patterns Archives - Sew Wrong

Lucinda July 31, 2013

Pattern Review: McCall’s 6752 [Stripey Sundress]

Pattern: McCall’s 6752, view D
Fabric: gifty from my Spring Sewing Swap partner Sue
Size: 8 graded to a 10 at the hips

Sandals: Nine West (old)
Crossbody: Michael Kors
Sunnies: Tommy Hilfiger

I only made this dress a little less than a month ago, but I’ve worn it a bunch of times already. It’s so easy to wear! I knew with a fabric this funky, I wanted to sew a dress that had simple design lines that would show off the multi-directional nature of the print. And since the surplice style of the bodice is cut on the bias, it made the stripe direction even crazier. Love this dress!

I read a review somewhere online about how the reviewer thought this was a ho-hum, yawn-inducing pattern. Honestly, I think this is a case of you get out of it what you put into it: if you don’t use some kind of fun print, then yeah, you’re going to get a little bit of a snooze-fest dress. But really, I would make this again out of a solid black or red knit. It’s a great basic dress pattern that can be styled in many different ways- I actually wore it to a seminar last week with a cropped black blazer and peep-toe heels and felt professional but stylish.

I was apprehensive about how this dress would fit, what with the low-cut neckline and a potential for gapeage. Since I’ve been noticing a large amount of ease when sewing Big 3 knit patterns, I cut out an 8 for the bodice and 10 for the skirt instead of the usual 10 for the bodice/12 for the skirt I cut for patterns calling for woven fabrics. It actually worked like a charm and didn’t need to be taken in any more to achieve the fit I like with knit garments. Honestly, why would there be no negative ease with knits, or at least zero ease…

Although I got the dress to fit, I still recommend to anyone who wants to make this dress to tack down the criss-cross neck. It’s got to be almost impossible, because of the drape, for this dress to not flap wide-open when wearing. Also, if you’re thinking about skipping the elastic, you will end up with a drastically different-shaped dress. Before I inserted the elastic I thought there was no way that this dress was going to fit me since I was swimming in the bodice. After sewing in the elastic, I couldn’t believe how much the bodice changed!

So yes, this is my new go-to, wear-everywhere summer dress. I just wish that the fabric was holding up better since I lovelovelove the striped-ness and squealed out loud when Sue sent me this fabric. Sadly, it’s starting to pill and the black is fading (I think the black is printed onto the white fabric). I’m going to try and get as much wear out of this dress as I can!

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Lucinda March 27, 2013

Pattern Review: Jasmine Blouse [Colette Patterns]

Pattern: Jasmine by Colette Patterns
Fabric: Crepe de Chine from Gorgeous Fabrics
Size: 2 graded to 4

Pants: Gap
Shoes: Anne Klein
Sunnies: Bulgari

I had every intention of making this top in time for Valentine’s day this year…oops, it’s almost April. Better late than never, right? This top is a cute little sailor-inspired pullover and I thought it would look sweet in a silky heart-print fabric (Pssst: I saw this exact same fabric used for a Ralph Lauren dress!!!). I’m wearing it with some skinny pants I usually wear for work but I think this top will look best tucked into a skirt – the length isn’t as long as I like my tops to be.

Oh bias…I love how you make garments fit but I hate cutting you out and working with you. I think it’s pretty genius how this is a woven pullover top and no closures are necessary to take it on and off, yet it still has a fitted shape and isn’t boxy like some pullovers.

The only fitting I need to do, other than my standard grading out a size between the bust and hips, was raise the bust darts. I may have raised them a little too high (whoops) but the top fits nicely and isn’t too clingy. I also omitted the sleeve band and decided to make a narrow 1/4″ hem instead because I’m lazy and I wanted to just finish the top.

If I don’t finish my Laurel dress in time, this will be the top I wear to the Cocktails with Colette party in two weeks…but I think that dress will be completed in no time. I’m almost finished with my Laurel top, which I’ll be wearing for Easter on Sunday.

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Lucinda March 24, 2013

New Pattern Lust: Laurel from Colette Patterns

Image from Colette Patterns

I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this excited over a new pattern. I think I literally shrieked out loud when I opened my email and saw Laurel, a simple shift dress with some shaping from Colette Patterns. I know I know, I’m continuing the Colette love from my last post, but hey – Colette rocks my socks. What I love most about this pattern is that the simple design and silhouette makes a great canvas for showcasing some awesome fabrics.

So I’ve changed course on what I’m planning on making for the cocktail party in two weeks. I received my pattern in the mail on Friday (like, three days after I ordered it, wow!) and went on a hunt this weekend for the perfect fabric. I landed on a navy blue geometric eyelet that I will layer over a lime green silk habotai – it’s pretty funky but I think it will look preppy/cool. The silk makes me a little nervous since I’ve never worked with silk before and I’m not a big fan of hand washing my garments, but the final result will be worth it in my mind.

I have a feeling that I’m going to make a load of Laurels this year, so look out! Tomorrow I’m planning on starting a wearable muslin of the shirt version from some white swiss dot that I’ve had in my stash for awhile.

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Lucinda February 27, 2013

New Pattern Lust: The Archer Button-Up From Grainline Studio

All photos from Grainline Studio

My love for Grainline Studios is no secret and I have every single pattern by Jen Beeman in my “to sew” queue (sadly, I tried to make the Tiny Pocket Tank lately and didn’t pick a good fabric for it…lesson learned for next time). So when I saw her newly released pattern last night, The Archer Button-Up, it shot waaaay up to the top of my sewing list.

Dig that back ruffle, isn’t it divine? This could have been just another button-up shirt but the ruffle takes it beyond that and makes it a much more fun addition to your wardrobe than just another closet staple. Plus, it makes a masculine shirt much more girly, yay for that.

I’d love to make it in a purple or pink plaid (if my plaid-matching skills were up to par, that is) or a Liberty of London cotton lawn. Yikes, sewing queue, you seem to be growing every day with all of the indie patterns I want to sew…this is truly the Year of the Indie Sewing Pattern for me.

Do you love the new pattern? What kind of fabric would you use?

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Lucinda December 10, 2012

Pattern Review: Vogue 8825 [Christmas Dress]

Pattern: Vogue 8825, view B
Fabric: Jersey ITY from Metro Textiles, NYC
Size: 10 graded into a 12

Boots: Bandolino

I’m sure I’m not the only sewer that’s bought fabric intending to use it for another purpose. Take this knit jersey, for example, that I bought back in May – I saw it and instantly thought, “long maxi dress for a wedding this summer.” Instead, this is the dress I wore to that wedding, and the jersey ended up sitting on a shelf in my closet. Sometimes the original design intention is just not meant to be, which was definitely the case when I flipped through a pattern book at Joann Fabrics and discovered Vogue 8825. I needed a “festive” dress for my coworker’s Christmas party, I loved the retro feel of the pattern, and I had this funky red and black fabric begging to be made into something fun. Presto!

Plus, it’s not like I’d get much wear out of a maxi dress in New England…the summers are way too short.

The Pattern

Even though Vogue calls this a “Very Easy Very Vogue” pattern, I believe I’ve sewn patterns other than this one that deserve that title. Yes, it’s not complicated, but I wouldn’t recommend this pattern to someone sewing a knit dress for the first time, which is how I view “Very Easy Very Vogue” patterns to be classified.

It was also the line drawing, not the photo of the dress, that caught my eye in the pattern book – I think that really speaks for something…

After cutting out the pattern, which consists of eight pieces, it went together fairly quickly. The neck facing is built in to the bodice pattern piece and connects to a back neck band – pretty great pattern drafting, if you ask me. I think I only referred to the directions when I attached the sleeves to the bodice.

The raglan sleeve is actually a two-piece sleeve, which gives the sleeve the fullness necessary to create the gathered puffiness at the cuff. The barrel cuff could have been a little smaller in circumference, I found that while wearing the dress the sleeves kept slipping down over my hands. If the barrel was tighter, it would stay up better and create a more poofy sleeve – my biggest disappointment of the pattern. Don’t get me wrong, I love how it turned out, but I really wanted that dramatic sleeve flounce shown in the pattern illustration. I definitely want to make the tunic version of this pattern and will draft my own barrel cuff for the next go-round – probably out of a solid colored jersey.

There’s also some shaping to the dress as well, it’s not just a dress shaped by a sash like some other simple knit dresses – the back bodice and skirt pieces have waist darts. The sash is super duper long so it can be wrapped around obi-style and tie either in the front or back, depending on your preference, which I love. It keeps the surplice style of the bodice in check as well and prevents it from gaping open, something I was very concerned about with this style of dress.

Also, I took the hem of the dress up about four inches so the proportions of the dress would work well with the boots I intended to wear.

The Fabric

I’ll be honest – it’s the fabric that’s doing all the work and really makes this dress. I love that the giant paisley paired with the dramatic sleeve give it a retro-cool vibe, hence my cheesy pose above! I was a little worried that with so many pattern pieces, the print would be broken up and not work well, hence the reason I originally thought of using this fabric for a maxi dress. But really, this print is so crazy that it didn’t even matter. I’m really glad that I bought the three yards of fabric that I thought I needed for that maxi dress, otherwise this dress would never have happened. I’ll be getting more wear out of this dress for sure this winter, even though it’s quite bold and loud.