes 8-22. I made a 16.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, I think so.

Were the instructions easy to follow? The instructions were very easy, I did not run into any difficulties making the jacket.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the large collar with the drawstring. I like the pleated sleeves. I also like the back band; however, like other reviewers, I found that I needed to shorten it quite a bit.

One dislike is the pockets. And I think I read this in another review too. The pockets are too small to be functional. I think this could easily be remedied without effecting the rest of the jacket. So if you like to bury your hands in the jacket pockets or want stash away some keys or lip gloss- make the pockets a little deeper.

Fabric Used: Cotton chambray from Joann Fabrics. I used a polyester lining from their Simply Silky collection. The jacket also required large snaps. I don't know how much I paid for everything since this was in my fabric stash but I know the whole project was under $20.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: This was in my cut but unsewn pile while I was pregnant. Therefore, it was cut in my pre-baby size of 16. I think I'm more of an 18 now but this jacket has lots of ease so I didn't find this to be a problem.

I listened to the warnings about shortening the length of the back band. As drafted, it is way to droopy in back. I initially shortened it by 3 inches. However, after trying on the jacket, it was still too saggy so I hacked off another 3 inches.

I made a few changes after reading Amanda's blog. I omitted the snaps on the collar- I agree that they are not necessary. I top stitched the sleeve pleats on the outside to keep them in place. However, I wish I would have sewn them on the inside like Amanda- this would have been a cleaner look.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I might use this pattern for the capris or the knit top. I don't think I will make another jacket since it is so unique. But then again, it would be fun to do one in a bright and funky color or print.

Conclusion: Cute, light weight jacket for the warmer months. I don't think my fabric choice gave the jacket justice. It is a little too soft and drapey. For the collar to really stand out and be more poofy- I slightly stiffer fabric is needed.






~Jenny

Pattern Review- Butterick 5357, Peasant Top

This is my twelfth entry into the Pattern Stash Contest at Pattern Review.

Pattern Description: Loose-fitting pullover tops A, B, C, D, E have elastic casing at upper edge. B, C, E: self-fabric ties. C, D, E: sleeves have elastic casing. D: shoulder straps.

I made view A with short flutter sleeves.

Pattern Sizing: This pattern is available in XS to XXL, which is a size 4-26. I made a medium (12-14).

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, the instructions were super easy. This pattern would be great for a beginner- it went together in no time.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I'm a sucker for peasant blouses in the warmer seasons. I've made tons of them. I like this one for the sleeve variations- I usually make the kind with elastic in the sleeve so this one was a little different. I also like how you can wear it on or off shoulder. I don't have any dislikes.


Fabric Used: I used a cotton voile from Denver Fabrics. I spent about $10 to make this.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: My envelope had sizes Lrg- Xxl. I needed a medium so I sized it down. All I did was measure the difference in size between the large and x-large, and drew this in under the large. Very easy to do for this pattern. I also took about two inches off of the length.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I'll probably uses this pattern again to make another view- maybe the one with elbow length sleeves. Like I said, this one would be great for beginners.

Conclusion: Easy, breezy peasant top!




~Byrdie

Pattern Review- Butterick 5331, Ruffled Collar Jacket

After making a couple of duds I am so excited for my new hot pink jacket! This is garment #11 for the Pattern Stash Contest at Pattern Review. If you check out the contest report, you'll notice that I'm in fourth place at the moment. The ladies in first and second place have more than twice as many items sewn. That's ok though, this contest has motivated me to kick it up a notch and start sewing instead of just collecting patterns.

I loved this pattern ever since I first saw it for the view that I made. I love the ruffled collar- of course ruffles are all the rage right now. And I'm always a sucker for puffed sleeves- love the feminine details!

I really wanted a fabric that would make a statement so I opted for hot pink linen from Denver Fabrics. I also got buttons to cover- I think covered buttons give the jacket a more tailored and expensive look. I spent about $20 to make this one.

I made a size 14-one size smaller than the pattern recommends for my measurements. WORD OF WARNING: if you don't have pencil arms, you will need to re-size the sleeve band. Even if I had gone with a 16-those sleeve bands would have been way to small. I didn't notice this until after I had sewn up one sleeve (I should have been prepared for this because I've had problems with sleeve bands before). Luckily, before I had sewn the sleeves into the jacket, I slipped the sleeve over my arm and noticed how small the band was. I didn't have enough fabric to do a different sleeve and band. Instead, I cut new bands- about 1 inch extra in length. Then I sewed them to the existing sleeves but didn't gather as much as the pattern called for. This solution worked great, and the sleeves are fine now. I would recommend measuring your arm circumference and comparing this to the length of the band while you are cutting out the pattern.

Other than this small speed bump, the garment went together smoothly. It's rated an "easy" pattern and I really didn't have any trouble with the instructions. There is one error in the instructions that was pretty obvious to me but might not be to a beginner. In step 20, when you are sewing the collar to the collar facing, it does not tell you to stitch it before trimming and turning it to the right side. A minor error.

The jacket fits great and I love the color! I usually go for neutrals and blues... so this is a pleasant change for me. It looks great with jeans. I can also wear it with a cute skirt or slacks.

I have two more garments finished- more on those in the next couple of days.

~Byrdie

Butterick 5360- Pattern Review

Numero Seis in the Pattern Stash Contest at Pattern Review.

I first fell in love with the fabric and scooped it up before I knew what I was going to make. It is a jade green linen with tan and gold metallic floral embroidery. Can't remember what I paid but I got it at Joann Fabrics so it couldn't be too outrageous. Then I pictured it made into a cute jacket and alas, I settled on Butterick 5360. I made view C which has gathering along the neckline and very interesting sleeves- they almost look like flower petals to me. I used white rayon bemberg lining from Gorgeous Fabrics. And I purchased gold buttons in a floral design.

The pattern is rated "easy" and it really is. I thought it would be more complicated than it was with the sleeves, but the instructions are very easy to follow.

I did not make any adjustments to the design or pattern other than going down my usual one size to a 14.

I love the end product! I wore this to church with a pair of tan capris and a white blouse underneath. The hubby said I looked very "contemporary".... he's funny.




~Byrdie