A Lagenlook-drafting tale...

This was bound to happen.

Over the past few weeks I've sewn three dresses with a Lagenlook vibe. And I love them. One thing they all have in common is a plethora of pattern pieces - lots of pieces and seaming to get that iconic fly-away/belled look.

Being totally without anything else I HAD to do, I started thinking about drafting a simple dress - front, back, and sleeve - that would mimic those lines. It would be as easy to sew as a tee shirt dress.









Fun project! I decided to use the skirt from the StyleArc Toni Designer Dress and the bodice from the Sewing Workshop Cityscapes Dress.

A little time on the floor, with both patterns and more tissue on top, and I had something to sew. 

Actually, this first version isn't bad - but it is very unstructured through the body and sleeve. I do like the fabric (a pre-cut rayon/cotton/lycra jersey from Fabric Mart), so I'll re-sew this as a tunic in the spring. It will be great over white leggings.

Not deterred, I went back to work. This time I kept the skirt from my first draft, and added the bodice from Sandra Betzina's knit dress, V1297. 

The Betzina dress has a more narrow bodice and a French dart for shaping. And it has a nice slim sleeve.

Success!

I'll be able to whip one up in no time - the dress at the top of this post was sewn just that way :-) Now I'm off to see what else I can do to make a mess in the loft. I'm thinking a nightgown.

Ciao! Coco

StyleArc Winsome Designer Dress - into the unknown...

I'm on a StyleArc roll!

And you can tell from the twirly pic that this worked.

When StyleArc released the Winsome Dress pattern recently, I was sold immediately - I love the drawstring detail on the back. I would have bought the pattern just for that - I smoosh and hack patterns all the time. But I was also drawn by all the piecing and seams. And draped pockets and asymmetrical hem. There's a lot going on in this pattern...

I'm always more comfortable starting a new pattern if I can find reviews and tips from other sewists. In this case, I couldn't find any. There are just a couple photos on the StyleArc site, and the dress shown is done in a woven fabric. The suggested fabrics: Crepe, silk, rayon or any fabric that drapes.

So of course I chose to do this in a thin rayon/lycra jersey with 4-way stretch! No-fear sewing for the holidays...but it worked :-)

The fabric looks wavey in some of these pics. But it's really just heathered, no waves or stripes.

My sewing notes:

• I purchased the PDF version, the 10-12-14 bundle, and sewed size 10.

• I lengthened the dress pieces by 2" using the lengthen/shorten lines on the pattern (I'm 5'7", and the extra 2" are perfect). 

• And I added 4" to the sleeve, just because I didn't want to come up short. A couple inches would have been enough. 

• As usual, I drafted my pattern with 1/2" seam allowances everywhere (StyleArc includes 3/8" seam allowances in the main bits of the pattern and 1/4" allowances at the neckline).

• I didn't sew the front button placket - that's scary sewing on a thin knit. And IMHO, the placket is kind of  the wrong vibe for this dress - it seems so sporty. Instead, I trimmed about 1/4" from the neckline (I tested to be sure it would go over my head) and finished it with self-fabric binding.  

Sewing the back drawstring casing was easy and fun. Those buttonholes - practice, practice. Putting a buttonhole into knit fabric can be challenging. I settled on a mid-weight fusible non-woven interfacing to stabilize the area, then trimmed away the excess once the buttonholes were done.

A couple pics of the casing and drawstring - so pretty!

The sleeves were way too wide, although they might be fine in a woven fabric. I trimmed away quite a bit (1" or so) from the sleeve seam, continuing under the armscye, and down for about 5". In my next knit version, I'm going to use the armscye and sleeve from a knit dress, maybe M6747.

So - Black Friday. I did my part,  and the stash will be much fatter for it. I also got the Nook Samsung Galaxy Tab A, a Barnes & Noble special offer!! It's terrific. Small, light, slips easily into my handbag, and I can do everything on it! Much better than my old IPad and original Nook. I'm feeling so spoiled.

Bye for now - Coco

StyleArc Toni Designer Dress - start, stop, start again...

Another StyleArc journey - my love affair with them has been intermittent at best! Their wishful line art and drawings are right up there with Hot Patterns. What you see is not always what you get.

I'm a forewarned and an experienced warrior.

However - I've been looking for alternatives to my 'usual' maxi dresses. I get bored! And this dress has intrigued me. I read as many reviews as I could find. And explored images online. I finally took the plunge, bought it (PDF version), and spent a morning with tape and scissors.

I knew going in that I would not do the collar. I don't like collars - not on me and not on most people. Oops - that's a lot of sewists. But it's a personal hang-up. My father insisted that I wear pointed collar shirts in a time when all my friends were wearing peter pan collars. It was painful, and the feelings apparently linger.

Anyway - on to this dress. Fortunately it has a lovely v-neck opportunity without the collar.

I also had to think about fabric. StyleArc suggests 'silk, crepe, rayon, suitable knit'. Since they don't provide examples, I looked at what others had done, and decided that the defining factor was drape. So I decided to try a rayon crepe - read that as drape with a burst of color!

I love how colors vibrate on rayon fabrics. Much more than on cottons, linens, and wool.

Working with this large print - the vertical repeat is a whopping 34" - I decided to cut both the front and the back on the fold. I just didn't want to break up those definitive blossoms.

The fabric is from Fabric Mart, one of their pre-cut buyout offerings. This one was 4 yards for $16. Incredible.

A few sewing notes:

• I sewed the size 10. I'm 5'7, with a full bust of 35.5"  - 36". The hip measurement on this pattern is not a defining factor, as there is lots of fabric in that area. 

• But I did add 2" to the length, using the pattern's lengthen/shorten lines. 

• The biggest change I made was to the line of the side drape. And I have to credit Ruth at CoreCouture for this one - I followed her lead and changed the pattern at the sides, removing some of the outward 'poke', as below.

• Several sewists suggested that the pattern is a little narrow at the hemline and might benefit from a back slit for walking ease. So I extended the hem outwards by 1", all side seams (as above in my draft), adding a total of 4". And the result works great. It's comfortable in all situations.

• I also drafted all my pattern pieces with a 1/2" seam allowance. StyleArc uses 3/8" for seams and 1/4" for necklines and collars. Their reasoning is beyond me, but because I use the PDF versions of their patterns, I can suit myself. 

• I used the facing from the pattern, but did it in cotton lawn, interfaced with knit tricot fusible. I really wanted to stabilize the neckline, something a self-fabric facing would not have done. 

Lots of clipping and basting to turn the facing at the bottom of the v-neck...

About the fabric. I sew with rayon challis a lot, and love it. I enjoy sewing it, and I enjoy wearing it even more. I was curious about rayon crepe, new to me, and I found that it sews pretty much the same as challis. It slips around, moves on any bias, ravels a little more than challis, and has a mind of its own! 

I don't write tutorials myself - I get very irritated by the raft of sewist who do, with poor technique and, often, worse sewing examples. (BTW - I 'unfollow' any blogs that start doing tutorials - I'm that irritated!) But I do try to find good sources and information that I can share. Here's a link to an article, on Sew4Home, that is a nice discussion of fabrics like rayon crepe:

http://www.sew4home.com/tips-resources/sewing-tips-tricks/happy-holidays-freespirit-rowan-working-rayon-and-linen

Time for a pic:

The start, stop, and start again...I tossed this dress in the bin twice while I was working on it. It was decidely awful before I got the side seams done and got a good look at it :-)

But I really like it! and I plan more. It's delightful to wear, fun and a little off-beat. 

Ciao! Coco

StyleArc Stevie Jean Jacket - a keeper!

What a fun project! I've been looking for an oversized jean jacket pattern for ages. One that looks like it was purchased in the men's department. Know what I mean?

In my wildest dreams, I never thought StyleArc would come up with one. But recently, clothingengineer posted a super cute version on Pattern Review, actually the first review of the pattern. I've no idea when StyleArc released it, but I took a look at it right away.

And lucky me, I just happened to have a bunch of wildly green 8.5 oz bull denim just waiting for its turn.

My relationship with StyleArc patterns has been so iffy, more disappointment than success. After my recent Designer Daisy wadders projects, I had no plans to even think about StyleArc patterns. But I have to hand to them on this one. It's a great pattern that delivers the promised boyfriend jacket look.

I really wanted my jacket to mimic the classic jean jacket style, so I did a bunch of looking around on the web - Levi, Wrangler, and Lee. And I checked with one of my favorite fabric/sewing databases, just to be sure I handled the denim in a classic way as well. I don't remember how I originally found the 'Historical Materials from the University of Nebraska' site, but it's a absolute gem.

Some sewing notes:

• I sewed the size 10, and it's a great fit.

• No welt pockets, just because I don't like pocket bags inside short jackets. I thought about adding a faux welt, and I still might, on a rainy boredom-filled day...

• My upper/flap pockets are faux - I didn't use the pocket bag at all. I'm not going to use it these pockets, and I didn't want all the extra fabric in the yoke seam.

• My only whinge on this pattern is the seam allowance. It's 3/8" everywhere, but the neckline/collar, which is mere 1/4"! But I used the PDF pattern and simply drafted the entire thing with a 1/2" seam allowance. I cannot imagine working all these small pattern pieces, most of which are meant to have a felled finish of some kind, with less than 1/2" in play.

• I wanted to keep the jacket loose and supple, so I serged all my seam edges and used a faux-fell finish.

• I love all the topstitching! and used regular sewing thread for mine. I'm just not a fan of the thicker topstitching thread that's available.

• In a deviation from the sewing instructions, I sewed my pocket on top of the bodice, rather than behind it. The difference? The Wrangler jean jacket has it on top, while the Levi trucker jean jacket has it behind, as below. Choices!

And mine, with my first set of buttons. I later changed these to some nice nickel buttons from Holly Lobby.

I love it, and I'm working on a second one in marigold - got to keep those tropical colors coming.

Parting shot: 

Tomorrow I'm off to Ft. Myers to kitty-sit while Ashley and Darrin go to Salem, MA, for their annual Halloween fest. And I'll get to meet two newbies that they recently brought home from the shelter. Willow and Thor! A total of 4 now - I'm dosing myself with Claritin :-)

Ciao! Coco

Style Arc Daisy Tunic...

The rain has let up just long enough for me to take some pics in the garden. I may look cool and fresh in these photos, but, au contraire...

The lens on my camera kept fogging up!

And  the outfit. I recently purchased the Daisy Designer two-fer from Style Arc's Etsy shop. I was after a baggy-leg pants pattern, but this bundle was a good buy for only a couple dollars more.








Small whinge session:
Style Arc drives me nuts with their sizing. The only finished garment measurements they provide are for their size 10.  Umm. What is that 10? US, RTW, European, AU, equator... I've no idea. Their only helpful hint is that they use a 2" circumference grade from size to size. Useless, and it has kept me away from most of their expensive patterns.

No numbers on the pattern pieces. Come on...

And typically, they're big on drawings and short on pics of their garments on real human beings. They're not alone - Hot Patterns is rather famous for this lazy marketing. I admit I always feel a bit like a sucker when I buy from either of them...because I know that what you see is not what you get.

None of that was intended to offend any Style Arc or Hot Pattern aficionados - just my experience.

Let's look at pictures!

Pants: Love Notions Sabrina Slims

I added the pockets to provide a little interest to the front of the tunic. They're not really meant to be used, as I place them up pretty high. And I do not carry a phone in my pockets!

Fabric: Robert Kaufman Cambridge Lawn, from Craftsy

There's something so liberating about writing all over one's fabric.

I opted not to use the hem bands on the pattern - having looked at the drafting, I doubted that the finishing at the point of the hem would make me happy. Instead, I added 3" at the lengthen/shorten line on the pattern and used a simple folded hem.

Tip: Finish the hem before sewing the side seams.

And a sneak peek at my muslin of the Daisy pants (WIP)...

So, bottom line: I'm kind of meh about the tunic. It's too big across my upper chest, not really loosey-goosey in the skirt, and pretty shapeless in between (that drawing thing again). I know I won't make it again without some serious redrafting. Yep, it will hit the pajama department after I crop it a bit.

Parting shot: beadwork therapy while watching tennis yesterday...

Ciao! Coco