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Lucinda February 1, 2012

Spring 2012 Collection – Vogue Patterns

It’s February 1 and the spring 2012 patterns are starting to arrive. It feels like an early spring day today in Boston, but looking at the calendar, I’m certain that we will have many more winter-like days ahead of us, even into April. It’s never too early to start planning your sewing for the next season (just ordered some fabric and patterns last week!), so here’s a peak at what I’m already planning to make this spring.

V1287 – Donna Karan
Maybe it’s the print that drew me in to this pattern, but it looks likes a lot of fun to make and wear. The only thing I’m apprehensive about are those side pockets/bands – I’m not a fan of anything that draws attention to hips or makes them appear to be larger. I’ll have to see this made up on some “real” sewers before I decide to take the plunge and sew this one.

V1294 – Anne Klein
Even though this top is not considered to be flattering to my body shape (I’ll be writing a post on that topic later), I love the design of the neck flounce and the tailoring of this blouse. You could dress this up for work or dress it down with a pair of jeans for running errands.

V8784 – Very Easy Very Vogue
I’m determined to master the wrap-dress this year: I’ve never found one that fit my bust, either in RTW dresses or those sewn by myself. It’s a style that I’ve given up on, but the skirt and the styling on this dress is adorable. This just may be the dress that could work for me with a few tweaks.

V8787 – Vogue Easy Options
What a versatile dress pattern, I understand why it’s called “easy options!” What I really like about this pattern is the above style in the peppermint-stripe fabric that is cut on the bias for the bodice and skirt but on the straight grain for the waist band. It would be darling in a navy blue and white stripe double knit as well.

V8790 – Very Easy Very Vogue
So far three of the four patterns I’ve listed from this collection are dresses, which I have a weakness for in the warm months, but I really need to expand my sewn wardrobe and make more sportswear. This pattern has a sleeveless, short sleeve, and long sleeve option, so it could transcend the spring season and be an all-year pattern with some changes in fabric.

V8792 – Vogue Easy Options
Again, it’s the striped fabric that drew me to this pattern. It could be an interesting top to try mixing prints, a fashion trend for the spring, such as a large polka dot mixed with a small polka dot insert. Or perhaps a contrasting color insert – there’s a couple of options to take what could be a boring long sleeve top to a higher fashion level.

V8791 – Custom Fit
This is another top that I’ll wait and see what other sewers come up with. It has a cool, artsy vibe to it, and I’d style it with skinny cropped pants like on the model. I prefer the tank and short sleeve style of this top, but I’m afraid of looking shapeless in a top like this. Neat concept, but I’ll wait a little bit on this one.

A note to Vogue Patterns – I appreciate the attempt to style the pattern photos like in a fashion magazine, but don’t underestimate how important it is to get a clear, unobstructed view of the front and back of these patterns. It makes it really hard to figure out how a dress or top will look on me if I’m standing up straight and facing front, such as these patterns here, here, and here. I’m all for elevating sewing to another level, but I need a good idea of how a garment really looks before I invest my money and time into a project. An illustration is not the same as a photo of a real person wearing clothes.

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Lucinda January 19, 2012

Pattern Review: Vogue 1020

Pattern: Vogue 1020, View C (OOP)
Size: 10 bodice graded to a 12 skirt
Fabric: Rayon jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics

I did the unthinkable. I swore I’d never do it again. But I did: I sewed a pattern that I already sewed three years ago and failed miserably at. The reason? It fit terribly and I hated how I looked and felt wearing it.

So why in the world did I try it again? This was the right fabric for it this time around.

1) The Fabric

I mean come on, this is a pretty funky fabric. And I felt that the print was so crazy-wild, it would distract from any fit issues I had around my stomach. I loved that the pattern layout created a bias across the bodice and then caused the print to straighten out at the skirt – this was a design element of the pattern that would be missed if I decided to use another plain knit this go-around. The weight of the fabric was perfect for this dress too; it was lightweight but draped well and had the right amount of stretch to it.

2) Grading

I’ve learned over the years of sewing how my body is proportioned and what works and doesn’t work. Learning from what I did before on this pattern, I didn’t cut a straight 12 – I cut a 10 for the top, guessed where the waist was (it’s really not clear on the pattern where the waist is located because of the side gathers…the left side is super long), and graded it out to a 12 to where I believed the hip started. It worked much better this time and I ended up being a lot happier with the fit.

3) Construction

The directions were straightforward and I think I referred to them once or twice, but pretty much did things based on instinct. I opted to use clear elastic at the shoulder seams and at the left gathered side seam instead of seam tape – much more RTW looking. No zipper used either since this fabric is so stretchy it’s not necessary. And thank you to whoever invented the twin stretch needle because for those of us who don’t own a serger, it’s a miracle. I used it to hem the bottom of the dress and sleeves as well as the neckline, and it looks so much more professional than a regular straight stitch.

4) Proper Undergarments

Don’t get me wrong: this is still a really tight dress and I have to remember to not slouch when I’m wearing it. But I found that wearing something underneath, like my DKNY Smoothies Leggings, really helped to smooth out my stomach and prevent bumps from my underwear from showing (I told you, it was a lightweight knit fabric!). I wore them the first day I wore this dress, which was to give a presentation at Ignite Craft Boston, and it helped to control everything all day and I felt good.

Now that I’ve finally conquered this pattern, I’m looking forward to tackling that top again.

Updated: I’ve mentioned this particular pattern in a new blog post about Vogue’s “Figure Flattery” guidelines here.

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Lucinda July 25, 2011

Vogue 1224 Tracy Reese Dress – Encore!

Pattern: Vogue 1224 Tracy Reese

Fabric: Rayon Jersey from Metro Textile, also available at gorgeousfabrics.com

Sandals: Tahari

Earrings: M Style Lab

I loved this pattern so much that I decided to make it again! On my trip last month to New York and my stop at Metro Textile, I bought this amazing knit jersey that Kashi showed me in his studio. At first I thought it was a bit, well…wild and bright for my personal tastes. But being that I am required to wear black for my job five days a week, a pop of color and a splashy print is a welcome addition to my usually neutral wardrobe.

Not really much to elaborate on other than the fact that I love this print and wanted to share it with everyone. For a fabric like this, a simple silhouette is really key: if there was more to the design of the construction, it would be lost due to the nature of the print. Pattern selection to fit the nature of the fabric is just as important as fabric selection to fit the requirements of the pattern.

I used the same mods as before: no drawstring at the neck, just elastic; graded the skirt from a 10 to a 12; added 2″ to the length so that it wasn’t hitting at my thigh. You can read more details about the first dress here: Vogue 1224 Tracy Reese Dress

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Lucinda July 17, 2011

Early Fall 2011 Review: Vogue Patterns

I received an email in my inbox the other day from Vogue Patterns about their new “early fall” collection, so I thought I’d take a gander and see what I wanted to add to my fall sewing list. Not much, as usual, since fall patterns don’t inspire me to sew as much as spring and summer ones do.

Vogue 8749 Misses Skirt

Description: Flared, with waist facing, side seam pockets

This skirt is reminiscent of a wool Lands’ End Canvas skirt that I bought for work last year, and it is easily my favorite skirt in my wardrobe for fall/winter (although a little on the short side for work…I always pair it with tights and boots). I love circle skirts since they are flattering on my figure and make it look like I actually have a waist! This skirt is simple enough and classic, which are two requirements on my “to sew” list. Check!

Vogue 8747 Misses Shirt
Description: Fitted. A, B, C, & D cups

After reading an article in the September issue of Threads Magazine about altering and embellishing button-down shirts, I want to apply some of those techniques to this pattern. I love that the pattern is part of their “Custom Fit” line of patterns, meaning that I’ll be able to fit my bust, my biggest pattern fitting problem. Love the ruching too, it takes it from a boring button-down shirt to something with a little more style.

Vogue 1252 Tracy Reese Dress
Description: Lined dress has close-fitting bodice and side front in-seam pockets

Not too sure about this one…I’ll probably wait until some other adventurous sewists stitch up this dress and review it before I make it. The print in the picture above really takes away from the interesting neckline and gathering details around the bodice that are visible in the line drawing, which really sold me the design. I also really liked the Tracy Reese dress I just finished (working on another as I’m typing this), so I wanted to give another one of her designs a try. But like I said, I’ll see how others do first…this would be a nice addition to my fall closet though. I bet it would look super cute with boots!

Not really much else that grabbed my attention from Vogue for this early fall collection. I’m hoping that their next collection will have more garments that strike my interest.

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Lucinda July 8, 2011

Vogue 1224 – Tracy Reese Dress

Had to take these pics before a potential rainstorm!

Pattern: Vogue 1224

Fabric: Rayon Jersey from Metro Textile in NYC

Size: 10 graded out to a 12 at the waistline

Shoes: Target (Merona brand)

Bangle: H&M

I knew as soon as I saw Erika B’s Tracy Reese dress posted on her blog, that pattern would be at the top of my sewing queue. So cute, flattering, and simple to sew: three elements that equal “yes” in my book!

I was lucky enough to be sent to NYC last month for a business trip and squeaked in some quick shopping in the garment district. Usually when I go to New York it’s on the weekends, so I don’t get to frequent a whole lot of places since they’re closed; usually I hit up Mood and Paron’s. I did do some damage at Mood this trip (found some turquoise eylet for a knock-off CK top and a pretty orange gauze), but I also had the opportunity to visit Metro Textile. It’s my favorite place to buy jersey – the selection is amazing, the quality is great, and it’s a source that Ann at Gorgeous Fabrics uses for her business (I can always spot fabrics on her site there). Plus, the service is great and prices can’t be beat. I could go on and on about how great Metro Textile is, but let’s get to the review of the dress!

One of the quickest sewing projects I made…I literally cut this dress out one night after work and stitched it up the next night to wear to a party the following day. I’m glad that I read some reviews on this dress before I made it – seriously, what did we do before the internet? Trial and error I guess!

1) The Length

Boy is this dress short! I’m pretty leggy so dresses and skirts seem shorter on me, so I lengthened the dress two inches and put in a very narrow 5/8″ hem. I think the original length would have hit on me at mid-thigh, totally not my style.

2) The Skirt

The pattern envelope shows the skirt being pretty tight on the model. That’s fine for her, not for me. I probably could have gotten away with the whole dress being a 10 taking into account the stretch properties of the fabric I was working with, but I knew I wouldn’t be comfortable in a tight skirt. I graded it out from the waist to a 12, as I usually do with dresses, and it worked well.

3) The Neckline

The neckline is pretty cool: it’s elasticized, and the elastic is joined to decorative drawstring ties. Me, being always impatient and not wanting to deal with the tediousness of turning the ties inside out (really need a tube-turner), opted to not use the ties. Plus, I didn’t want to make a buttonhole on a knit – I didn’t have any Sulky tear-away stabilizer to reinforce the buttonhole. I think my neckline resulted in being more gathered since I used a shorter piece of elastic, but I like it that way.

4) The Lining and Waistline

I really didn’t think it was necessary to line my skirt, like the pattern suggests, since my fabric had enough body to it. I used the technique I used with my jumpsuit to join the bodice and skirt together: the seam allowances created a casing for the elastic to go through. This created less bulk at the waistline and was a time saver.

Blurry photo, whoops…trying to show the print detail

I’m absolutely planning on making this dress again…I bought another knit at Metro Textile that’s really funky and has a lot of pattern and colors going on in the print. The design of this dress is simple enough that it’s a great pattern to showcase large or busy prints.