Vogue 1127: "Test Run"

Since I recently purchased a huge amount of the cobalt boucle at the last Fabric.com $1.95 sale, I have decided that I would like to use it to make a suit...specifically Vogue 1127, a Badgley Mischka suit with raglan sleeve jacket and pencil skirt.


Because the skirt is closely fitted, I decided to give it a "test run" before cutting into my boucle. I had a length of sage and black herringbone wool that I had gotten from Fashion Fabrics Club many, many months ago, and decided that this would be a good skirt for that. Most of the other narrow skirt patterns that I own have multiple panels, and I decided that would just be too much of a pain trying to match the pattern:


Since the front of the skirt is a single piece, and the back has only two and two small darts at the waist, I thought that this would interfere the least with the pattern on the fabric. Here you can see my questionable pattern matching on the back:


This skirt is also very short. They are not kidding when they say "2 inches above mid-knee." Since I am 5'6", pretty much the height that patterns are drafted for, the skirt did hit above the knee. The waistband, as per the description, also sits below the natural waist:


The skirt is also fully lined, although the instructions for the lining were a bit odd. The directions indicate that you should make a binding out of the lining fabric and apply this to the bottom edge of the facing. I have done this before, for example, when I lined the cape that I made recently:


I decided not to use their instructions, but to trim down the top of the lining and sew it directly to the bottom edge of the facing:


I also attached the lining to the vent, per the pattern instructions. Unfortunately, I am a terrible hand-sewer, and it looks like my 12-year-old niece did the work...It's not pretty:


Overall, I am quite happy with the results, but this "muslin" did reveal a couple of changes that I want to make to the second version. First, I want to lengthen the skirt by three inches, so that it will hit just below the knee. I will also peg it a bit more. Second, according to the finished garment measurements, cutting a size 20 would give me 1 inch of ease in the waist and no ease at all in the hips. Based on this, I cut a 20, and added an additional inch to the hips. However, when I put the skirt on after it was finished, It was definitely loser than I typically like:


There is too much ease at the hips, and the waist is too loose. This tells me either a) I lost weight in the 20 hours that passed since I measured myself or b) I am just really bad at measuring myself or c) I am a bit skanky and really like tight clothes. Since option a is unlikely in the extreme, I'm going to go with both b and c, since either are equally likely. So, when I make the final version, I will cut an 18, grading out to a 20 at the hips.

All in all, I am pleased with the finished results. I can easily go back and take in the hips a bit, that is a simple fix. I think it will be a nice option for work, either with a jacket or without.

Alteration-Induced Migraine

Since Sunday I have been working on Burda Style 12-2009-116, a pair of cargo trousers in cotton twill. Technically, these are my muslin, because I had NO IDEA how to go about making alterations to these pants. In fact, I am pretty sure that just thinking about it gave me a migraine. I normally don't have trouble making pants alterations, but these had crazy seams going in every different direction:

The back pant piece is split into two pieces, and then wraps around the side of the leg. Here is a quickie drawing of what the pieces look like, and in their relative locations with the pockets marked:


Normally, the alterations that I make in pants are as follows:

• Extend crotch curve to accommodate additional "thickness" in body
• Add wedge to raise back of pants, keeping the underpants hidden
  
• Taper towards waist, to prevent waistband from gaping
  
• Add 2 additional inches of width to back leg, tapering to 1 inch at waist

I'm getting pretty good at these alterations, but in these pants??? I had no idea where to start. To start, I used my TNT Burda pants to retrace the crotch curves. I then added the additional width that I needed on the back leg at the seam that split the back leg vertically. I also split the back yoke and added tissue there, and then re-drew the curve on the bottom edge. I also added width to the back waistband. Fortunately, this pant already had a contour waist, so no need to change that.

Then I forged ahead....and found that side seam pockets are NOT my friend. The Hot Patterns Marrakesh pant lulled me into a false sense of security (because those turned out so awesome) and made me think that in spite of the fact that I am a fluffy girl that I can wear side-seam pockets. WRONG!! And I spent so much time on those pockets, too. They gaped terribly when I tried the pants on for fitting.

I also sewed the pockets on the legs totally flat, rather than making "bellows pockets" as instructed. I kept the pleat on the front, for appearances, but then sewed it down to reduce bulk. I have chubby legs already, I don't need giant expandable pockets tacked to each thigh to draw people's attention to it...you know, in case they didn't notice.

I started by switching the pocket flap to the back rather than the front, so that I could button the pockets shut (I ran out of khaki twill so used a funny print for the pocket lining and waistband):


But, no dice. The pockets still gaped terribly. So, I sewed them shut! But, I left the pocket bags there, so you know...when I lose weight I can open them back up (yeah, right!):


I have to say, that these pants took FOREVER to make, partly because of how long I sat and stared at them blankly trying to decide how to alter the pattern, but also because of all the topstitching. You do have to be careful bringing the pieces together, so that the seams match. Here is the back yoke:


And here is the front. The yoke seams have to be matched across the fly, so make sure you baste that zipper! You can see that I managed to match the yoke seam, but somewhere lost my ability to use the seam allowance guide, because the waistband doesn't match:


In the end, I am probably 75% happy with these pants. They are REALLY comfortable. Because of all the topstitcing, you can easily justify machine hemming. The pockets bug me, but that was my fault for ignoring what I KNOW to be true about the kinds of clothes I can wear and the kinds I can't. And the fit is nearly there. I usually have issues with the back, and get creases under the buttocks, hence the reason that I have to add to the crotch extension and the additional width across the back pant leg. Here are the pants from the back:


Considering that I had NO CLUE how to alter those given the seams going in a million different directions, I can definitely say "not bad." It could be better, but the seam down the back leg are vertical, as are the side seams:


But, since these are a casual pant, meant to be "slouchy," I'm not sure how much I want to mess with the fit, considering they are currently comfortable, and don't make me look fatter...which is always a key consideration for pants!


I may give these pants another go...you know, after the migraine fades. There is a second version in the December issue, this one made without the bellows pockets, and the pockets switched to open as welts in the seam between the pant front and the front yoke:

In the magazine, they made these to be more of a dress pant, which might be another option if I want to go back to working on fit:


I would certainly recommend these pants to a sewist who doesn't mind the repetitive top-stitching. If you think jeans are the most awesome thing ever to sew...you'll probably like these just fine! However, I would not recommend this pattern for someone who is not very, very familiar with sewing pants. I have done dozens of pants, and I really was stumped by the alterations on these. There were a couple of times that I just had to walk away from them for a while.

Also, the Burda instructions are completely useless...so if you don't already know how to assemble a yoked pant, they won't help you for more than order of assembly.

If I haven't scared you away....then make these pants. They are a good option for the fluffy girl who likes the look of a cargo pant, but doesn't want to look like they accidentally left the house in their husband's pants. So many RTW cargos have drawstrings, or are deliberately made to be huge and droopy...not a good option for those of us who want to look LESS fluffy, not more. As I said before, I'm about 75% happy with these pants...which means I'll certainly wear them! Overall, not bad for a muslin.

The Most Tedious Pants In The World

An update...

I should have learned my lesson about Burda, when I made the most tedious dress in the world:


They are up to their old tricks with these pants! I have been working on these pants non-stop since Sunday. Well, you know, except for work. But, normally I can knock out pants in no time at all (because I have done so many!). But these...these are turning out to be a real pain.

First up, the alterations were just mind-bending. With the back leg extended and curving around the front leg, I was lost as to how to alter them, because I had to add width to the back leg. The front alterations were easy...all I had to do was lay my TNT Burda tracing on it, and recreate my altered front crotch curve. There were no other alterations to the front pattern piece, or the front yoke.
The back pattern piece looks like this:


There is a line down the pattern piece from the top of the hip all the way to the hem. This serves as both a grainline, as well as where you are to split the piece, add seam allowances, and sew it back together creating a seam down the back of the leg. I needed to add 2 inches across the back piece at the level of the hips, grading down to one inch at the waist and nothing at the hem. I split that, and added that to each side of that center back seam, grading as needed. This took a pattern piece that was straight, and added a curve to it. Now, the danger is that this would create a curved seam down the back of the leg, but since I added it to both sides, what it created was some extra room for my rear end, because the curve doesn't waver from side to side, but comes OUT from the back of the pant...if that makes sense. The reason that I need that extra space on the back piece is because of a large, round bottom...so I figured that this would give my bottom the space it needed in the pants. Here is the finished seam, with the yoke added:


I also added the same width in the back yoke, and corrected the curve of the piece:

This also necessitated altering the back waistband:


One other change that I made was to attach the pocket flap for the side-seam pockets to the back pattern piece and not the front. That way, I can button the pockets closed and keep them from gaping, rather than having a decorative flap on the front, and pockets that gape anyway:


I was short on fabric, so for the pocket bags and inside of the pocket flaps and waistband, I used a fun cotton:


This fabric is left over from an outfit that I made for my nephew over the summer:


I'm sure he won't mind! If I make these pants again, I will definitely change the pocket pieces to have a pocket facing (a la the Marrakesh pant) as well as adding the extension to the fly to keep them lying flat. To keep them from gaping, I could topstitch the pocket edges, but with so much other topstitching going on, I don't want to add that. With a pocket facing, I could add the flap to the front of the pocket and make it decorative rather than functional, since with a facing a small gape would not reveal the pocket lining of a different fabric.

I will try to squeeze in a little work on these tonight. So far, I have one leg completely constructed, and need to attach the back to the front on the other leg. After that, it just leaves inserting the zipper, adding the waistband, and hemming. I doubt I will get them done tonight, though...it's Project Runway night!

Fabric Shopping and This Week's Plans

Today I needed an excuse to go to the fabric store (and buy something more than zippers, just to feel as if I had accomplished something). So I cut a sample of my cobalt/multi Vera Wang boucle and set of on a mission to find something that matched it.

I had decided that I wanted to use it for Vogue 1127, a Badgley Mischka skirt, jacket, and shell.


I wandered all over the store looking for matches, and noticed that in the silk brocades and silk dupioni that I always have to stop and pet that there was a an iridescent gold that matched the gold specks in the boucle very well. The silk was woven in gold one direction, and hot pink in the other, that made for a bronze/orange color that was very striking. Here is the dupioni with the boucle. The flash is making the dupioni really glow, but the color is fairly accurate:


While that had the shell taken care of, I still needed to locate a lining for the jacket and skirt. I found in the formalwear a lining in a yellow that looked fairly good:


This photo was taken without flash, so you can see what the fabric looks like without the flash blasting the dupioni. I am actually pretty excited to get started on this project. I am not sure whether or not to attempt to wash the silk. Silk Road Fabrics mentions on their web page that:

Dupioni is marked 'Dry Clean Only' but it can be washed IF you wash it before you cut it out. Silk dupioni loses much of its stiffness when washed, and just a bit of its sheen, but it still looks great. It will shrink up to 12% - 5 inches (13 cm) per yard - when washed, but it is very difficult to wrinkle after that. And no dry cleaning bills! Pre-made or lined dupioni garments should most likely be dry cleaned.

Today I also traced a pair of Burda pants that I would like to make. I really like the interesting seams. The back also has a curved yoke, and a seam down the center of the back of each leg. I used my Burda TNT pants for the alterations, but with all those seams going every direction, the alterations were MINDBENDING. I hope that it turns out...I anticipate making more than one pair to get these right! But, I'll be sure to make a complete accounting of the alterations if they turn out well, since I really had to stare at these for a while before figuring out what to do with them:
I have a gray twill as well as a khaki twill that would work equally as well for these. I may use the khaki and make them with the cargo-pockets, and then if it works well make a second pair with the gray, sans pockets and flaps.

If I get a few moments this week, I will at least try to get the Vogue pattern fit and the pants started.

I hope everyone had a good weekend, and I will keep you updated!

Shawl Collar Wrap Jacket

I decided that I would use my ivory boucle from the Fabric.com sale for the Wrapover Jacket in the December, 2009 Burda. I knew that I was potentially heading for an unexpected result, as the jacket calls for a knit and I was using a woven. Fortunately, KID, MD had made the same jacket recently, and also in a woven and with good results. I heeded her warning that in a woven the sleeves were very narrow, and added some extra room in the biceps.

The boucle shredded like crazy, so I used my serger for nearly all the construction. The boucle also looks very different on the front and the back. One side very clearly has a pattern of squares, and shiny rayon threads are visible:


On the other side, the pattern of squares is much less visible, and it is this side that I used for my "front."


I initially had concerns about making a jacket like this from a woven, so I did a little snoop-shopping and found a couple similar boucle jackets with belted waists. This Classiques Entier Atelier Boucle Jacket, was on sale at Nordstrom, regular price $298.00, on sale for $148.00:


As well as this one from Lafayette 148 (also from the Nordstrom website), regular price $448.00, on sale for $267.00:

Here is the finished product:

And man oh man, is it warm! It may get worn open more often than closed:


Overall, it was a very simple pattern to put together, I read the instructions and they made perfect sense to me...which may just mean that Burda has given me Stockholm Syndrome.

There was a lot of handstitching, that probably took me as long as the entire rest of the project. You have to handstitch the hems for the bottom and the cuffs, as well as stitch the shawl collar down all the way around. Other than that, the sewing was really quick, and the sleeves are set in flat, so that made everything very easy. The only issue that I ran into was the tendency of the boucle to shred. Not ravel, but completely shred! So, I finished the hem and ends of the sleeves with the serger before it fell apart completely, and did all the construction seams on the serger. The only thing that I did on the regular machine were the seams for the sash and two small seams on the front.

The one issue that I have is something that, of course, is completely invisible in the model photo...the fact that the shoulders are very, very dropped. Of couse, that is the risk that you often take when you don't make a muslin...yes, I am impatient and did not do one. I figured, what the heck....if I mess it out, I'm only out about $5.00 worth of fabric. On the other hand, they are SO dropped it was clearly intentional, so I'll call it "stylistic" and wear it anyway!

New Fabrics, New Ideas

Today I got a shipment from Fabric.com because I have an absolute inability to control myself when presented with $1.95 a yard fabric AND a 30% off coupon. So, for $35.83 (yay, free shipping!) I got 24 1/2 yards of fabric, most of it from the Vera Wang Lavender collection, but also some shirting.

Here is the haul:


Two cotton shirtings, 4 yards each. They are a nice medium-weight cotton. I recently saw a woman that I work with wearing a shirt that was similar to the blue and black. Apparently plaid is back. Woe is me for throwing all mine out along with the Pearl Jam and Soundgarden CDs. Had I only known that grunge would return so quickly....

But, I think I might use McCalls 5929 for at least one of the plaids, since I like their example in the red plaid:
Next a pretty cotton sateen with a large-scale print:

It is super silky. Also in the photo is a wool with 4% lycra. It is very drapey, and would be great for a pant like the Hot Patterns Marrakesh Pant. However, since I already have a black pair, I will use this for a skirt. It is light enough that I may give a try with Butterick 5249. I had concerns about the pleats on the hips. I love the look, but that is certainly an area on me that needs no accentuating, and you certainly would not want to use a stiff fabric.
For the sateen, I am thinking about a trench coat. I have both McCall 5525 and Burda 7639, I think either would be a good look:


Finally, I have 5 yards each of the Cobalt/Multi boucle and the Ivory boucle:


The multi-colored boucle might make a good Chanel-style jacket, but I was toying wit the idea of using the ivory for the Wrapover Jacket in the December, 2009 Burda:


The pattern calls for a sweater knit, which I could get, but I really like the ivory boucle, and it seems like it would be soft enough and drapey enough to work. Of course, I could be going down a path to massive failure by not using the recommended fabric, so comments are welcome!!

In the meantime, I have been reorganizing my stash and trying to keep track of what I have. Here are JUST the wovens:


I have been entering them all into a spreadsheet since I discovered in my sorting that I have a tendency to "re-buy" things that I THINK I don't have, when really it's just burried under a pile of nonsense. I have probably 25 yards of black fabric for pants, some twill, some stretch twill, some wool, and some poly...all purchased because I was positive that I had no black pant fabric. Regardless, does anyone need 12 pairs of black pants? I think not. Perhaps I will have to start making jackets...and skirts...and shirts.

Question From a Reader

On my blog about the Hot Patterns Marrakesh Pants AnnB asked the question:

"I like the finished pants, they look nice on you. I also enjoyed the review of your adjustments as I have to make just the same ones. Ignore the pique about the peak in the pants. If a pattern did not have them before I do my adjustments it always does after. But...how do you handle the "peak" you can get raising the back waist? Do tell if you like."

To clarify, these are the adjustments that I have to make. Let's start with a schematic of a standard pants backpiece:

There are three major adjustments that I do. I start by extending the crotch curve, to prevent creases under the buttocks. I also add some width to the exterior of the leg for the same reason. I also slash the back and add a wedge to raise the back waist. I have illustrated my alterations in red:


Many pants also have back pattern pieces that are larger than the front pattern pieces. This is common in Burda patterns, and is also the case with the recent Hot Patterns pant. However, I have noticed that many of the Big 4 patterns have front and back pattern pieces that are of similar sizes. If this is the case, I will cut the front pattern piece in a smaller size and account for this in my back pattern piece. This moves the side seam forward, and creates a slimmer appearance, an important thing for us fluffy girls!

But to return to AnnB's question....how to account for the peak at the back waistband after I add the wedge.

The answer is, I don't.

If I use an unaltered pattern, the size of my bottom causes the waistband to droop, and gives me a case of plumber butt:


To combat this, I add the wedge into the back of the pant, raising the center waistband. Ann asks, how I deal with the peak that this would create in the back waistband.

When adding this wedge, if you add too much, you could very well create a peak, so it is important to not overdo it when you make this alteration. In my case, I add about 1 1/2 inches, since that is about the distance that the center of my waistband droops on an unaltered pant. My alteration provides enough room in the pant to accommodate my rear end, and prevent a full bottom from dragging down the center of the waistband.

Since that drag creates a "U" in the back waistband, my alteration does not create a peak in the back, but simply allows that top edge of the pant to lay horizontally across the back waist. Were I to make a larger wedge, then it would peak rather than lying horizontally, hence the reason that you should be conservative when making this alteration.

Finally, there is one last adjustment that may be necessary depending on the pant in question. Many of us that have to make this wedge alteration have to do so because we have a round bottom, and a waist that is very much smaller than our hips. Because of this, I also may tilt the back seam to prevent "gaposis." Pants with back darts may not require that "tilt," or you can rectify any gaping of the back waistband by increasing the size of the dart.

Here is an example of a pattern with an increased dart:


And here is an example of a pant with the back tilted to fit over the top of the buttocks:


However, I rarely include this in the original alterations unless it is the second time that I am making a pattern. I normally will make this change "on the fly," because I do a lot of trying on while I sew to see if I need to take in side seams or make other alterations.

It is also important to remember when making these adjustments that may change the circumference of the top of the pant, that you will also have to account for this in the waistband. I find it easier to use a waistband with only a center back seam as opposed to a back seam as well as side seams. That means that you don't have to deal with lining up the side seams of the waistband with the side seams of the pant. I use a contoured waistband from an Alice & Olivia pant from vogue that has only a center back seam. I like this one, but because it is a large pattern piece, you do have to account for that when you are purchasing your fabric.

If you have a similar body-type to mine, these alterations will help you to go from this:


To this:


I hope that this information is helpful, and thank you everyone for your comments and questions.